"Journey to ''Star Wars''" is a

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

/ Lucasfilm publishing initiative that connects the '' Star Wars'' sequel films with previous film installments in the franchise. It currently includes the initiatives "Journey to ''Star Wars: The Force Awakens''" and "Journey to ''Star Wars: The Last Jedi''", and "Journey to ''Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker''". All titles under the program are canonical to the ''Star Wars'' universe. A group of "at least" 20 novels and comic books related to the 2015 film '' Star Wars: The Force Awakens'' was announced in March 2015. The first novels, including '' Star Wars: Aftermath'' and '' Star Wars: Lost Stars'', were published in September 2015, prior to the release of ''The Force Awakens'' in December 2015. Three novels and a comic miniseries related to the 2017 film '' Star Wars: The Last Jedi'' were announced in April 2017. Two novels, a comic miniseries, and a number of children's books related to the 2019 film '' Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker'' were announced in May 2019.

History

A large number of licensed novels and comics were produced between the originating 1977 film '' Star Wars'' and the 2012 acquisition of Lucasfilm by

The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Disney Stud ...

, set in what was dubbed the expanded universe. In April 2014, with ''The Force Awakens'' in production, Disney rebranded this body of work as ''Star Wars Legends'' and declared it non-canon to the franchise. "Journey to ''Star Wars: The Force Awakens''", consisting of "at least" 20 novels and comic books from multiple publishers, was announced in March 2015. All titles under the program are canonical to the ''Star Wars'' universe, and connect the previous films with ''The Force Awakens'' and its forthcoming sequels. The first novels, including ''Aftermath'' by Chuck Wendig and ''Lost Stars'' by Claudia Gray, were published in September 2015, prior to the release of ''The Force Awakens'' in December 2015. At the October 2015

New York Comic Con The New York Comic Con is an annual New York City fan convention dedicated to Western comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, cosplay, toys, movies, and television. It was first held in 2006. History The New York Comic Con is a ...

panel for the Journey to ''Star Wars: The Force Awakens'', more works were announced that would be released from November 2015 through Summer 2017. Three novels and a comic book miniseries related to the second sequel film, ''The Last Jedi'', were announced at the ''Star Wars'' Celebration in April 2017. Multiple other publications were announced under Journey to ''Star Wars: The Last Jedi'' at the

San Diego Comic-Con San Diego Comic-Con International is a comic book convention and nonprofit multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California since 1970. The name, as given on its website, is Comic-Con International: San Diego; but it is ...

in July 2017. On Star Wars Day, May 4, 2019, Lucasfilm released the roadmap of their "Journey to ''Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker''" campaign leading up to the final film of the sequel trilogy and the nine-film Skywalker Saga. The publishing program is said to detail events occurring over a one-year period in the time taking place between ''The Last Jedi'' and ''The Rise of Skywalker''.

''The Force Awakens''

Novels

''Aftermath'' trilogy

* '' Star Wars: Aftermath'' (September 2015) by

Chuck Wendig Charles David Wendig (born April 22, 1976) is an American author, comic book writer, screenwriter, and blogger. He is best known for his online blog Terribleminds, for his 2015 '' Star Wars'' novel trilogy ''Aftermath'', the first book of which ...

* '' Star Wars: Aftermath: Life Debt'' (July 2016) by Chuck Wendig * '' Star Wars: Aftermath: Empire's End'' (February 2017) by Chuck Wendig ''Aftermath'' is set shortly after the 1983 film ''Return of the Jedi'' and deals with the consequences of the deaths of Palpatine and

Darth Vader Darth Vader is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. The character is the central antagonist of the original trilogy and, as Anakin Skywalker, is one of the main protagonists in the prequel trilogy. ''Star Wars'' creator George ...

, as well as the power vacuum formed in the Empire's rule over the galaxy and the actions of the Rebellion during the following months. The trilogy begins to bridge the ''Star Wars'' timeline between ''Return of the Jedi'' and ''The Force Awakens''.

