Star Wars Legends

The Expanded Universe's early stages of development were inconsistent and not well-defined, mainly because there was limited canon material available for creators to reference at the time.

It is widely accepted that the Expanded Universe started with Alan Dean Foster's Star Wars spin-off novel, Splinter of the Mind's Eye, which came out in February 1978. However, it technically began in October 1977 with the story "The Keeper's World," featured in Marvel Comics' Pizzazz magazine. Splinter was primarily inspired by an early version of the Star Wars script. While George Lucas's name is on the original Star Wars novelization's cover, Alan Dean Foster ghostwrote it. Foster was given a working script and a tour of the production.

A lot of the early Legends material from the early 1980s included comparisons to the real world, which went against the idea that the Star Wars universe was not connected to Earth or our time.

A significant change occurred when West End Games began publishing Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game in 1987. To enable players of the roleplaying game to create new adventures, West End Games needed to provide additional material that described the Star Wars universe in great detail and ensured it was consistent and logical. For example, the Aurebesh alphabet was initially just a random set decoration in Return of the Jedi. Stephen Crane copied these symbols and developed them into a complete and usable alphabet, which was later used in the prequel trilogy. By consistently developing and expanding on details like this, West End Games' Star Wars products became a reference library for other EU developers.

Around the same time, Dark Horse Comics acquired the Star Wars license, previously held by Marvel, and used it to launch several ambitious sequels to the original trilogy, starting with the popular Star Wars: Dark Empire series.

Simultaneously with Dark Empire's release in the early 1990s, Bantam Spectra published The Thrawn Trilogy by Timothy Zahn. Marketed as the "sequels that were never made," Zahn's novels revived Star Wars fandom and sparked a revolution in Star Wars literature.

All of this development began to connect and reference itself, creating cross-connections. West End Games created roleplaying supplements based on Dark Horse's comics and Zahn's novels. Novelists and comic creators used West End Games' supplements as reference material. Sequels to the novels were published as comics and vice versa, and the Expanded Universe expanded rapidly.

At that time, most of the Expanded Universe detailed the Star Wars universe after Return of the Jedi. George Lucas had previously restricted the development of numerous topics, including the rise of the Galactic Empire, the personal histories of Anakin Skywalker and Emperor Palpatine, and the Clone Wars, before his prequel trilogy and related material were developed.

In the late '90s, it was decided that using the Empire as the villains had become repetitive. A new threat, the Yuuzhan Vong, was introduced in the New Jedi Order series. The Yuuzhan Vong first appeared in The New Jedi Order: Vector Prime, the first book in the New Jedi Order series.

Before the release of The Phantom Menace, Lucasfilm specifically prohibited the development of the decades leading up to A New Hope in the Expanded Universe. However, the release of Episode I opened up a new era of the series to explore.

Since The Phantom Menace was set during a time of peace, most material that built on it was set either before or during the film, rather than after.

On the other hand, Attack of the Clones finally explored the long-awaited Clone Wars conflict that was first mentioned in A New Hope. The release of Attack of the Clones led to a surge of new content in Legends, most notably the comic book series, Star Wars: Republic, and a TV micro-series called Star Wars: Clone Wars, both of which built up to the release of Revenge of the Sith. In Star Wars: Clone Wars, produced and directed by Genndy Tartakovsky, many battles of the titular war are depicted, with the Force's power exaggerated, reminiscent of Tartakovsky's previous work. The second season of the series introduces General Grievous, a main antagonist in the upcoming Revenge of the Sith. The third and final season is set in the days leading up to the beginning of Revenge of the Sith. Meanwhile, Star Wars: Republic supplemented the show, filling in gaps left by Clone Wars and providing more context for all three prequel movies.

Following the release of Revenge of the Sith, events between the two trilogies were further developed, such as the Great Jedi Purge. Notable content released during this period, set between Episodes III and IV, includes Star Wars: Dark Times, a sequel comic series to Republic that follows the aftermath of Episode III, and the multimedia project Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, which starred Darth Vader's secret apprentice, Galen Marek, and explored the early days of the Rebel Alliance.

On April 25, 2014, Lucasfilm announced that the Expanded Universe was being reorganized under the new non-canon "Star Wars Legends" banner to make way for a new continuity, led by major projects like Star Wars Rebels and the Star Wars sequel trilogy. Some previously published Expanded Universe material remained in print as Legends stories. The first novels reprinted under the Legends banner included Heir to the Empire, The Han Solo Adventures, The Lando Calrissian Adventures, Crucible, Kenobi, Razor's Edge, Death Troopers, Fate of the Jedi: Outcast, Maul: Lockdown, Lost Tribe of the Sith: The Collected Stories, and the Star Wars: Lives & Adventures compendium.

While new material released on or after April 25, 2014, is generally considered canon, some new material has continued to be released under the Star Wars Legends brand. This includes the concluding comics in the Star Wars comic series by Dark Horse Comics, the final issues of the series Star Wars: Legacy Volume 2, the Star Wars: Rebel Heist miniseries, the Star Wars: Darth Maul—Son of Dathomir miniseries (which applies to both Legends and Canon continuities), comic strips published in the concluding volumes of Star Wars Comic UK, early supplements for Fantasy Flight Games' roleplaying system, Star Wars: Imperial Handbook: A Commander's Guide, and tie-in short stories for the video game Star Wars: The Old Republic, which were published online. However, most of these ceased publication by the end of 2014.

In 2015, the novella SkyeWalkers: A Clone Wars Story was released on StarWars.com.

On May 29, 2019, the original Star Wars series by Marvel Comics—set in the Legends continuity—received a one-shot continuation issue to commemorate the company's 80th anniversary.

As of 2024, the video game Star Wars: The Old Republic, with its constant updates and expansions, remains the only new Legends media being continually released.

• Before the Republic (37,000 BBY – 25,000 BBY)

During the time before the Galactic Republic, the Je'daii Order discovers the Force on the planet Tython and strives to better understand this mystical energy. They struggle to maintain balance in the Force and clash with the invading Rakata species.

