CELEBRATING STAR WARS: LEGACY

[MattBrady]

by Benjamin Ong Pang Kean

Ask any die-hard Star Wars fan and he/she would be able to tell you what happened before and after Episodes I-VI.

Who introduced the Rule of Two?

What are the Great Schisms, the Great Hyperspace War, the Great Sith War, the Mandalorian Wars, the Stark Hyperspace War, and the New Jedi Order?

Who did Luke Skywalker marry?

Which of the four main heroes (Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Leia Organa, Chewbacca) die?

Who are the Yuuzhan Vong?

Which of Han Solo and Leia Organa’s kids has been lured to the Dark Side?

However, some questions are still unanswered.

Who is Darth Krayt?

Which Solo is he related to?

Is he a Solo?

What is Force Spirit Luke Skywalker up to next?

How did he become one with the Force?

Will Cade Skywalker restore the Jedi Order?

Veteran and fan favorite Star Wars creators John Ostrander and Jan Duursema hope to provide some clues and revelations in Star Wars: Legacy, an ongoing series that is set 100 years beyond anything you knew about Star Wars.

Concluding our very own special 30th Anniversary Star Wars Celebration here at Newsarama.com, Ostrander and Duursema stopped by to talk about what the future holds for fans of Star Wars in the Legacy comic book series.

Newsarama: For creators who have contributed their share to the Expanded Universe in telling stories about not only the characters from the movies but also such diverse and fan favorites as Quinlan Vos, Aayla Secura, Cade Skywalker, and others, what is the appeal of the Expanded Universe to you?

John Ostrander: Are you kidding? It’s playing in George Lucas’s sandbox! I’m never going to fly an X-Wing, I’m never going to wield a real lightsaber, none of the Force tricks work for me – but I can write about those characters that do! It’s myth, it’s adventure, it has spaceships that go “wooosh” in space. And it’s maybe having a character that originates in your story wind up in a Star Wars movie! Next to being in a SW film myself, that’s just so cool.

Jan Duursema: The Star Wars Expanded Universe provides an amazing place in which to set stories. Through the films, we’ve seen incredible worlds, characters and witnessed galaxy shaking events, but considering the size of the galaxy and the potential within it for stories, there is so much more to explore. With Star Wars, you are given a tremendous canvas onto which you can paint even more stories, create new characters, and explore entire worlds and cultures. The visual appeal of the galaxy is incredible as well. Through the films, we’ve seen everything from backwater desert planets like Tatooine to the Jedi Council and Senate on Coruscant. We’ve seen everything from shiny high tech to rusted old tech. It’s that kind of detail which makes it feel as though we’re looking into a world where real beings of all kinds could live. It’s incredibly fun to bring characters to life within this galaxy and tell their stories. Quinlan Vos and Aayla Secura were even brought into the films from the comics. How cool is that? And now we have had the opportunity to create a new Skywalker in Cade, as well as a galaxy full of Jedi, a new breed of Sith, Imperial Force-users, rogues, Imperial pilots, bounty hunters… The potential for stories in the EU is limitless!

NRAMA: In the Legacy comics, Darth Krayt’s abolished Darth Bane’s the Rule of Two and his order now includes, but is not limited to, Sith Lords such as Darth Talon, Darth Maladi, Darth Nihl, Darth Kruhl, Darth Maleval, Darth Wyyrlok, and others. On the surface, while the Sith remain united in their quest, the Sith-Imperial War has once again shaken the foundations of Grand Master Luke Skywalker’s new Jedi order and the Jedi are scattered across the universe as fugitives. In your opinion, why would Legacy appeal to continuity buffs, fans of the Prequel and Original Trilogies, Star Wars literature readers, and gamers?

