Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire is a multimedia project created by Lucasfilm Ltd. in 1996. The original idea was to create an interquel, a story set between the movies The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi (a time no Star Wars
novel had explored before), and to explore all commercial possibilities
of a full motion picture release, without actually making the film. The
venture paved the way for the theatrical release of the Star Wars Trilogy: Special Edition in the following year, and the later releases of the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy.
Several products were released, including a novel, a junior
novelization, comic book series, video games, trading cards, a
soundtrack, role-playing games, toy figurines, vinyl dolls, a series of Micro Machines toys, statuettes, model kits, a series of action figures and vehicles, and so on. The entire Shadows of the Empire project, along with The Force Unleashed, though not technically a film, can be collectively considered the closest project to a film in the Star Wars
official continuity, without actually being a film. This story is
significant in the fact that Lucas reportedly said he would have made a
story like this into a movie if he had had the time and effort to do so
back in the early 1980s.[citation needed]
The main story is told by the novel written by Steve Perry, the comic series by Dark Horse, and the Nintendo 64/PC
game. Each is designed to tell one part of the overall story; the story
is complete only when all three venues are explored. The novel tells
the overall story, focusing on the main characters. The comic book
series focuses on bounty hunter Boba Fett's battle to keep possession of the frozen Han Solo. The video game allows players to control new character Dash Rendar, whose adventures in the game weave in and out of the overall storyline. All the while, a battle for the life of Luke Skywalker takes place between Darth Vader and Prince Xizor, as each tries to please Emperor Palpatine.
Cover of the Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire book featuring art by Drew Struzan
The main plotline is told in Steve Perry's novel, Shadows of the Empire, published by Bantam Books. It introduces Prince Xizor, the alien overlord of the largest criminal organization in the galaxy. His goal is to take Darth Vader's place at Emperor Palpatine's side. The novel also resumes the storylines of the usual characters. Han Solo is still frozen in carbonite, being taken to the gangster Jabba the Hutt by the bounty hunter Boba Fett. It shows Princess Leia's secret search for Boba Fett, the construction of Luke Skywalker's new lightsaber and Darth Vader's search for his son. It introduces a new character to the saga, Dash Rendar, a Han Solo-type smuggler, who acts primarily as a replacement for Han Solo and as a part of the action sequences.
The comic book emphasizes the destiny of Boba Fett and his fellow bounty hunters, first seen in a brief scene on The Empire Strikes Back.
It also tells the story of Jix, Darth Vader's assistant, who
infiltrated Jabba the Hutt's gang of bikers to prevent that band's
attempt to murder Luke Skywalker. The series was written by John Wagner and illustrated by Kilian Plunkett.
The comics were written and drawn at the same time of the novel, so
the first issue could be released immediately after the book. However,
the story told by the comics has many differences. The first, and most
important one, is that the comics tells what happened to Boba Fett and
his "friends", the bounty hunters hired by Darth Vader to find the Millennium Falcon in The Empire Strikes Back.
Steve Perry, author of the project's novel, was a consultant of the
comics. While the stories in the book and comics seldom intersected, it
was necessary that characters, scenes, and dialogue match when they did
come together.
LucasArts's Shadows of the Empire was one of the first games available for the Nintendo 64, and later for Windows. The most commercial product in the Shadows of the Empire line, the game was first released as an exclusive N64 title 4 months after the console's launch in December 1996.[1] The PC version came nearly a year later in September 1997.[2]
In the game, players control mercenary Dash Rendar
in his efforts to help Luke Skywalker and rescue Princess Leia from
Prince Xizor's hands. It is divided into four parts (or chapters):
Chapter 2: Dash Rendar confronts bounty hunters from the original films — IG-88 and Boba Fett — in an attempt to reacquire Han Solo.
Chapter 3: Boba Fett has escaped and the player's mission changes: you must now save Luke Skywalker's life by fighting a deadly gang of swoop bikers in Mos Eisley, then recover secret Imperial plans for the second Death Star with Luke's help.
