How to Start Reading Star Wars Legends in 2024

With the return of Grand Admiral Thrawn to the galaxy in Ahsoka

I think it's becoming more and more clear that the future

of that story is going to continue taking inspiration from Star Wars Legends

where the character originated

I get questions about how to get into Star Wars books and comics all the time

and I've got more videos on those topics coming, but today,

I wanted to focus on Star Wars Legends because there are hundreds

of books and there is definitely renewed interest thanks to Thrawn

but it's daunting and overwhelming to start

So, where should you start?

Just like when it comes to making canon recommendations,

it really all depends on what you personally like about Star Wars so

I'm gonna try to cover a bunch of different bases in this video

I generally tell people to begin with the trilogy that started it all,

the Thrawn trilogy, Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising and The Last Command

Yes, I know that there were comics and shows and the Han Solo and Lando Calrissian Adventures

that were part of the Expanded Universe before those books,

but Timothy Zahn's novels arrived in the early 90's when people were

unsure if Star Wars would ever continue in a major way

Then here came some new stories about Luke, Leia, Han, Chewie and Lando

facing a new kind of villain in the form of Grand Admiral Thrawn

They were instantly hits and ushered in a brand new wave of Star Wars stories

in the form of books and comics. To get personal for a bit,

those books shaped Star Wars for me as much as the movies did

I got into Star Wars around 1995, I watched the movies constantly

but obviously, I wanted more. I wanted to find out what happened next

So most of the Star Wars universe when I was growing up was made up

of these books, and they very much shaped my view of what Star Wars can be

Which is to say, it can be pretty much whatever it wants to be.

I fell in love with the X-Wing books especially

solidifying my love of pilot stories. Reading these books showed me

the variety to be found in Star Wars and it's something I still push for today

I see the occasional comments from people saying they wished I talked about Legends more

or some going so far to say that I hate Legends which is absurd.

Some of my favorite Star Wars stories are from that point in time

in my life where I was reading every book I could

I even have fond memories of the some of the... let's call them

the lesser celebrated books. As a young kid, there were definitely

some weird stories in there but I didn't care. They were all new adventures

with some of my favorite characters. I definitely agree that I could spend more time

talking about Legends but it's not because I don't love it,

it's just that most of my time is spent keeping up with everything that's coming out now

But it is something I'd like to change in the coming year

Anyway, to hop off my nostalgia soapbox, my next recommendation

is a series I already mentioned, the X-Wing novels by Michael Stackpole

and Aaron Alston. Like I said, these books solidified my love for pilot stories,

so if you liked the Alphabet Squadron trilogy, these books are right up your alley.

Or, if you were into Andor, I also think this is a solid recommendation.

These are stories about normal people, just a bunch of pilots

doing their best to make the galaxy better. But of course,

some fans aren't really interested in Star Wars if the Jedi or the Sith

aren't involved and that's ok, we all have our personal preference.

If it's Sith you want, look no further than the Darth Bane trilogy by Drew Karpyshyn

It's the story of the Sith Lord who created the Rule of Two, which also

shows how the Sith Order went from tons of Sith to only two hidden in the shadows

We get to see massive battles between the Jedi and the Sith,

political ramifications in the galaxy and also a compelling personal story

in the form of Darth Bane. I will say there are some

aspects of the story surrounding the Force that don't fully

vibe with my view of it. But it doesn't ruin my enjoyment,

it's just different and that's fine. To stick with the Sith,

I can't not mention Darth Plagueis by James Luceno,

it's considered to be one of the ultimate Star Wars Legends books

and for good reason. It clarifies some aspects of the Prequel Trilogy

while giving us a look at a young, sadistic Palpatine

and his training and rise to power. It's as much Sidious' book

as it is Plagueis'. This would probably be my top recommendation

if you're a Prequel fan above all else. If you're a High Republic fan,

I'm gonna recommend something that might be controversial,

but I would say give the New Jedi Order series a try. I know not everyone

liked the Yuuzhan Vong as villains, but 12 year old me thought they were rad

To be fair, I haven't read them since they came out, but really,

I'm recommending it because it has a similar format

to the High Republic. A big cast of Jedi characters fighting

a new kind of enemy in the galaxy that offers some interesting challenges

It can also be heartbreakingly tragic at times, and it was written by

a bunch of different authors. Not every book is great, but I loved having

a big, long book series telling a large story.

It's part of why I love the High Republic so much

because I missed when Star Wars books felt that big and the High Republic

has brought me back into that feeling. You can also

choose a starting point based on some of your favorite characters,

you love Obi-Wan Kenobi? Read Kenobi by John Jackson Miller.

Do you love Maul? Check out Shadow Hunter by Michael Reaves.

There's a whole series of books about Clone Troopers if you're into that

Or Anakin/Darth Vader has an unofficial trilogy in the form of

Labyrinth of Evil by James Luceno,

The Revenge of the Sith novelization by Matthew Stover,

and The Rise of Darth Vader once again by Luceno,

and really Stover's Revenge of the Sith deserves a special shoutout

I hesitate to call it an introduction to Star Wars Legends

because it's an adaptation of a film, but it is celebrated as one of the

best Star Wars books of all time for a reason

I think I've given you enough jumping off points depending on what

you like within Star Wars and from there, you can just keep on reading

what happens after the Thrawn Trilogy if you were into it,

or you can just read more books about Thrawn or Mara Jade

There are a ton of avenues to follow, but again

there's no one real answer here, it's all down to what speaks to you as a Star Wars fan

But I hope that helps anyone who has been feeling overwhelmed

searching for a way into the Legends universe. And by the way,

hearing that people started reading Star Wars books or comics

because of our channel is one of my favorite things to hear

Like I said, the books hold a very special place in my heart,

I look forward to some of them as much as I do new movies or series

Helping Star Wars fans discover a whole new aspect to their own fandom

is my favorite thing, so hopefully I helped a least one person do that today.

But I'm gonna wrap up, if you haven't already, please like this video,

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As always, thanks for watching and

May The Force Be With You