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April 12, 2024
Star Wars | Top 10 Best Star Wars Legends Books for Beginners | Expanded Universe Entry Points
The Star Wars Legends continuity is confusing and hard to start. Read this if you want to get into the old Expanded Universe but don’t know where to start!
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On April 25, 2014, Lucasfilm announced that, in preparation for the future of Star Wars, that all content that was released before that date (outside of the six films and The Clone Wars) would be rebranded as Star Wars Legends. This meant all the comics, games, and books that were released in the years before were no longer considered canon. Fans dubbed this “Death Star Day”.
Star Wars fans are a dramatic bunch, myself included. Of course, the de-canonization of this material doesn’t mean that it wasn’t still enjoyable. There are tons of stories to explore in the Legends continuity and those continue to endure to this day.
With hundreds of books that span literal decades, it might be hard to know where to start. Fear not, young Padawan, we have a list of the ten best places to start in the Star Wars Legends continuity!
As a reminder, ABY and BBY mean After the Battle of Yavin and Before the Battle of Yavin.
Darth Bane Trilogy (2006-2009) | 1003-980 BBY
Author: Drew Karpyshyn
Starting off this list are some of the earliest novels in the whole of Legends. This trilogy tells the story of Darth Bane, one of the most powerful Sith to have ever existed. It follows his life from his enrolling at the Sith Academy on Korriban to the end of his reign of terror.
Darth Bane is truly a terrifying Sith Lord. He instituted the Rule of Two, the law that only two Sith are allowed to live at any time, a Master and Apprentice. This comes after a cataclysmic event that kills thousands of Jedi and Sith at the end of the first book. The rest of the series follows his rise to power, taking an apprentice, and trying to find a way to live forever.
The Darth Bane Trilogy is a good place to start if you are looking to get into the history of the Sith specifically. It’s also just an excellent book series. This trilogy comprises Path of Destruction (2006), Rule of Two (2007), and Dynasty of Evil (2009). It’s a captivating look into the mind of one of the most dangerous Sith Lords of all time.
Darth Plagueis (2012) | 67-32 BBY
Author: James Luceno
Speaking of dangerous Sith Lords, let’s talk about the book that tells the origin of the one who brought the galaxy to its knees. Palpatine asks Anakin in Revenge of the Sith if he has ever heard the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise.
This is that story.
Darth Plagueis, a brilliant Sith Lord, is looking for ways to survive beyond death. After killing his Master, he takes on young Sheev Palpatine (AKA Darth Sidious) as his Apprentice. Their goals seem aligned, they want to end the Jedi together, but the lust for power that drives Sidious is too strong.
This book is one of the few that is still mostly considered canon in the new continuity, so this is a good bridge between Legends content and current canon. It’s also a good place to start if you are interested in how Palpatine rose to power before the movies. A good standalone novel for Prequel fans!
Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void (2013) | 25,793 BBY
Author: Tim Lebbon
One of the best places to start your dive into the Legends universe? Why not start at the beginning! Dawn of the Jedi is the first book in the Legends continuity, taking place over 25,000 years before the events of A New Hope.
This book takes us to Tython, the ancient home of the Je’daii Order. Lanoree, a Je’daii Ranger, is sent by the Council to prevent her brother, Dalien, from destroying the planet. He was thought to be dead after failing a rite of passage, but he returns with radicalized views against the Je’daii. The novel reveals the trials that ancient Jedi would have to face and their beliefs.
It’s a story about family and the consequences of fanaticism. Which, in all honesty, is what the whole Skywalker Saga is about.
Death Troopers (2009) | 1 BBY
Author: Joe Schreiber
This is a weird entry to this list, but hear me out. The late 2000s were flooded with zombie content. The Walking Dead was an extremely popular comic, Zack Snyder released his remake of Dawn of the Dead to great praise, and Max Brooks’ World War Z was taking middle schoolers by storm. This was the perfect time for a Star Wars zombie novel.
Enter Death Troopers. A group of people are stranded on an Imperial prison barge that is packed to the gills with virus-stricken zombie Stormtroopers. Those unaffected by the virus are trying to find a cure and a way out. It’s campy, it’s dark, it’s really over the top. It’s exactly what you would want from a Star Wars book about zombies.
There aren’t many Star Wars horror novels, so this is a good entry point for those who are looking for that. If you want more, check out the pseudo-prequel Blood Harvest (2010) by the same author. It’s set at a Sith Academy in 3,645 BBY and explores the origins of the virus. Basically, instead of zombies with blasters, it’s zombies with lightsabers.
Heir to the Empire Trilogy (1991-1993) | 9 ABY
Author: Timothy Zahn
Here it is. The big one.
After Return of the Jedi, there wasn’t much Star Wars content out there. Timothy Zahn’s Heir to the Empire trilogy came out in the early ‘90s and changed all that. This series rejuvenated the public’s love for Star Wars content and it’s all because of one blue guy: Grand Admiral Thrawn.
The fledgling New Republic is having issues getting its bearings. Factions are again gathering to take on this new government, the biggest of which is the remnants of the Empire, led by the Chiss named Thrawn. He is searching for a massive hidden fleet to destroy the enemies of the Empire forever. He has joined forces with the Dark Jedi Jorus C’Baoth who is hellbent on cloning the one who killed Palpatine.
Heir to the Empire (1991), Dark Force Rising (1992), and The Last Command (1993) introduced so many important characters to the Legends continuity: Grand Admiral Thrawn, Captain Pellaeon, Talon Karrde, and Mara Jade (Luke’s future wife) just to name a few. It changed the face of Star Wars publishing forever. Thrawn was so popular that he made the jump to the current canon, starring in two novel trilogies and two different TV series.
