Lit EU Bridge of Death: You are JJ's only hope...

So I was curious and not sure how to ask this, so I'm going to make it hypothetical-like. Sort of like a "what if" game, but let's not call it a "what if" thread because those aren't allowed in Lit, and let's not call it a "game" per se, because those aren't allowed in Lit either.

So here's how it goes: Ol' J. J. Abrams has been feeling the pressure as of late. He knows there's a big Star Wars fanbase out there, a big amorphous bantha biscuit of a fanbase that's gonna get mightily pissed off at whatever he does.

So he's decided to kidnap a fan, and that fan just happens to be you.

This is you:


Here's JJ. He wants you to answer his Questions Three.


JJ knows that the EU has been sort of an ivory tower among die-hard Star Wars fans, and even though he's been given the go-ahead to deface the heck out of it, he's learned from his experiences among the Trek base that maybe a total steamroll isn't the best way to go.

So here's your chance: you are allowed to keep THREE things in the EU. Any part of the EU. G-canon, C-canon, T-canon, it doesn't matter -- they're all equal in the eyes of JJ and he's about to hulk smash the hell out of them.

Now if you say something stupid like "the entire EU" or "everything after ROTJ", JJ will probably make you take the blue pill and you'll wake up the next day with one less kidney and no recollection of how you got off the island. Game over. JJ is looking for something more along the lines of "Jacen Solo" or "Nil Spaar's turban hat" (please don't say that. I will think less of you if you do.) Something he can use for his films. An aspect or character or item in the EU that will continue to exist in the Disneyverse. Probably not perfectly, but some semblance of it will live on.

Here are my 3 as an example:

1) Thrawn -- an uncanny Imperial commander who outsmarts the heroes at every move. Yes, he's
spawned more fanboys than Ahsoka can ever hope for, but you've got to admit Evil Sherlock Holmes is a memorable villain.

2) The Yuuzhan Vong -- a race of organics-obsessed, (mostly) force-less, bloodthirsty invaders from beyond the Galaxy's border. They were a good idea and if the EU were obliterated tomorrow I would honestly miss them.

3) The Wedge/Tycho/Wes/Hobbie dynamic -- come to think of it, I might miss this most of all if the EU goes.

Ok, so have at it. And I should note that these shouldn't necessarily be your "three favorite things in the EU", but more along the lines of 3 things the EU did that deserve to live on in some way, shape, or form.

 

Thrawn

The Yuuzhan Vong War

The Glove of Darth Vader

Edit: On a serious note, The Solo Twins

 

Only 3 things, huh?
1. Heir to the Empire
2. Dark Force Rising
3. The Last Command.

 

This is presumably predicated on assuming that all post-ROTJ EU material is destroyed and we're looking at three specific EU elements to be referenced or used directly in the movies yes?

I will register the protest that this is a bad idea and the logical way to deal with the EU is to create a division based on a timeline date, largely because the EU is too self-referential otherwise. Honestly what does keeping Grand Admiral Thrawn actually mean? Presumably that means preserving his campaign in something at least resembling its Thrawn Trilogy form right? So that means preserving events up to 9 ABY to at least some degree. Gets messy fast.

With regard to the above I'm choosing three things I believe could be put into the sequel trilogy absent any assumptions regarding whatever happens between ROTJ and Episode VII.
1. Chiss - I mean, we like them well enough don't we?
2. E-wings - a totally worthwhile contribution to Star Wars ship design that totally got undercut by the stupid reversion back to those old X-wings.
3. Having a Jedi Academy on Yavin 4 - ziggurats are cool and it would be a fun place to revisit.

 

#1: ROGUE SQUADRON. They're so iconic that it's easy to forget that they're an EU invention. Yes, "Rogue Flight" was in Empire, but the concept of Rogue Squadron as the Alliance's/New Republic's elite starfighting group is straight from the EU. You guys did some sleuthing for me back in 2009 on the matter, and I later chronicled it all here.

Like I said above, they're iconic. Novel-readers, comic-readers, video-gamers, RPG-gamers --- everyone who's dabbled in some sort of OT-and-later-era-EU knows who and what they are. If they're left out of Episode VII, we won't be the only ones who miss them.

