Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire

Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire was a multimedia project created by Lucasfilm in 1996. The original idea was to create an interquel, a story set between the films Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (a time where no Star Wars book had gone before), and to explore all commercial possibilities of a full motion picture release, without actually making the film. The venture paved the way for the theatrical release of the Star Wars Trilogy: Special Edition in the following year, and the later releases of the Star Wars prequel trilogy.

Introduction
Several products were released, including a novel, a junior novelization, a six-issue comic series, a video game, trading cards, a soundtrack, a role-playing game, toy figurines, a series of MicroMachines toys, vinyl dolls and statuettes, model kits, and a line of new action figures and vehicles, and so on. The entire Shadows of the Empire project, though not technically a film, can be collectively considered the closest project to a film in the Star Wars official continuity. This story is significant in the fact that Lucas reportedly said he would have made a story like this into a movie if he had had the time and effort back in the early 1980s. The entire history and analysis of the project was recorded in The Secrets of Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire, by Mark Cotta Vaz.

While each part of the project can be enjoyed on its own, fans will need to collect several items in order to fully experience the adventure since certain elements from each part of the story do not overlap and are described only in another part. The novel tells the overall story, focusing on the main characters. The comic book series focuses on bounty hunter Boba Fett's battle to keep possession of the frozen Han Solo. The video game allows players to control new character Dash Rendar, whose adventures in the game weave in and out of the overall storyline. All the while, a battle for the life of Luke Skywalker takes place between Darth Vader and Prince Xizor, as each tries to please the dreaded Emperor Palpatine.

This served as the underlying marketing strategy for the project and was quite successful. The success of Shadows of the Empire also served more or less as a model for the Clone Wars multimedia venture. A similar multimedia project was attempted in late 2007 to tie in with the "The Force Unleashed" video game, however, the project largely fell flat due to the many delays of the game.

Plot summary
The saga of Shadows begins around the Battle of Hoth, and follows the ventures of original characters Prince Xizor of Black Sun and Dash Rendar. The following is a summary of all sources of the Shadows of the Empire saga, including some information from the tie-ins.

The Battle of Hoth
Hotshot smuggler Dash Rendar, captain of the Outrider and mercenary-for-hire, arrived with a supply shipment of assault blasters for Echo Base and meets up with his friend Han Solo who notifies him that the Empire is on its way; Han talks to Luke and gets Dash a spot in Rogue Squadron.

In the ensuing battle, Dash flies a T-47 airspeeder against the approaching walkers, AT-ST and Viper probe droids while Leebo helps to supply the transports for evacuation. The main power generator has been destroyed and Imperial troops have entered. Han, Leia and Luke have escaped, but Dash is left behind. With the generator down, the shield to Bay 3 (where the Outrider is docked) is closed. Dash locates and activates the emergency generators, then makes it to the Outrider fighting a lone AT-ST.

As the Outrider is approaching an asteroid field, with Leebo at the helm, Dash mans the gun turrets to fend off incoming TIE Fighters and Bombers until he makes it into hyperspace. Guri meets the representatives of Ororo Transportation who had been attempting to take over Black Sun's spice operations in the Bajic Sector. The group denied the accusations, however, Tuyay lost his composure; Guri threw him at the bodyguards, snapped Dellis Yuls neck and pierced Z. Limmer's throat with her fingernails who was unable to strangle her. Then she shot all of them with a blaster.

Aboard the Redemption, Leia is informed that Imperials have spotted the Rebels, and Rogue Squadron led by Wedge Antilles begins defending the Rebel side in a space battle against the Strike Cruiser the so that their point remains secret. Leia meanwhile understands that Luke is different after his encounter with Vader and wonders what happened between them.

On the Executor, Sidious contacts Darth Vader and chastises him for his failure on Bespin. He then orders Vader to conclude shipping arrangements of the Death Star II plans with the Black Sun crimelord Prince Xizor. On his way out, Xizor explains to Guri, that he intends to kill Luke and improve his prestige to the Emperor, while also discrediting Vader. Guri has made her arrangements with bounty hunters and Xizor is ready to meet Jabba.

