For many fans, the only Star Wars stories ever told were the six core films. For thousands of others, however, Star Wars has been home to countless stories: legends of the Old Republic, smaller stories of smugglers and bounty hunters during the Galactic Civil War and tales of the heroes that formed the New Republic once the Empire was defeated. For nearly 30 years, the Star Wars universe continued to expand, and it transformed the franchise into something far greater than a series of films.
However, no one expected to ever see a third trilogy of films, and the announcement of Episode VII created more than a few issues. There was a huge number of stories about what happened following the destruction of the second Death Star; how could the new films possibly find their way around it all? Or would they end up being adaptations of pre-existing Expanded Universe content?
The answer was, surprisingly, neither...and it was one of the most divisive decisions to ever hit the Star Wars universe. Before we get to that, however, it's time to look at what the Expanded Universe really is - and why its ultimate fate is so important to Star Wars as a whole.
Star Wars is home to one of the biggest fictional universes of all time, with or without the Expanded Universe. There are still plenty of fans out there who are upset with LucasFilm's re-writing of the Star Wars canon, but when you think about it, the move makes a lot of sense: Episode VII is ushering in a new generation of Star Wars films, and the folks behind the universe want to make sure it's accessible to absolutely everyone, not just those who've made their way through the Expanded Universe. After all, no one wants to read 30+ years worth of novels just to understand a new movie.
For more on Star Wars and the newly reformed Expanded Universe, check out our interview with Wikia's Senior Community Manager Brandon Rhea.
Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens hits theaters on Dec. 18.
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