Lit Unfinished Plots, Missing Links and the Storytelling Tapestry in New Canon - an Ongoing Compilation

Master and Apprentice also has Dooku having been gone from the Jedi at least a few years prior to The Phantom Menace, and I got the impression he may have been under Sidious's influence by then.

 

Relevant to our discussion here, Force Collector novel (part of Journey to Episode IX) is already out in the UK and features amongst others:

Spoiler

The book uses flashbacks and reading an objects history via the Force to give more intel on Sifo Dyas and his journey as well as who did or didn't order the clone army in person! My copy is still in transit to me, but spoilers are online!

This is no EpiIX spoiler btw for those afraid to look under the spoiler tag. Just tells you a tiny bit of the books story mechanics, no details.

 

With all the announced upcoming Star Wars tv shows and other works I noticed a pattern:

Not only do most of these fall into the Dark Times period between PT and OT, with exception to the Final TCW season and The Mandalorian that kinda frame this list, but also most if not all of them deal with either Darth Maul / Crimson Dawn / Dathomir or a combination of them!


The Mandalorian
-as per latest Trailer features TCW era droids that may tell of flashbacks to the Mandalorians past and Mandalores suffering

Jedi Fallen Order
-has Dathomir as playeable planet with yet unrevealed ties to its secrets uncovered

The Clone Wars Final Season
-ends on Mandalore with Ahsoka vs. Maul and his Shadow Collective, a precurser for his later Crimson Dawn

Kenobi
-deals with Kenobi, the Jedi Purge and another foolish crusade that may or may not involve Crimson Dawn or Maul at some point, maybe even live action adapting Mauls end as seen in Rebels?

Cassian Andor
-early Rebel Intelligence stuff we know nothing about yet aside K2 being in it. They will weave something in I am sure.

Solo (2)
-obviously dealing with Qi'ra and Crimson Dawn alongside new adventures with Jabba and co.


Looks like we got a decade of Dark Times still ahead of us before tv and movies may delve into post ROTJ proper where books and comics may be far earlier already.

 

@ColeFardreamer

I think it makes sense.

A lot of what I see coming in the Disney + shows and the three year before whatever the next movie is as sorta the epilogue of what I guess to coin Marvel would be Phase 1 Star Wars, sorta like how Spider-Man Homecoming is the Epilogue to Phase 3.

We won't probably see any major shifts in Star Wars storytelling in terms of "What is Star Wars gonna be now" until whatever the next movie hits in 2022....At least that's my belief anyway, of course it could be just a Dark Times movie so there is that.

Now of course there was that rumor of a Filoni/Favrue animated series after Resistance that was supposed to tie into more of what the "Main Story" of Star Wars is going to be but nothing has come of that from what I remember.

 

https://variety.com/2019/film/features/star-wars-kathleen-kennedy-david-benioff-db-weiss-1203388611/

Origin of the Jedi seems to be the next big thing if Rian Johnsons projects and the Game of Thrones guys project cancelled or handed to someone else. I doubt its cancelled, given they were just writing it, not staying on for it anyway.

I am sure we get new animated Filoni goodness to close of Sabine and Ezra and Ahsokas stories. But, given live action is a thing now, they may wait to see if those stories make the jump to live action instead. The Mandalorian has many cameos and easter eggs already, with even EA game characters appearing in it if the actors twitter is any hint. So its not unlikely that maybe Sabine or else will too.

 

Rian wasn't canceled dude.

 

It's really weird how many people think it was, though.

 

Solo explored a bit of Coreilla, but we still haven't had many other stories set there which is odd.

 

Resistance Reborn will maybe help you on that front!

 

I think it is time for an update to the storytelling tapestry after the turning point that is Episode IX:

We all know IX is "The End" and yet SW lives on afterwards and will have many more endings. But how will they keep the sense of finality and market it post movie release and at the same time move their ongoing character arcs and stories forward and introduce new ones?

Lets take a look at the various stories and where they are at:

Comics: With few exceptions all over the timeline, most ongoing lines have reached closure and TESB and most are slated to return with new numbering post TESB to move on towards ROTJ. No end in sight, especially as post ROTJ opens up to bridge OT and ST finally telling the backstory expanding the ST.