It also gave us, in my opinion, the dumbest, funniest, and silliest thing in all of Star Wars. When people get cloned, the clones are named after the person they were cloned from. This gives us the clone of Luke Skywalker… Named Luuke Skywalker. So silly, so great.
Kenobi (2013) | 19 BBY
Author: John Jackson Miller
Hello there! Fans of the Prequel era may be looking for a good entry point that connects the Prequels to the Original Trilogy. Kenobi by John Jackson Miller is the perfect place to start.
Kenobi tells the story of the titular Jedi’s time on Tatooine in the days after Order 66. It explores his inner turmoil at his place in the galaxy since his world was turned upside down. Adjusting to life as Ben is not easy, trying to keep a low profile is hard when you’re trying to protect the local moisture farmers from Tusken Raiders.
If you want to learn more about Obi-Wan’s life as Ben or are just a big fan of the character, Kenobi is widely considered one of the best character portraits in the Legends continuity.
New Jedi Order: Vector Prime (1999) | 25 ABY
Author: R.A. Salvatore
The New Jedi Order series spans 19 books from 1999-2003. It’s massive and for good reason. The main enemies in this story aren’t from within the known galaxy. They come from beyond known space and set their sights on the galaxy we know and love. Who are they?
They were the Yuuzhan Vong, a race of nomads who escaped from their own galaxy after it was destroyed. They were brutal, hated mechanical technology, and, worst of all, couldn’t be sensed through the Force. They led the most devastating war, leaving over 300 trillion sentient beings dead by the end of the war.
Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Leia Organa Solo all make appearances, along with their children and other Force sensitives. Luke is trying to rein in errant Jedi Knights taking the law into their own hands. Leia is trying to stop another Civil War from starting. Han suffers an incredibly devastating loss. All of these culminate in their attempt to stop the Vong invasion before it starts.
Now, I only put one New Jedi Order book on the list because it is such a huge series. It’s a time commitment and it is definitely hit or miss, quality-wise. However, for those craving a story with galactic consequences, this is the place to start.
Republic Commando Series (2004-2008) | 22-19 ABY
Author: Karen Traviss
The Clone Wars was shrouded in mystery until the Prequel era shed some much deserved light on it. Between the show and the movies, most of the major moments were covered. But, have you been itching for more?
Karen Traviss’ Republic Commando series is the perfect place for fans of the Clone Wars show to start their Legends journey. The series covers two different squads, Delta and Omega, and their adventures leading to the cataclysmic Order 66. There was a sequel series called Imperial Commando planned, but it was canceled after the first book, 501st, was released.
The Clones were always an integral part of the Clone Wars series, so any chance to really get in their head is a great opportunity.
Shadows of the Empire (1996) | 3-4 ABY
Author: Steve Perry
While Zahn’s Heir to the Empire may have brought back a love of Star Wars for most fans, Shadows of the Empire was Star Wars for a new generation.
Set after Empire Strikes Back, but before Return of the Jedi, it tells the story of the Empire’s dealings with the criminal underworld, namely Xizor, leader of Black Sun. Xizor and the Emperor are both planning to kill Luke Skywalker, but Luke, Lando, and newcomer Dash Rendar have plans to take down Black Sun and foil Xizor’s plans.
This was a certified hit. It was part of the Shadows of the Empire multimedia project. This included a series of comics, a novel, a soundtrack (?!?), toys, trading cards, and a fantastic N64 game. The project was done to drum up buzz for the upcoming release of the Special Editions of the Original Trilogy and it definitely did its job.
Shadows of the Empire is a great place to start if you want to read about the criminal underground of Star Wars. If you want to get into the retro Star Wars video games, this is a great introduction to that as well!
X-Wing Series (1996-2012) | 6-44 ABY
Author: Michael A. Stackpole, Aaron Allston
Ancient Jedi not doing it for you? Maybe you want something more military than mystical? The X-Wing series is the one you are looking for! Originally created to be the Top Gun of the Star Wars series, it focuses on Wedge Antilles and his crackshot team of X-Wing pilots called Rogue Squadron.
Filled with unforgettable characters and written by two authors who know how to write dogfights, it’s an excellent series to start with. There are ten books in the series: Rogue Squadron (1996), Wedge’s Gamble (1996), The Krytos Trap (1996), The Bacta War (1997), Wraith Squadron (1998), Iron Fist (1998), Solo Command (1999), Isard’s Revenge (1999), Starfighters of Adumar (1999), and Mercy Kill (2012).
The first four books are about taking back Coruscant for the New Republic. After that, the next three are about Wraith Squadron battling the Imperial warlord Zsinj. The last three are standalone stories that interconnect with a few other Legends books, but it’s not necessary to have read them to understand the stories.
Best 10 Star Wars Legends Books for Beginners | Scratching the Surface
These ten entry points just scratch the surface of the Star Wars Legends continuity. This list doesn’t even begin to cover the incredible number of stories that are on offer. There are young adult novels, children’s books, radio plays, video games, and tons and tons of books still left to explore from a galaxy far, far away.
Luckily, the folks at Lucasfilm are releasing waves of Legends novels every few months. They are called the Essential Legends Collection and most of the books on this list can be found in that collection. They all have brand new, beautiful covers that will help you start your journey through this huge back catalog of books.
These ten storylines and books are good places to start. But, with the amount of content available, your journey can go any which way you please. You can explore the origins of the Jedi Order, the early wars with the Sith, the rise and fall of the Empire, or travel into the future to see what Luke and the gang are up to.
It’s all up to you!
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Star Wars Legends?
+How many Legends books were published?
+What is the Star Wars Legends Essentials Collection?
+What is the difference between canon and Legends?
+Are Legends books canon?
+What Legends books feature Grand Admiral Thrawn?
+Where can I read about the Yuuzhan Vong?
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