Darth Vader’s backstory in the prequels massively changes one of the most important stories in all of Star Wars Legends. In 1991, the Star Wars Expanded Universe was essentially relaunched by Timothy Zahn’s “Heir to the Empire.” Set five years after the events of Return of the Jedi, this introduced readers to a new status quo, along with exciting characters such as Grand Admiral Thrawn and Luke’s future Jedi wife Mara Jade – characters who remain important and beloved even to this day. Thrawn, in particular, will be the villain of the next Star Wars movie.
Eight years later, George Lucas launched the Star Wars prequel trilogy with Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. Back then, Star Wars took a tiered approach to canon, with the Expanded Universe expected to adjust itself to deal with anything new Lucas introduced. Surprisingly, one element in The Phantom Menace subtly rewrote a plot in Zahn’s Thrawn trilogy – in the best possible way.
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Darth Vader Was Responsible For Enslaving An Entire Species
Author | Timothy Zahn |
|---|---|
Originally published | May 1, 1991 |
Main characters | Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Grand Admiral Thrawn, Mara Jade |
In Timothy Zahn’s original Thrawn trilogy, it’s revealed that Darth Vader was the one responsible for enslaving a race called the Noghri. Native to the planet Honoghr, while fearsome warriors and assassins when necessary, the Noghri were a largely peaceful people. Darth Vader was impressed with their skill and bought their servitude by promising them environmental aid if they would act as assassins and slaves of the Empire. Feeling they had no choice but to agree, the Noghri took the deal. However, instead of helping the Noghri, Darth Vader secretly continued to poison the planet, essentially enslaving the Noghri.
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Darth Vader’s Origin Makes His Crimes Even More Shocking
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace revealed Anakin Skywalker had himself been brought up as a slave on Tatooine. What’s more, he clearly knnew how wrong slavery really was; Anakin promised to become a Jedi and return to Tatooine to free all the slaves. Sadly, this was something he never did.
Zahn’s Noghri plot is subtly rewritten by The Phantom Menace. Rather than simply being another of Darth Vader’s evil acts, it serves as an illustration of just how far Anakin Skywalker had fallen – because the one who had been brought up a slave, and dreamed of freeing slaves, became a slave-master. The story is non-canon now, of course; although the Noghri appeared in Star Wars Rebels, they haven’t been linked to Darth Vader yet in canon. Still, this serves as a perfect illustration of how Star Wars‘ complex continuity can lead to subtle connections and improvements.