Books: all over the timeline lacking a focus era or larger ongoing series

Games: OT or Dark Times centric between PT and OT

Spinof Movies: still on hold

Tv shows: While Mando charts into post ROTJ headon, most announced shows are all set in the Dark Times between PT and OT (Cassian, Kenobi, etc.) except TCW return which is a one season capper.

New Saga Movies: Unknown yet several in the works



With several books moved out of december and into spring 2020, especially those about Episode IX, I smell a delaying tactic at work. 2020 will slowly expand Episode IX and the STs backstory between OT and ST.
But as we only slowly move into post ROTJ and exploring the STs mysteries, the main focus still lies elsewhere. It won't take the comics as long to reach ROTJ as it took to reach TESB, but by then we are due another movie release to shake things up. Meanwhile tv shows keep us in the Dark Times for however long Cassian, Kenobi and co get renewed for more seasons like Mando does post ROTJ.

Unannounced or not tied to announced projects we still got "Solo 2+" content and Ezra/Ahsoka/Sabine/Thrawn content upcoming somehow, sometime, somewhere. Also there is the rumored animated Aphra tv show that may be set post ROTJ (given the announced comics are TESB-ROTJ).

With IX out, full ST expansion may be coming. The question is how LFL spread out their stories to not cross other plans and foci that are upcoming whenever they open up the distant past or far future with new movies. Post IX era will remain a mystery for now I bet, with only few clues given. The past is what will see expansion paralell to all era content that ties thematically into this new past to connect all eras more.

I think, given tv timetables and seasons a year, the next 5 years are filled with the announced shows at least and some yet unannounced sideprojects. By then the Dark Times are exhausted and post ROTJ filled with broad storypoints and much more to come there for decades. Meanwhile, new movies started that opened a new era (in the past?) that will be crucial for the longterm plans.

New movies, non-Skywalker, yet still Saga, will envelop the PT-OT-ST core into a larger frame from distant past to distant future. In between many eras can be explored, many cycles of history, many heroes and avatars. And many decades after that, when I am old and frail, another reboot will rejuvenate the universe once more.


Conjecture is, and that would be epic and bold, that we get to see post IX as an era much earlier as the heroes stories continue in real time, aging with us. Keeping the new fanbase to move into uncharted futures towards unknown new projects.

But how to do that without undoing what IX achieved in finality too soon is the trick to pull off.

What they need is to break free of the OT and have their Star Wars stand on its own. The ST was a loveletter to the OT. Now we need new movies, feels and characters, new designs to instantly fall in love with. No more playing it safe.

 

With the rumor kitchen cooking on more than just fumes it is time for another update! (If anybody is still reading this, that is!?!?!?!?)

TV seems to be the future, at least streaming tv but even there production issues and creative differences seem to spread unease and uncertainty leading to a slowgoing start of the Disney+ era. While every character and his/her mother have been rumored to get their own show, and come on who wouldn't want a "Gonk" series or the Misadventures of Lukes lost Hand, lets focus on some of the more credible rumors alongside the already announced upcoming items.

- is announced
> is rumored

- The Bad Batch (Animated)
continuing post ROTS as TCW followup

- Kenobi (Live Action)
rumored to have Hayden Christensen return as Darth Vader or Anakin Skywalker in flashbacks to live actionTCW and before; potentially thus live action Ahsoka too

> Lando Calrissian Chronicles
Solo 2+3 and original story salvaged for television as well as focus on fanfavourite young Lando with highly likely Han Solo and more cameos, this show has the potential to be told Young Indiana Jones style with old Calrissian intros by Billy Dee, presented as the inuniverse recorded Lando Chronicles

> Crimson Dawn (Live Action)
More Darth Maul is always good and Qi'ra's story needs to continue too. Crossover and cameo potential with other shows is very likely, bridging Solo Maul with Rebels Malachor Maul

- Cassian Andor (Live Action)
we haven't seen the last of Cassian, K2SO or even Enfys Nest as this show gives us the Rebel side of things and much more, maybe even more Saw

> Ahsoka (Live Action)
This one is the most obscure, given she could turn up in a number of shows as cameo or regular easily but setting it during the OT might be most fun, unless conflating it with the Rebels followup adding Sabine Wren etc. we get to see a post ROTJ search for Ezra and more

POST ROTJ:

- The Mandalorian (Live Action)
The first SW TV project is a success and will get some more seasons already. Future cameos likely, it may be a testbed and starting point for many future characters and shows. Moff Gideon in the Dark Times era? IG-11? Baby Yoda entering other shows as the Mandalorian can stand on his own without it?

