Leader of the Contingency:
151-800: The Guardians of the Whills are a faction in the fictional universe of the Star Wars franchise. The Guardians are depicted as an organization of ascetics who revere the Force , a metaphysical entity in the Star Wars fictional universe , though unlike the Jedi or the Sith , they do not appear to wield overtly supernatural powers derived from their connection to the Force. The term Whills originated from unused in-universe elements and story treatments by series creator George Lucas for
302-714: A self-coup , dissolving the Imperial Senate and transferring power to Praetor -officers called Imperial Moffs, such as Grand Moff Tarkin . The Galactic Empire collapses after the events of Return of the Jedi. Its remnants form the First Order in the sequel trilogy , set 30 years later. Star Wars creator George Lucas sought to make the First Galactic Empire aesthetically and thematically similar to Nazi Germany and to appear to be fascist . Similar to Nazi Germany,
453-907: A vote of no confidence in Supreme Chancellor of the Republic Finis Valorum . Palpatine is elected Supreme Chancellor in Valorum's place. As the Seperatists Crisis fighting intensifies in Episode II , the Galactic Senate , the legislature of the Republic, grants Palpatine emergency powers to deal with the crisis. Palpatine promise safety at the cost of individual freedoms, all while tightening his own control over every facset of society; promises to relinquish his powers once peace and order
604-434: A 10-episode adaptation of The Empire Strikes Back debuted in 1983. Billy Dee Williams joined the other two stars, reprising his role as Lando Calrissian. In 1983, Buena Vista Records released an original, 30-minute Star Wars audio drama titled Rebel Mission to Ord Mantell , written by Daley. In the 1990s, Time Warner Audio Publishing adapted several Star Wars series from Dark Horse Comics into audio dramas:
755-486: A canonical religious aspect, which links both characters thematically. Chinese actor Jiang Wen was originally uncertain about accepting the role, as he felt that his proficiency in English was lacking and he had difficulty reading the script; he was assisted by his eldest son who could fluently read English and interpret the script, and decided to travel to London after being encouraged by his children. Chirrut first appears on
906-572: A central command structure that notably coordinates the Galactic Empire's war effort. The cabinet enjoys much power within the government's hierarchy, being responsible for: sanctioning weapons programs (such as the TIE Defender project), supervising the armed forces, forming strategies and organizing expansionary or pacification campaigns. Despite this, Imperial High Command was unable to take any serious action against Rebel sympathizers with allies in
1057-423: A former Guardian who left the organization prior to the events of Rogue One , were conceived during the initial design stage as a " dyad " who "don't belong together, but they do": the former, "a believer in the Force", and the latter, a "militaristic soldier". To Weitz, Chirrut is Baze's confessor, which enables the latter to lay his own guilt onto Chirrut even though he is a faithless warrior who does not believe in
1208-430: A master and their apprentice. The franchise is set against a backdrop of galactic conflict involving republics and empires, such as the evil Galactic Empire . The Jedi and Sith prefer the use of a weapon called the lightsaber , a blade of plasma that can cut through virtually any surface and deflect energy bolts. The rest of the population, as well as renegades and soldiers, use plasma-powered blaster firearms . In
1359-487: A militaristic style, with a more armored and weaponized look. Once Hong Kong actor Donnie Yen 's casting as Chirrut was confirmed, the film's concept artists began looking to Yen's particular style, and his body of martial arts films, for inspiration, which led to the removal of armor and armaments from Chirrut's design in favor of a sleeker look. Yen was originally reluctant to accept the part as he did not want to be away from his family for an extended period of time, as he
1510-465: A mixed reception from critics and audiences. Several Star Wars films have been produced separately from the Skywalker Saga. In 2008, Lucasfilm released the animated film The Clone Wars , which is set during the prequel trilogy and serves as the theatrical pilot of the television series of the same name . Following Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012, an "anthology" film series set between
1661-424: A powerless symbol that exists only as an illusion of representation. Senators with no dedication to Public Service were easily bribed or coerced into being an assembly line that rubberstamped Palpatine's policy; the remaining Senators who actually cared about the people, were spied upon, arrested, extorted, assassinated, or otherwise made to disappear. Instead Palpatine appointed Governors to oversee all Star systems in
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#17328561068751812-637: A sacred temple located in the planet Jedha. A blind Guardian named Chirrut Îmwe and his companion Baze Malbus appear as supporting characters in the 2016 film Rogue One , they aid members of the Rebel Alliance to steal plans of the Death Star , the ultimate weapon of the Galactic Empire . Chirrut Îmwe and Baze Malbus are portrayed by Donnie Yen and Jiang Wen respectively. Members of the monastic order have appeared in other Star Wars media, in particular
1963-563: A series of murders of Jedi Masters. The Star Wars canon fictional universe spans multiple eras, of which three are focused around each of the film trilogies. The following eras were defined in January 2021, and further refined and expanded in April 2023: The Expanded Universe of spin-off media depicts different levels of continuity, which were deemed non-canonical and rebranded as Legends on April 25, 2014, to make most subsequent works align to
2114-502: A stalemate; both Jedi are forced to go into exile. Grievously wounded, Vader is rescued by Palpatine and fitted with cybernetics and a black suit of armor with a life support system. After Padmé dies giving birth to twins, Yoda and Obi-Wan decide to separate the children – Luke and Leia – in order to hide them from the Sith. Luke goes to Vader's stepfamily on Tatooine , while Leia is adopted by Senator Bail Organa of Alderaan . Having "won"
2265-442: A theme for Obi-Wan Kenobi for the miniseries and Han Solo's theme for Solo: A Star Wars Story . Williams also created the main theme for Galaxy's Edge . Several other composers worked on other soundtracks, including John Powell ( Obi-Wan Kenobi ), Michael Giacchino ( Rogue One ), and Ludwig Göransson ( The Mandalorian ). The first Star Wars audio work is The Story of Star Wars , an LP using audio samples from
2416-525: A vague reference to an omnipresent yet distant order which was meant to be the narrative framing in an early draft of the Star Wars saga by George Lucas. Lucas also came up with the Journal of the Whills as a concept of " Bible -like texts that inspire the stories chronicled in the Star Wars movies", essentially serving as a plot device that connects the fictional universe he created to the real world. Before he sold
2567-416: Is capable of defeating an entire squad of stormtroopers single-handedly, and even shoot down a TIE fighter using a specialized crossbow-shaped energy weapon called a "lightbow". Weitz noted that the Star Wars franchise has had a long history of presenting compelling dual pairings between characters whose outlooks and personalities are the opposites of each other. Chirrut and his companion, Baze Malbus,
2718-514: Is common due to lightspeed hyperspace technology. The planets range from wealthy, planet-wide cities to deserts scarcely populated by primitive tribes. Virtually any Earth biome , along with many fictional ones, has its counterpart as a Star Wars planet which, in most cases, teem with sentient and non-sentient alien life. The franchise also makes use of other astronomical objects such as asteroid fields and nebulae . Spacecraft range from small starfighters to large capital ships, such as
2869-431: Is driven by what they thought audiences would like to see in a mercenary character, highlighting in particular "the partial armor, the boiler suit, the cool gun, the backpack". Baze's signature weapon, a heavy repeating blaster cannon , was designed by artists Jamie Wilkinson and Adam Brockbank early in the film development. The red color theme on Baze's character design was eventually incorporated into Chirrut's vestments as
