What is the Expanded Universe?
What happened to it?
Why wasn’t the Expanded Universe of Star Wars adapted?
Is the Expanded Universe better?
Find out here:
Before I started reading the Expanded Universe (Legends)
Like any Star Wars fan, I started with the movies I watched the prequels before the original trilogy. That was because I was a wee lad who did not know much about Star Wars so I thought that came out in order. Eventually, I found out and corrected my mistake by watching them in chronological order. I was captivated, so much so that I went and wrote fanfiction with Luke as Han Skywalker and Han as Luke solo and I submitted it to a juvenile writer’s competition. Safe to say now that I did not win (I haven’t heard back from them in 10 years). It sparked something in me, I thought to myself wow if I can write what I deemed a masterpiece then other people must be at least half decent at it.
I remembered the used bookstore that me and my dad would go to every now and then. Seeing these thick musty old books that somebody had probably turned in for bookstore credit last century. They had the Star Wars logo followed by some strange titles: The Corellian Trilogy, Thrawn Trilogy, or X-wing Trilogy. I thought it might be time to give them a shot.
A trip to the past
I never really liked to read when I was in school, always reading the bare minimum (books with lots of pictures). I don’t remember the exact book that made me fall in love with reading but I know that Star Wars had captured my imagination. The Expanded Universe (EU) breathed life into Star Wars during a time when all hope seemed lost. It brought life and joy to the lives of many who thought Star Wars was at an end.
A light for “The Dark Times”
To understand the profound significance of the expanded universe on the franchise, we need to go back to the late 80s. Shortly after Return of The Jedi (the final film) was released, George Lucas was going through it. He just got a divorce and lost a bunch of money, so he decided to pull the plug on Star Wars as a whole. This meant no more Star Wars content was going to be produced (not even a terrible holiday spinoff). Fans were devastated and they feared the worst, the end of Star Wars. Luckily for them though, authors were within their ranks, writers who were willing to carry the torch.
They expanded upon George Lucas’s original idea taking the story places that were only mentioned briefly. All the while introducing and developing new and old characters, giving them the proper backstory they deserved. The books spread like wildfire and fans dove deeper into the vast universe and its characters. The authors weren’t the only ones surprised with the popularity of the Expanded Universe, old George himself saw the full extent of the fandom he had created. It may have even inspired him to work on Star Wars once again. These books would keep the fire going through the hard years before the next extension(s) of Star Wars.
Into the future
Fast forward to 2015, when The Force Awakens is in theaters. Like any Star Wars fan, I was excited to hear a new trilogy was coming out. I remember begging my parents to take me to see it, I had been waiting for as long as I was a fan. As I witnessed the first scenes from The Force Awakens, I was reminded of the prequels and the original trilogy before that (I did watch the prequels before the original though).
I saw their intention of working with the same concepts that made the original trilogy. They featured character archetypes reminiscent of the original trilogy, with Rey taking on the role of the hopeful young hero, Kylo Ren as the conflicted antagonist, and Finn as the charismatic rogue. The emphasis on lineage as the reason for characters’ decisions (Skywalker vs. Palpatine). The struggle between good and evil where the conflicted antagonist gets redeemed for his misdeeds. Whether they meant to mimic their success or to pay homage to the original trilogy is up for debate.
The rest of the films: A mishmash of old and new
They burned as many bridges as they built, by killing almost all the main characters from the original trilogy. The new characters we have left to cling to feel a bit undercooked, development-wise. Having different directors for each movie, meant they were bringing their unique style and approach. Which contributed to a prevailing sense of inconsistency and a lack of a unified creative vision for character development and storytelling. The lack of coordination between the directors lead to differing interpretations of plot threads and characters (most notably Luke). This made character arcs and motivations not always align seamlessly across the three films.
An attempt to set itself apart from what has come to be expected from Star Wars was a bold move. One that polarized and caused a stir within the fanbase that is still heard to this day.
The Expanded Universe: From hopeful upstarts with little experience to disgruntled old men and their qualms with the universe.
When I finished the movies, I thought “It’s over”. After an experience that felt like the pirate ship ride at Six Flags (the back-and-forth between creative differences), I also thought:
What’s next?
What’s going to happen?
Are there going to be any more?
These were the same thoughts that inspired people in the 80’s and 90’s to write. Adding to the vast yet small universe that is Star Wars when The Dark Times had descended upon them. That won’t be an issue this time since Star Wars is owned by one of the biggest media conglomerates, Disney. They will keep milking the Star Wars Bantha until there is no longer an incentive to do so. This is great news for the fans, who will get more new content than their pretty little hearts can handle.
The true champion of Star Wars: the Expanded Universe
The Expanded Universe gave fans more of the universe they had come to love, which was especially important during the period when no Star Wars content was being produced. The books introduced and developed both new and old characters, taking the story places that were only briefly mentioned in the original movies. Fans were able to dive deeper into the vast universe and its characters, and the authors of the Expanded Universe were able to give these characters the proper treatment they deserved. These books were written by people who are fans themselves, of course they were passionate about what they put out. Naturally, the fans could tell that when they learned about Han Solo’s favorite dish or Luke’s taste in redheads (Mara and Luke are my OTP), they rejoiced in the small details.
One of the things I really enjoyed about the Expanded Universe was the way that depicted the original trilogy’s heroes as human (with their human struggles). Right after the Final battle against the empire, we get to see Luke fighting boredom and his heart’s feelings (love). Han struggles to find some common ground in the newfound relationship with Leia. The new republic allies itself with the empire (only temporarily early) to fight off a greater evil. These are just the events of one book (Truce at Bakura, I recommend it).
The real villain behind Star Wars: The Canon
Behind these thoughtful stories lay a bigger issue that hadn’t crossed fan’s minds or come to their attention until it was too late. With all the media (comic books, novels, board games, etc.) being produced, it couldn’t possibly all be true (Canon) without contradicting or blowing out of proportion what Daddy Lucas had originally established (I mean a single Sith using the force to move a star destroyer sounds a bit far fetched to me now). The authors were working independently from Lucas. They would have their manuscripts looked at, but the Boss gave free rein when it came to the author’s creativity.
This was the crux of the Expanded Universe; anything was possible but none of it was Canon. When Star Wars became Disney’s property, the EU became Legends, it put the final nail in the EU’s coffin. George Lucas, the people working at Lucasfilm, and the authors themselves knew it. Some fans held out hope the sequels would include the EU and ultimately that hope was squashed… but not entirely.
A new hope…ful Canon
Any hardcore fan of the EU paying attention to recent events can tell you about the impact of the expanded universe on Star Wars as a whole. While most of its content is Legends, some characters and concepts have made their way into the official Canon. For example, characters like Thrawn and Ahsoka Tano, who originated in the Expanded Universe, became canon through official Star Wars content like TV series and novels.
This way the Expanded Universe can be brought back in small chunks and be fitted into a definite timeline. They aren’t tied down to the past, so they can keep things flexible in the future. This approach allows for a blend of old and new, respecting the legacy of the Expanded Universe and offering new stories for fans to enjoy. And let’s face it, trying to keep track and adapt of 30 years’ worth of EU content would have been a nightmare.
While the 80’s and 90’s Expanded Universe novel era has seen its official close. That doesn’t stop me and others from imagining what else could’ve happened, this is what Star Wars was meant for. Star Wars is an idea that anyone can connect with and shape with their imagination.
