Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire was a large-scale multimedia endeavor launched by Lucasfilm Ltd. back in 1996. A diverse array of products was made available to the public, such as a book, a series of comics, a video game, collectible cards, a musical score, and a line of toys. The narrative serves as an interquel, fitting between the events of the motion pictures Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi.
Dash Rendar, a skilled smuggler and mercenary, along with his droid co-pilot Leebo, makes his way to Hoth to deliver the usual food supplies to the clandestine Rebel base located there; in addition to some blasters designed for assault for Princess Leia Organa. Upon landing in the hangar, he's taken by surprise when he encounters Han Solo, who has become involved with the Rebellion since they last met. Their meeting is abruptly interrupted by an approaching Imperial force. Dash gives Leebo instructions to load their cargo onto the evacuating transports and to collect their payment as he joins Rogue Squadron for the impending combat. Based on Solo's recommendation, Commander Luke Skywalker consents to provide Rendar with an available snowspeeder for use in the battle.
During the subsequent battle, Dash engages the advancing walkers, AT-ST units, and Viper probe droids, successfully destroying several AT-AT walkers prior to the Imperials destroying the Base's deflector shield generator, forcing the Rebels to retreat. Dash is left behind as the base is overrun by snowtroopers who have destroyed the primary generators; Leebo informs Rendar that the hangar doors of Bay 3 cannot be opened to allow the Outrider to depart until power is restored. Fighting through the Imperial forces, Rendar proceeds to the base's lower level and activates the emergency generators, restoring power to the hangar door. As he returns to Bay 3, he encounters an AT-ST, which he manages to destroy using seeker missiles from his modified blaster pistol. Leebo assumes control of the Outrider, guiding it through the Hoth asteroid belt while Rendar uses the ship's gun turret to fend off the TIE Fighter and TIE bomber attackers. After navigating the asteroids, the Outrider jumps to safety, and Rendar rejoins the Rebels.
Aboard the Redemption, Leia is informed that an Imperial Strike Cruiser has detected the fleet; Wedge Antilles leads the Rogues into a space engagement to ensure that their rendezvous point remains a secret. Meanwhile, Leia recognizes that Luke has changed after his encounter with Darth Vader and wonders about what transpired between them.
On the Executor, Vader receives communication from Palpatine, who reprimands him for failing to capture Luke on Bespin. Palpatine then instructs Vader to finalize the shipping arrangements for the Death Star II plans with Prince Xizor, the crimelord of Black Sun; a discussion which Xizor observes as a guest in the Imperial Palace. Xizor deduces that this young Skywalker, who is being hunted by the two Sith Lords, might be related to Vader. As he departs, Xizor explains to his servant Guri his intention to eliminate Luke and discredit Vader, thereby enhancing his own standing with the Emperor. Guri has finalized her arrangements with bounty hunters, and Xizor is prepared to meet Jabba Desilijic Tiure.
The Slave I, carrying Han Solo encased in a carbonite block, emerges from hyperspace above Tatooine, and Boba Fett hopes to deliver it to Jabba; however, he discovers that a signal beacon—installed during his time on Cloud City—has been activated. The IG-2000 arrives, leading to a perilous encounter with IG-88D, who intends to claim the bounty on Solo. Slave I sustains some damage, but Fett outsmarts the droid. Believing it to be destroyed, Fett retreats to the planet Gall for repairs; however, the droid also manages to survive and limps off to Ord Mantell to search for spare parts in the planet's scrapyard.
Luke and Leia arrive on Tatooine. Luke had employed a Jedi mind trick on the guard of a circus tent, and practices his abilities on the acrobat string, while contemplating his training with Yoda, the Force, and his encounter with Vader. Leia sleeps inside Ben Kenobi's hut and experiences a nightmare, recalling Han's capture and their final kiss.
Xizor, in his palace, contemplates his plans to overthrow Vader and his other underground activities, such as hiring the Pike Sisters and meeting his lieutenant Mayth Duvel, who presents him with a precious rare ruby from the Nezriti Organization; an offering that fails to impress Xizor.
In his castle, Vader tests his injured shoulder by battling an ASP droid with a lightsaber, while briefing his agent, Wrenga "Jix" Jixton, about his prediction that Luke will approach Jabba to rescue Han. Jix is dispatched to Tatooine to join Jabba's gang, with the dual mission of capturing Luke and ensuring his survival.
Meanwhile, Lando, seeking to atone for his betrayal, has sent Rendar to uncover traces of Han Solo. Having tracked IG-88 to Ord Mantell, Rendar is dispatched there to ascertain Fett's whereabouts. IG-88D is hiding in a salvage plant which, as Leebo's scans reveal, is connected to a hover train. Rendar travels from train car to train car, battling trainyard vagrants and automated defenses along the way until he reaches one whose tracks run parallel to those of the train that lead to his destination. As the two trains move alongside each other, Rendar leaps across the gap and makes his way to the front. Leebo then remotely jams the hovertrain's auto-brakes, causing it to crash and break the door of the salvage plant. Inside, Rendar finds IG-88D, who reveals that he had indeed tracked Fett to the Zhar system. Unwilling to let Rendar stop him from taking Solo from Fett, the droid opens fire. Rendar fights back and defeats the droid.
