Long before Disney continued the story with the new trilogy, Star Wars lived on through its enormous Expanded Universe library. Now known as Star Wars Legends, the series provided fans with tales from before, during, and after the beloved films, including a wholly different take on how life for Luke, Leia, and Han went after Return of the Jedi.
Following Disney's purchase of LucasArts, the Legends stories were officially ruled out as non-canon. While many stories that carried on from Episode VI no longer match up with the films on offer, there are plenty of tales that could still fit neatly into the official Star Wars canon. From fun interquels and prequels highlighting beloved characters on additional adventures to rich, world-building epics charting the history of the galaxy and mind-blowing uses of The Force, there are plenty of Legends out there that deserve canonical recognition.
6 Dark Lord: The Rise Of Darth Vader
James Luceno's novel offers an in-depth look into Anakin Skywalker's psyche. A hard-hitting look into the life of Darth Vader, it picks up soon after the conclusion of Revenge of the Sith. Stressed and torn about whether he made the right decision in moving over to the dark side, Darth Vader is handled in sensitive, thoughtful fashion.
The story follows the iconic Sith Lord as he cleans up the remains of Order 66, ensuring the few Jedi survivors left are wiped out. While the conclusion of Darth Vader's mission here is relatively predictable for anyone who's watched the films, the study of him as a character is fascinating. Slotting in nicely between Revenge of the Sith and Obi-Wan Kenobi on the timeline, this story is a straightforward, continuity-friendly no-brainer for making canon.
5 Scoundrels
The biggest thorn in Han Solo's side in more ways than one, Jabba the Hutt is a menace to Star Wars' most beloved rogue throughout the original trilogy. Timothy Zahn's novel Scoundrels sees Solo on patrol with Chewbacca and Lando Calrissian to rob a crime lord on Wukkar. In an infuriating twist, the reward Solo netted for rescuing Princess Leia is stolen, forcing him to go on this new mission to finally pay off his debt to Jabba the Hutt
Zahn takes a notable break from the gritty, political intrigue of his Thrawn novels for this swaggering romp. The humor brought to the table by Solo and his band of unpredictable con-artists jazzes up this thrilling story en route to an action-packed third act that does the iconic characters justice.
4 Darth Bane's Trilogy
For those who haven't ventured into The Old Republic stories, imagining a world populated with a variety of Sith Lords might sound bizarre. However, it was the norm up until the destruction of the Sith Order, a thousand years prior to the events of A New Hope. Darth Bane is the mastermind behind the rule of two, something the films arguably best depict through Palpatine and Anakin Skywalker's budding dynamic in Revenge of the Sith.
In these books by Drew Karpyshyn, the reader follows Darth Bane through an epic journey from humble beginnings to a war with the Brotherhood of Darkness to standing tall as the sole Sith Lord in the galaxy. It's an action-packed, thoughtful study of the dark side with a complex lead character who ultimately re-shapes the Sith culture into what fans more typically recognize.
3 Republic Commando
One of the more-maligned aspects of the prequel trilogy was the curious decision to skip over the actual Clone Wars. While subsequent animated features and series filled the gap, getting a complete look into the world of the clone troopers themselves remained difficult.
The Republic Commando series by Karen Traviss fixes this, giving readers an action-packed, immersive look into the high-octane lifestyle of a clone trooper at war. Hard Contact, the first installment, zeroes in on an elite, four-trooper unit sent into a Separatist-led planet to destroy a weapons facility. Needless to say, the already hazardous mission only ramps up in potential disaster as the troopers find themselves deep behind unforgiving enemy lines. A perfect start to the Republic Commando series, Hard Contact is an essential thrill-ride for Clone Wars enthusiasts.
2 Outbound Flight
For those interested in what lies beyond the main galaxy, Timothy Zahn's Outbound Flight is a perfect starter before fully launching into the Legends universe's much-loved Yuuzhan Vong storylines. The suitably mysterious Unknown Regions serve as the key location here, with Jedi Master Jorus C'baoth leading what is expected to be a peaceful voyage into the unknown.
Of course, given none other than Chancellor Palpatine is quietly the orchestrator of the trip, it's hardly surprising that things begin to take a very sinister turn. Where Jorus believed it was a journey into the unknown, it's actually a descent into a terrifying encounter with the most iconic of all non-film Star Wars villains: Thrawn. Serving as a prequel of sorts to his more famous appearances, Thrawn's involvement with Palpatine here gives readers a rich, world-building adventure full of conspiratorial deceit, backstory, and lore for some of Legends' most well-regarded arcs.
1 Star Wars: Darth Plagueis
The tale of Darth Plagueis the Wise is among the most fascinating pieces of lore given to viewers in Revenge of the Sith. Fans were eager to learn more about Palpatine's mentor, something Legends gave them in the form of James Luceno's acclaimed chronicle of his life and death.
A Muun who longs for nothing but power, Darth Plagueis' journey in the novel is mirrored by a fascinating look into the earlier years of Palpatine, as readers follow his studies to become the dreaded Darth Sidious. Plagueis' obsession with discovering immortality is ultimately a compelling aspect of his undoing, as he gradually becomes oblivious to the world around him, all while his protégé's lust for power grows. While the midichlorians talk may infuriate some, this novel provides an in-depth look at one of the franchise's most illusive characters, all while expanding on the origins of a younger, but no less diabolical, Palpatine.