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With Halloween most upon us , it ’s time to look at six of the shivery story that the still - newStar Warscanon has to offer – or , at least , as relatively “ scary ” as the franchise can get . While most of the taradiddle never cross the boundary into horror proper , there certainlyareelements that are one by one suspensive or creepy .
Such a collecting of stories is possible mostly thanks to newspaper publisher IDW , who acquired theall - years amusing Holy Scripture licenseforStar Warsback in 2017 . Starting last Halloween , and continuing on for this year , the society has spearheaded the cause by releasing a hebdomadal miniseries throughout the month of October calledVader ’s Castle , an anthology collection of atmospheric adventures star characters from all eras of the Skywalker saga . But even before this young - lector exertion start , Marvel and Disney - Lucasfilm Press were already experimenting with horror , interlace in sure conception that lend themselves to the tone and scope of the genre .
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These are the five bestStar Warstales from canon to read in solemnisation of Halloween , with one bonus reversion from theLegendsera .
The Screaming Citadel
“ The Screaming Citadel ” is a storyline that also functions as a crossover between two of the main comic book series set in betweenA New HopeandThe Empire Strikes Back : Star WarsandDoctor Aphra . Its stated purpose was to do something more along the melody of gothic repulsion within that galaxy far , far aside , and the title accomplishes this in nigger . The titular Citadel of Ktath’atn , where Luke Skywalker andDr . Chelli Lona Aphraarrive to beseech the fairy of Ktath’atn for a special favour ( which she deed over just once a class ) , loom over the bleak countryside like something out of aclassic Universal repugnance celluloid , with the mysterious monarch even warning the duo that the castle holds so “ many dark secret , ” they would do well not to ask any questions if they value their sanity .
In short order , the fagot is revealed to hold special mastery over the local world ( and the Guest to her special annual dinner political party , if she so deems ) through a combination of telepathy and alien symbiotes , in purchase order to allow her to feed off of their lifeforce – making her part Dracula as well as partDr . Frankenstein . to terminate the Queen of Ktath’atn ’s threat , Luke take to go to a somewhat dark place than he is used to , befitting the medieval tonus of the plot line , and the denouement is likewise sufficiently lifted right from the classic blackened - and - white movies of the geological era .
Lando
On the one hand , Landois all about – well – Lando Calrissian , help to ( further ) sow in the source of how the debonair runner and thief can finally maturate into a compassionate and brave Rebel superior general ( the comic miniseries is do beforeThe Empire Strikes Back , and even state the backstory ofLobot , to boot ) . On the other manus , however , the title is partially devoted to Emperor Sheev Palpatine , specifically , and the Dark Lords of the Sith , generally – and it is through this back door that the horror ingredient come into play .
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Calrissian is unknowingly hired to slip theImperalis , the Emperor ’s private yacht that is fill with numberless stolen or recoup treasure from countless worlds . One of these treasure possessions turns out to be none other than the masquerade of the ancient Sith sculptorLord Momin , who fundamentally determine how to imbue it with his cognisance , grant him to own whatever unfortunate mortal was foolish enough to put it on . This , of track , is precisely what happens to some of Lando ’s crew , turning the would - be con into a bloodbath .
This concept of Sith corruption , as creepy as it may be for the purposes of this one narrative , is more than just a thingumajig – in the four year since , it ’s proven to be something of a base of theStar Warscanon , even if a small and subtle one ; not only has Momin re-emerge elsewhere in the timeline , help Darth Vaderbuild his citadel on Mustafar , it ’s also been ponder by many that Darth Sidious take a page direct out of his predecessor ’s Word of God , presenting the explanation forhow he can returninThe Rise of Skywalker .
The Mighty Chewbacca in the Forest of Fear!
This vernal readers ’ railroad tie - in to the exit ofSolo : A Star Wars Storyis , indeed , intend for young readers , with a distance , vocabulary , and style intended to attract to teen sensitivity ( the storyteller of the level , for object lesson , is an actual storyteller , who tender commentary and slips into aside throughout the course of the write up ) . This , by definition , negates any large superman of suspense or creepiness that we may see seep into the other titles on this tilt , but that does n’t halt the concept in child’s play from take over hard from the staples of horror – or check the book from being an piquant read .
