I will remind you that Disney’s motivation for throwing out the Expanded Universe was for “creative freedom.” All I have seen is the deepest void of “creativity” with Disney’s Star Wars.

Never forget: Disney decided to reveal Palpatine's return in Fortnite but refuse to make their comics and books have important plot points but rather use them as filler material. They should revive legends and be done with it.

Luke had a wife. He was a leader. He was a hero. And eventually a father. Mark Hamill got NONE of that from Disney.

Cancelling the EU instead of declaring it as "non-canon" or "alternate universe" was one of the biggest mistakes Disney made.

The key thing about Legends/EU is how well it reconciled all its stories, even the numerous ones which were just as dull if not worse than plenty of the Disney canon expanded material, like the 70s comics. This is because of two big reasons: there were more than enough truly great stories to elevate the expanded universe as a whole, and there was a strong commitment to maintaining continuity through stuff like an official ranking system(where the more ludicrous things get put lower in the canon hierarchy and are painted in broader strokes). Disney canon likes to pretend that there is no need for a ranking system in their continuity, and despite the fact they clearly supersede some things above others, they refuse to officially and completely adopt a system that would not only make the retcons less confusing/frustrating, but also allow more creativity. There already are parallel universes in Star Wars, and even though they are well distinguished from each other through labeling, Disney for some reason refuses to allow a single new Legends story to be made even though it would literally be just a drop in an ocean of Legends branded material.

I liked Star Wars as a kid but its was the EU and the books and comics it contained that made me love Star Wars. The day Disney bought Star Wars I audibly yelled "NOOO" in a crowded cafeteria because I knew it would be the end of the books I love. Ive read several of the new cannon novels and nothing has grabbed me like the X-wing series or Crimson Empire or the Hand of Thrawn duology, not to mention the NJO, Legacy of the force and Fate of the Jedi series. And I never understood till you said it; They used to drive the story forward to new things where todays cannon is just.. fluff. And usually not good fluff.

Shadows of the Empire was so excellent, George wanted to make it into a movie. Wish he did. The original cast still looked how they did at the end of Return.

Disney always writes themselves into a corner to write content for Star Wars, whatever media it is and come up with whatever will make money and if the fans don’t like it, they either ignore or retcon it and keep on going with out any plan at all

The reason for cancelling Legends, I think, is simple. It's the same dirty mindset that plagues lots of companies with regard to people hired by a previous manager. If it's not done by themselves, then it's not worth investing energy in. (Excepting the bare minimum to reprint the old work and make money off it while reminding everyone that it's not the "official" continuation of the story.)

I became a Star Wars fan around the time of the force awakens. In a way I am the fan I am today because of the Disney trilogy, but ONLY because it led me to the EU and it’s vastly superior stories! I am now more focused on the older stories about Mara jade, thrawn,Revan, Luke’s Jedi order, Jaina solo, Darth Bane and so many other characters that I love more than any that Disney created.

One thing about the early EU novels, the ones before Episode 1 was released, is they kept the pre purge Jedi Order pretty mysterious so that the reader would interpret them the way Luke Skywalker would perceive them, and kinda learn about them with him. It showed how ruthless and successful the Emperor's purge was, and the monumental task Luke Skywalker had undertaken to start a New Jedi Order. I just wish we got Luke's Praxeum instead of what Disney did, I would have preferred to see a new Jedi Order and New Republic trying to not repeat the mistakes of the past in the face of galactic threat.

My favorite EU/Legends story is Jedi Apprentice. It fleshes out Obi-Wan's character, gives him friends, expands on Jedi culture, and thus makes his story that much more tragic. It also paints Qui-Gon as highly fallible whereas so many SW fans on Reddit think he is totally infallible and could have been the savior of Anakin and the Jedi. But since this story is Legends, it's non-canon and most people disregard it. I love that it exists even if it isn't "real" Star Wars. I still would LOVE for it to be adapted into an animated show but I know that's extremely unlikely so I cherish the books and the utter tragedy of Obi-Wan's life in this series.

I've read most of the EU. Disney earned my ire when the first thing they did was cancel it. Threw the decade I spent reading, enjoying, and learning from them into the trash. I will not be reading any of the new books, but not because I think they'll all be bad, but because I want to keep those happy years still pure in my mind. Sometimes I'll still go and read books, and they help to remind me what could have been, before the darkness of the Sith clouded the franchise.