• The Old Republic (25,000 BBY – 1,000 BBY)

The Old Republic served as the governing body that united the Star Wars galaxy under the authority of the Galactic Senate. In this era, the Jedi are numerous and act as guardians of peace and justice. The Tales of the Jedi comic series, which chronicles the great wars fought by the Jedi of old and the ancient Sith, takes place during this time.

• The Rise of the Empire (1,000 BBY – 0 BBY)

After the apparent final defeat of the Sith, the Republic becomes complacent. In its final years, the senate was plagued by corruption and scandal, and burdened by a bureaucracy so large that effective governance was nearly impossible. The ambitious Senator Palpatine had himself elected Supreme Chancellor and promised to reunite the galaxy under a New Order. The prequel trilogy is set during this era.

• The Rebellion (0 BBY – 5 ABY)

A wave of resistance begins to spread across the galaxy in response to the Empire's tyranny. Rebel cells fight back, and the Galactic Civil War begins. This era starts with the Rebel victory that secured the Death Star plans and ends a year after the Emperor's death above the forest moon of Endor. The Rebellion begins to transform into a governing body, first as the Alliance of Free Planets, and later as the New Republic. The original trilogy is set during this time.

• The New Republic (5 ABY – 25 ABY)

After defeating the Empire at the Battle of Endor, the Rebel Alliance must transition from a militant resistance force into a functioning galactic government. As Imperial territory is reclaimed, the New Republic faces growing pains, having to defend against insurrections, Imperial loyalists, and rogue warlords. Additionally, Luke Skywalker, the last Jedi, begins training apprentices, rebuilding the Jedi Order.

• The New Jedi Order (25 ABY – 36 ABY)

The Jedi Knights now number a hundred. The New Republic has signed a peace treaty with the remnants of the Empire. The galaxy is finally enjoying a peaceful break from decades of war. At this time, a terrible alien threat invades the Republic from beyond known space. The Yuuzhan Vong devastate entire worlds in their invasion, as depicted in The New Jedi Order novels. Five years later, the galaxy experiences the events of Star Wars: The Dark Nest Trilogy. The novels detail how Luke Skywalker and his New Jedi Order confront the mysterious insectoid Killiks, a hive-minded species intent on conquering the galaxy.

• Legacy (40 ABY – 140+ ABY)

Having made peace with the Yuuzhan Vong, the newly formed Galactic Federation of Free Alliances struggles to function as a unified government. Internal threats are compounded by a danger from the remnants of the dark side. Luke Skywalker's new Jedi Order faces a new era as the heirs of the Skywalker legacy come of age. Jacen Solo, possibly the wisest of the new order and now Ben Skywalker's master, falls to the Dark Side and tries to create a new empire from the feuding systems within the GA. In the Fate of the Jedi series, Luke and Ben travel the galaxy to uncover the reasons for Jacen's descent into evil, while Abeloth and the Keshiri Sith attempt to seize control of the galaxy. The Legacy era continues hundreds of years later in the Star Wars: Legacy comics, which debuted in June 2006.

• The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978) was a two-hour television special depicting Chewbacca's return to his home planet, Kashyyyk, to celebrate Life Day with his family. Alongside the stars of the original 1977 film, TV and music stars like Beatrice Arthur, Art Carney, and Jefferson Starship appeared in plot-related skits and musical performances. The content was considered canonical within the Expanded Universe, but the special is disliked by some fans and virtually disowned by George Lucas. However, other fans appreciate its nostalgic charm and misguided creativity. An online petition for its video release has been covered in New York Newsday and other media outlets. The Holiday Special features the first appearance of bounty hunter Boba Fett in an 11-minute animated sequence, and the first reference to Kashyyyk. The general look of the Kashyyyk sets from the Holiday Special served as the basis for the settings used in Revenge of the Sith (2005).
• Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure (1984) was the first of two films featuring the Ewoks from Return of the Jedi. In Caravan of Courage, the Ewoks assist two children in rescuing their parents from a giant known as Gorax. These films are notable because Lucas himself wrote their stories, marking one of his few contributions to non-theatrical Star Wars productions, aside from his obvious approval.
• Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (1985). In this second Ewok film, Wicket, Cindel, and the Ewoks team up with a hermit named Noa to defeat Marauders who attacked their village.
• Star Wars: Droids: The Adventures of R2-D2 and C-3PO (1985–1986) was an animated series that followed the adventures of C-3PO and R2-D2 between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. It featured Anthony Daniels as the voice of C-3PO.
• Ewoks (1985–1987) was an animated series centered on the adventures of the Ewoks before Return of the Jedi.
• Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003–2005) aired on the Cartoon Network and depicted events between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. The series introduced the characters General Grievous and Asajj Ventress and received an Emmy Award.

A radio adaptation of A New Hope was initially broadcast on National Public Radio in 1981. Brian Daley, a science fiction author, wrote the adaptation, and John Madden directed it. Tom Voegeli led the post-production. Daley, Madden, and Voegeli collaborated again to adapt The Empire Strikes Back, the second film in the trilogy, in 1983. Plans for a radio version of Return of the Jedi were canceled due to federal funding cuts to NPR.

The radio adaptations were notable for including background material that Lucas had cut from the films, as well as original content created by Daley. Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, and Billy Dee Williams reprised their roles as Luke Skywalker, C-3PO, and Lando Calrissian, respectively. Voegeli had access to all of John Williams's original score and Ben Burtt's sound effect library for the sound mixing. He and his assistants combined these elements of the film in new ways with the voice actors' recordings.

In 1983, Daley wrote an original Star Wars audio drama, Rebel Mission to Ord Mantell. Buena Vista Records, which also produced the Star Wars Read-Along Adventures, produced the drama. Most of the same cast from the Read-Along tapes and records performed in it.

