Excited for The Last Jedi? Check out the Star Wars Expanded Universe
A long, long time ago, on May 25, 1983, the first Star Wars trilogy ended. But, the adventures of Princess Leia Organa, Luke Skywalker and Han Solo continued in the Star Wars Expanded Universe (EU). The Star Wars EU consists of hundreds of stories that expand on the original trilogy. It includes novels, comic books and video- and role-playing games. Together these stories formed a consistent universe accepted by George Lucas.
But everything changed when Disney bought Lucasfilm.
In April 2015, Disney announced it would take control of all “Star Wars storytelling.” Only the six movies and the Clone Wars television series and movie would count as canon going forward. The Star Wars EU would no longer exist in the official Star Wars universe. Disney renamed the EU "Star Wars Legends."
An explosion of new novels, comic books, movies and television has issued forth to build up Disney's Star Wars universe. This includes the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, continued this month in "Star Wars: The Last Jedi".
Yet, the stories of Star Wars Legends still exist. They are a potential source of material for writers. And it’s possible that aspects of the EU could pop up in newer Star Wars stories. They may have already appeared in the Sequel Trilogy.
The Merril Collection of Science Fiction, Speculation and Fantasy contains almost all of the Star Wars EU. It is located on the third floor of the Lillian H. Smith branch. There you may find clues for the future of the Star Wars universe, including the following intriguing stories:
The "Thrawn" Trilogy by Timothy Zahn picks up the story five years after "Return of the Jedi". A fledgling New Republic must defend itself against the rise of a new Empire. The trilogy introduces Mara Jade, the future wife of Luke Skywalker. She is a former servant of the Emperor, an awesome assassin/smuggler and a future Jedi Knight. It also features the birth of Leia and Han’s twin children, Jacen and Jaina.
In the Jedi Academy trilogy by Kevin J. Anderson, Luke sets up a school to rebuild the Jedi Order. Issues arise as the Dark Side of the Force proves too great a temptation for some students. The future of the Jedi could end before it even begins. These books deal with similar themes and events as "Star Wars: The Force Awakens", the first movie in the Sequel Trilogy. They may inform "The Last Jedi" as well.
The stories of Leia and Han’s twins, Jacen and Jaina Solo, mirror characters in the Sequel Trilogy. Jacen and Jaina are Jedi trained by Luke Skywalker, like Kylo Ren and (probably) Rey. In the New Jedi Order series, Jacen Solo finds himself entangled in war and facing horrifying enemies. The series spans 19 novels, with extra short stories. Through it, Jacen travels from pacifism to a darker version of the Force.
Jacen and Jaina's story continues in the series Legacy of the Force. Jaina must face what has happened to her twin brother. Can he be saved, or will she be forced to destroy him? This plotline is similar to the story of Kylo Ren in the Sequel Trilogy. Will Rey play the part of Jaina? Or will she become a second Jacen?
I don’t know what The Last Jedi holds for us. I do know that I will be flipping through the books of Star Wars Legends for the next years to come. Maybe they’ll show me the future of Star Wars. Maybe they won’t. But I’ll be entertained nonetheless by what might have been.
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