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starwarspilotstournament · 8 months

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As I begin work on making the bracket for the Star Wars Pilots Tournament, there are unfortunately many characters that will not make it into the showdown. These characters were submitted very late in the game and/or only got one submission each, so they are sadly not eligible.

So, ladies, gentlemen, and all other associations of being, I invite you to join me in raising a glass to those pilots who simply did not qualify.

Dak Ralter (The Empire Strikes Back)

Submitted propaganda: Look he's not really piloting and also he dies in his only scene but I love him

2. Col "Fake Wedge" Takbright (A New Hope)

Submitted propaganda: Totally would have kicked ass in the Battle of Yavin if he had been there

3. Thane Kyrell (Lost Stars)

Submitted propaganda: An ex-Imperial who defected and fought in the Rebellion, including the battle of Hoth, Endor and Jakku. He’s also in a very beautiful romance story with his childhood friend and Imperial pilot Ciena Ree

4. Oddball (Clone Wars/Revenge of the Sith)

Submitted propaganda: none :(

5. Greez Dritus (Jedi Fallen Order/Survivor)

Submitted propaganda: none :(

6. Jarek Yeager (Star Wars Resistance)

Submitted propaganda: Rebellion pilot who fought in the Battle of Jakku! Became a racer after the Empire fell but quit after his brother cheating in a race led to an explosion that killed his family. Moved to an out of the way fueling station and decided to run a mechanic's shop instead of piloting. He's drawn back into flying by Kaz when the First Order rises, and becomes a squadron leader/teacher for the next generation of pilots.

7. Venisa Doza (Star Wars Resistance)

Submitted propaganda: Badass Rebellion pilot who convinced her future husband to defect from the Empire! When the First Order started to rise she immediately joined the Resistance to fight them. Awesome pilot and really good at convincing Imperials/First Order people to defect.

8. Mara Jade Skywalker (Thrawn trilogy)

Submitted propaganda: none :(

9. Ooryl Qrygg (Rogue Squadron)

Submitted propaganda: Ooryl is unique in what his contributions mean to his people. There are very few Gand in the Lore but Ooryl qualifies for Rogue Squadron, the best pilots of the New Republic. He also arcs to earn the right to use "I" pronouns, which is extended only to Gand who are famous enough to be known to literally every Gand that exists.

10. Garik "Face" Loran (X Wing - Wraith Squadron)

Submitted propaganda: none :(

11. Myn Donos (Wraith Squadron)

Submitted propaganda: Pulled off a nearly impossible rescue (ultimately failed as the other pilot was unconscious and unable to aid) and was the only surviving member of [???]

12. Wes Janson (Rogue Squadron + Wraith Squadron)

Submitted propaganda: none :(

13. Derek "Hobbie" Klivian (Rogue Squadron + Wraith Squadron)

Submitted propaganda: none :(

14. Nawara Ven (Rogue Squadron)

Submitted propaganda: none :(

15. Temmin "Snap" Wexley (Sequel trilogy and Aftermath trilogy)

Submitted propaganda: none :(

16. Kazuda Xiono (Star Wars Resistance)

Submitted propaganda: Resistance pilot who joins the Resistance because he wants to make a difference against the First Order and the New Republic isn't doing anything. Very good combat pilot and much more graceful in the air than he is on the ground.

17. Torra Doza (Star Wars Resistance)

Submitted propaganda: 15 year old racing pilot! Learned how to fly from her mom. Super good at flying and clearly has a lot of fun flying also.

18. Hype Fazon (Star Wars Resistance)

Submitted propaganda: Super good race pilot who has to adjust to being a combat pilot when the First Order rises. Has a tendency to run from things that frighten him at first (the First Order, added responsibility, growth) but always comes back at the end. Also is delightfully cocky about his piloting skills.

19. Isabella Garcia-Shapiro / "Pilot Isabella" (Phineas and Ferb/Star Wars crossover)

Submitted propaganda: Okay so she’s the Han Solo of the episode despite Han also being in that, but also I just think this is the funniest technically legal submission I could do I’m not a Star Wars fan <3

20. that one ufuck (???)

Submitted propaganda: hhrrhhhghgngnhghghggngnghg i hve no fucking clue what any of this means im delirious right now im not even a star wars fan either

Believe me, y'all, I am as upset as you are over some of these not making it in. However, I made the rules and I would just be a hypocrite if I didn't follow them.

BUT stay tuned for the actual bracket with the 32 characters who DID make it in!

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politicalmamaduck · 6 years

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look through my eyes

A playlist inspired by Ciena Ree for @lenuca <3

Listen to it on 8tracks here and Spotify here.