A lot of the new canon books and comics really relegate themselves to being tie in materials for movies and TV shows. The old EU was eagerly seeking to fill in the actual canon before, between, and after the movies, to tell the definitive stories of what happened. Also, even direct prequels and stories set between films sought to tell a compelling story in the Star Wars world that happened to take place at a certain point in the timeline. They didn’t always succeed, but they tried. Most of the new canon books and movies are just trying to supplement something on screen… even the good new canon stuff. “These stories help explain what Darth Vader went through leading up to…” and not “here’s a SICK story about Darth Vader.” The new canon books are pretty much functional by design. When they aren’t, it’s kind of a happy accident.

The EU has a huge wealth of stories waiting to be tapped into. From new worlds, large events long before the Clone Wars to after the rise of the New Republic and it even takes characters with not much story in cannon and gives them full in depth amazing stories. Thought Boba Fett was just a toy grab idea? They gave him and even Jango Fett big story lines that even go on after Boba's pit incident because he survived it. People usually counters anything good about the EU because the stories are a mess when it comes to continuity and linking up with each other, to that I say, and the new Star Wars isn't? That aside there's so much untapped potential and opportunities, from movies, to TV shows to even possible video games. You practically have all the scripts there in the story. Just gotta adapt them to be shown on screen. Only if Disney wasn't so keen on acting like the EU doesn't exist yet they take ideas from it. They do occasionally dip there toe into the EU and follow some things but they end up not following some things fully and end up changing what happens arguably making it worse.

Speaking of the new canon in Star Wars, Rogue One is a prime example of what Disney is truly capable of if they just put in some love and care into the franchise

It's no competition, the old EU blows this new ridiculous Disney version of Star Wars out of the water. I often go back to the now legends stuff and honestly get upset because Disney ruined what should have been something amazing. The new Mandoverse stuff helps a little, but they're still polishing a turd at this point, because we all know where Luke and the rest will end up.

I think one reason why the canceled the EU was because Disney wanted their stories to be the only thing that would happen after Return of the Jedi. That no other stories would compete with theirs. Only issue is they still exist, just canceling them doesn't me they don't exist anymore. Whats hilarious is that they would even take ideas from the EU then go one to say there's nothing that takes place after ROTJ.

It's Ironic, because the reason why Disney butchered the Expanded Universe was because of "creative freedom", yet most of their Canon stories in books, comics, games, films and etc. feel quite lacking in "creativity". Not only that but Disney's new Canon also adds characters and stories from the EU (because "creative freedom"), changing everything great about them thus ruining them in the process. While I do enjoy some parts of Disney's Canon, the Expanded Universe reigns Supreme in almost every way!

One of my favorite EU novels is Tatooine Ghost. It beautifully connects the prequel era with the post-RotJ era and gives Leia closure to who her father was while setting aside her fears of having children of her own.

YES!!! the EU is what made me dive fully into Star Wars, I read so many Books/comics, listened to so many audiobooks, and played SO MANY Star Wars video games, and then Disney trashed it all. It's made it hard for me to stomach literally any Disney star wars story when I already paid for, read, and enjoyed a BETTER story years ago. It was all connected (albeit inconsistencies corrected how they could), and I spent so much time invested in that timeline that I still want to see it continued. Where is 1313? Sword of the jedi? A sequel to the Darth Bane trilogy? If the EU was continued, people would buy it. I enjoy the Mandalorian, but the sequels and even Rogue one aren't what I'm into. Kyle Katarn and Jan Ors stole the death star plans, not Kassian andor. I still listen to the old audio dramas, and read the old dark horse comics and novels, Marvel star wars 108 is literally the only EU item we have gotten since 2014. I'm still an EU Fan, I'm sure I'm not the only one. Disney is leaving money on the table pushing their trash when there's a far better timeline that's been sitting in the dust since 2014

Timothy Zhan said he got to have lunch with Lucas when he was writing - so he was able to take all the raw thoughts Lucas had and make them come to life in his story. It was a real effort to make it as close to cannon as possible and as good a written book as possible. As far as Im concerned 'Disney' Starwars is the non cannon.

The Thrawn Trilogy came out when I was in elementary school and were some of the earliest "grown up" books I ever read. There was a pretty solid output of new stuff from that point on that helped make me the huge Star Wars fan I am today. I would be excited to see Thor do reviews of various books/trilogies/series from the EU.. Some of the stories I haven't read in 25+ years, so it would be exciting to relive some of them and get new perspectives on them. There have been a few good Disney books, but they just haven't gone anywhere overall.