> Doctor Aphra
Fanfavourite and expanding beyond comics already into lit and audio, it is only a matter of time till she hits the screens. When it may be set though is the question. Before the OT? After? Creative freedom may dictate that but we'll see. Given Aphras love for tales and flashbacks, setting it in her youth might be not the best choice so I placed it post ROTJ where she has a lot to do still and leaves the comics enough room to go on for years before crossing with it

> Rebels Sequel (Animated)
While most likely its own thing with original cast alongside returning favourites, this show would mix new ideas and open storyhooks from Rebels finale, be it Ezra, Thrawn, the WBW, Purgills, the Unknown Regions and more. So far this one alongside Mando has the most potential to go on straight into the future and through the post ROTJ era into the ST


Where I previously thought that the Dark Times era between PT and OT was close to being wrapped up in favor of new explorations elsewhere, it seems it saw a renaissance recently in popularity with creatives. Crossover and Cameo potentials are high and even between animated and live action projects.
Another focus, the slowly filling post ROTJ seems to outgrow its focus on the year till the Battle of Jakku and explore further beyond it. SW Squadrons game set some 3 years after Endor aligns with the Mandalorian nicely and we have yet to touch more upon the vast era beyond till the ST as other shows might open up more fully once the Dark Times are well covered.
Post ST for now is meager if nonexistant and may rely on future movies, scarce and postponed as they are. With lots of folks on and offboard I left them out for now given they are too much in flux to speculate anything at all.

Now with TV footholds in both intertrilogy eras, literature, while keeping its all over the timeline publishing sporadically, is headed for a major interliked publishing project and ongoing story in the High Republic era centuries before the PT. Opening up a new era with new characters, lit's luminous High Republic project frees it of any tv and movie restrictions so far finally and hopefully lets it return to its old leading status, at least in that part of the timeline as ongoing charting into, well not the future but a yet unknown past that is very much connected to it. Comics, audiobooks and other media will surely complement this new era and down the line, if popular, tv and movies may follow. But that is future music for now.


As it looks now, nuCanon SW seems to bank on its successes with Rogue One, TCW, Rebels, Aphra, etc. expanding or spawning new stories in new places. Meanwhile percieved losses (which I disagree that they are losses at all!), like Solo spawn their own microuniverse for already developed story will certainly be recycled, even if distributed amongst other formats and sources. The ST era, a success and yet critiqually debated, seems underrepresented and for now and with actors unwilling to reprise any roles for TV, due to behind the scenes issues and decisions of LFL and Disney, this era will wait for nostalgia to catch on and have it in more demand for it certainly has a lot of potential and great elements, if you liked it or not.

The Comics meanwhile follow Lit in all over the timeline publishing with a clear focus for Marvel on the OT, TESB till ROTJ for now, and maybe going continous beyond ROTJ one day. While a part of the High Republic as charting an ongoing new era in a collaboration between lit and comics Legends had rarely seen given their rivalry back then, we have yet to see what new parts of canon comics will explore exclusively.

Last but not least, some outliers that should not be forgotten to get a mention:

Jedi Fallen Order 2 will happen and probably still be set in the Dark Times continuing the story and characters lives.

Squadrons, the starfighter version of Battlefront so to speak, will add minimal story but look graphically glorious. Still its post ROTJ setting has potential for expansion and visual depiction of a lot other sources originated.

ILMxLabs VR story success continues with "Tales from Galaxy's Edge", further integrating the theme park setting and its already heavily expanded story into Star Wars and fan experiences at home or whereever you in public can play it. This one seems to be set for even more story and possibilities than the Vader Immortal series had as with each incarnation ILM surpasses its past selfs with new grandeur, technological advances and immersive wonder!

That's it for now, hope this post helps some!