For over a decade, Rebel Mission to Ord Mantell was the only Star Wars audio drama not adapted from a feature film. Between 1994 and 1999, nearly a dozen audio dramas were released as audio tapes and CDs. These dramas were adapted from comic books, short stories, and video games, including Dark Empire and its sequels (1994–1995), Tales of the Jedi and Dark Lords of the Sith (1995), The Band's Tale and The Lovers' Tale (1995), the Dark Forces trilogy (1998), and Crimson Empire (1999). During this period, HighBridge Audio continued where NPR left off, producing a Return of the Jedi radio drama in 1996, which NPR broadcast in November and December.

After this period, no more Legends audio dramas were created, either adapting the Prequel trilogy or any other era. The next full-cast Star Wars audio dramas were made within the new canon in the 2020s.

The world of Star Wars has been expanded through fiction even before the first film's debut, starting with the novelization of A New Hope in 1976 (secretly written by Alan Dean Foster but attributed to George Lucas). However, it is Foster's Splinter of the Mind's Eye novel from 1978 that is generally considered the first released work of what would become the Expanded Universe. This supplementary material not only bridged the gaps between the movies but also significantly broadened the Star Wars narrative both before and after the original film saga.

While Star Wars fiction was prolific during the original trilogy's run (1977–1983), its output diminished afterward. However, the release of Timothy Zahn's highly acclaimed Thrawn Trilogy in 1991 ignited a renewed enthusiasm for the Star Wars universe. Since that time, hundreds of related novels have been brought to the public by Bantam Spectra and Del Rey.

Some particularly noteworthy books within the series include the X-Wing series crafted by Michael A. Stackpole and Aaron Allston, the Jedi Academy trilogy and Tales From... series by Kevin J. Anderson, and the multi-authored New Jedi Order series. The adventures of Jacen and Jaina Solo and their companions are chronicled in another significant series, the Young Jedi Knights books, also by Kevin J. Anderson. The Legacy series, penned by Aaron Allston, Karen Traviss, and Troy Denning, stands out as another essential collection of books.

From 1977 to 1986, Marvel Comics published the Star Wars comic-book series and adaptations, and with the story The Keeper's World, they released the first original story in the Expanded Universe. Many talented individuals contributed to this series, including Archie Goodwin, Howard Chaykin, Al Williamson, Carmine Infantino, Gene Day, Walter Simonson, Michael Golden, Chris Claremont, Whilce Portacio, Mary Jo Duffy, and Ron Frenz.

Marvel also released the short-lived series Ewoks and Droids as part of its Star Comics imprint, aimed at a younger audience, in the 1980s. These series were based on the two Saturday-morning cartoon shows of the same titles.

From 1979 to 1984, Star Wars was also presented as a daily newspaper comic strip. Goodwin, Williamson, and Russ Manning were among the creators involved.

In the late 1980s, Marvel revealed its plans to publish a new Star Wars comic by Tom Veitch and Cam Kennedy. However, Dark Horse Comics published Dark Empire instead, and continued by publishing numerous original stories set within the Star Wars universe. These included Star Wars: Republic, Star Wars Empire, Star Wars Tales and Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi. Dark Horse also re-released the Marvel series and newspaper strips in a compilation called Classic Star Wars. Furthermore, the company has also reprinted several Japanese manga adaptations of the movies, such as Star Wars Manga: The Empire Strikes Back by Toshiki Kudo and Star Wars Manga: Return of the Jedi by Shin-Ichi Hiromoto.

Since 1983, over 120 video games with the Star Wars brand have been released, starting with Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, which Parker Brothers released for the Atari 2600. Other early titles include the Star Wars game for the Nintendo Entertainment System (published by JVC), as well as three other games for the Atari 2600.

Atari developed arcade games that drew inspiration from the original trilogy, beginning with Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back, both of which were "flight sim" style games that made use of vector graphics. The third game, Return of the Jedi, utilized more conventional raster graphics.

Unsurprisingly, Star Wars has also paved the way for a multitude of space-flight simulations that treat the saga's space battles with greater seriousness, instructing players on piloting various Star Wars starfighters in a manner akin to more traditional "Modern Aircraft" flight simulators. "X-Wing" and its two expansions, "B-Wing" and "Imperial Pursuit," which focused on the Rebellion's perspective of the war and took place in the period leading up to and including the destruction of the first Death Star, were the first of these. The second was "TIE Fighter," which focused on the Empire's starfighters during the time before Episode VI. Both games were launched for DOS and Macintosh. "TIE Fighter" also had an expansion disk, "Defender of the Empire." Both the original "X-Wing" and "TIE Fighter" games were re-released in two collector's editions (one for DOS and another for Windows 9x), which featured enhanced graphics quality and additional missions. Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance is one of the more recent simulators available.

LucasArts released Dark Forces, the first Star Wars first-person shooter, in February 1995. This game, which tells the story of Kyle Katarn, an Imperial soldier turned mercenary, featured a little over a dozen levels in which the player explored a variety of both original and well-known locations. The game, which featured an original and interactive soundtrack by game composer Clint Bajakian using the iMUSE sound system, as well as cutting-edge graphics, was successful in capturing the imaginations of many gamers. The 1997 sequel, Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II, was notable for including a few cut scenes that used live-action footage of specific Expanded Universe characters, such as Kyle Katarn. It had two other sequels, Star Wars: Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast and Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, which introduced a new lightsaber combat system and were re-released years later.

Rogue Squadron, a cross-platform title for Nintendo 64 and PC, let players experience a more arcade-style version of the gameplay found in X-Wing and TIE Fighter, similar to the action in the Nintendo 64 game Shadows of the Empire. The game involved piloting various Star Wars vehicles through missions both on planet surfaces and in space. There were two sequels to Rogue Squadron, both for the Nintendo GameCube system.

Star Wars: Rebellion allowed players to engage in the Star Wars universe on a grander scale, emphasizing the strategic aspects of managing (or defeating) a rebellion through resource management, agent deployment, and large-scale battles involving entire fleets of starships.