Above Tatooine, Boba Fett who carries Han Solo in carbonite, exits hyperspace but discovers that a signal beacon -installed when he was on Cloud City- was activated; he has a dangerous encounter with IG-88D who intended to claim the bounty of Solo. Fett energizes the inertial dampers and finds himself behind the IG-2000, caught in a barrage of fire from the Slave I; Fett is forced into hiding while IG-88D managed to limp off to Ord Mantell to search for spare parts for his ship in the planet's scrapyard.

On Coruscant, Xizor hires the Pike sisters while Vader tests his injured hand with an ASP-series droid while briefing Jix about his foresight that Luke will approach Jabba to rescue Han; Jix is supposed to join Jabba's gang and try to capture Luke, and ensuring his survival. Finally, Vader concludes his meeting and arrangements with Xizor.

Search of Boba Fett
Dash is sent to seek out IG-88D, and interrogate him about the whereabouts of Boba Fett. Rendar gathered information on the skirmish and tracked IG-88 to Ord Mantell; IG-88 was in the main salvage plant, and he sealed the gate. Leebo programmed a hover train to kamikaze with the plant, allowing Rendar access who broke through the defenses and boarded the train on course with the processing plant. After a quick discussion with IG-88, information was gathered that Fett was on Gall, and the assassin droid opened fire. IG-88 was blasted after a skirmish, and fell to the ground.

When Lando Calrissian learns from Dash that Fett is on Gall, he meets Luke and Leia in Mos Eisley.

We see Xizor calling a meeting of all the Vigos where he had his aide, Guri throttle a traitor in front of the others as a warning to the other Vigos not to cross the Dark Prince.

The Rebels depart for Gall, where they meet up with Rogue Squadron and Dash. Meanwhile, the bounty hunters Bossk and Zuckuss attempt to join Boba and work together in order to share the bounty of Han, but he firmly refuses and shoots a sniper placed to shoot him, then his system warns him that Slave I has been breached. Dash Rendar, with Outrider, leads Leia on the Millennium Falcon with Lando, Chewbacca, R2-D2, and C-3PO to the Slave I through the Grand Trench on Gall, while Rogue Squadron becomes entangled in a space battle against the dayside Star Destroyer. The Falcon reaches the spaceport, though Dash decides to leave since he was paid "only to guide, not shoot". However he lands into a valley on the planet's surface with Leebo guarding the ship, and moves on through the Smuggler's Canyon into the Enclave where he slices into the control computer to find out Fett's location.

With a jetpack, he flies across the Canyon and makes his way up to the hangars. On his way he steals an Imperial patrol skiff and faces an AT-ST. The explosion opens the vent shafts, and through them, Dash makes his way to the top of the tower Slave I is docked. Back to Slave I, Fett discovers 4-LOM and bounty hunters who attempt to steal the carbonite block of Han, but he makes short work of them. There Dash engages Fett in an air duel. With his jetpack blasted by Rendar, Fett crashes right into the Slave I. He then attacks Rendar with the ship's weapon but Dash disables the Slave.

The Rogues' luck could not last, however. Another wave of TIEs approached and a second Star Destroyer joined the battle. Boba notices the Falcon approaching and lifts off. The Falcon was badly damaged and withdraws. The Rogues decide to cut and run, preparing for a mock hyperspace jump. Plotting a course towards their base on the moon of Kile, Wes Janson's X-wing fires on Luke; his astromech droid had taken control of his ship, and Luke was forced to disable his fellow pilot's fighter. The mission had failed.

Eventually Luke finds that Janson's droid had been programmed by a technician to kill him; the technician is shot by Wedge and discovered that she was paid by Vader (actually by Guri). Leia decides to make contact to an underground organization in the hopes of finding out who is responsible. Unfortunately she decides to make contact with the Black Sun, unaware that Xizor is the one who wants Luke dead. Leia also asks Luke to go to Tatooine after Fett not knowing that Xizor expects so; she also secretly hires Rendar to follow and protect him.

Hunting the Assassins
Big Gizz, while on the town with his buds, is challenged by a mysterious stranger, Jix, in Mos Eisley. When Jix steals Spiker's swoop, Gizz is impressed with his willingness to cheat. Jabba just got a transmission that interfered with Jix's instructions to ensure Luke's survival: that Luke is there, and he is more useful dead. After a discussion in Chalmun's cantina that Dash overhears, Jix and the gang race over to kill Luke.

