Star Wars Dark Empire Trilogy Review

[@tanletheorymarajadesateles6722]

I really genuinely support the Expanded Universe movement!!!

[@DjangoFett33]

Thats great to hear! Keep spreading the word about how amazing the EU is

[@sharpshooterjames8891]

While dark empire wasn’t a perfect story with a resurrected emperor, it at least gave an actual explanation of how he comes back, unlike the trash rise of skywalker dumpster fire. It also made Luke even more of a badass but flawed character. Y’know, making him a well written character

[@DjangoFett33]

Couldnt agree more about Rise of Skywalker's non-explanation with resurrecting Palpatine and yes Luke was flawed but thats far more interesting compared to Rey who is the complete opposite.

[@sharpshooterjames8891]

Django Fett plus, if you think about it, dark empire is chronologically after the clone wars, so the technology did exist at this point in the timeline. It also goes with Palpatine’s character in that he has backup plans on backup plans

[@gamestation2690]

​@@DjangoFett33 Sometimes things don't NEED to be explained. Consider that humans find the unknown scary. It's how horror films often work, right? The Sith are all about secrets, keeping themselves hidden, working in the shadows. If we're not getting Jedi Force School 101, we surely shouldn't get lots of info about exactly how Palpatine returned. "somehow". We're in the same boat as the Resistance - it's freaky and terrifying that he returned, somehow. How does one fight that? How will Rey defeat that? These are questions it's good for the audience to be thinking, IMHO, and they are questions that I feel are answered. It does seem to me that people like to moan about questions that aren't answered instead of thinking more about the ones that are.

[@gamestation2690]

@@DjangoFett33 We seem to accept Force ghosts as a thing much more easily than Palpatine returning "somehow," for some reason. But that process hasn't been explained much more than Palpatine returning when you think about it, and that's been going on since 1977!

[@aegidius_s]

GameStation3 I don’t like rise of the sky walker at all, but I have to agree. It builds drama in the Narrative, and hints at not knowing the true power of the sith.

[@ianloree2784]

Dark Empire I is pretty good in my opinion but the other two parts are pretty terrible. Still some of the most influential EU works (especially when it comes to the sequel trilogy)!

[@isaiahfreeman]

Quite a few similarities in TROS and sequel trilogy elements.

[@DjangoFett33]

Yep i def saw them.

[@tanletheorymarajadesateles6722]

Ultimate Freeman I must agree, B Level Star Wars is my favorite KZbinr, we have talked a lot almost 2 years ago, and we agree many point in the State of Star Wars KZbin!!!

[@stephen8805]

Except Dark Empire was actually good.

[@rienjen]

I appreciate your love of it--I'm actually glad you enjoyed it. I don't share that love. So I was a teenager when the EU started; I read The Thrawn Trilogy and it blew me away. Then I went to the Jedi Academy Trilogy...and it felt really off, like I missed something big. I found out Dark Empire was between the two and picked it up. And it almost ruined the EU for me. The way people feel about the Sequel Trilogy?--that's how I felt about Dark Empire. I appreciate how you explained that Zahn refused to incorporate DE...but I can't blame him. DE is just so out of left field--you go from the ending of The Last Command, a year later and the New Republic is gone (how?), the Alliance is back (how???), Coruscant is conquered (um, okay?), Palpatine is back (oh, boy...really?) and Luke...wow. Zahn could have never incorporated that. I liked how you pointed out Luke being shown as a flawed character, but it's more than that--it's to the point of being inconsistent. This happens SO MUCH with idealistic archetype characters, it's become a cliché: the writers don't understand this type of character (and their more subtle but important flaws), so they either: A) make them into Mary Sue's (because that's how they see them), B) make them into gullible idiots or C) give them an EDGE. They aren't "badass" enough, they aren't "Batman" enough, so we gotta make them DARKER. We gotta show that, deep down, they're brooding or depressed or capable of things we've never seen them do before. Kind of like...how Rian Johnson decided to make Luke into a depressed hermit on an island who abandoned everyone so he could die by himself. Lots of people can "relate" to that sad recluse character and therefore like it, just how so many people think it's cool for Luke to be all badass by him ruining his hero's journey in ROTJ by falling to the dark-side in DE. *sigh* DE is at least better than the Sequel Trilogy, but that's poor praise. But before there was the Prequels or the Sequel Trilogy, Dark Empire was also divisive among the fans. I'm positive that Empire's End was supposed to be another graphic novel but they clearly ran out of story and budget. The fans weren't enough onboard and the books were already trying to retcon it (Vision of the Future, I remember that, too--Zahn clearly also hated DE). But between DE and the Hand of Thrawn duology, all you see is Luke brooding, being injured, being manipulated, being...not Luke. It wasn't all DE's fault, but it set the stage. And that's why it's no more canon to me than the Sequels. That being said, I still liked your review and behind the scenes info. Your video was really good, even if we don't agree.

