In the beginning…
Oops wait, wrong book

A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away…
*music plays*

Ah, the sound familiar to all geeks and nerds, and even just the curious bystander. Just about every one knows the Star Wars label, and has possibly seen a few of the movies. But once we get past the movies and into the expanded universe (EU) we can sometimes get a little lost. Thanks to NJOE member Sithjammies, we now have a brief overview of Star Wars from pretty much the beginning to 21 ABY (After the Battle of Yavin).

We all know the general premise of Star Wars: Good guys with the green or blue (sometimes even purple) lightsabers go after the guys with the red ones and black armor and the scowling faces, and this goes back and forth until one side dies. But as you go deeper into the Star Wars universe, you encounter characters and planets and even systems that you’ve never heard of. So, let’s take it from the top and skim down through history.

BASIC TERMS

Before we get started I’ll gloss over some of the more common terms you may find in Star Wars speak.

TPM- The Phantom Menace
AotC- Attack of the Clones
RotS- Revenge of the Sith
ANH- A New Hope
ESB- The Empire Strikes Back
RotJ- Return of the Jedi

Classic Trilogy - The ‘first’ three movies (ANH, ESB, RotJ). This is generally shortened to OT (Original Trilogy).
Prequel Trilogy - The newest movies produced (TPM, AotC, Rots). This is generally shortened to PT in fan discussion.

ABY - After the Battle of Yavin (A New Hope)
BBY- Before the Battle of Yavin
KOTOR - Knights of the Old Republic

JEDI

“Man, those guys are great. They kick ass, they can push things around, they have a big temple. The only thing is that they seem a little on the pacifist/procrastination side.”

That could have been your thoughts when you encountered the Jedi for the first time if you watched the prequels. If you’re a classic trilogy (the one that started out with Darth Vader going medieval on some rebel boot-ay) person, the best you saw was an old man taking on a bad guy and shortly there after getting killed. Oh, and a half trained kid miraculously taking down one of the best fighters in the galaxy. But that was not always the case.

So as the Sith represent all that is evil and badassery in the Star Wars universe, the Jedi represent all that is fluffy and sugary goodness.

Okay, so the Sith started out in the same order as the Jedi. Now why, you may ask, didn’t they just do the yin-yang thing and balance each other out and stuff? Well, the answer is… not found in canon. So, let’s take a (brief) look at the history of the Sith and the Jedi.

Notable Jedi (of the movies time period):
(Classic Trilogy)
Yoda
Obi- Wan Kenobi
Luke Skywalker

(Prequel Trilogy)
Qui-Gon Jinn
Anakin Skywalker
Mace Windu

(Expanded Universe)
Cin Drallig
Jorus C’baoth
Barriss Offee
Mara Jade
Jaina Solo
Jacen Solo
Anakin Solo
Kyp Durron

HISTORY

At the very start, Jedi were a group of philosophers that had made progress into the usage of what later became known as the Force. Over the many years they had developed techniques to help others. They made a pact only to use this talent for good, and vowed to become guardians when needed, protectors when asked, negotiators when no one else would stand for the week. To do good.

Sounds so noble, doesn’t it?

And really it would be, if that was how things were going to stay. Unfortunatly for the protagonists in this story there are people that are in the way (aka the antagonists) that take on varying forms and orders. We’ll start off with the not so bad and go from there.

DARK JEDI

These need a little side mention because they do play a (minor) role in the larger workings of the Force sensitives. As much as people would like you to think that there is only good or bad, that’s just not the case. It would be too simple of a thing to just make the good guys and the bad guys.

The Dark Jedi are a complicated group, so just to make it simple… they’re the not so bad, bad guys. They serve the baddies, do their bidding, and have their own delusions of grandeur. Truth is, for the most part the Dark Jedi are used as pawns of the real bad guys. There are some exceptions to this- Dark Jedi do not follow a specific code or order, and some not affiliated with the Sith hold similar ambitions of their own. They have also been known to be redeemed to the Light Side more often than true blue Sith.

