# Ok so what happens after Return Of The Jedi? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 23, 2012, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-what-happens-after-return-of-the-jedi/626039 "2012-06-23T05:38:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-what-happens-after-return-of-the-jedi/626039/1 "2012-06-23T05:38:16Z")
I have never read expanded universe stuff, Clone Wars is it. I have seen in passing some ghastly stuff(Luke possessed by Palpatine’s ghost?!?) and somewhat ok stuff(invasion from organic borg) but I have never tried to sum it all up. I could read wookipedia but that isn’t fun, I know vaguely some of the pre movies backstory. Personal theories: What we saw was the straw that broke the camel’s back, with Palpatine dead and the many systems that were thhiiiiiiis close to joining the rebels before all hell breaks loose. Expect power and weakness to spark fighting all over the galaxy. I assumed when it all settles down Luke would restart a different Jedi order, based on incomplete info. I assumed Leia would become chancellor or whatever if and when the rebellion takes Coruscant. I imagine Solo would become something in the military(he is banging the chancellor afterall!) * * * So what actually happens and how far into the future does it go? ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-what-happens-after-return-of-the-jedi/626039/2 "2012-06-23T05:50:09Z")
> [@grude](#): > > I have never read expanded universe stuff, Clone Wars is it. > I have seen in passing some ghastly stuff(Luke possessed by Palpatine’s ghost?!?) and somewhat ok stuff(invasion from organic borg) but I have never tried to sum it all up. I could read wookipedia but that isn’t fun, I know vaguely some of the pre movies backstory. > > Personal theories: > > What we saw was the straw that broke the camel’s back, with Palpatine dead and the many systems that were thhiiiiiiis close to joining the rebels before all hell breaks loose. Expect power and weakness to spark fighting all over the galaxy. > > I assumed when it all settles down Luke would restart a different Jedi order, based on incomplete info. > > I assumed Leia would become chancellor or whatever if and when the rebellion takes Coruscant. > > I imagine Solo would become something in the military(he is banging the chancellor afterall!) > > * * * > > So what actually happens and how far into the future does it go? The list of books is very extensive it’s pretty hard to summarize. I stopped reading sometime around Leia’s third child getting killed off. ---
**Author:** ![DataZak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ea666f/32.png) [@DataZak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataZak)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-what-happens-after-return-of-the-jedi/626039/3 "2012-06-23T05:52:38Z")
Luke gets married to someone who used to be Palpatine’s enforcer, Chewbacca dies, Han and Leia get married. They have kids but one of them becomes Sith. Somewhere along the way the New Republic (what the Rebels call themselves now) lost Coruscant to a new threat called Yuzhan Vong, remnants of the old Imperial forces and other threats. Or something like that. I only read the Thrawn trilogy and they weren’t very good. Mediocre at best. Star Wars ended with Return of the Jedi. It’s better that way. ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-what-happens-after-return-of-the-jedi/626039/4 "2012-06-23T06:52:30Z")
The Empire was defeated and balance was restored to the Force and everyone lived happily ever after. Only cynics would need to know more. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-what-happens-after-return-of-the-jedi/626039/5 "2012-06-23T11:40:53Z")
The Endor moon was rendered lifeless by mountain-sized chunks of the second Death Star crashing into it like asteroids. That’s the _immediate_ aftermath, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-what-happens-after-return-of-the-jedi/626039/6 "2012-06-23T12:02:55Z")
Luke took up the shattered reins of power and ruled the reformed Empire (under the name of “The New Republic”) with an iron fist. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-what-happens-after-return-of-the-jedi/626039/7 "2012-06-23T14:06:24Z")
c.f., The Balkans. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-what-happens-after-return-of-the-jedi/626039/8 "2012-06-23T14:17:39Z")