Meanwhile, Leia had already arranged a contact with Black Sun, on Rodia and meets their representative, Guri at the Next Chance casino with Lando and Chewbacca nearby. The initial meeting achieves little, with Guri claiming that she has business to attend and has to cut the meeting short, however it does leave the Rebels with the distinct impression that there was something unusual about her. At Ben Kenobi's hut, Luke tests the new lightsaber he has constructed according to the instructions from a book he found inside. Once the swoop bikers arrive, Luke deflects several blaster bolts before he slashes aside one of the riders and steals a bike within the twists and turns of Beggar's Canyon with Dash coming behind. When Spiker gets a clear shot at Luke, Jix rams his swoop into Spiker's to keep Luke alive. Although Jix breaks a leg in the crash, Spiker is nearly dead. Gizz falls from his bike and levels his rifle at Luke; he's struck in the skull with a rock by Jix.

Meanwhile Fett hides in an asteroid field when 4-LOM resumes operation. Before Fett disables him once more, Bossk picks up 4-LOM's signal and finds Slave I stranded. Zuckuss and his team board the ship and apprehend Fett attempting to capture the carbonite slab. Furlag leads Fett to his cell but Fett opens a trapdoor under his feet. He keeps Zuckuss alive to communicate with Bossk and sends the shuttle back to him; when Bossk looks inside he sees his fellows dead, along with a detonation device, when Fett jumps to hyperspace.

On Coruscant, Guri says to Xizor that Leia looking into Black Sun is dangerous and advocates killing the Rebels. However, Xizor has other plans for Leia and tells Guri to bring her to Coruscant.

As Xizor suggests to the Emperor, Bothan spies discover that the plans are to be sent in a small computer onboard a fertilizer freighter, the Suprosa, en route to their home planet Bothawui. The Bothans send a message droid to Tatooine for Leia, asking her to come to Bothawui, which is received by Luke and Dash who take up the challenge. Along with Ace Azzameen and a fleet of volunteer Bothans including Koth Melan, they intercept the Suprosa as it exits hyperspace. The freighter responds by firing a single Diamond Boron Missile which Dash hits, but fails to destroy. The missile destroys four Y-wings and another two are lost before the freighter's pilot surrenders; Dash then rips through inner defenses and into the hangar. However a Loader droid uses its spring-loaded arms against Dash who blasts the droid down before opening the hangar, allowing Luke and Melan to board the ship. With the success of the battle, the Alliance secures the plans and gains trust in Xizor. The plans are in truth, outdated, and the second Death Star is fully operational, unlike what the schematics read.

En route to Kothlis, the party is attacked by Claw and Hunter, driven off by Blue Squadron, and the Rebels who managed to arrive at Kothlis are a special Bothan encryption team who should attempt to bypass the self destruct device of the supercomputer. Dash goes to Rodia to find Leia.

Guri returns to Rodia, to meet the Rebels, who had installed a scanner device which quickly confirms their suspicions: Guri is not Human. C-3PO puts a sleeping potion in Guri's tea, so that they can conduct a closer examination but that as well fails; the two continue to trade diplomatic small-talk until Guri, tired of proceedings, attempts to abduct Organa only to be restrained by Lando, Chewbacca and Dash.

Koth Melan and Bothan technicians decode the Death Star plans on Kothlis when a Barabel bounty hunter raid, led by Skahtul, captures Skywalker and kills Melan. It is revealed to Luke that there are two rewards on his head, as he is wanted alive and dead. Unknown to him, it is Vader who wants him alive and Xizor who wants him dead.

After much discussion, Leia agrees to go to Coruscant with Guri in the Stinger, taking Chewbacca with her. To allow the two to make it onto Coruscant without being identified, Guri helps them into disguises. Leia takes the guise of the Ubese bounty hunter Boushh, and Chewbacca is disguised as Snoova.

