Released in 2015, Star Wars: The Force Awakens began a new chapter in the Star Wars saga. The subsequent trilogy followed the emergence of the First Order—rising from the remnants of the Empire—and their conflict with the Resistance, a war that threatened to bring the galaxy under the control of Emperor Palpatine once again. The events of The Force Awakens take place three decades after the Battle of Endor and the Empire’s defeat in Return of the Jedi. While not shown on screen, the crucial ‘Battle of Jakku’ was a defining moment that significantly influenced the characters and storyline of the sequel trilogy.
Eight years ago, Star Wars attempted to expand on the Battle of Jakku with a novel that added important details to the story. However, like many things in the Star Wars universe now, the specifics of the battle have been altered multiple times since that initial account, creating inconsistencies.
Star Wars: Aftermath Trilogy Ended 8 Years Ago
When the Star Wars films returned to theaters, the franchise also saw a fresh start in book form. One of the first projects under Disney was the 2015 novel Aftermath by Chuck Wendig, which began a three-book series called Star Wars: Aftermath. The final book, Aftermath: Empire’s End, detailed the Battle of Jakku – the last major conflict against the Empire. This battle officially concluded the Galactic Civil War and ushered in the era of the New Republic.
This book centers around Grand Admiral Rae Sloane, a key figure in the Star Wars universe. She’s unfairly blamed for a large-scale attack on the New Republic by Gallius Rax, a secret advisor to Emperor Palpatine, effectively making her the galaxy’s most wanted fugitive. As Sloane confronts Rax, the book reveals a surprising backstory about the origins of the enemy seen in the sequel trilogy through Rax’s own admissions and flashbacks.
Aftermath: Empire’s End Revealed the Origin of the First Order
Hiding on the desert planet Jakku, Gallius Rax took in dozens of children from a local Hutt crime boss, Lady Niima. Rax then manipulated these children, and his assistant, Brendol Hux, rigorously trained them to become skilled killers and soldiers. Their first task was to carry out assassinations of former Imperial officers – a plan called “Contingency” originally created by Palpatine before he was overthrown. The children proved incredibly effective, even defeating a whole squad of Stormtroopers.
Although the New Republic triumphed at the Battle of Jakku after a long struggle, Palpatine had secretly planned for the future. He ordered Rax to eliminate most of the remaining Imperial forces, but to also take a small group of skilled individuals and child soldiers to the Unknown Regions. There, they would begin rebuilding the Empire.
During the Battle of Jakku, Sloane defeated Rax, preventing him from destroying the planet and effectively ending the conflict between the Imperials and the New Republic. She then took over Rax’s plans and partnered with Brendol Hux, escaping to the unexplored regions of the galaxy. As a deal, Sloane put Brendol’s son, Armitage, in charge of training a group of child soldiers, securing his loyalty and protection from his father. Armitage grew up and expanded this group into a full army, using the same rigorous and manipulative training methods his father had. This marked the beginning of the First Order.
Star Wars Has Retconned The First Order’s Origin Story (Many Times)
Since the release of The Rise of Skywalker in 2019, the Star Wars sequel trilogy has presented a complicated set of story issues that the franchise continues to address. The original story by Chuck Wendig has become even more complex, with recent additions revealing that Palpatine, disguised as Snoke, was the one directing Sloane’s fleet toward the Unknown Regions.
The schemes of both Sloane and the Hux family have connected to many other characters in the Star Wars universe. Their plan involved building up the remnants of the Empire, ultimately aiming for a resurgence under the Emperor’s ideals. This included searching planets for children to kidnap, indoctrinate, and force into military service – a detail that sheds light on Finn’s origins.
Over the thirty-three years leading up to the events of The Force Awakens, a wealth of Star Wars novels, audiobooks, and comics have explored the origins and rise of the First Order. These stories detail how the group, led by Snoke, secretly built its power in the Unknown Regions, conquering worlds and engaging in a covert conflict with the New Republic. Growing tensions within the New Republic and the efforts of the Resistance created the opportunity for the First Order to emerge from the shadows and launch a full-scale imperial campaign, led by a new generation of leaders like Armitage Hux, Kylo Ren, and Captain Phasma, ultimately sparking the Second Galactic Civil War.
Similar to much of the storytelling in the sequel trilogy, it’s difficult to say how many fans bother to piece together all the details or really delve into this extra background information. And the original films that inspired all this weren’t exactly universally loved either.
The story of Star Wars will continue after The Rise of Skywalker with a new movie called Star Wars: Starfighter, scheduled to be released on May 28, 2027.
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2026-03-04 17:41