3020-546: Is exactly what the mastermind of this heist Luthen Rael wanted. As portrayed in the animated series Star Wars Rebels and The Bad Batch , the Empire explores ways to weaponize Force-sensitive kyber crystals , which are sacred to the Jedi and are at the core of every lightsaber . They mine for kyber crystals across worlds, but are thwarted twice in securing massive crystals by the Ghost crew and Saw Gerrera . On Jedha , however,
3171-555: Is impossible for the Force. These superpowers are wielded by two major knightly orders at conflict with each other: the Jedi , peacekeepers of the Galactic Republic who act on the light side of the Force through non-attachment and arbitration , and the Sith , who use the dark side by manipulating fear and aggression. While Jedi Knights can be numerous, the Dark Lords of the Sith (or 'Darths') are intended to be limited to two:
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#17328561068753322-565: Is known to or guessed by only a very few figures in the regime's upper echelons, such as Governor Tarkin. The Imperial Inquisition, or Inquisitorius, acts as an extension of the Sith Order and its Force-attuned operatives, the Inquisitors, are routinely given control of Imperial Military assets to hunt down the Jedi Knights that survived the initial purge. The Inquisitors' lack of proper rank within
3473-645: Is like the Roman political figure Augustus Caesar, in that Augustus manipulated the Roman Senate as Palpatine did with the Galactic Senate; he legitimized authoritarian rule by saying that corruption in the Senate was hampering the powers of the head of state; he pressured the Roman Senate to give him extraordinary powers as Consul of the Republic to deal with a crisis and he falsely claimed that he would rescind those powers once
3624-461: Is one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time. The original 1977 film, retroactively subtitled Episode IV: A New Hope , was followed by the sequels Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983), forming the original Star Wars trilogy . Lucas later returned to the series to write and direct a prequel trilogy , consisting of Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999), Episode II: Attack of
3775-573: Is restored. His first executive order is to create a massive army of clone troopers . His second executive order was to conscript the Jedi as commissioned officers of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) armed forces; by seizing influence over the Jedi Council, Palatine indirectly has complete Command over the GAR. His third executive order is to nationalize the military-industrial and financial sectors to finance
3926-622: Is the military, which includes the Imperial stormtroopers, a massive fleet of about 1,000 Star Destroyers , a couple of Super Star Destroyers, and the Death Star , a moon -sized superweapon capable of destroying entire planets. Plans for the Death Star first appear (in universe chronology) in Attack of the Clones and construction begins at the end of Revenge of the Sith . Summarized measures set forth by
4077-473: Is the most prominent Grand Moff, having suggested the creation of the role and thus holds the distinction of being the first. In the series Andor , the Galactic Empire is depicted as arbitrary and cruel in its rule over ordinary people, particularly when it comes to certain agencies such as the Imperial Security Bureau (ISB), which acts as a secret police force. In the latter part of the series,
4228-528: The Jedi Academy trilogy (1994) by Kevin J. Anderson , the 14-book Young Jedi Knights series (1995–1998) by Anderson and Rebecca Moesta , and the X-wing series (1996–2012) by Michael A. Stackpole and Aaron Allston . Del Rey took over Star Wars book publishing in 1999, releasing what would become a 19-installment novel series called The New Jedi Order (1999–2003). Written by multiple authors,
4379-442: The 2008 series of the same name . Following Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm, all animated series released prior to 2014, apart from the 2008 series, were discarded from the franchise's canon . Subsequent animated series include Rebels , released in 2014; Resistance , released in 2018; and The Bad Batch , released in 2021. Several micro-series and shorts have also been released by Lucasfilm since Disney's acquisition, with
4530-457: The New Republic era, serving as the climax of the various live-action television series that began with The Mandalorian in 2019. Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy will direct a third film about a new Jedi Order, set fifteen years after the sequel trilogy. In January 2024, it was announced that Jon Favreau would direct a new Star Wars film, titled The Mandalorian & Grogu . In February of
4681-461: The Republic , the return of Luke as a Jedi Master (a role similar to that of Obi-Wan Kenobi in the original trilogy), Luke's sister (not yet determined to be Leia), Han, Leia, R2-D2 and C-3PO . However, after beginning work on the prequel trilogy, Lucas insisted that Star Wars was meant to be a six-part series and that there would be no sequel trilogy. Lucas decided to leave the franchise in
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4832-468: The Sith . Although no longer canon, the story is paralleled in The Force Awakens with Han and Leia's son Ben Solo , who becomes the evil Kylo Ren. Three series set in the prequel era were published by Scholastic for younger audiences: the 18-book Jedi Apprentice (1999–2002) chronicles the adventures of Obi-Wan Kenobi and his master Qui-Gon Jinn in the years before The Phantom Menace ;
4983-473: The Star Destroyers , as well as space stations such as the moon-sized Death Stars . Telecommunication includes two-way audio and audiovisual screens, holographic projections, and hyperspace transmission. The universe of Star Wars is generally similar to the real universe but its laws of physics are less strict allowing for more imaginative stories. One result of that is a mystical power known as
5134-434: The Star Wars media franchise to Disney, Lucas had considered developing a potential film trilogy of sequels to the original Trilogy where it would have explored a microbiotic world populated by creatures called Whills, which feed off the Force and are capable of using that connection to manipulate the universe. Lucas thought of the franchise's Force-sensitive characters as "vehicles for the Whills to travel around in", with
5285-561: The Thrawn trilogy, Leia considers an advantageous political marriage to Prince Isolder of the planet Hapes, but she and Han ultimately marry. Steve Perry 's Shadows of the Empire (1996), set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi , was part of a multimedia campaign that included a comic book series and video game. The novel introduced the crime lord Prince Xizor , another popular character who would appear in multiple other works. Other notable series from Bantam include
5436-465: The U.S. Marine Corps with their own separate divisions. The Stormtroopers operate in conjunction with the Army Ground Troopers and Navy Marine Troopers—who were used as garrison forces—to reinforce and hold defensive positions until the regular military arrived. When not in their signature white armor, stormtrooper officers wear black uniforms. After the formation of the Empire and the purge of
5587-557: The University of Southern California , licensed the Star Wars radio rights to KUSC-FM for US$ 1 . The production used John Williams's original film score, along with Ben Burtt 's sound effects. The first was written by science-fiction author Brian Daley and directed by John Madden . It was broadcast on National Public Radio in 1981, adapting the original 1977 film into 13 episodes. Mark Hamill and Anthony Daniels reprised their film roles. The overwhelming success, led to
5738-470: The 11-book Jedi Quest (2001–2004) follows Obi-Wan and his own apprentice, Anakin Skywalker in between The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones ; and the 10-book The Last of the Jedi (2005–2008), set almost immediately after Revenge of the Sith , features Obi-Wan and the last few surviving Jedi. In 2019, a new prequel era novel, starring Qui-Gon and the young Obi-Wan, was published by Del Rey under
