Star Wars Dark Legends Delights

Darth Noctyss finds herself on Exegol in “A Life Immortal”

A new Star Wars book coming out later this month shares some dark and monstrous stories…in an amusing way. Written by George Mann, Star Wars Dark Legends provides seven short stories that curiously delight in their darkness. Published by Disney Lucasfilm Press, Star Wars Dark Legends provides a dark follow-up to last year’s Star Wars Myths & Fables, which featured similarly-styled stories, yet the ones in this book are all filled with something scary or morose.

“In truth, this book is brimming with secrets that should never be told,” we are told in the introduction (p. xii). “Herein, too, lies a despicable certainty: the galaxy is rife with terror. It crowds the shadows, lurks at the threshold, watches from behind every half-closed door. The dark side is ever present, waiting to tempt the unwary, to make monsters of the benign, to twist the bright spark of the imagination toward fear.”

Following the introduction, seven stories are told, spanning various eras of Star Wars – Imperial era, New Republic era, and the last few are either Old Republic era…or earlier, as one involves a Sith lord and another involves a Sith lady:

The Orpanage – An Imperial era story taking place at an orphanage that seems to involve the Grand Inquisitor as the antagonist
Buyer Beware – A late New Republic-era story involving an intriguing relic found at Dok-Ondar’s shop
The Predecessor – An Imperial era ghost story focussing on an Imperial officer as the protagonist…and involving Darth Vader
Blood Moon – A werewolf story that is unclear as to which era in which it takes place (although post-Old Republic)
The Dark Mirror – A story involving Jedi and a power-granting amulet
The Gilded Cage – A really cool story featuring Nightsisters as the protagonists & Darth Caldoth, a Sith Lord as the antagonist – this was definitely quite clever!
A Life Immortal – A story featuring Darth Noctyss, a Sith Lady, as the protagonist, taking her to Exegol

One of the neat facets of “The Gilded Cage” is that it returns characters from last summer’s Star Wars Myths & Fables, in bringing back not only Ry Nimbis (pp. 158-160), but also his teacher, Darth Caldoth, about whom they had been written in the story, “Gaze of Stone” in Star Wars Myths & Fables (pp. 97-116), which is nice to see that connection and further development of their stories and characters.

Intended primarily for 8-12 year olds, Star Wars Dark Legends can provide well for both summer campfire reading, as well as fall/Halloween scary Star Wars reading. This book releases on August 28th, 2020.