Knights of the Old Republic by BioWare and Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords by Obsidian Entertainment are recent additions to the EU, and are set in the Old Republic era, immediately following the Mandalorian Wars. The games belong to the action role-playing game (RPG) genre, which is a type of RPG that, like most RPGs, is still turn-based, but instead of waiting for the other player to take a turn, the turns are determined by a rate of fire. This RPG style is somewhat new and has made significant waves because of its innovative approach.

Other games include Battlefront, Battlefront II, Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron, Galactic Battlegrounds, Republic Commando, Episode III: The video game, LEGO Star Wars, Jedi Outcast, Jedi Academy, Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided, The Force Unleashed, The Force Unleashed II, and Empire at War.

In Star Wars: The Interactive Video Board Game, a 1996 game from Hasbro Inc. set during the original trilogy era, new live-action scenes featuring Darth Vader on the Death Star were filmed, taking place around the events of Return of the Jedi. This footage was included on a special VHS tape that came with the game. Players could insert the tape while playing the board game, and it would play during the game. David Prowse reprised his role as Vader, and James Earl Jones returned to provide Vader's voice. Some of the original crew members from A New Hope returned to film these scenes.

Various editions of the Star Wars roleplaying games have been released. West End Games published the first edition (a d6 version) in 1987. West End Games released the second edition in 1992. The 2.5 edition was published by West End Games in 1996. In late 2000, Wizards of the Coast released the third edition (a d20 version). Wizards of the Coast released the 3.5 edition in 2002. Bill Slavicsek contributed to all the editions. He included a conversion table at the end of the third edition (from the previous d6 versions to the new d20 version) to help Star Wars gamers adjust to the new d20 version. In 2007, Wizards of the Coast released the Saga Edition Rulebook, which provides a revised d20 system for players to develop their characters and utilize the wide array of miniatures that Wizards produces. Wizards of the Coast announced in 2010 that they would not be renewing their license to produce new Star Wars material after the third quarter of that year.

In 2005, Hasbro created and released a DVD TV game based on Star Wars that used the Trivial Pursuit game-play format.

In 2012, Fantasy Flight Games, the new license holders, released their Star Wars: X-Wing Miniatures Game miniature space combat game and Living Card Game.

• Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire ( 1996 ) was a bold multimedia project conceived by Lucasfilm. Shadows of the Empire, dubbed "a film without a film," told the story of the events that transpired between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi and presented a new antagonist, the crime lord Prince Xizor. The project used all the existing media formats that had been used to present the Expanded Universe, including a novel by Steve Perry, several comic book series, a soundtrack, a video game, concept art, action figures, and more.
• Clone Wars (2003–2005). Lucasfilm directed a comprehensive project to tell the stories of the Clone Wars, using techniques similar to those used in the Shadows of the Empire project. This project consisted of films, novels, video games, comics, action figures, and even its own animated series (described above).
• The Force Unleashed ( 2008 ). Production, which was initially scheduled for 2007, was pushed back by a year. It is set between the two trilogies and during the Great Jedi Purge, and it centers on the adventures of Galen Marek, Darth Vader's secret apprentice. It has been called "the next chapter in the Star Wars saga." It includes novels, comics, a game, roleplaying-game resources, and other items, just like its predecessors.

• Return of the Ewok ( 1982 ) was a 24-minute fictional movie in the mockumentary style that centered on Warwick Davis' choice to pursue acting and portray Wicket in Return of the Jedi.
• R2-D2: Beneath the Dome ( 2002 ) was a 20-minute mockumentary-style movie that told the "true" story of R2-D2's life. It was created as a fun side project by some of the crew of Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, but it was later deemed appropriate for television and its own DVD release.

Lucasfilm and Disney collaborated in 1987 to create Star Tours, an amusement-park simulator ride through the Star Wars galaxy that eventually opened in multiple Disney parks, using the capabilities of Industrial Light & Magic. The ride is promoted as a chance to visit the forest moon of Endor aboard the StarSpeeder 3000. Rex (voiced by Paul Reubens, best known as Pee-wee Herman), a robot who is new to giving tours and is making his debut at the controls, is in charge of the ship. The rider has many mishaps along the way, including encounters with Imperial Star Destroyers and close calls with icy comets, before the ship finally arrives safely in port.

George Lucas and Disney revealed an updated version of the attraction, called Star Tours: The Adventures Continue, which takes place between Episodes III and IV. The new ride debuted on May 20, 2011, at Disney's Hollywood Studios and on June 3, 2011, at Disneyland. A limited-edition line of action figures based on droid characters from the ride and the attraction queue is also available only at the Star Tours gift shop.

Additionally, a wide variety of other toys have been created. The Star Wars toy craze began in 1978 with the introduction of the original action figures, toy lightsabers and blasters, twelve-inch figures, toy vehicles, and many other items. These toys are referred to as the vintage Star Wars toys. Many of these "vintage" figures are quite rare today. Many are also quite valuable. A toy line called Star Wars: The Original Trilogy Collection recently brought back aspects of the original vintage toy line, such as vintage packaging. LEGO started producing buildable Star Wars characters and scenes with the release of The Phantom Menace. The LEGO designers created light-up lightsabers for their figures a few years ago. These lightsabers are no longer in use. LEGO has worked with LucasArts to create four video games (LEGO Star Wars 1, 2, 3, and Complete Saga).

A wide variety of toys have been produced. Darth Vader helmets and voice changers are now available on store shelves, usually next to the Ultimate Lightsaber Kit, which includes components for creating and assembling your own functional lightsaber toy. The term "Expanded Universe" was first used in connection with Kenner's lines of action figures based on the various Star Wars novels, comic books, and video games. Galoob had previously marketed toys based on novels as "Epic Collections."