This is a great discussion on this topic. The more I delve into new canon, the more I am pushed from it. I am choosing to go fully into the EU and rely on that as my "canon." Great video!

Actually that would be fun to hear top ten canon books followed by top 10 legends books and than maybe a head to head to see which one truly did better.

I was furious when Disney cancelled the EU in 2014, but now, I'm actually relieved. With the great awokening and the rise of hyper political correctness, the EU would have been ruined had it not been cancelled. It sucks that the EU was deleted, but it's better than Disney turning every other character gay or trans or something.

I am certain I recall that back in the 90s when the Thrawn trilogy was released, it WAS acknowledged by Lucasarts to be official canon.

I always laugh when I see people say that the EU was bad because it's so obvious that they've never read anything in the EU. Even more funny they always used Dark Empire as an example it was bad but then disney basically uses the same story beats in TROS. And say what you will about Dark Empire but it at least explained how Palpatine came back unlike in TROS where he "somehow" returned. Disney is also using the books and comics in their timeline to fill in plotholes left by their movies which basically makes them required reading if you want to actually make sense of those terrible sequels. Also disney has already started to contradict their books with the shows they're making. The EU is and always will be superior to the disney canon regardless of what the fake fans say.

the main thing that legends did was it kept the galaxy moving it wasn't just "here is the main character of this scene now everyone can begin to plot" like the darksaber plot where a hutt got their hands on the plans to the deathstar and then built the main weapon without anything else a terrifying idea but well the hutt cutting corners ended up causing the whole thing to fall apart not the new republic because they had no idea that the hutt wanted to do this until the theft and R2 and Threepio investigating the data vault security as a just incase thing after the hutt left which meant that leia and the republic military command finding out was Threepio moving as fast as he could screaming in terror yes you can laugh at that thought. beyond that everyone had character development even offscreen the antagonists improved old one off allies improved whereas canon if they aren't on screen they just sit still I'm talking about Lando fucking Calrissian sitting in a caravan for decades just wandering a desert planet looking for a sith artifact....one of the more successful people out there just fucking hell one of the worse things to happen to someone in the sequel trilogy.

I got into the fate of the Jedi series when Hamill, Fisher, Ford were like the perfect age to match up with their characters. It made it so fun and easy to visualize the story while reading it.

To be fair, it’s not that “new canon” couldn’t compete… it’s that the new stuff mostly just isn’t anywhere near as good. Although Revan was at least somewhat canonized, as well as some others due to ship names in ep 9… even Thrawn hasn’t been as good and stuff. So basically, they threw out some of the greatest/favorite stories, partially re-canonized some technically but not explicitly, re-canonized others but with lower quality/less well-received stories/version, and added new characters/material that just isn’t as good, for the most part at least. Maybe there has been something new that’s good? But I haven’t heard of anyone raving about the new Revan, Thrawn, or Mara Jade or something. So basically, as far as I can tell, absolutely nothing new is even remotely as good. I mean, hell, I haven’t even heard of a new Kal Skirata or something like from the (imo underrated) Republic/Imperial Commando novels. Like, nobody is raving about anyone or anything new except I guess Din Djarin and Grogu? But literally nothing else. Oh yeah, not even a new Starkiller. I mean, people liked Jedi: Fallen Order as far as I can tell… but not Cal, really. Like, he’s fine, but they like the game more for the gameplay and EA finally giving us a GOOD Star Wars game again, and not really the character or story. So I’m quite disappointed.

The new canon is busy trying to fix the mistakes of the sequels. The EU had to deal with the OT for the longest time and then still just the PT. They don’t have to deal with many mistakes and they actually made their own mistakes, but the vast majority of their stories were interesting and only a few had something as odd as alien bugs bunny rabbits for instance. I personally love the books like the fate of the Jedi series. Also no annoying politics. “The force is female.” Isn’t a statement that needs to be made in the EU because there are plenty of impactful characters in there that are women.

I can imagine a story like a Zahn trilogy happening after 10 years of episode VI.(1993-1999) Here Mark,Harrison young . Harrison acted in Fugitive in 93' and he was also fit and mascular. so no problem with a shape.. Luke is older and have more padawans. I can imagine also Tom Cruise fighting by Luke's side. Just look at him in a 'Legend'. Tom when was young also have a familiar and attractive face like Mark Hamill. It would have been interesting if the sequel episodes had been made in the early to mid-90s. With a wiser, stronger, more acrobatic, more impactful story. Where classic characters would not necessarily have carried the series, but their successors and students. In the 90s, the story could have been continued with a few talented actors. What do you think ?