Don’t Say a Word by Ellie Goulding

Fire Meet Gasoline by Sia

Cold War by Janelle Monae

Limits of Our Love by Charlotte Martin

Armies of Your Heart by Elizaveta

My Kind of Love by Emeli Sande

No Light, No Light by Florence and the Machine

Shooting Arrows at the Sky by Santigold

Creo en Ti by Ana Tijoux and Juanito Ayala

That Would Be Enough by Alicia Keys

#ciena ree #ciena x thane #women of star wars #star wars: lost stars #claudia gray #my playlists

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dswcp · 2 years

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There’s not nearly enough fanart of these two incredible characters -- Ciena Ree and Thane Kyrell -- so I redrew this emotional panel from the middle of their manga. I thought it would be fun to add color and give Ciena another hairstyle as well. I hope you guys love them too!!

Media: printmaking paper, Copic Multiliners, colored pencils

“Lost Stars,” Volume 2, Chapter 8. September 3, 2019. Original YA novel by Claudia Gray. Adaptation and Illustration by Yusaka Komiyama.

🎨🎁DSWCP ART TRADE!🎁🎨

This is an open invitation to all other Star Wars fans and artists! If you redraw any Star Wars comic panel or official art (browse DSWCP’s archive here for a ton of options) and submit it or tag me, then I will share your art here. In return, I’ll draw any Star Wars character you request!

You can also feel free to make fanart based on a panel/official art, or change it around in a creative way (costume swap, different dialogue, coloring it in, etc.). All skill levels and media are welcome.

If anyone actually does this, I’ll be over the freaking moon and probably print your art out and tape it to my fridge. Go ahead, make my day!

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abruisedmuse · 3 years

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Library and hardcover 🥰

Library: What is one book that changed your views on a topic?

I wouldn't say it changed my views, but it helped me realize how important my own mental and emotional health was. I too, pushed what I needed aside for the benefit of someone I loved. When they couldn't even see my needs or my depression. Slowly on the inside I was breaking. When I read this book I hurt for this character and related to that sense of suffering. It woke something up inside me in the middle of a fight with my ex. Where I went What are you doing? This book helped me save myself. That book was A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas.

Hardcover: Least favourite book and why?

I'd say The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard. Since that was a DNF and I don't remember anything about it I'm going with sadly Lost Stars by Claudia Gray. Which is a Star Wars book

Now the book itself is actually amazing. I loved Thane and Ciena. Thane especially that boy had my heart. Their journey's and the angsty romance. The end battle sequence was superb. However that ending? I went through all of the angst and pain for a half assed open ending. What could have easily been a favorite became a least so quickly. Being Star Wars I should've expected it.

Ask Me Bookish Things

#ask #answered #bookofmirth #acomaf #feyre archeron #lost stars #thane kyrell #ciena ree #thane x ciena

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darkside-skyguy · 4 years

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There really are no happy love stories in Star Wars, huh?

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animatedminds · 3 years

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Star Wars: Visions - Episode 8: Lop and Ochō

Early reveal for the rest of the review: this is by far my favorite of the films so far (who knows, maybe Episode 9 will extremely wow me, but until then...), for what is actually a variety of reasons that I will probably go into at length. And because there’s nothing I like better than to nerd out at length, there is better time than now to delve into... Episode 8: Lop and Ochō Developed By: Geno Studio Directed By: Yuki Igarashi Another one that uses a brief narration to approximate the opening crawl of the films, again to great thematic effect.

This is also another one with an explicit timeframe. During the rise of the Galactic Empire, we focus on a formerly isolated planet that has reached out to the Galactic Empire in hopes that the Empire’s influence can modernize their society (some very clear Japanese historical subtext here), leading to many aliens immigrating to the planet. This includes Lop, a homeless bunny-girl alien (mildly jarring, since Gamorreans aside animal-people aliens is something you’re more likely to find in Wing Commander) who escaped from captivity and one day bumped into the patriarch of the ruling clan of the planet and his young daughter. The daughter - Ochō - insists on adopting Lop, leading to her father bringing her into the family: and so Lop and Ochō become like sisters.

Years later, strife strikes as the patriarch - Lop and Ocho’s father - realizes that the Empire only intends to exploit their planet and mobilizes a guerilla force to strike back. But Ochō takes the opposite opinion: without the Empire’s influence, their backwards planet is doomed to fall behind no matter how noble their culture is, so they must submit to ensure their own future. This rift explodes as Ochō formally joins the Empire and their father steps up his efforts to fight back, while Lop stops at nothing to stop the fighting and bring her adopted family back together again.

The very first thing I’m going to focus on here is the choice in how the story opts to approach the setting. Here, instead of getting a Jedi who visits this planet, seeing these people as an outsider does in the way most of the other shorts set up narratives of this type, the focus is on this particualr culture and how its individuals see the Empire’s presence. You are immersed into these people and their ideologies, their history and how Lop and Ocho fit into it all as heirs in the next generation. This is a fantastic way of doing this - you may recall that back during my review of The Village Bride, I commended that short for giving the people of that short a distinct means of looking at the Force, but even in that one the people were secondary: objects of the Jedi’s perspective. Here, Lop is technically an outsider, but that only outlines the prominence of the setting and storytelling as she is then raised alongside this new family and world.

