“Did you ever hear the Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the wise? I thought not. It’s not a story the Jedi would tell you. It’s a Sith legend. Darth Plagueis was a Dark Lord of the Sith, so powerful and so wise he could use the Force to influence the midi-chlorians to create life… He had such a knowledge of the dark side that he could even keep the ones he cared about from dying. The dark side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural. He became so powerful… the only thing he was afraid of was losing his power, which eventually, of course, he did. Unfortunately, he taught his apprentice everything he knew, then his apprentice killed him in his sleep. It’s ironic he could save others from death, but not himself.”
Chancellor Palpatine, aka Darth Sidious
No. Although an excellent book widely considered a fan favorite, Darth Plagueis now falls under the banner of “Legends” — tie-in fiction from the vast Star Wars “Expanded Universe” conceived before Disney bought Lucasfilm and essentially hit the reset button on all those novels, comics and games.
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Here is the “new” Star Wars literary canon, as defined by the “Story Group” at Lucasfilm charged with producing official fiction related to the movies and television series set in that Galaxy Far, Far Away.
The character of Darth Plagueis is canon, however, as he was mentioned on screen by Chancellor Palpatine in Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith. This means that the character could conceivably re-enter the core Saga but with a new interpretation — subtly or even wildly different — in the future. There is precedent for this already, with Timothy Zahn’s fan-favorite character of Grand Admiral Thrawn.
Here are the Star Wars books that we can definitively say are part of the new Disney canon:
Star Wars book publishing news
Kenobi, Darth Plagueis, Wedge’s Gamble, Dynasty of Evil get Essential Legends Star Wars book reprints 1 year agoThe next wave of trade paperbacks in the Star Wars Essential Legends Collection, as announced Nov. 3, 2021, hit bookshelves April 5, 2022, comprising four diverse and popular titles:
- Kenobi by John Jackson Miller
- Darth Plagueis by James Luceno
- X-Wing: Wedge’s Gamble by Michael A. Stackpole
- Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil by Drew Karpyshyn.
Each of these titles will have a new cover featuring stylish original designs from a different artist.
Wedge’s Gamble — which depicts the daring Rebel Alliance takeover of Imperial Center itself, Coruscant — will also receive an all-new, unabridged audiobook edition in the process.
This is the third wave of these trade paperbacks; the first round, in June 2021, resurrected Timothy Zahn’s Heir to the Empire, Matthew Stover’s Shatterpoint and Karpyshyn’s Darth Bane Series Book 1: Path of Destruction. The second, in September 2021, expanded to four titles like the third, including Stackpole’s Rogue Squadron (the first book in that popular starfighter series), the rest of Zahn’s original and groundbreaking trilogy Dark Force Rising and The Last Command, and Darth Bane Book 2: The Rule of Two.
It’s all part of celebrations for the 50th anniversary of Lucasfilm, with publishing partner Del Rey curating a collection of essential and beloved Star Wars novels from the past.
“Novels set in a galaxy far, far away have enriched the Star Wars experience for fans seeking to continue the adventure beyond the screen. When he created Star Wars, George Lucas built a universe that sparked the imagination, and inspired others to create,” Del Rey said in a statement when the first wave was announced. “He opened up that universe to be a creative space for other people to tell their own tales.”
To this day, the EU — though no longer strictly canon — remains an inspiration for Star Wars creators and is published under the label Legends. Ideas, characters, story elements, and more from new Star Wars entertainment trace their origins back to material from the Expanded Universe.
More Essential Legends Collection news:
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away …
Del Rey expanding Star Wars Essential Legends Collection universe 2 years ago
Stackpole’s Rogue Squadron standing by for unabridged audiobook
As celebration of the 50th anniversary of Lucasfilm continues, Del Rey is expanding their curated collection of essential and beloved Star Wars novels from the past.
The vast “Expanded Universe” of Star Wars novels that were de-canonized when Disney bought Lucasfilm have stuck around, rebranded as “Legends” that have sometimes found their way back into the mainstream. This month, three examples were republished with new cover artwork as part of the Star Wars “Essential Legends Collection”: Timothy Zahn’s Heir to the Empire, Drew Karpyshyn’s Darth Bane: Path of Destruction and Shatterpoint by Matthew Stover.
On Sept. 7, the collection expands with a new batch of trade paperback editions: Dark Force Rising and The Last Command, completing Zahn’s groundbreaking EU trilogy, plus Karpyshyn’s Sith sequel Darth Bane: The Rule of Two and Rogue Squadron by Michael A. Stackpole.
Each new Star Wars Essential Legends edition will again have a new book cover with original artwork. Tracie Ching is the cover artist of Dark Force Rising and the Last Command, Simon Goinard is the cover artist of The Rule of Two, and Doaly is the cover artist of Rogue Squadron. In addition to the new cover, Rogue Squadron will also receive an all-new unabridged audiobook edition, read by Star Wars narrator Marc Thompson.
“Novels set in a galaxy far, far away have enriched the Star Wars experience for fans seeking to continue the adventure beyond the screen,” Lucasfilm said in a statement. “When he created Star Wars, George Lucas built a universe that sparked the imagination, and inspired others to create. He opened up that universe to be a creative space for other people to tell their own tales. This became known as the Expanded Universe, or EU, of novels, comics, videogames, and more.
“To this day, the EU remains an inspiration for Star Wars creators and is published under the label Legends. Ideas, characters, story elements, and more from new Star Wars entertainment trace their origins back to material from the Expanded Universe. This Essential Legends Collection curates some of the most treasured stories from that expansive legacy.”
Del Rey says it will continue to add classic titles to the Star Wars Essential Legends Collection, with the next additions coming in spring 2022.
Cavan Scott’s Rising Storm follows Light of the Jedi in Star Wars: The High Republic 2 years agoOn Dec. 2, 2020, StarWars.com announced and debuted cover art for the second adult novel in the new High Republic series: The Rising Storm by Cavan Scott.
Releasing on June 29 July 6, 2021, from Del Rey, this novel will build on the heroic Jedi and the nefarious Nihil debuting in Charles Soule’s Light of the Jedi, coming in hardcover and ebook from Del Rey on Jan. 5, 2021.
The new novel series is set centuries before the events of the Star Wars films and TV series.
Star Wars: The Rising Storm (The High Republic)
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