5889-450: The 2017 eponymous tie-in novel to Rogue One which featured appearances by Chirrut and Baze. Both Chirrut and Baze have received a positive reception, and have since been recognized as fan favorites and influential characters in their own right. "Originally, I was trying to have the story be told by somebody else (an immortal being known as a Whill); there was somebody watching this whole story and recording it, somebody probably wiser than
6040-560: The Battle of Endor (4 ABY). The Imperial Army was the ground based force. Imperial Army enlisted soldiers wore gray uniforms with a mandarin collar and four pockets along with chest pieces similar to Stormtroopers but in black. Corporals displayed their rank on one of their shoulder pauldrons with a single white diagonal stripe. They also wore a gray Imperial kepi or Imperial Combat Helmet Imperial Stormtrooper Corps (ISC) are elite corps of rapid response all-environment shock troops —organized like
6191-480: The Clones (2002), and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005). In 2012, Lucas sold his production company to Disney , relinquishing his ownership of the franchise. This led to a sequel trilogy , consisting of Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (2017), and Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker (2019). All nine films, collectively referred to as the " Skywalker Saga ", were nominated for Academy Awards , with wins going to
Guardians of the Whills - Misplaced Pages Continue
6342-512: The Clones and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith . Palpatine's ascension came with the final layer of poison instilled into a governmental system on the brink of collapse. Because of the hubristic Jedi, the corrupt senate and a civil war, Palatine was seen by many as a savior and is easily able to take near-complete control of the Republic. In Episode I: The Phantom Menace , amid a trade dispute and invasion of his homeworld of Naboo , Senator Palpatine convinces Queen Padmé Amidala to call for
6493-524: The EU material until April 25, 2014, when the company announced all of the EU works would cease production. Existing works would no longer be considered canon to the franchise and subsequent reprints would be rebranded under the Star Wars Legends label, with downloadable content for the massively multiplayer online game The Old Republic the only Legends material to still be produced. The Star Wars canon
6644-635: The Emperor and the Commander-in-Chief on all martial-related matters. Other members included the Grand Admirals, a cadre of the 12 highest-ranking naval officers that helmed large Imperial fleets and policed Imperial Space; Grand Admiral Thrawn , the commander of the 7th Fleet, is the most famous of their number. Aside from the Imperial Ruling Council and Imperial High Command, power resides in
6795-488: The Emperor's will throughout the galaxy. The Empire's central warship cadre is well structured and uniformed, but the Imperial Navy suffers against strike craft, largely due to the inadequacies of its own starfighters and point defense. The Empire's focus on size, firepower, and terror comes at the expense of a well-balanced fleet. After its defeat at the Battle of Endor, the Galactic Empire splits up into warring factions, and
6946-403: The Empire uncovers a surplus of kyber, with which they power the Death Star. The Death Star, a moon-sized battle station with sufficient firepower to destroy an entire planet, is designed to be the ultimate weapon of the Empire's power. Tarkin, the station's commander, demonstrates that power in A New Hope when he destroys Alderaan as a show of force. In the film's climactic scene , however,
7097-621: The Empire's disruption of their lives. Ratcliffe praised their devotion, persistence, friendship and their willingness to fight for the innocent people of Jedha. In an article written for Screen Rant , where he commented on the Guardians' appearance in Galaxy's Edge , Andrew Dyce expressed hope that the order as a whole have managed to survive the Imperial invasion and replenish their numbers, and that Guardian characters would continue to appear in future Star Wars stories. Similarly, Jesse Schedeen from IGN
7248-518: The Empire's officers wear—as well as the Imperial officers' cap resembling the field caps historically worn by German and Austrian troops. In addition to Nazi Germany, there was also at least one portion of the Galactic Empire that was based on the Soviet Union , which is the various military personnel and TIE Fighters that are flying in formation as Palpatine arrives on the second Death Star in Return of
7399-476: The Empire's policy towards its citizens and therefore changed its relationship with its citizens. In 5 BBY, on the relatively unremarkable planet of Aldhani, a small Rebel team managed to infiltrate the local Imperial depository, stealing a decent portion of the sector payroll. This created a massive Imperial overreaction, increasing their security spending and draconian law enforcement policies, making all future rebellious activity even more costly and difficult, which
7550-630: The Empire's willingness to kill loyalists on Alderaan, along with millions of innocents, just to prove a point to a rebellious Senator. Tarkin's Doctine, meant to perpetually "tighten the noose" and instill fear of being killed for engaging in Rebellion, eventually get overridden by people realizing that no one was actually safe. After the Battle of Yavin , Vader's special powers as Commander-in-Chief are increased by Palpatine, granting him full command over all other officials and officers to ease his campaign against
7701-408: The Force which is described in the original film as "an energy field created by all living things ... [that] binds the galaxy together". The field is depicted as a kind of pantheistic god. Through training and meditation, those whom "the Force is strong with" exhibit various superpowers (such as telekinesis , precognition , telepathy , and manipulation of physical energy); it is believed nothing
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#17328561068757852-636: The Force flowing darkly about him. Chirrut and Baze help the Rebels fight off Imperial forces, before departing on a stolen shuttle to Yavin IV . After the Rebel Alliance declines Jyn's request to send a fleet to the world of Scarif, Chirrut and Baze join her mission to break into the Imperial archives to secure the plans for the Death Star, and are put in charge of an assault team that would set charges to lure out Imperial Stormtroopers. Both Chirrut and Baze subsequently hold
8003-407: The Force, and Chirrut could believe in his friend's eventual redemption. The character designs for Chirrut and Baze went through numerous iterations during the development of the film, with up to 30 different variations. The entirety of Chirrut's face, except for his eyes, was initially covered, and Baze was originally a four-armed alien before he is made human. The attires for both Chirrut and Baze had
8154-671: The Galactic Empire is a dictatorship based on rigid control of society that dissolved a previous democracy and is led by an all-powerful supreme ruler. The Empire, like the Nazis, desires the creation of totalitarian order and utilizes excessive force and violence to achieve their ends. The title of the Empire's main soldiers, the stormtroopers , is somewhat similar to the name given to Adolf Hitler 's Sturmabteilung (SA, "storm department") paramilitary bodyguards. The visual appearance of Darth Vader in his all-black uniform combined with his fanatical obedience to Palpatine has allusion to
8305-472: The Galaxy's most powerful institutions by rewriting constitutional foundations, controlling the Jedi Council, weakening the Senate and the appointment of loyal Governors . At its peak, the Galactic Empire sprawls over much of the known Star Wars galaxy, which consists of millions of star systems and billions more fringe colonies, shipyards, fortress worlds, and outer territories. The Empire's origins are depicted in
8456-471: The Guardians' Temple of the Kyber for Kyber crystals. Using his highly honed senses to determine the positions of approaching Imperial troopers, as well as a timely assist by Baze Malbus, he defeated them in quick succession. Chirrut, Baze, Jyn, and Cassian are then abducted by Partisan forces and herded into confinement cells. Along with Imperial defector Bodhi Rook , the group would eventually make their escape from
8607-410: The Guardians' teachings do not appear to emphasize a discord between the light and dark sides of the Force, and instead take a position of neutrality with a focus on encompassing the totality of its aspects as well as reverence for the "balance of the Force". In a Rogue One "Watch From Home Theater" program hosted by IGN, Weitz noted that Lucas originally called the Force, "The Force of Others". The term