Back on Tatooine, Leia and Chewie are waiting in Chalmun's Spaceport Cantina for Lando, as Chewie defends Leia who is being harassed by suspicious figures. Finally Lando shows up with Threepio and Artoo and narrates Rendar's information that Han has been found.
On Coruscant, Vader concludes his diplomatic exchange with Xizor, during which he attempted to appear more superior and polite than Vader. Ultimately, the two arrange for 300 ships from Xizor Transport Systems (XTS) for the construction of the Death Star II on Endor. Xizor walks in a luxury hall while a man, Hoff, makes an assassination attempt against him; Xizor kills him single-handedly. The event is watched by Palpatine and Vader, who suspects that Palpatine orchestrated the attempt, only to test Xizor.
Luke, in Kenobi's hut, attempts to construct a new lightsaber following a book left for him by Ben. He ponders his memories of him and the adventures in Cloud City when he sees his Rebel friends coming. They tell him about Fett's whereabouts; while thinking on how to get there and approach the bounty hunter, Chewie proposed to ask help from the Rebellion.
On Coruscant, Xizor is in a meeting of Black Sun "Vigos." Several agents are present: Durga, Kreet'ah, Clezo, Wumdi, Perit, and Green. Knowing Green's ambitions and network of double agents, Guri strangles him in order to intimidate other ambitious Vigos and make a point that Xizor does not tolerate such cooperatives. When the meeting is concluded, Xizor summons Jabba to meet him.
Vader is naked in his medical chamber and ponder his meeting with Luke. He attempts to Force heal a part of his body and succeeds, but the satisfaction cuts his tie with the dark side and the healing collapses.
Rendar has headed to the Imperial moon base on Gall in the Zhar system to confirm Fett's presence. Having landed in Smuggler's Gorge he makes his way through Imperial patrols along the cliffside before reaching the entrance to the base through which he fights his way to the observation tower. Once there, he accesses the computer and learns that Fett was docked in the second tower, on the other side of the nearby canyon. Stealing a jetpack, Rendar crosses the canyon and arrives to a large hangar containing an AT-ST. After disabling it, he opens and follows the facility's ventilation system near a waiting hoversled with which he reaches the Slave I. But Fett is also there; the two mercenaries duel in the air with their jetpacks until Fett flees into his ship. Slave I takes off and Fett tries to aim its weapons against Rendar, who is able to damage the ship with his various ammunitions from his modified blaster pistol.
As Luke continues tampering the lightsaber jewel in the company of his friends, Lando arrives bringing confirmation by Rendar that Slave I is on Gall.
Meanwhile, Xizor welcomes Jabba who came from Tatooine. During their conversation Jabba gives out that the smuggler Solo was an affiliate to Skywalker, and that his delivery was delayed. When Jabba leaves, Guri puts out the information that the bounty hunters after Skywalker would be advised to locate Boba Fett.
Meanwhile, the rebels are on board the Millennium Falcon on their way to Gall's moon, Kile. Chewie plays a game with Threepio (probably dejarik), and Lando makes a failed attempt to prepare "Giju stew" for dinner.
Luke, Leia, Lando, and Chewie meet Wedge and the Rogues on Kile and are reintroduced to Dash Rendar. Wedge briefs the new arrivals on the layout of the Imperial base and two Star Destroyers, each with a wing of starfighters. Skywalker proposes to attack, drawing off the defending TIE fighters, while Rendar leads the Falcon and its crew to Fett's coordinates.
After his defeat by Rendar, Fett meets Bossk and Zuckuss in a cantina, who negotiate with him to share the bounty of Han. He firmly refuses and takes out a sniper placed to ambush him. Then his system warns him that Slave I has been breached.
Vader is in his castle, doing lightsaber training with an ASP droid. The slight ache in his shoulder where Luke had cut through his armor during their fight feels better to him.
Meanwhile the Rogue Squadron attacks the Star Destroyers above Gall, and Luke hones his Force skills. Dix Rivan is killed, and the second Star Destroyer starts to approach. As the Falcon follows the Outrider on the planet, Rendar dares Lando's piloting skill, as Lando tells Leia about Rendar's past. To avoid Imperial sensors, they fly few meters above the trees and then into the Grand Trench. After they pass the sensor station and lift out of the canyon, they come to the shipyard where Slave I is. Less than a minute away from the target, however, Rendar leaves, being hired to lead, not fight. Cursing, Leia and Lando man the turrets to fend of the TIEs as they approach Fett.
Above the planet, as the Rogues retreat in a mock hyperspace jump, Wes Janson's malprogrammed R2 seizes control of his X-wing and attempts to shoot Luke down. After avoiding it, Luke manages to shoot Wes' R2. The Rogues land on Kile and examine Wes' Artoo. It was malprogrammed by an agent. Rendar arrives on the base explaining to Luke and Wedge why he was forced to withdraw.
