Discussions Your Personal Canon

Including the new Disney canon, I would add these books from Legends:

Lost Tribe of the Sith: The Collected Stories
Darth Plagueis
Yoda: Dark Rendezvous
Labyrinth of Evil
Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader
Kenobi
Shadows of the Empire

 

The original trilogy
The X-Wing novels, comics, and games
The Zahn novels

Almost everything else is fun, but not central to my conception of Star Wars. The exception - the things I boot completely from my canon, are everything Troy Denning has ever done (including Star by Star). And Sacrifice.

 

I have two canons. I decided to reconcile Old Canon with New Canon by accepting that Disney simply rebooted the entire story just as super-hero comics tend to do. Nothing lasts forever. I have one book shelf with the Old Canon and one with the New Canon.

Anything with Ahsoka including the TCW animation is included in the New Canon only. The only books that I leave completely out of both canons are Splinter of the Mind's Eye and Force Unleashed because they don't work for obvious reasons. And of course I include EP 1-6 in both canons.

So as far as I'm concerned the Old Canon is a closed story beginning with TOR and ending with Fate of the Jedi. I have been collecting the books since the early 90's and I have no problem with the fresh start that Disney has injected into the story.

 

My personal canon includes FOUR different "timelines" or "dimensions"...

(1) Episodes I-VI + the two animated Clone Wars series

(2) Episodes IV-VI + the original Marvel comics series

(3) Episodes I-VI + the two animated Clone Wars series + a small handful of the EU novels, comics, and video games that I enjoyed:
- Tales of the Jedi
- Knights of the Old Republic video game
- Red Harvest
- John Ostrander's Quinlan Vos/Clone Wars comics
- Republic Commando video game
- Clone Wars Adventures comics
- The Force Unleashed video game
- Lando Adventures
- Han Solo trilogy
- Han Solo Adventures
- Death Troopers
- Shadow Games
- Al Williamson's classic Star Wars comic strips
- X-Wing/TIE Fighter/X-Wing Alliance PC games
- Shadows of the Empire
- Courtship of Princess Leia
- Thrawn trilogy
- Dark Empire trilogy
- Black Fleet Crisis trilogy

(4) Episodes I-VI + TCW + all of this new Disney material

I would say, for me, (1) represents the "true" canon. (3) is probably my personal favorite. (2) is a lot of fun, but understandably crazy. And (4) is my least favorite.

 

My personal Canon is structured into different levels: Level 1- KOTOR and SWTOR, The Skywalker Saga[The PT(TPM, AOTC, ROTS including their respective Novelizations and most of the deleted scenes) The OT(ANH, TESB, ROTJ and some of the deleted scenes Note: the Novelizations are on level 4, see below, due to the contradictions especially Star Wars From The Adventures of Luke Skywalker) The ST(TFA, TLJ, EP IX and their Novelizations and some non-contradictory deleted scenes)] the two animated series TCW(including the unfinished episodes, unproduced arcs such as The Siege Of Mandalore and Dark Disciple a d Darth Maul Son of Dathomir) and Rebels(including the novel A New Dawn,Rebels Comics and the Ashoka novel), the standalone Anthology Film R1 and possibly the Obi-Wan standalone movie.
Level 2-Disney EU, the 2019 Star Wars live-action TV series, the Anthology Films, and Rian Johnson's Trilogy(if he still has that at this point)
Level 3-Most of Legends, such as The Clone Wars Multimedia Project which included the 2003 Microseries, the Republic Comics, as well as The Thrawn Trilogy, The NJO, LOTF, FOTJ etc
Level 4-older EU material such as Splinter of the Mind's Eye, Ewoks and Droids the original Marvel Star Wars Comics etc
Level 5-non-canon material separate from both timelines, such as Infinities, Lego Star Wars, The Star Wars comic book miniseries that was based off of one of the early drafts for the original film, etc
and finally the horrible Holiday Special is in a very, very low level. It's not level 6, it's just out there on its own.