The purpose of the Expanded Universe was to serve as a follow-up and elaboration on the six Star Wars movies that George Lucas directed and produced from 1977 to 2005. All Legends content, when viewed alongside the films, was envisioned as a unified narrative. To ensure the narrative's cohesiveness, it was structured according to a specific continuity. Lucasfilm valued this so highly that they dedicated an entire team to maintaining consistency between Lucas's movies and the Legends materials. The Legends content was created by numerous authors and artists, often in a non-linear fashion and with diverse creative visions. Although Lucas supported the EU's existence, he prioritized telling the stories he wanted to tell in his movies, which occasionally clashed with previously established EU material. In an interview, when asked about his opinion of the EU, he said the following: During his tenure as head of Lucasfilm, Lucas maintained complete artistic control over the Star Wars universe. For instance, significant plot points like the "death" of main characters or substantial alterations to the status quo required his approval before authors could proceed. Furthermore, Lucasfilm Licensing invested considerable resources in ensuring consistency across the works of different authors and companies. The goal was to prevent any contradictions between the Expanded Universe and the films or within the Expanded Universe itself. On occasion, new films, re-edited versions of the original trilogy, or Lucas's statements would contradict existing EU content, leading to the use of retcons to resolve these inconsistencies. Some staunch fans dismissed the Expanded Universe as apocrypha, believing that only the events depicted in the film series constituted the "true" Star Wars universe. (For example, Palpatine's clones appeared to contradict the "chosen one" prophecy.) This viewpoint gained some traction because certain Expanded Universe materials released before Lucas's prequel films reached conclusions that Lucas later overturned. However, Lucas incorporated elements from the Expanded Universe into his films. For instance, the planet name Coruscant first appeared in Timothy Zahn's novel Heir to the Empire before its use in the prequel trilogy (though with a different pronunciation). The planet itself, under a different designation, appeared in an earlier iteration of the Return of the Jedi script. Additionally, the Twi'lek Jedi Aayla Secura originated in the Dark Horse comics series Republic. Lucas reportedly saw her on a comic book cover and liked her design so much that he included her in the Jedi battle sequence in Attack of the Clones, played by Lucasfilm employee Amy Allen, and her death is later depicted in Revenge of the Sith. These instances sometimes blurred the lines between the Expanded Universe and Lucas's vision, leading to confusion and debate among Star Wars fans. One of the appeals of the films was their logical, numerical order. By contrast, the Expanded Universe was published in a non-chronological order and occasionally featured minor contradictions, and in some cases even major discrepancies, despite the efforts of Lucas Licensing. Conversely, the Expanded Universe enriched the Star Wars universe with greater depth and detail. Some readers criticized the EU sources for excessive self-referentiality, which they believed misrepresented the Star Wars universe (e.g., EU minimalism, the gradual reduction of technological capabilities and physical scope in EU sources). Some fans also felt that the Expanded Universe undermined the dramatic tension of the movies by over-explaining things in an undesirable way. These critics argued that writing new stories within the EU framework restricted the author's creativity. In theory, the films were the ultimate source of canon, while everything else official was part of the Expanded Universe, which was generally valid but could not contradict the movies. If an EU source contradicted movie canon, that specific point was considered invalid, although the rest of the source remained part of the continuity. Despite the unpopularity of works like the Jedi Prince series, they were considered as canonical as popular works like Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire, as long as they were not contradicted by material from a higher "canon tier," later work, or some other statement from an official source declaring them to be non-canon. However, this was not always the case in practice. For example, Prophets of the Dark Side depicted the wedding of Han Solo and Princess Leia, but Dave Wolverton disregarded this and featured the same event in his novel The Courtship of Princess Leia, which was published a few years later. According to the Expanded Universe rules, both versions were considered within continuity, but the wedding in Dave Wolverton's book is the one most often referenced. Fans attempted to reconcile this discrepancy by suggesting that the scene in Prophets of the Dark Side ends just as Han and Leia are walking down the aisle, implying that the event was interrupted and postponed until the time of The Courtship of Princess Leia. The authors of Prophets of the Dark Side confirmed that they had planned to write another series of novels which would begin with the wedding's disruption, but their contract was cancelled before they could do so. There were also minor disagreements about what constituted the Expanded Universe. For example, the spin-off films Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure and Ewoks: The Battle for Endor were written by George Lucas and are films, but because they were not among the six main films in the series, they were typically considered part of the Expanded Universe. Both films were later officially confirmed as part of the continuity of Star Wars Legends and no longer canon. The original Star Wars Databank entries separated movie information from EU information, presenting them in distinct tabs. As of April 25, 2014, no material originating solely from an Expanded Universe source is considered canon. To be considered canon, the material must have appeared in one of the Star Wars films from the original trilogy or prequel trilogy, the Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series or its associated film, or most material released on or after April 25, 2014. While such material often incorporates elements from the Expanded Universe, only the details presented within the new material are considered canon. For example, while "spicebrew" appears in both the old Expanded Universe and the new canon continuity, one cannot assume that the drink is part of the mixture that makes a Sonic Servodriver, as this detail is only found in a Legends source.

The Holocron continuity database was an internal database managed by Lucas Licensing to maintain continuity. This database was categorized into five levels that reflected LFL's canon and continuity policies: G, T, C, S, and N. All levels except N formed an overall continuity that Lucasfilm considered the "true" Star Wars canon before the Expanded Universe was rebranded as Legends in April 2014.

