2023 has been an exciting year for Star Wars, but there have been a surprising number of retcons – some of which potentially set up the next movies. Star Wars has always been a trailblazing transmedia franchise, and that’s never been more true than under Disney. There may not have been any movies since 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, but the last year has seen a wealth of new content in so many different mediums.
This includes popular live-action Disney+ TV shows The Mandalorian season 3 and Ahsoka, while books and comics have continued to explore different parts of the timeline. There have been animated spinoffs exploring the build-up to the Clone Wars and the Dark Times, adding further depth and shade to galactic history. Perhaps most exciting of all for lovers of Star Wars lore, there’s also been the publication of Star Wars: Timelines, the first solid attempt to organize the timeline since Disney acquired Lucasfilm back in 2012. Here are all the more important canon changes, reveals, and retcons in 2023.
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40 Star Wars Revealed An Ancient Intergalactic Civilization – The Stuff Of Jedi Legends
Ahsoka
Ahsoka rewrote galactic history on an unprecedented level, revealing that ancient (previously unheard) Jedi legends were true. Long ago, long before the dawn of the Jedi or the beginning of recorded history, intergalactic travelers visited the Star Wars galaxy by traveling via the space whales known as purrgils. In fact, there seems to have been an actual intergalactic civilization that included the Nightsisters of Dathomir and the long-forgotten race known as the Zeffo, whose history was previously explored in Jedi: Fallen Order.
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39 The Nightsisters Originate From Another Galaxy
Ahsoka
The Nightsisters of Dathomir have always been one of the strangest Force cults in Star Wars. Although they wield the dark side, they do so in a manner unlike the Sith; in fact, the Sith have long coveted their power. Ahsoka finally revealed the reason – the Nightsisters originate from a distant galaxy. They come from the planet Peridea, a mysterious world somehow tied to the Mortis gods, and in ancient times they traveled the galaxies on purrgil.
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38 Star Wars Explains How Nightsister Powers Work
Jedi: Battle Scars
Sam Maggs’ Jedi: Battle Scars shines another light on the Nightsisters of Dathomir, revealing the true nature of their dark side magick. Their powers are tied both to the dark side vergences of the worlds they inhabit, and to their strong sense of community. This is why the Sith have never been able to properly replicate Nightsister powers; their abilities are tied to specific locations and to the communities they live in.
37 The Old Tongue Is Steeped In The Dark Side
Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade
Star Wars has long tied the Sith to a mysterious ancient language called ur-Kittât (or, sometimes, the Old Tongue), and 2023 has revealed te origins of this language. It is apparently bound to the ancient intergalactic civilization the Nightsisters were part of, because runes seen on Peridea are recognizably ur-Kittât. Delilah S. Dawson’s Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade adds another layer of depth to this, revealing this language is steeped in the dark side, able to exert an influence on anyone who has darkness within them.
36 Star Wars Has Introduced Kyberite – The Opposite Of Kyber Crystals
Darth Vader #35
Kyber crystals are rare living gems that possess incredible power to channel energy. They are key to lightsabers, and also used in Sith superweapons such as the Death Star. Greg Pak, Raffaele Ienco, Joe Caramagna and Federico Blee’s Darth Vader #35 reveals that these crystals grow in beds of kyberite, a Force-suppressing substance that exists in a dualistic relationship with kyber. Kyberite isn’t anti-Force, but it does mirror the dualistic nature of the light and dark side.
35 Ahch-To May Not Be The First Jedi Temple
Star Wars: Timelines
Star Wars: The Last Jedi introduced viewers to Ahch-To, believed to be the site of the first Jedi Temple. Surprisingly, Star Wars: Timelines suggests it may not be the first temple after all. This particular retcon is presumably a way of providing wriggle-room for James Mangold ahead of his mysterious Jedi origin movie.
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34 Huyang, Ahsoka’s Lightsaber Droid, Is 25,000 Years Old
Star Wars: Timelines
Introduced in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Huyang is a droid voiced by David Tennant – and who appeared in live-action in Ahsoka. Huyang has worked with the Jedi for generations, with legends claiming he was brought to the Jedi via a mysterious blue box (an amusing Doctor Who reference, given Tennant plays various incarnations of the time traveler called the Doctor, who travels time and space in a blue box). The truth is revealed in Star Wars: Timelines; Huyang is the oldest character in all Star Wars, first powered up 25,000 years ago to help Jedi younglings construct their lightsabers.
33 The Sith Weren’t The First Dark Siders To Schism From The Jedi
Star Wars: Timelines
Back in 2016, Star Wars comics introduced legends of an ancient dark side cult called the Ordu Aspectu – a cult who sought immortality, and who seemed to bear superficial resemblances to the Sith. Star Wars: Timelines finally revealed the truth about the Ordu Aspectu; it seems they predated the Sith by millennia, a dark side cult who existed – and who were destroyed – 20,000 years ago.
32 Star Wars Fleshes Out The Ancient History Of Tatooine
From A Certain Point Of View: Return of the Jedi
Star Wars is continuing to flesh out the ancient history of Luke Skywalker’s homeworld, Tatooine, revealing that the desert planet was once a paradise. From A Certain Point Of View: Return of the Jedi contains a short story called “My Mouth Never Closes,” by Charlie Jane Anders. This is told from the point of view of the sarlacc, and it remembers Tatooine’s past:
“When I first arrived, this world was a tropical paradise. I was adrift in space, caught in an endless dream of light and dark, tossed by the occasional solar wind, and I came upon a planet with sparkling oceans and lush jungles, bathed in the light of two magnificent suns. Even from a great distance I could see the swaths of blue and green and the gentle haze of puffed-up clouds, drifting through the atmosphere. The gravity well drew me in and tugged me toward the biggest landmass, and I did not resist. Here, I thought. Here I will make my home, at the floor of the jungle.”