Young adult

* '' Star Wars: Lost Stars'' (September 2015) by

Claudia Gray Claudia Gray is the pseudonym of Amy Vincent, an American writer of paranormal romance young adult fiction, best known for the ''Evernight'' series and her ''Star Wars'' novels: ''Lost Stars'', ''Bloodline'', '' Leia, Princess of Alderaan, Master ...

, set during the original film trilogy. * ''Smuggler's Run: A

Han Solo Han Solo is a fictional character in the '' Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. The character first appeared in the 1977 film '' Star Wars'' portrayed by Harrison Ford, who reprised his role in ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980) an ...

& Chewbacca Adventure'' (September 2015) by

Greg Rucka Gregory Rucka (born November 29, 1969) is an American writer known for the series of novels starring his character Atticus Kodiak, the creator-owned comic book series '' Whiteout'', ''Queen & Country'', '' Stumptown'' and '' Lazarus'', as well as ...

, set between the films '' Star Wars'' (1977) and ''

The Empire Strikes Back ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back'') is a 1980 American epic space opera film directed by Irvin Kershner from a screenplay by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan, based on a stor ...

'' (1980). * ''The Weapon of a Jedi: A

Luke Skywalker Luke Skywalker is a fictional character and the protagonist of the original film trilogy of the ''Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. Portrayed by Mark Hamill, Luke first appeared in ''Star Wars'' (1977), and he returned in ''The E ...

Adventure'' (September 2015) by Jason Fry, set between ''Star Wars'' and ''The Empire Strikes Back''. In the novel, C-3PO tells Resistance pilot Jessica Pava the story of Luke Skywalker's adventure after the destruction of the first Death Star as well as one of his first trials with the Force. * ''Moving Target: A Princess Leia Adventure'' (September 2015) by

Cecil Castellucci Cecil C. Castellucci (born October 25, 1969 in New York City), also known as Cecil Seaskull, is an American-born Canadian young adult novelist, indie rocker, and director. She currently lives in Los Angeles, California. Biography Castellucci gre ...

and Jason Fry, set between ''The Empire Strikes Back'' and ''Return of the Jedi''. In the novel, an older

Leia Organa Princess Leia Organa is a fictional character and one of the main protagonists in the ''Star Wars'' franchise, portrayed in films by Carrie Fisher. Introduced in the original ''Star Wars'' film in 1977, Leia is princess of the planet Alderaan ...

recounts a past mission for her memoirs. The book also features the character

Nien Nunb Nien Nunb is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Introduced in the 1983 film ''Return of the Jedi'', he was brought to life both as a puppet and a costumed actor during the film. Nunb was puppeteered by Mike Quinn and was portr ...

and introduces the droid PZ-4CO. * ''Star Wars: Before the Awakening'' (December 2015) by

, an anthology book for young readers about the lives of Poe, Rey and Finn before the events of ''The Force Awakens''.

Other

* '' Star Wars: Bloodline'' (May 2016) by Claudia Gray, set several years before ''The Force Awakens'' with

as the protagonist.

Short stories

* "''Star Wars'': The Perfect Weapon" (November 2015) by Delilah S. Dawson, centered on the bounty hunter and First Order spy

Bazine Netal This incomplete list of characters from the '' Star Wars'' franchise contains only those which are considered part of the official ''Star Wars'' canon, as of the changes made by Lucasfilm in April 2014. Following its acquisition by The Walt D ...

''Tales from a Galaxy Far, Far Away: Aliens''

* "All Creatures Great and Small" (November 2015) by Landry Q. Walker * "High Noon on Jakku" (November 2015) by Landry Q. Walker * "The Crimson Corsair and the Lost Treasure of Count Dooku" (November 2015) by Landry Q. Walker * "The Face of Evil" (November 2015) by Landry Q. Walker * "A Recipe for Death" (April 2016) by Landry Q. Walker * "True Love" (April 2016) by Landry Q. Walker

Comics

* '' Star Wars: Shattered Empire'' (

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...

