Star Wars: The New Jedi Order

Bantam Spectra and Lucasfilm Ltd. had a history of publishing Star Wars novels by different authors throughout the 1990s, starting with Heir to the Empire in 1991, which quickly became a New York Times Best Seller. Following the book's success, the companies agreed that all future novels would be part of a larger, interconnected canon. In 1997, the publishing contract for Star Wars novels was renegotiated with Del Rey, an imprint of Ballantine Books, and the decision was made to create a large series that would be published over several years. Under the Bantam license, most novels were trilogies or standalone stories; despite the continuity, many novels were written and published simultaneously. This often resulted in stories set later in the timeline being published before stories set earlier. However, the planned Del Rey series would be a single chronological storyline covering a five-year period of galactic history.

Dark Horse Comics, which had been contracted to publish Star Wars comics since 1991, came up with the idea of an "Invasion" storyline that would shake the galaxy, and started the story by introducing the character of Nom Anor. Anor appeared as an advance agent of the invading forces in the first issue of Crimson Empire II: Council of Blood, released in November 1998. After Anor's creation, planning meetings were held at Skywalker Ranch to discuss what would become The New Jedi Order. Attendees included Lucas Licensing Executive Editor Sue Rostoni, Del Rey Editor at Large Shelly Shapiro, Lucasfilm Director of Publishing Lucy Autrey Wilson, Dark Horse Vice President of Publishing Randy Stradley, and several authors, including Michael A. Stackpole, James Luceno, and comic-book authors. Stradley suggested the invasion idea, which became the series' premise. The invaders were originally conceived as dark Force users.

Since many novels published under Bantam Spectra focused on the New Republic's ongoing war against the Empire, it was decided to introduce a newer, larger, and more menacing threat. Shapiro had often heard fans complain that nothing significant happened to the main characters in the Bantam novels, and that the galaxy had become too safe for the heroes, preventing any real drama. During the initial planning sessions for the NJO, ideas were discussed about what kind of crisis the characters would face, and everyone agreed that it was necessary to shake things up by killing a previously "invincible" character. The death of Luke Skywalker was suggested, but George Lucas vetoed the idea. Lucas also stated that C-3PO and R2-D2 were off-limits. It was felt that killing Han Solo, Princess Leia, or Lando Calrissian would not have the dramatic impact the planning team wanted. Stradley then suggested Chewbacca, who, despite being a fan favorite, had rarely significantly contributed to a novel's plot; Stradley called him the "quintessential supporting character." It was felt that the death of a previously untouchable character would give the series the necessary emotional impact, but deciding to kill Chewbacca was not easy, causing much sadness among the creative team. Once the decision was made, Chewbacca's death was approved by George Lucas.

It was also decided during the initial planning stages that a new generation of characters would play a significant role in the series. However, the older generation would remain important. Shapiro mentioned that one of the reasons for the series was that Bantam authors had been unable to develop Han Solo's character. Therefore, the two generations would star and develop together. At the time, Han and Leia's twin children, Jacen and Jaina Solo, were being developed as Jedi-in-training in the Young Jedi Knights books for young readers. The youngest Solo child, Anakin, had recently starred in his own young reader books, the Junior Jedi Knights series.

In the early concept of the Bantam/Dark Horse invasion storyline, developed in 1997 and 1998, Anakin was to be a prophesied hero who would be tempted to the dark side by a female infiltrator from the extragalactic Sith invaders, leading to a love affair between them. Jacen and Jaina would eventually confront Anakin, resulting in Jacen's death. Lucas reviewed this story arc and found it unoriginal, writing in May 1998, "Too redundant to movie storylines - books should be more original." Lucas was also concerned that Anakin's story would too closely resemble his grandfather Anakin Skywalker's story, which was to be told in the upcoming Star Wars prequel trilogy. As a result, Lucas suggested that Jacen be the main protagonist instead of Anakin, although the story team independently decided that Anakin should die in the series at the midway point, which Lucas approved in the final outline. Troy Denning later confirmed this in a radio interview, stating that before Vector Prime was published, the series' story bible already indicated that Anakin was to die in Star by Star, confirming that this was the story team's intention before the series began.