For a time, Luke meditates and concentrates. After he gains much confidence with the Force, he influences the mind of his cell guard. Luke gets the guard to lock himself in the cell and take a nap, while Luke exits and then proceeds to increase his skills in the Force as he makes his way out of the stronghold. Lando, with information from Dash, makes his entrance and rescues Luke, and they depart from Kothlis on the Millennium Falcon for Tatooine, and in a hurry, as the Executor has just arrived.

Darth Vader aboard the Executor, is sent to Kothlis to collect Skywalker (as well as to make it appear as if the Empire was genuinely concerned with the loss of the plans); the plans managed to reach the Razor over the planet. Then Vader finds Skywalker gone and learns from Skahtul that someone wants Luke dead.

Xizor hosts Leia and Chewbacca at Black Sun, then provides them each with appropriate commodities. After an intense seductive experience with Xizor, Leia is reinforced by Chewbacca, eventually retakes control of herself, and knees Xizor between the legs. He is outraged, and sends her back to her room, while Chewie is intentionally let to 'escape' (although not so easy) hoping that he would lead Luke to rescue Leia; and into Xizor's hands.

On Tatooine, Jix cleverly gets past security and makes contact with Vader on the Executor in order to inform him of the swoop bike incident with Luke and learns that Jabba, too, had a bounty for Luke dead, put by someone who used Vader's name.

Lair of the Dark Prince
Luke, Dash, Lando receive a message from Chewie and head for Coruscant where they meet; Chewbacca stealthily make their way through the sewers of Black Sun in order to enter Xizor's palace. Using the Force, Luke and his thoughts inform Leia that he and the group are close by and will soon rescue her from Xizor. After much blasterfire with security guards with Luke integrating his increasingly advanced lightsaber skills, the group finds Leia and begins to lead her out of the palace.

They enter a hallway with Xizor, Guri, and several more of his aides, and a battle soon commences wherein Xizor and Guri are impressed with Luke's skills as a Jedi. Luke and Lando soon threaten Xizor with thermal detonators that they send down the garbage chute, causing everyone to frantically panic and scatter out of Xizor's palace.

The Millennium Falcon, being driven by R2-D2 and C-3PO, wildly careens toward Luke and company, allowing them to escape onto the vessel above Coruscant. Xizor boards his skyhook, then sends four of his own starfighters at the Rebels, with Dash defending them with flak from the laser turrets of the Outrider. The X-wing starfighters of Rogue Squadron soon join in, along with many TIE fighters, and a big space battle commences.

Vader, via hologram on the Executor over Coruscant, confronts Xizor. Vader warned Xizor to stay away from Luke, but he willfully disobeyed those orders, and he thus orders the Imperial fleet to destroy Xizor's skyhook.

There is a great explosion wherein the Outrider is thought to be destroyed when Dash actually makes a jump to hyperspace at the last moment, as he is convinced that his experiences with the Rebels have been too dangerous while there is too much money to be made elsewhere. On Tatooine, Fett fools the stalking bounty hunters with a disguised Zuckuss and a covered up 4-LOM that would seem to be himself and a carbonite block speeding away from the Slave I. The real Fett gives the actual carbonite block of Han to Jabba, and he receives his payment. Meanwhile, Luke, Leia, Lando, Chewbacca, R2-D2 and C-3PO prepare to rescue Han from Jabba the Hutt.

Luke prepares his holographic message to Jabba and puts his lightsaber into R2.

Media
"I'm really looking forward to the soundtrack to Shadows, with music by Joel McNeely. I want to hear Xizor's Theme! And the toys... Dash action figures. I'm hoping the Lucasfilm people will send me some, otherwise, I'm going to have to go out and try and find them myself."

- Steve Perry

Novel


The main plotline is told in Steve Perry's novel, Shadows of the Empire, published by Bantam Books. It introduces Prince Xizor, the overlord of the largest criminal organization in the galaxy, known as Black Sun. His goal is to take Darth Vader's place at Emperor Palpatine's side. Xizor is also seeking vengeance against Vader for the extermination of his people, the Falleen. Xizor makes his move against Vader upon learning of the identity of Luke Skywalker and his relationship to Vader. To exact his revenge, Xizor plots to kill Luke, thinking that will win favor with Palpatine and serve as retribution against Vader. Meanwhile, Vader is still seeking out Luke to convert him to the dark side after their encounter on Bespin. Luke finds himself the target of the two most powerful beings in the galaxy, other than Palpatine himself.