[@andersmalling]

Dark Empire was some of the best Star Wars ever made, imo.

[@DjangoFett33]

Im with you man.

[@harrissyed1417]

Honestly, the Rise of Skywalker being more or less Dark Empire: The Movie makes scrapping 37 years worth of Star Wars lore known as the Expanded Universe even more pointless since Disney era Lucasfilm admitted to still using elements from the EU thereof in future works.

[@emzonik8851]

11:14 - I don't agree with that but if that's true than this story doesn't make sense. The empire can't be stronger after return of the Jedi. The meaning of the battle of Endor and the death of the chosen one is that it ruines the empire, makes it devided and weak. Thrawn successfully unites most of the empire which reborn Palpatine (who's not stronger) uses later. But even Dark Empire, with all these new weapons and tech, isn't stronger than the galactic Empire.

[@RaikenXion]

I like Dark empire slightly more than the Thrawn trilogy tbh, i do agree everyone goes on about that and i do find it to be somewhat overrated. I still have one off the original issues of Dark empire stored away somewhere in my cupboard, it's the issue with Boba Fett on the front shooting his gun and Chewie is right behind him. I do also love the artwork in Dark empire, as a kid looking at the art style, they just made Luke, Kam and Leia in their particular outfits look so epic and kinda grandiose. I've been working on two of my own original Star Wars characters, one is a Jedi called Unius Rei, and the other is this big, brute villain character called "Ganathan". I owe that name to the Dark empire comic, theres a part (if i remember right) where Han Solo has a new kind of powerful gun upgraded on the Falcon which is called the "Ganathan Gun"; i just found the name so unique and had to us it. Lastly i'll just say Abrams stole many elements from this story and used them to drastic effect in his messy TROS.

[@abigailslade3824]

I loved dark empire trilogy

[@DjangoFett33]

Same here especially after the rise of Skywalker mess

[@dyllanrodriguez2828]

I’m watching the videos of the legends comics in order (hopefully) and I like Dark Empire so far. I love how awesome luke is, I didn’t like how we had all this spread out pieces of action in the thrawn trilogy but so far the action is consistent in Dark Empire. I also don’t mind Luke turning to the Darkside I think that makes him more interesting and smart as far as his plan goes because clearly the light side couldnt stop the emperor so other ways have to be explored. Luke is not perfect and he shouldn’t be.

[@DjangoFett33]

Yeah i felt the same about the thrawn trilogy too. I think people wanted to hate on dark empire much like the prequels and try to find every little thing to bitch about for no reason. Yes its a great element to explore with Luke.

[@dyllanrodriguez2828]

Django Fett I feel that way too because the prequels were not that bad in the first place, the story was a complete and well executed saga to the origin of Vader. I’ll never truly understand why people low ball them. Even the sequels are pretty good, but it lacked leadership and consistency but you could still like something about them.

[@g.williamwoodward6676]

A lot of people, myself included, are turning to the EU after Disney’s garbage

[@DjangoFett33]

I dont blame you man. Welcome aboard.

[@comicbookfangaming9733]

great book

[@DjangoFett33]

yes it really is.

[@darkscholar625]