Meanwhile, Fett arrives at Slave I to find 4-LOM with other bounty hunters attempting to steal Solo's slab and shoots them down, before seeing the Falcon approaching and takes off. The Falcon has sustained too much damage and Fett's departure marks the failure of the mission.
Luke and Wedge find that Janson's droid had been programmed by their technician Viera Cheran, who attempts to shoot Luke, before being shot by Wedge. As Luke welcomes Leia, Lando, and Wedge investigate her account and discover 10,000 credits paid by dummy corporations, tracing to Saber Enterprises. Being a front organization for the Empire's anti-espionage operations, they believe that she was paid by Vader.
On Coruscant, having just ended the relationship with his mistress, and dined at Menarai, he sends Guri to Ororo Transportation, a rival to Black Sun, and arranges a second meeting with Vader.
Leia decides to contact an underground organization and find out who who wants Luke dead. Unfortunately she decides to ask Black Sun, unaware that this is the very organization they are looking for. Luke is sent to follow Fett on Tatooine, again not knowing that Xizor already expects him to do so so. However, she also secretly hires Rendar to follow and protect him.
Xizor visits the Emperor's skyhook and meets Vader. Presented as a faithful servant to the Empire, he gives the largest Vergesso asteroid in the Lybeya system, as a secret Rebel shipyard. In reality the Vergesso Base belongs to Ororo Transportation. Palpatine sends Vader and Admiral Okins to destroy the "Rebel" base, an order which is a setback to Vader's plans to watch over Xizor.
Lando and Leia travel to Rodia, where they meet Avaro (Greedo's uncle), who promises them to bring a contact of Black Sun.
Back on Tatooine, Luke is in Ben's hut finishing his lightsaber. Meanwhile Jixton has arrived in Mos Eisley, and manages to challenge and impress Big Gizz and his gang by stealing Spiker's swoop bike and thus gains a job for Jabba. He is puzzled to learn that Jabba got a transmission that Vader (actually Xizor) wants Luke dead, which interferes with Vader's instructions to ensure Luke's survival. After a discussion in Chalmun's cantina that Dash overhears, Jix and the gang race over to kill Luke. Dash steals a swoop and runs after them.
Luke is testing his lightsaber with Artoo when he sees the bikers arriving. He takes out one of the riders, kick one off and take his swoop to flee towards Beggar's Canyon. During the frail, Luke is unknowingly aided by Jix who sabotages his fellows' attempts to hit Luke. The pursuers are halved and Luke loses them by passing through the Stone Needle when Rendar arrives, drops into the canyon and opens fire causing them to scatter and flee. Big Gizz remains hidden and attempts to shoot Luke, but Jix hit his head with a stone.
While Vader is en route to the Vergesso asteroid, Xizor visits Palpatine and reveals that he was the "generous" informant of the secret "Rebel base". Vader concludes the battle in his Interceptor, and on his way back he contacts the Emperor. Enraged, he sees Xizor in the hologram beside him.
Back in his Palace, Xizor is informed that Leia attempts to contact Black Sun. Charmed by her beauty, he sends Guri to bring her. He then watches a recording of Guri's earlier meeting with the heads of Ororo Transportation, Z. Limmer, Tuyay, and Dellis Yuls; killing them after denying to cooperate with Black Sun.
Having Dash explained that he was sent by Leia, and the gang belonged to Jabba, Artoo detects the approach of a courier droid. It is carrying a message from Koth Melan to Leia, claiming to have vital information for the Alliance and requesting a meeting as soon as possible on Bothawui. Skywalker decides to go, followed by Rendar.
On Coruscant, as Vader expresses his concerns on giving the Death Star plans to the Rebels, Palpatine says that he knows best. Leia gets tired waiting for Black Sun and Avaro explains that it's not up to him, not knowing that Guri is already coming for her. Before that, she sends the route of Suprosa to their Bothan double agent.
Meanwhile Fett hides in an asteroid field when 4-LOM resumes operation. Before Fett disables him once more, Bossk's ship picks up his signal and attacks a stranded Slave I. Zuckuss and his team board the ship and apprehend Fett. As Furlag leads him to the force cages, Fett opens a trapdoor under his feet and gets his weapon. He kills everyone but keeps Zuckuss alive to communicate with Bossk. He sends Bossk's shuttle back to him; when Bossk's colleague looks inside he sees his fellows dead, along with a detonation device, when Fett jumps to hyperspace.
Luke and Dash make their way to the Intergalactic Trade Mission on Bothawui. Rendar bribes a guard but on the 16th floor, the protocol droid R0-4 refuses to let them in without an appointment until Rendar pulls his blaster. The Bothan accepted the pair as Leia's representatives, explaining about a new unknown Imperial military project. A secured supercomputer containing the plans is being transported from Coruscant to Bothawui aboard the Suprosa, a Mobquet Medium Transport masquerading as a fertilizer freighter. Melan plans to capture it and had put together a team for the mission, joined by Skywalker and Rendar, who looked forward to an extra reward. In a hidden base outside the city, they meet the Blue Squadron.
