In Crimson Reign, a major Legends character returns to Star Wars canon

Shadows of the Empire is one of the most popular Star Wars Legends stories. The multimedia story featured novels, comics, a video game, toys, trading cards, and its own soundtrack.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Crimson Reign #1. 

Fans of Shadows of the Empire can now rejoice that one of its major characters, Prince Xizor, is returning to Star Wars canon.

In Legends, the villainous Falleen Prince was the leader of the crime syndicate Black Sun. He proved to be a formidable and manipulative individual in the time period between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

In canon, Prince Xizor is mentioned in the first issue of Crimson Reign. When Qi’ra offers Crimson Dawn’s services to Lord Gyuti of Black Sun, she tells him to pass her offer along to Prince Xizor. Later in the issue, when a hidden facility of Black Sun’s is destroyed, it is stated that “the research done there was important to Prince Xizor’s future plans.”

These mentions don’t confirm that Prince Xizor will appear in Crimson Reign or other future canon stories, but it does confirm that he is part of Star Wars canon. Just like in Legends, it appears that Xizor is still the leader of Black Sun in the time between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

Prior to Crimson Reign, Xizor’s only mention in canon was for Xizor’s Salad in the Galaxy’s Edge: The Official Black Spire Outpost Cookbook. The cookbook mentioned that the salad was named after Xizor, but that he was “a crime lord of legend,” so it was hardly a confirmation of existing in canon.

Xizor could now appear in future issues of Crimson Reign and prove to be a dangerous enemy for Qi’ra and Crimson Dawn. She is double-crossing him and Black Sun as part of her grand scheme to destroy Emperor Palpatine, Darth Vader, and the Empire.

If Xizor learns who is responsible for destroying the research important to his future plans, he will likely unleash the full wrath of Black Sun and all his other connections upon Qi’ra and Crimson Dawn.

Furthermore, if Xizor learns of Qi’ra’s true intentions behind her plans, he could bring this valuable information to Emperor Palpatine and join forces with him, much Xizor joining forces with Palpatine for his own gain in Legends.

Fans will have to wait and see if the mentions of Prince Xizor are simply fun nods to Shadows of the Empire or if there are larger plans to use his character in Crimson Reign or other future canon Star Wars stories.

Crimson Reign #2 is scheduled to release on February 2, 2022.