An incredible, award-winning fan animation has been completed after five years, finally bringing one of the most important Star Wars Legends stories to life. The old Star Wars Expanded Universe was effectively reborn in 1991, when Timothy Zahn’s Heir to the Empire continued the adventures of Luke, Han, and Leia in a whole new format. The story may not be canon anymore, but Heir to the Empire‘s legacy remains, with characters like Grand Admiral Thrawn making the jump into the Disney era.

For the last five years, Damien Valentine has been working on a phenomenal animated Star Wars fanfilm based on Heir to the Empire; over the course of the series, it’s been selected by or won awards at ten film festivals across the world. The story is finally complete, and all 32 chapters are now available on YouTube (or can be watched below). Now that the book is complete, work has begun on rerendering those early chapters so they match the visual quality of the more recent ones and writing the script to adapt the second book in the epic Thrawn trilogy: Dark Force Rising.

The Heir To The Empire Animation Is Everything I Could Have Ever Wanted

This was the Star Wars I grew up with – literally. I watched the first Star Wars movie as a child back in 1991, and fell in love with the galaxy. It didn’t take me long to spot a Star Wars book at the local bookshop, and I picked up Timothy Zahn’s Heir to the Empire. This certainly gave me a unique experience; the first book of the Thrawn trilogy is set after Return of the Jedi, meaning I got spoiled for pretty much every major twist in the original trilogy. But I also grew up watching Doctor Who repeats, so I was already used to experiencing stories out of sequence.

It’s fascinating to experience this iconic Star Wars story in such a different medium. I love Valentine’s renditions, especially of Grand Admiral Thrawn; the character feels different to the one in canon, and not just because of those sinister glowing red eyes (although that helps). There’s a degree of sophistication that hasn’t quite been captured by Ahsoka‘s portrayal, one that likely results from having an author like Timothy Zahn write the story. This is an absolute delight.

I’ll always have a certain fondness for Timothy Zahn, a tremendous author who lovingly expanded the Star Wars galaxy by incorporating so many new characters and concepts. For me, this is Star Wars; not a story focused purely on the classic heroes, but one where every story has the potential to introduce something so wonderfully new. I can only hope this fan animation will give more viewers a chance to experience the Thrawn trilogy in all its glory.

What’s Next For The Thrawn Trilogy?

Heir to the Empire‘s legacy continues (although some crucial characters, such as Mara Jade, have yet to debut in canon). Many have speculated that Dave Filoni’s mysterious upcoming Star Wars movie, expected to bring the story of The Mandalorian era to a climax, will be called “Heir to the Empire” in its honor. Whether this is the case or not, though, Zahn’s novel will never be forgotten.

Valentine’s animation has improved over time, and the real excitement will be seeing what comes when he turns his attention to Dark Force Rising. This was the original Star Wars sequel trilogy, continuing the adventures of the big-screen heroes, while expanding the galaxy and introducing so many new characters. I can’t wait to see what comes next in these animations.

Source: Damien Valentine