Meanwhile, Han Solo is still frozen in carbonite and is being taken to Jabba the Hutt by the bounty hunter Boba Fett. Leia Organa, along with Lando Calrissian and Chewbacca, enlists the aid of Dash Rendar, a smuggler and acquaintance of Han's. Events transpire that cross the paths of Leia and the Rebels with Xizor and Black Sun that culminate in a battle over Coruscant among Xizor, Vader, and Rogue Squadron. Also revealed are how Leia and Lando developed Han's rescue and the construction of Luke's new lightsaber. Thus, the stage is soon set for Return of the Jedi.

Prequel
A prequel novel was planned to the original Shadows of the Empire story. The book was to be written by author Charles Grant. The novel was canceled apparently due to a Lucasfilm Licensing move from Bantam to Del Rey.

Junior novelization
The junior novelization of Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire was written by Christopher Golden and published by Bantam Doubleday Dell in October 1996. It is based on the story and novel by Steve Perry. The target audience of the junior novelization is kids 8-12.

Comics


While many elements of the novel are also depicted in the comics, there is much greater emphasis on the intrigue between Boba Fett and his fellow bounty hunters, primarily Bossk, Zuckuss, and 4-LOM. It also tells the story of Jix, Darth Vader's special agent assigned to ensuring Luke's protection from Xizor. Upon learning that Luke was on Tatooine, Xizor hired Jabba to kill him. The job was given to his swoop gang, which had been infiltrated by Jix as part of Vader's assignment. The series was written by John Wagner and illustrated by Kilian Plunkett.

Steve Perry, author of the Shadows' novel, was a consultant of the comics. While the stories in the book and comics seldom intersected, it was necessary that characters, scenes, and dialogue match when they did come together. There were also a few tie-in comics and a sequel comic, Shadows of the Empire: Evolution.

The first tie-in was Battle of the Bounty Hunters, the first-ever Star Wars pop-up comic. It was simply a reprint of the battle between Boba Fett and IG-88 shown in the first issue of the primary series.

A tie-in comic book series was released from writer Ryder Windham in January 2000. The comic book series was known as Star Wars: Shadow Stalker, and was a prelude to the original Shadows of the Empire story. The new comic expanded on the adventures of the character, Jix, from the original story. The series also incorporated characters from the Archie Goodwin Star Wars newspaper strip story "Iceworld", reprinted by Dark Horse comics in Classic Star Wars.

Additionally, The Jabba Tape continues the adventures of Big Gizz and Spiker&mdash;members of Jabba's swoop gang&mdash;after Jabba's death. Both Shadow Stalker and The Jabba Tape were originally serialized in Star Wars Galaxy. This led to a further adventure in Sand Blasted.

Some comics were also released by toy companies. Kenner released a two-part special which was a reprint of some scenes from the original comic like Battle of Gall. Some of the Lewis Galoob Toys included a Galoob Micro-Machines Mini-Comic and a Shadows of the Empire AMT/ERTL Model Kit Mini-Comic was distributed in ERTL model kits. These mini-comics like the Kenner version were mainly a reprint but they also included some original scenes.

Sequel
A sequel was written to the original story by Steve Perry, the author of the Shadows of the Empire novel. The project is known as Shadows of the Empire: Evolution, and was created in the form of a series of five comic books. The story is set around the time of Star Wars—Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. Xizor, the leader of the Black Sun criminal organization, has been destroyed, and Guri, a beautiful human-replica droid and Xizor's personal assassin, is left wondering what her future will hold now that she no longer has anyone to answer to. Throughout the ongoing struggle for underworld supremacy, Guri endeavors to uncover hints of her human side&mdash;if it even exists. But in her quest to alter her programming and gain humanity, Guri becomes the quarry of both bounty hunters and Rebels (led by a Jedi-to-be named Luke). Secrets lay buried in her android mind that make her such valuable prey. Shadows of the Empire: Evolution was Perry's first foray into comics. These books were later combined to create a graphic novel.