Lucas also insisted that the villains could not be Force users, believing that the Sith could not form a stable "dark side society." Encouraged by Lucas to be more original, the authors created a new set of villains with a different story arc for the series. The planning team then created a rough outline of the NJO's plot direction and chose more authors, some suggested by Shapiro and others by Lucas Licensing, who were then approved by her. The planning team had a general idea of how the series would end but intended the NJO to be a flexible and evolving series, open to new directions and not rigidly planned. The story team consciously used mythological archetypes and the hero cycle, as described by Joseph Campbell and others, in their creation of the series. James Luceno wrote a "series bible" to coordinate all the story arcs and serve as a database for new characters and continuity. A continuity team was formed, including Luceno and Daniel Wallace, who expanded the galaxy map and tracked new Jedi introduced in the series. They encouraged authors to reuse Jedi in later books rather than creating new ones. Throughout the series, Lucasfilm Ltd. supervised the NJO's production more closely than they had the Bantam-issued novels.

The series' villains were eventually developed into the Yuuzhan Vong, an extra-galactic race of religious zealots determined to conquer the galaxy. The name "Yuuzhan Vong" came from a French-Thai restaurant in New York City where several members of the planning team were eating. R. A. Salvatore, Del Rey editor Steve Saffel, and James Luceno drew inspiration from Aztec, Mayan, and Mesoamerican ideas to create the Yuuzhan Vong's mythology and beliefs. The final outline of the series was reviewed and approved by Lucas, after which he ended his involvement with the series. A peace treaty with the remnants of the Empire, and the beginnings of an alien invasion plotline, were introduced in Timothy Zahn's 1998 novel Vision of the Future, published under Bantam's contract.

• " The Crystal " by Elaine Cunningham
• " Red Sky, Blue Flame " by Elaine Cunningham
• " Or Die Trying " by Sean Williams & Shane Dix

• Chewbacca by Darko Macan
• " Equals & Opposites " by Nathan Butler
• Invasion by Tom Taylor

• Vector Prime television commercial
• The New Jedi Order in 100 Easy Lessons
• The New Jedi Order Sourcebook
• Making a Full Recovery
• Mission to Myrkr
• Who's Who in the New Jedi Order
• Star Wars: New Jedi Order Round-Robin Interview
• Novel Approach

The New Republic faces internal conflict while trying to maintain peace twenty-one years after the Rebel Alliance destroyed the second Death Star. The Yuuzhan Vong War begins when a new, unknown enemy called the Yuuzhan Vong comes from the outer galaxy. The Jedi and the New Republic struggle to resist this new alien race as it steadily advances, destroying or occupying parts of the galaxy.

The NJO, being the longest continuous series of novels in the Expanded Universe, established several long-term character arcs. Many new or previously underused characters were highlighted and developed throughout the series. Some of the most important character arcs include:

• Jacen Solo: Jacen had the most complete and philosophical arc in the NJO. He started the series questioning the morality of using the Force as a weapon. After being captured by the Yuuzhan Vong, he endured weeks of torture where he was visited and advised by Vergere, an Old Republic Jedi and Vong familiar. He emerged with a new view of the Force, willing to use it offensively. During the battle to retake Coruscant, Jacen achieved oneness with the Force, giving him 'perfect mastery' and aging him five years. By the end of the series, he was one of the most powerful Jedi in the galaxy.

• Ganner Rhysode: Rhysode began the series as an arrogant young Jedi, which was evident when he mocked Corran Horn's inability to use telekinesis, claiming it made him a lesser Jedi. Rhysode became more humble throughout the series, especially after witnessing the deaths of many friends on the mission to Myrkr. After Jacen Solo was captured during this mission, Rhysode searched for him, even though, in Jacen's words, "we weren't even friends." Rhysode died fighting thousands of Yuuzhan Vong warriors so that Jacen and Vergere could escape. It was foreseen that the Yuuzhan Vong would worship a new god called "the Ganner," admiring Rhysode's last stand.