Chapter 4: Dash Rendar, with Luke and Lando Calrissian, travels to Coruscant to rescue Princess Leia from Prince Xizor's stronghold.
Certain parts of the game contradict elements from the book and comic book, but the overall story remains the same.
The N64 and PC versions of the video game differ somewhat. The PC
version has sharper and smoother gameplay graphics when using a 3D
card. Both versions have slightly different cutscenes - the PC version
has full-motion cinematic cutscenes with sound effects and voices,
while the N64 version utilizes artwork with text at the bottom of the
screen.
Varèse Sarabande published a score composed by Joel McNeely, after a suggestion by John Williams, and performed by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Chorus. Themes from the movies can be heard in tracks one (Main Theme from Star Wars) and eight ("The Imperial March").
The disc also includes an interactive track for personal computers,
containing concept art and additional information about the project.
The multimedia track includes an overview of the Shadows of the Empire
project; a creative team gallery; information about McNeely, the
orchestra, and the efforts to put together a soundtrack for the novel;
and information about the book, the game, the comic series, and the
toys based on the characters. The liner notes give plot summaries for
each track's corresponding section of the novel. McNeely wrote, "Unlike
with film music, I have been allowed to let my imagination run free
with the images, characters and events from this story. I have also had
the luxury to loiter as long as I like with a character or scene. Every
passage represents some person, place or event in this story."
Kenner was one of the companies that made the toy line for the Shadows of the Empire
project. Their line contained action figures (including new characters
such as Xizor and Dash Rendar), vehicles (from the Outrider to swoop
bikes) and "two-pack" pairings of new and classic characters (such as
IG-88 and Boba Fett). The classic characters figures were given a new
spin with Chewbacca disguised as Snoova, a Wookiee bounty hunter, and
Luke Skywalker costumed in an Imperial uniform (all the better to
infiltrate Imperial City).
Lewis Galoob Toys, famous for their line of "Micro Machines" miniature toys and playsets, also developed a full Shadows of the Empire
toy line. It included three sets of miniatures and a boxed Action Fleet
set with two swoop bikes and riders and four miniature articulated
figures. Also included in the sets are the classic Star Wars characters (Luke, Vader, the Emperor) as well as the new Shadows characters (Xizor, Dash Rendar, Guri and Leebo).
The model making company Ertl released several plastic model kits of Shadows of the Empire, including the Virago (Xizor's spaceship), Prince Xizor, and the Emperor.
Collectible and gift company Applause released two vinyl figures, of
Dash Rendar and Prince Xizor as well as a cold-cast resin statuette of
the villains: Xizor, the Emperor and Darth Vader.
The Topps company developed the Shadows of the Empire trading card line. The 100-piece Shadows of the Empire
card set from Topps represents all three platforms that tells the story
- the book, the comic series and the game. The cards are the work of Greg and Tim Hildebrandt, the twin artists who painted one of the more popular original Star Wars
release posters. The 100 card set featured double UV-coating and an
extra-thick 20 pt. card stock, all with full-bleed painted images on a
21/2" x 31/2" card. The Shadows of the Empire card series is
highlighted by 72 cards that virtually storyboard the events in Steve
Perry's novel. The series also contains six cards dedicated to
vehicles, another six to the comics, and six more keyed to the video
game. Each pack came with nine cards.
In 1996, to promote the release of the project, Lucasfilm released a trailer showing clips from The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.
A voiceover was provided that explained the events of the new story and
how they connected with the two films. The trailer was meant to give
the project the feel of an actual film and film release. The trailer,
which was originally broadcast on QVC,
was also shown several times at fan conventions, including the 1996
Wondercon convention, each time by the head of Lucasfilm fan relations,
Steve Sansweet.
However, Lucasfilm quickly pulled the trailer, fearing that people
might think the project was actually a film. Since the pull of the
trailer, many fans searching for it to view have found the trailer
extremely difficult to locate, even on the internet. From the book The Secrets of Shadows of the Empire, this is the complete text from the trailer, as originally read by an unknown narrator:
When Luke Skywalker was most vulnerable...