31 Tarre Vizsla Wasn’t The Only Mandalorian Jedi
Ahsoka
Until 2023, thhe ancient Jedi named Tarre Vizsla – who lived roughly 1,000 years before the Skywalker saga – was believed to be the only Mandalorian Jedi in history. Ahsoka rewrote Star Wars history with a single throwaway line, with Huyang revealing “few” Mandalorians have become Jedi. The clear implication is that Tarre Vizsla was the first, but there have been others, creating tremendous opportunities for new stories in the Star Wars timeline.
30 The Scourge Has Been Responsible For Droid Uprisings Over The Centuries
Star Wars Comics
Star Wars comics have introduced a mysterious and hostile artificial intelligence that has become known as the Scourge. This entity has attempted to wipe out all organic life on two occasions, and was eventually imprisoned in a temporal trap called the Fermata Cage by the ancient Sith. It has now been released again shortly before the events of Return of the Jedi, in the Dark Droids storyline.
29 The Origin Of The Nameless, The Ultimate Force Predators
Star Wars: The High Republic Phase II
Star Wars: The High Republic has introduced a monstrous Force predator known as the Nameless, creatures that can consume the Force from a Jedi – calcifying them, turning them to stone in a horrific manner. These creatures seem to be somehow connected to the Chosen One prophecy, making Phase III even more exciting. Star Wars: The High Republic Phase III has introduced Planet X, a strange Force vergence that is home to these creatures. Planet X is a legend in the Star Wars galaxy, and its fate is unknown.
28 Yoda’s First Lightsaber
Young Jedi Adventures
By the time of The Empire Strikes Back, Master Yoda had been training young Jedi for a staggering 800 years. Surprisingly, though, Young Jedi Adventures revealed Yoda kept his first training lightsaber for centuries – only giving it away to a student during the High Republic Era. Yoda is known to have kept multiple lightsabers over his long life, but this suggests he kept familiar ones as mementos.
27 High Republic Droids That Foreshadowed The Clone Wars
Young Jedi Adventures
Young Jedi Adventures introduced battle droids that clearly foreshadow those developed by the Trade Federation during the Clone Wars. This strongly suggests the galaxy had been developing anti-Jedi technology for a long time; the only weakness of these early droids lay in the fact they didn’t have a shield. Yoda was able to destroy them with their own blaster bolts, as seen in the episode “An Adventure With Master Yoda.”
26 Palpatine’s Timeline Revealed
Star Wars: Timelines
Star Wars: Timelines revealed a lot more about Palpatine’s backstory before Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. According to this book, Palpatine was born in 84BBY – a revelation that makes it possible to map out his entire timeline. Palpatine was 52 in The Phantom Menace, and 65 by the time he became Emperor in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. The Emperor was 88 by the time of his first death in Return of the Jedi.
25 When Darth Maul Became Palpatine’s Apprentice
Star Wars: Timelines
Star Wars: Timelines also makes it possible to work out other key moments in the history of the Sith. It confirms Darth Maul, for example, was born in 54BBY and became Palpatine’s apprentice just 14 years later, in 40BBY. Maul trained for the next eight years, and was therefore only 22 when he fell to Obi-Wan Kenobi’s blade in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.
24 Star Wars Introduces The Sason Temple
Doctor Aphra #33
Star Wars comics have introduced a mysterious, ancient place called the Sason Temple. Situated in deep space, this was designed by the Jedi as a prison to hold the most powerful dark side creatures. It was still used by Jedi during the prequel era, with Shaak Ti and Aalya Secura imprisoning horrific monsters within it. According to Shaak Ti, this is what the Sason Temple was built to do. It is surprising to note Palpatine never went to the Sason Temple, perhaps suggesting records weren’t even kept in the Jedi Archives, which he stole after Order 66.
23 Ahsoka’s Lightsaber Training (& Costumes) Have Been Streamlined
Ahsoka
Ahsoka episodes 5 and 7 retconned the Jedi’s Clone Wars history in two subtle ways. A flashback changed Ahsoka’s costume design, depicting events from the Star Wars: The Clone Wars movie and first season – but adapting the problematic, sexualized costume the Padawan wore at this early stage. A training scene in Ahsoka episode 7 revealed Anakin was training Ahsoka in a lightsaber form that incorporated two blades much earlier in her training than had previously been believed.
22 The Jedi Had Spies During The Clone Wars
Jedi: Survivor
Jedi: Survivor introduced a new Order 66 survivor, Bode Akuna, who had played a unique role during the Clone Wars. He had essentially been a spy, and the Jedi had even taught him the unusual power of hiding himself in the Force. It’s surprising to see the Jedi show any knowledge of this trick, because they should really have considered the possibility the Sith Lord they were seeking during the Clone Wars could conceal his presence as well. The power may veer close to (or even cross) the dark side, given Bode fell from the light.
21 How Palpatine Recruited His Inquisitors
The Imperial Inquisitors are Jedi who were spared Order 66, seduced to the dark side, and transformed into agents of the Empire who hunted other Jedi. Delilah S. Dawson’s Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade reveals how carefully Palpatine chose his Inquisitors; he had spies working in the Jedi Temple who watched for any potential recruits, and Palpatine then made personal contact with them on a handful of occasions to cultivate a relationship and give them a few prods.