JO: It’s what happens next. When I love a story, as a reader, as a fan, I always go, “And then what happened?” Legacy tells that story. We’ve consciously tried to give the readers the same feel as when they first saw Star Wars, back in the Original Trilogy. The characters were new; you didn’t know what was going to happen to them. Obi-Wan died and Han got frozen in carbonite. Who knew if he was going to survive? Did any of them have to survive? Nothing was fated; everything was up for grabs. Jan and I wanted to restore some of that feel. Cade is a rough character at the moment; you don’t know which way he’ll go – dark side or light side. You’ve just met his mother. Sometimes we’ll take an event that we’ve told you about or shown you a side of and then show you something else to make you re-interpret what you think you already know. We have a galaxy that is different, that is well thought out, but builds on what has already occurred. We invoke the past and add to it. The Imperial Knights – Jedi-like individuals who serve the new Empire – have become very popular figures already and gamers are especially interested in them. We have new ships, new political alliances, lots of Sith – and we’ve done everything we can to make it accessible even to those whose only knowledge of Star Wars is the movies. As our ad slogan says, “this is the future of Star Wars.”

NRAMA: July’s issue #14 of Legacy kicks off a six-part series that promises to reveal the secret behind the self-proclaimed emperor of the Sith Empire. What would such a revelation impact the Star Wars Universe?

JO: Depends on who it is, doesn’t it?

JD: Who Darth Krayt is and how he became who he is should have a ripple effect backward into the past and forward into future of the Star Wars Universe. The “Krayt” story arc, which starts with issue #14 and ends with #19, encompasses Krayt’s identity and origin. By the time this arc is done, the reader should have a grasp on how these new Sith came to be. I can’t say much more than that right now, but I can tell you that I am going to be drawing some events and characters in this arc that I never thought I would be drawing in Legacy.

NRAMA: Jacen Solo is set to receive his official Sith name in Karen Traviss’ Star Wars: Legacy of the Force – Sacrifice, due out from Del Rey on May 29. Fans and readers of the Legacy comic series had, at one time, speculated that Jacen would be the one under Krayt’s Yuuzhan Vong-bioengineered Vonduun armor, although the announcement of Del Rey’s “Darth Who?” Contest has altered this concept since Krayt was not listed as one of the likely candidates. That said, with the ghostly Luke Skywalker appearing to Cade in issue #3 of Legacy, will we be seeing more familiar faces from the movies and the Expanded Universe, like say, Leia and Han, the twins, Ben Skywalker, Mara Jade, Lumiya, etc. in the coming months?

JO: You might. The question is who and in which context.

JD: There is always the possibility of the past intruding on the future in Star Wars. Many of these characters were famous folk in the Star Wars Universe so historically, they would be well known. Certainly, a spirit-Luke is the most iconic figure (outside of Obi-Wan and Vader himself) who could appear to Cade. We really thought hard about Luke’s appearance in Legacy. It had to be important, because with it we were saying that there was the very distinct probability that Luke was dead. On the other hand, regarding other characters that would not be as old as Luke would be during this era, we have to be careful within Legacy not to spoil anything in the novels, which deal with an earlier era.

NRAMA: It was revealed that Cade Skywalker’s mother was actually Morrigan Corde, an agent of the Empire. Luke married Mara, who was at a time an “Emperor’s Hand”, one of Palpatine’s personal assassins. It looks to me that only Anakin had married a “good girl” while the rest of the Skywalkers had become romantically involved with an enemy. Discuss.

JO: Anakin Skywalker was the bad boy. Bad boy goes with good girl in the traditional romantic pairings. It’s too soon to say who Luke’s son Ben goes with or if Ben winds up being a “good boy” or a “bad boy.” Nor do any of Leia’s kids (also Anakin Skywalker’s grandchildren) currently have a steady romantic interest. Dramatically, having two of the same is not especially a great idea – Leia, the princess, ends up with Han Solo, the rogue. That works. Yeah, it’s dramatic shorthand but it works and has its uses.

JD: Seems like Luke and Kol were both attracted to the bad girls, doesn’t it? I keep wondering who will land bad boy Cade, who seems to have taken after his mother. Being a bounty hunter and a rogue herself, Deliah Blue is not exactly a “good girl.”

