"Rebellions are built on hope."
hen all hope seems lost, where do we go? How do we move forward? How do we survive?
Young Jyn Erso likely asked herself these very questions on repeat as she hid alone in fear after the Empire took her parents away. Even after Saw Garerra rescued her and took her in, the heartbreak of losing all she knew and loved likely never left her.
It may have taken years. But the resulting anger started a fire within her. And from that fire rose a rebel.
From her birth and early life in Catalyst to her heroic sacrifice at the end of the Rogue One novelization, the Star Wars Expanded Universe opens our eyes to the tragically short yet iconic life of one of the Rebel Alliance’s many unforgettable martyrs.
Several volumes of the Forces of Destiny comics offered brief glimpses into Jyn’s life before she joined Cassian and crew on their life-changing mission on behalf of the Alliance. But it wasn’t until Rebel Rising that we learned the heartbreaking details of Saw’s betrayal.
Jyn’s ideologies no longer aligned with his, and though it devastated her to watch him abandon her without looking back, it turned out all for the better in the end.
When rescued from Imperial imprisonment, the Alliance offered Jyn a deal she could not refuse: Help them locate her father, and she would be free.
Only after reuniting with Saw -- after years of resentment -- did Jyn learn the truth.
The message Galen Erso left revealed he had deliberately sabotaged the Empire’s production of a certain superweapon. He inserted a fatal flaw in the Death Star’s design, and retrieving its schematics was the only way to destroy it.
All along, her father had been risking his life behind enemy lines every single day … to protect her.
Jyn lost her mother, her father, and the father figure who took her in when she found herself alone and abandoned. But she still found something to fight for. She found a reason to stand up to the Empire that took away everyone and everything she loved … and her actions changed the galaxy forever.
Because of Jyn and her team, the Alliance was able to retrieve the Death Star plans, hide them from the Empire, add a questionably experienced pilot from Tatooine to its ranks, and avenge the billions of lives lost at the hands of Grand Moff Tarkin, Darth Vader, and every other power-hungry being responsible for holding the galaxy hostage for over two decades.
The fight wasn’t over after the first Death Star went down -- there were plenty more obstacles for the Alliance to overcome. But it was a victory that inspired the hope the galaxy needed to finally set itself free.
If Jyn Erso can help save the galaxy and hold onto a cause to fight for -- right up until the end -- so can we.
For more about Jyn, her life, and her legacy, check out the books and comics featuring the unforgettable, inspirational Stardust.
Coming Soon
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Books in this Collection
Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel
When Director Krennic arrives on Lah'mu to bring Galen Erso back into the arms of the Empire, he greets him as an old friend. While his nefarious motivations are clear to any viewer, we can't help but wonder...did this friendship truly exist?
Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel answers this question by introducing us to the two men as they both attempt to climb the professional ladder in their respective fields. Galen's obsession with kyber crystals proves to be an irresistible draw to Krennic as well as a distinct hindrance to the family life that Galen and Lyra are trying to create.
If you ever wondered how the most brilliant scientist in the galaxy could walk away from his life's dream in order to hide on a farm at the edges of the universe, this is exactly the place to start.
War is tearing the galaxy apart. For years the Republic and the Separatists have battled across the stars, each building more and more deadly technology in an attempt to win the war. As a member of Chancellor Palpatine’s top secret Death Star project, Orson Krennic is determined to develop a superweapon before the Republic’s enemies can. And an old friend of Krennic’s, the brilliant scientist Galen Erso, could be the key.
Galen’s energy-focused research has captured the attention of both Krennic and his foes, making the scientist a crucial pawn in the galactic conflict. But after Krennic rescues Galen, his wife, Lyra, and their young daughter, Jyn, from Separatist kidnappers, the Erso family is deeply in Krennic’s debt. Krennic then offers Galen an extraordinary opportunity: to continue his scientific studies with every resource put utterly at his disposal. While Galen and Lyra believe that his energy research will be used purely in altruistic ways, Krennic has other plans that will finally make the Death Star a reality. Trapped in their benefactor’s tightening grasp, the Ersos must untangle Krennic’s web of deception to save themselves and the galaxy itself.
Rebel Rising
When Jyn Erso joined the ranks of the Rebellion in an attempt to free her father from the Empire's grasp, she brought along a remarkable set of skills. These abilities allowed her to complete the most crucial mission of her life in service of the Rebels, but where did she acquire those techniques in the first place?
Enter Rebel Rising. Beth Revis takes us into the depths of Gerrera's Partisans as a young Jyn Erso learns how to fight, how to survive, and perhaps most importantly...how to know who to trust. Loyalty and betrayal intermingle marvelously in this Young Adult foray into the Erso Family Canon.
When Jyn Erso was five years old, her mother was murdered and her father taken from her to serve the Empire. But despite the loss of her parents, she is not completely alone - Saw Gerrera, a man willing to go to any extremes necessary in order to resist Imperial tyranny, takes her in as his own and gives her not only a home but all the abilities and resources she needs to become a rebel herself.
Jyn dedicates herself to the cause - and the man. But fighting alongside Saw and his people brings with it danger and the question of just how far Jyn is willing to go as one of Saw's soldiers. When she faces an unthinkable betrayal that shatters her world, Jyn will have to pull the pieces of herself back together and figure out what she truly believes in...and who she can really trust.
Rogue One
Plucked directly from the opening credits of A New Hope, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story brought us exactly the type of adventure that fans had been longing for. The dark yet hopeful tone of the film is mirrored beautifully in the words of Alexander Freed in this novelization as he weaves the tale of Jyn and her compatriots.
As opposed to some other film adaptations, Freed uses this opportunity to create a novel that can truly stand on its own regardless of the reader's previous history with the film. And if you loved Rogue One as much as we did, you'll be awed by his masterful characterizations of the beloved team as they're plunged into the most harrowing moments of their lives.
As the shadows of the Empire loom ever larger across the galaxy, so do deeply troubling rumors. The Rebellion has learned of a sinister Imperial plot to bring entire worlds to their knees. Deep in Empire-dominated space, a machine of unimaginable destructive power is nearing completion. A weapon too terrifying to contemplate . . . and a threat that may be too great to overcome.
If the worlds at the Empire’s mercy stand any chance, it lies with an unlikely band of allies: Jyn Erso, a resourceful young woman seeking vengeance; Cassian Andor, a war-weary rebel commander; Bodhi Rook, a defector from the Empire’s military; Chirrut Îmwe, a blind holy man and his crack-shot companion, Baze Malbus; and K-2SO, a deadly Imperial droid turned against its former masters. In their hands rests the new hope that could turn the tide toward a crucial Rebellion victory—if only they can capture the plans to the Empire’s new weapon.
But even as they race toward their dangerous goal, the specter of their ultimate enemy—a monstrous world unto itself—darkens the skies. Waiting to herald the Empire’s brutal reign with a burst of annihilation worthy of its dreaded name: Death Star.