 

@ColeFardreamer
Bit of a update on this topic but the 2022 film is now 2023..and while we know nothing if one connects the dots and looks at the schedules high chance that is Taikai film


Also this popped up from those who gave us the Bad Batch Rumor


I do wonder if T.V will ever built it's own Era....Like I guess the immediate Post Endor Era come closes if we consider the ST era it's own thing. But i do get the sense movies are by design to create the era and then TV builds down from it. Granted High Republic is bucking that trend by creating a era via the books and maybe building up. So I already botched my own argument there

Until it becomes popular and the decide to set a movie/TV show in this era which I think its becomes popular enough...They will.

 

Great summaries, and I am for now assuming rumours of Chiss involvement in a Rebels sequel series is also pretty solid.
More development on the First Order, and Final Order, origins, is possible - perhaps the Nash Windrider and co. plotline will tie more into the latter?
HandofThrawn45 fanfiction seems to have gone into great detail lately in tying up several Legends loose ends (and beyond) of recent. Sad to see one of those being Garm Bel Iblis' death circa 37 ABY (though it served the plot of that story 'Attrition', well)
And regarding Sifo Dyas, didn't 'The Lost One' muddy up the dates further, by stating he died a decade ago, but from POV of 20 or 19 BBY? It was vague enough to begin with if Obi Wan mean't he died 32 or 33 BBY, before now.

 

9 SW shows, so

Confirmed:
1. The Mandalorian Season 2 (and 3)
2. Kenobi
3. Cassian
4. Bad Batch
5. The Leslye Headland series

Rumors:
6. Rebels Sequel
7. Ahsoka
8. Crimson Dawn
9. Lando

That's 9 alright.

 

And another update, this time Mando edition, crossposted from the Mando topic, beware if you have not seen the latest episodes:

 

The unfolding Favreau / Filoni Star Wars TV Universe:

The following contains no spoilers beyond released episodes or no leaks or no rumors but mostly educated guesswork by me and may only add some rumored shows to the lot about which nothing is known except around what main character they may unfold.

Spoiler

pre-PT High Republic:
-if successful this era may get a show down the line, animated or otherwise

Kenobi
-probably earliest in timeline shortly after ROTS dealing either with how he arrived on Tatooine or a mission on it if not having to briefly leave it for it
-flashbacks to TCW and Hayden Christensen Anakin most likely, also Ahmed Best JarJar maybe and if lucky even Darth Maul
-cameo potential for Inquisitors and Bounty Hunters working for the Empire like young Boba Fett by Daniel Logan
-potential to show Vader but not have him meet Kenobi

The Bad Batch (animated)
-TCW continuation focussing on clones turned stormtroopers, may be set before Kenobi even
-lots of cameo potential for TCW and PT characters as well as Rebels and others
-most likely cameos and expansions: Saw Guererra, Enfys Nest, young Boba Fett, Tarkin, Thrawn, Moff Gideon, etc.
-Grogu backstory probably in this one timelinewise
-Darth Maul's Crimson Dawn foundation maybe

Cassian
-prequel to Rogue One, Solo and Rebels uniting characters from all three with potential to move beyond Solo and take on some story threads from planned Solo 2 etc.
-potential cameos by Daniel Logan as Boba Fett and potential cameo of Ahsoka Tano working for Bail Organa, maybe even Enfys Nest, Tarkin, Thrawn and more
-Crimson Dawn's rise maybe and some Maul or Dryden Vos cameo?
-need more of Rogue One's Vader moment? Maybe coming in here... maybe even Vader vs. Maul as backdrop? he must have ended up on Malachor somehow

Rebels (finished)

Ahsoka
-bridging Rebels and her Mando appearance during the OT most likely explaining her absence and evolution before reuniting with Sabine shortly after Endor
-potential to further show Mandalore's fall to Gideon and loss of the darksaber
-Aphra cameo most likely along other characters from OT expanded material

Boba Fett Mini-Series
-prequel to Mando appearance detailing his survival of the Sarlacc and ongoing quest that culimated in Mando
-might contain flashbacks with Daniel Logan as a younger Fett
-cameo potential for Cobb Vanth aside other Tatooine characters and Bounty Hunters or Jabbas Palace survivors

Female Lead series with unknown LBGTQ+ lead character
-I speculate it may be Aphra centric and set either pre-Mando post ROTJ or after Mando but more likely before if she cameos in a future season and if Marvel is giving her to screen fame even if her comic story is unfinished and has to catch and match up then.
-if not Aphra... I'd not mind a Domina Tagge show... but doubt they go to that gory glory!

