A Lasting Force
“THE SAGA CONTINUES!”
So announced the tagline for the 1991 novel Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn. Published eight years after the release of Return of the Jedi, the final movie in the original Star Wars trilogy, this novel promised ongoing adventure with the characters who had become household names in the late ’70s and early ‘80s—Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo. Since the box office and critical success of all three movies, Lucasfilm was eager to satisfy hungry fans of the franchise.
Heir to the Empire wasn’t the first Star Wars book ever made, but it rapidly became the most popular. Reaching the top spot on the New York Times bestseller list and selling, to date, 15 million copies, it was clear Star Wars had a foothold in the modern world that wouldn’t be lost anytime soon.
The first book of a new trilogy, Zahn’s novel marked the true beginning of the Star Wars “Expanded Universe.” Over 200 books were published in the previous decades, all acknowledged as canon by the fans—until April 2014. Having sold the franchise to Disney two years prior, Lucasfilm announced that the vast expanse of EU novels would all be moved to the “Star Wars Legends” banner, no longer a true continuation of the original movies. And yet, despite this shift, Heir to the Empire remains wildly popular among admirers of the movies, being republished with an anniversary edition in 2011, a whole series refresh in 2016, and another redesign as recently as last year.
Perhaps it is the continuing adventures of beloved characters that appealed to so many readers: watching Leia train as a Jedi, pregnant with Force-sensitive twins, as Luke returns to Dagobah, the swamp home of Yoda, in search of answers for how to continue the Jedi legacy.
Or, perhaps, it is the new arrivals who appealed to so many readers: die-hard fans of the franchise are familiar with Mara Jade, a woman strong in the Force who eventually becomes Luke Skywalker’s wife. There is also Rukh, the dangerous Noghri assassin. Or Grand Admiral Thrawn, a cunning and ruthless Imperial whose penchant for cultural art leads him to unexpected victories. It is his characterization that drew the most attention.
Zahn went on, after the so-named Thrawn Trilogy, to write a duology in the EU also featuring the admiral. Even when the EU was removed from the Star Wars canon, Zahn’s creation did not die with it—he made his first on-screen appearance in the season 3 premiere of the animated show Star Wars Rebels in 2016, to the delight of many.
Having made his way into the new Disney canon of Star Wars, Thrawn once again became the focus on a series by Zahn titled Star Wars: Thrawn, solidifying him as his own character in the new canon. In 2020, Zahn began writing the third Thrawn trilogy to date, Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy, with the final volume out in 2021.
The lasting effects of Heir to the Empire are visible in more than only the characters who are still present in Star Wars today. Its character moments, battle scenes and expanding lore are all elements fundamentally used in past, present and future works. Maybe ysalamiri—Force-canceling lizards—have slipped out of today’s canon, and “Dark Jedi” are now referred to as Sith, but Heir to the Empire can still be enjoyed for what it is—a reminder of a long time ago, and a nascent universe being brought to life.