#2: The Imperial Remnant. That Robot Chicken skit had a point about how the Imperial fleet wouldn't just lie down and surrender because the Emperor was dead and the Death Star destroyed, and both J.J. and a large portion of fandom are smart enough to realize that the war would have continued post-Jedi. No one wants to see another Rebels-vs-Empire trilogy, but Episode VII will likely be set far enough in the timeline that a post-war situation will be very realistic. An Imperial Remnant existing as a shadow of the once-great Empire that eventually made peace with the good guys? Do it, J.J. Fans will scream in joy if they see X-wings and TIEs flying together against a new threat.

#3: Not really sure yet. Things like "Solo children" and "A New Jedi Order" seem like givens already. I guess I'll go with Leia as Chief of State.

 

1) Jaxxon.

2) The Hiromi. Yaaayyyy!!!!

3) The 5-mile long Super Star Destroyer.

 

I fake a heart attack. When Abrams comes close enough, I spring into action, disarm him, and knock him out. I put on his clothes, sneak into Disney headquarters, and make the film myself. It is set immediately post-NJO.

I WIN YOUR SCENARIO.

 

Nothing stupid like "all of it", eh? Well, fine then. I'll keep this serious.

1. Daiman.
2. Daiman.
3. Daiman.

Because Daiman's life is the sum of a remainder of an unbalanced equation inherent to the continuity of the EU. He is the eventuality of an anomaly, and the existence of the One will ensure the preservation of the Many.

Put that in your pipe and smoke it! No "all of it", hah.

 

I take the red pill, see how far down the rabbit hole goes, then I get into a cool slow-motion fist fight with Bryan Burke.

 

Ben Skywalker
Jaina Solo
Tarfang

All just because I think he would be hard pressed to destroy the EU completely by including these characters, while including age appropriate versions of the big three.

 

1. The Thrawn Trilogy.
2. The Jedi Academy Trilogy
3. The Corellian Trilogy.

There are other works in the EU that I like, The Han Solo Trilogy, The Courtship of Princess Leia, Shadows of Mindor... etc. But I think (at leats I hope!) they are safe.

 

1. Boba Fett survived the sarlacc and is alive
2. Mandalorian culture as seen in the LOTF series
3. Events of the Bounty Hunter Wars series

 

1. Luke's fishing vest from Shadows of the Empire
2. Thrawn's art collection (but not Thrawn)
3. Okay seriously, Jacen Solo's arc.

 

I think Boba Fett surviving the Sarlacc is safe, unless someone directly says "Boba is dead".
About the Bounty Hunter Wars series, is it good? I haven't managed to read it yet, but I've heard it's boring, so there isn't much incentive for me to read it any time soon.

 

ezekiel22x Isn't everything except the supposed Kaleesh art just holographic?

 

He has a point, you know. We might also use the "dominate mind" dark side power on Abrams. You know, the Imperius curse of Star Wars.

1) K'Kruhk's hat (which is freakin' sweet, as we all know dow here)
2) Ahsoka's "trail" (someone asked about her "Ahsoka's trail" on Wookieepedia a few days ago. I didn't even know she was married. Those things you learn, dear... xD)
3) The Sun King ("Totally mega cool!")

Now, let's be serious. Quite frankly, I'd answer just the same thing as Giovs did. Those trilogies are the core of the post-ROTJS EU. That and The Courtship of Princess Leia.

 

1. Mara Jade
2. Luke as Jedi Grand Master
3. Wedge being awesome

 

Mara
Thrawn
Kyle Katarn

 

People here are hot and cold on the series. If you like Fett and the other OT hunters and want some good action then it's not a bad read. If you don't, then you might not like it as much. There's also some good Vader/Xizor scenes.

 

Sounds like I might enjoy it then.
Thanks.

 

1. The Essential Atlas
2. The Essential Guide to Warfare
3. The Essential Readers' Companion

 

"But... it was so artistically done."

 

well... better pick something late in the timeline that requires a lot else to have happened

so here my pick:

1) TENEL KA
2) Allana
3) The Essential Atlas

 

1. Bastion Accords
2. Yuuzhan Vong War
3. Second Galactic War/ Fate of the Jedi Plotline

or...

1. Jaxxon
2. Waru
3. Darth Maul Lives!

or or...

1. The Glove of Darth Vader
2. Ken Palpatine
3. Trioculous

or or or...

1. Kyle Katarn
2. K'Kruhk's Hat
3. Nom Anor

or or or or...

1. Shatterpoint
2. Darth Plageuis
3. Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor

Hmm, I should go back to the drawing board, shouldn't I....