It’s so funny that you say that, yet you love CW so much when it completely destroyed the EU when it was coming out and is why it fits so perfectly in the new canon. I still really like it but as I’ve gotten into the eu lately, learning more the way the show just ignored the established EU when CW was also 100% the EU before Disney as well is kinda infuriating, and Filoni is keeping that tradition alive by contradicting this canon as well lmao.

This reminds me how much I enjoyed the Rogue Squadron / Wraith Squadron books and what a good series of movies or TVs shows those would've made.

I still think they should do a dual timeline, one be the EU and one be the “new canon”

The EU isn't perfect, but it was made with love and respect for the films and largely wasn't incohesive to the Canon of Lucas's saga. The new Canon stuff is mostly there to retcon stuff and try to fix the failures of the sequel trilogy, attempting to force the two together. The EU added new and fresh things to the universe that were creative and exciting. Disney is more concerned with corporate shilling and political pandering than creativity and love for the franchise. And it shows.

Man, I miss the old feel to the expanded universe. Sure it could be confusing or rough around the edges but it always felt like there was an interesting and unique story to be told hidden in every nook of the galaxy. Sure, there were often cheap or silly references to the movie characters when visiting old favorites like Tatooine but the new planets always had a purpose and not just desert planet #35 because we wanted to be original without having to be creative. New SW (with very few exceptions) feels a sterile theme park ride where only specific aspects were carefully planned out to be inoffensive and marketable but everything became ultimately bland and shallow with anything of quality is just shamelessly stripped away from what came before.

Disney throwing away what, 25 years? Of good star wars storys and replacing them with rey is something I don't think I will be able to get past.

I think you are being far too generous with Disney; they have almost completely trashed the Star Wars franchise - at Least Kennedy did. If it weren't for people like Edwards, Filoni and Favroe - Star Wars would be a total loss cause these days. Thank GOD we still have at least SOME good Star Wars material to enjoy. Anyways, I do not read any new "cannon" books for the same reason i will likely never view Rise of Skywalker or Last Jedi ever again. The one exception in books is anything written by Timothy Zahn because he is an amazing writer. Though I have yet to actually read his new Thrawn novel as of yet, I have purchased it, but it does just sit on my shelf... not really all too gun hoe to read it anytime soon; possibly a side affect of Disney Star wars malaise and annoyance. But I probably will as i enjoyed the earlier Thrawn series. Oh yes, and your video actually helps point out how STUPID Disney was to do what they did with the EU. It was just plain stupid from both a fan service sense and a business sense. Kennedy and the Disney Corporate heads who were behind this are the WORST! I so wish we could fire them. They should NOT be allowed to continue to mishandle this amazing piece of American culture.

I recently got done with Fate of the Jedi series and Crucible, a lot of good content, some character inconsistencies here and there but over all really enjoyable and fun to listen to, now I’m going back and starting at Thrawn trilogy and working my way back up to Fate of the Jedi

I loved the expanded universe it was a tight narrative. characters died and state dead. They created a time line that could easily be followed. Added so much lore..... Gave the universe a decent threat not related to the sith. Those books are light years better than the sequel trilogy

While I enjoyed the film "Solo" I didn't like some of the premises put forward in that film. I wasn't keen on the portrayal of both Han and Lando. Han especially, as he was playing the "good guy" not a scoundrel. That's his arc in the OT and I feel Lando and Han should go way back, potentially growing up as childhood friends not passing acquaintances at one time.

Just discussed this the other day with Darth Mathu on The Praxeum Stream. This is the ONLY ip I've ever heard of where books were purchased and never ever developed further. DLF didn't just puchase the major films but everything branded Lucas, which was of great value. Dispight having hundreds of ready made source materials, they have not once adapted a story to audio or live action (though they tap heavily into the well). This still baffles me 10 years later. Now that Amazon owns the rights to the hobbit and is a short jump away from owing the rights to ALL Tolkien material, Im bracing for history to repeat itself. :(

Amen to that. Modern disney Star Wars shall always be to me Noncanon. Hail the EU!

Because George Lucas was a better manager than Kathleen Kennedy. She’s a good assistant producer, but some people just shouldn’t be allowed in a leadership position. Hayden Blackman would have been a great lead at Lucasfilm/Lucasarts.