Mando (ongoing)
S1 introduced the main cast
S2 cameo bonanza sets up spinoffs
S3 continues cameos and dives deeper into the story
...

Rebels Sequel Animated
-set latest in timeline yet, Ahsoka and Sabine join a new team of characters to continue the search for Ezra and deal with Thrawn
-animation to most likely allow the return of OT characters unable to reprise their roles
-leadup to Resistance and ST with character cameos and location and design introductions of later places and craft
-most likely to feature essential ST character cameos and backstory


Unsorted yet speculated to come:
-Crimson Dawn as its own show. I'd rather spread it between others as background rise all over the field
-Solo Sequels, be it Han, Lando or else: While I'd love more Solo sequel movies, a Lando movie or entire shows about young Han and/or Lando complete with Lobot, Jabba and more potential, it's more likely so far those happen as episodes in other already happening shows until moving on into their own ones


The TV universe overall story, unlike the movies, seems to focus on certain focus characters and villains and tell its own story shared across multiple shows. For one the Filoniverse continues to be a main factor with his characters and storylines returning in multiple iterations. Add to that the Favreau/Filoni created new favourites to spread out into other elements.
The major untold stories permeating all these timeline settings may be...
in the Dark Times:
-The Jedi Purges: Tearing down what is left of the Old Guard
-Rise of the earliest Rebellions as the Empire expands: Trial and Error of early Cells
-Rise of Crimson Dawn and Maul as the criminal element thrives between Imperials and Rebels: Heroes and Villains as more and more are forced to live as Outlaws
-The final Fall of Mandalore (and many other cultures)
post ROTJ:
-Mandalorian Reunification and Recovery
-New Republic Expansion (showing how a successful New Republic postponed the plans of the secret and in hiding Sith Imperials)
-The rise of the new Jedi (not only Luke's but also roaming ones like Ahsoka, Freemaker and Ezra, etc.)
-rebirth of Dathomir (we have several characters and lifelines, I think future cameo episodes will make it happen)

Some characters bridge many shows, others only pre-OT or only post-OT unite shows there. Like the movies had the droids, Yoda and other trilogy bridging characters, and the expanded material had Hondo, Maz and others as crossgenerational cameos, this TV universe may have its own share of these character types...
-Ahsoka has the potential to cameo in ever show, same for Boba Fett actually! And while not every show, almost every show for Thrawn.
-pre-OT: Maul can be a recurring cross-show villain or nemesis behind the scenes and his lieutenants. That aside, we can have Jabba, Vader, Tarkin, Krennic even in this era across shows. The Dark Times are characterised bye the villains across its shows, less the heroes crossing over.
-post-OT: maybe more hero crossovers than villains given villains got more scarce and hiding. Ahsoka aside, we may get other heroes (or part time heroes in case of Aphra and Boba Fett) that cross over, be it Bo-Katan, Cobb Vanth, Carga, Filoni and the Pilots and others aside animated or cgi live action OT main character cameos.

In general I think this TV universe is set up like a trilogy, or a trilogy of trilogies too on purpose even if released not chronological at all:

TCW
Kenobi
The Bad Batch
=> These three fit close together continuing the Clone War(s) and bridging them into the Dark Times
Cassian
Rebels
(Solo 2/Crimson Dawn/Lando?)
=> these show the heigth of the Dark Times
Ahsoka
Boba
Female? (Aphra?)
=> set during or right after the OT, more likely after with flashbacks to during, characters are lead into the post war era
Mando
Rebels Sequel
(Mando spinoffs concurrent or as sequels?)
=> These show the post war era and changes, rebirth, reunifications as character driven stories with a huge cultural background

(?)
Resistance
(?)
=> ST era focussed shows with some unknowns that may move beyond the ST maybe

Each set, well most, have an already finished or ongoing show to center around (TCW, Rebels, OT backdrop, Mando, Resistance) and expand from and I think we are missing one set of series still they keep for much later focussing on the post ST era more or maybe pre-PT High Republic content. Aside that multi-era shorts like Forces of Destiny and Galaxy of Adventures are showing potential for crossovers and character meetups. And there is the semi-canonical Lego Freemakers crew and other Lego shows with canonical elements that guidebooks canonised too!