NRAMA: Unlike Anakin Skywalker who was destined to be The One, but also turned out to be the one destroying the Jedi order before his final act of redemption in Return of the Jedi, and the farmboy-turned-Jedi (and now, in the EU, Grand Jedi Master) Luke Skywalker who went on to create a new Jedi order, the bounty hunting Cade would rather get his kick from death sticks than returning the order to its once glory days -- as seen in issue #3 when the ghostly Luke Skywalker pleaded with him to come back to the order. But what a minute… he knows Luke?

JO: Which suggests that what we saw in issue #3 (now also available in the graphic novel collection Legacy Volume 1 — Broken) wasn’t their first meeting.

JD: As John says, this was not their first meeting. Luke has possibly been haunting Cade for a good long while. Then, Cade is haunted by a lot of events and people who have passed through his life. The fact that Luke is bothering to try to bring Cade back to the light side suggests to me that Cade is important enough to be worth bothering with.

NRAMA: Will we see the events that led to the death of Luke Skywalker in the Legacy comics? Or at the very least, are there plans to tell the relationships between Luke, Kol and Cade, and what led to the broken feelings between them?

JO: Luke’s death isn’t part of our storyline. The relationship between Kol and Cade is certainly relevant and Cade seems to have a relationship to ghost-Luke, so that’s relevant, but I don’t know as Kol’s relationship/attitude towards Luke is relevant.

JD: I think Kol and Cade have some issues that needed working out. Unfortunately, the opportunity for that was lost when Kol was killed by the Sith. Is Luke the spiritual link that could aid a healing between father and son? We haven’t said yet.

NRAMA: By the way, we’ve not seen the last of Kol Skywalker, have we?

JO: Probably not, but our flashing back to Kol will depend on its relevancy to the story we’re telling.

JD: I hope not. In the short time Kol has appeared in Legacy, he has become a Jedi of some interest and complexity for me with his own legacy. He fell in love with and had a son by an Imperial agent. He worked alongside the Yuuzhan Vong to create the Ossus Project—a facet of the story we will be exploring further. We see in issue #1 that some issues between father and son that have not been resolved. He was an incredibly brave and fearless Jedi who stood between the Sith and those he was sworn to protect.

NRAMA: Finally, what have you got planned after the “Krayt” storyline? Where do things head, and what are you building towards?

JO: Well, I can’t say too much without giving away what happens in the “Krayt” storyline. What we’ll probably do is scale back and deal with the repercussions of that storyline while preparing for the next major storyline later next year. Jan and I are thinking of shorter, single-issue or two-part stories that change the rhythm of the book for a little bit, while at the same time propelling our main storylines forward. Is that vague enough for you?

JD: There are so many stories that need telling. I want to find out more about the Jedi, the Sith, the Galactic Alliance, Roan Fel and his Imperial Knights, Rav and his pirates, the Imperials. I want to know where Cade will go next and who he will meet along the way. Are there more Skywalkers… Solo’s? There is so much more to explore and weaving it all together has been an incredible experience.

Dark Horse and many of its Star Wars artists will be appearing at Star Wars Celebration IV May 25 to 28 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Tickets are still available at the door. For information go to
http://starwars.com and click on the Celebration IV button.

See also:
STAR WARS 30TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION WITH DARK HORSE I: JOHN JACKSON MILLER ON KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC

STAR WARS 30TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION WITH DARK HORSE II: JEREMY BARLOW ON CLONE WARS ADVENTURES

STAR WARS 30TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION WITH DARK HORSE III: MICK HARRISON ON DARK TIMES

STAR WARS 30TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION WITH DARK HORSE IV: ROB WILLIAMS ON REBELLION[/i]

[Reliant]

Totally awesome stuff. Legacy is one of the few comics that I'm dying to see what each issue will unfold...

[cyn op]

as enjoyable as some of these comics are i prefer this ending..

