ThisStar Warsarticle contains spoilers.
Star Wars in the 90s
The 90s were the dark ages ofStar Wars.
But it was also a time of relative quiet for the franchise.
Another film with the main cast was implausible, and the excuses for new merchandising were slim to none.
This era has always been a safe zone for expanded universe material to play around in.
He suggested setting theShadowsproject afterThe Empire Strikes Backinstead of before it, as this was a.)
fertile ground for storytelling.
And he wasnt wrong.
This anchor point was the bestsellingShadowsnovel published by Bantam in 1996.
Perrys background writing forBatman: The Animated Series,Gargoyles, andSpiral Zonemade him a shoo-in for the job.
(That hed written novelizations for Dark HorsesAliengraphic novels might have also helped.)
Each medium demanded their own set pieces, action scenes, and controls to be interesting.
Perry would think up ways to sew these into the pockets of his overarching story.
The outline was well-received, even if it came back with a ton of notes.
Prince Xizor
IfShadows of the Empirehas a main character, its probably Xizor himself.
After all, this villainous character was being fleshed out long before any official creative meetings had been held.
The Dark Prince was the mascot for the grim darkness ofShadowsand the underworld it would explore.
Bantam wanted an evil clone of Aristotle Onassis, the infamous Greek tycoon that married Jackie Kennedy.
Xizors design process fell somewhere in the middle of thoughtfully crafted and painstakingly conceived.
Xizor was meant to have an exotic flavor to his appearance, which designers translated as looking vaguely Asian.
Yet Prince Xizor was more than just a vehicle for bizarre cultural appropriation.
He was the powerful leader of Black Sun, a criminal syndicate functioning on the Outer Rim.
His olive skin tone also changed according to whatever mood he happened to be in.
And that iconic claw pose of his?
That was inspired by the unused concept art of Bib Fortuna.
This was technically assault.
Perry handled Prince Xizors character incredibly well considering all of the creative suggestions he received.
In this respect, Xizor is an embodiment of the novels central theme: vulnerability.
The vulnerability of each member of the Skywalker family.
Rendar helped Rogue Squadron fend off the Empires forces during the Battle of Hoth.
He even helped the many Bothans that died steal the new Death Star plans!
Despite all of this, Luke still thought he was kind of an asshole.
He doesnt serve a function for theShadowsnarrative per se, but boy does he ever for the multimedia campaign.
Basically, he was an endless library of shit Han Solo says.
Compared to Princess Leia, Guri was a lightning rod for pent-up sexual tension in theStar Warsuniverse.
Much like Han Solos sugar-free counterpart, Dash Rendar, Guri the sex assassin was a Steve Perry original.
Luke & Leia
Core characters were subject to redesign as well, specifically their wardrobe.
While Chewie and Leia got extreme disguises to play dress-up in, Luke Skywalkers wardrobe was meticulously reconceptualized.
hanging off of it… (Or was it?)
But no, learning his fathers secret doesnt seem to affect Lukes inner world much at all.
Why wouldnt we want to know what our heros state of mind was during this mysterious stretch of time?
The first loss of Han, rather.
Despite the third-person take on her inner-monologue, Leia was treated as a character best handled from a distance.
As such, Princess Leia comes across as the Skywalker thats the real hero here.
Leia, Lando, Luke, and the Rebellion launch a rescue mission that sparks the Battle of Gall.
It fails and Fett gets away again.
Things get more intricate from here.
Further Reading: Star Wars Streaming Guide
Which brings us to the mission to steal the Death Star plans.
The Rebels launch an intercept mission.
you’re able to actually play through this mission as Dash in theShadowsvideo game.
Luke manages to escape Kothlis with a little help from the Force, Lando, and Dash.
Whats interesting aboutEvolutionis that much likeShadowsitself, its built around the absence of a pivotal character.
Its Prince Xizor, this time.
His spirit still permeates throughout Ron Randalls gorgeous panel art, much like Han Solos did in theShadowsadaptation.
Guri runs into him at a bar after she gets reprogrammed and loses her memories.
The Legacy
BecauseEpisodes I-IIItaintedStar Warsfor a good long while,Shadows of the Empirebecame an instant obscurity.
But that was the only way anyone interacted with this brand experiment again.
Thats its biggest problem: for a personal story,Shadowsis impersonal, prioritizing shallow action over emotional complexity.
As a whole, theShadowsexperiment may have added an extra slimy texture toStar Warsthat hadnt been there before.
SOURCES:
Secrets of Shadows of the Empireby Mark Cotta Vaz
StarWarz.com
Star Wars Interviews
Bombad Radio