• G (George Lucas) canon was absolute canon. This category included the six films, some deleted scenes from the films, the novelizations of the films, the radio dramas based on the films, the film scripts, and any material from any other source (published or not) that came directly from George Lucas himself. G canon superseded all other forms of canon when there was a contradiction.
• T [17] canon referred to the canon level comprising only the television show Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
• C (continuity) canon was the main body of EU work and was the next most authoritative level of canon. All material published under the Star Wars label that did not fall into G, S, or N was C canon and was considered authoritative unless contradicted by G canon. Games were a special case; generally, only the stories were C-canon, while elements like stats and gameplay were N-canon. If a video game had multiple possible endings or if the player could choose the gender or species of the main character, only one of each was considered C-canon. C-canon elements have appeared in the movies, thus making them G-canon. These included Coruscant (both its name and the concept of it being an ecumenopolis), swoop bikes, Aayla Secura, Double Bladed Lightsabers, YT-2400 freighters, and Action VI transports.
• S (secondary) canon referred to older, less accurate, or less coherent EU works that did not fit into the main continuity of G and C canon. Unless referenced by a G- or C-level source, the story itself was considered non-continuity, but the non-contradicting elements were still a canon part of the Star Wars universe. This included The Star Wars Holiday Special, the Marvel comics, the popular online roleplaying game Star Wars Galaxies, and certain elements of a few N-canon stories.
• N continuity material is also known as "non-canon" or "non-continuity" material. What-if stories (such as those published under the Infinities label), game stats, "comic" material such as Angry Birds Star Wars or Jedi Academy, and anything directly contradicted by higher canon and could not fit into continuity was placed into this category. N-canon was the only level that was not considered canon by Lucasfilm.

Licensed creators' C-canon elements have appeared in Lucas's films. Most were brief cameo appearances, almost like Easter eggs (possibly added by animators or others under Lucas, rather than specifically dictated), but some were more significant. While Lucas considered Legends separate from his story, he drew inspiration from it or borrowed elements and characters for his films.

• The name of the Wookiee home planet Kashyyyk was taken from Legends, although Lucas himself created the species and the planet. Concept artists watched The Star Wars Holiday Special multiple times while designing the Kashyyyk environment for Revenge of the Sith. [18]
• George Lucas adopted the name "Coruscant" for the Galactic Republic's capital planet, previously known as Had Abbadon in his drafts.
• Fascinated by her depiction in cover art by Jan Duursema, Lucas adopted the character Aayla Secura for Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones. [19] He also adopted the Expanded Universe name "Twi'lek" for Secura's species, as evidenced by a remark in an Episode III Set Diary entry. [20]
• The Legends character Tsui Choi was once planned to appear in Revenge of the Sith. [21]
• Artists for the prequel films used various Expanded Universe materials—particularly the Star Wars: Chronicles and Incredible Cross-Sections books—as inspiration for their work. [22]

In August 2009, Mixnmojo interviewed Mary Bihr, LucasArts' Vice President of Global Publishing in 2009. This part from the interview is worth highlighting: Lucas often worked closely with Legends creators:

• Lucas met with Roy Thomas to help plan the early storylines for Marvel's Star Wars and personally approved the direction Thomas planned to take the series.
• Lucas selected Archie Goodwin to write for the Star Wars comic strip.
• Lucas helped write the script's first draft for The Star Wars Holiday Special with the Smith-Hemion productions. [24]
• Lucas wrote the stories for, executive produced, and directed pick-ups and re-shoots for both Ewok films from the mid-eighties, Caravan of Courage and The Battle for Endor.
• Lucas was involved in creating the Star Tours theme park attraction.
• Kevin J. Anderson developed the Jedi training process for the Jedi Academy trilogy based on Lucas' input and memos. [25]
• Lucas approved Kevin J. Anderson's idea of killing off Crix Madine in the novel Darksaber. [26]
• Lucas helped Tom Veitch and Kevin J. Anderson develop aspects of the Jedi and Sith for the Tales of the Jedi comics by answering questionnaires and approving/vetoing ideas. [27]
• When Terry Brooks wrote the novelization of The Phantom Menace, Lucas told him about the extensive history of the Sith and Jedi before that time, so he could include it in his book. For example, Darth Bane is an original creation of Lucas', and although he did not include information on the character in his films, he informed Terry Brooks of the character to incorporate into the novelization. Lucas also gave Brooks other extensive bits of info of what went on during The Phantom Menace.
• Lucas wrote the prologue for Matthew Stover's novel Shatterpoint.
• Lucas gave Genndy Tartakovsky information on specific events during the Clone Wars, which Tartakovsky used in part of the series Star Wars: Clone Wars.
• James Luceno based his book Labyrinth of Evil on the background Lucas informed him of, of what happened right before Revenge of the Sith. Lucas also allowed him to explore the backstory of Sifo-Dyas and the mystery behind Kamino's erasure from the Jedi Archives, two plot points he originally intended to reveal in Revenge of the Sith.
• Lucas decided that Delta Squad should have colored armor in Star Wars: Republic Commando to match Episode III.
• Lucas instructed John Ostrander on the fate of Quinlan Vos in Republic 83.
• Lucas decreed that there could be no more Wookiee Jedi in the Expanded Universe. Notably, Obsidian Entertainment was forbidden to make Hanharr a Dark Jedi because of this restriction.
• Lucas decreed that, following Episode III, Palpatine has only minor concern over the remaining Jedi.
• Lucas owns the original cover art of Tag & Bink Were Here.
• Lucas gave his direct input and guidance to the 2007 multimedia project Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.
• Lucas established that Darth Plagueis is a Muun. [28]

On the other hand, Lucas and authors of the Expanded Universe mostly worked independently from each other. This resulted in the Expanded Universe often deviating from his vision. Examples of inconsistencies include:

