No more EU from LEGO?

[Darth Punk]

I can't say I'm going to miss the EU since we barely get any sets from it as it is. The cutdown on the PT is going to affect me more.

On the bright side more OT is never a bad thing.

More OT is out of this world!

[korpen4444]

I hope they won't erase the TIE variants from existence. The TIE Raptor and Bomber will never leave Canon! I wasn't big on the EU, but it produced awesome sets.

[parksroad]

I was a big Star Wars fan as a kid and then when I came out of my dark ages I hardly recognized any of the supposed Star Wars sets. Too much effort to figure out what it all was and where it came from. Not sure how I feel about Disney Wars either but we've safely forgotten those "Return to Endor" tv movies so I imagine things will sort themselves out in the end...

[Darth Punk]

I was a big Star Wars fan as a kid and then when I came out of my dark ages I hardly recognized any of the supposed Star Wars sets. Too much effort to figure out what it all was and where it came from. Not sure how I feel about Disney Wars either but we've safely forgotten those "Return to Endor" tv movies so I imagine things will sort themselves out in the end...

I'm very apprehensive about Mickey at the helm as well. But from what I have seen so far I like what they are doing in terms of the next movie. The return of hand made models, less reliance on cgi and the return of Luke, Leia and Han. Wiping out the EU is a smart movie which will put all the focus on rebels and next trilogy.

[Faefrost]

On a related note, we will see a huge cutback on the characters from the Prequel Trilogy as well. They're not off limits, but the focus will be on the Original Trilogy and Star Wars: Rebels for the foreseeable future.

Read into that what you will, but we are definitely approaching new and uncharted waters as Episode VII draws nearer. Watch this space

AFAIK Lucasfilm is also the sparring partner of TLG, so I could very well understand if they would pass a similar message to them: only sets based on the forecoming movie(s) and Star Wars Rebels, and nothing else. LEGO will release a JEK-14 set for this year, but it might be that's the last for now. What is your feeling towards abovementioned decision and an eventual similar decision towards TLG?

I predicted this exact thing months ago. It was just so clear that they would be soft rebooting / reseting things starting from the OT and going forward.

Technically, yes, Rebels is EU since it's not one of the six, soon to be seven, movies. But in the context of this report, I think it's kind of its own category. The EU typically includes the parts of the storylines that are considered canon, but which aren't of the highest, Lucas-approved level. Similar to how anything that dealt with events prior to Star Wars was once part of the EU (For example, Black Fleet Crisis addressed the issue of Luke's mother.). Just as Republic Commando is still considered EU while The Clone Wars is sort of above it and separate from it, things like Coruscant Nights are still considered EU while Rebels is sort of separate.

Also note that the report is from a toy collector, and the only line quoted from anything official doesn't actually specifically mention the EU. 'The EU' in this case could just be a term used by a fan because we his fellow fans understand what he means; it doesn't necessarily mean that the terminology Lucasfilm or Disney used was 'Expanded Universe'. They could very well have said "Everything other than Star Wars: Rebels and the seven movies".

All the old designations of what is and is not cannon have been thrown out with them taking a chainsaw to the lore and continuity. With the intended goal to create one single ongoing level of cannon. It's easy to see why Lucasfilm wants the merchandising companies to steer clear of any EU subjects when they do not know if the characters or lore will survive, and in what form. They don't want Hasbro putting out Jaina Solo figures when the character may be completely replaced in cannon with the new movie, and the toy would just confuse everyoe and breed fanboy resentment. This is much less of an issue for Lego as they rarely dipped deep into the EU. In the few cases they did TLG typically was limited to things that had a clear artistic representation, such as from a Video Game, and not simply something from the novels or comics. besides I don't think anybody was really expecting a Tie Crawler or Tie Defender re-release.

As far as what will be considered cannon going forward. I think the key test will be "was it seen on screen"? With the "on screen" expanded to cover not simply the 6 movies but The Clone Wars and Rebels as well. (Lost will be any of the Ewok or droid shows... and /sigh The Holiday Special). The books are gone. No easy way around it. The Dark Horse comics are probably gone as well (unless or until Marvel buys out Dark Horse, which I would not rule out given this huge blow to them.) . probably any fully EU characters will be lost. Ship designs could go either way depending on where and how they were used. Although Lucasfilms did use cameo's in the PT and TCW to insert some well liked EU ship designs into the regular cannon over the years. It's safe to assume that they will continue this trend with Rebels.