The presentation here is very similar to something like Lost Stars, a book in the current canon that I’ve always seen as one of the best Star Wars novels made in the last few decades. Like Lost Stars, this short uses the characters culture to set up their upbringings and situations, and then applies that to the issue of the Empire: Lop chooses to oppose the Empire - or, more accurately, to try and bring Ochō back home - because of how much her adopted people’s attachment to family has shaped her. Ochō chooses to join the Empire because she sees nothing but the big picture, her good intentions leading her down a draconian path, and as the story goes on her conceit as an entitled heir eventually starts to show itself. The conflict does strike similar beats as the one between Thane Kyrell and Ciena Ree for similar reasons: the story makes sure we know why these characters are going to split before the split happens.

The characterization is good, is what I’m saying. A great example of doing great, distinctive character work in a short amount of time.

I should also get the visuals. This short combines bright, modern character designs with a very classical, painted aesthetic for the world around the characters. This gives it a very classic animation feel, like watching a Miyazaki movie or Sleeping Beauty: the location art of this episode is among the series’ best, and the action animation manages to combine a fluidity of motion with a simplicity of choreography, in a way not unlike The Ninth Jedi - another of the shorts whose action animation stood out.

Back to the plot with another interesting track: the story makes it unclear how strongly force sensitivity plays a role, which also gives it a good contrast to the others which generally don’t just star Jedi, but are almost exclusively about Jedi intrigue and entanglements: Lop is clearly strong with the force, but she has no context for that and her objectives have nothing to do with being a Jedi - she is centered around her people and her family. The lightsaber we see in the short - fantastically - has a backstory similar to the Darksaber we see throughout The Clone Wars, Rebels and The Mandalorian: centuries ago, a Jedi was trained from this warrior culture, and instead of passing their saber down to a padawan or giving it back into the Order, this Jedi instead passed the saber down through their family, again cycling back to the way this short uses the characters’ unique perspective and history to approach the setting rather than the other way around. The people in the short only have legends of the Jedi, and the only thing that’s significant here is that the sword featured is the prized possession of their clan.

This gives the story a lot of room for questioning, especially as the ending is open rather than definitive: is Lop going to learn more about the force, and if so will she do through the lens of her people? Who was this old Jedi, and does the sword have a history like the Darksaber does? And most importantly: the war against the Empire does not end with the end of the short: where will it go from here? Will Lop and Ochō ever be reunited? There is a degree to which this short comes off almost like a pilot for a longer story, which would serve me just fine - for the reason I’m about to get into now: As always, a purpose of these reviews is to look at how much potential these shorts - which are currently non-canon - have to some day become canon, or even at least be followed up on by the studios involved. The potential there comes down a few key factors: the major one being the amount of support these shorts get from the fanbase. But another is in how easily or organically these shorts can be incorporated into the framework of the Star Wars universe.

And are the chances for this short’s incorporation good? ABSOLUTELY. I generally judged the other shorts’ potential on how little they contradicted the world and setting around them. With this one, however, its simpler to think of it from the opposite direction: this is exactly the kind of stories that gets told in the Star Wars universe today. There are several stories I can think of just like this in concept that were made within the last few years alone, or even being made right now: the current canon loves its stories about X culture in one corner of the galaxy and how its reacting to the rise of the Empire, which heroes come from there and why. Where those heroes go in the end. The comics, especially, always seem to be on the lookout for more focus characters to play with, but I also mentioned Lost Stars earlier, and that’s a very good point of comparison: for the same reason Lost Stars makes for one of the best prose installments of the current canon, Lop and Ochō has a lot of open real estate it can waltz into to define its own part of the universe.

Besides a couple superficial stylistic things (the symbols on the lightsaber blade, as I mentioned before, Star Wars doesn’t typically do strictly “animal people” as species - that’s more a Wing Commander thing - but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t if they really wanted to), there’s nothing really stopping this thing from getting canonized. I really hope people make some noise for it, because I’m being serious when I say this of all the films has The Best Chances of being followed up - minus The Duel which, of course, was already getting a followup before the series even released.

All in all, I mean it when I say this was my favorite of all of the shorts. It, pound for pound, has everything that I found enjoyable about this set of films all in one package, ever interesting means of approaching the Star Wars universe that I was looking for, all of the interesting ways of looking at situations we already know that I was hoping for, with a set of endearing characters on top of it.

