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Star Wars Canon – Where To Start

So you’re a Star Wars fan but you’re feeling a little light on your Star Wars knowledge. You look up Star Wars canon and scroll though the never ending list of material, but don’t know where to start. Do you […]

So you’re a Star Wars fan but you’re feeling a little light on your Star Wars knowledge. You look up Star Wars canon and scroll though the never ending list of material, but don’t know where to start. Do you watch this one before you read that one, or do you read this one before watching that one? Worry no more, you will. Help you, we will.

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Shows

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

The six season animated series follows the events of the Clone Wars, set between Episode II and Episode III. This is the first place Star Wars fans should jump into when they want to learn more about the greater Star Wars canon.

The Clone Wars series will forever change your view of the Prequels further fleshing out the Star Wars universe. It adds detailed backstories to characters we already know, while introducing us to completely new characters, planets and races.

What this series does the best however, is add context to the downfall of  Anakin Skywalker and the Jedi that we see in Episode III. It highlights the problems the Jedi have as a group and the faults that convince Anakin to turn to the dark side of the force.

Star Wars: Rebels

Rebels takes place between Episode III and Episode IV. This series follows a group of Rebels as they fight the Empire on a small scale before helping the Rebellion fight the Empire on the biggest fronts. Don’t be alarmed though, Rebels still has plenty of Jedi action, with two of the members training in the arts of the Jedi.

Rebels is created by the same company who made The Clone Wars, therefore there are many references and characters who appear that originated in the The Clone Wars series. They also embrace the time period and bring in some Original Trilogy characters such as Leia and Lando.

For those who love the art behind Star Wars, Rebels is especially for you as many of the character, ship and weapon designed are based off Ralph McQuarrie’s original concept art for the Original Trilogy.

Rebels is currently in it’s fourth and final season and will end sometime in early 2018.

Star Wars: Forces of Destiny

Forces of Destiny is a YouTube series of short videos that follow various female characters from the Star Wars universe, including some from The Clone Wars and Rebels series.

It is aimed mainly towards a younger demographic however, it is still a great afternoon binge to get a some more information about the female characters who have been strong forces in the Star Wars universe.

The series features the voices of many actresses who first portrayed the characters in their live-action or animated roles including Daisy Ridley as Rey, Felicity Jones as Jyn Erso, Lupita Nyong’o as Maz Kanata and Ashley Eckstein as Ahsoka.

Books

Ahsoka (Novel)

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If you were a fan of The Clone Wars and Rebels series, and a massive fan of the new character Ahsoka, this novel is for you. This novel is based between Episode III and the Rebels series.

Having survived Order 66, Ahsoka is forced to remain on the run from the Empire, while trying to hide her Force sensitive powers. Not knowing which of her old Jedi Masters survived, Ahsoka is forced to fend for herself in this now Jedi-less universe.

The audiobook is voiced by Ashley Eckstein, the actress who voiced Ahsoka in all of her animated roles.

Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel

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Catalyst is the lead up novel to Star War‘s first spin-off film, Rogue One. The novel takes place between the Episode II and just before the start of Rogue One.

This novel follows Galen Erso as he researches kyber crystals for the Republic, unaware that his old collage, Orsen Krennic is using that research to build the laser for the Death Star. Galen’s wife, Lyra is wary of Krennic and wants the best for her, Galen and their daughter, Jyn.

While the main story focuses on the Erso family, there are detailed subplots that focuses on the growth of the Empire and the power that Palpatine had from a political standpoint. There are also some interesting confrontations between Krennic and Tarkin which adds context to their relationship in Rogue One.

Leia, Princess of Alderann (Novel)

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This Leia centred novel focuses on her participation in a tradition ceremony after her 16th birthday. This ceremony is a series of trials to test if she is fit to one day helm the throne of her adopted home planet of Alderaan.

We usually see Leia as the badass woman character, however this novel gives terrific insight into the diplomate side of Leia that we rarely see in the films.

The novel was released as lead-up material to The Last Jedi which means there are many elements from this novel that will be present in December’s Episode VIII.

Star Wars: Darth Vader (Comic)

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This 25 issue comic series is set between Episode IV and Episode V and follows our favourite villain, Darth Vader. In this series we see Vader and his struggles of being the apprentice to The Emperor.

Being tested both physically and emotionally, we see Vader pushed to his limits as he discovers that being a Sith lord isn’t all that he signed up to do.

This comic series is heavily based around the underworld of the Star Wars universe and the bounty hunters that come with it. Bounty hunters were a massive part of The Clone Wars series so for fans of the series, this comic will expand on what we already love.

Battlefront II: Inferno Squad (Novel)

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Released as the lead-up novel to the story mode in Star War‘s new game, Battlefront II, this novel takes place between Episode IV and Episode V. Inferno Squad takes an interesting approach to Star Wars canon as it is from the perspective of members of an Empire unit, known as the Inferno Squad.

Battlefront II‘s story lead, Iden Versio leads the squad as they try to destroy the remaining rebels that were apart of Saw Gerrera’s extremist crew, in revenge to the first Death Star being destroyed.

The novel leads into the story mode of Battlefront II. The story mode will predominantly follow Iden Versio over a 30 year period between Episode VI and Episode VII.

Bloodline (Novel)

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Set six years before the events of Episode VII, this novel focuses on Leia as she serves as a member in the new Galactic Senate. The novel gives us further insight into Leia’s character leading into The Force Awakens and dives deep into the politics of Star Wars.

Leia is faced with political turmoil as her bloodline is revealed, which leads other members of the politicians and people of power to use it to their advantage to get a one up on the well respected senator.

From a Certain Point of View (Novel)

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In honour of the 40th anniversary of Star Wars: A New Hope, a series of short stories were written to give some context behind the events of the original Star Wars.

Written by 43 authors, the novel contains 40 short stories from the perspective of background characters in Episode IV. These includes stories from characters like the pilots who flew alongside Luke Skywalker when the Rebellion destroyed the first Death Star, Obi-Wan and his old master, Qui-Gon Jinn discussing Force Ghosts and the Stormtroopers searching for R2-D2 and C3PO on Tatooine.