On Coruscant, as Vader expresses his concerns on giving the Death Star plans to the Rebels, Palpatine says that he knows best.
Lando, Chewie and Leia pass a long time in Avaro's casino. Lando gambled and played and won most of his games while Leia was fed up waiting. Eventually Avaro tells her that Guri would meet them shortly.
Guri's Bothan agent brings the route plans of the Suprosa to the Bothan Spynet, and Blue Squadron, joined by Ace Azzameen of the Rebel Alliance, move to the coordinates.
The vessel doesn't surrender as Luke demands and the Y-wings start disabling the engines. The Suprosa opens fire, destroying a ship and the Bothans break off to regroup. As they pull back, the freighter fires a Diamond Boron Missile. Rendar fails to shoot it down and it destroys a group of four Y-wings, killing eight Bothans and another two. Despite the losses, the Rebels soon disable the freighter and Rendar takes the Outrider in to conduct the boarding operation. He docks the Outrider and boarded the freighter to look for the supercomputer.
Following Leebo's directions, Rendar works his way towards the main cargo hangar, encountering heavy resistance from the crew and Stormtroopers. Upon reaching the hangar, Rendar destroys a loader droid which attacked him with spring-loaded arms. After Rendar located the supercomputer and disabled the hangar force field, Leebo brings the Outrider into the hangar to collect the smuggler and the supercomputer.
On Rodia, Guri inspects the Rebels at the Next Chance casino. After a brief meeting she cuts it short claiming that she has business to attend, leaving the Rebels with the distinct impression that there was something unusual about her.
On the Outrider, Koth and Luke discuss about the supercomputer's significance while Dash blames himself for missing the missile. Luke sends Dash to Rodia to find Leia. Himself and Koth moves to Kothlis with Koth. En route to Kothlis, the party is attacked by Claw and Hunter which are driven off by Blue Squadron, and a special Bothan encryption team arrives at Kothlis to attempt to bypass the self destruct device of the supercomputer.
Guri reports to Xizor that Leia is dangerous and advocates killing the Rebels. However, Xizor has other plans and asks her to be brought to Coruscant. He then meets Palpatine showing recordings of how successfully the plans entered Rebels' hands. With securing the plans, the Alliance gains trust in Xizor. The plans are in truth, outdated, and the second Death Star is fully operational, unlike what the schematics read.
Lando installs a doppraymagno scanner in their hotel room waiting for Guri, before notified that Dash arrived on Rodia and welcome him. Guri then returns to Rodia and during their meeting, the scanner quickly confirms Leia's suspicions: Guri is not Human. C-3PO puts a sleeping potion in her tea, so that they can conduct a closer examination but it fails; the two continue to trade diplomatic small-talk until Guri, tired of proceedings, attempts to abduct Leia only to be restrained by Lando, Chewbacca, and Dash.
Bounty hunters storm the safehouse, interrupting Luke, Koth, and a Bothan special decryption team as they work on the supercomputer. A Bothan manages to conceal the supercomputer amidst the chaos of the ensuing fight. Koth meets his end, and Luke finds himself captured, discovering that there are rewards for him, both dead and alive. Little does he know, Vader desires him alive, while Xizor seeks his demise.
Following extensive discussions involving Leia, Guri, and Xizor, Leia and Chewie, guided by Guri, head to Coruscant aboard the Stinger. To ensure their safe passage, Guri arranges for them to be disguised as the Ubese bounty hunter Boushh, and Snoova. Elsewhere, Dash informs Lando that Luke is still on Kothlis, prompting Lando to journey there.
Vader is dispatched to Kothlis by Palpatine, ostensibly to retrieve the supercomputer, but also to capture Luke. This order once again interferes with Vader's intentions to keep an eye on Xizor. Meanwhile, locked in his cell, Luke uses his mental abilities to influence his guard, who then locks himself inside and falls asleep. Luke escapes, retrieving his lightsaber and comlink.
After successfully navigating Coruscant's customs as "Boushh" and "Snoova," Leia encounters Spero, a Ho'Din who owes her a debt, and provides him with intel concerning Black Sun.
On Kothlis, Luke fends off a group of bounty hunters who discover him. Lando then dramatically appears amidst an explosion, whisking Luke away on a stolen landspeeder. They escape aboard the Falcon towards Tatooine, just as the Executor arrives. Simultaneously, the Death Star plans are successfully transferred to the Razor above the planet.
With Skywalker gone, Vader learns from Skahtul that someone has placed a bounty on Luke's head, suspecting Black Sun's involvement.
Leia and Chewie rendezvous with Guri once more. They tail Howzmin and board a maglev train bound for Xizor's palace. Xizor welcomes them, providing each with suitable amenities.
Meanwhile, Fett repairs Slave I's lasers, sharing his plan to deliver Solo to Jabba with Zuckuss.