If we can get more stuff like Lop and Ochō in the future, I would be more than happy. If we can get more Lop and Ochō specifically, all the better for it. I also mean it when I say I hope people make some noise for this one. It’s worth it.

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fandomcares · 4 years

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Artemisa

Writer, Artist

Fandom(s): Teen Wolf - Peter Hale/Christopher Argent, Victoria Argent/Christopher Argent, Peter Hale/Victoria Argent/Christopher Argent, Peter Hale/Victoria Argent, Peter Hale/Sheriff Stilinski, Peter Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Peter Hale/OC (male or female), Erica Reyes/Vernon Boyd, Jackson Whittemore/Lydia Martin, Jackson Whittemore/Ethan, Derek Hale/Braeden, Allison Argent/Lydia Martin, Allison Argent/Isaac Lahey, Malia Tate/Kira Yukimura Harry Potter - Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy, Ron Weasley/Hermione Granger, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin, Lucius Malfoy/Narcissa Malfoy X-Men - Charles Xavier/Erik Lehnsherr Star Wars - Han Solo/Leia Organa, Han Solo/Lando Calrissian, Poe Dameron/Finn, Kylo Ren/Armitage Hux, Thane Kyrell/Ciena Ree, Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios/Agent Kallus Hawaii 5.O - Steve McGarrett/Danny "D

Offering: Writing (fics 5k words and under), Writing (fics over 5k words), Moodboards

Likes: To explore the dynamics between character dynamics that stand on opposite sides just as hunter/werewolf, imperial/rebel, pureblood/muggleborn, mutant politics in general...), Kid fics and mpreg

Dislikes: Smut, Time Travel AU or full crossovers, but open to discuss AU where characters live in a different universes (please talk to the author about specifics) Bad Peter Hale or Bad Hale Family.

Link 1: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20709989/chapters/49196288

Link 2: https://artemisa97.tumblr.com/post/189765995924/peter-hale-is-a-smuggler-a-scoundrel-a-ruthless

Link 3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23299147

#artemisa #writer #artist #active #showcase #fandom:teenwolf #fandom:hawaii05 #fandom:starwars #fandom:harrypotter #fandom:xmen

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waiting-for-ciena-ree · 4 years

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@knightotoc did this first and was funnier, but I’m doing one too to keep her company. :)

1. Favorite trilogy

2. Favorite couple

Ciena x Thane from Lost Stars

3. Favorite character from the OT

Luke

4. Favorite character from the PT

Padme

5. Favorite character from the ST

Rose

6. Favorite trio

Atton Rand and Kreia and the Jedi Exile from KotOR 2

7. Favorite friendship

Cal and BD

8. Favorite droid

T3-M4 from the kotor games

9. Who would be your Jedi Master?

This is the spot for my favorite character Kreia!!

(But also I agree with my sister that Mr. Garfield the only acceptable answer.)

10. Favorite lightsaber color

Viridian, truly one of a kind, nothing else quite like it

11. Light side or dark side?

Light side...ish

12. Overrated character

There are a lot of white dudes who deserve this spot, but I just remembered how Bo-Katan became the Queen of Mandalore instead of Ursa Wren and I'm salty.

13. Underrated character

Cere Junda!

14. Favorite ship

Ebon Hawk

15. Saddest death

A MILLION PIECES

16. Favorite cast member

Carrie Fisher

#sister tag #tag games #long post #a million fucking pieces #star wars day

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aion-rsa · 4 years

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20 Best Star Wars Books from Canon and Legends

https://ift.tt/38n3sgI

Want to know where to start with Star Wars books? Here are the 20 best adventures across both Legends and the new canon.

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The Expanded Universe has been a part of Star Wars for almost as long as the movies have, starting with Alan Dean Foster's novel Splinter of the Mind's Eye, which was published in 1978 and was originally conceived as a low-budget continuation of A New Hope had the movie flopped. But Foster's Luke and Leia adventure isn't actually the first Star Wars book. Star Wars has existed longer on the page than on the big screen. Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker, the official novelization of A New Hope, was published in 1976, six months before the release of the movie (a move that's hard to fathom by today's spoiler culture).

Since the release of the first two Star Wars books, the galaxy far, far away has continued to grow on the page. From the early '90s on, novels that expand the adventures of Luke, Han, Leia, and other heroes and villains have been a staple of Star Wars storytelling and have given us beloved new corners of the galaxy to obsess over. Today, these books and stories remain a great way to learn more about the worlds and characters seen in the movies.

When Disney traded the older Expanded Universe books (now known as the Legends continuity) for a new canon in 2014, it opened up a host of new possibilities. Years later, there are plenty of canon books giving us new ways to experience the Sequel Trilogy and beyond.

With The Rise of Skywalker on the way, concluding the nine-movie Skywalker Saga, it’s a good time to take a look at the book adventures that allows fans to spend more time in the galaxy far, far away. You'll find that there are plenty of books to discover outside of the movies.