Hey Thor Skywalker I’m Michael Verdon I just wanted to say I really like some of your videos

I used to read the books and comics, but when I bought them and they arrived, I realized I didn't care anymore, because I just wasn't interested in reading them. Then Bad Batch retconned the Kanan comics, and that was the nail in the coffin for me. If I were to name a book where I did feel the "why was this written" mentality, it would be Heir to the Jedi, a book set shortly after ANH that shows Luke going on a mission with this girl, before (spoilers if you care) that girl dies after they form a romance. Luke also begins to learn how to use telekinesis when he moves some noodles with his mind, foreshadowing the scene in ESB when he grabs his lightsaber on Hoth. When I finished it, I genuinely thought I just wasted hours of my time. It's thankfully one of the shorter books, but man was it pointless

Yes, I’d be interested in what books are the best in this new canon. I sorely miss EU/Legends I use to get excited when the next book would come out letting us know what was happening with our favourite characters, and even Jedi Academy. Each book grew on each other, making if you missed a few books, at the very least you would have to get it a a library to know what happened. Because they mostly kept the story line. Like I can’t remember them killing off a major character and them being alive in the next book unless that book was before they had been killed off. Why Disney can’t keep both it’s audience happy. Especially when it comes down to money. How much money has The Mouse missed out on because of this factor. And they can’t say they don’t have any, I heard from someone else that there’s at least a couple of the EU/Legends that have been written but never published because they were ready after Disney took over. And I’m sure some of the writers might have still ideas written down on what they thought might happen to the Skywalker’s, Solo’s, Tenel Ka Family, The Jedi and the Sith. And it wouldn’t take to long before they would have new stories ready for sale. And the magic of EU/Legends they don’t touch Disney’s Canon, so they won’t upset what they might think up next.

I will cry uselessly from every mountaintop for a “What If…” Star Wars series that gives us the EU back. I can’t imagine it ever happens if for no other reason than it would highlight so many of the weaknesses of modern Star Wars but I’m not hurting anyone on my pointless quest

This is where the fun begins....

Im so down to see what you have in your collection and what old stuff you would recommend to read. I have read the Empire run and about to hit Rebellion soon . There is a lot out there and for some one new it can be a bit hard to wear to start. Thanks again

I have tried to read the new cannon material but find it uninteresting. I started reading the Legends novels and have really enjoyed them. I just finished The Courtship of Princess Leai and I am currently reading Tatooine Ghost.

My sincere thanks for this video, Thor.

I've been into the old EU almost as long as I've been into Star Wars itself: that is to say, since I was a kid about a year before AotC released. Not long after I'd first seen the films, I had some Christmas money to burn, and happened to find that a bookshop I was visiting had plentiful Star Wars material on its shelves. I was amazed, and left the store that day with Showdown at Centerpoint, Tales from Jabba's Palace, and Jedi Apprentice: the Deadly Hunter in my bag. As soon as I read them, I was hooked, never mind that two of them were adult novels while I was still a kid(!), and I INSTANTLY factored them in to my understanding of the Star Wars galaxy. Over the course of my secondary school years, I gradually collected a copy of almost every EU Star Wars novel that existed up to that point; and even after my interests started wandering to things other than Star Wars, I still carefully kept up with the novel releases all the way through to Fate of the Jedi. And while, like you say, there were certainly some dud entries - and things got convoluted towards the end - it still felt like there was always something *new* going on, and it was a lot of fun to keep on top of it all. I still go back and reread some of those novels to this day: Aaron Allston's entries in the X-Wing series, the Correlian Trilogy, Shatterpoint, Yoda: Dark Rendezvous, anything by Timothy Zahn (most especially Hand of Thrawn), and the KotOR graphic novel collections being my all-time favourites. Since Disney took over, I've read... literally only three of the new canon novels. Timothy Zahn's Thrawn is as compelling as ever, naturally, but A New Dawn (which I only got because it was cheap second-hand and I was curious) just fell flat to me, especially compared to the same author's previous work in the EU; and even knowing it was a different continuity I couldn't get past the book's inconsistencies with the EU that I was familiar with. Which is to say... I really haven't bothered with the new continuity. I have nothing against Disney specifically, I'm a big fan of some of their animated movies; but I just can't bring myself to care about their version of Star Wars. I don't hate the sequels... but I just don't feel *anything* strongly about the sequels at all, and so I find myself with really no interest in discovering the rest of the world that surrounds them. For myself, I'm perfectly happy in my own little headcanon world made out of my favourite parts of the old EU instead! Sorry for rambling; I don't really get chance to talk about my love for the EU, no-one else I know reads Star Wars, so I'm super-appreciative of this video giving me the opportunity :D

I'd definitely be interested in a list of good new canon books. I'm re-reading my old EU books, and listening to the final new canon Thrawn book on Audible.

