Star Wars fans are still debating whether Disney's new creative direction for the franchise is in any way better than the Expanded Universe (i.e. Legends) material that came before it. Many authors took the plunge in the 1990s and 2000s to bring new Star Wars stories for a rabid audience all-too-eager for more. The results were a mixed bag, but it's safe to say the Expanded Universe delivered the goods.
Unfortunately, nearly all of this content was purged from lore when Disney purchased the rights to the franchise. Only a few characters and references managed to limp their way over to the other side, while others were relegated to the garbage scow of history. Here are ten Star Wars Legends villains that were unfortunately put out to the knacker's yard by Disney, way before their time.
10 Prince Xizor — His name has popped up in the last few years in Disney-related side material, but that's not quite enough to cement his status as canonized... yet
The 1990s saw a huge resurgence in Star Wars material, thanks in large part to Timothy Zahn's "sequel" novel trilogy that began with the classic Heir To The Empire.
Though some characters such as Grand Admiral Thrawn would eventually survive the Disney purge and become canonized, other characters weren't so lucky. One of these casualties included Prince Xizor, a character who first appeared in Steve Perry's 1996 novel Shadows of the Empire.
9 Supreme Overlord Shimrra Jamaane — Although revealed in the final act of the story as a puppet for a Yuuzhan Vong Force wielder, it was his face that represented billions of galactic deaths & the scarring of countless planets, including Coruscant
The New Jedi Order series of novels is arguably the point where Expanded Universe material (now simply called Legends) began to spiral out of control. It was meant to shake up the Star Wars universe by taking it in a unique and bold direction — galactic conquest by a terrifyingly powerful foe.
Unfortunately, it was too big, bloated, and convoluted to really work as a series, but it did have its characters, including Supreme Overlord Shimrra Jamaane.
8 Joruus C'baoth — At first, he used his benevolent façade to try & turn Luke Skywalker to the dark side as his apprentice, but when that plan failed, he unleashed a clone of Skywalker himself to duel the real deal
Timothy Zahn knew what he was doing when he crafted Heir To The Empire in 1991. It was the first time that anyone had been authorized to pick up where Return of the Jedi left off, and fans ate it up as if they were starving.
Zahn's character Grand Admiral Thrawn was a baddie for the ages, but he needed the right puppet to effect his plan to rebuild the Empire. Enter Joruus C'baoth, the failed clone of a powerful Jedi Master who had been driven mad in recent years.
7 Darth Caedus — Under normal circumstances, the story of Darth Caedus would have been one for the Star Wars history books, but it's since been de-canonized
It is a shame because the character was unique among Sith Lords for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was the character who would fall to the dark side.
That character, of course, is Jacen Solo, son of Han and Leia. After the devastating Yuuzhan Vong invasion, Solo fell to the dark side in a warped attempt to save the galaxy from itself. His path of destruction led to the murder of Luke Skywalker's wife Mara, not to mention countless friends. He was eventually (and tragically) taken down by his own twin sister Jaina. His story may appear to mimic Kylo Ren's, but the two were quite different in many respects.
6 Admiral Daala — Cunning, aggressive, & strategical, Daala would have been an interesting villain in the canonized Disney timeline
Kevin J. Anderson picked up where Timothy Zahn left off when he wrote the Jedi Academy trilogy, a follow-up novel series that explored Luke Skywalker's fledgling new Jedi students. Following the death of her mentor and lover Grand Moff Tarkin, Daala waged a campaign of vengeance against the fragile New Republic with her fleet of Star Destroyers.
She eventually cooled off, but it wasn't long before her hot temper got the best of her. After crossing the Jedi, she was deposed and imprisoned, only to escape with the help of Boba Fett to take control of the Imperial Remnant.
5 Jerec — He remains one of the most memorable Star Wars video game villains of the 1990s
Star Wars video games are among the shakiest when it comes to canon, and for good reason. Many utilized the medium to tell larger-than-life stories that wouldn't exactly fit as neatly if they were part of a TV series or a movie. As such, games like Dark Forces quickly lost their canonized status to films like Rogue One, which came out many years later.
The sequel to Dark Forces introduced Jerec, a "dark Jedi" unallied to the Sith who sought the fabled Valley of the Jedi and its limitless power. Jerec led a team of dark Jedi in his quest to uncover its location, but his plan was foiled by fledgling would-be Jedi Kyle Katarn.
4 Jodo Kast — Boba Fett's recent reappearance in The Mandalorian seems to have sealed the lid over Jodo Kast, permanently
Boba Fett's unceremonious (and apparently premature) death in the belly of the Sarlacc led to many authors attempting to resurrect him in one form or another. One of the less successful methods was to slap his armor on another character to continue Fett's iconography. That character was Jodo Kast.
Kast procured a suit of Mandalorian armor and repainted it in order to steal Fett's identity to gain an advantage in the bounty hunter's circle. However, it all came to a screeching halt when the real Boba Fett showed up and killed Kast for daring to steal his reputation and identity.
3 Exar Kun — Whether he returns from the grave once more to haunt Disney canon as a fully-confirmed baddie remains to be seen
At this point, fans are divided as to whether Exar Kun is canon, or relegated to Legends status. Indeed, it hasn't been easy to pin down which side has it right, especially given rumors floating around about a possible Knights of the Old Republic film trilogy that no longer seems to be in the works. There's also the fact that his name has been hinted at in subsequent Disney-related material, though it's still not enough to etch in stone as definitive.
Kun's influence over the Star Wars universe is unprecedented due to his story. He is one of the most central figures of the ancient Sith, and a fearsome Dark Lord by his own right. He almost managed to kill the legendary Luke Skywalker in the Jedi Academy novels, which means there's a lot more to this deceased Sith than meets the eye.
2 Thracken Sal-Solo — This relative of Han Solo was cruel, vicious, & irredeemable in every respect, yet he managed to turn himself into quite the threat
Han Solo might have been regarded as a scoundrel, a nerf-herder, and bantha fodder, but those were tame compared to some of the names that must have stuck to his cousin Thracken Sal-Solo.
He bit off more than he could chew when he put out a hit on Han and his family, which (ironically) led to Han teaming up with Boba Fett to take him down. They executed him outright, but his death ended up having grave consequences which helped lead to the Second Galactic Civil War.
1 Darth Traya — Sith Lords are renowned for their physical power, frightening Force abilities, & a visage of pure hatred & menace, however, Darth Traya was far different
Fans remember her as a primary antagonist of the Knights of the Old Republic timeline, but she didn't start out that way. Traya appeared as a benevolent, yet pragmatic friend to the main character, but as the story progressed, it became clear that she was weaving a dastardly plan.
Her machinations and manipulation sowed seeds of doubt that inadvertently led to the destruction of the Sith triumvirate, but there's no denying her immersion in the dark side made it happen.