"and luke saved his father, they destroyed the empire, then pretty much lived happily ever after."

it just works so much better to have the films y'know,as an ACTUAL ending.

[holtom2000]

i too love Legacy. I haven't been this pumped about a Star Wars comic some Dark Empire.

[pta391]

One of my favorite monthlies to read. I absolutely love this book, can't wait for more....

[Sluggo]

OK, I am a huge fan of the original Star Wars movie trilogy, not so much of the prequel trilogy (it had its moments, but ultimately fell flat for me). I have a very good knowledge of what happened in the original trilogy, from repeated viewings, and a passing knowledge of the events in the prequels. That's about it.

Now, given the above description, can I read this book and enjoy it without being well-versed in the chronology, characters, flotsam and jetsam of the Expanded Universe from the various comics, novels, cartoons, etc., most of which hold little to no interest for me?

I know the creators have stated in the interview that they keep it accessible to people who only know Star Wars from the movies, but they need to sell their books. I want to hear from a reader who is in the same, or at least a similar situation as me, that they are reading, enjoying and understanding this comic.

I want to read the first trade, I've flipped through it at the store, the story and characters sound intriguing, the art is gorgeous, but as many a comic fan can I'm sure relate, I've been burned before by an impenetrable plot steeped in obscure continuity that was wrapped in a pretty package.

I can ignore some things that are obviously meant for the hard core fan, as long as they do not distract from my enjoyment of the overall story.

Thanks!

[HazMatMan]

To Sluggo ... definitely give it a try. I'm not well versed in the EU either but am addicted to Legacy. It has all the comradery we loved about the OT and even plays on the uncertainty of ROTS.

Aside: let's see more developed with the troopers and the Imperial Knights. For those who don't know, the Imperial army is made up of volunteers now and not clones. Female troopers rock! There's nothing like a woman in armor handling a big gun.

Issue #4 was a phenominal self-contained story that should probably be fleshed out more. It introduced some great characters that shouldn't be forgotten. Hear that JO/JD? The question is, how do you fit a Wookie in Stormtrooper armor?

[CYOTI]

The Imperial Knights are certainly the most interesting concept so far given their contradictory nature, jedi knights who serve the Empire and wear the armor of the Imperial Guard while being aligned against the Sith.

Originally Posted by cyn op

as enjoyable as some of these comics are i prefer this ending..

"and luke saved his father, they destroyed the empire, then pretty much lived happily ever after."

But he didn't destroy the Empire, Vader and the Emperor died along with a portion of the fleet and the administration, but the majority of the Empire still remained.

[jedifish]

Sluggo - Definitely check it out. This is by far the best Star Wars series I've ever read. Basically all the characters are new (well, a couple oldies have just been introduced, one last issue and one in #12 this week). John does a really good job at giving you all the details you need. It's my understanding they didn't include the #0 issue in the trade, which is too bad, because I find it an excellent reference tool for the characters. But it's not necessary to the story as it just profiles all the characters.

[McEddard]

One of my favorite comics, and I'm not really a fan of the EU.

[Speedball93]

This is by far the best of the Dark Horse SW books for me. I wasn't sure I was gonna like Cade, but he is slowly becoming one of my favorite characters.

[turk9]

Sluggo, I have barely touched other SW books until this one (I read this and Dark Times). But even though I get confused once in a while, it's still a great read.

Also, no one has mentioned the design work on this series. I've seen many Star Wars related comics where the ships, technology, etc. just look wrong. There is a certain look to the Star Wars universe that is difficult to capture correctly. Here, they nail it.

turk

[EmeraldGuy32]

So far my favorite issue was that self-contained Stormtrooper one.

[AuH20]

Originally Posted by CYOTI

But he didn't destroy the Empire, Vader and the Emperor died along with a portion of the fleet and the administration, but the majority of the Empire still remained.

