The current era of Marvel Comics’ Star Wars takes place between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, and it has just come to a close. While the Star Wars comics are far from over, all the details of this “missing year” within the original trilogy have finally all been fleshed out. Now, fans can take solace in knowing the full story of Star Wars’ Galactic Civil War era, including and especially a few standout moments.
The coolest aspect of this “missing year” era between Episodes V and VI isn’t just the continuation of the original Star Wars characters’ stories, but also everything that was added to the wider mythos. As any fan can attest, Star Wars lore runs deep, which is why this comic era is so exciting. It gave fans canonical deep-cut entries in Star Wars lore, expanding the universe with the very characters that started it all, during a time period that hadn’t yet been explored. Above them all, here are the 10 biggest additions to Star Wars lore from this “missing year”.
10 Luke Skywalker Gets His Now-Iconic Yellow Lightsaber (& Trains as a Jedi)
Star Wars #6 by Charles Soule and Jesús Saiz
Luke Skywalker is known for wielding two lightsabers: blue and green. The blue lightsaber is the one he inherited from his father, while the green saber became his own. However, Luke had another in between them: a yellow lightsaber. In Star Wars #6, Luke finds the yellow lightsaber (which originally belonged to a Jedi Temple Guard) in an abandoned Jedi Temple that’s solely inhabited by the cursed spirit of the Grand Inquisitor.
Luke gets to break-in his now-iconic yellow lightsaber in a duel with the Grand Inquisitor, which is a pretty badass start to the legacy of this particular saber. Luke goes on to wield his yellow lightsaber throughout the “missing year” – a period of time that’s even referred to as the “Yellow Lightsaber Era” among the fandom (that’s how iconic it’s become).
9 Darth Vader is Responsible for Making Jabba the Hutt the Ultimate Crime Lord
Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters by Charles Soule and Luke Ross
While Star Wars fans are more than familiar with the fact that Jabba the Hutt is a dangerous crime lord, it’s likely that many haven’t heard the tale of how he became the ultimate crime lord. In War of the Bounty Hunters, Darth Vader slaughters the Hutt Clan leaders, allowing Jabba to elevate in rank and claim an infinitely larger piece of the proverbial pie.
Related
10 Best Star Wars Plot Twists
There have been many different plot twists throughout the Star Wars franchise. These are some of the best, across both film and television.
This lore expansion is an interesting continuation of Darth Vader and Jabba the Hutt’s mutually-beneficial mission in The Empire Strikes Back, as it was Darth Vader who basically single-handedly delivered Han Solo to Jabba through Boba Fett. And not even a year later, Darth Vader is assisting Jabba the Hutt in a much more substantial way (even if it was little more than a byproduct of Vader’s ruthlessness).
8 The Empire Nearly Crumbled Under the Crimson Dawn
Star Wars: Hidden Empire by Charles Soule and Steve Cummings
The Crimson Dawn is an especially deadly crime syndicate founded by Darth Maul following the collapse of his Shadow Collective and his loss of control over Death Watch. After Maul’s death by the hand of Obi-Wan Kenobi, however, Lady Qi’ra claimed the position of the Crimson Dawn’s leader, and her ambitions stretched well beyond that of a mere crime syndicate: Qi’ra wanted to take down the Empire, and she very nearly succeeded.
… the fact that the Empire saw such a legitimate threat that wasn’t the Rebellion during the original trilogy (one with direct ties to Darth Maul, at that) is undeniably awesome.
Qi’ra recruited experts who studied secret Force-sensitive artifacts, she hired dark side Force-wielders (the Knights of Ren) to operate the artifacts, and she used her own strategically brilliant mind to come up with a plan to defeat Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader. While it didn’t pan out, the fact that the Empire saw such a legitimate threat that wasn’t the Rebellion during the original trilogy (one with direct ties to Darth Maul, at that) is undeniably awesome.