, 2015), written by

and illustrated by Marco Checchetto. The four-part limited series ''Shattered Empire'' was published by

between September 9 and October 21, 2015, and is set immediately after ''Return of the Jedi''. It features the parents of

Poe Dameron Poe Dameron is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Introduced in the 2015 film '' Star Wars: The Force Awakens'', he is portrayed by Oscar Isaac. Poe is an X-wing fighter pilot for the Resistance who inadvertently brings renega ...

from ''The Force Awakens'', who are members of the

Rebel Alliance The Alliance to Restore the Republic (colloquial: Rebel Alliance; the Rebellion; the Alliance; or the Rebels) is a fictional stateless interstellar coalition of republican dissidents, imperial defectors, revolutionary factions and anti-imperi ...

: his mother is Shara Bey, an

A-wing Kuat RZ-1 A-wing Interceptor are starfighters in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Designed and manufactured by the Kuat Systems Engineering, they are depicted as fast but fragile interceptors of the Rebel Alliance, conceived for high-speed surgic ...

pilot who adventures with Leia Organa, and his father is Kes Dameron, part of a special ground force known as the Pathfinders who are led by

. The story involves their adventures alongside Leia, Han,

Lando Calrissian Landonis Balthazar "Lando" Calrissian III is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He was introduced in ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980) as an old friend of Han Solo and the administrator of the floating Cloud City on the gas p ...

and others in the aftermath of the Battle of

Endor Endor or Ein Dor may refer to: Places * Endor (village), from the Hebrew Bible, a Canaanite village where the Witch of Endor lived * Indur, a Palestinian village depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war * Ein Dor, a Kibbutz in modern Israel F ...

as the

Empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...

attempts to avoid total defeat. * '' Star Wars: Poe Dameron'' (Marvel, April 2016), written by

Charles Soule Charles Soule is a New York-based comic book writer, novelist, musician, and attorney. He is best known for writing '' Daredevil'', '' She-Hulk'', ''Death of Wolverine'', and various '' Star Wars'' books and comic series from Del Rey Books and ...

and illustrated by

Phil Noto Phil Noto is an American people, American painter and comic book artist who is known for his work on such titles as ''Jonah Hex'', ''X-23'', ''Uncanny X-Force'' and, more recently, ''Black Widow (Natalia Romanova), Black Widow''. His work on '' ...

. Set immediately before ''The Force Awakens'', Marvel's ''Poe Dameron'' centers on the Resistance

X-wing fighter The X-wing starfighter is a name applied to a family of fictional spacecraft manufactured by the Incom Corporation from the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Named for the distinctive shape made when its s-foils (wings) are in attack position, the X-win ...

pilot portrayed in the film by

Oscar Isaac Óscar Isaac Hernández Estrada (born March 9, 1979) is a Guatemalan-born American actor. Known for his versatility, he has been credited with breaking stereotypes about Latino characters in Hollywood. He was named the best actor of his gene ...

. It explores Poe's adventures before the start of the film, and includes appearances by Poe's

astromech droid In the ''Star Wars'' space opera franchise, a droid is a fictional robot possessing some degree of artificial intelligence''.'' The term is a clipped form of " android", a word originally reserved for robots designed to look and act like a huma ...

BB-8 BB-8 (or Beebee-Ate) is a droid character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He appeared in the three films of the sequel trilogy, '' Star Wars: The Force Awakens'' (2015), '' Star Wars: The Last Jedi'' (2017), and '' Star Wars: The Rise of Skywa ...

, new X-wing pilots and a new villain from the First Order positioned as Poe's nemesis and whom Soule describes as "fresh and cool". Noto patterned the character's look on Isaac.

Reference books

* ''Star Wars: Ships of the Galaxy'' (September 2015) by Benjamin Harper * ''Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need To Know'' (September 2015) by Adam Bray, Cole Horton, Michael Kogge and Kerrie Dougherty * ''Star Wars: The Force Awakens Incredible Cross-Sections'' (December 2015) by Jason Fry * ''Star Wars: The Force Awakens Visual Dictionary'' (December 2015) by Pablo Hidalgo * ''The Art of Star Wars: The Force Awakens'' (December 2015) by Phil Szostak

''The Last Jedi''

Novels

* '' Star Wars: Leia, Princess of Alderaan'' (September 2017) by Claudia Gray, exploring the early years of Princess Leia. * '' Star Wars: Phasma'' (September 2017) by Delilah S. Dawson, chronicling the backstory of

Captain Phasma Captain Phasma is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise, portrayed by English actress Gwendoline Christie. Introduced in '' Star Wars: The Force Awakens'' (2015), the first film in the ''Star Wars'' sequel trilogy, Phasma is the ...