Let not forget that the Emperor was resurrected (repeatedly) in Dark Empire, Dark Empire II, and Empire's End. And this constant need for post-ROTJ EU to one-up the films that comprise the Star Wars Saga and even undo the good that occurred in the Saga is why, having given Legacy more than a fair chance, I'm dropping this title.

I could see ways Lucas could have handled the plotpoints of the prequels with more skill -- would that Joss Whedon had a chance to review the dialogue -- and I can see how people would object to things like the midi-chlorians, but the prequels are what they are, an indispensible half of the Saga. The prophecy of the Chosen One cannot be ignored, so I ask:

In what sense did Anakin Skywalker bring balance to the Force?

He defeated the Empire, or at least -- factoring in the clean-up of an Imperial remnant -- provided the turning point in its defeat? It's still around a century later and is the central galactic power with Darth Krayt takes over.

He defeated the Sith? They're back in full force about a century later.

He defeated this particular Sith Lord? Sidious came back repeatedly, with his personality/spirit inhabiting a series of clones.*

Heck, even Luke's triumph in the throne room of the second Death Star is tarnished, insofar as his renouncing the Dark Side is undone by Dark Empire.

Stories like Dark Empire can't be judged too harshly, as they were created before the prequels and their mention of the prophecy of the Chosen One. Nevertheless, the story that Lucas himself ultimately told is not honored by much of the post-ROTJ Expanded Universe: the Saga is diminished by it.

Legacy is quality work in its own right, but the light it casts on the Saga is too ugly for me to enjoy it. To those who do enjoy it, I say, have fun.

* - This too shouldn't cause us to judge the creators of Dark Empire too harshly either, but Revenge of the Sith implies that the Dark Side is indeed less powerful than the Light: while the Sith craved to stay the hand of death, it was Qui-Gon who found the path to immortality. The Sith's ultimate defeat lies in part in their inability to cheat death.

[Scavenger]

Sluggo: I gave up on the EU when New Jedi Order came about, so I couldn't tell you jack about any of it, But I don't have any problem following Legacy..even the new issue which is heavy with Yuuzhan Vong stuff...really, it's more like there's some unrevealed back story, like when watching the OT and you didn't know what the Clone Wars are who Mandolrians were...in the days before Lucas defined them and disapointed everyone.

One thing I do love about Legacy, is lots of touchbacks to the Marvel Comic series, which is far greater than anything Dark Horse has done (at least in terms of the main characters)....I love it being re-included!

[CYOTI]

Originally Posted by AuH20

He defeated the Sith? They're back in full force about a century later.

They may be back, but the situation in the galaxy in Legacy is far less precarious than the one in the Star Wars Saga where the Jedi were all, but wiped out and the Rebellion was fighting for its survival. Here the Sith are just one faction trying to dominate the galaxy.

He defeated this particular Sith Lord? Sidious came back repeatedly, with his personality/spirit inhabiting a series of clones.

But he came back greatly weakened both mentally and physically.

Nevertheless, the story that Lucas himself ultimately told is not honored by much of the post-ROTJ Expanded Universe: the Saga is diminished by it.

Except Lucas has said that Dark Empire is pretty much how he'd have done the story if Star Wars continued not to mention of course, he gave the DE tpbs as Christmas presents to his employees so really I doubt he feels in anyways dishonored by the EU.

[AuH20]

But, CYOTI, in what sense did Anakin bring balance to the Force? He reduced the Sith's status to "just one faction trying to dominate the galaxy"? He killed one iteration of Darth Sidious so that, when he did come back, he was weaker than he was before?

That's hardly the sort of epic accomplishment one would expect from a prophesied, arguably miraculously conceived Chosen One. Let's suppose that Lucas handed out TPB's of Dark Empire as Christmas presents in '93 or '94: he also (at least initially) approved The Star Wars Holiday Special, and it doesn't address my central complaint that -- particularly in the hindsight of having seen the prequels -- the post-ROTJ EU in general and Dark Empire and Legacy in particular SERIOUSLY undermine any plausible theories on how Anakin Skywalker fulfilled the prophecy of bringing balance to the Force.