7 The Assassination Attempt of Darth Vader & Emperor Palpatine Creates Ripples in the Force
Star Wars: Hidden Empire by Charles Soule and Steve Cummings
The aforementioned plan Lady Qi’ra came up with to defeat the Emperor and Vader had everything to do with one Force-sensitive artifact in particular: the Fermata Cage. The Fermata Cage was a temporal prison created by the ancient Sith for the sole purpose of trapping especially dangerous threats to the galaxy in suspended animation indefinitely.
By the end of Hidden Empire, Qi’ra’s plotting succeeded in getting Vader and Palpatine to stand before the prison, and she came so close to trapping them within. However, rather than imprisoning these two modern-day Sith, Qi’ra accidentally released an immense wave of Force energy, resulting in ripples being created in the Force that reverberated throughout the galaxy. The very nature of the Force itself was altered during the original trilogy, and fans never would have known about it without this comic.
6 A Droid Plague Nearly Decimates the Entire Star Wars Galaxy
Star Wars: Dark Droids by Charles Soule, Luke Ross, and Alex Sinclair
Ripples in the Force wasn’t the only thing Qi’ra inadvertently released from the Fermata Cage. An entity known only as the Scourge was trapped in this prison, an artificial life form that’s essentially a ‘droid zombie virus’. The Scourge infects droids and cyborgs, takes over their functions, and adds them to its hivemind. Given the sheer number of droids that exist in the Star Wars universe, this was a terrifying threat to the entire galaxy – Rebel and Imperial alike.
Dark Droids was an ambitious venture into the horror genre, with elements of zombie fiction tropes, body horror, and paranoia that aren’t normally included in this usually family-friendly franchise. And the best part is simply the fact that this horrific event happened right in the middle of the original trilogy, and fans never knew until now.
5 Star Wars Confirms a Rebellious Faction within the Empire Itself: the Schism Imperial
Star Wars: Darth Vader #41 by Greg Pak and Raffaele Ienco
It seems the Rebel Alliance weren’t the only ones who opposed Emperor Palpatine’s tyrannical rule over the galaxy, as mid-to-high-ranking members of his own Empire also felt that he wasn’t fit to lead. This rebellious faction of Imperials is known as the Schism Imperial. In a plot secretly masterminded by the Emperor, Administrator Sly Moore reached out to Imperials who had grievances with the way Palpatine was running things – including Darth Vader himself.
Of course, the formation of the Schism Imperial was orchestrated by the Emperor in order to put Vader back in his place once more, so a rebellious uprising within the Imperial ranks never really happened at all. However, the individual members weren’t in on the ruse, and very much wanted to see Palpatine gone, which is an interesting sentiment within the Empire’s structure during the original trilogy that fans were not aware of.
4 Luke Skywalker Discovers No-Space, Bringing High Republic Era Tech to the Modern Day
Star Wars #29 by Charles Soule and Ramon Rosanas
When Star Wars fans hear “No-Space”, their minds will likely go right to the High Republic, as No-Space plays a major factor in the Jedi’s conflict with the Nihil. During the High Republic era, the interstellar gang of marauders called the Nihil discovered an area of space that was hidden from the rest of the galaxy known as No-Space. The Nihil used No-Space as their base of operations, complete with technology unique to the High Republic era – technology that was still there when Luke Skywalker discovered No-Space hundreds of years later.
By venturing into No-Space, Luke Skywalker (and the other Rebels with him) effectively linked the High Republic with the modern age of
Star Wars
canon
By venturing into No-Space, Luke Skywalker (and the other Rebels with him) effectively linked the High Republic with the modern age of Star Wars canon, which is a fascinating connection with a great deal of storytelling potential if Luke ever returned to No-Space.
3 Star Wars ‘Resurrects’ Long-Dead Jedi & Sith Through the Living Sea of Gazian
Star Wars #20 by Charles Soule and Marco Castiello
One of the coolest parts of Star Wars is the introduction of new Jedi and Sith, as well as the continuation of iconic characters whose stories had already come to an end. And that’s why the Living Sea of Gazian is such an awesome addition, as it allows Star Wars to ‘resurrect’ long-dead Jedi and Sith. The Living Sea of Gazian is an ocean of fungus that absorbs a fraction of the essence of people who visit.
