About the timeline: BBY/ABY should be BBE/ABE!

Does anyone else find it strange that the central point of the Star Wars timeline is the Battle of Yavin?
It marks a turning point in the war and it was in the very first Star Wars film, yes, but if you think about it, it would be more logical to have the Battle of Endor as the central point. It´s the end of the Empire, the end of the Sith. It marks the beginning of a new age!

 

Anyone?

 

I actually have it both ways. I count up to the Battle of Yavin, then count down from the Battle of Yavin to the Battle of Endor, then start over counting down from the Battle of Endor. That's my way.

 

As you mentioned, it's the time of the very first film, and of the birth of the SW phenomenon. It is only fitting that the birth of the SW universe is reflected in the way it's timeline is set.

 

The Battle of Endor was not the end of the Sith.

 

Yeah there's that Mara Jade wannabe still running around...

<innocent.gif>

In any case it's better to establish timelines based on events instead of governments since governments can and do come and go where as the battle of Yavin is always the same.

 

Heck, the Battle of Endor wasn't even the end of the Empire, for that matter.

 

Heck, the Battle of Endor wasn't even the end of the Empire, for that matter.

farraday...

 

Uh oh...

Please don't hurt me! I repent! I repent!

 

Yeah there's that Mara Jade wannabe still running around...

Roganda Ismaren - NJO RS... she got cut 2 pieces by her son, the Children of the jedi brat turned Lord Nyax... who is also now dead due do a lot of rocks falling on him

 

I don't think farraday meant Roganda Ismaren.

 

Heh. Well, I wonder who came first into Palpatine's court...Shira, or Mara?

Anyway, yeah...This is screwed. I use the ASW ( After Star Wars ) system that started with the Guide to the Star Wars Universe 2nd Edition. All pre-ANH stories are BSW4 ( Before Star Wars IV ), all post-ANH stories are ASW4 ( After Star Wars IV ), and everything post-ROTJ is ASW6 ( After Star Wars VI. )

This was the primary way of keeping time in the WEG/Bantam days, and the one I will stick to.

 

ABY and BBY make more sense. The Battle of Yavin was as major an event as both the battles of Hoth and Endor. Yet it marked the change in the war as well as the beginning of the end of one era. Plus neither the Sith nor the Empire ended with the Battle of Endor. It would be years before the Empire would finally end and be replaced by the Imperial Remnant. And the Sith still exsist during the NJO. But the Battle of Yavin marked the beginning of the end of the Galactic Civil War and the Empire's control of the galaxy. Should we maybe change the current system of dating in our modern world to BDC and ADC to reflect Christ's death? Or mabye BRC and ARC to reflect the resurrction of Christ? After all, more people began following the teachings of Christ after his death and resurrection than did during his lifetime.

 

As far as I know(and according to Lucas), Anakin Skywalker brought balance to the Force when he exterminated the Sith in ROTJ, so all that stuff about Palpatine and the Sith still being around don´t really count to the saga. And even if the Empire isn´t dead right after the Battle of Endor, it still marks the beginning of a new age.
But whatever, maybe I should just stay away from the EU....

 

Run for it, I'll cover your back.

Uh oh...

They have a Genghis...

In any case, what do they use in universe. Outside it makes sense to use ANH as the central event but in universe it makes little sense. Usually calanders are set by an event that happened a while in the past, people don't immediately say "wow this is spectacular, we're now in year 1!"

 

HoloNet News: RM&S Debates Calendar Reform

 

Thank you but that does not answer the question.

Especially in relation to post CT EU. What did the NR use when it was still effective?

Also, I don't think anyone expects the Old Republic to be counting down to when ANH will happen.

 

And even if the Empire isn´t dead right after the Battle of Endor, it still marks the beginning of a new age.

Then perhaps we should change the way we date our modern timeline to BFR and AFR to refer top the fall of Rome since that marked the beginning of a new age as well. Or perhaps BIR and AIR for the Industrial Revolution, again something that marked the beginning of a new age.

The Sith were not exterminated in RoTJ. What Anakin did to bring balance to the Force was to restore the natural order of things. The dark side once again in hiding and the light side once again brought to the fore. Anakin also left a legacy behind that would promise his ability to bring balance to the Force long after his death.

Yet to believe the Sith would be easily exterminated with Palpatine's death is extremely foolish. Not counting such characters as Lumiya, there is also Sith teachings. Like the Jedi, the Sith would have written down their teachings for later generations to use. Palpatine would not have brought these with him to the DSII. As long as they still exsist, the Sith could arise once more at any time.

 

I'd also point out that the post Ruusan Sith weren't a big deal to the majority of the galaxy as far as I'm aware.

I could be wrong but I do not think the fact Palpatine was a force user was widely known? For non Jedi Historians It would make more sense to, if neccesary date thigns from the founding of the New Republic or perhaps if there was no vong invasion, from the NR/IR peace accords.

 

Rather than BBY / ABY, I have ALWAYS preferred BSW4 / ASW4.

 

Thanks, farraday

The2ndQuest: We can´t really accept the EU explanation of "balance" until we´ve seen EpIII. If it´s not explained there, we are free to interpret it the way we like.

Knight1192: It seems to me that you´ve missed the point with the saga. Even if it would be logical to assume that the lore of the Sith is written down, one can´t know for sure. Maybe it was handed down verbally? There is nothing in the films to suggest the one or the other, but since both existing Sith lords are destroyed in ROTJ and that episode is the last in the saga, I would lean towards the latter.

 

We already know from the Visual Encyclopedia to AotC that the Jedi had their hands on a Sith Holocron. And the point of the saga is a man turning to evil who must face up to what he has become and overcome it. However, Lucas himself once said that he knew the entire Star Wars saga was going to be too big for just him to tell. He knew that others would have to flesh it out even further. He also helped create the Sith as seen in the Tales of the Jedi comic series.

As for handed down verbally or written, ask yourself how Yoda and Mace Windu knew about the rule of two in TPM. It's highly unlikely they managed to capture a Sith and get him to crack. But to capture Sith teachings.... I already mentioned the Sith Holocron, which is just one teaching tool used by the Sith.

 

Besides, if Mace and Yoda had got a Sith to crack, they wouldn't be surprised by the Sith's re-emergence in Episode 1.

In-universe, the calendars are all mucked up because of the tumultous century most of the saga takes place in. I heard that NR historians introduced yet another calendar and that one is probably based around Endor. It doesn't really matter all that much, because in-universe the characters always refer to events as 20 years ago, etc or by the event (e.g. "remember Thrawn's campaign ?") and usually don't refer to a year by its date.

In the real world, when trying to place stories on the timeline, due to the sprawled out nature of SW as being all over the place, it's easiest to relate most things to the very first SW story that came out. In the post-Endor era, as it's beginning is literally marked by RoTJ, it makes most sense to relate to Endor.

 

I know the thing about the rule of 2, but there is actually NOTHING in the films to suggest that it was a secret(the novelizations are not as canon as the films).

EDIT: And the Sith holocron isn´t in the films either....