The Falcon's hyperdrive malfunctions, and Vader senses Luke near an asteroid, deploying fighters to investigate as Lando struggles to fix the issue. However, Luke detects Vader's approach. The Falcon narrowly escapes the asteroid field and prepares for hyperspace, just as dozens of TIE fighters arrive. The ship jumps to hyperspace at the last moment, heading for Tatooine. Enraged by the loss of his prey, Vader orders the bombing of a "suspected Rebel base" on one of Kothlis's moons.
At Jabba's Palace, Jix bypasses security and contacts Vader aboard the Executor, informing him about the swoop bike incident involving Luke. Vader discovers that Jabba also has a bounty on Luke's head, placed by someone impersonating Vader.
Howzmin escorts Chewie to Leia's chamber. Chewie observes Leia acting strangely as she prepares for him, and she excuses herself, claiming a diplomatic mission. Meanwhile, Xizor prepares his pheromones for their upcoming meeting during meditation. As the Falcon travels to Tatooine, Luke senses Leia is in danger, despite Lando's assurances.
Leia attempts to negotiate a business deal between the Alliance and Black Sun with Xizor, then reveals her true purpose: she is there for Luke. Xizor then kisses her. Following an intense seductive encounter, Leia is interrupted by Chewbacca, who reveals hidden microphones and cameras; she instructs him to escape and alert Luke. Simultaneously, Vader returns to Coruscant and reports to the Emperor about Skywalker's escape. He suggests Xizor may be behind the bounty on Luke. Palpatine grants him leave to pursue Skywalker.
Leia regains her composure, stalling Chewie's departure by kneeing Xizor between the legs. Enraged, he sends her back to her room. Chewie is intentionally allowed to "escape" (though not easily), hoping he will lead Luke to rescue Leia, delivering him into Xizor's grasp. Xizor is unconcerned by Luke's escape from Kothlis or Vader's orders.
Luke insists on contacting Leia and receives a message from Chewie indicating she is in danger. They alter course for Coruscant. Employing skillful flying maneuvers, they evade sensors, hide in "sensor shadow," and land on the planet without incident.
Luke, Dash, and Lando receive Chewie's message and journey to Coruscant, where they meet. They infiltrate Xizor's palace by navigating the Black Sun sewers. Using the Force, Luke telepathically informs Leia of their proximity and impending rescue. After engaging in a firefight with security guards, Luke showcasing his increasingly refined lightsaber skills, the group locates Leia and begins to lead her out of the palace.
They encounter Xizor, Guri, and several of his aides in a hallway, triggering a battle where Xizor and Guri are impressed by Luke's Jedi abilities. Luke and Lando threaten Xizor with thermal detonators, sending them down the garbage chute, causing widespread panic and evacuation of Xizor's palace.
The Millennium Falcon, piloted by R2-D2 and C-3PO, arrives erratically, allowing Luke and his companions to board and escape above Coruscant.
Xizor boards his skyhook and dispatches four of his starfighters to pursue the Rebels, with Dash defending them using the Outrider's laser turrets. Rogue Squadron arrives in X-wings, and a fierce battle ensues. TIE fighters then appear, but they target Xizor's fighters exclusively. During the conflict, Guri, Xizor's assassin human replica droid, escapes using a paraglider.
An enraged Xizor demands an explanation from Vader for the Imperial forces' attack. Vader confronts him via hologram from the Executor above Coruscant, reminding Xizor of his warning to stay away from Luke, which Xizor ignored. When Xizor refuses to comply with his ultimatum to stand down, Vader orders the Executor to destroy the Skyhook.
A massive explosion occurs, and the Outrider is presumed destroyed, but Dash jumps to hyperspace at the last moment, deciding his experiences with the Rebels are too dangerous and that more profitable opportunities await elsewhere.
On Tatooine, Fett deceives the pursuing bounty hunters with a disguised Zuckuss and a covered-up 4-LOM, making them appear as himself and the carbonite block, speeding away from the Slave I. The real Fett delivers the actual carbonite block of Han to Jabba, receiving his payment. Meanwhile, Luke, Leia, Lando, Chewbacca, R2-D2, and C-3PO prepare to rescue Han from Jabba the Hutt.
Luke prepares his holographic message to Jabba and places his lightsaber inside R2.
Shadows of the Empire began with a conversation over dinner between Bantam Spectra's Lou Aronica and LucasBooks' Lucy Autrey Wilson. Aronica proposed that Lucasfilm's numerous licensing agreements would allow them to create a comprehensive multimedia project that could tell a single, overarching story across various platforms. The project was then envisioned as "a movie project without the movie." An initial planning meeting occurred in the summer of 1994, where it was decided that the project would be completed within two years, aiming for a 1996 release, a year when no major Star Wars products were anticipated. According to Roffman, Lucas initially intended to release the Special Editions in 1996 and the first film of his prequel trilogy in 1997 (for the 20th anniversary of Star Wars); however, these plans shifted, moving those projects to 1997 and 1999, respectively. As a result, the company determined that 1996 would be an opportune time to launch their multimedia project. Shadows was intended to be the first work to connect to the events of the original trilogy of films. Lucasfilm initially considered setting the project between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, but Jon Knoles convinced them that the period between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi offered greater storytelling potential. After George Lucas approved the concept, Wilson and Howard Roffman drafted a concise outline of the premise, which involved Luke Skywalker facing an assassination threat and a bodyguard thwarting the attempts.