• Contrary to the thousand-year struggle between Jedi and Sith depicted in the Expanded Universe, George Lucas stated that there was never a war between them. [30]
• George Lucas stated that events of the Expanded Universe following Return of the Jedi "isn't at all what I would have done with it", stating that the "Emperor doesn't get cloned and Luke doesn't get married". [31]
• The deaths of Obi-Wan, Yoda, and Anakin Skywalker in the original trilogy suggested that dead Jedi typically disappeared and reappeared as Force ghosts. Revenge of the Sith revealed that this is a very rare ability only a few Jedi have ever mastered. The 2007 Star Wars: Legacy of the Force novel Sacrifice further reveals that a Jedi can choose to become one with the Force or to have the body left behind. While the C-canon presented several Sith spirits, George Lucas stated that preserving identity after death can only be achieved via the light side of the Force.
• Boba Fett's origins originally named him as Jaster Mereel, a Journeyman Protector exiled from Concord Dawn. It was later revealed that Jaster Mereel was merely an alias Fett was using when he was exiled. The real Jaster, whose name Boba used as an alias, was retconned into a separate character. In the Expanded Universe, Boba Fett and his father, Jango presented as Mandalorians, whereas, according to Lucas, they were in fact, not Mandalorians, just wearing Mandalorian armor.
• The portrayal of Mandalorian culture and the planet Mandalore is significantly different in the Expanded Universe and in the 2008 Clone Wars Tv show.
• The Clone Wars as described in Zahn's Thrawn trilogy were, at least in part, a struggle between the Old Republic and an army of insane clones grown and controlled by a number of "clonemasters." Attack of the Clones, on the other hand, revealed that the Clone Wars were fought between the Old Republic (using clones) and a (single) Separatist movement (using droids). When writing the prequel trilogy, Lucas changed the dates he had originally given Zahn for the Clone Wars, so Zahn's estimate was at least a decade off. This inconsistency was easily retconned, however, since it was the Noghri who gave the former date, and this species was using their own unique dating system.
• In Revenge of the Sith, Anakin is outraged that he was admitted to the Jedi Council but not given the rank of master. He says that such an occurrence had never happened in the history of the order. However, it had been established that during the time of The Phantom Menace, Ki-Adi-Mundi was a council member though he was only a knight. This may be less an inconsistency than mere hyperbole if Anakin knew that it was a rare but not unheard-of occurrence, or it may indicate that his knowledge of the order's history was incomplete.
• The backstory of General Grievous presented in the Expanded Universe is significantly different from George Lucas' vision of the character.
• R4-P17, the droid in Obi-Wan's Jedi Starfighter in Attack of the Clones, is at first an incorrect designation, as it has the dome of an R2 unit. The R4's dome is more conical. However, this was retconned by saying that R4-P17's old R4 body was damaged, and its remains were placed in an R2 body.

On a number of occasions, cast and crew from the films have been known to participate in the EU.

• George Lucas has worked quite a bit with the EU.
• Mark Hamill reprised his role as Luke Skywalker for The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978), as well as for a brief voice role as Luke in the 2000 television commercial for the novel Vector Prime. He also worked on the LEGO Star Wars: Revenge of the Brick animated short and for the first two dramatizations of the early-1980s Star Wars radio drama.
• Harrison Ford reprised his role as Han Solo for The Star Wars Holiday Special.
• Carrie Fisher reprised her role as Princess Leia Organa for The Star Wars Holiday Special.
• Peter Mayhew reprised his role as Chewbacca for The Star Wars Holiday Special, and wrote the introduction for the Chewbacca trade paperback.
• Archive footage of Samuel L. Jackson is used for the video-game adaptation of Star Wars Episode III.
• David Prowse and James Earl Jones reprised their role as the body and voice (respectively) of Darth Vader for The Star Wars Holiday Special and Star Wars: The Interactive Video Board Game.
• Anthony Daniels has portrayed C-3PO in all of his non-film roles where 3PO either physically appeared, or needed the voice work (with the exception of the Dark Empire audio dramas), and co-wrote Star Wars Droids: The Protocol Offensive. According to Genndy Tartakovsky, Daniels also rewrote some of his lines while working on the Star Wars: Clone Wars animated series so that they would be more like what his character would normally say. [32]
• Liam Neeson reprised his role as Qui-Gon Jinn for LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game.
• Billy Dee Williams reprised his role as Lando Calrissian for The Empire Strikes Back audio drama and the Dark Empire audio drama, as well as the video games Star Wars: Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast, Star Wars: Battlefront II, and LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy.
• Warwick Davis reprised his role as Wicket W. Warrick in the two Ewok films Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure (1984) and Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (1985), and his non-canon film Return of the Ewok. He also portrayed Willow Ufgood in the retroactively non-canon film, Willow (1988).
• Lewis MacLeod reprised his role as Sebulba for all of his video-game appearances as well as playing Obi-Wan Kenobi in the video games Star Wars: Super Bombad Racing, Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds and Star Wars: Obi-Wan.
• Ian McDiarmid reprised his role as Darth Sidious for the video game Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron
• Alethea McGrath reprises her role as Jocasta Nu in the video-game adaptation of Star Wars Episode III.
• Temuera Morrison reprised his role as Jango Fett in the video games Star Wars: Bounty Hunter, Star Wars: Battlefront, Star Wars: Battlefront II, and Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron. He reprised his voice role as Boba Fett in the video games Star Wars: Battlefront II, Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron, and Star Wars: Empire at War. Additionally, he reprised his roles as various clone troopers in the video games Star Wars: Battlefront, Star Wars: Republic Commando, Star Wars: Battlefront II, and Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron. Archive sounds of Morrison were used for the voice of Jango Fett and various clone troopers in LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game.
• Jake Lloyd reprised his role as Anakin Skywalker in the video games Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace video game, Star Wars: Episode I Racer, Star Wars: Episode I Jedi Power Battles, Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds, Star Wars: Super Bombad Racing, and Star Wars: Racer Revenge.
• Andrew Secombe reprised his role of Watto for all of the character's video-game appearances.
• Denis Lawson, who portrayed Wedge Antilles in all three films of the original trilogy, reprised the role, in voice-over form, in the Nintendo GameCube game Star Wars: Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader and the audio books Heir to the Empire and Dark Force Rising, as well as providing narration and voice-over work for all characters including Wedge Antilles.
• Voice actor Matthew Wood, who played General Grievous in Revenge of the Sith, reprised his role as the character in speaking roles for the Revenge of the Sith video game, the Star Wars: Battlefront II video game, and the General Grievous Halloween audiocast. [33]
• Corey Burton, who provided the voice of Rebel pilot Hobbie in The Empire Strikes Back, played several voice roles in the Expanded Universe.