The original Marvel Comics run in the 70's after A New Hope did whatever they wanted with Star Wars content introducing villains and alien species that would not carry a movie but worked well in comics and became their own thing. Like Leia's adventure on a John Carter of Mars planet, Luke having a feud with the household of Moff Tagge for blowing up the Death Star, a winged race of demon looking people swearing a blood oath to help any Skywalkers they meet because they liked Anakin so much, the introduction of the cyborg bounty hunter Valance, Jabba the Hutt being a walrus-man, Lando doing a Captain Harlock cosplay, and an actor pretending to be a resurrected Obi-Wan Kenobi hired to screw with Luke opting to lay down his life and help him because it's "what his character would do". You can do whatever you want when you don't have studio mandates telling you that it has line up with upcoming big ticket projects or it isn't "canon".

There’s a reason SWTOR isn’t allowed to contradict Legends nor canon as stated in a recent interview at celebration. There’s a reason there happens to be a KOTOR remake in the works at the same time that interview took place. There’s a reason that Disney decided to try and use The Rise of Skywalker to convert the sequels into a canon version of Dark Empire. There’s a reason Ahsoka is searching for Thrawn. There’s a reason Timothy Zahn has hinted at the “Grysk Hegemony” being a canon version of the Yuuzan Vong. There’s a reason fans now suddenly want a “post-sequel trilogy (10-12).” The EU will be continued soon. I’m 100% convinced that as soon as canon overwrites the bulk of Legends, they will allow both continuities to coexist.

I’ve read almost everything and really enjoy them for the most part! Would love it if you’d do a list of your favorites.

Yes definitely make a list of all the good canon books and comics

One of the few cannon stories i liked was Tarkin. It really expands his character. Still need to finish Lords of the Sith. Started around christmas, got trough half and then just kinda stopped

I do believe you have a solid point. Might even be why the Mandalorian or Rogue One are some of the best stories of the new Era. Rogue one introduced a handful of new characters, sure only to be killed at the end, but a refreshing take as we didn't yet know the fate of these characters. But I feel like new characters that lead the storylines of a galaxy far far away should be just separate stories that happen in the vast dealings of the galaxy rather than always being connected to legacy characters.

I was in middle school when I really started to get into the EU books. I originally started with the Republic Commando books not too long after Revenge of the Sith released. From there, I found a bunch of the books from the 90s at my library. I read a bunch of them, like the Tales books and Shadow of the Empire. The ones that stood out the most to me were the Heir to the Empire (which I bought my own copies of) and the Rogue Squadron/Wraith Squadron books. Those were good times.

I find it funny that people say the EU was a mess. Implying New Star Wars isn't

if only Disney made the sequel trilogy based off the EU books..

Thank you for this. I would love to see a list of books you’d recommend from the new canon.

For the last few months I dived into the EU and bought so many old books and comics. And its so awesome I totally love it. Mara Jade is one of my favorite character and I gotta say even though I love Cookies I love the Noghri more and also Wedge Antilles in general take him as an example. He plays such a bigger side role throughout so many stories. and ofc they are not perfect. Or consistent sometimes certain events are crossing with canon. I personally enjoy character and story building at the same time like in the EU books. There was one that showed 20 stories of the aliens sitting in the Cantina when Obi and Luke entere. The Story of Wuher the barkeeper, Muftak the Talk sitting in the background. and also Greeds background how he became a bounty hunter and how he had to leave Rodia because of Clan Wars, he also gets introduced to Jabba he dint even worked for him. And he also encountered Han and Chewie before on Nar Shadda and tried to steal from them. Its the stuff you don't want to know but it is interesting because every character is connected to a planet or another character. In one CW Episode we can see Greedo at Jabbas Palace when he kidnapped the Papanoiida sisters and I like this story. But Greeds story there is something else for me. Its the story I read not this story. I don't really know if someone really understands what I mean by all this, but the EU is treasure and makes it all feel more like a universe...

They had to gall to say there was “no source material”

How many of the 144 adult novels did your read ? What was your first EU novel you read and how old where you ? Which novel impressed you the most ?

Can’t wait for your Kenobi Story!!

A better choice might have been to do a 'Council of Trent' type deal. If there were issues with the stories, go through and prune, or correct the occasion issue while keeping as much as possible.

