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Through “The Mandalorian,” “The Book of Boba Fett,” “Star Wars: The Bad Batch,” and seemingly “Ahsoka,” Lucasfilm seems to be laying the groundwork for an “Heir to the Empire” adaptation that fits within the current canon. First and foremost, as revealed during the third season of “The Mandalorian,” various Imperial remnant factions are consolidating power and resources under the watchful eye of Grand Admiral Thrawn and his right-hand man since the ’90s, Captain Gilad Pellaeon (Xander Berkeley), a mere few years after the Battle of Endor. The reemerging Empire’s clashes with the New Republic are essentially the backbone of the 1990s book trilogy.
Also, recent “Star Wars” projects have focused heavily on cloning — likely to explain Emperor Palpatine’s (Ian McDiarmid) “Dark Empire”-inspired return in “Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker.” Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) attempts to clone himself, imbuing his replicas with Force sensitivity. Throughout the “Thrawn” trilogy, Force-sensitive clones are a focal point, with the late Jedi Jorus C’baoth and Luke Skywalker both cloned by the Empire. In fact, Luke’s clone, the inventively-named Luuke, is made from Luke’s severed hand, which the canon comic “Darth Vader” #11 reveals is in the Empire’s possession. Even the cloning facility Mount Tantiss, which debuts in “Heir to the Empire,” has since become commonplace on “The Bad Batch.”
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It remains to be seen if “Thrawn” trilogy favorites like Mara Jade and Talon Karrde have a place in the future of “Star Wars” or if any more key story elements will make their way into the new canon. Don’t be surprised if they do, considering how much the franchise is pulling from one of the most popular Legends storylines of them all.