. * ''The Legends of Luke Skywalker'' (October 2017) by

Ken Liu Ken Liu (born 1976) is an American author of science fiction and fantasy. His epic fantasy series ''The Dandelion Dynasty'', which he describes as silkpunk, is published by Simon & Schuster. Liu has won Hugo and Nebula Awards for his short f ...

* ''Star Wars: A Leader Named Leia'' (September 2017) by Jennifer Heddle * ''Star Wars: The Power of the Force'' (September 2017) by Brian Rood * '' Big Golden Books: Tales of the Force'' (September 2017)

Short stories

* ''Canto Bight'' (December 2017), a short story collection including works by

John Jackson Miller John Jackson Miller (born January 12, 1968) is an American science-fiction author, comic book writer, and commentator, known for his work on the ''Star Wars'' franchise and his research into comic book circulation history, as presented in the St ...

Saladin Ahmed Saladin Ahmed (born October 4, 1975) is an Eisner Award winning American comic book writer and a science fiction/fantasy poetry and prose writer. His 2012 book '' Throne of the Crescent Moon'' was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novel and ...

Rae Carson Rae Carson (born 1973) is an American fantasy writer. Her debut novel, '' The Girl of Fire and Thorns'', was published in 2011. It was a finalist for the William C. Morris YA Award and the Andre Norton Award, and it was the winner of the Ohioan ...

, and Mira Grant.

Comics

* '' Star Wars: Captain Phasma'' (Marvel, September 2017), written by

Kelly Thompson Kelly Thompson is an American writer of novels and comic books. She is best known for the '' Jem and the Holograms'' comic with co-creator and artist Sophie Campbell, a modern re-imagining of the 1980s cartoon of the same name, the Eisner-nomin ...

and illustrated by Marco Checchetto. The four-issue miniseries follows the character between the events of ''The Force Awakens'' and ''The Last Jedi''. *''Star Wars Adventures'' ( IDW Publishing, September 2017), an ongoing anthology series aimed at young readers.

Reference books

* ''Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need To Know, Updated and Expanded'' (October 2017) by Adam Bray and Cole Horton, Michael Kogge and Kerrie Dougherty * ''Stormtroopers: Beyond the Armor'' (October 2017) by

Ryder Windham Ryder Windham is an American science fiction author who has written more than 60 ''Star Wars'' books, including novels, comics, and reference books. He has also written junior novelizations for ''Indiana Jones'' films. Since 1993, he has been wor ...

and Adam Bray * ''Star Wars: The Last Jedi Incredible Cross-Sections'' by Jason Fry * ''Star Wars: The Last Jedi Visual Dictionary'' by Pablo Hidalgo * ''The Art of Star Wars: The Last Jedi'' by Phil Szostak

''The Rise of Skywalker''

Novels

Adult

* '' Star Wars: Resistance Reborn'' (November 2019) by Rebecca Roanhorse, covers the difficulties General Leia Organa, Poe Dameron, Finn, and Rey have in rebuilding the Resistance following the defeat to the First Order escaping D'Qar and the Battle of Crait.

Young adult

* '' Star Wars: Force Collector'' (November 2019) by

Kevin Shinick Kevin Thomas Shinick ( ; born March 19, 1969) is an American writer, producer, director and actor, as well as a comic book creator. Shinick received an Emmy award for his work on the stop motion animated series ''Robot Chicken'', and an Emmy no ...

, follows a teenager prior to the events of ''The Force Awakens'' as he scavenges for relics to make sense of his Force abilities and his possible connection to the Jedi.

