the star wars universe has always been much more than a few movies and tv shows. many of the most incredible star wars stories were born in what we know as the expanded universe: a star wars library consisting of over 500 novels that were decanonized when disney acquired the franchise.
even with the existence and development of the new canon expanded universe, old school fans continue to appreciate the amazing star wars legends books, while newer fans should definitely find time to read at least the most important ones.
You are reading: Star wars legends books ranked
With this in mind, we’ve put together the top 10 Star Wars Legends novels that any fan of the franchise should experience. Of course, we cheated a bit by adding an entire series of books to the list. after all, it would be pretty useless to mention just one book in any multi-book series, since it’s important to read them all.
10. fate of the jedi (series)
Fate of the Jedi was a collaborative series of 9 books written by three of the most important Star Wars authors: Troy Denning, Christie Golden and Aaron Allston. It’s funny that the last book came out just as Disney acquired Star Wars in 2012.
the story of the books takes place between 43.5 aby and 44.5 aby (aby means after the battle of yavin) and follows a turbulent period for the galactic alliance after they jacen solo son of leia and they have turned to the dark side. Having lost his trust in the Jedi, the Galactic Alliance arrests Luke Skywalker and sends him into exile with his son, Ben. curious, right?
Overall, the series follows the mystical and adventurous journey of the two characters searching for answers to the fall of Jacen. We’re introduced to new characters, including a forgotten Sith tribe, and we experience the Force in a new way.
titles in fate of the jedi series:
- jedi fate: outcast by aaron allston
- jedi fate: omen by christie golden
- jedi fate: abyss by troy denning
- fate of the jedi: aaron allston backlash
- fate of the jedi: christie golden allies
- fate of the jedi: troy denning vortex
- fate of the jedi: aaron allston’s conviction
- fate of the jedi: rise of christie golden
- fate of the jedi: troy denning apocalypse
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9. legacy of the force (series)
Another 9-book collaborative series from Troy Denning and Aaron Allston. This time, however, the third author was another fan-favorite author: Karen Traviss, who is behind some of the most incredible Star Wars novels.
if you enjoyed fate of the jedi you should definitely continue with legacy of the force as it takes place just a couple of years earlier and once again follows jacen’s fall alone to the dark side. we can safely say that these books are incredibly personal and even heartbreaking at certain points. they will take you on a desperate journey with jacen’s family looking for a way to stop him.
titles in the legacy of the force series:
- Legacy of the Force: Betrayal by Aaron Allston
- Legacy of the Force: Bloodlines by Karen Traviss
- Legacy of the Force: Tempest by Troy Denning
- Legacy of the Force: Exile by Aaron Allston
- Legacy of the Force: Sacrifice by Karen Traviss
- Legacy of the Force: Hell by Troy Denning
- Legacy of the Force: Fury by Aaron Allston
- Legacy of the Force: Revelation by Karen Traviss
- Legacy of the Force: Invincible by Troy Denning
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8. dark lord: the rise of darth vader
if you’re a fan of the prequels and darth vader, then this novel by james luceno is a must read. We can safely say that this is a direct sequel to Revenge of the Sith, as it takes place almost directly after Anakin Skywalker officially becomes Darth Vader.
Overall, the novel features a different vader than you see in the movies. he follows his path of transition when he is torn by emotions and doesn’t know if he chose the right path. you’ll follow his mission to destroy all surviving jedi after order 66, which has a predictable outcome but is a great story nonetheless.
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7. the jedi academy trilogy (series)
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This series of three books by Kevin J. Anderson follows Luke Skywalker’s attempts to revive the Jedi Order by starting a Jedi Academy on Yavin IV. While this is the focal point of the overall trilogy, we get to see a lot of action involving Han Solo and Chewbacca, as well as the ongoing war between the New Galactic Alliance and the surviving forces of the Empire.
We can safely assume that the creators of the sequel trilogy of movies were inspired by this series of books. You’ll find a lot of resemblance to the Kylo Ren story, which makes it an even more important read.
titles in the jedi academy trilogy
- jedi quest
- dark apprentice
- champions of the force
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6. darth plagueis
Have you ever heard the tragedy of darth plague the wise? Surely you remember the iconic conversation between Anakin Skywalker and Chancellor Palpatine at the Coruscant Theater. If so, and you’ve always wondered who Darth Plageis really is, then this is the book for you.
Written by James Luceno, follows the path of the Sith Lord from his early years as an apprentice until his death. It also serves as a prequel to the actual prequel trilogy as it shows Palpatine’s path and his rise to power. Overall, this book will answer a lot of questions for you and I guarantee you’ll finish it in no time.
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5. the black fleet crisis trilogy (series)
The Black Fleet Crisis Trilogy by Michael P. kube-mcdowell gives us quite a different story that doesn’t focus strictly on a couple of characters, but definitely has a more military and political focus. The story takes place around 16 years later and features the Yevethan forces, former Imperial slaves, and their genocidal campaign to conquer the group of Koornacht.