I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with you here. Dark Empire's story is all over the place in both tone and structure. And honestly, it falls into the tropes that so many comics fall into. Bigger is not necessarily better. It's like when in the latest film when Palpatine reveals with Deathstar destroyers. Like, what? Then we have the actual plot. You take a stab at the Thrawn trilogy. Saying they're "overrated" when honestly, it's far superior in every single way. Let's use Luke as the primary example here. Luke at the beginning of Dark Empire just says "Oh snap! Palps is alive! Let me just surrender myself to his teachings without a fight even though the last time I saw him I showed I'd rather die than give in to the dark side!" In Thrawn, Luke is still learning and hopeful and does everything in his power to help his friends and the republic. His relationships with the characters of Han, Leia, Chewy, Lando and the rest are so well written and in line with their characters that it just flows perfectly and truly feels like a continuation of the saga. Now, on to Palpatine. Plot hole of the chosen one aside, he's just an inferior version of himself here. While admittingly, the writer had NOTHING to go off of as the prequels didn't exist yet, I see NONE of the character that made him great. I don't see the intelligence nor the charisma that made him so popular. Now... Thrawn on the other hand. My lord... This character is AMAZING. His strategic prowess. His intelligence. The dignity of how he carries himself. It's almost unmatched. To watch a character outmaneuver and outthink Luke and his friends time and time again is not only great to see, but it's downright amazing. On top of that, we understand the motivations and thought processes of every single character in this series. Whereas you said it yourself, Han and Leia basically do nothing useful while Luke looks like an edgelord for 2 thirds of the series. Then it just ends. Outta the blue. I could go on, but I think I made my point. I'm sorry. As a writer and as a fan. I disagree wholeheartedly.

[@christianvincentcostanilla8428]

Revive Old Star Wars legends

[@InfinityNexusReviews]

Good review, I also reviewed this in August, I have the hardcover. I agree about Empire's End, the art was really jarring. I liked the rainbow effect but the actual pencils weren't as good as Kennedy's. It was supposed to be six issues but because volume two had bad sales they cut it down to two just to finish the story.

[@DjangoFett33]

Thanks man! Agreed about Empires End, i had no idea why it was shorter until now.

[@antwanjenkins6735]

Great video bro

[@DjangoFett33]

Thanks antwan!

[@antwanjenkins6735]

@@DjangoFett33 ur welcome bro

[@decimatorentertainmentstud8523]

This was the most intense star wars story arc

[@DjangoFett33]

Yeah, I can agree with that.

[@felipeterrero]

Great video: what I didn’t understood is: when Leia and luke joined forces in the last part of dark empire 1, how did Palpatine survived the force storm? Could anyone found out? Cause I didn’t understood, Luke had almost destroyed all clones of sidious and doesn’t make sense that he survived the force storm he created. If anyone could help I would appreciate thanks!

[@DjangoFett33]

I think palpatine immediately went into a new clone body after he died and hes almost able to do it at whim at this point. There were some clones leftover.

[@felipeterrero]

Django Fett thank you Django!!

[@spartacus936]

I actually think like Mara Jade. In my opinion the reborn Emperor Palpatine from the Dark Empire comics was actually not Palpatine. It was simply a defective clone. Palpatine’s clones were supposed to be empty shells without spirit, however one of the clones became conscious and inherited Palpatine’s memory. He was powerful in the Force and really believed he was Darth Sidious, but he wasn’t really Sidious. Luke himself believed this clone was Darth Sidious, but he wasn’t really Sidious. The real Palpatine died on the Second Death Star at the hands of Anakin Skywalker and was never able to transfer his spirit to the clones he created. In this way Anakin’s sacrifice is not nullified, the Chosen One Prophecy is still true, ther’s no contradictions with the films and everything is perfect.

[@giwrgos_kakep5020]

Does this series only exist in comic edition or are there books as well?

[@DjangoFett33]

Other than comics? There is a audiobook version which varies a tiny bit but no books.

[@johnegan5721]

Star wars dark empire series comics Were awesome and cool 👍

[@DjangoFett33]

Yes they are!

[@phantomsidious2934]

I thought the voice of the emperor in the audio version was very good and was really fun, I have mixed opinions on this story but it is entertaining in parts and unintentionally hilarious too, I'm talking more so the emperor creeping into a barn and leaping towards a child to possess it and then being shot by han solo was a very undignified end for the emperor and stupid but very funny

[@YhwachTheAlmighty]

Dark Empire is better than all of the Sequels by 10000000000000000x EU is the best Star Wars apart from the Prequels and games imo.

[@DjangoFett33]

No arguments from me lol.

[@emzonik8851]

15:06 - Oh my god, yes, finally dark Empire acknawlages that emoeror's clones should look like the emperor! Like freaking IAN Mcdiarmid!!! I mean, this cover art is not new, but now i see it xd.

[@stephen8805]

I think we can all agree: EU > Disney Canon.

[@DjangoFett33]

Couldnt agree more.

[@DefecTec]

So I guess if George Lucas still had the right to Star Wars the only thing he’d change would be that the sith survived after rotj, that makes sense