8758-484: The Imperial Senate's sessions. Amedda functions as an intermediary for Palpatine, managing his schedule, screening his calls and contacting other Imperial dignitaries and officers on his behalf. The Imperial Ruling Council also keeps tabs on the progress of the Imperial Military and delivers news from Imperial High Command to the Emperor. The Emperor leaves the actual martial management to Imperial High Command (IHC),
8909-564: The Imperial Senate, such as Senator Mon Mothma . The Imperial Security Bureau (ISB) is the politically aligned and indoctrinated civilian intelligence branch of the Galactic Empire that is charged with matters of internal state security and law enforcement, being analogous to the Gestapo or the Schutzstaffel , as well as the KGB . The ISB was not a national agency, but a part of COMPOR ( Commission for
9060-514: The Imperial Senate. The group works closely with the Council of Moffs and notifies the Imperial Ruling Council on important developments. Imperial High Command's overseer is Darth Vader - also a Sith Lord - who relentlessly pursues the fledging Rebel Alliance, in addition to quelling insurgencies and purging the last of the Jedi Order. As Emperor Palpatine's second-in-command, Vader is treated with almost
9211-722: The Imperial Starfleet along with it. While much of the remnants of the Imperial Navy are later reunited under impressive Imperial commanders, the military organization ceases to exist shortly after the death of the Emperor. Specific responsibilities of the Imperial Navy include defending Imperial citizens from space-based threats (such as pirates, smugglers and rebel contingents), enforcing Imperial will, and overseeing commerce through customs and blockade operations. The Imperial Navy also performs orbital bombardments and transports major ground force deployments, supporting them with space, orbital, and aerial support. Imperial Navy officers wear
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#17328561068759362-410: The Jedi (1983). An oppressive dictatorship with a complicated bureaucracy, the Galactic Empire seeks the rule and social control of every planet and civilization within the galaxy , based on anthropocentrism , nationalisation , state terrorism , power projection , and threat of lethal force. The Galactic Empire's rise was not a violent takeover by force, but rather a calculated dismantling of
9513-754: The Jedi . According to Lucas, the ceremony for the Emperor's arrival was inspired by October Revolution Day military parades in the Soviet Union. Lucas has also indicated that the Galactic Empire's struggle against a smaller guerilla force was inspired by the United States' involvement in the Vietnam War and his surprise at how relatively few people spoke up against the war. Palpatine's rise to power has been related to political strongman of Augustus Caesar , Napoleon Bonaparte , and Adolf Hitler . Palpatine's consolidation of power and declaring himself emperor
9664-573: The Jedi Order in a galaxy-wide slaughter, while sending Vader to kill everyone in the Jedi Temple and assassinate the Separatist leaders. Vader then immediately ends the Clone War by transmitting deactivation codes to all Seperatist droids in galaxy. Two remaining Jedi, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda , mount a counterattack. Obi-Wan defeats Vader and leaves him for dead, but Yoda's duel with Palpatine ends in
9815-524: The Jedi, Palpatine declares martial law throughout the galaxy. Those in hiding, or attempting to either flee from or oppose the New Imperial Order, are subject to persecution or death. This is the start of the bloody decades-long Galactic Civil War fought between the Empire and the Rebel Alliance . As portrayed in the live-action series Andor , one single moment in Galactic history completely changed
9966-475: The Jedi. However, when Jedi Master Mace Windu confronts Palpatine, Anakin comes to Palpatine's aid and helps him kill Windu. Desperate to save Padmé, Anakin pledges himself to the dark side of the Force and becomes Palpatine's third apprentice, Darth Vader . Palpatine declares the Jedi to be traitors, providing "irrefutable evidence" that they were the masterminds behind the Clone Wars, and all but exterminates
10117-488: The Marvel magazine Pizzazz between 1977 and 1979. The 1977 installments were the first original Star Wars stories not directly adapted from the films to appear in print form, as they preceded those of the Star Wars comic series. From 1985 to 1987, the animated children's series Ewoks and Droids inspired comic series from Marvel's Star Comics line. According to Marvel Comics former Editor-In-Chief Jim Shooter ,
10268-528: The Partisan base aboard a U-Wing as Jedha City is attacked and destroyed by the Empire's new superweapon, the Death Star . With the remnants of the temple the Guardians are sworn to protect obliterated, Chirrut and Baze remain with Jyn's group and accompany them to the Imperial world of Eadu in search for Jyn's father Galen, who originally designed the Death Star under duress. Chirrut warns Jyn about Cassian's possible murderous intent towards Galen, as he had sensed
10419-613: The Preservation of the New Order ); Palpatine's own political party. Because the ISB is so directly connected and fanatically loyal to Palpatine, there are no checks and balances to their power as they did whatever Palatine wanted them to do. Consisting of several supervisors overseeing multiple sectors, they are charged with matters of counter-terrorism, criminal investigation, internal affairs , state security, state-sponsored propaganda and ensuring
10570-506: The Republic and gain power. He manipulates the Galactic Senate into using clone troopers created during the conflict to purge the Jedi. After engineering these threats, Palpatine reorganizes the Republic into a state meant to "ensure the security and continuing stability, and a safe and secure society": the Galactic Empire, with himself as Emperor. The Senate overwhelmingly supports this decision and lauds his apparent resolve, bravery, and selflessness. With Emperor Palpatine keeping mostly to
10721-423: The Republic; these Governors, later known as Imperial Moffs, report directly to Palpatine and were appointed without a vote or approval from any Senators. This effectively sidelines the Senate leaving it unable to influence how the Galaxy is actually governed. The Old Republic symbolisms were discarded on favor of the Imperial crest; an emblem which itself comes from the vendu galactic roundel symbol. Originally this
10872-472: The Senate are founding members of the Rebel Alliance , a guerrilla army dedicated to overthrowing the Empire and restoring the Republic. With the end of the Clone Wars, the purge of the Jedi Order and the formation of the First Galactic Empire, Palpatine rules with absolute power as Emperor. Between the events of Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope , Palpatine rules the galaxy from the confines of his heavily guarded Imperial Palace on Coruscant . Coruscant
11023-617: The Tarkin Doctrine: The Imperial Naval Command (INC), also referred to as the Imperial Starfleet, is the foremost military arm of the Galactic Empire in charge of maintaining security, peace and order in the galaxy. Led by Darth Vader, it absorbed the military forces of the Galactic Republic after Emperor Palpatine's declaration of the New Order. At its peak, the Imperial Navy fields millions of warships, including an estimated 25,000 Star Destroyers, fulfilling
11174-400: The Whills , which explores their backstories, as well as their past interactions with Saw Gerrera. A manga adaptation of the novel by Viz Media is set for release on 4 May 2021. Several Guardians appear in a flashback retelling by recurring Star Wars Rebels character Hondo Ohnaka in the 2019 tie-in comic book miniseries to the theme park attraction Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge . Set prior to
11325-485: The Whills while also departing from them to create the Guardians of the Whills faction, a religious order which is responsible for protecting an ancient Jedi temple on the planet Jedha prior to its sacking by Imperial forces . According to lore presented in the Rogue One Visual Guide , as well as a quote from the Journal of the Whills which serves as an opening to the official novelization of The Force Awakens ,
