This is it everyone… we are officially in the week of Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
That means if you plan on being caught up with the new canon before the new movie comes out, you better start cramming!
As a small preface, if you’re looking for an in-depth look at the current Star Wars timeline, you check out Aaron’s Definitive Chronological Viewing Order instead. This post will be more useful to you as a reference sheet: a quick and dirty rundown of what’s canon, and where to find it.
Books
A New Dawn
The first novel to be published in the new canon, this story reveals how Hera and Kanan from Rebels first met.
Where to get it: Amazon (available in hardcover, paperback, Kindle, and audiobook)
Dark Disciple
In this Clone Wars-era story, Asajj Ventress and Quinlan Vos join forces to hunt down Count Dooku.
Where to get it: Amazon (available in hardcover, Kindle, and audiobook)
Lords of the Sith
Darth Vader and the Emperor crash land on Ryloth, with an army of resistance fighters standing between them and their escape.
Where to get it: Amazon (available in hardcover, Kindle, and audiobook)
Tarkin
This story reveals the backstory of Grand Moff Tarkin as he rises through the Imperial ranks, and finds himself on a collision course with a burgeoning rebel movement.
Where to get it: Amazon (available in hardcover, paperback, Kindle, and audiobook)
Rise of the Empire
This compilation contains Tarkin, A New Dawn, and unfortunately for anyone who already bought those… three exclusive canon short stories.
Where to get it: Amazon (available in paperback and Kindle)
Battlefront: Twilight Company
Despite the title, there’s no reason you’d need to play Battlefront to enjoy this novel. Twilight Company is a Galactic Civil War-era story that follows the Sixty-First Mobile Infantry in the Rebel army.
Where to get it: Amazon (available in paperback and Kindle)
Heir to the Jedi
This one’s a Luke Skywalker adventure set in between A New Hope and Empire.
Where to get it: Amazon (available in hardcover, paperback, Kindle, and audiobook)
Aftermath
Set after Return of the Jedi, this story unfolds on the remote planet of Akiva as the surviving Imperial leaders converge for a secret meeting.
Where to get it: Amazon (available in hardcover, Kindle, and audiobook)
The Perfect Weapon
This digital-only short story takes place pretty close to the time period of The Force Awakens, and follows a bounty hunter on the trail of a mysterious ex-stormtrooper.
Where to get it: Amazon (available in Kindle, and audiobook)
The Weapon of a Jedi, Smuggler’s Run, and Moving Target
This trio of young adult novels feature stories centered around Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia respectively, each set in between A New Hope and Empire.
Where to get it: Amazon – Weapon of a Jedi, Smuggler’s Run, Moving Target (available in hardcover, Kindle, and audiobook)
Lost Stars
This young adult novel follows star-crossed lovers as their story weaves in and out of major events during the original trilogy, a little bit beyond.
Where to get it: Amazon (available in hardcover, Kindle, and audiobook)
Star Wars The Force Awakens: Before the Awakening
This anthology featuring short stories centered around Rey, Finn, and Poe will be released on the same day as the movie.
Where to get it: Amazon (available in hardcover and Kindle on December 18)
Comics
Darth Maul – Son of Dathomir
The only Dark Horse comic to remain in the new canon, this 4-issue miniseries follows Darth Maul after his appearance on the Clone Wars TV series.
Where to get it: The trade paperback is out of print, and thus a little bit hard to find, but the four individual issues are available on Kindle and Comixology for a couple of bucks each.
Kanan
It’s Kanan Jarus’s story before the events of Rebels.
Where to get it: It’s an ongoing series, so you can either pick up the individual issues, or grab the first six collected as a trade paperback volume.
Princess Leia
A five-issue miniseries following a secret mission undertaken by Princess Leia following the destruction of the first Death Star.
Where to get it: All five issues have been collected as a TPB.
Lando
A five-issue miniseries following Lando Calrissian before he became the administrator of Cloud City.
Where to get it: All five issues are out, but the TPB won’t be available until January. You can grab digital versions of the individual issues via Marvel’s app or through Comixology.
Chewbacca
A five-issue miniseries that fnds Chewbacca stranded on a remote planet after a mission goes wrong.
Where to get it: The first four issues will be out before the movie comes out. Since there’s no TPB yet, you’ll need to pick up the individual issues.
Shattered Empire
A four-issue miniseries set shortly after the end of Return of the Jedi, and featuring Poe Dameron’s parents.
Where to get it: You can grab the TPB here.
Star Wars
This ongoing series mostly focuses on Luke, but everyone from Han and Leia to Boba Fett make appearances. The first 12 issues have been collected in two TPB volumes.
Where to get it: You can pick up volume one here, and volume two here.
Darth Vader
This Vader-centric series is ongoing, but the first 12 issues have been collected in two TPB volumes.
Where to get it: You can pick up volume one here, and volume two here.
Vader Down
Darth Vader crash lands on a Rebel-controlled planet. shenanigans ensue.
Where to get it: There’s only one issue of Vader Down, the rest of the story is concluded in issues of Star Wars and Darth Vader. Here’s a link to the Kindle version of the issue, although it’s also available on Comixology, and direct through Marvel’s app.
TV Shows
The Clone Wars
This longrunning animated series predates the Disney acquisition, but managed to survive the canon purge. The six seasons of the show are preceded by a feature-length movie, also titled The Clone Wars.
Where to get it: This one is a bit tricky. The first five seasons of the show are available on Blu-ray and Netflix, but only Netflix has the final sixth season. There are also two episode arcs that were never finished (still canon though), but are available to watch as animatics on StarWars.com.
Rebels
This animated series set five years before A New Hope recently wrapped up its second season.
Where to get it: The first season is available on Blu-ray, while the second can be purchased digitally from Amazon, iTunes, and other retailers.
Video Games
Star Wars: Uprising
This mobile RPG is set in the Anoat sector, and takes place shortly after Return of the Jedi.
Where to get it: It’s a free download on iOS and Android (App Store and Play Store respectively).
Star Wars Battlefront
Battlefront isn’t strictly canon, but as we’ve previously pointed out, it does introduce a lot of elements of the new canon.
Where to get it: Pretty much anywhere video games are sold. Amazon for boxed copies, Origin/PSN/Xbox Live for digital.
Jakku Spy
A Google Cardboard VR experience available through the Star Wars app, and featuring a series of shorts set on Jakku. Fans are torn on whether or not it’s canon, semi-canon, or just for fun (it’s officially described as, “a compelling story, which ties directly into the opening of Star Wars: The Force Awakens”).
Where to get it: The Star Wars app is a free download on Android, iOS, and Kindle. Free Star Wars-themed Google Cardboard headsets are available at select Verizon Stores (for Verizon customers).
The Movies
Last but not least, the two trilogies are obviously canon. Below are the Amazon links if you want to buy them individually. Here are links for the prequel and original Blu-ray sets. And here’s a link for all of them together.
If you’d prefer to own them digitally, all six are also available on iTunes, Google Play, Vudu, Amazon Instant Video, Xbox Store, PlayStation Store, and Disney Movies Anywhere.
Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