After Han Solo embarrassingly get himself captured , Chewbacca finds himself force to take on a mission to Ushruu , an ancient forested planet that is riddled with strange and highly effective – but also remarkably nonplused – predators . Even worse is the blue , fear - bring on mist that clings to the timber floor and seems to exhale from a giant chasm – which is , of course , in typical scarey - story fashion , home to an huge and vastly old creature called the vathyr . ( In a fun footling whirl , the apex huntsman on Ushruu are the many tongues of the vathyr , which tenaciously root out nutrient and inexorably drag them back to the being ’s many mouths . )
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When one throws in an ancient temple , a religious - like cult that worship the creature , and a Force - sore leader named the Enchantress who oversees it all , one has the classic trappings of a spookyHalloweenstory – and an entertainingStar Warsread .
Star Wars Adventures: Tales from Vader’s Castle
When on a fact - find military mission to the Outer Rim for the Rebel Alliance , Commander Lina Graf ( a character arise in the all - ages book seriesAdventures in Wild Space ) has her ship shot down and is forced to crash - land on Mustafar – right on next to Darth Vader ’s secret fortress ( which was originally produce forRogue One : A Star Wars Storybut which has also sport , to great effect , in the various comics ) . In order of magnitude to overcome their veneration – of the local ( and hostile ) wildlife , of the lava trooper that ward Lord Vader , and of the Sith Lord himself – the work party fellow member tell themselves story after story , which focus on such character as untested Han Solo and Chewie , Obi - Wan Kenobi and Count Dooku , the hurl ofRebels , the Emerald Witch of the satellite Rendel , and the Ewoks ( because why not ? ) .
Being the most blatantly repugnance - honorificStar Warstale yet – the amusing series was , after all , released during and for Halloween – the premises are all ( light ) spooky , the aura contained in the tale are all firm , and , even , some of the visuals are pretty prominent ; readers will find haunted spaceship , a zombie - esque infection during one of the many conflict of theClone Wars , and a giantWicker humans - esque wooden Ewok meant to hold living sacrifices .
Yes , the premise runs a bit old-hat – theStar Wars Adventuresseries that this title spin off from is also predicated upon ( some of the same ) characters telling stories to one another – butTales from Vader ’s Castlepays off the concept well in the finale , making it more than just an drawn-out whatchamacallum .
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Star Wars Adventures: Return to Vader’s Castle
With the popularity of the firstVader ’s Castlelast year , IDW and Lucasfilm have decide to resurrect the assumption for this Halloween . Not only is the basic concept extend , unleashing five new stories boast all sort of sinister and nefarious characters from theStar Warscanon , but so is the premise itself – Thom Hudd , a member of Lina Graf ’s crew , was left behind inVader ’s fortressat the conclusion of the first miniseries , and now he has to brook five more scarey tales as well as the torment and designs of Vanee , Darth Vader ’s personal servant ( who was similarly make originally forRogue One ) .
The subjects inReturn to Vader ’s Castleare Darth Maul in his bizarre , unsettling wanderer - droid from ( as primitively depicted inThe Clone Wars),Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin , Asajj Ventress ( during her [ curtly - lived ] days as a premium hunter as oppose to Darth Tyranus ’s prentice ) , Jabba the Hutt , and , of form , the nominal Dark Lord of the Sith himself ( again ) . Of all the issue exhaust thus far , the most arresting , by far , is theStar Warstake on Dr. Frankenstein and his monster , with Tarkin interchange the former and the latter redeeming himself by shielding those Imperial agents who happen to get in his creator ’s way – it ’s a touching story and a faithful court to the Classic Universal Monster both .
BONUS: Death Troopers
What would zombies in that galaxy far , far away look like ? That ’s the question author Joe Schreiber tackled in this Legends book , making zombification into an Imperial bio - weapon - gone - wrong ( but of course ) and an septic Star Destroyer the setting for aResident Evil - esque tale of survival horror .
Death Troopers , without interrogative , exceed all the other entries on this inclination in term of horror conception , actual scares , and the faithfulness to the genre , despite the fact that it is not amply part ofStar Warscontinuity ( although this could easy alter , given Lucasfilm ’s current predilections of taking choice Legends items , such asGrand Admiral Thrawn , and bringing them over into the canyon ) . There is also the added – and effective – whirl of the zombies being able to learn as they clamor for the flesh of their next dupe , to the point that , once they see blasters being utilized against them , they pick up the guns and evoke them back with ever - increasing truth .
Death Troopersbecame a buff favorite , spawning a prequel novel ( suitably calledRed harvest time , a play onBlue Harvest , the false production name ofReturn of the Jedi ) just a year later and appearances in a fewStar Warsgames , including one published by Disney Interactive ( which technically , partially makes the titular Death Troopers canon already ) .
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