Not bad. Politically, yes, ending Palpatine’s rule isn’t enough to bring sweetness and light to the galaxy. There are a LOT of power centers out there with significant military power and the willingness to use it. Given the Emperor’s style of ruling he’s created a class of underrulers who are only restrained by he, Vader, and the fleet. With those three removed suddenly others will, and do, attempt to move into the power vaccuum. Balkanization of the galaxy ensues with many petty fiefdoms established and a few existential threats to the nascent New Republic…which doesn’t really have the organization, power or moral authority to establish a new governing system. God only knows the amount of dead in brushfire wars and such. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-what-happens-after-return-of-the-jedi/626039/9 "2012-06-23T17:14:27Z")
In fact, I got the impression that Palpatine’s black soul was basically laughing his ass off at the universe, because while he was a bastard and a half, he was still way better than most real-world tyrants of the 20th century, AND actually did provide economic growth while evidently not giving a damn about what most people did as long as they didn’t try to rebel against his political domination. Hell, he even left most local government alone. It’s actually kind of sad, but as near as I can tell, the worst things he did as Evil Overlord boil down to, “I tolerate a lot of speciesism because I don’t care enough to spot it, and I murder ther shit out of anyone who opposes me.” Yup, the fictional Evil Overlord is actually very preferable to many real-world rulers, some of whom are considered halfway decent. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-what-happens-after-return-of-the-jedi/626039/10 "2012-06-23T17:24:54Z")
> [@smiling\_bandit](#): > > It’s actually kind of sad, but as near as I can tell, the worst things he did as Evil Overlord boil down to, “I tolerate a lot of speciesism because I don’t care enough to spot it, and I murder ther shit out of anyone who opposes me.” Yup, the fictional Evil Overlord is actually very preferable to many real-world rulers, some of whom are considered halfway decent. I don’t know where the speciesism thing comes from, but in the prequels bad as they were Palp’s doesn’t have one human yes man or bootlicker to be seen. I even wondered if Palpatine had intentionally used inter-species tension to start the seperatist movement under his nom de sith. He was the second human chancellor in a row too in a galaxy with millions of sentient species? Lucas seems not to agree but I think the force wanted the old jedi order gone, it almost seems like that was the whole point of the whole six films. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-what-happens-after-return-of-the-jedi/626039/11 "2012-06-23T17:47:49Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > The Endor moon was rendered lifeless by mountain-sized chunks of the second Death Star crashing into it like asteroids. > > That’s the _immediate_ aftermath, anyway. Wouldn’t the chunks remain in orbit? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-what-happens-after-return-of-the-jedi/626039/12 "2012-06-23T17:49:48Z")
> [@DataZak](#): > > I only read the Thrawn trilogy and they weren’t very good. Mediocre at best. Star Wars ended with Return of the Jedi. It’s better that way. On the other hand, I PRAYED that the “new” trilogy would be based on the Thrawn books. I still wish they had. Zahn’s trilogy was about 1000x better than the absolute suck Lucas gave us with the prequels. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-what-happens-after-return-of-the-jedi/626039/13 "2012-06-23T17:55:57Z")
> [@smiling\_bandit](#): > > In fact, I got the impression that Palpatine’s black soul was basically laughing his ass off at the universe, because while he was a bastard and a half, he was still way better than most real-world tyrants of the 20th century, AND actually did provide economic growth while evidently not giving a damn about what most people did as long as they didn’t try to rebel against his political domination. Hell, he even left most local government alone. > > It’s actually kind of sad, but as near as I can tell, the worst things he did as Evil Overlord boil down to, “I tolerate a lot of speciesism because I don’t care enough to spot it, and I murder ther shit out of anyone who opposes me.” Yup, the fictional Evil Overlord is actually very preferable to many real-world rulers, some of whom are considered halfway decent. Umm…he blew up an entire inhabited planet just to make a point. I’m not sure any amount of “making the trains run on time” can really make up for that. (ETA: dunno if its canon or not, but wikipedia gives the pop. of Alderaan as 2 billion. Thats more killing of random innocent people in one afternoon then Mao, Stalin, Hitler and Pol Potts combined career totals) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-what-happens-after-return-of-the-jedi/626039/14 "2012-06-23T18:16:03Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Wouldn’t the chunks remain in orbit? Not all of them. They got a huge vector outward when the reactor blew. Like **jayjay** , I really wished that Lucas had gone with the Thrawn trilogy instead of the suck. They are a good story with interesting characters, ominous bad guys, and some nice twists. