What is Star Wars Canon?

[ITDUDE]

Ok, seems like bunch of new stuff coming from Disney for Star Wars. It's time to catch up...
Outside all of live action movies (and now The Mandalorian) I have seen virtually nothing else Star Wars related. I'd like to catchup but don't want to waste my time on anything non-canon. Are all cartoons canon? How many are out there (Clone Wars, something else, something else?). Is there anything based on Extended Universe that is no longer canon and I should avoid?
Is there a specific order to watch all these cartoons in?

 

[The Wormhole]

Are all cartoons canon?

Yes

How many are out there (Clone Wars, something else, something else?).

Clone Wars, Rebels, Resistance

Is there anything based on Extended Universe that is no longer canon and I should avoid?

As far as novels and comics go, everything published after April 2014 is considered canon, and everything from before April 2014 is not. Or, if looking up a date is too much for you, if there's a banner on the cover that says "Legends" that means it's not canon.

 

[Markonian]

There are multiple different series and animated films all called "(The) Clone Wars", btw.

 

[Jinn]

Everything in this timeline.

 

[Markonian]

Everything in this timeline.

That is amazing - thanks for sharing!
I've visited Wokipedia plenty of times but was unaware they had this overview.

 

[Jinn]

That is amazing - thanks for sharing!
I've visited Wokipedia plenty of times but was unaware they had this overview.

They also have one for Legends

 

[ITDUDE]

Yes

Clone Wars, Rebels, Resistance

As far as novels and comics go, everything published after April 2014 is considered canon, and everything from before April 2014 is not. Or, if looking up a date is too much for you, if there's a banner on the cover that says "Legends" that means it's not canon.

So all the books and comics are canon? Is it like Star Trek "Countdown" comics, that are canon, only until they are not? Or is someone actually tracking everything in those comics to make sure that they don't conflict with anything on screen, and vice versa?

 

[JD]

Lucasfilm has a team called the Story Group and it's their job to keep track of things, and try to keep everything consistent. I think they have had few inconsistencies slip through the cracks, but nothing real serious.

Everything in this timeline.

That is amazing - thanks for sharing!
I've visited Wokipedia plenty of times but was unaware they had this overview.

Yeah, that timeline is a great resource, I refer back to it all the time.

 

[Jinn]

So all the books and comics are canon? Is it like Star Trek "Countdown" comics, that are canon, only until they are not? Or is someone actually tracking everything in those comics to make sure that they don't conflict with anything on screen, and vice versa?

Countdown was never canon. Orci said one could consider it canon until it is contradictied, but you can do that with literally anything. From what I gather there are some people in charge of making sure things align, but I'm sure the movies and TV shows will freely ignore anything, that they want. For example, the depiction of the Battle of Mandalore as portrayed in Ahsoka (apparantly) contradicts the way it was portrayed in season 7 of The Clone Wars.

Bottom line, Doctor Who is the only franchise with good canon policy.

 

[The Wormhole]

So all the books and comics are canon? Is it like Star Trek "Countdown" comics, that are canon, only until they are not? Or is someone actually tracking everything in those comics to make sure that they don't conflict with anything on screen, and vice versa?

They are officially canon, and indeed the second season premiere of The Mandalorian centers all around a character introduced in a novel from 2015.

That said there are still the inevitable contradictions that occur. Rey and Poe met each other for the first time twice, on screen TLJ and in the tie-ins at the end of TFA. Finn is described as having a "flawless record" in TFA with his sudden desertion being the first time he misbehaved at all, while a prequel novel to the film has him being chewed out for always misbehaving.

 

[Tarek71]

They should have done with the latest trilogy what was done with the JJVerse Trek. Canon, but a different timeline. That way every future installment can ignore the asshattery of Rian Johnson, etc.

 

[Reverend]

One of the smarter things LF has done in the last five years in regards to continuity is to float the notion of "unreliable narrators" and "artefacts of adaptation" to account for most minor inconsistencies. This way there need not be a single *definitive* version of events that's objectively factual in any and all details, and no nonsensical "canon tier" system.
It's already allowed them to re-introduce Legends material as actual in-universe Legends, which is a handy way to have their cake and eat it too.

There are multiple different series and animated films all called "(The) Clone Wars", btw.

But only one of them had George Lucas as the show runner. That said, some of the broad strokes of the old show appear to be canon. For one thing other stories have adopted it's depiction of a Jedi Knighting ceremony. Some context clues and flashbacks indicate that Ventress's recruitment and her first encounter with Anakin probably went down more or less the same. A few other details like Shaak-Ti "defending" Palpatine and Anakin & Padme exchanging droids as wedding gifts likely originally came from RotS's pre-production materials so is likely also on the books as having *happened*, one way or another.

 

[fireproof78]

One of the smarter things LF has done in the last five years in regards to continuity is to float the notion of "unreliable narrators" and "artefacts of adaptation" to account for most minor inconsistencies. This way there need not be a single *definitive* version of events that's objectively factual in any and all details,

This is very helpful, to be sure.

 

[Tuskin38]

They should have done with the latest trilogy what was done with the JJVerse Trek. Canon, but a different timeline. That way every future installment can ignore the asshattery of Rian Johnson, etc.

Rian Johnson made the best Star Wars film that LucasFilm has put out since ESB.

 

[Tarek71]

Rian Johnson made the best Star Wars film that LucasFilm has put out since ESB.

I would reword that as the worst Star Wars film that Lucas film has ever put out. By a country mile. But some people love Jar Jar too. So God bless! Glad you enjoyed it.

 

[fireproof78]

I would reword that as the worst Star Wars film that Lucas film has ever put out. By a country mile. But some people love Jar Jar too. So God bless! Glad you enjoyed it.

As long as TPM and the Ewok films are out there TLJ couldn't hit the worst slot, even if I thought ill of it. Which I don't, largely because Luke was exactly what I needed at that point in time in my life.

But, no matter what, I have the OT. Everything else is gravy.

 

[David cgc]

I would reword that as the worst Star Wars film that Lucas film has ever put out. By a country mile. But some people love Jar Jar too. So God bless! Glad you enjoyed it.

Well, not every movie can achieve the sublime cinematic brilliance of repeating "They can fly now?!" four times in a row.

 

[Tarek71]

As long as TPM and the Ewok films are out there TLJ couldn't hit the worst slot, even if I thought ill of it. Which I don't, largely because Luke was exactly what I needed at that point in time in my life.

But, no matter what, I have the OT. Everything else is gravy.

I have encountered people who think Godfather III was the best in the series or that Phantom Menace was the best SW film ever made. What can you say? Glad they enjoyed them!

 

[JD]

They are officially canon, and indeed the second season premiere of The Mandalorian centers all around a character introduced in a novel from 2015.

That said there are still the inevitable contradictions that occur. Rey and Poe met each other for the first time twice, on screen TLJ and in the tie-ins at the end of TFA. Finn is described as having a "flawless record" in TFA with his sudden desertion being the first time he misbehaved at all, while a prequel novel to the film has him being chewed out for always misbehaving.

I believe there are some inconstancies between how The Marshal and Aftermath portray the events surrounding Cobb Vanth acquiring Bob Fett's armor. I haven't read the book, so I don't know the details, but from what I've read online the inconstancies can be written off as Vanth being an unreliable narrator since the flashback in The Marshal was him telling Din Djarin what happened.

 

[fireproof78]

Well, not every movie can achieve the sublime cinematic brilliance of repeating "They can fly now?!" four times in a row.

Boba Fett? Boba Fett? Where? is still top notch.