13 Ways Star Wars Legends Changes The Way You See The Phantom Menace

The Star Wars Legends continuity recontextualizes Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace in a multitude of fascinating ways. The Star Wars Legends continuity has been a mostly discontinued alternate Star Wars timeline since April 2014, but before then, it was the official Star Wars canon, enhancing and expanding the franchise mostly through non-movie material. By 1999, what was known as the Star Wars Expanded Universe at the time added to The Phantom Menace’s lore, and later Legends-era works would continue to recontextualize and enhance one’s viewing experience for the first Star Wars prequel movie.

Among the earliest Legends-era works were Marvel’s original Star Wars comics, which bridged the gaps between the original trilogy movies and continued the adventures of their heroes after Return of the Jedi. The Star Wars franchise experienced a slight lull in content in the late 80s, but the resurgence of iconic Legends-era works throughout the 1990s kept interest in Star Wars alive between trilogies. Even as an alternate timeline, Star Wars Legends changes the way one sees The Phantom Menace in the following ways.

13 Qui-Gon Jinn & Obi-Wan Kenobi Are Working With The Republic’s Judicial Forces

Jedi Justice: Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan’s Law Enforcing Past

The first vessel seen in The Phantom Menace is the Consular-class cruiser Radiant VII, which transports Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi to Naboo to meet with the Trade Federation. Sadly, the crew of the vessel – Captain Maoi Madakor, Antidar Williams, and R2-R7 (unseen in the movie) – perish when the Trade Federation destroys the ship, but these ill-fated Republic personnel belong to an interesting organization: the Judicial Forces. The Judicial Forces served as the Galactic Republic’s barebones military force for a millennium of relative peace.

The Republic all but collapsed during the New Sith Wars and Republic Dark Age, relying mostly on the Jedi as both a political and military force. When the Sith were finally (seemingly) destroyed at the end of the Ruusan campaign, however, the Republic rebuilt itself in what became known as the Ruusan Reformation. In a nutshell, the Ruusan Reformation removed Jedi from military and political leadership and overall demilitarized the Republic itself, replacing them with the Judicial Forces as a simple peacekeeping entity.

12 Qui-Gon’s Last Apprentice Fell To The Dark Side

A Fallen Padawan: Qui-Gon’s Shocking Past Apprentice

Qui-Gon Jinn had several apprentices before Obi-Wan Kenobi. As shown in the Jedi Apprentice novels, by Dave Wolverton and Jude Watson, as well as Scott Allie’s Star Wars: Jedi—The Dark Side, Qui-Gon had a total of three pupils. The first was Feemor, a model student whose devotion to the Jedi way and combat skills impressed Qui-Gon. The second student, Xanatos, was the son of Crion, the exceptionally wealthy and equally corrupt governor of Telos IV.

Crion steered his son away from the Jedi path, convincing him to lead his military in the Telosian Civil War. On a mission to Telos IV, Qui-Gon killed Crion, causing Xanatos to completely fall to the dark side and become a bitter enemy of his former master. Xanatos would eventually meet his end on Telos IV during an encounter with Qui-Gon and his third apprentice, Obi-Wan, with Xanatos taking his own life to avoid being arrested by the Jedi.

11 Qui-Gon & Obi-Wan Are Veterans Of Two Conflicts Before The Naboo Invasion

Clone Wars Veterans? Unveiling Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon’s Wartime History

Although there were no full-scale wars between the New Sith Wars and the Clone Wars, smaller conflicts emerged in the Republic’s final years, with many occurring during Finis Valorum’s term as Supreme Chancellor. These included the Mandalorian Civil War – in which Jango Fett became the Mand’alor and lost his unit of warriors to a Jedi task force led by Count Dooku – and the Huk War – which gave the future General Grievous his hatred of the Jedi. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan both fought in two conflicts before the Invasion of Naboo: The Stark Hyperspace War and the Yinchorri Uprising.

