10 Shocking Stories From The Star Wars Expanded Universe
6. The Empire Rebuilds
Once the second Death Star had been destroyed and all the clones of Palpatine have been killed, there may have been a moment where the Rebels thought their work was done. They can pop to the Cantina and relax now, surely? Sadly not. Of course, a string of new baddies were dreamed up by the Expanded Universe writers. Of all the nefarious newcomers, Admiral Thrawn was probably the most popular among fans. A creep, a master tactician and the highest-ranking non-humanoid the Empire had ever seen (which is say something, given how much the Imperials hate non-humans) this guy had it all. Although the film saga reached a natural conclusion with the Ewok-infested Battle Of Endor, the Empire was far from finished. Thrawn was already a Grand Admiral at this stage, having climbed through command for years, killing Jedi Knights at every opportunity. Hed been out in the Unknown Regions when the Empire fell, and he returned a few years later to lead a full-on assault against the New Republic. Although Thrawn probably wont feature in The Force Awakens, the idea of the New Republic (led by the Skywalkers and the Solos) facing off with the fanatical dregs of the Empire is sure to be a centrepiece to the new movie.