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-what-happens-after-return-of-the-jedi/626039/15 "2012-06-23T18:31:03Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Umm…he blew up an entire inhabited planet just to make a point. I’m not sure any amount of “making the trains run on time” can really make up for that. > > (ETA: dunno if its canon or not, but wikipedia gives the pop. of Alderaan as 2 billion. Thats more killing of random innocent people in one afternoon then Mao, Stalin, Hitler and Pol Potts combined career totals) Of course. And in the galaxy, this is a tiny and trivial loss of life, only notable for happening all at once. And it shouldn’t be forgotten that Alderaan was leading a civil war at the time. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-what-happens-after-return-of-the-jedi/626039/16 "2012-06-23T18:32:38Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > Given the Emperor’s style of ruling he’s created a class of underrulers who are only restrained by he, Vader, and the fleet. With those three removed… Actualy, it’s unclear that the most of the fleet was even affected by the loss of the second Death Star. There are any number of Admirals still out there on super star destroyers who could destroy the remaining rebel fleet. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-what-happens-after-return-of-the-jedi/626039/17 "2012-06-23T18:37:29Z")
Yes, this is tongue-in-cheek, but it’s honestly not a particularly insane version of events, particularly given that the EU depicts the entire post-RotJ galaxy as complete chaos, which ultimately ends up a century later not with Republican government, but simply a new and somewhat gentler monarchy which alots a strong place for the Jedi within it. And said monarchy is descended principally not from the new Republic, but from the remnants of the _Empire_. See also [http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/001/248ipzbt.asp](http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/001/248ipzbt.asp) , for a hilariously apt article. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-what-happens-after-return-of-the-jedi/626039/18 "2012-06-23T18:44:49Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Umm…he blew up an entire inhabited planet just to make a point. I’m not sure any amount of “making the trains run on time” can really make up for that. Also, he wasn’t merely “tolerant” of speceism, he instituted species-based chattel slavery throughout the Empire. I’m not sure the claims of economic growth or local autonomy hold up, either. He let the “local governors” run things, but the local governors were selected by him through a system of cronyism, and he didn’t much care how much abuse, mismanagement, or graft they engaged in, just so long as they didn’t screw things up so badly that he had to step in and fix things. It’s not a system that’s conducive to healthy individual liberties or stable economies. Plus, he shut down the Galactic Holonet to help stifle dissent, depriving billions of sophonts access to the their desperately needed space porn. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-what-happens-after-return-of-the-jedi/626039/19 "2012-06-23T18:53:05Z")
> [@smiling\_bandit](#): > > Of course. And in the galaxy, this is a tiny and trivial loss of life, only notable for happening all at once. And it shouldn’t be forgotten that Alderaan was leading a civil war at the time. I don’t think that’s accurate. They were a hot bed for anti-Imperial sentiment, and members of the government were colluding with rebel forces, but Alderaan itself was not in revolt. Hell, they didn’t even have a military. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-what-happens-after-return-of-the-jedi/626039/20 "2012-06-23T19:08:32Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Actualy, it’s unclear that the most of the fleet was even affected by the loss of the second Death Star. There are any number of Admirals still out there on super star destroyers who could destroy the remaining rebel fleet. Not quite. It’s explained in the Thrawn trilogy that the Emperor provided coordination between the fleets with the Force. It’s brought up specifically as the reason fleet operations went all to hell after his death in Jedi. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-what-happens-after-return-of-the-jedi/626039.md?page=2)