Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy is a Legends adult-fiction novel series from author Timothy Zahn. It consists of Heir to the Empire (1991), Dark Force Rising (1992), and The Last Command (1993), which were published by Bantam Spectra.
The trilogy is set in 9 ABY, five years after the events of Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, and it chronicles the campaign of the eponymous Grand Admiral Thrawn.
Novels[]
- Heir to the Empire (May 1991)[1]
- Dark Force Rising (May 1, 1992)[4]
- Dark Force Rising audiobook (May 1, 1992)[4]
- The Last Command (April 1, 1993)[2]
- The Last Command audiobook (April 1, 1993)[2]
Continuity[]
The sourcebooks released for the novels mistakenly noted that all products taking place after Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi, are the author’s vision of what may have happened, and not the true fate of the characters.[5][6][7] In 1994, Howard Roffman, head of Lucas Licensing stated that, the books following the events of Episode VI. were never intended to be the story of the planned Episode VII-IX.[8] After George Lucas started to work on the sequel trilogy and sold Lucasfilm to Disney in 2012, the novels alongside other Expanded Universe material was set into a separate continuity and rebranded as Legends in 2014.[9][10]
The trilogy follows the campaign of Imperial Grand Admiral Thrawn, from the Destruction of the Elomin task force to the Battle of Bilbringi. It also recounts the efforts of the Dark Jedi Joruus C'baoth and his efforts to claim Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa Solo, and her children as his apprentices.
The series introduced many notable Expanded Universe characters such as Garm Bel Iblis, Talon Karrde, Grand Admiral Thrawn, Gilad Pellaeon, and Mara Jade—characters who would subsequently appear in a variety of Expanded Universe works. Grand Admiral Thrawn became a popular villain in the Expanded Universe, with appearances in several later works. In addition, the Imperial capital world, Coruscant, was given its name by the trilogy and would later feature in the prequel films.
A soundtrack for the trilogy had been in discussion by Robert Townson, the vice president of Varèse Sarabande, but did not go any further.[11]
Sources[]
- A Guide to the Star Wars Universe, Second Edition, Revised and Expanded
"Star Wars Publications Timeline" – Star Wars Insider 23- The Secrets of Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
- Star Wars Year by Year: A Visual Chronicle
- Star Wars Year by Year: A Visual Chronicle, Updated Edition
- Critical Opinion: Heir to the Empire Reviews on StarWars.com (backup link)
- The Legendary Star Wars Expanded Universe Turns a New Page on StarWars.com (backup link)
- "Launch Pad" – Star Wars Insider 150
- "The Making of A New Dawn" – Star Wars Insider 152
- "Join Us!" – Star Wars Insider 160
- Who Is Thrawn? on StarWars.com (backup link)
- Star Wars Year By Year: A Visual History, Updated and Expanded Edition
- How Dark Empire Kickstarted Star Wars Comics for a New Generation on StarWars.com (backup link)
- The Art of Star Wars Rebels
- "Timothy Zahn: Heir of an Empire" – Star Wars Insider 202
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Star Wars Year By Year: A Visual History, Updated and Expanded Edition
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2
Star Wars: The Last Command on Amazon.com (backup link)
- ↑ The Essential Reader's Companion
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Star Wars: Dark Force Rising on Amazon.com (backup link)
- ↑ Heir to the Empire Sourcebook (Disclaimer)
- ↑ The Last Command Sourcebook (Disclaimer)
- ↑ Dark Force Rising Sourcebook (Disclaimer)
- ↑ The Lucasfilm Fan Club Magazine 22
- ↑
The Legendary Star Wars Expanded Universe Turns a New Page on StarWars.com (backup link)
- ↑ George Lucas: A Life
- ↑ The Secrets of Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
External links[]
- Thrawn Trilogy in the StarWars.com Cargo Bay (content now obsolete; backup link)
- Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy – Legends Series on Penguin Random House's official website (backup link)