[Sluggo]

Thanks, everyone. I'll factor all this in, probably stop vacillating back and forth and just buy the trade.

[CYOTI]

Originally Posted by AuH20

But, CYOTI, in what sense did Anakin bring balance to the Force?

He brought balance by destroying the dark side's hold over the galaxy. Yes Palpatine returned again and the Empire still existed, but what he did destroyed the absolute hold, it previous had on the galaxy.

That's hardly the sort of epic accomplishment one would expect from a prophesied, arguably miraculously conceived Chosen One.

He was conceived by Sidious or his master's manipulation of the midichlorians and the prophecy never once said that his actions had to be epic just that he brought balance to the force.

[ClaudioPozas]

Originally Posted by AuH20

But, CYOTI, in what sense did Anakin bring balance to the Force? He reduced the Sith's status to "just one faction trying to dominate the galaxy"? He killed one iteration of Darth Sidious so that, when he did come back, he was weaker than he was before?

That's hardly the sort of epic accomplishment one would expect from a prophesied, arguably miraculously conceived Chosen One. Let's suppose that Lucas handed out TPB's of Dark Empire as Christmas presents in '93 or '94: he also (at least initially) approved The Star Wars Holiday Special, and it doesn't address my central complaint that -- particularly in the hindsight of having seen the prequels -- the post-ROTJ EU in general and Dark Empire and Legacy in particular SERIOUSLY undermine any plausible theories on how Anakin Skywalker fulfilled the prophecy of bringing balance to the Force.

He balanced the Force by bringing back the Jedi. If it weren't for Vader's actions, Luke wouldn't become a Jedi, and wouldn't found a New Jedi Order.

This comic book brought back the love I had for Star Wars, which was all-but-obliterated by the Prequel Trilogy (although it did surge back a bit with the Clone Wars cartoons). As others said, Imperial Knights are certainly the most interesting aspect of this era.

[AuH20]

CYOTI, respectfully, there is no clear evidence that any Sith had a hand in the conception or birth of Anakin Skywalker.

I believe that, for the Saga to resonate as myth, Anakin's bringing balance to the Force must involve something more substantial than merely loosening the Empire's hold on the galaxy. You should feel free to disagree, and it appears that you do; it's unlikely that anything that occurs in the EU would make it untenable to argue that Anakin did something to fulfill the prophecy of the Chosen One, but surely you must know -- you must be able to sense -- that what you're arguing for is not as dramatic as what could be inferred from the films by themselves. However it is you think Anakin fulfilled the prophecy, it isn't nearly as emphatic as his permanently vanquishing Sidious, his decisively defeating the Sith, and his providing a victory that led to the Empire's demise.

It seems to me that Claudio has a theory that sounds better, but even so, the restoration of the Jedi merely returns the status quo unless Anakin also provided for a lasting defeat of the Sith. Anakin brought back the Jedi, so now we have Jedi vs. Sith again? That's what we had at the beginning of the Saga, but will anyone seriously argue that the Force was in balance then?

If y'all enjoy Legacy, great: have fun. Personally, I find the Knights of the Old Republic best captures both the drama and the humor of the original Star Wars, but to each his own. It's just that, if the Star Wars films capture the key events for not only the Skywalker clan but also for the galaxy and perhaps even the Force itself, the best EU stories will add to the Saga rather than diminish it. For better or worse, I think the Saga is diminished by books like Dark Empire and Legacy.

[CYOTI]

Originally Posted by AuH20

CYOTI, respectfully, there is no clear evidence that any Sith had a hand in the conception or birth of Anakin Skywalker.

Then why was Sidious's claims about his master's ability to manipulate and create life via the manipulation of the midichlorians in ROTS? There is frankly more evidence for Anakin being conceived by the Sith rather than by the Force itself.

I believe that, for the Saga to resonate as myth, Anakin's bringing balance to the Force must involve something more substantial than merely loosening the Empire's hold on the galaxy.