11476-709: The announcement. Since the new canon has been introduced, there has been a multitude of pieces of Expanded Universe continuity that have become a part of canon. Star Wars in print predates the release of the first film, with the November 1976 novelization of Star Wars , initially subtitled " From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker ". Credited to Lucas, it was ghostwritten by Alan Dean Foster . The first "Expanded Universe" story appeared in Marvel Comics ' Star Wars #7 in January 1978 (the first six issues being an adaptation of
11627-487: The armed forces, as well as their reliance on "occult" ways, earn the ire of the standard officers. The Inquisitorius was founded by the Emperor and is governed by the Commander-in-Chief, but the agency is virtually led by a Grand Inquisitor who defers to both. In Star Wars , the Tarkin Doctrine was the plan presented by Tarkin himself to Palpatine in 18 BBY that outlined the Empire's goal and structure: bringing order to
11778-554: The autocracy takes to retroactively extending the sentences of prisoners, moving prisoners around to different facilities after they are due to be released, euthanizing labor camp prisoners when they become too ill to work, not permitting defendants in criminal cases to present a defense, and committing mass murder when its officers feel they are losing control of a situation. It also engages in torture of subjects of interest and carries out arbitrary executions for political purposes. ISB agents are assigned to spy on political dissidents in
11929-469: The black-uniformed Nazi Schutzstaffel (SS). According to a Lucasfilm-authorized source, Darth Vader's relationship with Palpatine is akin to SS leader Heinrich Himmler 's relationship with Hitler. The uniforms of Imperial military officers also bear resemblance to uniforms used in Nazi Germany, as well as 19th century Polish ulans (mounted lancers)—who wore tunics, riding breeches, and boots like
12080-499: The casting of Yen and Jiang could be interpreted as a marketing ploy to appeal to Chinese audiences, their inclusion packed charm which the main cast supposedly lacked. In her review of the Guardians of the Whills novel, Amy Ratcliffe from Nerdist appreciated the duo's grounded characterization – Chirrut's sense of hope and Baze's inner conflict – and the fact that they accept that they are not fully in control of their situation following
12231-444: The character as being "cool". Yen proposed that the character be made blind, and did research on the exact blue shade of color he wanted for Chirrut's atrophied eyes. Baze Malbus was named after Weitz's half-elven Dungeons & Dragons player character from his childhood years. Designer David Crossman described Baze as a combination of several well-loved elements from fan favorite Star Wars characters, and that his visual design
12382-534: The collapsing Galactic Republic ; the rise of the empire wasn't sudden but instead unfolded gradually, step by step with one power grab after the next. However, its seeds of decadence are planted and nurtured by the Sith over a period of centuries, that bore fruit during the Clone Wars , the epic war between the Republic and the separatist Confederacy of Independent Systems (CIS) depicted in Episode II: Attack of
12533-606: The composition of the American revolution , with the rebels mostly Americans". Note : All dates in this article are in the BBY/ABY format. This is a fictional in-universe dating system centred on the Battle of Yavin in Episode IV: A New Hope in which the first Death Star is destroyed. BBY is Before the Battle of Yavin ; ABY is After the Battle of Yavin. The Galactic Empire is born out of
12684-478: The conduit being the controversial midi-chlorian concept introduced in the prequel trilogy. Since the Whills are the entities that communicate with the midi-chlorians, Lucas was of the opinion that "in a general sense, they are the Force". In the AMC series James Cameron's Story of Science Fiction , Lucas revealed that he had considered this story treatment to be the proper conclusion to the narrative arc which commenced with
12835-630: The crisis was over; and, as with the transition of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire , Augustus, like Palpatine, relied on his strong control over military force. Many Imperial officers speak with the Received Pronunciation accent (known in-universe as Coruscanti ), and Irvin Kershner "deliberately cast British actors as the high-rank imperials for The Empire Strikes Back to mirror
12986-505: The destruction of the Empire. Unwilling to embroil himself in the day-to-day running of the Galactic Empire, the Emperor leaves the mundane work to the Imperial Ruling Council (IRC), an advisory body with whom he confers on vital affairs of state. The group is made up of Imperial Advisors, "yes-men" who serve as ministers and counselors. The spokesman of the Imperial Ruling Council is the Grand Vizier Mas Amedda, who attends most of
13137-416: The earlier animated series falling under Disney's "Vintage" collection of Star Wars content. The Star Wars franchise includes several live-action series. The first series, The Mandalorian , was released in 2019 for the streaming service Disney+ and is set between the original and sequel trilogies of the Skywalker Saga. Due to its success, the series spawned multiple live-action spin-offs set during
13288-435: The empire collapses, some former ISB officers, such as Moff Gideon , become warlords and part of the Imperial remnants. Outside the formal chain of command , the Galactic Empire's reins are de facto held by the Sith, a cult of Force-wielders - called Sith Lords - that call on the dark side in their plot to dominate the galaxy and destroy the Jedi. Both Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader are part of this cult, although this
13439-399: The episodic films, The Clone Wars film , and television series . From 1976 to 2014, the term Expanded Universe (EU) was an umbrella term for all officially licensed Star Wars storytelling material set outside the events depicted within the theatrical films, including novels, comics, and video games. Lucasfilm maintained internal continuity between the films and television content and
13590-474: The events of Rogue One , the Guardians intercept him and his client in a "sacred tunnel" passageway and attempt to stop them from trespassing into the Temple of the Kyber. Chirrut and Baze, the two most prominent representatives of the faction within series continuity, have received a positive reception from professional reviewers and are recognized as fan favorite characters by Star Wars fans. Chirrut in particular
13741-495: The evil Sith lord Palpatine (Darth Sidious). The original trilogy depicts the heroic development of Luke Skywalker as a Jedi and his fight against Palpatine's Galactic Empire alongside his sister, Leia . The prequels tell the tragic backstory of their father, Anakin , who is corrupted by Palpatine and becomes Darth Vader . The sequels follow the conflict between Leia's son, Ben Solo , and Luke and Leia's protegé, Rey , and their eventual alliance against Palpatine after
13892-457: The fall of the Empire. In 1971, George Lucas wanted to film an adaptation of the Flash Gordon serial , but could not obtain the rights, so he began developing his own space opera . After directing American Graffiti (1973), he wrote a two-page synopsis, which 20th Century Fox decided to invest in. By 1974, he had expanded the story into the first draft of a screenplay. Fox expected
14043-474: The film would be of limited financial success, and so it was given a relatively low budget, with production being moved to Elstree Studios in England to help save on cost. Star Wars was released on May 25, 1977, and first subtitled Episode IV: A New Hope in the 1979 book The Art of Star Wars . The film's success led Lucas to make it the basis of an elaborate film serial . With the backstory he created for
14194-646: The film), followed by Foster's sequel novel Splinter of the Mind's Eye the following month. After penning the novelization of the original film, Foster followed it with the sequel Splinter of the Mind's Eye (1978). The novelizations of The Empire Strikes Back (1980) by Donald F. Glut and Return of the Jedi (1983) by James Kahn followed, as well as The Han Solo Adventures trilogy (1979–1980) by Brian Daley , and The Adventures of Lando Calrissian trilogy (1983) by L. Neil Smith . Timothy Zahn 's bestselling Thrawn trilogy (1991–1993) reignited interest in
