3rd Anniversary of Retconning the Expanded Universe

[LittlePeach]

On April 25, 2014, Lucasfilm Ltd. announced that in preparation for the upcoming sequel trilogy, the Expanded Universe would be retconned; past tales of the Expanded Universe will be printed under the Star Wars Legends banner, and a new continuity has been established that consists only of the original six films, the Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series and film, and all future material from that point onward.

We are now approaching the 3rd anniversary of this decision, a decision that some decried as wrong and others called genius. Now that it has been almost three years, and we have had some content come out for the new plot/timeline, what is everyone's thoughts on this?

Are you glad they did this? Is the new content just as good or better then what was originally in the Expanded Universe? Are you upset that some aspects of the Expanded Universe may never make it to the silver screen?

I am really curious how everyone feels about this.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

Still a genius move.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

A necessary decision, and one which has had no practical impact on this site at all.

They've brought back some of the best elements (Thrawn etc) into the new canon so I'm pleased.

Also no more Vong in canon. I am pleased.

 

[Eddie]

I'm upset, but I wonder if they'd make more EU stuff

 

[Delila Castillon]

Not a fan, but my whining as eased since they brought Thrawn back. If they bring back Mara Jade I'll shut my trap and be happy once more. I hope so Zahn seems like he could sneak her in once again.



#RedheadsReign

 

[Matsu Ike]

I was fine with it, if I want the old EU, I can go to my booksheld and it is all right there... or go to my shelf of comics and those are right there.

 

[LittlePeach]

A necessary decision, and one which has had no practical impact on this site at all.

They've brought back some of the best elements (Thrawn etc) into the new canon so I'm pleased.

Also no more Vong in canon. I am pleased.

Were Vong really this hated by the general Star Wars community? Actual question here. I was not on these types of websites when it all happened.

[member="Valiens Nantaris"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="LittlePeach"] ehhh they kind of overstayed their welcome. what should have been a standard 9 book arc became close to 18 and they kind of ruined the flavor. On paper the idea of a threat the jedi can't just force their way past and beat is something more interesting

 

[Soeht]

I think the reset in Canon was a good move. It achieves two things:

• Gives future films and TV series creative freedom to do whatever - thus giving us plenty of surprises.
• Allows for a cohesive, single Star Wars story to be created. Legends was honestly strange and nonsensical. The big picture made it obvious that there was no direction/control in the story.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

Yeah, the new canon narrative is great.

[member="Soeht"]

 

[Soeht]

Yeah, the new canon narrative is great.

[member="Soeht"]

I love how Lucasfilm is making full use of the novels and TV series to drop little tie ins to the movies. You get a good idea of how the First Order came into being without spoiling the big mysteries from Episode VII. Characters from Rebels are mentioned/appear in Rogue One.

Makes me excited and makes it easier to have an understanding of the canon.

 

[LittlePeach]

To be quite honest, the First Order, to me, is one of the biggest blunders for Force Awakens. I'm not entirely sure why they didn't just lead with the Imperial Remnant or something similar. They could've still kept the Knights of Ren even without it.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

Agreed.

I'm always excited for new content.

[member="Soeht"]

You'd understand why they're called that if you kept up to date on all new Star Wars lore.

[member="LittlePeach"]

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="LittlePeach"]
I suspect that was because many hands were in the Episode 7 pie, and simply having an Imperial Remnant might have seemed like it was just the same old as the original. Let's face it, TFA was already pretty damn close to the original trilogy without needing another close link. In practice they're a semi-religious remnant.

As for Vong, I don't know about fandom in general, but I hate them. They were there because the Empire was played out so they needed an enemy for Luke Skywalker and the Jedi to fight. So you can see them having a brainstorming session and coming up with 'Force Immune Invaders' and it snowballed from there.

It's everything I hated about the old Legends canon with its nonsensical plots, tangents and off message story.

 

[LittlePeach]

[member="Darth Carnifex"]

While I am not completely up-to-date [Haven't watched Rebels and not really interested in it], I do understand how the First Order came about. I get how the plot went, it just kind of felt like Abrams was really trying to redo the first Star Wars all over. Granted, like [member="Valiens Nantaris"] said, the First Order is pretty much the Imperial Remnant in all but name with a slight fascist spin on them.

