Warning! Spoilers for Star Wars Legacy: War ahead!
Emperor Palpatineis widely regarded as the most diabolical Dark Side user in the history of theStar Warsfranchises, Expanded Universe and all – and as Dark Horse Comics’Star Wars Legacycomics showed,subsequent generations of Force-wielders would develop traditions designed to make sure that no one like him held power over the galaxy for long ever again.
Star Wars Legacy: War#6 – written by John Ostrander, with art by Jan Duursema – was the spectacular conclusion to the publisher’sLegacycomics, which represented the farthest into the future of theStar Warsgalaxy any canon story had ever ventured, depicting events approximately 140 years afterReturn of the Jedi.
Legacyis no longer in-continuity, but asMarvel’s currentStar Warscomics enter the post-ROTJera, it is worth considering their failure to prevent Palpatine’s return in the context of one of the old canon’s most intriguing ideas about preventing the rise of another Dark Force acolyte as Emperor.
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Legacy’sImperial Knights & Their Allegiance To The Light Side, Explained
Star Wars Legacywas a massive dealfor fans of the franchise when it debuted in 2006, because it offered arguably the most radical reinterpretation of familiarStar Warslore that had ever been attempted in a canon story. More than just remixing familiar iconography, though,Legacywas an extension of the ongoing post-Return of the Jedinarrative of the Expanded Universe, which had reached approximately the same point on the timeline as the Sequel Trilogy in Disney’s successor canon. In a particularly intriguing development, this included the evolution of the Imperial Remnant into the “Fel Empire.”
AsLegacydelved deeper into the Imperial Knights' backstory, it was established that a core tenant of their vows emphasized that they served the Emperor, or Empress, only so long as the leader remained loyal to the Light Side of the Force.
This faction was led by Roan Fel, a descendant of Han Solo and Leia Organa, and was notable for their order of Imperial Knights – essentially, Jedi who served the Empire, rather than a separate Order. AsLegacydelved deeper into the Imperial Knights' backstory, it was established that a core tenant of their vows emphasized that they served the Emperor, or Empress, only so long as the leader remained loyal to the Light Side of the Force. In one ofLegacy’smost dramatically effective moments, this oath was put to the test when Roan Fel himself succumbed to the Dark Side.
Roan’s most loyal Knight, Antares Draco, was forced to kill the Emperor, rather than let a fallen Force user have control of the Empire. This was, in essence,a historical “reply” to the circumstances that gave rise to the rule of Emperor Palpatine, and the evil Galactic Empirethat predated the Fel Empire, and in essence, this is exactly the kind of progression ofStar Warslore that madeLegacya huge success, and why it continues to be so fondly remembered by readers to this day.
Roan Fel’s Death Proved That The Imperial Knights Serve As An Official Failsafe Against A Palpatine-Like Leader
In one of the most memorable moments fromStar Wars: Revenge of the Sith, upon learning aboutPalpatine’s true identity as a Sith, and his plans for galactic domination, Jedi Master Mace Windu led a team to arrest the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic. Their failure resulted in Palpatine scapegoating them, and the Jedi in general, leading to the enactment of Order 66. Part of why this was effective was because, despite their close relations, the Old Jedi Order and the Old Republic were legally distinct entities.
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That is to say, Windu and the Jedi were operating in a nebulous gray area, when it came to their legal authority to arrest the Chancellor. The Imperial Knights of the laterLegacyEra serve as an acknowledgment of that;the Knights are an official Imperial institution, whose primary role is to serve the Emperor, but built into that is the official recognition that they have a superseding responsibility to the Light Side of the Force, and to preserving order in the galaxy, in the form of preventing another dangerous Emperor to rise to the throne.
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LegacyIs A “How To” For Bold, InnovativeStar WarsStories
The substance ofStar Wars Legacyis difficult to adapt into the current Disney continuity, given how deeply tied to the previous version of the Expanded Universe it was. In a way,Legacywas effectively the grand culmination, the greatest triumph, of the old Expanded Universe, which isnow branded as the “Legends"continuity, as it has been supplanted by Disney’s new canon. Nevertheless, there are many things that the current and future generation ofStar Warsstorytellers can learn from the iconic series.
The best storiesStar Wars’multimedia branches have to offer are those that push the franchise into new, unfamiliar territory.
Perhaps the most potent lessonLegacyhas to teach is thatStar Warsstories are about more than just remixing familiar elements, and revisiting fan-favorite characters. Rather, the best storiesStar Wars' multimedia branches have to offer are those that push the franchise into new, unfamiliar territory. In this regard,Star WarsLegacywas a masterclass,as exemplified by the story of the Imperial Knights, and the tragic Emperor Roan Fel, which proved that the galaxy had learned the hard lesson ofEmperor Palpatine’sascension.
Star Wars LegacyandStar Wars Legacy: Warare available in their entirety from Dark Horse Comics.
