Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire

In 1994, Lucasfilm publishing director Lucy Autrey Wilson met with Bantam editor Lou Aronica to discuss future publications, and Aronica suggested a Star Wars crossover multimedia event. Later in the year, Lucasfilm met with franchise licensees, including LucasArts representatives and author Steve Perry to discuss the multimedia project, intended to feature the media and marketing elements of a film release without actually producing a movie.[2] This was largely meant to reinvigorate the franchise ahead of the prequel trilogy, along with George Lucas's 1997 Special Editions of the original trilogy.[2] Lucasfilm producers originally wanted the film to focus on the main characters between Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back, but Dark Forces game designer Jon Knoles suggested that it take place between the latter film and Return of the Jedi[2] (an era explored by no other Star Wars novel).

Shadows of the Empire

Author	Steve Perry
Cover artist	Drew Struzan
Country	United States
Language	English
Subject	Star Wars
Genre	Science fiction
Publisher	Bantam Spectra
Publication date	Hardcover: 1 April 1996 Paperback: 3 March 1997
Pages	Hardcover: 340 Paperback: 416
ISBN	0-553-10089-0

Princess Leia, Chewbacca, and Lando Calrissian hire the services of Battle of Hoth veteran Dash Rendar, who has located Boba Fett's ship, which has the frozen Han Solo aboard. The heroes lead an attempt to liberate Han from the bounty hunter, but are outgunned by Imperial TIE fighters. Back on Tatooine, as Luke Skywalker constructs a new lightsaber, he is chased by swoop bike riders in the service of Jabba the Hutt and saved by Dash.[2] The two learn where they can intercept the plans for a new Death Star, which they obtain with the aid of Bothan fighters and bring to Kothlis to be decoded.[3] Luke is briefly captured by the agents of Darth Vader and learns of the Falleen crime lord Prince Xizor, who plans to kill Luke in a plot to gain Emperor Palpatine's favor. Meanwhile, Leia investigates the attempts on Luke's life.[3] She and Chewbacca meet Xizor's human-replica droid Guri, who brings Leia to Coruscant, where Xizor tries to seduce the princess in an attempt to bait Luke. Luke, Lando and Dash sneak into the crime lord's palace to save Leia. As the Rebels engage Imperial fighters above Coruscant, Xizor is prevented from escaping by the vengeful Darth Vader, whose Star Destroyer shoots down his repulsor craft and Skyhook base. The debris from the explosion hits the Outrider, apparently killing Dash. Back on Tatooine once more, Luke records a holographic message for Jabba the Hutt.[4].

Author Steve Perry was commissioned to write the novel—the backbone of the multimedia project—after writing the novelizations of The Mask for Bantam, and Aliens based upon graphic novels by Dark Horse Comics, which had been licensed by Lucasfilm to create Star Wars comics. In addition to studying the original Star Wars trilogy, Perry read the first spin-off novel in the franchise, Splinter of the Mind's Eye, to get an idea of how to write for Vader.[5] The publishers wanted a 'substitute' for the incapacitated Han Solo, and Perry came up with the character of Dash, noted by fans as being mainly a vehicle for Solo-esque dialogue. The publishers also instructed Perry to make Xizor's attempt to seduce Leia successful, but the author refused as he feared fan backlash.[4]

Steve Perry has expressed his support of adapting the story as an animated film.[5][6] A prequel novel was planned, to be written by author Charles Grant, but was cancelled due to a Lucasfilm Licensing move from Bantam to Del Rey Books.[7]

The comic book emphasizes the destiny of Boba Fett and his fellow bounty hunters, first seen in a brief scene on The Empire Strikes Back. It also tells the story of Jix, Darth Vader's assistant, who infiltrated Jabba the Hutt's gang of bikers to prevent that band's attempt to murder Luke Skywalker. The series was written by John Wagner and illustrated by Kilian Plunkett.

The comics were written and drawn at the same time of the novel, so the first issue could be released immediately after the book. However, the story told by the comics is unique in many ways. The primary difference is that the comics tell what happened to Boba Fett and the other bounty hunters hired by Darth Vader to find the Millennium Falcon in The Empire Strikes Back. Steve Perry, author of the project's novel, was a story consultant.

Cover of Shadows of the Empire: Evolution

Excerpts from the comic were published in Nintendo Power magazine.[8] Two separate mini-comics were released with Micro Machines toys (with three alternative covers) and Ertl model kits.[9][lower-alpha 1] A pop-up comic was also made, entitled Battle of the Bounty Hunters.[11]

LucasArts's Shadows of the Empire was one of the first games available for the Nintendo 64, and later for Windows. The most commercial product in the Shadows of the Empire line, the game was first released in December 1996 as an exclusive N64 title five months after the console's launch.[12] The PC version came nearly a year later, in September 1997.[13] In the game, players control mercenary Dash Rendar in four missions:

• Part I – Dash Rendar is drawn into the Battle of Hoth.
• Part II – Dash confronts bounty hunter IG-88, who leads him to Boba Fett.
• Part III – Dash saves Luke Skywalker's life by fighting a gang of swoop bikers in Mos Eisley, then helps Luke recover plans for the second Death Star.
• Part IV – Dash, with Luke and Lando Calrissian, travels to Coruscant to rescue Princess Leia from Prince Xizor's stronghold.

