Lit Cool stuff in obscure or not-so-great books/comics/games/etc.

Speaking of the Glove of Darth Vader, the first book alone has plenty of interesting ideas that could actually work if done in a less silly story.

A lowly slave working his way up to a position of power? Check.

Imperials choosing Hoth as a base, seeing as how the Rebels wouldn't suspect it and there's already fortifications there? Check.

A villain with a close relationship to his droid, similar to Luke's relationship with Artoo and Threepio? Check.

And finally, a villain who lacks force sensitivity, but pretends to have those powers through gadgets such as lightning gloves? Check.

 

I think that Kevin J. Anderson meant for Exar Kun to be the fallen Jedi who founded the Sith, but then he was alerted to the existence of Tales of the Jedi and rewrote things so that Exar Kun got corrupted by Freedon Nadd and Marka Ragnos.

 

The EU did develop like a haphazard Lego stack it seems but it held together. That may have been his intention but TOTJ was published around the same time no?

However Kun's actions did have long lasting effects in universe. He precipitated nearly 3000 years of Jedi-Sith warfare and was a model of the fallen Jedi that later waged war against the Jedi.

He was also quite powerful as well.

 

TOTJ was indeed published around the same time, but in those days the comic and novel authors didn't pay much attention to each other. I wonder what would have happened if they decided to have Thrawn and Dark Empire occur in separate universes.

 

It would have been bad for the EU.

 

It's effectively what Trek and Doctor Who did...

 

Trek only in the last decade has developed a coherent novelverse with one inter-connected universe much to its benefit.

I'm not qualified to comment on Doctor Who.

 

OMG Trioculus is like... Jedi... Batman!

...wait. I'm onto your ways bro.

 

Fun idea for a thread, OP. I second the West End Games and Wizards of the Coast supplements and the Star Wars Gamer magazine as tremendous sources of interesting backstories and entertaining characterizations. Some of my favorites include Han Solo and the Corporate Sector Sourcebook and Galaxy of Intrigue.

Some of the reference articles on the StarWars.com blogs were chock-full of details linking all sorts of sources and media, such as the series Barely Tolerable: Alien Henchmen of the Empire by Abel G. Peña and Rich Handley. Grand Moff Hissa's backstory, for example: born to parents who were former political agitators and counterculturists and raised in what sounds like a struggling commune on a planet in Wild Space, he battled a swarm of monstrous Rozzum razing his community alongside then-Commander Panaka. Panaka! I was not expecting Panaka. And the piece ties in species from Jedi: Yoda with the establishment of Hissa's Sephi heritage and from Blind Fury! with the Rozzum.

A character from one of the most maligned and silly pieces of Star Wars media was given a serious treatment. And I just think that's cool.

(BUT WHY DOES HISSA CONSTANTLY HAVE THE WORST THINGS POSSIBLE THROWN AT HIM?? LIFE IS SUFFERING)

 

The Azzameen family in X-Wing Alliance. Really wanted more of them.

 

Also the Ewoks cartoon. Can't help but love em.

 

I can't remember much of anything that happened in Coruscant Nights II: Street of Shadows (although I should add I didn't hate the series or anything; it's just that the second book didn't go anywhere).

But. That Typho scene with the Jenet where they politely insult each other for several pages. OMG. Best use of a Jenet ever. And Typho just pleasantly going along with the madness. I'll never forget that scene.

 

From "The Crystal Star," I really love Xaverri - not so much for what she does in the book, as the whole background concept of a woman seeking to punish former Imperials. Obviously, for various good and practical reasons, there are going to be a lot of Imperials who manage to avoid any consequences for their crimes; just as obviously, this isn't going to sit well with everyone. Enter Xaverri - Simon Wiesenthal meets Simon Templar. I would've loved to see an anthology book that showed her running various stings.

 

Thread necromancy time!

There's one detail I really liked but couldn't remember what story it showed up in for ages. That confusion is at an end as today I found it in the unreleased Adventure Journal story 'Light and Shadow':

I love this. The idea that some Sith, strong in the Dark Side and driven by a philosophy of extreme selfishness and self-indulgence, might become living embodiments of excess and greed through abuse of the Force. Dune's physically and morally monstrous Baron Harkonnen as a Sith, essentially.

Also, while I can't give a specific example right now, SWTOR has some cool details in the weirdest places, hidden away in text-only descriptions of crew skill missions for instance iirc. Stuff which weirdly enough shows much more knowledge and regard for obscure parts of the EU than the actual main storyline does. It's like while assigning writers they went "Oh hey Joe you love Star Wars and know tons of little-known stuff to reference? Ok buddy you can work on flavor text that 75% of players will never actually see, that sound good?"

 

I love the Galaxy of Fear books. I read the entire run in middle school, and while I had been a hardcore fan of the movies my entire life up until that point, those books were a great vector into the obscure and fun stuff Legends had to offer. Eaten Alive, The Nightmare Machine, Planet Plague, and Spore are the ones I remember the most, and quite fondly. It's like Goosebumps meets Star Wars!

 

- The Night Beast established that Massassi Outpost got its name from the Massassi species building it and introduces a member of the Massassi species, who we learn isn't native to Yavin.

- Jedi Academy Trilogy introduced Exar Kun, the Massassi-Sith connection, and Sith ghosts attaching to objects

- Before the Storm reveals that the Massassi worshipped Yavin Prime as a god, and ties this into the 1976 novelization's claim that the builders of the temple were trying to reach the stars.

- Tales of the Jedi Companion introduced Adas and a Sith who was on Onderon before Nadd

- Star Wars Gamer #5 connected "Minions of Xendor" and Arden Lyn to ancient galactic history and the Jedi Schisms

 

The Holiday Special had a cool Virtual Reality thing that was pseudo-erotic.

 

I mean there really wasn't anything pseudo about it. That Wookiee got wood.

 

That Wookiee pseudo-porn scene was uncomfortable to watch. What are we as the audience supposed to take away from that scene? "The Star Wars galaxy would be great to live in. Grandpa can watch his strange holograms in the living room. (Sure, he makes some weird noises, but he's always sleepy after. I can play my video games for hours while he naps!)"

Sent from my SM-G386W using Tapatalk

 

Yes. Triocolus could have been an awesome villain and Cyclops could have been also great if utilized. Another midi-chlorin conceived child of Palpatine with a count similar to Anakin.

 

If there's one thing I've learned from The Deuce, it's that porn was more acceptable in the 70s.

And to be honest, it was a bit awkward to watch Luke drink raw milk he had just squirted from the boob of a giant alien sea lion as it leered at Rey. I think I'd take Itchy's grunting over that easily.

 

I disagree on intent alone. The scene in TLJ is meant to show how off the grid Luke has gone. The scene in the Christmas Special, seemingly, has no purpose other than showing that Itchy is a horny old Wookie.

 

I agree with the first part but not the second. Makes him sound like a self insert fan fic character IMO.

 

Chewie and Dodonna flashing gang signs at each other in Mystery of the Rebellious Robot.

 

TBH, trying to determine the purpose or intent behind most any given scene in the Holiday Special is a task that should only be undertaken by madmen.