Below are our picks of the best Star Wars books—from both the Legends timeline and current canon. The books are listed in alphabetical order. Here's what you should read:

Canon

Aftermath

By Chuck Wendig

Aftermath is remarkable for both Chuck Wendig’s all-in writing style and for its place in canon. The beginning of the new canon’s first book trilogy, it follows mostly original characters and a teenage Temmin "Snap" Wexley, the X-Wing pilot played by Greg Grunberg in The Force Awakens. Because it’s the first book in a series, Aftermath has room for cameos from major characters and a wide look at the state of the New Republic after the fall of the Empire.

Information from this series continues to reverberate through later stories, especially ones involving the final defeat of the Emperor's forces and their reorganization into the First Order. While it isn’t the first book to feature Imperial Grand Admiral Rae Sloane, it does establish the fan favorite’s career as a key part of the post-Galactic Civil War galaxy.

Buy Aftermath

Ahsoka

By E.K. Johnston

This standalone novel lands on the list for several reasons. Most simply, Ahsoka Tano is a fan favorite both out in the world and behind the scenes. Originally appearing in The Clone Wars as Anakin Skywalker's Jedi apprentice, she returned in Star Wars Rebels and has appeared in a multitude of tie-in media.

Ahsoka by E.k. Johnston gives her a lot more interiority than the animated series. It also has a little bit for everybody: Prequel fans will see how Ahsoka feels about losing her friendship with Anakin and Obi-Wan, and Original Trilogy fans will get a look into how she began working with (but not within) the early Rebellion.

Buy Ahsoka

Alphabet Squadron

By Alexander Freed

Another ensemble story, Alphabet Squadron focuses around Imperial defector turned X-Wing pilot Yrica Quell. The five pilots who make up "Alphabet" are full of personality, and their often prickly getting-to-know-each-other period is facilitated by an unlikely therapist: a torture droid. IT-O the ex-Imperial droid perfectly encapsulates the book’s mix of ruthless war and wry humor.

This book doesn’t feel like a heroes vs. villains myth like the Original Trilogy did; instead, this is a more muted war story. Its emphasis on the uncertainty and randomness of war doesn’t stop it from also working as a vivid adventure story.

Buy Alphabet Squadron

Battlefront: Twilight Company

By Alexander Freed

Even if you haven’t played the Battlefront video games, you might find something to enjoy in Twilight Company, which emphasizes the war in Star Wars. Infantry soldier Namir is used to fighting—he comes from a planet ruled by warring clans—but he sees the Rebellion as just a means to a paycheck.

Namir hovers around the edge of famous events like the Battle of Hoth. If you ever wanted an everyman perspective on the Galactic Civil War, you can get that from Namir and his crew. And along the way, he finds why the Rebellion might be something worth fighting for.

Buy Battlefront: Twilight Company

Battlefront II: Inferno Squad

By Christie Golden

While both Battlefront novels are worthwhile reads, Inferno Squad benefits more from the game’s story campaign. Iden Versio will eventually leave the Empire to join the Rebellion after the Battle of Endor, but before that, she’s Imperial through-and-through.

The main strength of this book is the characterization: Iden, Del, and the rest of her squad are endearing and entertaining characters thrown into situations ranging from a firefight to a fancy party. It’s an adventurous book driven by memorable characters — we won’t soon forget the image of the team toasting to the Empire’s health with Alderaanian wine — made all the better by knowing that Iden will eventually up seeing the error of her ways.

Buy Battlefront II: Inferno Squad

Bloodline

By Claudia Gray

In terms of Star Wars books, quality isn't really dictated by how closely they follow or connect to the movies. Many of the most interesting stories are entirely or mostly separate from the movies. However, Bloodline has connection as its main distinction for a few notable reasons: first, it is one of the few books that deal with the Solo family before the Sequel Trilogy and after the Original, and second, it gives Leia the clear-eyed attention which few authors give her. It also shows how the new canon deals with Leia’s relationship to Darth Vader. All of that makes for a compelling story about the political machinations of the New Republic and how they impact the Solo family, including Ben.

Buy Bloodline

Lando’s Luck

By Justina Ireland

Some of the best new canon books cater to middle grade and young adult readers. Lando’s Luck captures the titular character’s voice perfectly, and you'll find yourself laughing out loud at the dialogue between the charming rogue ad his droid co-pilot L3-37.

After being criminally underused in Solo: A Star Wars Story, it's nice to see L3 get a larger part here, as well as a more tonally even relationship with her co-pilot. She and Lando are tasked with helping a young princess return a captured treasure to her planet, a perfectly pulpy plot for Star Wars and especially this duo of adventurers.