Both wars were secretly orchestrated by the Dark Lords of the Sith. Darth Sidious (Palpatine) used the Stark Hyperspace War to highlight the Jedi Order and Judicial Forces’ inadequacy in an armed conflict. His master, Darth Plagueis, used the Yinchorri Uprising to test their Jedi-killing capabilities, as a Yinchorri could be a potential donor for the planned Clone Army.

10 Jar Jar Binks Outlives The Galactic Empire

Eternal Gungan? A Surprisingly Long Life

Jar Jar Binks – The Phantom Menace’s controversial main source of comic relief – had a significantly reduced role in the following prequel movies. Despite this, he proved unwittingly instrumental to Palpatine’s machinations, helping the Supreme Chancellor gain emergency powers just as the Separatist Crisis was about to boil over into the Clone Wars. The ultimate fate of Binks following Palpatine’s coup was unclear for a time, however.

In the modern Star Wars canon, Jar Jar’s last chronological appearance sees him become a disgraced street performer, whom children find entertaining but adults abhor (largely for his unintentional role in the Republic’s fall). The Legends continuity is far kinder to Binks. Although he was replaced by Pooja Naberrie (niece of Padmé Amidala) as Naboo’s representative in the Imperial Senate, Binks continued to live in relative safety on Coruscant. Binks would eventually witness the New Republic’s Liberation of Coruscant from the fractured Galactic Empire in 7 ABY, as revealed in an Easter egg in Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds: Clone Campaigns.

9 Captain Panaka Becomes A Moff In The Galactic Empire

From Naboo Captain to Imperial Moff: Panaka’s Change of Allegiance

Quarsh Panaka, Queen Amidala’s head of the Royal Naboo Security Forces, is arguably one of The Phantom Menace’s unsung heroes. Even before Panaka fought bravely in Theed, he consolidated various Naboo resistance groups and defeated a highly skilled member of the dreaded Sun Guard on Coruscant. Sadly, Panaka’s heroism would end during the reign of the Galactic Empire.

A staunch supporter of Palpatine before and long after his authoritarian coup, Captain Panaka would become Moff Panaka, being put in charge of the Chommell sector and keeping his homeworld of Naboo under Imperial control. Moff Panaka still held his title after Palpatine’s death and the Empire’s fracturing, refusing to join the New Republic, even at Princess Leia’s imploring. In 13 ABY, a mere six years before the Galactic Civil War ended, Moff Panaka would be replaced by Senator Boma of Naboo.

8 King Veruna Strengthened Naboo’s Military Before The Phantom Menace

Naboo’s Hidden Strength: A Pre-Invasion Military Buildup

Naboo is a peaceful world in The Phantom Menace, though its Starfighter Corps is quite formidable, despite its size. For the most part, Naboo lacks a formal military, using a volunteer security force as a bare-bones army. The Royal Naboo Starfighter Corps, however, uses state-of-the-art starfighters, flown by pilots whose sheer skill makes up for their lack of numbers and experience.

Queen Amidala’s predecessor, King Veruna, is responsible for Naboo’s unusually strong Starfighter Corps. Veruna, a corrupt ruler, established Naboo’s strong Starfighter Corps as one of his first acts, developing the N-X Police Cruiser, the prototype NB-1S Royal Bomber, and, of course, the formidable N-1 Starfighter for his well-trained pilots. King Veruna hoped that the Royal Naboo Starfighter Corps would allow him to negotiate with the increasingly aggressive Trade Federation from a position of strength. While the corrupt King’s actions were not made with the purest intentions, the Corps proved invaluable to the Naboo resistance in The Phantom Menace.

7 One Phantom Menace Droid Is The Ultimate Nightmare Fuel

A Droid of Nightmares: Legends Unleashes a Terrifying Machine

As the heroes of The Phantom Menace enter Mos Espa, they pass by a seemingly innocuous (albeit worse for wear) protocol droid. What the characters – and some viewers – may not know is that the droid is the source of nightmarish folklore within Mos Espa. Known simply as “Nobot” or “Ghost Droid,” the droid is alleged to have been involved in a disturbing murder and might even be tainted by the dark side of the Force.