This comes at a time when our beloved characters are apart. Chewbacca is on Kashyyyk with her family, Luke is on an enlightenment mission on her mother’s homeworld, and Leia is having a personal crisis.
Overall, this trilogy introduces some new aspects of the lives of our favorite characters and also introduces a lot of lore in terms of character origins and force powers.
titles in the black fleet crisis trilogy:
- before the storm
- shield of lies
- test of the tyrant
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4. darth bane trilogy (series)
This masterful trilogy of books by Drew Karphyshyn explores the journey of Darth Bane and his Sith apprentice Darth Zannah. If you’ve seen Star Wars, you should already be familiar with the rule of two. it means there can only be two sith together: a master and an apprentice.
this rule was originally established by darth bane, one of the most powerful sith lords who ever lived. Through the trilogy of books, you will follow his path through the destruction of the Sith and the establishment of this new rule.
titles in the darth bane trilogy series:
- darth bane: path of destruction
- darth bane: rule of two
- darth bane: dynasty of evil
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3. the new jedi order (series)
now this series of books will be a long read as it spans a total of 19 books written by a dozen different authors. at the same time, not all books are equally well written and good reads. however, the series follows an epic and prominent story in the world of star wars that can easily be considered as great as the actual skywalker saga from the movies.
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You will read about the greatest threat the galaxy has ever seen: the Yuuzhan Vong invasion of the Unknown Regions. you’ll meet many new characters and finally see the development of many old favorites. If you’ve never heard of the Yuuzhan Vong, it’s always been a dream of most fans to see this species in the cinematic universe.
We can safely say that this period in the history of legends is one of the most important and a must read if you have the patience to read 19 books.
titles of the new jedi order series:
- vector prime by r.a salvatore
- attack by michael a. stackpole
- ruin by michael a. stackpole
- hero’s test by james luceno
- balance point by kathy tyers
- jedi eclipse by james luceno
- conquest by greg keyes
- greg keyes revival
- troy denning star to star
- elaine cunningham’s dark journey
- aaron allston’s rebel dream
- rebel stand by aaron allston
- traitor by matthew stor
- destiny’s way by walter jon williams
- remant by sean williams, shane dix
- sean williams refugee, shane dix
- sean williams reunion, shane dix
- greg keyes final prophecy
- the unifying force by james luceno
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2. the hand of thrawn (two book series)
If you were at all familiar with old canon, you’ve heard of the absolute fan favorite character: Grand Admiral Thrawn. If you’ve heard that name and what it means in the Star Wars community, you can expect to see these books at the top of any list.
The two books that represent the hand of the thrawn duology take place a decade after the original thrawn trilogy, which will be discussed below. Since it would be hard not to spoil the good parts of the story if we try to explain it, let’s just say that Grand Admiral Thrawn returns from the dead in a curious and deceitful way at a time when the remaining Imperial forces are attempting to negotiate peace with the new republic.
To find out what and how this happens, you’ll have to read both amazing books. For me personally, these books made me fall in love all over again with Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade, his wife.
thrawn series hand titles:
- specter of the past by timothy zahn
- vision of the future by timothy zahn
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1. the thrawn trilogy (series)
for me, this trilogy remains the best written star wars opus to date. it certainly changed the universe and introduced many of the franchise’s most incredible characters. All these years later and despite all the love I have for the sequel trilogy, I still consider this sequel to be my favorite and wish I had seen it in a film version.
however the pull we got in star wars: rebels and the new canon is amazing and is directly influenced by this trilogy of books. If you’re not already familiar, the Thrawn Trilogy follows the remnants of the Empire and their war against the New Republic. Of course, Grand Admiral Thrawn, who was a military and tactical genius, is the one leading the Imperial forces.
If you’ve never read a Star Wars Legends book before, there’s no better way to start your journey into the old canon. Since it takes place only 5 years after the fall of the empire, it will give you a good introduction to life in the galaxy after the war and the lives of your favorite movie characters. you’ll also meet many new iconic ones that also appear in other books on our list above.
Last but not least, there is now a new series of books about the grand admiral released by the same author, timothy zahn. It’s part of the new canon established by Disney and it’s also an incredibly well-written story about the character. however, it focuses on thrawn’s history before the fall of the empire, up to his youth. funny that disney let the author write this as if it fit perfectly into the non-canon thrawn trilogy. I strongly suggest that he read both series but starting with the legends trilogy first!
titles in the thrawn trilogy:
- heir to the empire by timothy zahn
- dark force rising by timothy zahn
- the last command by timothy zahn
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final thoughts
Now we conclude our list of books and series, but there are countless other novels that deserve your time and attention. disney may have created its own canon that will continue to grow in the future, but the old expanded universe is just as important.
Think of it as an alternate universe, but the stories you’ll encounter will forever change the way you feel about Star Wars. in the end, if you can’t find the pleasure of reading the older canon, you can always stick to the new books after 2014 and leave the tradition of legends behind.