I haven't read any of the Disney books and comics, but I got into the EU by watching Thor Skywalker. I'll admit it's not all great, but the highlights (Zahn's novels in particular) are absolutely Star Wars at its finest.

The Sequels weirdly enough, got me into reading the EU more, originally I only read books and comics between the original Trilogy and sometime comics with Obi-Wan, but other then that, I didn't really care at all and some of the stories from efter Ep6 even sounded boring or stupid, most of it was about the kids of the main characters and the aliens from outside of the main universe just sounded really stupid, but with the Sequels sucking really badly, I started reading it and it's great, I was still reading Disney canon comics and books at the time, but when Gina got fired without even a phone call from Disney, I started only read the Original EU and I've been loving it so far.

I remember first reading the Thrawn Trilogy and despite it being the first time I ever read any Star Wars content, so much of it rang true to the characters and the universe at large. Never in a million years would I have guessed that it would have been de-cannonized one day. It introduced new enemies, new gimmicks, new locales. It expanded on the old characters, gave new story arcs that made sense. It's true that not every part of the EU was great, but Tim Zahn's trilogy (and to a lesser degree, the Jedi Academy Trilogy) were turning points in my literary evolution. From there, I began appreciating and collecting other works like Dark Empire and the totally underrated Tales of the Jedi anthology (love those covers!). To me, this will ALWAYS be the true continuation of the Star Wars legacy.

I read some of the old stuff. Only thing that could qualify as new would be the book about Leia's young days becoming a rebel. I liked the stuff that explored side characters a bit better than stuff exploring main characters as focus characters, but the book about Leia isn't bad. It isn't great, but it isn't bad.

I loved the EU. I read most of them. I tried reading the new cannon and I remember liking bloodlines (I think that was the title) and I was halfway enjoying aftermath but the overall mess that the sequels made with their lack of planning kicked me out of any desire to keep reading. If anyone wants to suggest some content I’ll give it a try.

I know I’m not alone but I’ll comment at the risk of being ostracized: but there is still a core fundamental part of my head canon where: Anakin never had an apprentice. Maul never returned, nor had a brother. A lot of the new canon, at least with regard to the clone wars is hard to accept. I specifically recall the three years between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith and in canon the same amount of time passes. Wasted characters, plot lines, battles were completely forgotten and even almost 20 years later it’s still my head canon. Granted, there have of course been some great new things introduced but to the few of us who actually lived month to month with the next dark horse clone wars comic, micro series, etc- it’s challenging to deal with.

The EU expanded the story and characters after ROTJ. Luke rebuilt The Jedi, changed the attachment rule, then got married. Leia and Han stayed married, had a family and she became a full Jedi. There was chaos and violence thanks to the Sith and dark side, but the main heroes didn't become colossal failures. That, imo, is the biggest success of the EU. Jacen Solo, Mara Jade, Jaina Solo etc. are all beloved by many fans, yet their existences never belittled the main heroes or villains. When Jacen becomes(spoiler) Darth Caedus, it doesn't diminish Anakin's arc; Rey's arc does that quite well. That is why the EU is so liked and respected, deservedly so.

As a longtime Star Wars fan (I was 4 years old when in the theatre for A New Hope, before it was even called that) and a big fan of the EU, I cannot agree with you more. You did a wonderful job of balancing your compliments and criticisms of both the newer material, as well as, the brilliance and some shortcomings of the EU. You acheived a balance of the Force.

I loved the expanded universe. It wasn't all great but overall it told a story that did a great job keeping me engrossed in my favorite characters. They had new characters that are worth caring about and like the title says, it really expanded on what we got in the movies. I was very skeptical when Disney swept away that whole storyline. I was certainly proven right in that skepticism

I used to get all of the cannon books now I am only getting the ones I am interested in. In the last year I only got the Thrawn books which I only finished book 1 of am behind on all of it. I also have like 3/4 of Return Of the King, and all of The Silmarillion, Children of Húrin, Beren and Lúthien, The Fall of Gondolin, Kenobi (Legends), The Boys Omnibus volume 6, All of Batman Fear State, a few issues of the Star Wars and Vader comics, and a bunch of DC Graphic novels.

Please make a vid on the best canon materials to read. I'd like to learn about the diamonds in the rough

Perfect timing I literally just got out of class.

Yes in Spanish universe is awesome. Thrawn, Darth Bane, Darth plaguies, and darth krayt make the EU Worth canonizing.