• Tahiri Veila: Tahiri, originally Anakin's friend from Star Wars: Junior Jedi Knights, was given a starring role in the NJO. When the Yuuzhan Vong captured Yavin 4, she was imprisoned and subjected to experiments to create a Vong-Human hybrid. Anakin eventually rescued her, which stirred their romantic feelings. When Anakin died above Myrkr, Tahiri was devastated. The Yuuzhan Vong personality implanted in her began to periodically take control, and Tahiri struggled with this throughout the series. Unlike most Jedi, she had a unique empathy with the Yuuzhan Vong. At the end of the series, she chose to stay on Zonama Sekot to continue learning about the Yuuzhan Vong and help them build a better society.

The Order is philosophically different from the Jedi Order of the Old Republic (the Old Jedi Order) due to a new Jedi Code and a broader view of the Force. Luke Skywalker is the Order's leader, but other senior Jedi like Kyle Katarn, Mara Jade, and Kyp Durron have significant influence. During the Yuuzhan Vong incursion, the Order split into two main factions: Luke Skywalker's, which believed the Force should be used peacefully like the Old Republic Jedi, and Kyp Durron's, which advocated for a proactive, aggressive stance against enemies to fulfill the Jedi's role as "protectors" of the galaxy. As the war progressed, these views evolved, with the most significant changes driven by the new philosophical perspectives and development of Jacen Solo and Vergere.

The galaxy is enjoying a period of newly established peace between the New Republic and the Imperial Remnant at the beginning of the series. As the invading Yuuzhan Vong forces increasingly antagonize the galaxy, this peaceful neutrality gives way to new alliances. The Imperial Remnant and the New Republic periodically work together to repel the invaders. Other factions, such as the Hapes Consortium, the Hutts, the Chiss, and the Peace Brigade, also play important roles in the shifting alliances. By the end of the war, the combined forces of the galaxy unite to form the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances.

Many important characters die in the New Jedi Order series as the galaxy faces a brutal and mysterious enemy unlike any encountered during the New Republic's early years. The most significant deaths for fans were Chewbacca and Anakin Solo, both of which had dramatic emotional impacts on the main characters. In several New Jedi Order books, other Jedi are also lost in the war against the Yuuzhan Vong, prompting Jedi Master Luke Skywalker to create a temporary praxeum to protect Jedi children at a hidden space station in the Maw. Some planets, like Coruscant and Ithor, were completely devastated by the Yuuzhan Vong's terraforming after conquest. Overall, a large portion of the galactic population perished in the bloody war, with the combined forces of the galaxy eventually winning and ending the conflict under the newly established Galactic Alliance government.

While Mon Mothma did not die in the New Jedi Order series, her death was revealed at the start of Vector Prime.

Similarly, while Nom Anor is believed to have died during The New Jedi Order: The Unifying Force, his off-screen death leaves uncertainty about his fate.

The New Jedi Order series was the first Star Wars product to include fully drawn maps of the galaxy at the beginning of the novels. Five maps were created, showing the different stages of the war and the Yuuzhan Vong's invasion path. Christopher Barbieri illustrated the maps, and James Luceno and Daniel Wallace constructed the galaxy's layout throughout 1998 and 1999. Each novel included a map of the galaxy at that specific point in the war.