Buy Lando's Luck

Lost Stars

By Claudia Gray

Lost Stars, described as a Romeo and Juliet story in space, it could have been a dull grab at the YA romance market. Instead, it’s a detailed look at some unlikely characters—an Alderaanian who joined the Empire, the wealthy city boy who joins the Rebellion, and the honor-bound pilot who flies a TIE fighter. Protagonists Thane and Ciena are two of the most memorable characters in the new canon, and the conclusion of the novel, which is set during the Battle of Jakku, will leave you breathless.

Buy Lost Stars

The Weapon of a Jedi

By Jason Fry

Another stand-out middle grade book, The Weapon of a Jedi is a tightly focused Luke Skywalker adventure that feels like it could be a missing movie or TV show. It’s a relatively simple story — Luke visits an ancient Jedi Temple, meets a friend, and fights a strange alien smuggler while exploring the temple. Hidden within that simplicity is a story that shows Luke’s development and his better understanding of the Force. His characterization as kind and earnest fits him perfectly.

Buy The Weapon of a Jedi

Queen’s Shadow

By E.K. Johnston

Queen’s Shadow looks at Padmé Amidala in a new way, and is a story long overdue. We learn how Padmé and her handmaidens, written as Naboo bodyguards, wear elaborate costumes that hide military-quality defenses and enable them to do their jobs more effectively. The handmaidens are sometimes written as one swirling, ghostly being, moving around Padmé as a unit. At the same time, each character is fleshed out. Padmé herself is treated as both a heroic figure and a tragic one, her death an inevitable shadow as Palpatine’s machinations crush what was left of the Republic.

Buy Queen's Shadow

Legends

The Thrawn Trilogy: Heir to the Empire

By Timothy Zahn

The Thrawn Trilogy is arguably the most formative series in the Expanded Universe. The first book, Heir to the Empire, was published in 1991 and was marketed as a continuation of the movie saga. Of all of the Legends books, it perhaps captures the feeling of watching a big-screen spectacle the most.

The book features a cinematic storyline that continues the hero trio’s adventures and establishes keystone EU plot elements like Talon Karrde’s network of smugglers and Leia and Han’s marriage. It also introduces Mara Jade, the Force-sensitive woman who used to be the Emperor’s Hand (an elite Imperial assassin) and would later become a powerful Jedi. Even though she’s now working as a smuggler, she finds herself on a collision course with Luke Skywalker, as a shadowy new Imperial commander threatens the New Republic.

Instead of standing out because it does something different with the universe, Timothy Zahn’s trilogy is essential because, for many fans, it felt just like the movies. Grand Admiral Thrawn is also one of the few Legends characters who survived the continuity reset. He not only appears as a major villain in the latter half of Star Wars Rebels but also stars in a new series of novels written by Zahn.

Buy Heir to the Empire

Jedi Apprentice

By Jude Watson and Dave Wolverton

We're cheating a little here since we're recommending an entire series of 18 books here, but you should read them all! Like the X-Wing series, the Jedi Apprentice series is a classic that established the tone and format for an entire era of stories. Another similarity: the author who wrote the first book isn’t the person behind the best-known parts of the series.

Jude Watson wrote all but one of the Jedi Apprentice books, in which Obi-Wan Kenobi narrowly earns his place in the Jedi Temple, tangles with Qui-Gon’s former Padawan, and makes friends across the galaxy. It’s a look inside the life of a Jedi, and it was the starting point for many a fanfic. Young Obi-Wan is an easy-to-like, kind, and compassionate person who just wants to do his best, even if it means clashing with his master.

Buy Jedi Apprentice Book 1

Kenobi

By John Jackson Miller

Another character study, Kenobi stands out for when in the timeline it's set, fleshing out the story of what happened in Obi-Wan Kenobi’s life between the fall of the Jedi and the start of their return. The book delves a bit into Obi-Wan’s mental state shortly after his flight from Order 66, but most of it concentrates on his day-to-day life and trying to solve local problems.

It’s a tightly plotted and compassionately characterized story that sometimes feels restricted, but hey, that’s what life on Tatooine is like. Best of all, the side characters feel like real, sun-burnt denizens of Tatooine, both humans and Tusken Raiders alike. A good read if you're looking forward to the Obi-Wan Kenobi TV series coming to Disney+.

Buy Kenobi

Republic Commando: Hard Contact

By Karen Traviss

While the Original Trilogy era books are most often cited as good places to start, fans of Jedi and clone troopers have plenty of options in the Prequel era, too. The Republic Commando series fostered a fandom as passionate as any other within the community.

Ostensibly a video game tie-in novel, it was the start of Karen Traviss’ long-term development of Mandalorian culture as followed by the clone troopers. The novel follows a team of elite clone commandos and one young Jedi Padawan as they try to stop a Separatist bio-weapon.

