The Star Wars franchise has two major continuities, canon and Legends, leading to notable differences between characters existing in both. From 1976 to 2014, stories told outside the Star Wars movies collectively made up the Star Wars Expanded Universe, now known as Legends. In 2014, Disney and Lucasfilm created a new official canon, giving filmmakers more creative freedom. The only stories that carried over into the new canon were the original trilogy, prequel trilogy, and the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
The chance to compare how different storytellers approached the same character offers a fascinating insight. Wicket W. Warrick, the Ewok who helped Princess Leia and the rebels in Return of the Jedi, is different in canon and Legends. In Star Wars: Ewoks, Wicket and his friends spoke English, and in the live-action Ewok movies, Wicket met a human family before Return of the Jedi. Legends revealed that Wicket married his childhood friend Kneesaa, while canon appearances have stayed closer to his original on-screen portrayal.
Kitster Banai, a Tatooine slave, is another character with significant differences. In Legends, Kitster earned his freedom and started a family, helping Leia learn about her father’s childhood. In canon, Kitster and his fellow slaves were freed by Sabé, and they lived on Gabredor III, where they worked with Darth Vader, unaware of his true identity.
Yaddle, a member of the same species as Yoda, had a unique story in Legends. She was imprisoned for over 100 years and eventually sacrificed herself to save the people of Mawan from a bioweapon. In canon, Yaddle’s death occurred during the events of The Phantom Menace, and she appeared in the High Republic era, with no mention of her imprisonment.
Beilert Valance, a stormtrooper turned cyborg bounty hunter, was significantly different in Legends and canon. In Legends, Valance had an irrational hatred of droids and hunted rebels, but in canon, he sacrificed himself for the Rebellion after meeting Luke Skywalker. His backstory was expanded in the Marvel comic series Star Wars: Bounty Hunters, revealing he knew Han Solo and had a change of heart.
These characters, along with many others, demonstrate the significant differences between the Star Wars canon and Legends. While some characters have undergone significant changes, others have remained largely consistent, offering a fascinating look at the various ways the Star Wars universe has been explored.
