Disney+'s THE MANDALORIAN Show 7 7

[Bosco685]

1 hour ago, Buzzetta said:

People romanticize it but the Expanded Universe was a mess...think 1990's X-Men  

Spoiler

 

There were a LOT of bright spots that Disney has been carefully examining and reintroducing with a new narrative and I suspect that that they will continue to so.  I believe it was best to close the door on the entire expanded universe out in one flush and then pick and choose, after careful examination, what to reintroduce and what to leave in storage. 

The two most important things that they have already done? 

• Grand Admiral Thrawn was reintroduced in the Disney TV series Rebels.
• The survival and return of Boba Fett

There have been little nuances though that were part of the old expanded universe that are once again part of the Disney cannon, such as certain ships and weapons, as well as planets and minor characters. 

I doubt though that they will ever bring Mara Jade into canon since that would conflict too much with the Disney movies. 

 

 

A recent article on the best and worst of the Star Wars Expanded Universe.

Star Wars: The 5 Best Expanded Universe Stories (& 5 Of The Worst)

Quote

When Disney acquired the Star Wars franchise along with the purchase of LucasFilm in 2012, they decided to jettison the bulk of accompanying material referred to at the time as the Expanded Universe. That meant dozens of novels, comic books, TV shows, and other material suddenly become non-canonized. Fan uproar was swift, and Disney's decision to rebrand the EU material as "Legends" did little to soothe their pains.

 

Bearing that in mind, the Expanded Universe was not perfect. For every smashing success, there was another dismal failure that haunted LucasFilm and further muddied the canonical waters. It soon became clear that not all Star Wars stories were equal in greatness, but which ones are the best and worst of the bunch?

 

10 Best: The Thrawn Trilogy

 

9 Worst: Darksaber

 

8 Best: The Jedi Academy Trilogy

 

7 Worst: The New Jedi Order

 

6 Best: Knights Of The Old Republic

 

5 Worst: Crystal Star

 

4 Best: The Dark Forces Saga

For a while, it appeared that the Dark Forces saga was going to end up canonized alongside the main Star Wars lore. It had a good story involving mercenary Kyle Katarn stealing the Death Star's secret plans for transmission to the Rebel Alliance, and his character would take on a major Force-inspired arc in subsequent games. Fans loved each title and grew to appreciate Katarn as an integral member of the Star Wars universe. When Disney took over the franchise, they jettisoned the EU and began working on new material exploring the early days of the Resistance. This included Rogue One, a film that single-handedly retconned the entire Death Star plans arc. From there, it was easier to pack Kyle Katarn into mothballs and call it a day.

 

3 Worst: The Force Unleashed

There are so many things wrong with The Force Unleashed that it's hard to know where to start. The game was over the top in every way, from combat, to force powers and storyline. It essentially served as a hype machine to allow players to perform insane feats of Force strength within a third-person action title, but the plotline couldn't keep up. Main character Galen Marek took center stage as Darth Vader's secret — but not-so-secret, then kind-of-secret — apprentice who did his dirty work before attempting to break free of the Sith Lord's influence. It was preposterous in every way, as Marek's powers were hundreds of times more potent than both Vader and Darth Sidious combined, making fans wonder how he was ever a slave to Vader in the first place. It has aged terribly since that time.

 

2 Best: Dark Empire

1991 was an interesting year for Star Wars, with LucasFilm commissioning new stories in novel format from Timothy Zahn and Dark Horse Comics simultaneously. Dark Empire is not technically a part of Zahn's novel trilogy and was placed after his books when Zahn refused to reference the story at all. The plot revolved around a cloned Emperor Palpatine returning to exact revenge on the New Republic following his defeat during the Battle of Endor. J.J. Abrams would steal several elements from this story for his Rise of Skywalker -script, with devastating critical and commercial results.

 

1 Worst: The Star Wars Holiday Special

Notoriously "so bad it's good" that George Lucas would have paid a large fortune to have every copy burnt to a cinder, the Holiday Special lives in infamy as a laughably bad exercise in storytelling. Lucas refused to canonize the events, which means the Holiday Special might very well be the first piece of Expanded Universe material ever to have been released. It's so cringeworthy as to elicit screams, and the cast didn't seem particularly impressed with having to fulfill contractual obligations alongside the likes of Bea Arthur, Harvey Korman, and Jefferson Starship. The internet has immortalized it for all time, which means Lucas may die before having written the perfect A.I. virus to root out and destroy its last digital vestiges.

That holiday special will always have a place in everyone's heart. But not in a good way. 

[Bosco685]

10 hours ago, Broke as a Joke said:

Even that article is wrong as the first reference to Boba Fett surviving the Sarlacc is in Star Wars 81 in the original Marvel run.  

I guess Disney didn't make it official until 2015.

Disney makes it official that Boba Fett survived the Sarlacc in Return of the Jedi

Quote

He’s the most feared bounty hunter in the galaxy, and one of the most popular characters in the entire Star Wars universe, so being inadvertently knocked into the jaws of the Sarlacc by a blinded Han Solo is certainly no way to go.