Much to watch, we still have!

And still not Bothans in sight.... might Mando give them to us finally too one day?

 

@ColeFardreamer

Well if we are going with your theory

Spoiler

I think a ST era Trilogy show could be and this hazards a guess

Ben Solo Prequel Show
Resistance
Post Ep 9 Show

 

I’d like to know what became of the Sith Shrine beneath the Imperial Palace. Along with the Emperor’s vast collection of Sith artifacts and holocrons.

Did he take them with him to Endor? Were they relocated to Exegol after Endor by one of his agents?

Or do they still lie there to this day, collecting dust and waiting for a power-hungry individual to find them.

 

I think it's still canon that at least some of the Sith artifacts that were in Palpatine's office during AOTC/ROTS ended up in his little sitting room on the DS2.

 

Spoiler

I would love to see a post-IX miniseries starring John Boyega and Naomi Ackie featuring the stormtrooper rebellion that I think was featured in Trevorrow's Duel of the Fates

 

I do recall seeing that somewhere. I'm thinking about the more potent artifacts, such as the Sith Holocrons and the Altar of Ritual that Sidious kept in the Sith Shrine. The ones that probably stayed on Coruscant when the Emperor left the Imperial Palace for the final time.

I wonder if Mas Amedda ever knew about them.

 

@ColeFardreamer I wonder how much of Jedi: Fallen Order was the ideas of Chris Avellone, Aaron Contreras, Manny Hagopian, Matt Michnovetz, and Megan Fausti and how much of it was ordered from above by whoever is planning the Canon. For example, who created the Zeffo?

 

Designwise, the Zeffo resemble Tor Valum from Duel of the Fates / Rise of Skysalker concept art a lot in headshape. But that may be because some of the same artists worked on both maybe and not because of story connections?

Storywise they needed some ancients and their leftover sites to explore. They could have used the Rakata or anything from Legends but decided to design something new, though certainly kept the feel the Rakata stuff had to KOTOR for that was part of the nostalgia they aimed for crossed with the Katarn Games single player gamestyle.

I think, with so many other games in development and cancelled, never seeing the light of day sadly, there are a lot of unknown factors as to what projects leftovers informed this ones final design.

I think for the same reason the Sequels used Ach-To instead of simply using Tython, this game uses new Zeffo instead of Rakata while maybe originally they could have been one and the same before redesigning them to not be tied to a baggage of lore. Interesting to think what Zeffo history may tell us actually about Rakatan history and beginnings thus possibly if that was their origin!

Especially the use of Kashyyyk makes me curious if they once were in planning stages like the Rakata. The addition of Dathomir as a TCW reference (and one of many cultures to save from extinction, like the Mandalorians and Jedi) also may stem from being yet another culture tied to ancient forces (Kwa in Legends) that got tied to the new ancient mystery of the Zeffo.

What strikes me as mysterious though is that they created their own new alphabet and script for the Zeffo, paired it with Old Tongue runes and yet did not expand on the Old Tongue or where it came from aside what the TROS Visual Dictionary already said as an Aurebesh precurser ur-kittat as well as precurser to Sith kittat. They could have used ancient Sith as a culture instead of the Zeffo, or else yet didn't and paired the new original language with the Force-site related Old Tongue that Jedi and Sith sites both have in many canon sources, as if it is a precurser to both Jedi and Sith before the split and fall.

I can't say who came up with these ideas and connections or inspirations, but if it is storygroup or the Fallen Order team, ultimately they made the right choices and connections adding interesting bits to canon and One Canon.

 

The Zeffo seem more like the Kwa than like the Rakata. The Rakata are described as “by nature a cruel and savage species”, implying that they were evil before they learned how to use The Force rather than being corrupted by the Dark Side while the Zeffo, like the Rakata, fell from grace.