Legend has it that Nobot witnessed – or perhaps perpetrated – the brutal murder of a young pregnant woman, and he may play a disturbing audio recording of the killing. Adding to the droid’s chilling mystique, Nobot’s serial number had been burned away and any attempts to destroy or disassemble the droid mysteriously fail, with blasters and slugthrowers malfunctioning and Nobot always somehow finding his way back to Mos Espa, even when left in the middle of Tatooine’s Dun Sea. The folk tales surrounding Nobot, while nightmarish, expand the lore of Mos Espa.

6 Darth Maul Breaks The Rule of Two

Rule of Three? Darth Maul Challenges the Sith Hierarchy

The Legends continuity’s version of Darth Maul is quite different from his modern canon incarnation. In his original iteration, Darth Maul is a Zabrak from Iridonia, whose iconic double-bladed lightsaber is owed to the weapon of Exar Kun – a famous ancient Sith Lord from the Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi comics. Rather surprisingly, Darth Maul’s Sith Lordship in The Phantom Menace breaks the Sith Order’s famous Rule of Two.

As revealed in James Luceno’s novel Darth Plagueis, the titular mentor to Palpatine is alive for most of The Phantom Menace’s runtime, making Maul one of three Dark Lords at the time, not two. Darth Plagueis and Palpatine, aware of how close they were to enacting their revenge on the Jedi and Republic, planned to phase out the Rule of Two, believing that it served its purpose. Darth Maul was knowingly trained as a third official Sith Lord, though in function, he was more of a Sith Assassin than a genuine Dark Lord.

Source

Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace Cast & Characters Guide

Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace introduced Star Wars to a new generation with characters old and new. Who was in the cast of the movie?

5 Darth Plagueis Accidentally Created Anakin Skywalker

The Unspoken Mastermind: Unveiling the Mystery of Anakin’s Creation

The mysterious birth of Anakin Skywalker has been the source of speculation among viewers ever since Shmi Skywalker revealed that he was seemingly born without a father. This, combined with Anakin’s exceptional aptitude with the Force, led Qui-Gon Jinn to believe that he is the prophesized Chosen One, but it also led viewers to hypothesize that perhaps he had a father. Palpatine’s famous Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise led some viewers to further speculate that perhaps the late Dark Lord created Anakin through the Force.

As revealed in Darth Plagueis, this hypothesis is partially true. Darth Plagueis attempted to alter the fabric of the Force itself, shifting it out of balance by strengthening its dark side. Plagueis not only failed but caused the Force to “retaliate” by creating Anakin within Shmi Skywalker. While Anakin is almost certainly the Chosen One, Plagueis’ apprentice, Palpatine, best fits the description of the Sith’s version of the Chosen One: The Sith’ari.

4 Sebulba Buys Anakin’s Podracer

Podracing Payday: Sebulba’s Acquisition of Anakin’s Machine

The Boonta Eve podrace is one of The Phantom Menace’s most beloved sequences, with Anakin’s custom podracer (and Force sensitivity) allowing him to prevail against his unscrupulous rival, Sebulba. What the movie does not reveal, however, is who Qui-Gon Jinn sold the superlatively fast podracer to: None other than Sebulba himself. Sebulba used the now legendary vehicle to replace his own totaled podracer, giving it a new paint job as its sole modification.

Sebulba piloted his rival’s podracer during the Vinta Harvest Classic and later passed it down to his son, Hekula. As shown in Jude Watson’s Jedi Quest: The Dangerous Games, Hekula crashed the podracer in a competition against Anakin Skywalker himself, who sought an opportunity to face off against Sebulba again, even as a Jedi. Anakin would race against Sebulba once more three years later, as shown in Star Wars: Racer Revenge, with Anakin using a new customized podracer.

3 Two Star Wars Video Game Heroes Fight In Naboo’s Space Battle

Surprise Reinforcements! Video Game Heroes Join the Fight

Two of the Legends continuity’s Phantom Menace-related video games – Star Wars: Episode I: Battle for Naboo and Star Wars: Starfighter – each feature a member of the Naboo resistance as a main player character. Battle for Naboo’s is Gavyn Sykes, who led critical strikes against the Trade Federation and rescued numerous Naboo citizens throughout the planet during the Trade Federation’s invasion. Sykes notably pilots a Gian speeder, firing a critical first shot during the battle in Theed to destroy a Trade Federation AAT, as shown in both The Phantom Menace and Battle for Naboo.