 

Unless you’re a fan of the Expanded Universe, the fan favorite bounty hunter Boba Fett has held the distinction of suffering the weakest death in the entire saga ever since his demise in 1983’s Return of the Jedi. But it looks like Disney has wasted little time rectifying that, with the reveal trailer for the video game Star Wars Battlefront seemingly confirming – in official canon – that Fett did survive his encounter with the Sarlacc.

 

 

The above image is a screenshot from the Battle of Jakku DLC set to arrive ahead of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which will depict “the pivotal moment when the New Republic confronted key Imperial holdouts on a remote desert planet on the Outer Rim [and takes place] in the aftermath of the Rebel victory in the Battle of Endor”. You’ll notice that Boba Fett takes centre stage, but look to the top right and you’ll also notice a Star Destroyer crashing to the ground – the very Star Destroyer we see in the trailer for The Force Awakens…

 

So, given Disney and Lucasfilm’s assertation that all new movies, books, video games, comics and other Star Wars material are officially canon, it would seem the debate is over: Boba Fett is alive and well in the Star Wars universe. Now, would he have waited some 30 years odd for his revenge against Han Solo?

 

[Buzzetta]

1 hour ago, Bosco685 said:

I guess Disney didn't make it official until 2015.

Disney makes it official that Boba Fett survived the Sarlacc in Return of the Jedi

 

The article gets it wrong.  I had played the game and it was one of the last I ever played as I really don't have time for such things anymore.  Boba Fett was inserted into the game as a playable character rewarded to someone if they accomplished certain in-game achievements and was not part of the narrative.   

"Players can also assume the role of iconic characters from the Star Wars films, which serve as "heroes" and, similarly to vehicles, are unlocked during every match by finding specific tokens across the map"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_Battlefront_(2015_video_game)

 

The video games are always "iffy" when it comes to canon despite was Disney says.  For example, Lego Star Wars games are not part of canon.  Multiplayer is not part of canon.  However a single player narrative is.  Battlefront I really did not have that.  Battlefront II "did" actually have a single player narrative.

Here is what I mean... you could use any of these characters if you made certain achievements in game.   So basically, as far as I know, the Mandalorian marks the return of Boba Fett. 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 2, 2020 by Buzzetta

[Bosco685]

34 minutes ago, Buzzetta said:

The video games are always "iffy" when it comes to canon despite was Disney says.  For example, Lego Star Wars games are not part of canon.  Multiplayer is not part of canon.  However a single player narrative is.  Battlefront I really did not have that.  Battlefront II "did" actually have a single player narrative.

Imagine trying to maintain an entertainment universe and keeping all these details straight what is considered canon or not. 

I think this was the intent of the Lucasfilm Research Library. But then supposedly Disney stopped engaging with them to keep these things all straight.

[Buzzetta]

19 minutes ago, Bosco685 said:

Imagine trying to maintain an entertainment universe and keeping all these details straight what is considered canon or not. 

I think this was the intent of the Lucasfilm Research Library. But then supposedly Disney stopped engaging with them to keep these things all straight.

It was very disorganized before Disney acquired it but to be fair, that is not due to Disney or even Lucasfilm but due to the technology of the time to keep is straight.  After 1983, gaming companies provided the original background for the expanded universe.  This was where the backstories were created for many characters that had but a fleeting glimpse on screen.  There were no online wikipedias or things like that.   Everything had to be researched by paper and as can be expected things deviated and things were missed. 

Eventually Star Wars realized that the community was better at keeping things straight than they had done so they bought Wookieepedia... which was originally a Star Wars fan site.  I forget if this was purchased prior to the Disney acquisition of Star Wars. Now, that is the primary tool for keeping track of canon.  

Disney definitely did stop engaging with Lucasfilm once Iger put Lucas' sequel trilogy plans aside.

I know more about this type of stuff than I wish I did.  Basically I am exposing what I am reading about while commuting back and forth each day... 1:15 in... 1:30 out... 

 

Edited November 2, 2020 by Buzzetta

[Bosco685]

26 minutes ago, Buzzetta said:

Eventually Star Wars realized that the community was better at keeping things straight than they had done so they bought Wookieepedia... which was originally a Star Wars fan site.  I forget if this was purchased prior to the Disney acquisition of Star Wars. Now, that is the primary tool for keeping track of canon.

Very interesting.

Wookieepedia

Quote

As a fan-created encyclopedia, Wookieepedia is not intended to be a primary source, nor is it a replacement for the Encyclopedia, the Databank, or any other official source. Rather, it serves as a fan effort to summarize all aspects of the Star Wars universe in the best way possible, while pointing the reader to the respective official sources.

But who bought it?