Buy Republic Commando: Hard Contact

Revenge of the Sith

By Matthew Stover

Star Wars novelizations haven't often set a very high bar. While some extra scenes or characters’ internal thoughts might add a little to what you watched on the big screen, these books aren’t usually a source of great prose or characterization. Therefore, it’s exceptionally remarkable that Matthew Stover saw that bar and decided to reach for orbit.

Metaphor, added scenes, and poetic, energetic prose make Revenge of the Sith an entirely different experience in book form. Anakin Skywalker’s struggles with the “dragon” of the dark side and the gradual, terrible collapse of his friendship with Obi-Wan Kenobi might be the best character-centric writing in the saga.

Buy Revenge of the Sith

Scoundrels

By Timothy Zahn

Timothy Zahn’s last non-Thrawn Star Wars book is one of his best. A standalone story about Han Solo, Lando Calrissian, and the titular group of scoundrels, this novel is Ocean’s Eleven in Star Wars. One of the best elements of this book is the twist ending, which of course I won’t spoil here. Scoundrels is pure fun, with lots of chemistry between the team members and memorable moments.

Buy Scoundrels

Shadows of the Empire

By Steve Perry

Shadows of the Empire wasn't just a novel. The novel was one part of a tie-in extravaganza that also included a video game, a soundtrack, and more about the Original Trilogy heroes fighting Darth Vader and his criminal lackey, Prince Xizor. Shadows contains some uncomfortable scenes—Xizor’s secret weapon is that his species gives off seductive pheromones, and Leia spends a good deal of the book kidnapped—but it does fill in the gaps between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

The book is also formative because of the debut of Dash Rendar, an EU character if there ever was one. Shadows is perhaps the least essential book on this list, but if you’re new to the EU, it might help you know what exactly fans are talking about when they (jokingly or seriously) refer to “the Bantam era.”

Buy Shadows of the Empire

The New Jedi Order: Traitor

By Matthew Stover

The question of whether Traitor works as a standalone novel is a complicated one. It’s part of the divisive 19-book New Jedi Order series, so there are certainly a lot of plot points that lead up to it. There are also a lot of questions posed in this book that the series can’t completely answer: Does the Force truly have a light side and a dark side? What does it really mean to be a Jedi? Traitor shows Jacen Solo’s descent into the underworld, a deep dive into the morality of the Force. Like the Revenge of the Sith novelization (written by the same author), the writing is darkly beautiful.

Buy Traitor

X-Wing: Rogue Squadron

By Michael A. Stackpole and Aaron Allson

The X-Wing series by Michael A. Stackpole and Aaron Allston is another staple in Expanded Universe fandom. While the series doesn't reach its heights of humor and cheer until Allston’s books later in the series, the first book is the easiest to recommend. Fan favorite pilot Wedge Antilles has flown against the first Death Star and destroyed the second one. Now, he needs to put together a new squadron to hold the New Republic military together while they try to conquer the Imperial capital. Known for its charming characters and exciting descriptions of starfighter battles, Rogue Squadron is a classic. And if you love this one, you really should read the rest of the series!

Buy X-Wing: Rogue Squadron

Yoda: Dark Rendezvous

By Sean Stewart

Despite the format of its title, this is a standalone novel. It’s another one that asks big questions: what does it mean to be a Jedi when you aren’t very good at the Force? What philosophy is behind Count Dooku’s split from the Jedi Order and his desire to leave his friend Yoda behind? With some surprisingly Gothic influences and unconventional Jedi characters, Dark Rendezvous is an unusual book that's worth a read.

Buy Yoda: Dark Rendezvous

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Megan Crouse writes about Star Wars and pop culture for StarWars.com, Star Wars Insider, and Den of Geek. Read more of her work here. Find her on Twitter @blogfullofwords.

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Megan Crouse

Dec 9, 2019

Star Wars

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#aion-rsa #Books

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mevahvistumme · 5 years

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2, 15, 23?

Thanks!!

2. My favorite Star Wars movie is without a doubt Return of the Jedi! I like how it’s both super goofy and super serious at the same time, and I love getting to see the arcs of all the characters come to an end. What Luke goes through in ROTJ Is brilliant and heartbreaking and just everything to me. Also the Battle of Endor - both the space battle, the ground battle and the lightsaber duel - is some A+ quality content.

15. My favorite ships? I’m guessing romantic ships, not spaceships… My favorite ships in Star Wars are Han/Leia (they’re probably my oldest ship), Anakin/Padmé, Thane/Ciena (from Lost Stars), Poe/Finn and Jyn/Cassian. If this means spaceships, my fave is the Millennium Falcon and all the X-wings.

23. My favorite Star Wars moment is in ROTJ when Luke throws his lightsaber away and declares himself a Jedi, like his father before him.