Clive Revill , the original voice actor for Emperor Palpatine in The Empire Strikes Back, also lent his voice to Jan Dodonna in the Collector's Edition of Star Wars: X-Wing. - The role of Jar Jar Binks was once again played by Ahmed Best in several video games including Star Wars Episode I: The Gungan Frontier, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Episode I Jedi Power Battles, Star Wars: Super Bombad Racing, and Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds, in addition to an appearance in an episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. - Greg Proops returned to voice Fode in Star Wars: Episode I Racer. Furthermore, he portrayed Tal Merrik in "The Mandalore Plot" and "Voyage of Temptation," episodes from Season Two of The Clone Wars. - Leeanna Walsman , known for her portrayal of Zam Wesell in Attack of the Clones, reprised the character through voice acting in Star Wars: Bounty Hunter. - Ben Burtt played a significant role in the later episodes of the animated series Star Wars: Droids, contributing as a story writer for all episodes featuring Mungo Baobab, and creating both the story and script for The Great Heep TV special. He further developed the Baobab family through the lyrics he wrote for the Dha Werda Verda poem and the liner notes of the Shadows of the Empire soundtrack, as well as the 2001 publication, Galactic Phrase Book & Travel Guide. Additionally, he served as sound designer/re-recording mixer for Willow. - Joe Johnston is the author of the children's book The Adventures of Teebo: A Tale of Magic and Suspense, co-wrote the " Coby and the Starhunters " episode of the animated series Star Wars: Droids, held the position of production designer on both Ewok television movies, and was an associate producer for Willow. - Dennis Muren contributed to the special effects of both Caravan of Courage and Willow. - The special effects for both Caravan of Courage and Willow also benefited from the work of Phil Tippett. - John Knoll was the ILM animation camera operator for Willow. - Miki Herman acted as a "Star Wars consultant" for The Star Wars Holiday Special and served as co-executive producer for the animated series Star Wars: Droids and Star Wars: Ewoks. - Rusty Goffe portrayed Kabe, a Jawa, and the GNK power droid in A New Hope, and later appeared as a Nelwyn villager in Willow. - Jack Purvis played the roles of the Chief Jawa in A New Hope, the Chief Ugnaught in The Empire Strikes Back, and Teebo in Return of the Jedi, and subsequently had an uncredited role as a Nelwyn band member in Willow. - Several actors who portrayed Ewoks in Return of the Jedi also participated in the Ewok films and Willow: Bobby Bell - Played Logray the Ewok and performed stunts in Caravan of Courage. Stock footage of Bell as Logray in Return of the Jedi was featured in Star Wars: Battlefront. Peter Burroughs - Initially played an unnamed Ewok in Return of the Jedi. He later played a Nelwyn villager in Willow and performed stunts for both films. Stock footage of his Ewok character in Return of the Jedi was subsequently used in the video game Star Wars: Battlefront. Debbie Lee Carrington - Played Weechee Warrick the Ewok and performed stunts for Caravan of Courage and The Battle for Endor. Stock footage of Carrington's Ewok character in Return of the Jedi was featured in Star Wars: Battlefront. Tony Cox - Played Widdle Warrick the Ewok in Caravan of Courage and The Battle for Endor, and a Vohnkar warrior in Willow. He also performed stunts in Caravan of Courage. Stock footage of his Ewok character in Return of the Jedi was featured in Star Wars: Battlefront. Malcolm Dixon - Initially played an Ewok warrior in Return of the Jedi. He later played a Nelwyn band member in Willow. Stock footage of his Ewok character from Return of the Jedi was subsequently used in the video game Star Wars: Battlefront. Margarita Fernández - Played Kaink the Ewok in Caravan of Courage and performed stunts for Caravan of Courage and The Battle for Endor. Daniel Frishman - Played Deej Warrick the Ewok in Caravan of Courage and The Battle for Endor. Stock footage of Frishman's Ewok character in Return of the Jedi was featured in Star Wars: Battlefront. Pam Grizz - Played Shodu Warrick the Ewok in Caravan of Courage and The Battle for Endor. Grizz's Ewok character in Return of the Jedi was featured in Star Wars: Battlefront. Kevin Thompson - Played Chukha-Trok the Ewok in Caravan of Courage and performed stunts for Caravan of Courage and The Battle for Endor. - Kenny Baker had an uncredited performance as R2-D2 in Star Tours and also an uncredited performance as a Nelwyn band member in Willow. - Star Wars: Visionaries presents eleven narratives crafted by concept artists involved in Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith. - Terryl Whitlatch, a conceptual designer for the Special Edition and The Phantom Menace, is the author of The Wildlife of Star Wars: A Field Guide. - Rick McCallum, the producer for the Special Edition and the prequel trilogy, was slated to produce the live-action television series, while Erik Tiemens, a conceptual designer for Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, was intended to be the conceptual designer for the same series. - Christopher Lee voiced Count Dooku in the video game adaptations of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game, LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars, and Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron. (However, his contributions as Dooku in the Revenge of the Sith video game and Elite Squadron consisted of archive footage and a single line that was not used in the film.) - Hayden Christensen provided the basis for Anakin Skywalker's fighting style in the video game adaptation of Star Wars Episode III. Also, he contributed to the animated short LEGO Star Wars: Revenge of the Brick. ## Sources ## Notes and references ## External links - Official site on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link) - Expanded Universe Databank on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link) - The "Star Wars Timeline Gold" —An extensive fan-made timeline - A thorough explanation of the Star Wars canon policy - Site of the Random House Star Wars novels - USA Today: 'Star Wars' books are soldiering on - 'Star Wars' spinoffs; Videogames, novels, TV keep mythology alive - Article at Variety.com - Gallery: 'Star Wars' toys - Article at Variety.com - echuta.net (EU related fan sites) - "Should Star Wars Restart Its Continuity?" — Continuity, Criticisms, and Captain Panaka — Daniel Wallace's StarWars.com Blog (content now obsolete; backup link)