Video game


LucasArts's Shadows of the Empire video game was one of the first available for Nintendo's 64-bit system, Nintendo 64. The most commercial product in the Shadows of the Empire line, was the Nintendo 64 game that was released on December 3, 1996, which was shortly after the release of the console itself (September 29, 1996). The computer version came almost a year later (September 17, 1997), featuring improved graphics and fully 3D CGI rendered cutscenes with dialogue (as opposed to the picture/text cutscenes of the N64 version). In the game, the player controls Dash Rendar in his efforts to help Luke Skywalker and rescue Princess Leia from Prince Xizor's hands.

The game is divided in four parts (or chapters). The first one takes place during the beginning of The Empire Strikes Back, with Dash assisting in the Battle of Hoth in a snowspeeder, and eventually fleeing Echo Base. In the second part, Dash confronts some of the bounty hunters found in the movies, like IG-88 on Ord Mantell and Boba Fett. In the third chapter, Boba Fett has escaped and the player's mission changes: you must now save Luke Skywalker's life by fighting a deadly gang of bikers in Mos Eisley&mdash;this is vividly depicted in the comics as well&mdash;and then recover Imperial secret plans of the second Death Star, with Skywalker's help. Finally, in the last chapter takes Dash, Luke, and Lando to Coruscant to rescue Princess Leia from Xizor's stronghold. Certain parts of the game contradict elements from the book and comic book, but the overall story remains the same.

Soundtrack


Film and TV composer Joel McNeely wrote and recorded a soundtrack for the project which was performed by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Chorus. It was published by Varèse Sarabande. Familiar themes from the movies can only be heard in tracks one (Main Theme from Star Wars and part of Carbon Freeze), eight (Imperial March and The Force theme), and ten (The Imperial March). The disc also includes an interactive track for personal computers, containing concept art and additional information about the project.

Toys


Kenner was one of the companies that made the toy line for the Shadows of the Empire project. Kenner's Shadows of the Empire line contains action figures, vehicles, and "two-pack" pairings of new and classic characters.

Lewis Galoob Toys, famous for their line of "Micro Machine" miniature toys and playsets, also developed a full Shadows of the Empire toy line. It included three sets of miniatures and a boxed Action Fleet set with two swoop bikes and riders and four miniature articulated figures. Also included in the sets are the classic Star Wars characters (Luke, Vader, the Emperor) as well as the new characters (Xizor, Dash Rendar, Guri and Leebo).

Action figures

 * Boba Fett vs. IG-88
 * Chewbacca in Bounty Hunter (Snoova) Disguise
 * Dash Rendar
 * Leia in Boushh Disguise
 * Luke Skywalker in Coruscant Guard Disguise
 * Prince Xizor
 * Prince Xizor vs. Darth Vader
 * Swoop Trooper

Vehicles

 * Outrider
 * Slave I
 * Swoop

Comic Pack
In 2008, Hasbro released figures of Prince Xizor and Princess Leia as part of the Comic Pack line.

Trading cards


The trading card company Topps developed the Shadows of the Empire trading card line. The 100-piece Shadows of the Empire card set from Topps represents all three platforms that tells the story&mdash;the book, the comic series and the game, making it a unique storytelling medium and a highly anticipated collectible. The cards are the work of Greg and Tim Hildebrandt, the twin artists who painted the most recognizable Star Wars art of all time&mdash;the world-famous poster that is still an icon of the trilogy. The 100 card set featured double UV-coating and an extra-thick 20 pt. card stock for everlasting collectibility, all with full-bleed painted images on a 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" card. The Shadows of the Empire card series is highlighted by 72 cards that virtually storyboard the events in Steve Perry's novel. Besides that, there are six cards dedicated to vehicles, other six to the comics and another six keyed to the video game. Each pack came with nine cards.

Trailer
In 1996, to promote the release of the project, Lucasfilm released a trailer consisting of clips from The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. A voiceover was provided that explained the events of the new story and how they connected with the two films. The trailer was meant to give the project the feel of an actual film and film release. The trailer, which was originally broadcast on QVC, was shown as well several times at fan conventions, including the 1996 Wondercon convention, each time by the head of Lucasfilm fan relations, Steve Sansweet. However, Lucasfilm quickly pulled the trailer, fearing that people might think the project was actually a film. Since the pull of the trailer, the trailer has been extremely difficult to locate, even on the Internet. A high quality version of this trailer may be viewed at the Official Site here.