I wasn't around for Vong but I can definitely see why people were upset. I didn't think it was a good idea when I heard about it, and you are definitely not the first person to say something about their dislike.

 

[Strider Garon]

[member="Valiens Nantaris"] I stopped reading the vong series after Chewie was killed off. I literally threw the book across the room.

[member="LittlePeach"] I was a big hater for the EU being squashed, especially with Karin Traviss's portrayal of the mandalorians was not honored (Yes thats me being mando biased). But... the new content aint that bad at all.

 

[Kaiden Rohn]

​

after reading through another crappy EU book about this and that with the Vong and other stupid crap that the EU kept pumping out​

 

[Viktor Bra'lor]

HATED THE CHOICE! Filoni and Windick are the WORSTchoices for Star Wars writers to come, and how Filoni shit all over Traviss' work for the Mando'ade he will ALWAYS be a Dick. While I HATE the idea of a Pacifist Mando clan, its easy to retcon that shit saying they're one clan, and FFG's idea that TCW was nothing more than Imperial propaganda is best. Rebels just sucks all around from plot to animation and Chiss do NOThave pupils. LFL is pandering to the nostagic fans of the OT and taking some of the better loved ideas from the EU to try and make their canon seem good and like they're working with everyone. ...the whole reason for bringing Zahn in for Thrawn. Canon Thrawn will NEVER be as good as EU Thrawn. And those saying the EU had no structure never paid attention close enough. Timelines in the front of ALL books and Leeland Chee worked with ALLthe authors to keep things flowing continuously. Pablo was always butthut cause of the Quarren homeworld issue being changed to Mon Calomari. His favorite EU book that gave the Quarrons their own homeworld was rewrote, but instead of retconning and saying they may have just migrated and had TWOworlds he wanted a reboot. He was always pushing Lucas to reboot but Lucas wouldn't allow it and there are many tweets from pablo to show his gripes. The Vong were great cause it added something new instead of just Jedi vs Sith, Rebel vs Empire, something the nostagic fans couldn't get past. Star Wars needed to evolve and it was....the EU kept Star Wars alive for 30 years and honestly Star Wars didn't NEED new movies as long as it kept getting books to push the story as it was. books are always better than movies.

Disney would have went with ANYTHING honestly...that being a moive and series in line with the EU or not...Star Wars is just cash for them. No...the reboot was all on LFL and Pablo and his butt hurt.

OYA!

 

[Samka Derith]

Good riddance to most of it.

At first I was a bit put-off by how everything about Star Wars I'd grown up with outside of the movies suddenly no longer mattered. All the dorky facts I'd memorised and such. But now I've seen how they're doing it, I approve. They're retaining most of the expanded information, keeping lore for species and planets, keeping vehicles and even acknowledging popular characters and events.

It's been a healthy cull for a cluttered and confused continuity, in my opinion. And, yes, I too despise the Yuuzhan Vong. They reeked of Mary Sue villains and the implication that Palpatine built the Galactic Empire and all the horrible things it did all to save the galaxy from a future Vong invasion. Completely undermines The Emperor's character and motivation as the franchise's ultimate bad guy. Oh and let's not get started on IG-88 becoming the Second Death Star...

Here's a question: why do some people have such a problem with Mandalorians becoming pacifist? Cultures are not static, they shift and change and adapt. Less than 100 years ago, Japan had a culture which held warfare in high regard. Today it is one of the most pacifist nations on the planet. It makes perfect sense that most Mandalorians would favour a different path after getting repeatedly crushed and driven to a point of near extinction due to their warmongering ways.

 

[Viktor Bra'lor]

The vong were more original and thought out than the Mary Sue Rey just to add "diversity". -shrugs- Chewie dying was more thought out than how Han dies in the movie and more emotional. At least Chewie went out fighting and fulfilling his life debt....and the fact it took a MOON to kill him shows how badass he was. You need emotion, good AND bad, to push story. Mando'ade as pcifists don't work if you read and study their culture...but as I said, I except that group as a small clan of pacifist thinkers that wasn't entirely embraced by the whole