Ten years ago, Star Wars was forever altered

What were you doing exactly ten years ago? For fans of Star Wars, the date of April 25, 2014 certainly remained in their memory like a Big Bang — no doubt they would say a vergence in the Force. Indeed, it was on this day that the most decisive event in the entire franchise took place. A key moment that irrevocably reshaped the lore.

Today marks Lucasfilm's decision to abandon the entire Expanded Universe of Star Wars, to clear the air — a year and a half earlier, the studio was bought by Disney for 4 billion dollars. At the same time, the entertainment giant confirmed the start of a new trilogy (the “postlogy”), with a first episode for 2015.

When Episode VII was announced, we wondered how this feature film was going to integrate an already dense narrative chronology. The extended universe roughly refers to the entire development of Star Wars beyond films (and certain series) — novels, video games, comics, role-playing games, and so on.

When it was revealed the intention to propose a new trilogy, fans imagined for a time that it would not be a new story, but an adaptation of an existing arc. Many were betting on the novel trilogy of The Dark Crusade of the Mad Jedi (The Heir to the Empire, Battle of the JediAnd The Final Command), very appreciated.

It has not happened. Not only were Timothy Zahn's books not chosen, but Lucasfilm preferred to make a clean sweep of the past. “ The legendary turns a new page », noted the studio in his official message — and that Internet users unearthed on Redditten years later, to mark the anniversary.

For further

Abandoned stories, to make way

This entire extended universe, which was until then considered to belong to the official continuity, has been put in the closet. In doing so, these works left the history of Star Wars, becoming a parallel, mythological story. A new name then appeared: Legends. Because, of course, there was no question of stopping marketing them either.

By excluding the extended universe from the Star Wars “canon”, Lucasfilm and Disney inevitably offended many fans. In retrospect, some of them absolutely did not appreciate the three new films. For some of them, it would have been preferable to adapt The Dark Crusade of the Mad Jedior another major arc.

More pragmatically, the abandonment of the extended universe above all allowed the two studios to have free rein to write scenarios without hindrance.

An example concerns the offspring of Han Solo and Leia, as a couple both in the extended universe and in the official postlogy. In one case, they have three children. In the other, just one. It would have been impossible to include Kylo Ren in the postlogy because of the three other toddlers already imagined, and whose destiny has already been written (Jacen, Jaina and Anakin).

The extended universe has also made sometimes radical choices. In the cycle of New Jedi Order, which takes place a few decades after Return of the Jedi, the decision is made to strike hard by killing Chewbacca during an extragalactic invasion. A terrible tragic event, especially for Han Solo, who will go through a significant depression.

Start from a blank page, and reach a wider audience

The exclusion of everything lore made it possible to start from a blank page, and to develop a new official continuity since 2014. This is manifested in particular by the postlogy, two derivative films (Rogue One And Solo), five live-action series, and a good half-dozen animated series.

On a more commercial level, abandoning the EU was also a way of not being limited to fans alone. The Dark Crusade of the Mad Jedi is a very good trilogy of novels, but only fans know it and know it. The same thing can be seen for the rest of the lore. This remains a little known to the general public, unlike the films.

With the start of the postlogy, “ it was certainly necessary to use things known to the general public and not just the world of fans, therefore relying on previous films, and not necessarily on a gigantic little-known extended universe », Confided to us in 2016, Frédéric, the manager ofHoloNetan encyclopedic site about Star Wars.

However, it is clear that Lucasfilm in no way refrains from drawing from the extended universe when particular needs for the canon arise – the EU is a sort of breeding ground for ideas. We saw it with Thrawn, an emblematic character of The Dark Crusade of the Mad Jedi. It was reused in the series Ahsoka.

These elements, included here and there, are sometimes simple nods (like the first name Jacen given to a secondary character, or this very famous imperial ship). It also happens that certain orientations are opposed to a certain consensus. In the expanded universe, we thought we couldn't go outside the galaxy. The new gun changed that.

In fact, it is a new extended universe that has developed over the past ten years. We see this with projects that refill vacated spaces. The Bad Batch for the period between films III and IV, Tales of the Jedi for the prelogy, the mandoverse for the afterReturn of the Jediwith the series Ahsoka, The Mandalorian And The Book of Boba Fett.

And this new expanded universe continues to expand. The Acolyte A century will pass with episode I. Tales of the Empire will develop short stories around the Galactic Empire. The next film with Rey will be screened a few years after Episode IX. And James Mangold has planned a feature film about the dawn of the Jedi, millennia ago.

One extended universe therefore replaced another in the space of ten years. It is also larger than you might think, as only films and series have been mentioned here. It also develops in novels and comics. No doubt it will end up becoming even bigger, thanks to the firepower of the mothership, Disney.

Ten years ago, this announcement “ was a terrible blow to many fans, who felt betrayed. Some still haven't digested it and have turned their backs on the new canon, remaining in the pre-Disney period », Frédéric confided to us at the time. A decade later, the initial shock of the announcement seems well and truly history.

And for others who still have nostalgia for the old extended universe? Nothing prevents you from diving back into it.

“ Canon, legends, these are just labels. It's all fiction “, recalls MrMonkeyman79 on Reddit. “ If you like these stories, then guess what, they still exist and you can still read them. The only thing that's changed is that new stories won't reference it. »