30 Years Ago Today, Star Wars Told One of Its Most Iconic Stories Ever (And Gave the Series New Life)

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After Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, the future of the series was uncertain. With the Empire defeated and balance restored to the Force through Anakin Skywalker’s redemption, it seemed George Lucas was finished with the saga. However, the Star Wars universe continued to expand through comics, novels, and video games, bringing back beloved characters in new stories. Some of these tales even influenced where the franchise would go next.

Like anything popular, Star Wars had some missteps along the way. The 1990s, for example, saw a few weaker projects, like the Star Wars: The Bounty Hunter Wars book series, which didn’t quite succeed even with major characters like Boba Fett and Darth Vader involved. Fortunately, the decade also delivered one of the very best Star Wars stories, which revitalized the franchise when it really needed a boost.

Star Wars’ Best Band Got Back Together in 1996

Throughout the original Star Wars trilogy, Luke Skywalker dedicates himself to Jedi training. Obi-Wan Kenobi sees Luke as the galaxy’s last hope and guides him, later entrusting Yoda with the same task. However, the Empire constantly tries to destroy Luke and the Rebel Alliance before he can fully master the ways of the Jedi. Driven to protect his friends, Luke also serves as a pilot, beginning with Red Squadron and eventually leading Rogue Squadron alongside Wedge Antilles and others. He fights with them until the war’s end, after which he commits to restoring the Jedi Order.

Okay, so Wedge Antilles doesn’t get to just hang up his flight suit and become some kind of space sorcerer, which is a little disappointing. Instead, we see him in the X-Wing book series rebuilding a new Rogue Squadron. The first book, Rogue Squadron, focuses on Wedge training a fresh batch of pilots – and let me tell you, Corran Horn is a real standout! They’re all pushing themselves because they’re determined to take the fight to the remaining Imperial forces, who still have a grip on the important planet Coruscant. By the end of the book, the New Republic makes some serious progress towards bringing peace to the galaxy. Honestly, it’s a really inspiring story, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw something similar adapted for the big screen someday.

Star Wars: Rogue Squadron Still Has a Future

More than twenty years after Michael A. Stackpole’s novel was published, Lucasfilm revealed plans for a film called Star Wars: Rogue Squadron, with Patty Jenkins—the director of Wonder Woman—attached to direct. Jenkins, whose father was a pilot and who always loved the sky, hoped to create a film that captured the experience of flying X-Wings. The project initially seemed promising, but it has faced difficulties and hasn’t moved forward in the last five years.

It’s been a while since Lucasfilm gave an update on Rogue Squadron, leading many to believe the project has been canceled. However, the situation is more nuanced than it appears. Star Wars: Starfighter, which is further along in development, seems to be incorporating ideas from Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron, including where it fits in the Star Wars timeline. While it’s probably unlikely that X-Wing fighters will be the main focus when the film comes out in 2027, there’s still a possibility that the spirit of Rogue Squadron lives on. After all, whenever there’s a conflict in space, there will always be courageous pilots ready to fight.

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2026-01-01 21:41