Star Wars: 7 Dumbest Moments In The Expanded Universe

By Rebecca Kulik /

According to Sturgeon€™s Law, 90% of anything is crap. The law may not apply universally, but it definitely applies to literary expansions of famous TV shows. Shows like Charmed, Doctor Who, and the Star Treks have spawned dozens of novels, young adult novels, and graphic novels in which every possible permutation and plot is explored. But nothing quite beats the Star Wars Expanded Universe for size and popularity. More than a dozen Star Wars novels have made the New York Times Bestseller List. The first novel came out before the release of €œEmpire Strike Back.€ The complicated lives of a cast of characters that has expanded way beyond what we saw in the movies have been developed and, in many cases, ended. And it€™s fair to say that a lot of these stories would have been better off not told. They honestly do suck. There are terrible plot twists, amateur writers galore, and ideas so stupid they could only be published in a franchise that includes €œAttack of the Clones.€ So, for your derision, here are the ten dumbest things--in my experience--in the Expanded Universe. And just so everyone knows, the baseline of stupidity I established was the podrace in €œPhantom Menace,€ also known as €œwhen the movie became a video game advertisement.€