The PC version has full-motion cinematic cutscenes with sound effects and voices, while the N64 version utilizes artwork with text at the bottom of the screen.

Soundtrack

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	link
SoundtrackNet	link
FilmTracks	link
Soundtrack-Express	link
iTunes	link

Lucasfilm commissioned Varèse Sarabande Records to publish a score. Producer Robert Townson selected Joel McNeely to compose it; both had produced music for The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. The soundtrack was performed by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Chorus.[2] Themes from the movies can be heard in tracks one (the main theme from Star Wars and "Carbon Freeze") and eight ("The Imperial March" and "The Force Theme"). The tenth track also contains credited appearances of "The Imperial March". Portions of the soundtrack are featured in the video game.[2]

The liner notes give plot summaries for each track's corresponding section of the novel. McNeely wrote, "Unlike with film music, I have been allowed to let my imagination run free with the images, characters and events from this story. I have also had the luxury to loiter as long as I like with a character or scene. Every passage represents some person, place or event in this story." Ben Burtt wrote a poem for the liner notes, about an ancient battle on Coruscant, which McNeely used in some compositions.[14] In the lyrics, Burtt made references to the Droids series he was involved in writing.

The disc also includes an interactive track for personal computers, containing concept art and additional information about the project. The multimedia track includes an overview of the Shadows of the Empire project; a creative team gallery; information about McNeely, the orchestra, and the efforts to put together a soundtrack for the novel; and information about the book, the game, the comic series, and the toys based on the characters.

Kenner was one of the companies that made the toy line for the Shadows of the Empire project.[1] Their line contained action figures (including new characters such as Xizor and Dash Rendar), vehicles (from the Outrider to swoop bikes) and two-pack pairings of new and classic characters (such as IG-88 and Boba Fett). The classic characters figures were given a new spin with Chewbacca disguised as Snoova, a Wookiee bounty hunter, and Luke Skywalker costumed in an Imperial uniform (all the better to infiltrate Imperial City).

Lewis Galoob Toys, famous for their line of Micro Machines miniature toys and playsets, also developed a full Shadows of the Empire toy line. It included three sets of miniatures and a boxed Action Fleet set with two swoop bikes and riders and four miniature articulated figures. Also included in the sets are the classic Star Wars characters (Luke, Vader, the Emperor) as well as the new Shadows characters (Xizor, Dash Rendar, Guri and Leebo).

The Topps company developed the Shadows of the Empire trading card line.[1] The 100-piece Shadows of the Empire card set from Topps represents all three platforms that tell the story—the book, comic series, and game. The cards are the work of Greg and Tim Hildebrandt, the twin artists who painted one of the more popular original Star Wars release posters. The 100 card set featured double UV-coating and an extra-thick 20 pt. card stock, all with full-bleed painted images on a 21/2" x 31/2" card. The Shadows of the Empire card series is highlighted by 72 cards that virtually storyboard the events in Steve Perry's novel. The series also contains six cards dedicated to vehicles, another six to the comics, and six more keyed to the video game. Each pack came with nine cards.

The 1996 Return of the Jedi radio drama by Brian Daley makes several references to Shadows of the Empire. In the 1997 Special Edition of A New Hope, swoop bikes and ASP labor droids make an appearance, as does Dash Rendar's ship, the Outrider. Though developed for the Special Edition of A New Hope, Imperial landing craft made its first appearance in Shadows of the Empire.[15]

The novel Specter of the Past (1997) mentions Xizor and the Bounty Hunter Wars trilogy (1998–1999) explores his and Fett's backstory. Several missions in the X-Wing Alliance (1999) computer game involves assisting Rendar in the capture of the Imperial freighter Suprosa, which was carrying the design schematics of the second Death Star. Rendar's Outrider can be seen in the game, as well as in 2002's Bounty Hunter. A one-shot comic book written by Ryder Windham and released in January 2000, called Shadow Stalker, was a prelude to Shadows of the Empire expanding on the adventures of Jix. The planet Kothlis appears in later works such as the 2001 video game Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader[16] and an ASP droid makes an appearance in the novelization of Attack of the Clones (2002). The Falleen appear in a variety of works.

Following the 2012 acquisition of Lucasfilm by The Walt Disney Company, most of the licensed Star Wars novels and comics produced since the originating 1977 film were rebranded as Legends and declared non-canon in April 2014.[17][18] The Falleen and Black Sun were made canon in 2013 episodes of The Clone Wars,[19] in which Darth Maul's Shadow Collective absorbs the Falleen crime syndicate.[20] Additionally, Rendar appears in the movie tie-in book Solo: A Star Wars Story – Tales from Vandor (2018)[21] and the Galaxy's Edge cookbook features a recipe for "Xizor Salad".[22]

In the Shadows of the Empire storyline, Leia obtains the armor of bounty hunter Boushh from Guri on Rodia. However, in the 2018 Forces of Destiny episode "Bounty Hunted", Leia and Maz Kanata take Boushh's armor directly from him on Ord Mantell.

• Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (project)

Footnotes

Citations

• Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire on Wookieepedia, a Star Wars wiki
• Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire at MobyGames