One of Starfighter’s leads is Rhys Dallows, who similarly forms a Naboo resistance cell, teaming up with the mercenary Vana Sage, the pirate captain Nym (and his Lok Revenants), and the plucky mechanic Reti. Like Sykes, Dallows makes critical strikes against the Trade Federation and unites with the other Naboo resistance cells under Captain Panaka’s leadership. Sykes and Dallows both fight in The Phantom Menace’s climactic space battle as part of Bravo Flight. During the battle, Sykes destroys the Trade Federation Lucrehulk’s shield generator, while Dallows destroys its receiver dish stations and kills a deadly mercenary leader.

2 Darth Maul Isn’t The Only Sith Who Dies During The Phantom Menace

A Double-Bladed Demise: Maul Isn’t the Only Sith Casualty

Darth Plagueis is alive for most of The Phantom Menace’s runtime, as revealed in Darth Plagueis, and he is murdered during the film’s runtime as well. As Queen Amidala and her companions return to Naboo and retake the planet from Trade Federation control, Palpatine succeeds Finis Valorum as Supreme Chancellor of the Republic. Later that night, Palpatine murders his master, supplanting him as the greater Dark Lord of the Sith and positioning himself as the future Galactic Emperor.

By the time Palpatine arrived on Naboo at the end of the movie, he had ensured that no matter who won the Battle of Naboo, his grand plan to undermine the Jedi and Republic would succeed. Palpatine was disappointed in the death of Darth Maul, though the Zabrak’s demise made room for another apprentice who would be a more typical Dark Lord. Count Dooku, distraught by the death of his former apprentice Qui-Gon, would eventually become Maul’s successor.

1 How The Jedi Learned About The Sith Rule Of Two

Unmasking the Sith: How the Jedi Learned About the Rule of Two

Darth Bane created the Rule of Two following the Sith Order’s near destruction at the end of the Ruusan campaign. Since the Sith kept their existence secret from the Jedi, viewers may wonder how Yoda knew of the Sith doctrine during Qui-Gon’s funeral. Roughly two centuries before The Phantom Menace, one fallen Padawan would discover both the Sith Order’s survival and the Rule of Two. Kibh Jeen was thought to have only been an unaffiliated dark side user. In truth, he was part of the Dark Force, a Sith splinter religion founded by Darth Millennial and based on Dromund Kaas.

Like the Sith, the Dark Force also kept their existence secret, but Jeen – as one of their members, learned about the Sith Order’s existence and the Rule of Two. Jeen died in battle with the Jedi in the Cularin system, describing the Rule of Two with his final words. While many Jedi did not take his words seriously, Jedi Grandmaster Yoda did, reciting them at the end of The Phantom Menace as he realizes their veracity.

Star Wars

Star Wars is a multimedia franchise that started in 1977 by creator George Lucas. After the release of Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope (originally just titled Star Wars), the franchise quickly exploded, spawning multiple sequels, prequels, TV shows, video games, comics, and much more. After Disney acquired the rights to the franchise, they quickly expanded the universe on Disney+, starting with The Mandalorian.

Cast

Mark Hamill , James Earl Jones , David Prowse , Carrie Fisher , Harrison Ford , Daisy Ridley , Adam Driver , Ian McDiarmid , Ewan McGregor , Rosario Dawson , Lars Mikkelsen , Rupert Friend , Moses Ingram , Frank Oz , Pedro Pascal

Character(s)

Luke Skywalker , Han Solo , Rey Skywalker , Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious , Obi-Wan Kenobi , Ahsoka Tano , Grand Admiral Thrawn , Grand Inquisitor , Reva (The Third Sister) , The Fifth Brother , The Seventh Sister , The Eighth Brother , Yoda , Din Djarin , Grogu , Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader , Leia Organa , Ben Solo/Kylo Ren