 

What to do with TLJ?
The Mandator IV (Albeit slightly different) would be one of the strongest warships in the Imperial Remnant.
Amylin Holdo would be a Barolian.
She would die in the Vong War ramming her Mediator into a Worldship.
Canto Bight would slowly lose money as the Civil War wound down. It would eventually be abandoned with the Vong invasion commencing.
BB droids would be a promising new design, but ultimately run out of business by the ever-evolving R series.
Ach-To would be one of the Jedi's first worlds, though most Jedi traced their roots to Tython.
Crait would be one of the New Republic's fallback worlds during the resurrected Palpatine's conquest.
The T-70 X-Wing would largely replace the 65 late in the CivWar. Pretty much any 65s during the Vong War and later would be retconned to 70s. The 85 would never be invented. The X-Wings would evolve into the Stealth X and later Twin Tail to serve the Jedi.

 

The Classic Trilogy, the Thrawn Trilogy and all 11 seasons of Cheers.

 

LMAO!!! So True!!

 

My head canon:

• Dawn of the Jedi
• Tales of the Jedi
• KOTOR I
• SWTOR
• Lost Tribe of the Sith Comics/Book
• Knight Errant
• Jedi vs. Sith Comics
• Darth Plagueis
• PT
• OCW + Republic Comics + Yoda: Dark Rendezvous + Darth Vader Luceno Trilogy
• Kenobi
• Lost Times Comics
• TFU I
• OT
• Jedi Knight Games
• X-Wing Novels
• Thrawn Trilogy
• Jedi Academy Game
• NJO Novels - excluding novels by Troy Denning
• Legacy Comics

 

Exar Kun was the first Dark Lord of the Sith and Darth Bane was one of Kun's followers.

 

Can you clarify what you include with "Lost Times Comics?" Does that include Dark Times?

 

Dark Times comics

 

@darklordoftech

Do you mind if I ask what sources you are using? The reason I ask is that Tales of the Jedi: Dark Lords of the Sith and Golden Age of the Sith use that title rather freely.

Especially see Golden Age of the Sith #3 (first story page showing Ziost). And also see Dark Lords of the Sith #6 (last few story pages showing the amulets and a previous reigning Dark Lord of the Sith).

Spoiler: Dark Lords of the Sith #6

Sorry, I'm commenting on other people's personal canons without bothering to share mine!

 

It's just what I wish they did.

 

My Personal Canon is Rule-Based. It's not Rule-Based in terms of what I consider canon. I consider everything published to be canon (e.g. Lucasfilm Licensing allowed it to be published). I apply Rules in terms of grouping different publishing eras together, setting hierarchical relationships for stories, and deciding which stories tie into previous stories.

I still use the Hierarchy of Canon established with Leeland Chee as Keeper of the Holocron under the old Expanded Universe (G-Canon, T-Canon, C-Canon, S-Canon, RPG/Video Game-Canon).

I typically look at :
1) What larger multimedia series does the SW story tie into?
2) When was it published?
3) Who are the characters?
4) Who are the droid characters?
5) Who is the author?
6) Where does it fall on the hierarchy of canon?

Because Star Wars has always been licensed fiction, the published stories naturally tie into a bigger multimedia story (film, t.v. show, video game, comic book, novel, etc.). The tie-in material is always grouped with a bigger multimedia story. That is a Rule which can never be escaped with Star Wars: What does this story tie into or what publishing era did it come from?

Each licensing agreement is a contract to create tie-in material to a larger film, tv show, etc. But notice how in the world of licensed sci-fi some licensing deals consist of a contract to create tie-in material for older films (ex. 1) Terminator franchise, 2) Aliens franchise). Star Wars 2015 (Marvel) has been no exception by being tie-in material to ANH. Star Wars 2013 (Dark Horse) did the same as tie-in material to ANH.

The bigger multimedia stories do not always fit together neatly. So, the Sequel Trilogy and Solo: A Star Wars Story + their tie-in material conflict with the old EU in certain ways. I allow that by inserting the Rule that different in-universe story tellers may convey conflicting stories to us, the viewers, who are out-universe.

Who are the in-universe story tellers? Well, I deeply suspect the droids as emissary story tellers. Why? In the long run, we are all dead, unless you are a droid programmed by a human that can carry on the "will" of its human programmers. The concept an artificial life form carrying on the "will" of its sentient programmers, I feel, is part of the grand scheme/inherent design of Star Wars.

