Secrets of the Force: Top five hidden gems in Star Wars canon
By Joshua Black
Five Star Wars gems to immerse yourself deeper in the universe
Star Wars canon is growing. Fast. And whilst world-famous shows like The Mandalorian are rising to the forefront, there are other diamonds in the rough that are easy to miss. Here are five you should check out right now…
Thrawn: Treason
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The final and most underrated book in Timothy Zahn’s new Thrawn trilogy, this book follows the eponymous imperial grand admiral as he navigates conspiracy as well as an extra-terrestrial threat reminiscent of the fan-favourite Yuuzhan Vong of Legends.
The book has so many gems that are rarely talked about – an exploration into the mysterious Chiss culture, hints of future adventures, and links to the Star Wars: Rebels finale.
For these reasons, it’s a must-read for any fan who wants to know in what direction canon might be heading, and for any fan of the Rebels TV show. It’s accessible even if you haven’t read the previous two books, but I recommend them too for a fantastic tripartite adventure.
What’s more, with the rumours that Thrawn is headed to live-action, now is the perfect time to start reading…
Doctor Aphra: The Catastrophe Con
This six-part Doctor Aphra comic series (#20-25) is without a doubt the best story to come out of the new canon. And that’s including the movies. If you haven’t already, read it!
It has the most unique fantastic premise of a prison-break from a planet-sized complex, throw in an angry Vader, an esoteric Force-fungus, and the most emotional moment in canon as of yet (“WHO ARE YOU CALLING HEARTLESS!?”), this story is absolutely perfect.
It’s best read after the previous Aphra arcs, but also completely accessible in and of itself. And with the release of Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #1 last month, now is the perfect time to pick up this masterpiece.
Star Wars: Resistance
Resistance is the most overlooked animated TV show, which is a great shame as whilst the show is definitely aimed for a younger audience, it contains great characters, wholesome relationships, and fab action.
It follows the formation of a Resistance cell within an isolated community, thus tying perfectly into the sequel trilogy, whilst also standing up as a fantastic story of found-family.
It is also unique among Star Wars stories as it focusses on starfighter pilots, rather than Force-users, thus allowing a great new twist on a familiar formula.
What’s more, it’s only two series and it is available on Disney+! What better time to start?
Alphabet Squadron
Speaking of fighter pilots, the book Alphabet Squadron offers a great adventure all about a rag-tag group coming together to fight the elite remnants of the Empire after the Battle of Endor.
Personally, I’ve always found space fights difficult to follow on the page but this book makes them just as gripping as what we get on-screen.
And it’s not just action, this book has some of the best, most fleshed-out characters in Star Wars, from an ex-Imperial to a washed-up pilot with a taste for revenge. You’ll find yourself rooting that these characters come out on top.
And with a supplementary comic series (Star Wars: Tie Fighter) and a sequel coming out later this month, it looks like the story of the Alphabet Squadron is going to move into the limelight very soon!
Star Wars deleted scenes
My final choice is a rogue one, but the Star Wars deleted scenes, all of which are available on Disney+, offer some fascinating canon story details which many don’t know about.
Scroll to the ‘extras’ tab of each movie to watch Luke finally go to Tosche Station, the creation of Return of the Jedi’s green lightsaber, an extended Fathier Chase, and so much more!
Star Wars has always been about more than just the movies, and these deleted scenes are as important to the story as anything else.
It’s a wonderful insight into the movie-making experience, too, with The Last Jedi’s deleted scenes including insightful commentary from director Rian Johnson.
Hopefully, you’ve found something new to read or watch from this list, but if you’ve heard of all these before, why not revisit them again? Because they really do contain some of the best storytelling moments in Star Wars.
Next. Star Wars: Resistance is the best Star Wars show you've never seen. dark
Which is your favourite hidden gem of Star Wars canon? Let us know below!