Star Wars Inspired asks

#just me talking #me #star wars

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bluntblade · 4 months

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Sequel-era, OC-laden Lost Stars fanfic be upon ye!

#Lost Stars #star wars: lost stars #thane kyrell x ciena ree #thane kyrell #ciena ree #Thane Kyrell/Ciena Ree #star wars fanfiction #Lost Stars fanfic

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ao3feed-rebelcaptain2 · 5 years

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Star Wars: Ultimate Rebellion - The Reader's Guide to a Different Galaxy Far, Far Away

read it on the AO3 at http://bit.ly/2S1NiEN

by Skywalker114

This is a Reader's Guide containing headcanons and ideas pertaining to the Star Wars: Ultimate Rebellion universe, a Star Wars alternate universe fanfiction project created by me, Skywalker114. ULTIMATE REBELLION sees an altered version of the Galactic Civil War which sees the Rebel Alliance joined by more Imperial defectors and surviving Jedi Knights in their war against the tyrannical Galactic Empire.

Words: 168, Chapters: 2/?, Language: English

Series: Part 1 of Star Wars: Ultimate Rebellion

Fandoms: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends - All Media Types, Star Wars: Rebellion Era - All Media Types

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/M

Relationships: Mara Jade/Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa/Han Solo, Kyle Katarn/Jan Ors, Bigga Darklighter/Nera Dantels, Wedge Antilles/Iella Wessiri, Ru Murleen/Rookie One, Juno Eclipse/Galen Marek, Tyria Sarkin/Kell Tainer, Gavin Darklighter/Asyr Sei'lar, Tycho Celchu/Winter Celchu, Feylis Aradre/Avan Beruss, Dani/Kiro (Star Wars), Jacen Solo/Tenel Ka Djo, Anakin Solo/Tahiri Veila, Zekk (Star Wars)/Taryn Zel, Garik "Face" Loran/Dia Passik, Corran Horn/Mirax Terrik, Soontir Fel/Syal Antilles Fel | Wynssa Starflare, Chewbacca/Mallatobuck (Star Wars), Nawara Ven/Rhysati Ynr, Lando Calrissian/Tendra Risant, Boba Fett/Sintas Vel, Mirta Gev/Ghes Orade, Kir Kanos/Mirith Sinn, Rhys Dallows/Vana Sage, Dash Rendar/Javun Charn, Lux Bonteri/Ahsoka Tano, Ezra Bridger/Sabine Wren, Thane Kyrell/Ciena Ree, Kanan Jarrus/Hera Syndulla, Cassian Andor/Jyn Erso, Norra Wexley/Brentin Lore Wexley, Bo-Katan Kryze/Fenn Rau, Jas Emari/Jom Barell, Shara Bey/Kes Dameron, Conder Kyl/Sinjir Rath Velus, Karé Kun/Temmin "Snap" Wexley, Bail Organa/Breha Organa, Finn/Rose Tico, Kasan Moor/Ace Azzameen, Poe Dameron/Jaina Solo, Ketsu Onyo/Wade Vox

Additional Tags: Rating: PG13, Alternate Canon, Alternate Universe, Fanon, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Multiple Pairings, Good versus Evil, Black & White Morality, Alternate Character Interpretations, Weapons, Spaceships, Outer Space, Interspecies Relationship(s), Heroes & Heroines, Villains, Rare Pairings, Rare Characters, Alien Character(s), LGBTQ Characters, Ancient Technology, Planets, Space Opera, Married Couples, Star Wars Headcanons, Ahsoka Tano Didn't Leave the Jedi Order, Rebel Alliance, Galactic Empire, Jedi Leia Organa, Female Friendships, Planet Naboo (Star Wars), Jedi, Death Star, Mandalorians - Freeform, Yuuzhan Vong - Freeform, Lightsabers, X-Wing(s), Rogue Squadron, New Republic, Mon Calamari, New Jedi Order, Force Ghost(s), Kanan Jarrus Lives, Battle of Yavin, Twi'leks, Hutts, Jedi Ahsoka Tano, Multiple Inquisitors, Defection from the Empire, Imperial Remnant, Planet Manaan (Star Wars), Operation Skyhook (Star Wars), Skywalker Family, Yavin 4, Battle of Endor, Tatooine (Star Wars), Kyber Crystals, Biggs Darklighter Lives, Hoth, Bounty Hunters, Geonosis, Millennium Falcon - Freeform, Coruscant, Operation Skyhook, Unrealistic Everything, Experimental Fiction, Time Travel, World Between Worlds, Star Wars Legends AU with Canon Elements, Jedi Luke Skywalker, References to Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

read it on the AO3 at http://bit.ly/2S1NiEN

#ao3feed #rebelcaptain #rebel captain #jyn x cassian #cassian x jyn #rebelcaptain fanfic #jynxcassian

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