From the book "The Secrets of Shadows of the Empire," this is the complete narration from the trailer, as originally read by an unknown narrator:

"When Luke Skywalker was most vulnerable... When a renegade hero became a friend in desperate need... and a dark villain faced his greatest challenge... When the Empire turned more and more to the forces of the underworld... the underworld moved in to crush the Empire and the Rebellion in a single stroke. After The Empire Strikes Back and before Return of the Jedi, there was a time when heroes and villains alike lived in the Shadows of the Empire."

- Narration from the Shadows of the Empire trailer

Video games
Star Wars: X-wing Alliance, although not officially part of the project, has a campaign of seven missions that takes place during the period covered by Shadows, with the player having to recreate events mentioned in the novel and the game. This includes the missions to acquire the design schematics of the Death Star II. The game depicts Ace Azzameen assisting Dash Rendar in the capture of the Imperial freighter Suprosa, which was carrying the Death Star II plans and later flying to the Vergesso Asteroids during the Second Battle of Bajic (mentioned in the novel) for a concurrent rescue mission. The player will also witness the Imperial assault to Kothlis from space. The events around the Battle of Kothlis and the schematics of the Death Star also appear in Star Wars: Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader.

The Outrider can also be seen very briefly in Star Wars: Bounty Hunter, in the sequence after the opening crawl and after The Dooku/Palpatine conversation. Once the space arena comes into view, the Outrider flies from the bottom middle of the screen towards the lower right side. It may be a bit hard to spot, but it is there.

Radio drama
The 1996 Return of the Jedi radio drama, Brian Daley makes several references to events from Shadows. For instance, in the radio drama, after Han is rescued, he criticises Lando for allowing C-3PO to fly the Millennium Falcon&mdash;an event that is portrayed in Shadows of the Empire.

Original Trilogy Special Edition
In the 1997 Special Edition re-release of A New Hope, Shadows swoop bikes and ASP labor droids make an appearance, as does Dash Rendar's ship, the Outrider. Though originally developed for the Special Edition of A New Hope, the Sentinel-class landing craft (also known as the "Imperial landing craft") also made its first appearance in Shadows of the Empire. This is the craft seen lifting off in A New Hope when the stormtroopers are roaming Tatooine on the dewbacks.

Prince Xizor makes a cameo appearance at the podrace in The Phantom Menace. A Micro Machines model was used to portray him.

Trivia

 * The scene in the novel in which Xizor has Guri kill one of his Vigos is possibly an homage to the 1987 film The Untouchables.
 * George Lucas once said that not only does he approve of this story, but that he enjoyed it so much that had he had the story in the 1980s, he would have made a film version of it.
 * At one point, the Shadows of the Empire video game was actually going to be centered around Boba Fett, but this decision was changed when LucasArts thought to instead make a Dash Rendar game. This freed Dark Horse to claim exclusive rights to center their version around Boba Fett.
 * The novel slips in two THX 1138 references. The first is in Chapter 21, when the Bothans are slicing the Death Star II plans.  One of the Bothan techs says "Look at this, boys!  Scan sector Tarp-Hard-Xenon." The second is in Chapter 37. After some of Xizor's guards are dispatched in the sewers, a voice is heard coming over the comlink saying, "Thix? What is going on down there? Thix, come in, sector one-one-three-eight, come in -"
 * In the 1999 film Free Enterprise, Mark is examining Star Wars merchandise and mutters, "At least they finally got rid of all that Prince Zeezor stuff from Shadows of the Empire." A child in the aisle corrects him, "It's Xizor!". Dan snaps back, "Shut up, kid. You weren't even born when Star Wars came out." Mark then tries to educate the kid on the history of science fiction pre-1977, but finally gives up when the kid says "I like Men in Black."
 * As in all six films, a main character utters the quote "I have a bad feeling about this". Lando says it once escaping from Gall. When Luke attempted to say it again in Chapter 26 when sensing Vader, Lando promptly cut him off.