Notable Dark Jedi:
(All Expanded Universe)
Mara Jade
Asajj Ventress
Jerec
Joruus C’baoth
Starkiller
Aurra Sing
Zekk
Kueller

And that, ladies and gents, leads us up to….
The SITH

OOHH! SCARY BAD GUY WITH A LIGHTSA… OMFG DID HE JUST SHOOT LIGHTNING OUT OF HIS HANDS?!

This might be the reaction you first had when you saw good old uncle Palpatine try to make a human roast chicken out Luke Skywalker. In reality though, the Sith and the Jedi go a long ways back into the history of the Star Wars galaxy. And very true, they can be scary, mean and general bad asses. However the Sith have played a crucial role as the antagonists (bad guys) of the Star Wars galaxy and do it very well.

Notable Sith:
(All movies)
Darth Sidious (Emperor Palpatine)
Darth Vader
Darth Maul
Darth Tyrannus (Count Dooku)

(Expanded Universe)
Darth Revan
Darth Bane
Exar Kun
XoXann
Lumiya
Darth Caedus
Darth Krayt

Starkiller
HISTORY

So, like I said the Sith and the Jedi once formed from the same group but then split. That is, the Sith as we know them today. The real story is that there is this ancient species (Rataka) that are known to be the first Force sensitives to use the Force to manipulate and dominate other species. It was on their (the Ratakan) principles that a Jedi researcher founded the “modern” teachings of the Dark Side. The Jedi did sense the change in the once fellow acolyte, but tolerated the creation of the Dark Jedi until their numbers reached about twenty. Then they started to get more ‘attention’ from the Jedi and were cast out after a chasm formed within the ranks of both Dark Jedi and Jedi.

This caused one of the greatest of the many Sith Wars. In the end, the Jedi won out and the Sith withdrew to form their own empire. Eventually though, they faded into the background and eventually seemed to disappear. The Jedi were sad that they had to take up arms against their former ‘brothers’, but yet strangely happy that so called balance had been restored. Later however, ANOTHER Jedi consumed by his desire to know everything about the Force re-founded the Sith and opened up a whole new can of worms for the Jedi, sparking a whole other Sith/Jedi war.

That Sith (Revan) got injured, and his memory wiped clean. Somehow this caused Revan to turn back into a Jedi that eventually brought down the Sith once again. The Sith did survive, but it wasn’t until later that under YET ANOTHER brilliant leader that the Sith re-emerged a few thousand years later, forming the Axis of… no wait, that’s wrong… BROTHERHOOD OF DARKNESS. *cues the DUN DUN DUN sound*

So now we’ve established that fact the Sith like to go after the Jedi’s throat and the Jedi would rather go to their books and such to research their knowledge of the Force, let’s move on to other major factors in the star wars galaxy.

Most of these things are found in the movies, even more so in the EU. They cover a wide range of beings and places that add the particular X factor to the Star Wars universe as a whole that has made it so lovable.
BOUNTY HUNTERS/ MERCENARIES

Now these are the true bad asses in the SW universe. Contrary to opinion, they do fight on a side: The one that pays the most. Now, don’t run away from the idea that you haven’t seen the bounty hunters, or that they’re always evil. In the classic movies there is a well known bounty hunter by the name of Boba Fett. You possibly remember him as the bad ass that got himself blown into the next dimension by a blind guy. (And in my personal opinion one of the larger let downs in the movies.)

You may also remember Jango Fett (Boba’s ‘dad’) from the prequel movies as the REAAALLLYYY bad ass guy that got offed by Mace Windu in Attack of the Clones.

This group often has their own personal moral code, ‘honor among thieves’ as they say. They came from many walks of life, and many different species. They really don’t have any limits or restrictions except what they impose on themselves.

