6 Great Star Wars Stories That Aren't Movies
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6 Great Star Wars Stories That Aren't Movies

Plot twist: They're better than most of the movies.

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6 Great Star Wars Stories That Aren't Movies
JamesDeMers

Star Wars goes a lot further than the movies. There are countless books, comics, video games and tv shows that exist all with stories in the Star Wars universe. A lot of them haven’t been so great. There are some that truly capture the spirit of Star Wars and their stories rival the movies in terms of quality.

Unfortunately, most of these are no longer canon (canon meaning accepted as genuine events that happened) now that Disney owns Star Wars and wants to create a new set of canon materials. In doing so, they’ve wiped away many great stories that deserve to be canon but that’s a topic for a different day. Even though some of these stories are no longer canon, they are still worthy of your time if you’re a Star Wars fan looking for more material to experience.

With that being said, take your first step into a much larger world with six great Star Wars stories that aren’t movies.

6. "The Clone Wars" (TV series)

The animated movie was horrible and gave people a sour impression for the show that followed shortly after. "The Clone Wars" is surprisingly good and fills in the gap between episodes two and three. The series gets better after each season as the tone of the show becomes darker with the reintroduction of Darth Maul as a primary antagonist and interesting foreshadowing with Anakin Skywalker and his well-known fate. The tv series is able to do everything the prequel trilogy didn’t do all that well. It gives us a look at the friendship of Anakin and Obi-Wan, presents Anakin as a likeable hero and even humanizes the clones. It’s a must watch for anyone who walked away from the prequels feeling disappointed, as long as you skip the few Jar-Jar episodes.

5. "Darth Plagueis"

Originally just an anecdotal tale told by Chancellor Palpatine in episode three, Darth Plagueis was nothing more than a forgettable name, until this novel by James Luceno was published in 2012. This novel not only gives more information on Plagueis, but it also gives a backstory to Palpatine and his rise to power, both politically and with the force. It’s written well and it’s a great read and enhances the prequel trilogy of movies.

4. "The Force Unleashed"

A novel and a video game, this story is set in between episodes three and four and is centered around Galen Marek, Darth Vader’s secret apprentice. It’s a refreshing contrast from Luke Skywalker’s story because Marek starts as a sith for the Empire. Starting as one of the bad guys gives the Rebellion and Empire a unique perspective that wasn’t seen in the movies.

3. The Thrawn Trilogy

These novels by Timothy Zahn are widely regarded as the best Star Wars novels of all time; it’s a shame they are no longer canon. They take place shortly after Return of the Jedi and focuses on the conflict with the New Republic and Grand Admiral Thrawn of the (old) Galactic Empire. Thrawn is one of the most menacing villains Star Wars has ever had based off of his incredible intelligence and efficiency as a leader of the Empire. Thrawn’s character had so much of an impact among fans that Disney brought him back into the new canon with a new novel and an appearance in the Rebels tv show. The main heroes of the original trilogy, Leia, Luke and Han also have continued story arcs in these novels that are just as compelling as the movies.

2. The Darth Bane Trilogy

Ever wondered why there are only two sith lords in all of the movies? Well Darth Bane will provide you with that answer. This trilogy of novels are about the life of Darth Bane, a sith that came to power 1000 years before "A New Hope". These novels provide details about the sith order that we never got in the movies. Sith tactics of deception and patience featured in the movies were started by Bane after he created the ‘Rule of Two.’ Bane is a unique character and his philosophy of the force and the sith give us a great story and the setup for Emperor Palpatine’s plan in the movies.

1. "Knights of the Old Republic" and "Knights of the Old Republic: The Sith Lords"

"Knights of the Old Republic" started as a graphic novel but became popular with the video game adaptations made in 2003 and 2005. Even though the games are dated with their gameplay and visuals, they are still must-plays for the story they tell. The setting takes place 4000 years before "A New Hope" and explores a galaxy not bound by any events from the movies. The first game takes on the classic hero’s journey with good and evil; much like "A New Hope" except with far different characters and experience since it’s a game. The second game is much darker that focuses on a broken galaxy that has almost abandoned the force. It’s a story unlike any other in Star Wars and will change the way you think of the franchise.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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