Shadows of the Empire

Not all Star Wars fans dive deep into the Expanded Universe, but if you were a Fanboy in 1996 then "Shadows of the Empire" would have been hard to miss. Lucasfilm wanted to explore the period of time between "Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi", so they hired Steve Perry to author a novel. But they didn't stop there. They wanted the release of "Shadows of the Empire" to feel like a film was releasing- they wanted something no Wars fan could ignore. So, along with the book, they released a video game, comics, a toy line, trading cards, and -yes- even a soundtrack.


Shadows of the Empire is memorable (not only because of the merchandise) but because of the rich story and characters. Lucas himself said that he loved the story and Lucas does not usually speak highly of the Expanded Universe. 

Prince Xizor

The Novel introduces a new villain named Prince Xizor (pronounced Sheezer). His species is Falleen and he looks humanoid, but reptilian. He is the leader of a crime organization known as the Black Sun and is taking orders directly from the Emperor himself. In the book, Xizor assists with construction of the second death star. He also tries to seduce Princess Leia with his natural Falleen-pheromones and for a while it actually works!

Dash Rendar

Another new character which is important to the story is Dash Rendar. He is essentially Han Solo's replacement (since Han is frozen in carbonite) and he is also the star of the Shadows of the Empire video game. Rendar is a smuggler who aids the alliance in the Battle of Hoth and the Battle of Gall. He also has a battle with IG-88 in the game. Rendar has an awesome ship called the 'Outrider' which actually makes a cameo in the Special Edition of A New Hope at Mos Eisley Space Port.



In addition to new characters, Shadows expands on some characters we see briefly in the films- the Bounty Hunters. The  comic focusses on Boba Fett's journey to Jabba's Palace and the trouble he finds along the way. Fett must battle Bossk, Zuckuss, & 4-Lom if he wants to claim Jabba's prize. "Shadows" also features Leia & Chewbacca disguising themselves as the bounty hunters Bouschh & Snoova. 

Guri

Another character worth mentioning is Guri. She is described as a Human Replica Droid (basically a Cylon) almost indistinguishable from humans. She is Xizor's right hand and she has been trained and programed to kill. Guri takes center-stage is the comic series "Shadows of the Empire: Evolution" a 1998 sequel to Shadows. Guri is another example of a strong-female warrior, which are so prevalent in the expanded universe, but not so much in the Star Wars films.

Dash Rendar's Outrider

Shadows was a epic project and will not soon be forgotten. It introduced new characters and new ships. The story was fast-paced and exciting. It is probably the best example of a Star Wars book really channelling the feeling of the films. It was also the last good thing to happen to Star Wars before the 20th Anniversary Editions and the prequels.

Chewbacca as Snoova

Next week I focus on the many, many versions of the Star Wars films
 (specifically the Special Editions)