When a renegade hero became a friend in desperate need, and a dark villain faced his greatest challenge...
When the Empire turned more and more to the forces of the underworld...
The underworld moved in to crush the Empire and the Rebellion in a single stroke...
After The Empire Strikes Back and before Return of the Jedi, there was a time when heroes and villains alike lived in the Shadows of the Empire.
from The Secrets of Shadows of the Empire by Mark Cotta Vaz
To correspond with the 10th anniversary, the official site posted the trailer in their videos section. It can be found here.
In the 1997 Special Edition re-release of A New Hope, Shadowsswoop bikes and ASP labor droids make an appearance, as does Dash Rendar's ship, the Outrider. Though originally developed for the Special Edition of A New Hope, the Sentinel-class landing craft (also known as the "Imperial landing craft") also made its first appearance in Shadows of the Empire. This is the craft seen lifting off in A New Hope when the stormtroopers are roaming Tatooine on the Dewbacks.
The cover of the graphic novel of Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire Evolution.
A sequel was written to the original story by Steve Perry, the author of the Shadows of the Empire novel. The project is known as Shadows of the Empire: Evolution, and was created in the form of a series of five comic books. These books were later combined to create a graphic novel.
The story is set around the time of Star Wars—Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.
Xizor, the leader of the Black Sun criminal organization, has been
destroyed, and Guri, a beautiful human-replica droid and Xizor's
personal assassin, is left wondering what her future will hold now that
she no longer has anyone to answer to. Throughout the ongoing struggle
for underworld supremacy, Guri endeavors to uncover hints of her human
side-if it even exists. But in her quest to alter her programming and
gain humanity, Guri becomes the quarry of both bounty hunters and
Rebels (led by a Jedi-to-be named Luke). Secrets lay buried in her
android mind that make her such valuable prey. Shadows of the Empire: Evolution was Perry's first foray into comics.
A prequel novel was planned to the original Shadows of the Empire
story. The book was to be written by author Charles Grant. The novel
was cancelled, apparently due to a Lucasfilm Licensing move from Bantam
to Del Rey.
A tie-in comic book series was released from writer Ryder Windham in January 2000. The comic book series was known as Star Wars: Shadow Stalker, and was a prelude to the original Shadows of the Empire
story. The new comic expanded on the adventures of the character, Jix,
from the original story. The series also incorporated characters from
the Archie Goodwin Star Wars newspaper strip story "Iceworld", reprinted by Dark Horse comics in Classic Star Wars.
Several missions in the X-Wing Alliance computer game refer to the Shadows timeline, including the missions to acquire the design schematics of the Death Star II. The game depicts assisting Dash Rendar in the capture of the Imperial freighter Suprosa, which was carrying the secret plans to the second Death Star. Also, Dash Rendar's YT-2400Outrider can be seen in the game. The Outrider can also be seen very very briefly in the GameCube and PS2 game Star Wars: Bounty Hunter, in the sequence after the opening crawl and after The Dooku/Palpatine conversation. Once the space arena comes into view, the Outrider flies from the bottom middle of the screen towards the lower right side. Though hard to spot, it is there.
Representatives from Lucasfilm first approached John Williams to provide an original score. Williams declined, but instead personally recommended Joel McNeely for the job.
At one point, the Shadows of the Empire video game was
actually going to be centered around Boba Fett, but this decision was
changed when Lucasarts thought to instead make a Boba Fett game (later
made a Jango Fett Game), freeing Dark Horse to claim exclusive rights
to center their version around Boba Fett.
The novel slips in a THX 1138
reference in Chapter 37. After some of Xizor's guards are dispatched in
the sewers, a voice is heard coming over the comlink saying, "Thix?
What is going on down there? Thix, come in, sector one-one-three-eight,
come in -"
In the Nintendo 64 version of Shadows, the supercomputer
housing the Death Star II's plans, when viewed from a sufficient
distance in Dash's perspective, greatly resembles an actual Nintendo 64
game console with a Shadows cartridge plugged into its slot.