14345-609: The first two releases. Together with the theatrical live action "anthology" films Rogue One (2016) and Solo (2018), the combined box office revenue of the films equate to over US$ 10 billion, making Star Wars the third-highest-grossing film franchise of all time. The Star Wars franchise depicts the adventures of characters "a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away" across multiple fictional eras , in which humans and many species of aliens (often humanoid ) co-exist with droids , which may be programmed for personal assistance or battle. Space travel between planets
14496-521: The franchise and introduced the popular characters Grand Admiral Thrawn , Mara Jade , Talon Karrde , and Gilad Pellaeon . The first novel, Heir to the Empire , reached #1 on the New York Times Best Seller list , and the series finds Luke, Leia, and Han facing off against tactical genius Thrawn, who is plotting to retake the galaxy for the Empire. In The Courtship of Princess Leia (1994) by Dave Wolverton , set immediately before
14647-404: The franchise as "the tragedy of Darth Vader". Prior to releasing the original 1977 film, and made possible by its success, Lucas planned "three trilogies of nine films". However, he announced to Time in 1978 that he planned "10 sequels". He confirmed that he had outlined the prequels and sequels in 1981. At various stages of development, the sequel trilogy was to focus on the rebuilding of
14798-453: The franchise's film series, most notably the Journal of the Whills, Part I (Lucas's earliest known draft for the first film ). Following the acquisition of Lucas' company Lucasfilm, Ltd. and the Star Wars intellectual property by The Walt Disney Company in 2012, the term is repurposed and reintroduced as the Guardians of the Whills, an esoteric monastic order who protect visiting pilgrims to
14949-404: The galaxy and restoring rule of law to sectors overtaken by piracy and organized crime , ending destructive conflicts through grand strategy and military doctrine , a plan for maximizing social control and propaganda , maintaining economic order and increasing security in the Galactic Empire. Tarkin believed the chief factor that contributed most to the demise of the Republic was not, in fact,
15100-456: The galaxy into regions, we, The Empire, actually achieve a unity previously absent; where once our loyalties and allegiances were divided, they now serve one being, with one goal: a cohesive galaxy in which everyone prospers. For the first time in one thousand generations our sector governors will not be working solely to enrich Coruscant and the Core Worlds, but to advance the quality of life in
15251-621: The gap between the High Republic publishing initiative and the events of The Acolyte . Titled Star Wars: The Acolyte – Kelnacca , the one-shot was written by High Republic writer Cavan Scott with art by Marika Cresta. It focuses on Kelnacca, the Wookiee Jedi introduced in The Acolyte . John Williams composed the soundtracks for the nine episodic films. He stated he would retire from the franchise with The Rise of Skywalker , but he composed
15402-419: The hands of " Praetorian administrators" ( planetary governors) that form the Council of Moffs. The cabinet is composed of 20 Moffs ( sector governors) and their superiors, the "Grand Moffs" (oversector governors), all of whom answer directly to the Emperor. The Moffs are senior officials who held the governorship over Administrators of minor provinces and commanded a Sector Fleet-size imperial armed forces at
15553-474: The hands of other filmmakers, announcing in January 2012 that he would make no more Star Wars films. That October, the Walt Disney Company agreed to buy Lucasfilm and announced that Episode VII would be released in 2015. The co-chairman of Lucasfilm, Kathleen Kennedy , became president and served as executive producer of new Star Wars feature films. Lucas provided Kennedy his story treatments for
15704-662: The institutions that threaten his goals. He orchestrated his own kidnapping by the Separatists by leaking classified information, and thereby bringing the war to the Capitol, Coruscant , to further spread terror. The Jedi are overstretched across the galaxy trying the end the war; they distrust Palpatine's motives, fearing he has come under the influence of a Dark Lord of the Sith named Darth Sidious. Their concerns are shared by several loyalist senators trying to preserve democracy, who suspect Palpatine may not return his emergency powers once
15855-418: The late 1980s and early 1990s, including the ability to create computer-generated imagery (CGI), inspired Lucas to consider that it might be possible to revisit his saga. In 1989, Lucas stated that the prequels would be "unbelievably expensive". In 1992, he acknowledged that he had plans to create the prequel trilogy. A theatrical rerelease of the original trilogy in 1997 " updated " the 20-year-old films with
16006-417: The line in order to extend time for their allies to complete their tasks; Chirrut dies in an explosion after flipping a switch to broadcast the Death Star plans to the Rebels via a signal, while Baze sacrifices himself to help deactivate the planetary deflector shield which blocks the signal. Chirrut and Baze appear as the main characters of the 2017 prequel tie-in novel to Rogue One , Star Wars: Guardians of
16157-549: The main episodes of the Skywalker Saga entered development in parallel with the production of the sequel trilogy, described by Disney chief financial officer Jay Rasulo as origin stories . The first film released was 2016's Rogue One , which tells the story of the rebels who steal the plans for the Death Star , the Galactic Empire 's superweapon, just before the events of the original Star Wars film. A second film, 2018's Solo , tells Han Solo's backstory, set 10 years prior to A New Hope . The series Obi-Wan Kenobi
16308-404: The mortal players in the actual events. I eventually dropped this idea, and the concepts behind the Whills turned into the Force. But the Whills became part of this massive amount of notes, quotes, background information that I used for the scripts; the stories were actually taken from the Journal of the Whills." — George Lucas, Star Wars: The Annotated Screenplays The Whills was originally
16459-485: The movie material, while others rely heavily on the non-canonical Expanded Universe (rebranded as Star Wars Legends and removed from the canon in 2014). Star Wars games have gone through three significant development eras, marked by a change in leadership among the developers: the early licensed games, those developed after the creation of LucasArts, and those created after the closure of the Lucasfilm division by Disney and
16610-502: The nine films of which are collectively referred to as the " Skywalker Saga ". The saga was produced non-chronologically, beginning in media res with the release of the original trilogy between 1977 and 1983. This was followed by the prequel trilogy, released between 1999 and 2005, and the sequel trilogy, released between 2015 and 2019. Each trilogy focuses on a generation of the Force -sensitive Skywalker family and their struggle against
16761-451: The nine-film series plotted, but due to the stress of producing the original trilogy, he had decided to cancel further sequels by 1981. In 1983, Lucas explained that "There was never a script completed that had the entire story as it exists now ... As the stories unfolded, I would take certain ideas and save them ... I kept taking out all the good parts, and I just kept telling myself I would make other movies someday." Technical advances in
16912-466: The original film and a new narration to retell the story, released in 1977. Most later printed novels were adapted into audio novels, usually released on cassette tape and re-released on CD. As of 2019, audio-only novels have been released not directly based on printed media. Radio adaptations of the films were also produced. Lucas, a fan of the NPR-affiliated campus radio station of his alma mater
17063-421: The original trilogy and followed by the prequel trilogy , but cited the divisive reception of the prequel trilogy and acknowledged that it would have proven controversial with fans. While the Whills were briefly mentioned in the script and novelization of Episode 3 , they did not make an appearance until the 2016 film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story . Screenwriter Chris Weitz drew from Lucas' original ideas about
