RetroInferno

Shadows of the Empire - Great potential?

Recommended Posts

Shadows of the Empire was many things, occuring between Empires and Jedi, it spawned the first console game that actually felt like Starwars, a very intricate settings, a whole soundtrack was based off the book ( you red that right ) and introduced many interesting and memorable characters ( Dash Rendar!! )

When looking at this. especially since Lego aquired the Starwars license in 1999 and that Shadow of the Empire was back then still pretty fresh in people's memory since it came out in 1996 and was massivly supported with the game , I can't feel but weirded out that Lego never tried to create a sub-theme about it.

From the Hover-Train chase on the legendary Ord Mantell resulting in the confrontation with IG-88D, Dash Rendar's jetpack hicking to find Boba fett on Gall and an heavy emphasis on the galaxy's most dangerous criminal organizations ( Black Sun ) the diversity is there.

Does anyone feel that Lego missed an oppurtunity by not exploiting Shadows of the Empire as a sub-theme?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Could have been fun, and Lego has given us several sets not based on the main seven films (Clone Wars, Rebels, Force Unleashed, and Old Republic). I've never read or played any of the Shadows of the Empire stuff, but the Outrider is iconic (isn't it still in canon too do to a cameo in one of the main films?)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Could have been fun, and Lego has given us several sets not based on the main seven films (Clone Wars, Rebels, Force Unleashed, and Old Republic). I've never read or played any of the Shadows of the Empire stuff, but the Outrider is iconic (isn't it still in canon too do to a cameo in one of the main films?)

Yeah the ship is still canon, it was added in a New Hope in Mos Eisley and can be seen departing. :wink:

Sadly the rest of the EU went to the garbage bin and the only way for it to partially get back to life is to appear in new media, ex: Rebels and Rogue One.

And yeah, a mini-fig scale outrider lego model would be awesome!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

They have given Old Republic and Force Unleashed sets as recently as last year, so it could happen.

Yeah but I think this was before all of the EU was declared non-canon. I would be really happy ( and really surprised ) if they decided to create a couple of the sets found in either the game or book though.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I still got all of the Hasbro toys from this period... It was hyped extremely with 2-figure battlepacks featuring comic books... Some specially carded figures and new feature-packed vehicles (The Outrider and Slave 1) I loved the fight between Vader and Xizor... For me one of the best moments in the EU.

I' love to have LEGO sets of this too, but I think this time has passed...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I made a few custom SOTE figs & vignettes a few years back. I think with Disney erasing the EU, chances are slim for any official sets.

dash-leebo.jpg

luke-guri.jpg

coruscantguards.jpg

Can't find any photos of my Prince Xizor, unfortunately.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Yeah, great potential, but it is unlikely to happen, sadly, once again, the moccers must bring matters into their own hands...

Columbus

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Shadows would make a great sub-theme, but it'll never happen. Disney is really picking and choosing what they take from the EU and like Thrawn, they'll throw those characters where ever they see fit. I'm disappointed that Thrawn will appear in the wrong timeline and I'm thinking the Zahn Thrawn book next year is going to re-write his story, but not character traits.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

It was my my understanding and it certainly makes commercial sense that the Expanded universe was dropped from being canon, so that Disney have free reign to use the most iconic and "best bits". This way they can bring great characters and events to the mainstream but be free to use them without being tied to the massive bloat that was the expanded universe.

As said there is very clearly a YT-2400 freighter featured twice in the new rebels trailer as is Grand Admiral Thrawn (eek and yay )

I would like to think that this means we are in with a good chance of getting a Outrider set at some point or at least a set that can very easily be MOC'd to create one

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

With a YT-2400 in Season 3--and a mystery pilot with black hair, a yellow shirt, and blue vest it seems--there's a chance Lego could make one as a set. It wouldn't be the Outrider, and likely wouldn't have Dash or Guri or anything, but it'd be a start...like Jek-14's Stealth Starfighter as an E-wing!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I was at the rebels panel and Filoni discussed how the same person who original designed the Outrider for SOTE is now working on Rebels, hence the inclusion of this model YT freighter. He was also quite clear that Dash Rendar would not be showing up in Rebels at any point. One inclusion I'd love to see would be a Xizor mini figure - using the hair piece from the ninjago Nadakhan figure and a printed 'wedding dress-style' piece would be great. The Falleen featured a lot in the clone wars so he could become canon again.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

It was my my understanding and it certainly makes commercial sense that the Expanded universe was dropped from being canon, so that Disney have free reign to use the most iconic and "best bits". This way they can bring great characters and events to the mainstream but be free to use them without being tied to the massive bloat that was the expanded universe.

As said there is very clearly a YT-2400 freighter featured twice in the new rebels trailer as is Grand Admiral Thrawn (eek and yay )

I would like to think that this means we are in with a good chance of getting a Outrider set at some point or at least a set that can very easily be MOC'd to create one

Right, but the reason we all like Thrawn is the EU that he is in. There is a chance that whatever use Disney decides to make with Thrawn could totally backfire, because the character alone can't work without the story they were in.

It's like if I said Captain Picard from ST:TNG is going to be in Star Wars. Great, I love the character and the story, but will I love it when Disney inserts it randomly in a timeline or place that I'm unfamiliar with the character existing in?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Thrawn doesn't need the same story. It's the character that's important. He's a tactician who studies his enemies carefully, doesn't waste his forces carelessly, etc. That's what he'll be bringing to the table in Rebels: anticipating the tactics of his foes (Cham Syndulla, for starters, and reportedly fouling up a plan of Ezra's). No need for ysalamiri, Mount Tantiss, Spaarti cylinders, the Katana fleet, or a mad clone of a Jedi.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Right, but the reason we all like Thrawn is the EU that he is in

Of course you're absolutely correct. The Zahn books are some of the best stuff from the EU as is SOTE but there was so much and a lot of it wasn't anywhere near that quality of storytelling, yet they all had to be tied together because they were canon. Now those great elements can be cherry picked and as Venkefedo says the essence of those characters is kept then it's all for the good. Add to that the fact rebels is set so far before the Timothy Zahn books means they can potentially develop the characters back story without "spoiling" the character we love. (Ok that didn't workout with the prequels I will grant you hah )

But for me it I see it as a positive if it means there is a much higher probability to have those characters or ships in Lego form.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    No registered users viewing this page.