Why 'Star Wars' Should Move Past Its Source Material
The story of Star Wars has always been the story of the Skywalker Saga. The adventures of Luke, Anakin, Leia, and the rest of the Skywalker clan. Most of the stories that come out, be it The Mandalorian, the Ahsoka series, or even the High Republic books in some cases are still very much connected either spiritually or directly to the main saga stories of Episodes 1-9. Many would say that the Saga is the source material of Star Wars. However, how long can this material be rested upon before the well runs dry? Should Star Wars move beyond its source material?
Obviously the Skywalker Saga is the heart of Star Wars. It is the core of where all the other stories stem from. However, can Star Wars move beyond it? Can there be new tentpoles for Star Wars to build something new around, beyond the Skywalker Saga? This writer thinks there can be, but that means it will have to shift Star Wars beyond its source material and the Skywalkers.
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Expanding the Universe
Star Wars is, at the end of the day, a 25,000 year old galaxy. That means there are thousands of stories out there. Thousands of legends. With this in mind that means that this galaxy is ripe to tell all sorts of stories. Perhaps in moving on beyond the source material of Star Wars, the Skywalkers, we can open up to new forms of storytelling. Different genres, different ideas, different ways of viewing things.
For example, in Legends we had stories such as Tales of the Jedi, which went far back in the timeline of Star Wars and had nothing to do with the Skywalker Saga. It told tales of ancient Jedi and Sith and was further built upon with the Knights of the Old Republic games, telling the tale of Revan and Sith Emperor Valkorian, along with other heroic Jedi and villainous Sith. It was something that went beyond the Skywalker Saga and was able to move Star Wars beyond its initial source material. It showed just how expansive the Star Wars universe can be, creating worlds, lore, and all other sorts of amazing things.
By staying with the Skywalker Saga and that epoch of history, it will in time only limit the various storytelling opportunities that Star Wars has to afford to itself. Authors like Tom Vietch were, at the time, able to experiment a lot more and tell stories that, while set in the Star Wars universe, were able to create new source material instead.
With a galaxy as big as Star Wars, other authors or filmmakers or storytellers with visions can move beyond the source material that Lucas has made. They could make whole new eras and get really experimental. Much like the Star Wars Visions episode, The Ninth Jedi, which takes place in the far future and shows a new story that could come about. Something that is far removed from the source material but also stays true to what Star Wars is.
Everlasting Galaxy
In the end, the Skywalker Saga is just one part of a much large tapestry that makes up the Star Wars galaxy. There is a source material but it is also possible to move beyond it. Go beyond the Skywalkers and open up the galaxy to whole new avenues for stories and adventures and even lore to be developed. All it will take is the right storyteller with a vision to see it through. Hopefully one day that will happen as we continue to expand the galaxy far, far away.