The arrival of The New Jedi Order was heralded by advertisements in magazines, posters, postcards, a TV spot, and subsequent promotional tours featuring the authors. Upon its initial release, Vector Prime held a spot on the New York Times Bestsellers List for a duration of four weeks. Following this initial triumph, each and every novel that followed in the series—all 19 volumes—achieved a place on the Bestsellers List. This accomplishment established it as the longest consecutively bestselling series in the history of Star Wars according to the NYT. By the close of 2005, worldwide sales of the series had surpassed 4 million copies. The demise of Chewbacca in Vector Prime garnered extensive media attention, including articles, memorials, and tributes in newspapers across the United States subsequent to the book's publication. The concluding book of the series, The Unifying Force, remained on the Bestsellers List for a period of two weeks and was promoted with a six-city author tour for the novel, during which James Luceno visited Seattle, Indianapolis, Phoenix, Minneapolis, San Diego and Washington, D.C. to promote the novel, in addition to conducting radio interviews and distributing New Jedi Order baseball caps at various events. Furthermore, the series' publication led to the introduction of several action figures by Hasbro within its Legacy and Vintage Collections.

R. A. Salvatore shared at the Salt Lake Comic Con in 2015 that the majority of feedback concerning Vector Prime was favorable, despite a small contingent of fans issuing death threats in response to Chewbacca's passing. Michael A. Stackpole also voiced a positive sentiment regarding the series at the event, noting that "It made the characters vulnerable. It made people actually worry when it looked like someone was going to die." Troy Denning reflected on the experience of collaborating with a diverse group of writers on the series, stating, "It was a lot of fun. The brainstorming sessions we had at Skywalker Ranch were just a blast," while also acknowledging that the significant level of coordination required among numerous authors occasionally presented "a little bit more of a coordination headache," necessitating communication between authors writing books both before and after their own in the series' timeline. Denning commented, "As many pages as we wrote in manuscript, we probably wrote that many pages again in emails" purely to maintain consistency across the entire series from one book to the next. Walter Jon Williams, the author of Destiny's Way, remarked in 2009, "I got more positive fan reaction from that one book than from anything else I've ever written, and I'd very much like to thank the fans for reading so carefully, and for caring." James Luceno, a primary figure in shaping the New Jedi Order and the editor responsible for reviewing each manuscript, commented after the series concluded, "From the start, The New Jedi Order drew a sizable readership, even in the face of competition from the prequel novels, the comics, and other Star Wars related series. So there's some sense of accomplishment in having been able to hold the interest of so many readers. It was also gratifying to see Troy Denning, Greg Keyes, Matt Stover, and others receive much-deserved acclaim for their individual efforts."

Timothy Zahn expressed his opinion that the deaths of key characters in The New Jedi Order and subsequent Star Wars book series deviated from the characteristic "feel" of Star Wars, suggesting that while secondary characters might perish in battle, the main characters should consistently survive each narrative. However, he also stated, "I'm not really familiar with the overall story line of that series, so I can't really comment on whether the death was a necessary part of the story line." The team of authors and editors behind The New Jedi Order believed that, following nearly a decade of Bantam-published stories, there was a desire for narratives that could genuinely endanger the lives of central characters, where survival until the end was not guaranteed for everyone. Regarding this matter, during the Round Robin New Jedi Order Interview, editor Lucy Wilson observed, "Good things happen and bad things happen in the Star Wars universe—as in our own world." Sue Rostoni further added: "We wanted the NJO stories to have more of the feel of reality, with conflict and emotion. By shaking up the universe, we felt we were adding an emotional depth to the stories that wasn't there before, and we were confident that our readers were up to the challenge."

Shelly Shapiro, the Editorial Director of Del Rey, voiced some regret in an interview featured in The New Jedi Order: The Unifying Force regarding the timing of the novel The New Jedi Order: Star by Star, as it was released shortly after the September 11 attacks.

In a brief vocal performance for the series in 1999, Mark Hamill revisited his role as Luke Skywalker. Hamill lent his voice as Luke Skywalker to a TV advertisement promoting Vector Prime, the series' inaugural novel. The commercial, which aired on the Sci Fi Channel in late 1999, featured him reflecting on the current state of the galaxy in comparison to the era of the Empire. A remastered version of the commercial, created independently, was subsequently uploaded to YouTube.

• Star Wars: The New Jedi Order - Legends on Penguin Random House's official website (backup link)