Clone Wars
This past week, the world turned Star Wars crazy with the release of the trailer for Episode VII: The Force Awakens. J.J. Abrams and the cast showed up for a massive celebration of all things Star Wars in Anaheim, California, to debut the trailer and release some tantalizing information about the new film. This was the first major chance for Disney to show the direction it’s taking with its newly acquired Star Wars franchise.
For many, this event was a tremendous success, and the movie looks incredible. For some, it heralds the downfall of the Star Wars franchise after its purchase by Disney. Though I fall a bit more on the “tremendous success” side of things, Disney’s purchase of Star Wars is not without its downsides. Chief among them is Disney’s complete discontinuation of the Expanded Universe, an absolutely staggering series of books, comics, TV shows, animated movies and video games by hundreds of different authors and creators all fleshing out the Star Wars setting. Personally, I prefer many of these stories to the movies themselves. Free from the constraints of Hollywood budgets and executive meddling, many of these stories are able to explore the Star Wars Universe in new, fascinating ways. Here are some of my favorites.
The Thrawn Trilogy by Timothy Zahn
This series started the whole idea of the Expanded Universe. Many view this trilogy of books as the true sequel trilogy to the original films. Whether you buy that or not, this series is notable for introducing one of the greatest Star Wars characters of all time: Grand Admiral Thrawn. He’s not a Jedi, not a Dark Lord of the Sith, not a powerful force user — just a wickedly smart and competent man who rose through the ranks of the deeply xenophobic Empire to be one of their most powerful commanders. After I read these books, I started noticing how little most villains actually do aside from stand around and look scary. Thrawn is an engaging character because he’s just so good at what he does. He’s the epitome of the magnificent bastard, a villain who you can’t help but admire. You’ll want to zip through the parts without him just to see what new devilishly smart maneuver he makes next.
Star Wars: Clone Wars
Genndy Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars is a stylish 2-D animated series telling many disparate tales from the Clone Wars front that went largely unexplored in the films. While its successor, the 3-D animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars, fills in a lot more of the details of the conflict exploring the various characters and strategic movements involved, Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars is almost like snapshots from the war front, painting impressionistic sketches of the battles and people involved. The art is expressive and minimalist, favoring dialogue-free visual storytelling and Tartakovsky’s cinematic flair. It’s a fantastic study of 2-D animation anda must-see for anyone interested in beautiful hand-drawn art or some of the more action-oriented Star Wars stories.
The New Jedi Order by various authors
The New Jedi Order is a series of novels following the Jedi Order founded by Luke Skywalker after the conclusion of the original film trilogy. It includes characters such as Jacen and Jaina Solo, the children of Han and Leia. It also gave rise to the most terrifying presence in the Star Wars Universe — the Yuuzhan Vong. The Vong are an extra-galactic species that came from somewhere in the deep recesses of space. They are inhuman monsters who worship pain and fly spaceships made of organic flesh. Their presence threatens the entire galaxy and significantly affects many other works of Star Wars Expanded Universe set afterwards. A particularly horrifying torture scene in what I thought was a friendly adventure about a kid Jedi traumatized me deeply as a child. Be warned, these books are pretty horrific.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2
While the first Knights of the Old Republic game is far more popular, with its triumphant tale of adventure and romance, the second game in the series is far and away one of my favorite games of all time. If you’ve ever felt confused by the Star Wars universe, uncomfortable with the unspoken implications of the way it works, KotOR 2 was written with you in mind. It ferociously tears apart the very core concepts of Star Wars itself. It deconstructs the notion of the Force; it exposes the morally superior arrogance of the Jedi; it paints the whole conflict of light side versus dark side as a conflict of religious fanatics leaving devastated worlds in the wake of their holy war; and it explores complex themes like war, guilt, loyalty and exile with delicate artistry. It’s not only one of the best Star Wars stories, but also one of the best stories ever told in the interactive medium.