Sadly, the movies do not explore these interesting characters. To get the full impact on how they’ve effected the Star Wars Universe, you really need to read ‘Tales of the Bounty Hunters’, which gives some very interesting backstory that I can’t write here without revealing some spoilers. So go take a look at the bad guys that can be good, and the good guys that can be bad.

On occasion, some bounty hunters have been hired as mercenaries. Most commonly known are the Mandolorians (Guys that wear armor that looks like Fett and have a reputation for fighting and fighting well) and if you feel like it later I strongly recommend you look them up. As it stands, they are a growing group in terms of importance but will not be included in this article. (Don’t be hating, there’s just too much to cover with the Mandos for this article)

Notable Boutny Hunters
(All Movies)
Jango Fett
Boba Fett
Greedo

(Expanded Universe)
Bossk
IG-88
HK-37
Montross
Aurra Sing (also a Dark Jedi)
Dengar
Deliah Blue

Notable Mercenaries
(All Expanded Universe)
Goran Beviin
Boba Fett
Merta Gev
Jaing Skirta
Ailyn Vel
Canderous Ordo
(To prove my point about the Mandalorians, just about all these names are Mando fighters)

GOVERNMENTS

Okay, most of us realize the major factors in the classic trilogy is the Rebellion vs. Imperials. The big ending for RotJ is people partying it up because Palpatine is persumed dead along Vader and even Coruscant shows people toppling Palatine’s statue ala Hussein. But what really was being toppled? Were the Imperials always the bad guys?

Simple answer is that there really is not a simple one. But let’s take a look at the history of the major governments for the Star Wars galaxy anyways. So, once again, let’s start from the top.

THE REBUBLIC

Ah, the bright shining gem that stood for all that was good. The Jedi backed it, supported it and vowed to serve it. It was run by a Supreme Chancellor, and many MANY senators and dignitaries. This system worked for many thousands of years, from before the KOTOR era through the Brotherhood of Darkness’ rise and fall, down to when Palpatine took power. It fostered open public forums, and peaceful relations within it’s systems.

All that started to change though, when a certain Trade Federation for no apparent reason decided to embargo and then blockade the planet of Naboo. Sound familiar? That’s because it was the opening scene to TPM where, big surprise, the good senator Palpatine has arranged for the Jedi to come and try to sort things out.

Some fights later, and the appointed Chancellor Palpatine gains emergency powers, crippling the senate’s ability to override his orders and ‘ensure a safe and secure future’. A small contingant of senators sign a petition for Palpatine to step down. (Did I mention that some of said senators end up being ‘taken care of’? I mean, come on, HE’S A SITH PEOPLE… sheesh) More fighting ensues and the Republic ends up falling and being reformed into…..

THE GALACTIC EMPIRE

*Cues music* DUN DUN DUN DA DA DUN DUN DA DA DUM! After making sure the Jedi Order is decimated, Palpatine takes ULTIMATE POWER! over all the small people that helped make it happen. Oh, the Jedi fought back at the very beginning, it was their duty to defend the Republic after all…. even though FOR THE PAST THIRTEEN YEARS THEY HAD BEEN ORDERED AROUND BY A SITH. (Again, do I really have to say it? Honestly, give me a break!)

But in the background, the resistance forms. About eighteen years later the Rebellion is in full swing and up pops Luke Skywalker to save the day. (Yays!) After not one, but TWO superstations capable of blowing up planets are blown up by him and his own the Rebellion can claim a major victory over the empire.

THE NEW REPUBLIC

After our hero gets his head out of the clouds, stops whining that he never got those power converters, he helps set up a new Republic. His sister (is anyone else grossed out by the fact that he had a crush on her?) heads the New Republic and The Jedi Order is restored. Everyone’s happy, right? Wrong.

More war, more Dark Siders, and several important characters that people got attached to getting offed later we are in the New Jedi Order and Legacy eras where this site takes over.

Thanks for reading folks, and ‘May the Force be with you.’