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Last year’sStar state of war : The lift of Skywalkerwas a comparatively middling end to an already mix Sequel Trilogy , but if it showed us one thing , it ’s that a straight adaption of the EU would not have been a good thing . Despite some herculean performance by the key cast , the last film in the Skywalker saga was heavily criticized for a plot that felt more like a video plot fetch - pursuance than an engaging narrative , as well as relying too heavily on perceived fan - service . The final result was a motion-picture show that leave more question than solvent , lots of which have beenresolved in subsidiary material and additional readingthat leaves the film feeling like a homework assignment .
Conversely , the Star Wars EU felt like the exact opposite of preparation . Back in the dark ages of theStar war content drouth ( 1985 - 1991 ) , the formation of the Extended Universe was like a intimation of life for rooter . What started out as two major project that continued the narrative of Leia , Han , and Luke quickly step up into a life , respiration WWW of storytelling that fleshed out never - before - seen corners of the Star Wars universe . Not only were fans find out what bechance to their favored characters post - payoff of the Jedi , but they were also discovering information about the origin of the Sith and the many intergalactic wars that ravaged the galaxy .
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When Disney First State - canonized the EU ( technically it was never actually canon in the first spot ) back in 2014 , many fans saw this as a rebuff against the legacy of the Expanded Universe and all the story supply by it . However , after seeingThe Rise of Skywalker , it ’s apparent that a straight adjustment of the EU would never have been as good as Star Wars buff assume .
For starters , one of the major problems withThe acclivity of Skywalkerwas just how knockout the film leaned into the expect lover conventions . With the mixed reception toThe Last Jedi’ssubversive tale and challenging case writing , a vocal cabal of the fanbase require a return to form for Disney ’s Star Wars films . Rather than stick to their gun and go with another every bit challenging film ( somethingColin Trevorrow ’s originalEpisode IXscriptattempted to do ) , Disney and J.J. Abrams instead reduplicate down on rooter service of process to broaden the movie ’s appealingness .
However , a lot of the motion-picture show ’s fan service is merely plot devices repurposed from the EU , such as Palpatine ’s return andhis usage of cloning . While there are several plot elements in the Sequel Trilogy that are borrowed from the EU , The lift of Skywalkerleans into it the heaviest . By just re - using these plot points on - screen , audiences can see just how implausible some of the writing in the EU really was . The expound Universe lasted for over 20 years , and in that fourth dimension fans got to experience a lot of bully material , but also a lot of ridiculous and unnecessary cloth as well .
Of course , in the format of a always expanding literary universe , that kind of absurdity is give a pass . For every story about Chewbacca running into Indiana Jones , the EU also gave us classic titles likeHeir to the Empireand theJedi Academyseries . As a whole , it ’s difficult to call the totality of the Expanded Universe objectively " good " or " bad , " just grand . It ’s sluttish to sift through the bad when there ’s a wealth of content to plumb through and there ’s a fortune you might stumble upon a diamond . However , asStar Wars : The Rise of Skywalkershowed us , the sort ofstorytelling that was dominant in the Expanded Universeworked because of the spiritualist that the EU was being told in , and even though it was a difficult choice , Disney made the right one in not adapting the Expanded Universe into young canon and start up over from the ground up instead .
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