In November 1994, LucasArts representatives, other licensing partners, and Lucasfilm executives convened at Skywalker Ranch to seriously begin work on the project, identifying the elements best suited for each medium. Author Steve Perry, representing Bantam Spectra and hired to write the novel, named the "bodyguard" Dash Rendar, and also provided the names of Guri and Koth Melan. Perry meticulously documented the discussion, using it to create an outline for his book. This outline served as the foundation for all other aspects of the overall project, and was met with extensive memos containing changes and additions. On November 22, Kausch compiled a memo with initial ideas regarding the ships of the two new protagonists. The initial outline envisioned a happy ending for the climatic final battle, with all the protagonists and the Rebels escaping before its conclusion.
It was Jon Knoles' idea to incorporate a secondary plot about Luke constructing his own lightsaber, as seen in Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi and commented on by Vader.
By January 1995, John Wagner had prepared an outline for the comics. On April 17 of that year, a video game storyline was finalized.
Art director Troy Alders enlisted Michael Butkus for the drawings in The Essential Guide to Characters, as well as character design sketches for Shadows, which he produced between January and April 1995. Doug Chiang designed the primary spaceships. Kilian Plunkett, the penciller for the comic book adaptation, contributed proposed artwork during the conceptual phase. Dave Williams created concept sketches for Applause figures.
The two main original characters of the project were designed to be memorable and archetypal, from the young and heroic Dash Rendar to the evil mogul Xizor, the most powerful being in the Empire, capable of defeating Darth Vader and taking his place next to the Emperor. Both characters share a tragic past that resulted in the loss of their families, with Rendar rebelling against the Empire and Xizor orchestrating Vader's downfall. Experimental concept sketches of these characters began in January 1995, with Xizor initially going through a more "monstrous" phase before settling on a more charismatic reptilian alien; Dash also started as a rugged, disheveled brawler before evolving into Butkus's more heroic and handsome "Top Gun-like" braggart. Luke was costumed in a way that appeared transitional between the two movies, wearing a khaki tunic/vest. The finalized versions of the characters were achieved around April and June of that year. Drew Struzan also completed the cover of the novel, featuring Luke's and Xizor's final appearances, around that time.
Continuity editor Allan Kausch participated in the project to ensure consistency of events across all media. He compiled a timeline/flowchart illustrating the events and actions of each character, providing a guide for all participants in the project. On June 19, he wrote a memo summarizing the basic action of the Beggar's Canyon Incident to ensure it would be followed by all creators.
Sue Rostoni compiled an informational package containing pictures and descriptions of the new ships that would be featured in the project, relative to the classical ships of the original trilogy; the prominently new ships would be the YT-2400 light freighter Outrider, the StarViper-class attack platform Virago, the Aggressor assault fighter IG-2000, the Conqueror-class assault ship Stinger, and the swoop bikes. To include them in the video game, Jon Knoles derived schematics from Doug Chiang's sketches as faithfully as possible, with Chiang's approval, and then proceeded to create the computer model, with one such schematic of the Outrider dated February 22 1995. The ships would also be featured in The Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels, which was in production at the same time; in the summer of 1995, Bill Smith developed the backstories of the vessels.
Prominent scenes would take place in the Imperial Palace and Xizor's Palace, a new original location. For the former, Ralph McQuarrie's concept art and Kevin J. Anderson's description, as published in The Illustrated Star Wars Universe, were used; Knoles also provided Plunkett with images from the earlier Star Wars: TIE Fighter, where the Palace was first seen, and the interior of a Gothic cathedral for inspiration. McQuarrie's unused concept art for the Palace interior was used for Xizor's Palace instead.
Around that time, Industrial Light and Magic was producing the effects for the Special Edition trilogy. Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope would feature an extended digital view of Mos Eisley. Concept art and storyboards from ILM were used as a basis for similar scenes in the comic book; the video game would feature a 3D rendering of the spaceport, informed by the layout as it would appear in the Special Edition.
At the San Diego Comic-Con in July 1995, the Hildebrandts celebrated their return to Star Wars at the Topps booth, participating in the card series, while Kilian Plunkett and Anthony Daniels signed autographs at the Dark Horse Comics area. Wagner and Plunkett, who were already collaborating on the comic adaptation, met in person for the first time.
Greg and Tim Hildebrandt, while working on the collectible cards illustrations, visited LucasArts, where Jon Knoles demonstrated the Shadows video game to them.
The success of the project later served as a model for 2007's Star Wars: The Force Unleashed multimedia endeavor.
