After Disney blew up the Star Wars Expanded Universe, disintegrating the countless contributions to the franchise made by numerous writers and artists, it left a gaping hole in the hearts of fans everywhere. Along with Star Wars Rebels, Marvel’s comic book lines have helped to heal that wound and paint in the corners of the galaxy as we await the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens in December.
More from Star Wars Comics
- The High Republic Adventures (2023) 1 review
- Daniel José Older named a High Republic Adventures character after someone special
- New Star Wars comics this week: The High Republic Adventures and more
- A Newbies Guide to Star Wars Comics
- What is Star Wars: The High Republic?
The four series (Star Wars, Darth Vader, Princess Leia and Kanan: The Last Padawan) have offered a fresh take on the galaxy and the characters we love while seamlessly introducing new aspects to the franchise (although not without some controversy). Each series stands out on its own, whether it’s the dread-laden, horror-film atmosphere of Darth Vader or the splashy, storybook look of Princess Leia.
The writers behind the series have also juggled the somewhat tangled timelines well, with the new plots and characters locking in perfectly with the existing canon. Kanan takes place during Episode III, following the immediate aftermath of Order 66. Princess Leia kicks off immediately after the final scene of A New Hope. Meanwhile, Star Wars and Darth Vader run concurrently, with the two plot threads dovetailing occasionally.
Aside from a few bumps and hiccups (giant space whales?), the comics have been an unqualified success. With two of the lines, Princess Leia and Darth Vader, returning this week after Marvel took a sabbatical from the universe, let’s take a look at the most important new canon characters introduced in the comics.
WARNING: This post contains spoilers for the Marvel Star Wars comics.
Next: A New Addition to the Solo Family
Sana Solo
Star Wars is no stranger to unusual family dynamics, but the team behind the main Star Wars comic shook up the entire universe when they revealed that Han Solo was not totally single when he joined the Rebellion.
In the latest issue, Han and Leia escape from Imperial fighters by hiding in the Monsua Nebula, a lush tropical paradise hidden by electrical storms overhead. But that doesn’t allow them to evade Sana Solo, who confronts the pair and reveals to Leia that she is Han’s wife.
Sana has been hunting Solo for a few issues, and she was at least ruthless enough to hurt some Rodians on Tatooine to get the information she’s seeking. Still, it’s unclear the circumstances of Han’s marriage with her.
Next: Princess Leia's Closest Friend
Evaan
Meanwhile, Leia got a pal of her own in her comic series. A Rebel pilot named Evaan, who hails from Leia’s home planet Alderaan, has accompanied her on a mission to rescue lost Alderaanians and prevent the Empire from snuffing them out.
Evaan was initially lukewarm toward Leia, feeling that the princess abandoned her heritage to devote herself to the Rebellion, but the two have since turned into an effective team, and Evaan has renewed her dedication to her royal compatriot.
Next: The Indiana Jones of Star Wars
Dr. Aphra
You wouldn’t think that the character of Darth Vader would function well with any sort of foil. But that’s exactly what the Kieron Gillen, the writer of Vader’s comic book series, achieved with Dr. Aphra, a droid archaeologist who’s recruited by the Dark Lord. Aphra is versed in the mechanics of outdated and rare droid models, and Vader enlists her to help him build an army of battle droids.
More from Dork Side of the Force
- The High Republic Adventures (2023) 1 review
- Daniel José Older named a High Republic Adventures character after someone special
- How animation changed Star Wars: Ewoks and Droids
- Kelleran Beq comes to Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes
- The Mandalorian’s Pedro Pascal becomes No. 1 on IMDb’s Starmeter for 2023
Aphra functions mostly as a sly reimagining of Indiana Jones as a female who’s transported to the Star Wars universe, but the character also has some nice interactions with Vader. She’s careful not to upset the Sith but she’s also confident enough to try to feel out his plans.
Their relationship reached a turning point in a recent issue when she figured that Vader would kill her after she successfully completed the droid factory, but surprisingly he decided to keep her around.
Even if Vader’s hesitation was a sign of emotional attachment to Aphra and not just pragmatic thinking, I have a feeling that she won’t be given a happy ending given her ties to Vader at this point.
Next: Kanan's Treacherous Alien Ally
Janus Kasmir
Kanan: The Last Padawan is probably the best of the four Star Wars comics so far. Even though the series focuses on the origins of Kanan Jarrus, otherwise known as Caleb Dume, who hails from the bouncy atmosphere of Star Wars Rebels, the comic has taken on a more mature, darker tone as it examines Kanan’s life immediately after Order 66.
As a result, we’ve gotten a look at some sleazy new characters, including the alien Janus Kasmir. Kasmir is a native of the planet Kaller, a rocky world inhabited by reptilian aliens known as Kallerians.
Kanan was initially at odds with Kasmir because the alien protested the presence of Republic forces on the planet, even though they were driving back Separatist troops.
But he soon turned into a crucial resource as Kanan went on the run from clone troopers hunting him down. The alien let him sleep in his ship and recruited him for a heist. However, when the pair are caught red-handed at the end of the latest issue, Kasmir reveals Kanan’s identity as a Jedi and offers to trade him for his freedom.
Kasmir is a welcome addition to the universe, as his untrustworthy nature makes him all the more interesting. And that’s a familiar armguard he’s sporting…
Next: Star Wars Goes Cyberpunk with Vader's Replacement
Cylo
By far the most unusual addition to the new canon, Cylo is a cybernetically enhanced human doctor who seems to have unlocked immortality.
After Vader failed at the Battle of Yavin and did not prevent the Rebels from destroying the weapons factory on Cymoon I, the Emperor commissioned Cylo to build him a set of replacement fighters. Vader hired a bounty hunter to capture the humanoid, and afterwards accidentally tortured him to death. But later on, we meet Cylo again, who reveals that he’s figured out how to transfer his consciousness to a new robotic body whenever he dies.
Winter is Coming
After meeting this new version, named Cylo-V, Vader is forced to grapple with his creations, a group of modified humans and aliens who have supernatural abilities similar to Force powers. The Emperor witnesses Vader cut down a few of them and then halts the battle, saying he’ll evaluate all of them, including Vader, as to how well they perform for him.
The backstory and motivation behind Cylo is a strange fit for the Star Wars franchise, as it delves into cyberpunk and hard sci-fi concepts that the universe hasn’t really tackled before. Although this isn’t the first time a Star Wars writer has tried to write around the Force to give other characters similar powers or ways to counteract it, it is the first time this concept is being approached in the new canon. For now, Cylo offers an intriguing look at where the franchise may be headed to in the future.