George has infused SW with teaching moments and there are some which we really have to dig for. Some of those teaching moments George has likely forgotten or has kept as buried treasure.

Spoiler: Droids: In-Universe Story Tellers?

In terms of grouping stories together when there is a conflict, the stories each seem to contain a character who might be pinned down as "conveyor" or "in-universe story teller". When I read a new Star Wars story, I ask, "Which character is likely responsible for communicating the story afterwards?"

Ultimately, every story had to be communicated after the events occurred. A New Hope established that the stories happened "A Long Time Ago, in a galaxy Far, Far Away." That sais the stories happened in our past and not in our future. After that, how did these stories get here?

​

So, basically, the story occurred in-universe, then a chain of communication occurred until the story found its way into the storage banks of one of the droids. I suspect BB-8 was involved in storage of the sequel trilogy. Every story needs to be recorded by a droid, because unfortunately, in the long run we are all dead.

It's possible that some of the stories are a pastiche of multiple droid accounts. The same droid may also give conflicting story accounts to reflect conflicting recordings from different sentient beings.

I would like to think that we have *YET* to meet some of the most fascinating droid characters/designs to be introduced. And what can be said about GL's fascination with droids?

​

​

 

Everything is included in my canon, the only exception is the LEGO and Infinities stuff . Everything else is fair game and I enjoy incorporating it all into the tapestry that is Star Wars.

@Tython Awakening wonderful ideas on the "droids as storytellers". I'm quite fond of the idea, and some of my favorite Star Wars lore/merchandise is the Droids cartoon, comics, and children's books. There are also the Marvel comics where A New Hope is told from the droid's point of view!

 

Thanks for that kind feedback. "Droids as Storytellers" works with the Original Trilogy film editing to me. And then look how "Droid Perspectives" came up in the comics. "Droids as Storytellers" allows me to make sense of saga elements and premises that have been inadequately resolved, (in my opinion).

 

I am still uncertain how I feel about the idea of a personal "head-canon" but I can see some fun to be had compiling an EU-friendly timeline that incorporates's stories from the new Disney canon expansively. This would not be entirely different from the "One Canon" project that Sinrebirth conceived awhile ago on this site.
I personally like both EU and the Disney Canon and eagerly consume both as two separate things. However, if I were to conceive a "head-canon" which incorporates bits of both it would go something like this*:
Dawn of the Jedi
Tales of the Jedi
Lost Tribe of the Sith (dispersed on the timeline as appropriate)
Knights of the Old Republic
The Old Republic
Knight Errant
Jedi vs. Sith, Bane trilogy, and other Ruusan Reformation era stuff
Darth Plagueis
Cloak of Deception
Darth Maul books
The Phantom Menace
Republic Comics (dispersed on the timeline as appropriate)
Rogue Planet
Outbound Flight
The Approaching Storm
Attack of the Clones
The Clone Wars novels, comics, and micro-series (include the CN series with reservations; some "head-canon" retcons may be necessary^2)
Labyrinth of Evil
Revenge of the Sith
Kenobi
Darth Vader and Purge comics (tentatively include Marvel Vader comics that include stories that do not intrude upon EU continuity)
Dark Lord: Rise of Darth Vader
Lords of the Sith
Tarkin
Dark Times
Coruscant Nights
The Last Jedi (novel; not Rian Johnson film)
Dark Horse Droids comics
Han Solo books by Crispin and Daley
Lando books
Boba Fett comics (dispersed same as noted elsewhere)
The Force Unleashed
Agent of the Empire
Death Star
Dark Forces and Jedi Knight Series (dispersed as noted elsewhere)
Empire comics
Shadow Games
A New Dawn
Rebels
Leia, Princess of Alderaan
Rogue One (including companion novels)
A New Hope
Tales of anthologies (dispersed)
Scoundrels
Allegiance
Classic Marvel Star Wars series (sans some of the cheesier nonsense like Jaxxon, the original story where Vader learned Luke's identity et. al; mostly focus on the introduction of Lumiya, The Tarkin, The Tof-Nagai war, etc)
Dark Horse Star Wars series
Vader's Quest
Heir to the Jedi
Doctor Aphra
Choices of One
Rebellion comics
Honor Among Thieves
Galaxies
Splinter of the Mind's Eye
Razor's Edge
X-Wing and TIE Fighter games
The Empire Strikes Back
Shadows of the Empire
Rebel Assault
Return of the Jedi
Mara Jade: By the Emperor's Hand
Bounty Hunter Wars
Truce at Bakura
X-Wing comics
Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor
X-Wing novels
Courtship of Princess Leia
Tatooine Ghost
Thrawn Trilogy
Dark Empire
Crimson Empire
Jedi Academy
I, Jedi
Children of the Jedi, Darksaber, and Planet of Twilight
The Crystal Star
Black Fleet Crisis
The New Rebellion
Corellian Trilogy
Hand of Thrawn
Union
Scourge
Survivor's Quest
The New Jedi Order and Invasion
Dark Nest
Legacy of the Force
Crosscurrent and Riptide
Millennium Falcon
Fate of the Jedi
Crucible
Legacy
Also dispersed throughout the Tales comics that fit in the continuity and the Forces of Destiny shorts not pertaining to the ST

