On June 15, 2021, now-Random House Worlds released the first wave of what they were calling the Essential Legends Collection. Reasons for the Essential Legends Collection were threefold: it was a way to get Legends novels back on the shelves, and for some, with new versions (trade paperback instead of hardcover or mass market editions) with new audiobooks; it was a way to help new readers navigate the world of the extremely large franchise library; and it’s a way to resell some older books. Most readers who came into the fandom since 2014-2015 would only really only have one consistent way to purchase Legends novels: mass market paperbacks, at the whim of the stores who still sold books. (I know I personally would avoid mass market as much as possible.) With the Essential Legends Collection, new readers can be introduced to stories they might have missed and familiar readers can experience these books in better formats. Specifically, with the upcoming release of Ahsoka, readers may be curious to read more about Thrawn, one of the main antagonists in the show. This article will give a short synopsis of the five books published under the Essential Legends Collection banner, with a short note about the canon books about Thrawn and the Legends novels that have yet to be reprinted under the banner.
I’ll also comment on whether or not these are, in my estimation, required reading or not. If you’re interested in a more in-depth exploration of the books, I’ve attached the links to the Legendary Adventures entry on them so you can read about them more in-detail, seeing the plot of the book and how it plays out in the greater Legends canon.
Rise of the Republic Era
Outbound Flight
Legendary Adventure Synopsis: After the invasion of Naboo, but before the eruption of the Clone War, a harsh Jedi Master named Jorus C’baoth leads a joint Jedi/Republic taskforce into Wild Space in an expedition known as Outbound Flight. Jorus seeks to purify the Jedi Order by starting it with his own pupils in Wild Space, while the Republic hopes Outbound Flight leads to a new era of exploration (and larger borders) for the Republic. This runs against the plans of Sheev Palpatine, secretly Darth Sidious, who arranges to have the project destroyed and the Jedi onboard killed. The plan runs into problems when they meet the Chiss Expansion Force, led by Commander Mitth’raw’nuruodo aka Thrawn.
Is it Essential?: This book marks the first interactions between Sidious and Thrawn, and between the Chiss Ascendancy and the Republic. A lot of the characters featured in the novel play pretty big parts in the Heir to the Empire trilogy…at least in some form or another. I wouldn’t call this the essential first read unless you were absolutely committed to reading in chronological order. If you found yourself really enjoying Heir to the Empire and wanted to know where it all began, definitely go back and read this one. One note on this book specifically is that it does contain the short story Mist Hunter, detailing how Thrawn got involved with the Empire.
Rebellion Era
Not republished Legends works: Choices of One and Allegiance.
New Republic Era
Heir to the Empire Box Set
Is It Essential?: In the sense it probably saved Star Wars, yeah, it’s essential. It’s also really, really good. If you were looking for a novel that’s both smart, but extremely genre-conscious, you’re going to love this trilogy. The box set is probably the best way to buy these, if you can afford it at once, while it has new Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade art unavailable anywhere else and it’s always nice to have a box! Below are my breakdown of the three individual novels which make the original Thrawn Trilogy.
Heir to the Empire
Legendary Adventure Synopsis: Years after the fall of the Galactic Empire, the New Republic reigns with a sort-of peace across the galaxy. The New Republic enjoys a sort-of truce with parts of the Imperial Remnant after they helped them repel vicious aliens at Bakura. This truce doesn’t cover all enemy combatants, as the New Republic fights warlords across the galaxy, with rumors of a particularly cunning warlord reach the ears of NR leadership. The ingenious Grand Admiral Thrawn leads a strong offensive against the New Republic, as Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa-Solo, and Han Solo are pushed to their limits to fight this new, extremely dangerous threat.
Dark Force Rising
Legendary Adventure Synopsis: The New Republic races against time to find a hidden fleet, one that may or may not exist. But when the Imperial Remnant, led by the newly victorious Grand Admiral Thrawn, turns to look for it, the New Republic finds themselves on a race against time. At the same time, the personal stakes are raised higher than ever: Ever since the events of Heir to the Empire, Luke Skywalker has been forced to work with an assassin, Mara Jade, who is devoted to killing him; while Leia-Organa Solo struggles with the new role of motherhood and galactic leadership.
The Last Command
Legendary Adventure Synopsis: The final showdown! Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade have discovered the Emperor’s secret stash, guarded by long-thought-dead Jedi Master Jorus C’baoth – or is it him? Luke and Mara are brought to grapple with the extremity of the late Emperor’s plans, and each other, as they discover deadly secrets about the galaxy. As Thrawn makes his final moves against the New Republic, the new government’s fleet is pushed as far as it can go. Han and Leia especially, with new kids on the horizon, are pushed to see just how much they’re willing to give for their new government.
Survivor’s Quest
Legendary Adventure Synopsis: Luke Skywalker receives word someone has found the remnants of the Outbound Flight Project, destroyed decades earlier by Thrawn. They travel to the remnants to find there is still life in the doomed project, both survivors of the original crash (and their descendants) and Geroon survivors. Luke and Mara Jade, now married for three years, travel to the crash site to see what they can salvage. Unfortunately, it’s a trap (when isn’t it??) and a cunning band of aliens use their trip as a chance at revenge for their destruction decades ago.
Is It Essential?: This book summarizes some of the effects Thrawn had on the galaxy. It’s not directly about him, but everything that happens in the book does happen because of him. If you read Outbound Flight and want to continue the story, this is the sequel you’ve been waiting for. If you were interested in seeing the fates of some characters from Outbound Flight or the Thrawn Trilogy, quite a few of them make another appearance here, as well. But if you were just looking for a crash course on getting to know Thrawn personally, this book would not be the one for you.
Not republished Legends works: Hand of Thrawn duology: Specter of the Past and Vision of the Future.
Canon
Of course, for canon readers, there is plenty of Thrawn to read in the meantime! The Thrawn: Ascendancy series serves as a soft prequel for his later stories, set in Chiss space, explaining his rivalry with the Grysks and showing how Thrawn got to his position in the Galactic Empire. Then there’s the simply titled Thrawn, showing Thrawn’s ascension in the Empire. Thrawn: Alliances is a dual-stream story, telling us about Anakin and Thrawn’s mission in the Clone War, and later, Thrawn’s mission with Darth Vader on Batuu. Finally, Thrawn: Treason aligns very closely with the final season of Rebels, showing Thrawn’s torn allegiances between the Chiss and the Empire, leading up to his disappearance at the end of Rebels.
As the Ahsoka show gets closer, and more and more fansites stand in solidarity with the SAG/WGA strikes, meaning the show won’t get as much coverage as normal, we might see more readers coming to these books, and maybe more podcasts and shows covering these books. Now’s the best time to get to reading these and enjoying a new layer of the grand Star Wars narrative.
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