Galactic Empire (Star Wars) Galactic Empire (Star Wars) The Galactic Empire is a fictional autocracy featured in the "Star Wars" franchise. It was first introduced in the 1977 film "Star Wars" and also appears in its two sequels: "The Empire Strikes Back" (1980) and "Return of the Jedi" (1983) and is the main antagonist faction of the original trilogy. By the time of the sequel trilogy, which starts three decades following the events of the original trilogy, the government has since collapsed and has been succeeded by the First Order. The Empire's origins are depicted in the prequel "" (2005), where it replaces the
Star Wars: Thrawn Star Wars: Thrawn Star Wars: Thrawn (also known simply as Thrawn) is a "Star Wars" novel by Timothy Zahn, published on April 11, 2017 by Del Rey Books. It chronicles the origins of Grand Admiral Thrawn, a popular character originating from the "Star Wars Legends" line of works, which were declared non-canon to the franchise after Lucasfilm redefined "Star Wars" continuity in April 2014. The novel was announced in July 2016 alongside news that the character Thrawn would be reintroduced into the "Star Wars" franchise on the 3D CGI animated television series "Star Wars Rebels". A sequel to the novel,