The Force Awakens

After years of uncertainty and a major Disney acquisition, the Star Wars fandom changed forever when it was announced JJ Abrams would be directing the first of the three final films in the long-running Skywalker saga.

Bringing back legacy characters like Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Leia Organa would prove to be enough of a challenge for Abrams. Even more challenging was the task of creating a new generation of heroes and villains that would capture the hearts of fans around the world.

Abrams rose to all the challenges before him and created a movie that would set the next four years of the Skywalker saga in motion. But there’s only so much you can put into one film. Leave it to the Expanded Universe to do its part to fill in most of the gaps.

The following books not only expand upon the beloved film -- they also provide more background information about the key events leading up to the first installment of the sequel trilogy. You’ll learn more about the Battle of Jakku, the early seeds of the Resistance movement, and even a few of the legends that may or may not explain Luke Skywalker’s travels before exiling himself on Ahch-To.