These people leave an imprint of themselves that remains in the Sea forever, meaning the cameo potential is limitless. In the two comics in which the Living Sea of Gazian appears (Star Wars #20 and Star Wars #50), Star Wars fans are introduced to a number of never-before-seen characters, as well as some familiar faces, giving Star Wars the option to ‘resurrect’ any character it wants.
2 Darth Vader Uncovers a Dark Star Wars Sequel Trilogy Secret
Star Wars: Darth Vader #11 by Greg Pak and Raffaele Ienco
While fans learned of the existence of Exegol in The Rise of Skywalker, the comics flesh out its existence by bringing Palpatine’s hidden Sith palace to the original trilogy through the eyes of Darth Vader. When Vader tries to kill Palpatine and take his place as Emperor, he tracks his master to Exegol, where he’s shocked to find all the hellish, atrocious goings-on there.
Related
The 15 Best Star Wars Characters
Star Wars has a decades-long legacy, and with that comes a number of incredibly popular characters—these 15 are the very best in the whole franchise.
Palpatine raised a cult called the Sith Eternal, he had a fleet of planet-destroying Star Destroyers ready to deploy, and he had a laboratory filled with twisted cloning experiments. Exegol’s inclusion in the original trilogy era, with the knowledge that Darth Vader had seen it with his own eyes, makes it feel more a part of the wider Star Wars canon, and an awesome addition to this “missing year”.
1 Star Wars Confirms How Luke Skywalker Got His Iconic Green Lightsaber
Star Wars #35 by Charles Soule and Madibek Musabekov
One of the greatest mysteries of the original trilogy was how Luke Skywalker got his iconic green lightsaber after losing his blue one at Cloud City. Many may have assumed that he simply inherited it from Yoda, but that was a mere theory with no official backing. But with this era of Star Wars canon fully explored in the comics, fans finally know how he got his green lightsaber.
After Luke’s yellow lightsaber was damaged in battle, he seeks out a kyber expert named Dr. Cuata, who gives him a clear kyber crystal that has yet to find a connection with another Force-user. Upon connecting with the crystal, Luke finds that it has changed color from clear to green.
Luke Skywalker gets the chance to experience getting his own lightsaber just like every other Jedi before him, one that isn’t just a hand-me-down, but actually his.
Luke Skywalker gets the chance to experience getting his own lightsaber just like every other Jedi before him, one that isn’t just a hand-me-down, but actually his. And that’s why this is one of the 10 biggest additions to Star Wars lore from the “missing year” between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.
Star Wars
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise that started in 1977 by creator George Lucas. After the release of Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope (originally just titled Star Wars), the franchise quickly exploded, spawning multiple sequels, prequels, TV shows, video games, comics, and much more. After Disney acquired the rights to the franchise, they quickly expanded the universe on Disney+, starting with The Mandalorian.
- Cast
- Mark Hamill , James Earl Jones , David Prowse , Carrie Fisher , Harrison Ford , Daisy Ridley , Adam Driver , Ian McDiarmid , Ewan McGregor , Rosario Dawson , Lars Mikkelsen , Rupert Friend , Moses Ingram , Frank Oz , Pedro Pascal
- TV Show(s)
- The Mandalorian , Andor , Obi-Wan Kenobi , The Book of Boba Fett , Ahsoka , The Acolyte , Star Wars: Skeleton Crew , Lando , Star Wars: The Clone Wars , Star Wars Rebels , Star Wars: The Bad Batch , Star Wars: Resistance , Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures , Star Wars: Visions
- Character(s)
- Luke Skywalker , Han Solo , Rey Skywalker , Emperor Palpatine / Darth Sidious , Obi-Wan Kenobi , Ahsoka Tano , Grand Admiral Thrawn , Grand Inquisitor , Reva (The Third Sister) , The Fifth Brother , The Seventh Sister , The Eighth Brother , Yoda , Din Djarin , Grogu , Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader , Leia Organa , Ben Solo/Kylo Ren