What is interesting is the apparent reprieve that the TOR characters got? There are a few reasons that that may be. One is the massive time difference makes those characters pretty much irrelevant to the actual Star Wars cannon. So no real need to purge. The other is that they are representative of an ongoing live game project, that still has existing contracts and support requirements from Lucasfilms, plus it is operated by their new exclusive video game publisher. So marketing demands there supercede editorial demands.

I hope they won't erase the TIE variants from existence. The TIE Raptor and Bomber will never leave Canon! I wasn't big on the EU, but it produced awesome sets.

Tie Bomber is full on cannon. It appeared on screen in ESB. Tie Raptor is probably gone unless it shows up in Rebels.

Edited February 19, 2014 by Faefrost

[Robianco]

The EU started to get shafted with Jango Fett. The whole issue of Boba Fett being born as Boba in the first placed went against written EU and showed how Lucas could pretty much make it all irrelevant in the blink of an eye.

Once the history of main characters (Boba Fett can probably be considered one of them) starts having to be rewritten then it's open to all kinds of shenanigans and can basically be wiped away.

That said I actually thought the cinematic teasers for the Old Republic game was some of the best SW material I'd seen since the OT and as such the characters of Malgus, Shan etc were good to see in Lego form although I never played the game so I wasn't that bothered about the ships. The Sith Fury Class Interceptor was a nice looking ship though and the Jedi Defender Class Cruiser had some Tantive IV about it.

Starkiller is a pretty big character in the EU seeing as it's his family crest that is used as the Rebel Alliance symbol. Of all the EU the sets I would have really liked made are Shadows of the Empire. I'm hoping that as that was a Lucas sanctioned game and book release that will always stay part of the core SW material. It's also important as to how Leia got the Boushh disguise for Han's rescue.

The plans to have spin off films for minor characters give a huge scope for Disney and it's partners including TLG to venture further into the SW universe with what will essentially be canon material. Whether we'll ever see Grand Admiral Thrawn or his like appear in a Lego set is now more unlikely though.

[Mr Man]

(Lost will be any of the Ewok or droid shows... and /sigh The Holiday Special).

That all depends. The original CW splits in two and fits, one each end, around the new TCW, he Ewoks TV and films fit between ESB and ROTJ so are untouched by the new films. Only the Droids cartoon will be in any danger as it is in the same time frame as Rebels, however Rebels is 5 years before ANH, so Droids may still fit in.

Why do I want them to when there are 'better' pieces of the EU? I grew up watching Droids on VHS before I even saw SW .

As for the Holiday Special, is there any part the EU admits exists beyond the Boba cartoon?

[gavralcraw]

Not overly fussed. I have been collecting mainly OT stuff but I do like EU figures for some reason. The aliens in particular. I figure they are good for mocs and to spice up OT. Whilst not lego the old Kenner mini rigs are EU and I always thought they were good play value with OT stuff as a kid. So OT with some EU seems like a good idea. It seems sad and repetitive to just do OT. The EU is so rich after all. Sigh does this mean theyll never do any Christmas Special sets? A Lumpy, Itchy and Lama figure would be great... Dammit.

[Chills]

This was bound to happen. Every second of timeline after ROTJ has been taken up by EU so it is logical to assume that new canon would have to be created and the old EU would go out the window. (unless the movies took place a couple of hundred years ABY)

I have mixed feelings about the elminiation of all current EU. The Thrawn trilogy brought be back into the SW fold in the early 90s and I've been stuck ever since. There have been some really horrible story lines and authors over the years, but some pretty creative ideas have come out. Zahn's naming of the capital planet Coruscant is one of the rare examples of EU becoming movie canon. As fans we will can still enjoy the current EU. Just because someone tells us a story arc isn't canon doesn't mean we can't immerse ourselves in that story and enjoy it.

I'm optimistic that Disney will do a good job with the new trilogy. They certainly have the talent in the company. I just hope they go for a good storyline, don't overuse CGI (handmade models would rock!), and don't focus-group the new movies to death to maximize profits. Oh, and I REALLY hope we don't get lense flare all over the place.

[Mr Man]

Zahn's naming of the capital planet Coruscant is one of the rare examples of EU becoming movie canon. As fans we will can still enjoy the current EU. Just because someone tells us a story arc isn't canon doesn't mean we can't immerse ourselves in that story and enjoy it.