Kids

* ''Little Golden Book - Star Wars: We are the Resistance'' (October 2019), written by Elizabeth Schaefer and illustrated by Alan Baston. Highlights iconic scenes from all three films of the sequel trilogy: ''The Force Awakens'', ''The Last Jedi'', and ''The Rise of Skywalker''. * ''World of Reading - Star Wars: Resistance Heroes'' (October 2019), written by Michael Siglain and illustrated by Diogo Saito & Luigi Aimé. * ''World of Reading - Star Wars: First Order Villains'' (October 2019), written by Michael Siglain and illustrated by Diogo Saito & Luigi Aimé. * ''Choose Your Destiny: A Finn & Poe Adventure'' (October 2019), written by

Cavan Scott Cavan Scott (born 18 April 1973), is a New York Times bestselling comic writer and author. He is best known for his work on a variety of spin-offs from both ''Doctor Who'' and ''Star Wars'', as well as comics and novels for ''Teen Titans'', ''Bla ...

and illustrated by Elsa Charretier. Kids can aid Poe, Finn, and BB-8 on a vital mission for the Resistance. * ''Star Wars: Spark of the Resistance'' (October 2019), written by Justina Ireland and illustrated by

. Rey, Poe, and Rose Tico respond to a distress call on the planet Minfar and have to face a First Order battalion, flying creatures, and a weapon that could change the course of the war.

Picture books

* ''Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker - The Galaxy Needs You'' (December 2019), written by Caitlin Kennedy and illustrated by Eda Kaban. Follow Rey on her hero's journey.

Comics

* ''Star Wars: Allegiance'' (Marvel, October 2019), written by Ethan Sacks and illustrated by

Luke Ross Luke Ross (born Luciano Queiroz 18 July 1972) is a comic artist known for his work on books such as '' Gen13'', '' Spider-Man'', '' Green Lantern'', '' Indiana Jones'' and ''Captain America Captain America is a superhero appearing in Ame ...

. While on the run from the First Order, General Leia Organa reaches out to her old allies the Mon Calamari for assistance in being able to fight back in this four-issue miniseries. *''Star Wars Adventures'' #27-29 ( IDW Publishing, October–December 2019), an ongoing anthology series aimed at young readers. Wookiees defend Kashyyyk against the First Order, and the droids C-3PO, R2-D2, and BB-8 engage in a spy mission for the Resistance. *''Star Wars: The Rise of Kylo Ren'' (Marvel, November 2019–March 2020), written by

and illustrated by

Will Sliney Will Sliney is an Irish comic books artist. He is known as the co-creator of the ''Star Wars'' character Ren, and for his work on comic books such as the ''Marvel's Fearless Defenders'' series, the graphic novel ''Celtic Warrior: The Legend of ...

. The story explores the backstory of

Kylo Ren Kylo Ren is a fictional character in the '' Star Wars'' franchise. He first appeared as the main antagonist of ''The Force Awakens (2015)'', in which he is portrayed by Adam Driver. Driver reprised his role in the sequel films '' Star Wars: T ...

and the Knights of Ren, and the era of the New Republic.

Reference books

* ''Ultimate Star Wars: New Edition'' (

DK Publishing Dorling Kindersley Limited (branded as DK) is a British multinational publishing company specialising in illustrated reference books for adults and children in 63 languages. It is part of Penguin Random House, a subsidiary of German media cong ...

, October 2019) by Adam Bray, Cole Horton, Tricia Barr, and Ryder Windham; with a foreword by

Anthony Daniels Anthony Daniels ( ; born 21 February 1946) is an English actor and mime artist, best known for playing in 10 '' Star Wars'' films. He is the only actor to have either appeared in or been involved with all theatrical films in the series, and ...

* ''The Moviemaking Magic of Star Wars: Ships & Battles'' (December 2019) by Landry Walker * ''Star Wars: The Ultimate Pop-Up Galaxy'' (October 2019) by Matthew Reinhart and illustrated by Kevin M. Wilson * ''The Art of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker'' (December 2019) by Phil Szostak * ''Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Visual Dictionary'' (December 2019) by Pablo Hidalgo * ''Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Official Guide'' (DK Publishing, December 2019) by Matt Jones

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Journey To Star Wars Books based on Star Wars Star Wars