Old Eu Books, games, comics=its own movie Disney Books, Games, comics=tiptoe around events so it can be a movie later And George still respected what the books were doing and even helped out with ideas (dark empire, darth plagueis) And it says a lot about how many authors stayed and just how many left to other franchises (like halo with Troy Denning, John Jackson Miller) And Disney says everything is canon no matter what then contradicts a book in a show with Ahsoka being a good one My favourite being dave filoni wanting to bring back Assaj Ventress in resistance….. about 50 years after her death in dark disciple (Freetown being Freetown after rotj while in mando it’s 5 years after)

I just read my first Star Wars book ever - Kenobi, based on mentions here and SWT, and I loved it. I’ve already ordered the Thrawn Trilogy to get into next, and am researching what other (Legends) books may be worth my while (I’ve heard good things about the Darth Bane series and Plagueis). In my mind, the Disney movies don’t exist (perhaps with the exception of Rogue One), so I’m turning to the old books for more stories. I find it curious that with both the Rings of Power and Disney Star Wars their desire to reshape the stories and characters we love in their own image is making me turn to the books, more than before when it comes to Tolkien, and for the first time with Star Wars. You do what you have to do. No point suffering from your entertainment. Would love to hear your thoughts on worthwhile Legends stories if you haven’t made a video on that yet.

The only Disney Canon that’s actually decent is Rogue One, Clones Wars, some elements of Rebels and last but not least Fallen Order which are good stories; (for the most part) everything else from Disney’s Canon pales in comparison especially when set up with the EU.

I would appreciate your list of what the good new books are. When they first started coming out, I heard nothing but complaints, saying they were all garbage or wrong in the characterizations, such as Han being a dead beat dad who sold his medals. So I never tried them. But if there are some okay ones, I'd like to know. As for these new writers being struck in what they can do, any comic or book that ever tried to expand an ongoing show has had that problem, dating all the way back to when Marvel did Battlestar Galactica comics .without having the rights to use the images of any of the actors

A video over the new books worth reading would be appreciated

best Canon book I've read this year was "Phasma" - you showed a pic of the cover - I was surprised with how good it was!

I loved the old EU books (never been much of a comics fan anyway) and still re-read them to this day, but I've never read anything from the new canon and I think the point you made about the books no longer driving the story is why. Why devote time and money to a story that will get thrown out when the next TV show (which I do enjoy) comes along? Looking at Rebels and The Mandalorian, they introduced a lot of new characters that weren't hamstrung by needing to fit in with the narrative as much, there are still things they can't do but they're given more freedom because they don't need to make sure that a character stays on the same path that we see them on in the sequels.

I loved the EU jacen solo was a favorite character but I love jaina too. Jaina was the definition of strong female and more human then Mary Ray ( Is Mary Sue mixed with Ray)

Can you provide some links to some of the artwork you used in this video? Specifically, the post RotJ artwork please?

I remember my grade school had a ‘graphic novels’ section and every chance I got I went there to read the Star Wars comics (I remember one where Luke disguised himself as a stormtrooper and met one of his friends from Tatooine, what was it called?) Sad to see kids won’t have the same experience with newer comics

Finally someone said it

Several Years ago after reading the Thrawn Trilogy which got my started into the EU after Return of the Jedi I picked up the EU book Millennium Falcon which in my limited knowledge of that timeframe was the furthest jump into the future up until that point. Fortunately and because the Ship and the history of the Falcon were explored even jumping back to Revenge of the Sith or its construction hinting at its "nature" on the construction line it was very immersive and a good read. The Sequels of Disney SW do not have that......

I would love to hear your take / list of the new canon material you recommend.

I have always loved the EU/Legends. I'm currently in the middle of a chronological read through and it constantly amazes me with some of the characters created. I used to read the new canon comics but drifted away. Some were really good. I enjoyed the Dr. Aphra comics and some of the main line stories. I've read a few of new canon books but it's almost always the stuff that ties into the stuff I like. I like New Dawn because I really liked Kanaan and Hera and wanted to know more about them. I read Master and Apprentice and found it was ok, but just couldn't really compare with what the EU had already given me regarding it.

Even if they tried it would most likely end up being a disaster.

New canon does not interest me in the slightest. I liked the original EU, and although arcs like the New Jedi Order and Legacy of the Force had their issues, I was really invested in Jacens arc, and I think overall did Anakins (at the time) and Ben Solos arcs much, much better (Anakins arc has improved over time with shows like th Clone Wars fleshing out his eventual downfall). Some of the Clone Wars era novels were fantastic as well, and I really liked the Republic Commando series.