10 Star Wars Characters SAVED By The Expanded Universe
4. Thrawn
Timothy Zahn's Star Wars novels are amongst the greatest works within the now non-canon Legends, as the author not only understands the characters but is clearly a fan at heart; who better to appease the fanbase than a fan?
Tragically, the loss of his works from canon meant that exceptional characters such as Mara Jade Skywalker, Jacen & Jaina Solo and Grand Admiral Thrawn were cast out of the Disney Expanded Universe, seemingly for good.
Although we'll never see Luke Skywalker get married nor will we see Jacen's exceptional fall to the Dark Side, Star Wars Rebels did bring Thrawn back as the brilliant military strategist acting as one of the primary antagonists of the show. He even earned himself his own canon novel to flesh out his backstory from the Clone Wars right up to the very end of the Rebels saga.
Anyone unfamiliar with Thrawn should definitely read the first of the new trilogy of novels if they get the chance.