17214-493: The outer reaches of the galaxy, crime syndicates such as the Hutt cartel are dominant. Bounty hunters are often employed by both gangsters and governments, while illicit activities include smuggling and slavery . The combination of science fiction and fantasy elements makes Star Wars a very universal franchise, capable of telling stories of various genres. The Star Wars film series centers around three sets of trilogies,
17365-486: The political loyalty of citizens to the Galactic Empire. Each supervisor had at least one ISB attendant assigned to them that helped them do their duties. Veteran Colonel Wullf Yularen acts as ISB's main figurehead and spokesman, answering to the likes of Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader and Amedda. Towards the end of the Galactic Empire's reign after the death of Emperor Palpatine, ISB officers were entrusted with carrying out Operation Cinder . When that operation fails and
17516-498: The prequel film Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005), where it replaces the Galactic Republic at the end of the Clone Wars orchestrated by the Republic's Supreme Chancellor, Palpatine . Palpatine is also secretly the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, who masterminds the war to destroy the Jedi and restore the Sith to power. Palpatine falsely accuses the Jedi of causing the secessionist Clone Wars to weaken
17667-470: The same deference as his master and has his personal battalion and armada- the 501st Legion and "Death Squadron", respectively - at his beck and call. Imperial High Command maintained a number of subdivisions, each charged with directing the naval, ground and intelligence assets of the Imperial Military. The most important of these were the Joint Chiefs, an executive group of senior officers who advised both
17818-431: The same fictional era, including The Book of Boba Fett , released in 2021; Ahsoka , released in 2023; and the upcoming Skeleton Crew . These series follow the plight of the New Republic and its allies against the remnants of the fallen Galactic Empire . A story focused on Obi-Wan Kenobi was planned as a film before becoming a live-action series after the box office failure of Solo in 2018. The series
17969-729: The same standard uniform that their Army counterparts use but is colored grey, and both services use colored chest plaques to denote rank. The Imperial Starfighter Corps (ISC) was the starfighter pilot branch of the Galactic Empire. Although the Corps was a component of the Navy, most pilots were assigned to ground operations with the Imperial Army. Imperial starfighters include TIE (Twin Ion Engine) fighters, TIE interceptors, TIE Defenders, TIE Brutes, TIE strikers, and TIE bombers. The Corps were scattered after
18120-496: The same year, Bob Iger announced that the film would be the first release of the next slate of Star Wars movies. The Mandalorian & Grogu is scheduled for release on May 22, 2026. Lucasfilm has a number of Star Wars films in various stages of development, including: The first two animated series, Droids and Ewoks , were produced in the 1980s. They were followed by the Clone Wars animated micro-series in 2003 and
18271-475: The sector level. The Grand Moffs are among the Galactic Empire's top figures, being on equal-footing with the Grand Vizier and the Commander-in-Chief and having been similarly appointed by the Emperor himself. The Council of Moffs works closely with Imperial High Command and is therefore able to dispose of the Imperial Military's assets to enforce the Emperor's authority in its "provinces". Governor Wilhuff Tarkin
18422-460: The sequel, Lucas decided that the series would be a trilogy of trilogies. Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back was released on May 21, 1980, also achieving wide financial and critical success. The final film in the trilogy, Episode VI: Return of the Jedi , was released on May 25, 1983. According to producer Gary Kurtz, loose plans for a prequel trilogy were developed during the outlining of the original two films. In 1980, Lucas confirmed that he had
18573-735: The sequels during the 2012 sale, but in 2015 it was revealed Lucas's sequel outline had been discarded. The sequel trilogy also meant the end of the Star Wars Expanded Universe stories, which were discarded from canon to give "maximum creative freedom to the filmmakers and also preserve an element of surprise and discovery for the audience." Episode VII: The Force Awakens was released on December 16, 2015, Episode VIII: The Last Jedi on December 13, 2017, and Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker on December 18, 2019, in many countries. The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi were both critical and box office successes. Episode IX received
18724-461: The series was set 25 to 30 years after the original films and introduced the Yuuzhan Vong, a powerful alien race attempting to invade and conquer the entire galaxy. The bestselling multi-author series Legacy of the Force (2006–2008) chronicles the crossover of Han and Leia's son Jacen Solo to the dark side of the Force; among his evil deeds, he kills Luke's wife Mara Jade as a sacrifice to join
18875-441: The shadows, his Sith apprentice, Darth Vader maintains a more public presence and leads the Imperial forces, acting as a personification of the Galactic Empire's power. By the time of Episode IV – A New Hope , the faction has transformed into a fully autocratic regime, though it is opposed by the insurgent Rebel Alliance . The completion of the Death Star , a planet-destroying battle station, allows Emperor Palpatine to instigate
19026-414: The star systems that make up each sector — keeping the spaceways safe , maintaining open and accessible communications , assuring that tax revenues are properly levied and allocated to improving the infrastructure . The plan which Palpatine ultimately had implemented in its entirety contained three main principles: territorial consolidation, rapid communication, and coercive diplomacy . Tarkin's concept
19177-465: The station is attacked by Rebel starfighters who have come into possession of the station's blueprints. The battle ends with the Death Star's destruction at the hands of Luke Skywalker , which is the Rebel Alliance's first major military success against the Empire. Politically, Alderann's destruction was a watershed moment for most Imperial Loyalists, many whom would later defect to the Alliance; it revealed
19328-485: The streets of Jedha City preaching about the Force, where he encounters Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor . After sensing that Jyn's necklace is made of Kyber crystal, the same material that power lightsabers , he asks her if she knew what they were. He later comes to her aid after a plot to disguise herself and her companions was foiled by Imperial forces, as Jedha City is caught up in a conflict between Partisan insurgents, led by Saw Gerrera , and Imperial forces who are looting
19479-443: The strong sales of Star Wars comics saved Marvel financially in 1977 and 1978. Marvel's Star Wars series was one of the industry's top selling titles in 1979 and 1980. The only downside for Marvel was that the 100,000 copy sales quota was surpassed quickly, allowing Lippincott to renegotiate the royalty arrangements from a position of strength. In the late 1980s, Marvel dropped a new Star Wars comic it had in development, which
19630-417: The style of CGI envisioned for the new trilogy. Episode I: The Phantom Menace was released on May 19, 1999, Episode II: Attack of the Clones on May 16, 2002, and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith on May 19, 2005. The first two films were met with mixed reviews, with the third being received somewhat more positively. Together with the original trilogy, Lucas has referred to the first six episodic films of
19781-451: The three-part Dark Empire saga, Tales of the Jedi , Dark Lords of the Sith , the Dark Forces trilogy, and Crimson Empire (1998). Return of the Jedi was adapted into 6-episodes in 1996, featuring Daniels. The Star Wars franchise has spawned over one hundred computer, video, and board games, dating back to some of the earliest home consoles . Some are based directly on
19932-486: The title Star Wars: Master and Apprentice . Although Thrawn had been designated a Legends character in 2014, he was reintroduced into the canon in 2016 for the third season of the Rebels animated series, with Zahn returning to write more novels based on the character and set in the new canon. Marvel Comics published a Star Wars comic book series from 1977 to 1986. Original Star Wars comics were serialized in