The core narrative unfolds in Steve Perry's novel, Shadows of the Empire, published by Bantam Books. It introduces Prince Xizor, the Falleen leader of the largest criminal syndicate in the galaxy, known as Black Sun. His ambition is to usurp Darth Vader's position at Emperor Palpatine's side. Xizor also harbors a desire for revenge against Vader for the annihilation of his family. Upon discovering the identity of Luke Skywalker and his connection to Vader, Xizor seizes the opportunity to strike against Vader. To enact his vengeance, Xizor plots to assassinate Luke, believing it will curry favor with Palpatine and serve as retribution against Vader. Meanwhile, Vader continues his pursuit of Luke, seeking to convert him to the dark side following their encounter on Bespin. Luke finds himself targeted by the two most powerful individuals in the galaxy, second only to Palpatine himself.
Simultaneously, Han Solo remains frozen in carbonite and is being transported to Jabba the Hutt by the bounty hunter Boba Fett. Leia Organa, along with Lando Calrissian and Chewbacca, seeks the assistance of Dash Rendar, a smuggler and associate of Han. Events unfold that intertwine the paths of Leia and the Rebels with Xizor and Black Sun, culminating in a battle over Coruscant involving Xizor, Vader, and Rogue Squadron. The novel also reveals how Leia and Lando devised Han's rescue and the construction of Luke's new lightsaber. Thus, the stage is set for Return of the Jedi.
A prequel novel to the original Shadows of the Empire story was planned. The book was to be written by author Charles Grant. The novel was canceled apparently due to a Lucasfilm Licensing move from Bantam to Del Rey.
The junior novelization of Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire was penned by Christopher Golden and released by Bantam Doubleday Dell in October 1996. It is based on the story and novel by Steve Perry. The junior novelization is aimed at children aged 8–12.
While the comics share many elements with the novel, they place a greater emphasis on the intrigue between Boba Fett and his fellow bounty hunters, notably Bossk, Zuckuss, and 4-LOM. It also recounts the story of Jix, Darth Vader's special agent tasked with protecting Luke from Xizor. Upon learning that Luke was on Tatooine, Xizor hired Jabba to assassinate him. The task was assigned to his swoop gang, which had been infiltrated by Jix as part of Vader's assignment. The series was written by John Wagner and illustrated by Kilian Plunkett.
Steve Perry, the author of the Shadows novel, served as a consultant for the comics. Although the stories in the book and comics rarely overlapped, it was crucial that characters, scenes, and dialogue aligned when they did.
The first tie-in was Battle of the Bounty Hunters, the first-ever Star Wars pop-up comic. It was simply a reprint of the battle between Boba Fett and IG-88 shown in the first issue of the primary series.
Some comics were also released by toy companies. Kenner released a two-part special which was a reprint of some scenes from the original comic like Battle of Gall. Some of the Lewis Galoob Toys included a Galoob Micro-Machines Mini-Comic and a Shadows of the Empire AMT/ERTL Model Kit Mini-Comic was distributed in ERTL model kits. These mini-comics like the Kenner version were mainly a reprint but they also included some original scenes.
LucasArts' Shadows of the Empire video game was among the first titles available for Nintendo's 64-bit system, Nintendo 64. The Nintendo 64 game, released on December 3, 1996, shortly after the console's launch (September 29, 1996), was the most commercially successful product in the Shadows of the Empire line. The computer version followed almost a year later (September 17, 1997), featuring enhanced graphics and fully 3D CGI rendered cutscenes with dialogue, unlike the picture/text cutscenes of the N64 version. In the game, players assume the role of Dash Rendar, assisting Luke Skywalker and rescuing Princess Leia from Prince Xizor's clutches.
The game is divided into four parts (or chapters). The first unfolds during the beginning of The Empire Strikes Back, with Dash aiding in the Battle of Hoth in a snowspeeder and eventually fleeing Echo Base. In the second part, Dash encounters several bounty hunters from the movies, such as IG-88 on Ord Mantell and Boba Fett. In the third chapter, with Boba Fett having escaped, the player's mission shifts to saving Luke Skywalker's life by battling a deadly biker gang in Mos Eisley—a scene vividly depicted in the comics as well—and then recovering Imperial secret plans for the second Death Star, with Skywalker's assistance. Finally, the last chapter takes Dash, Luke, and Lando to Coruscant to rescue Princess Leia from Xizor's stronghold. While certain aspects of the game contradict elements from the book and comic book, the overarching story remains consistent.
Joel McNeely, a composer known for his work in both film and television, both composed and recorded the score for this multimedia project. The Royal Scottish National Orchestra and its chorus performed the music, which was subsequently released by Varèse Sarabande. Only tracks one ("Star Wars Main Title" and a portion of "Carbon Freeze"), eight ("The Imperial March" and "The Force theme"), and ten ("The Imperial March") feature recognizable melodies from the Star Wars films. Furthermore, the disc provided an interactive element for computer users, presenting concept artwork and supplementary details about the project.
Among the companies producing toys for the Shadows of the Empire was Kenner. The Kenner Shadows of the Empire series featured action figures, vehicles, and "two-packs" that paired both new and familiar characters.