The problem with that is that only the name is canon, it doesn't mean that the book it appeared in is, nor that any other works by Zahn are. Similar to the Outrider in ANH, that doesn't mean the Dash Rendar is canon, just that his ship is.

[DarthTwoShedsJackson]

I never got why the heck it is so important for a saga consisting of movies, novels, animated series, computer games and other media and which spans different eras and characters to be all consistent. Real life recorded history isn't truly consistent, so why should this? I really don't care if a continuation or prequel to story contradicts or is at odds with details, as long as it is good and compelling. This whole strict canon thinking in my eyes is the realm of extreme fanNerds. I don't see why the novel continuation of the OT, for example, cannot or should not exist alongside Disney's new approach, since it will for many fans no matter what the powers that be say or claim.

[Tariq j]

I have mixed thoughts on this. While I liked the sets and well designed minifigures of the old republic and other EU sets, I always preferred the Original Trilogy sets better.

Take the Death Star for example, that set lasted six years, it was highly popular and I believe it held the record for the set with the most minifigures as well. And it's mainly because a lot of Lego Star Wars fans all loved the original Trilogy and the Star Wars universe.

I'm in no way putting down EU sets. I'm saying Star Wars universe sets were more popular. So while I will miss the EU sets it means the Star Wars will get more attention.

[Sir_Basil_Ashton]

Personally, I will miss the EU sets. They brought variety to the LEGO SW universe and although they don't fit with the OT, they reflect diversity in a rather expansive universe. Most of the major OT vehicles and sets have been done and re-done multiple times. I'm all for more OT sets but not when fans are content with the constant re-hashes. Yeah the minifigures are getting updated but now you have people complaining about that too.

[HandofBobb]

Hmm, what about this summer's release of a "Jedi Scout Fighter" from "The Yoda Chronicles"? How does that square with this 'no EU toys' stance?

[Brickdoctor]

Hmm, what about this summer's release of a "Jedi Scout Fighter" from "The Yoda Chronicles"? How does that square with this 'no EU toys' stance?

If you wanted to be pedantic, Yoda Chronicles isn't part of the EU; it's non-canon. But I'm sure it's likely that the explanation is as simple as the fact that TLG had already decided to make the set before receiving these instructions from Lucasfilm, and it's also possible that TLG had some sort of contract that entitles them to produce a certain amount of Yoda Chronicles sets.

[HawkLord]

This development is not surprising. With the post-movie EU being very predominant in the past decade I can see why Disney/LFL would want to distance themselves from it to avoid a conflict of interest and probably general confusion. I know that this decision is probably more "across the board" then we realize, so there will probably be a reduction in EU books, comics, etc that come anywhere near the timeframe of Episode 7. It makes me feel bad for the people that may have been working on material (or who were up until the point that Disney/LFL shut them down) related to the EU, as now that material may not be released.

[Faefrost]

It's beyond not surprising. It was pretty much written in stone the moment they decided to do a 7th movie. The EU had to burn. Yeah some of it was earlier side stories, and they were often being overwritten by things from the PT or TCW. But look at some of the hissy fits are small but vocal group of fans threw publicly when TCW introduced Mandalorians in a way that differed from what a previous writer had. There is no way that Lucasfilms/Disney were going to deal with that over an AAA list product like a new movie. And there really is no way to preserve any of the EU. The knowledge required of it is too broad, and the base of users who are familiar with it to small. The best they could do would be to reuse or reboot some of the more popular EU characters and settings into the official films in some form. And even that remains tricky. Remember George Lucas never read EU stories. (At best he would look at the art, which he liked).

[Winged Gundark]

It is somehow sad to see much of the EU to get "ditched" with the upcoming movies, but at the same time it is quite understandable especially with the things that took place after the RotJ. If Disney/LF should hold on with pretty much everything created for EU during the last 25 years or so, it would limit their possibilities quite much. I haven't read that much EU novels, except Zahns fabulous Thrawn Trilogy, but I'am quite familiar with Dark Horse's comic creations. Although quality of EU stories, books or otherwise, varies quite a lot, in overall they are extremely important in creating a living and breathing galaxy by adding more depth around the base that the movies created. In that sense, they are integral part of my SW experience and make the universe seem more real and diverse, build up the familiar characters and offer new angles to the saga. In short, EU adds up to the immersion. Just look at the wookiepedia page: most of that stuff there is from the plethora of EU stuff and without EU, galaxy would be a lot more empty place. Also, I am not a hard core "canon guy". To be fair, EU has quite many inconsistencies with the timeline etc. but who cares. I will still enjoy my comics, books and games no matter what Disney decides to do or what direction the canon (oh my, how I hate that word in SW context ) takes. If someone wants to stick to the material that is released or "approved" by some authority, that is their choice. I still think that they miss quite a lot great stuff. After all, SW is just a science fiction fairy tale and most of all entertainment and as such something that shouldn't be taken too seriously