20083-419: The transfer of the license to Electronic Arts . Galactic Empire (Star Wars) Legislative: Executive: The Galactic Empire , also known simply as the Empire , is a fictional autocracy featured in the Star Wars franchise. Introduced in the 1977 film Star Wars , it is the main antagonistic faction of the original trilogy , which also includes The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of
20234-462: The war , but rampant self-interest, which left the body politic feckless and corrupt. Consider the self-interest of the Core Worlds, unwavering in their exploitation of the Outer Systems for their resources; the Outer Systems themselves, undermined, by their permissive disregard of smuggling and slavery; those ambitious members of the Senate who sought only status and opportunity. By partitioning
20385-511: The war effort. He intentionally prolonged and exploits the Clone Wars to amass unprecedented political power, using his apprentice Darth Tyranus , Head of State of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, as a pawn to keep everyone distracted and focused on ending the war. By the time of Episode III , he is effectively a dictator who overstayed his term limits; he exploits the people's fears, systematically rewrites constitutional laws and crushes
20536-469: The war ends. These senators set into motion plans that will eventually lead to the creation of the Rebellion . The film eventually reveals that Palpatine and Sidious are one and the same, and Palpatine engineered the conflicts as a false flag . Palpatine reveals himself as a Sith Lord to Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, promising to save Padmé, Skywalker's secret wife, from dying in childbirth as Anakin has foreseen. Skywalker reports Palpatine's true identity to
20687-433: The war, with GAR liberators occupying every known Star system, Palpatine orders them to permanently annex planets, suppress the sectors and subjugate the people. Secured in his power and position, with no one left stop him, Palpatine reorganizes the Republic into the Galactic Empire, with himself as Emperor for life. He moves on to his final political opposition, the Senate; rather than dismantling it outright, he reduces it to
20838-447: Was a symbol of unity and non-confrontation; Palpatine would pervert this peaceful symbol by removing two spokes from the wheel; similar to how Hitler took the swastika from ancient Eastern religions like Hinduism and Buddhism . The Senate, now known as the Imperial Senate, nominally continues to exist, though it is virtually powerless. Palpatine dissolves the Senate (off-camera) in A New Hope after discovering that several members of
20989-522: Was announced in January 2014 that in 2015 the Star Wars comics license would return to Marvel Comics, whose parent company, Marvel Entertainment , Disney had purchased in 2009. Launched in 2015, the first three publications were titled Star Wars , Darth Vader , and the miniseries Princess Leia . First announced as Project Luminous at Star Wars Celebration in April 2019, the Star Wars: The High Republic publishing initiative
21140-409: Was frequently used by Chirrut Îmwe, a Guardian of the Whills who appears in the film as a representative character of the monastic organization, in early treatments of the film's script by Weitz. Although the character is blind and unable to use the Force like the Jedi, he is devoted to the Force and could sense its presence. Chirrut's skill in martial arts can rival that of a lightsaber-wielding Jedi; he
21291-513: Was hopeful that Disney would revisit "the glory days of Jedha and the Guardians of the Whills" via a television series set before Rogue One . Leon Hurley from Gamesradar wanted to see a spin-off movie featuring either Chirrut and Baze in the style of a buddy film , or a narrative that is centered on the Guardians of the Whills as a whole. Chirrut and Baze appeared as a popular pairing in several " shipping " related posts and opinion pieces by critics and fans, particularly during December 2016, which
21442-581: Was introduced in Timothy Zahn 's then- canon novel Heir to the Empire . It made its film debut in the special edition of Return of the Jedi . Inspiration for the world-spanning city came from 1940s science fiction works, especially Isaac Asimov 's Trantor . Visually, it resembles the Art Deco skyscrapers of Manhattan . Star Wars Battlefront II (2017) depicts Palpatine as intentionally having no clear line of succession, desiring either immortality or
21593-411: Was originally planned as a film, but changed to a miniseries due to Solo underperforming at the box office. In April 2023, three new Star Wars films were announced to be set within different eras of the franchise. An untitled film written and directed by James Mangold will be set during the "dawn of the Jedi". Dave Filoni will direct a film set between the original and sequel trilogies during
21744-528: Was picked up by Dark Horse Comics and published as the popular Dark Empire series (1991–1995). Dark Horse subsequently launched dozens of series set after the original film trilogy, including Tales of the Jedi (1993–1998), X-wing Rogue Squadron (1995–1998), Star Wars: Republic (1998–2006), Star Wars Tales (1999–2005), Star Wars: Empire (2002–2006), and Knights of the Old Republic (2006–2010). After Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm, it
21895-528: Was released on Disney+ in 2022 and is set between the prequel and original trilogy films. It was followed by the live-action series Andor in the same year; both series follow their titular characters during the reign of the Empire. The Acolyte is a series created by Leslye Headland set at the end of the High Republic era before the events of the Skywalker Saga , and follows an investigation into
22046-464: Was required to relocate to the United Kingdom for five months of filming. Yen accepted the role on his son's urging, but insisted on having creative input in the character's development process as a condition of his acceptance. Yen did not want his character to be stereotyped as "another Chinese kung fu master", and wanted Chirrut to have a sense of humour, as per his view that children need to think of
22197-473: Was revealed in a press conference in February 2020. Involving the majority of the then current officially licensed publishers, a new era set 200 years before the Skywalker Saga was explored in various books and comics. Including ongoing titles by Marvel and IDW Publishing, written by Cavan Scott and Daniel José Older respectively. Marvel Comics will publish a one-shot comic book on September 4, 2024, that bridges
22348-553: Was singled out for praise as having the best quotable dialogue in Rogue One . Julian Medranda from The Highlander said Chirrut and Baze were the characters he found the most compelling; he compared their chemistry to Han Solo and Chewbacca , and found almost every interaction involving them to be enjoyable even though they were essentially minor characters whose interesting scenes were often interrupted by "boring" action set pieces or lengthy exposition scenes. Medranda suggested that, while
22499-503: Was subsequently restructured to only include the existing six feature films, the animated film The Clone Wars (2008), and its companion animated series. All future projects and creative developments across all types of media would be overseen and coordinated by the story group, announced as a division of Lucasfilm created to maintain continuity and a cohesive vision on the storytelling of the franchise. Multiple comics series from Marvel and novels published by Del Rey were produced after
22650-441: Was that rule could be established and maintained "through fear of force rather than force itself", and he believed grand displays of power—when combined with oppressive means of terrorizing communities—could suppress dissent and crush any would-be rebellion. This Doctrine became the Empire's core military doctrine of peacekeeping , internal security , counter-insurgency , and state terrorism -philosophy. The instrument of this power
22801-513: Was the month Rogue One was released. Star Wars Star Wars is an American epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas , which began with the eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon. The franchise has been expanded into various films and other media , including television series , video games , novels , comic books , theme park attractions , and themed areas , comprising an all-encompassing fictional universe . Star Wars
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