Warning! Spoilers for Star Wars Legacy: War ahead!

Star Wars franchises, Expanded Universe and all – and as Dark Horse Comics' Star Wars Legacy comics showed, subsequent generations of Force-wielders would develop traditions designed to make sure that no one like him held power over the galaxy for long ever again.

Star Wars Legacy: War #6 – written by John Ostrander, with art by Jan Duursema – was the spectacular conclusion to the publisher's Legacy comics, which represented the farthest into the future of the Star Wars galaxy any canon story had ever ventured, depicting events approximately 140 years after Return of the Jedi.

Legacy is no longer in-continuity, but as Marvel's current Star Wars comics enter the post-ROTJ era, it is worth considering their failure to prevent Palpatine's return in the context of one of the old canon's most intriguing ideas about preventing the rise of another Dark Force acolyte as Emperor.

Beginning With An Ending – The Death Of An Emperor And The Fulfillment Of An Oath, In One Of Star Wars' Most Dramatic Arcs

Legacy's Imperial Knights & Their Allegiance To The Light Side, Explained

Star Wars Legacy was a massive deal for fans of the franchise when it debuted in 2006, because it offered arguably the most radical reinterpretation of familiar Star Wars lore that had ever been attempted in a canon story. More than just remixing familiar iconography, though, Legacy was an extension of the ongoing post-Return of the Jedi narrative of the Expanded Universe, which had reached approximately the same point on the timeline as the Sequel Trilogy in Disney's successor canon. In a particularly intriguing development, this included the evolution of the Imperial Remnant into the "Fel Empire."

As Legacy delved deeper into the Imperial Knights' backstory, it was established that a core tenant of their vows emphasized that they served the Emperor, or Empress, only so long as the leader remained loyal to the Light Side of the Force.

This faction was led by Roan Fel, a descendant of Han Solo and Leia Organa, and was notable for their order of Imperial Knights – essentially, Jedi who served the Empire, rather than a separate Order. As Legacy delved deeper into the Imperial Knights' backstory, it was established that a core tenant of their vows emphasized that they served the Emperor, or Empress, only so long as the leader remained loyal to the Light Side of the Force. In one of Legacy's most dramatically effective moments, this oath was put to the test when Roan Fel himself succumbed to the Dark Side.

Roan's most loyal Knight, Antares Draco, was forced to kill the Emperor, rather than let a fallen Force have control of the Empire. This was, in essence, a historical "reply" to the circumstances that gave rise to the rule of Emperor Palpatine, and the evil Galactic Empire that predated the Fel Empire, and in essence, this is exactly the kind of progression of Star Wars lore that made Legacy a huge success, and why it continues to be so fondly ed by readers to this day.

Roan Fel's Death Proved That The Imperial Knights Serve As An Official Failsafe Against A Palpatine-Like Leader

Star Wars Legacy: War #6 (Of 6) – Written By John Ostrander; Art By Jan Duursema; Ink By Dan Parsons; Color By Brad Anderson; Lettering By Michael Heisler

In one of the most memorable moments from Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, upon learning about Palpatine's true identity as a Sith, and his plans for galactic domination, Jedi Master Mace Windu led a team to arrest the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic. Their failure resulted in Palpatine scapegoating them, and the Jedi in general, leading to the enactment of Order 66. Part of why this was effective was because, despite their close relations, the Old Jedi Order and the Old Republic were legally distinct entities.

That is to say, Windu and the Jedi were operating in a nebulous gray area, when it came to their legal authority to arrest the Chancellor. The Imperial Knights of the later Legacy Era serve as an acknowledgment of that; the Knights are an official Imperial institution, whose primary role is to serve the Emperor, but built into that is the official recognition that they have a superseding responsibility to the Light Side of the Force, and to preserving order in the galaxy, in the form of preventing another dangerous Emperor to rise to the throne.

The Legacy Of "Legacy" – How The Future Of The Old Star Wars Timeline Is Still Relevant To The New One

Legacy Is A "How To" For Bold, Innovative Star Wars Stories

now branded as the "Legends" continuity, as it has been supplanted by Disney's new canon. Nevertheless, there are many things that the current and future generation of Star Wars storytellers can learn from the iconic series.

The best stories Star Wars' multimedia branches have to offer are those that push the franchise into new, unfamiliar territory.

Perhaps the most potent lesson Legacy has to teach is that Star Wars stories are about more than just remixing familiar elements, and revisiting fan-favorite characters. Rather, the best stories Star Wars' multimedia branches have to offer are those that push the franchise into new, unfamiliar territory. In this regard, Star Wars Legacy was a masterclass, as exemplified by the story of the Imperial Knights, and the tragic Emperor Roan Fel, which proved that the galaxy had learned the hard lesson of Emperor Palpatine's ascension.

Star Wars Legacy and Star Wars Legacy: War are available in their entirety from Dark Horse Comics.