Wookieepedia:What Wookieepedia is not

Quote

Wookieepedia does not belong to anyone
The following points come from Help:Licensing, which is an official policy of Fandom and also encompasses Wookieepedia:

• The site itself, and the Fandom trademarks, are owned by Wikia, Inc. Star Wars, and its trademarks, are owned by Lucasfilm Ltd.
• The copyright of a particular edit is owned by the person who made that edit.
• The wikis are owned by the communities. No one user owns any wiki. Founders are those who requested a wiki be created, but ownership of that wiki resides with the community as a whole, not only with the founder. Similarly, no bureaucrat or administrator may claim proprietorship over the wiki.

 

[awakeintheashes]

3 hours ago, Bosco685 said:

9 Worst: Darksaber

I haven't read the EU Darksaber stories, but Clone Wars and Rebels dedicate quite a few episodes to the Darksaber and its place in Mandalorian lore/history. I'd recommend anyone checking those out if you'd like some context to the weapon Moff Gideon was wielding at the end of Season 1.

Edited November 2, 2020 by awakeintheashes

[silversurfer275]

2 minutes ago, awakeintheashes said:

I haven't read the EU Darksaber stories, but Clone Wars and Rebels dedicate quite a few episodes to the Darksaber and it's place in Mandalorian lore/history. I'd recommend anyone checking those out if you'd like some context to the weapon Moff Gideon was wielding at the end of Season 1.

nah they mean a eu darksaber book with luke I think its after heir to the empire people said it was bad and has nothing to do with the weapon darksaber I believe 

[awakeintheashes]

1 hour ago, Buzzetta said:

Lego Star Wars games are not part of canon.

Neither are the Lego Star Wars shorts on Disney+, but there are some stories and characters that would be cool to see in cannon. Specifically, Jek-14

[awakeintheashes]

1 minute ago, silversufer27 said:

nah they mean a eu darksaber book with luke I think its after heir to the empire people said it was bad and has nothing to do with the weapon darksaber I believe 

Got it. Thanks!

[Buzzetta]

36 minutes ago, Bosco685 said:

Very interesting.

Wookieepedia

But who bought it?

Wookieepedia:What Wookieepedia is not

 

I ... could be wrong... I am... wrong. 

I had thought that Disney or Star Wars had bought it as I remembered reading a few articles where creators had consulted wookiepedia in working on their site. 

 

 

[bentbryan]

Speaking of video games...

https://www.gamesradar.com/the-mandalorian-season-2-premiere-features-a-major-knights-of-the-old-republic-callback/

I did play KOTOR but neglected to finish so I didn’t catch this Easter Egg. 

 

[silversurfer275]

3 minutes ago, bentbryan said:

Speaking of video games...

https://www.gamesradar.com/the-mandalorian-season-2-premiere-features-a-major-knights-of-the-old-republic-callback/

I did play KOTOR but neglected to finish so I didn’t catch this Easter Egg. 

 

yeah I noticed that its cool that they are shouting out kotor in a way

[Bosco685]

59 minutes ago, Buzzetta said:

I ... could be wrong... I am... wrong. 

I had thought that Disney or Star Wars had bought it as I remembered reading a few articles where creators had consulted wookiepedia in working on their site. 

 

 

Never a worry. I just appreciated you stated it with such conviction.

But seriously. Thank you for pointing out that reference site. It made me read up on its history.

[Buzzetta]

6 minutes ago, Bosco685 said:

Never a worry. I just appreciated you stated it with such conviction.

But seriously. Thank you for pointing out that reference site. It made me read up on its history.

The parts about the video game are true though.  Fett is not part of a storyline... more of a usable character if you get those achievements. 

And the EU did start with the gaming stuff. 

Ownership of the site was where I went wrong... I should have double checked that. 

[Bosco685]

7 minutes ago, Buzzetta said:

Ownership of the site was where I went wrong... I should have double checked that. 

It's really okay. Promise.

[Bosco685]

Phil Szostak

Quote

Phil Szostak is the senior content and asset specialist at Lucasfilm Ltd.. He is the author of The Art of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Art of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and The Art of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

He was the person when folks said Pedro Pascal had been fired posted how on the last day of filming he was walking through and hugging everyone. Including Pedro Pascal.

[Buzzetta]

33 minutes ago, Bosco685 said:

Phil Szostak

He was the person when folks said Pedro Pascal had been fired posted how on the last day of filming he was walking through and hugging everyone. Including Pedro Pascal.

How did that whole story get started anyway? 

[Bosco685]

7 minutes ago, Buzzetta said:

How did that whole story get started anyway? 

Grace Randolph and Dollar Tree Doctor Doom started a rumor. Then follow-ons like We Got This covered and Cosmic Book News started repeating the same stories.

But I notice Overlord DVD took down his original and now posting this backpedaling video.

Then real news sites started quoting them. Including MSNBC and CNN. Which then Disney - just like it never responded to the rumors Kevin Feige was replacing Kathleen Kennedy - never responded to this. So that only got the chatter more heated as folks started assuming it must be true.

[bentbryan]