I am little bit wary of the Marvel getting the comic license as Dark Horse has treated SW and EU very well: they really have big boots to fill, at least. Right from the start DH created amazing stories with the right SW feel in them without the cheesiness of earlier Marvel creations of the 70's and 80's. Take Dark Empire for example, which is IMO one of the greatest scifi comics ever made. I have no doubt that in the future Marvel as part of the Disney will stick to the canon, but at the same time I think we may lost some of the richness of the earlier EU, although there is stuff that is simply rubbish in it. In fact, it would be pretty much impossible that all the material created by various people during the years would be top notch. And with Marvel, I'am truly afraid of the possible superhero/SW cross overs, which Marvel fans are already screaming for. Wolverine vs. Darth Vader would probably be even more worse idea than casting Hayden Christiansen for the new movies.

All in all, DH comics have served SW franchise very well and in most cases their stories are far more enjoyable and deeper than the god awful prequel trilogy movies for example. Somebody mentioned DH getting into trouble by losing the license, but I doubt it. SW is creating about 6% of their sales, so while it hurts, it isn't the end of the world. At least I'd hate to see every publisher ending as a part of some corporation and I really wish DH well and good years in the future.

As for LEGO, I'am pretty new with them in my adult age, I actually purchased UCS Executor, my first "adult" set, just before last christmas and I just have bought few sets after that including UCS R2-D2. I am mainly interested in the OT UCS stuff, but I have also purchased few "regular" SW sets to gather blocks for future MOCs when I have seen good sets in discount. So, if LEGO doesn't release EU stuff anymore, it is really no big deal for me. And with LEGO, we can of course always create EU stuff our selves, if we just wanto to. That is the magic of the blocks

[HJR-Holland]

Just saw I hadn't answered on the topic myself :-)

And my answer is: I'm somewhat relieved really, as I have been rather reluctant on building MOCs based from the EU, as LEGO released them as well, and of course at half the costs of a MOC.

First LEGO stuck to the movies, so I built vehicles from the cartoons

Then LEGO made vehicles from the cartoons, so I built vehicles from the videogames

Then LEGO made vehicles from the videogames, so I built vehicles from the comics

Then LEGO made vehicles from the comics, so I built vehicles from the vaguest corners of the EU

It came to a point that I wanted to quit building MOCs altogether and just wait what LEGO would come up with next

As long as I now avoid Ralph McQuirry and KENNER models (a little too late I'm afraid) I'll be save, and have enough models to build for the coming years :-)

[AudiBobaR5-D2]

Are the games like Jedi Knight: Jedi Acedemy OT or EU?

Myself would like to see some sets based upon the game. Hopefully.

[Mr Man]

Are the games like Jedi Knight: Jedi Acedemy OT or EU?

Myself would like to see some sets based upon the game. Hopefully.

Yes they are EU. Also I don't think TLG has ever gone back to make sets from really old games.

[naugem]

Dang it!, I want a Mantis.

[Blondie-Wan]

That all depends. The original CW splits in two and fits, one each end, around the new TCW, he Ewoks TV and films fit between ESB and ROTJ so are untouched by the new films. Only the Droids cartoon will be in any danger as it is in the same time frame as Rebels, however Rebels is 5 years before ANH, so Droids may still fit in.

Why do I want them to when there are 'better' pieces of the EU? I grew up watching Droids on VHS before I even saw SW .

As for the Holiday Special, is there any part the EU admits exists beyond the Boba cartoon?

Chewie's family also appears in an old kids' book, The Wookiee Storybook, and there are fleeting references to things from the Holiday Special (Ackmena, Life Day, etc.) here and there in other works.

I think the made-for-TV Ewoks movies are unlikely to be obviated by new material, because they're simply self-contained to a point at which I think the people now in charge would have to go out of their way in order to contradict them; there's probably very little in them that would get in the way of any story they'd like to tell in new movies (at least using the current official chronology that puts them between Empire and Jedi - I personally put them after Jedi, but I know that's not in line with the official canon and hasn't been for years, though if they'd ask me...).