*The entries on the timeline represent entire storylines so for example Knights of Republic would include both video games and the comic series.

^2I was half tempted to remove the Filoni series entirely, but I did not want to throw the baby out with the bath and remove good stories and characters that I enjoyed from the series. Plus the excellent Rebels series hinges on TCW existing on the timeline.

NOTE: This timeline (which is already overlong in my opinion) excludes the YA content like Jedi Apprentice, Jedi Quest, etc and also certain animated series like Droids and Ewoks. This is not to say aspects of those stories are to be discarded entirely in this "head-canon", but simply that their inclusion would be too exhaustive for a forum post. As can be seen only a small amount of Disney canon actually made it onto this list. It is unfortunate (as I do like the new canon very much), but to make an EU-friendly timeline that includes Disney Canon would require a good portion of the Disney stuff to be excluded. The stories I included are the ones that raise the fewest complications to the original continuity. While I enjoy seeing the work Sinrebirth has produced for making the timelines more cohesive, I disagree with him in a few fundamental areas and thus could only relent to accepting portions of the Disney canon into the old continuity as opposed to all of it.

 

@Psychenous

Do the Russ Manning Newspaperstrips and Archie Goodwin/Al Williamson Newspaperstrips factor into your personal continuity around the original trilogy films? You have Jedi Academy and Tales of the Jedi up there and the original Marvel SW series under Classic Marvel Series.

 

To answer your question I would say yes they are factored in and I implied their inclusion in my note at the end. I said,

"This timeline (which is already overlong in my opinion) excludes the YA content like Jedi Apprentice, Jedi Quest, etc and also certain animated series like Droids and Ewoks. This is not to say aspects of those stories are to be discarded entirely in this "head-canon", but simply that their inclusion would be too exhaustive for a forum post."

So yeah I am not throwing out the newspaper stuff. I've read them and they aren't all bad; same as the classic Marvel comics. I didn't like the majority of the Manning stuff, but I liked a great deal of the Williamson and Goodwin content.

 

Here is my personal canon;

*The Old Republic (KOTOR, KOTOR II, SW:TOR)
*Prequel Trilogy (I, II, III)
*Clone Wars
*Rebels
*Rogue One
*Original Trilogy (IV, Shadows of the Empire, V, VI)
*Post-ROTJ
*NJO
*All Essential Guides and Vehicle/Weapon/Technology guide books
*All Black Horse comics
*Everything else in the EU

 

Everything that existed before Disney. I tried watching and reading the new stuff but my brain just goes "Wait...Jacen is the Solo child that goes Dark and Ben is LUKE's child." Or "Rey?! How about Jaina?"

 

My personal canon is basically all of Ledgends in "broad stroakes" in addition to my fanfics, the rpgs stories I have participated in and my fanon posts.
Some outright deviations from the official lore though are:
-Revan was a woman, the Jedi in Exile a man
-the dark side ending of TFU 2 is the canon one
-only certian parts of clone wars(mainly no Maul resurection)
-Jacen surviving LotF(though barely anyone knows that and him dying is IU the official version)

Also would include some books of the new canon that can work with Ledgends like the Tarkin novel(minus Sheev) and Lords of the Sith.