13 Expanded Universe items that are Canon Again

On April 25^th, 2014, millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. These voices belonged to the characters, planets, spaceships, alien races, and plot-lines of the old Expanded Universe. On that date, almost 3 years ago, Disney announced that over 35 years of Star Wars books, comics, games, and television shows were no longer canon.

Dash Rendar. Mara Jade Skywalker. Prince Xizor. Jaina & Jacen Solo. Kyle Katarn. Corran Horn. These were just a few of the souls that were de-canonized on Triple D Day (Disney Death Day). In what some would say is a fate worse than death- Disney declared that these characters had never existed in the first place.

Many fans were satisfied with Disney’s decision, while others were heartbroken. Yet, even today, many of the elements of the old Expanded Universe continue to have a giant impact on Disney’s version of the Star Wars universe. And almost 3-years later, some of these lost entries have found their way back into the land of official Star Wars canon. Let’s take a look, shall we.

The most famous example of this death and rebirth can be seen in the character of Grand Admiral Thrawn. Thrawn was first introduced to the Star Wars universe in the 1991 book Timothy Zahn book "Heir to the Empire". Though he was wiped out on Disney Death Day" he may be the only EU character so far to be re-canonized. He was returned to canon when Rebels season 3 premiered in 2016.

Thrawn wasn’t the only element of Timothy Zahn’s trilogy to have a lasting impact on the new Star Wars Universe. Zahn also created and coined the name Coruscant, eight years before the planet appeared in The Phantom Menace. Even the concept of The New Republic was introduced Zahn’s trilogy, a concept reused in “The Force Awakens”.

Jedi Holocron from "Dark Empire" (1991)

1991 was a good year for the Star Wars expanded universe. Dark Horse comic book series “Dark Empire” also came out that year. This series introduced fans to the  Holocron, an important Jedi (or Sith) device still important to the plot of "Star Wars Rebels" today. The planet Nal Hutta, was also introduced in "Dark Empire", and is officially part of Disney’s Canon.

TIE Defender from "TIE Fighter" (1994)

TIE Defender from "Rebels" (2016)

"Star Wars Rebels" has also reclaimed the Tie Defender (first introduced in the 1994 video game TIE Figther). "Rebels" introduced the Lasat species in the form of Zeb Orrelios. Yet Zeb's species can trace its roots to the RPG tabletop game "Tatooine Manhunt" 1988. Furthermore Rebels resurrected the Quasar Fire-class cruiser (First introduced in the 1994 novel, The Truce at Bakura and first pictured in The Truce at Bakura Sourcebook).

Kaiburr Crystals from
"Splinter of the Mind's Eye"
(1978)

Kyber crystals are another notable element of the old EU. The crystals were featured heavily in "Rouge One", yet these crystals appeared as far back as 1978 in the first Star Wars EU novel “Splinter of the Mind’s Eye” (though back then they were referred to as “Kaiburr Crystals”)

Many EU fans will point out that the Darth Maul can thank the old Expanded Universe for his home planet and his lightsaber. The planet Dathomir first appeared in the 1994 novel “The Courtship of Princess Leia” and the 1995 comic series “Tales of the Jedi” featured a double-bladed lightsaber, years before Maul was even dreamed up.

Double-Bladed Lightsaber from
"Tales of the Jedi" 1995

Some of the earliest EU elements dismantled and then re-established was the game Sabacc and the Z-95 headhunter. Sabacc was originally featured in the 1983 novel, "Lando Calrissian and the Mindharp of Sharu". The Z-95 headhunter is even older than Lando himself. It was first mentioned in the 1979 novel “Han Solo at Stars’ End”. Both of these fan-favorites, have found their way back to canon.

All of this is to say that the old EU will never be completely dead and gone. Disney will continue to take cues from the old days of fandom when constructing its version of the Star Wars Galaxy. What fan favorite will claw their way out of Disney’s mass grave next? Only time will tell.