The mythic quality of Star Wars is not Anakin bringing balance to the Force at all or vanquishing the sith, but his fall from grace and his redemption by saving the life of his son. There lies the resonanting story not some prophecy.

you must be able to sense -- that what you're arguing for is not as dramatic as what could be inferred from the films by themselves.

I don't see it at all.

That's what we had at the beginning of the Saga, but will anyone seriously argue that the Force was in balance then?

No at the beginning of the trilogy we had Sidious weaving his plans to take the Republic and been in control of the situation throughout the prequels and in ROTJ. After his death at Anakin's hand, his control was lost.

It's just that, if the Star Wars films capture the key events for not only the Skywalker clan but also for the galaxy and perhaps even the Force itself, the best EU stories will add to the Saga rather than diminish it.

Legacy adds more to the story than it takes away, it's just that you have a fixation on a prophecy plot thread that had less than a dozen lines in the entire saga and is utterly trivial to the central story of Star Wars, the fall and redemption of Anakin Skywalker.

[AuH20]

Briefly, CYOTI, Palpatine could have known of Anakin's mysterious past and fabricated the line about Plaugeis to tell Anakin what he wanted to hear -- especially because of Anakin's fear of losing Padme, a fear of which Palpatine was somehow aware. I'm more inclined to believe Qui-Gon's theory than Palpatine's manipulations; after all, it was Qui-Gon, not Palpatine, who was ultimately vindicated by the outcome of Return of the Jedi.

The words of a manipulative Sith Lord is hardly evidence, but even if everything Palpatine told Anakin was true, the idea that the Sith had a hand in Anakin's conception remains pure speculation, and nothing more.

The dialogue there is certainly meaningful but not necessarily reliable.

I would agree that Anakin's fall and redemption is the most resonating aspect of the Star Wars Saga, but the motif of prophecy still resonates: from Oedipus Rex to The Hobbit to even horror films where some child's birth will bring about the eschaton, prophecy remains potent, and I'm frankly amazed that someone would write that I "have a fixation on a prophecy plot thread that had less than a dozen lines in the entire saga and is utterly trivial to the central story of Star Wars, the fall and redemption of Anakin Skywalker."

This is said in defense of a comic book series, all to attack my attention to detail vis-a-vis the Star Wars films themselves. Like I said in my first post in this thread, the prequels are what they are. The prophecy of the Chosen One cannot be ignored, but you seem willing to do just that.

Even granting that the prophecy isn't mentioned often, when it's mentioned, by whom and why, shows just how fallacious it is to suggest that the prophecy is "utterly trivial" to the fall and redemption of Anakin.

What are Qui-Gon's dying words to Obi-Wan, for which Obi-Wan decides to train Anakin in the first place?

"He is the chosen one. He will bring balance. Train him."

What was Anakin's reply when Padme said that he's not all-powerful?

"I should be. Someday I will be... I will be the most powerful Jedi ever. I promise you, I will even learn to stop people from dying."

You don't suppose that -- maybe, possibly -- the Chosen-One prophecy had any part in inflating Anakin's ego, do you?

Well, what did Obi-Wan say at the end of the duel on Mustafar, revealing (in part) why Anakin's fall was so tragic and so devastating to the Jedi Order?

"You were the chosen one! It was said that you would destroy the Sith, not join them! You were to bring balance to the force, not leave it in darkness!"

But this whole Chosen-One prophecy thing is inconsequential to Anakin's rise, fall, and redemption, right.

If this the length one must go in distorting the clear content of the films in order to justify the notion that Legacy "adds more to the story than it takes away," doesn't that prove my point? Legacy may well add to Star Wars as you wish it were, but you're providing a clear indication that it truly doesn't add to Star Wars as it actually is.

[beta-ray]

Ostrander is THE Star Wars comic writer imo!

[jedifish]

Originally Posted by beta-ray

Ostrander is THE Star Wars comic writer imo!

Yep. His Republic stuff with Jan was also great.