Lucasfilm ditches Star Wars Expanded Universe

Growing up, there was nothing more important to me than Star Wars. Even today, I have a great love of anything to do with the franchise, so long as it's not horrifically bad (and let's not pretend that that doesn't account for a whole lot of stuff). One of the reasons I was able to fall so deeply in love with Star Wars was that it wasn't just three films - I was the perfect age for the new Expanded Universe books and comics of the 1990s. I must have read a hundred Star Wars novels and, for me at least, they were as much a part of the overall experience as the films were.

Sadly, Lucasfilm announced on Friday that the Expanded Universe (EU) was no more, that all of the books and comics that I held so dear in my youth were being cast from Star Wars canon. This was kind of expected - I mean, with new films set during the same, post-Return of the Jedi time period, Lucasfilm were hardly going to be willing to go along with the myriad weird and wonderful stories and characters that populated the EU. The problem Lucasfilm are likely to face (which is entirely of their own making) is that many of the EU books were painstakingly edited to create an enticing ongoing story spanning 40-odd years after the end of Return of the Jedi. Many of the regular characters had become as familiar and dear to the hearts of the Star Wars die-hards as Luke, Han and Leia are to fans of the films alone. Lucasfilm have yet to confirm whether all of the characters and concepts from these later stories will be abandoned, or whether they intend to reweave some of the existing elements around the new films.

The appropriately titled 'A New Dawn' will be the
first book set in the new continuity, serving
as a prequel to the Rebels animated series.

The first books set in the new post-Return of the Jedi continuity, and tying into Episode 7 (due for release on 18th December 2015) and the new Rebels animated series, are scheduled for release later in the year. Whether or not they will attempt to reintroduce fan favorites such as Grand Admiral Thrawn, Mara Jade or Jacen, Jaina and Anakin Solo, we'll just have to wait and see.

Original story: Star Wars