Lewis Galoob Toys, well known for their "Micro Machine" toy line of miniatures and accompanying playsets, also created a complete range of Shadows of the Empire toys. This line consisted of three miniature sets, in addition to a boxed Action Fleet set containing two swoop bikes with riders and four miniature figures that were articulated. Included in these sets were not only the classic Star Wars heroes and villains (Luke, Vader, the Emperor), but also the new characters introduced in Shadows of the Empire (Xizor, Dash Rendar, Guri, and Leebo).
Applause, Inc. obtained the rights to produce several resin figurines and statuettes. Dave Williams, an artist, developed concept art for these figures, as well as storyboards illustrating key moments from the saga. These were then refined into specific poses for the planned resin figurines. Applause manufactured at least two dolls, one of Dash Rendar, and another of Xizor, in addition to a Limited Edition Statuette called "Villains", which displayed a bust of Palpatine alongside figures of Xizor and Darth Vader, and an embossed figure of TIE Interceptor with Stormtroopers.
Other proposed scenes and figures that never saw the light of day included: Vader's meeting with Xizor; Luke confronting Dash about Leia after the Battle of Gall; Luke and Dash joining forces against Gizz's Gang.
Topps, the trading card company, developed a line of Shadows of the Empire trading cards. Consisting of 100 cards in total, the Topps Shadows of the Empire set uniquely captured the narrative across the book, comic series, and video game. This made it a unique storytelling medium and a highly sought-after collectible. The artwork for the cards was created by Greg and Tim Hildebrandt, the twin artists famous for creating the most recognizable Star Wars artwork of all time - the iconic poster that remains a symbol of the original trilogy. Each of the 100 cards featured double UV-coating and was printed on extra-thick 20 pt. card stock to ensure its lasting collectibility, with full-bleed painted images on a 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" format. The Shadows of the Empire card series featured 72 cards that visually depicted the events of Steve Perry's novel. In addition, there were six cards dedicated to vehicles, six to the comics, and six to the video game. Each pack contained nine cards.
A comic book series, Star Wars: Shadow Stalker, written by Ryder Windham, was launched in January 2000. It served as a prequel to the main Shadows of the Empire story, elaborating on the adventures of the character Jix from the original narrative. The series also integrated characters from the Archie Goodwin Star Wars newspaper strip story "Iceworld" (reprinted by Dark Horse Comics in Classic Star Wars).
The Jabba Tape continued the exploits of Big Gizz and Spiker—members of Jabba's swoop gang—following Jabba's demise. Both Shadow Stalker and The Jabba Tape were initially published as serials in Star Wars Galaxy. This led to a further adventure in the story Sand Blasted.
Steve Perry, the author of the Shadows of the Empire novel, also penned a sequel to the original story. This project, titled Shadows of the Empire: Evolution, was released as a series of five comic books. The story unfolds after the events of Return of the Jedi. With Xizor, the leader of the Black Sun criminal organization, now dead, Guri, his beautiful human-replica droid and personal assassin, is left to contemplate her future without anyone to serve. Amidst the ongoing power struggles in the underworld, Guri seeks to uncover any traces of her humanity, if such a thing even exists. However, her quest to alter her programming and gain humanity makes her a target for both bounty hunters and the Rebel Alliance (led by a Jedi-in-training named Luke). Secrets buried within her android mind make her a valuable prize. Evolution marked Perry's first foray into the world of comics. These individual comic books were later compiled into a single graphic novel.
While not officially part of the Shadows of the Empire project, Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance features a seven-mission campaign set during the same timeframe. The player is tasked with recreating events that are referenced in the novel and the game. This includes missions to obtain the design schematics for the Death Star II. The game portrays Ace Azzameen aiding Dash Rendar in capturing the Imperial freighter Suprosa, which carried the Death Star II plans. The game also features a flight to the Vergesso Asteroids during the Battle of the Bajic Shipyards (mentioned in the novel) for a concurrent rescue operation. The player also witnesses the Imperial assault to Kothlis from space. The events surrounding the Battle of Kothlis and the schematics of the Death Star are also depicted in Star Wars: Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader. The Outrider makes a brief appearance in Star Wars: Bounty Hunter, in the sequence following the opening crawl and the conversation between Dooku and Palpatine. As the space arena comes into view, the Outrider flies from the bottom middle of the screen towards the lower right. It may be difficult to spot, but it is present.
In the 1996 Return of the Jedi radio drama, Brian Daley includes several allusions to events from Shadows of the Empire. For example, in the radio drama, after Han Solo is rescued, he criticizes Lando for allowing C-3PO to pilot the Millennium Falcon—an event that is depicted in Shadows of the Empire.
The 1997 Special Edition re-release of Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope incorporates swoop bikes, ASP labor droids and the Outrider. The Sentinel-class landing craft (also known as the "Imperial landing craft") also made its first appearance in Shadows of the Empire, although it was originally developed for the Special Edition of A New Hope. This is the craft seen lifting off in A New Hope when the stormtroopers are patrolling Tatooine on dewbacks.
Xizor makes a cameo appearance during the podrace scene in Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace. A Micro Machines model was used to represent him.
-
Related categories: