Villains

On May 25, 1977, one of pop culture’s most recognizable villains appeared onscreen for the first time.

It began with Darth Vader, the more-machine-than-man who could end a person’s life without even touching them. His armies of white-armored soldiers were ruthless (though they had terrible aim) and his weapon of choice, a space station the size of a small moon, could destroy entire planets with a single command.

As fans would soon learn, every Sith Lord is either a master or an apprentice -- there are always two, never more, never fewer. The villain everyone thought was the worst of them all turned out to be nothing more than the servant of a much greater threat. The man, called Palpatine, could summon and disperse lightning at will, and he cared for nothing more than being the most powerful being who ever lived.

Fast forward to the heartbreaking story of how a hero becomes a villain -- a young Anakin Skywalker, innocent and powerful though possibly conceived from darkness, will not remain innocent forever. He would one day become Darth Vader, and once he did, he would do terrible things to prove his worth to his master, as all apprentices of the dark must do.

But the films were only the beginning. Pick up even one novelization from the original six Star Wars movies and you’ll quickly realize there is much more to the story. Star Wars books, since their start, have always served to fill in gaps, flesh out characters, and continue unfinished storylines. And no faction of characters benefits more from these enhancements than the villains.

Since the beginning, the list of Star Wars villains has grown. Each story poses a protagonist against their greatest enemy and forces them to confront their greatest fears. Some stories are even told from the villains’ perspective, painting the side we’ve always seen as the hero as the opposing force to be extinguished for the very first time.

From Vader to Palpatine, Krenic to Tarkin, and ancient lords like Bane to hardened warriors like Phasma, villains are just as crucial to the story of Star Wars as the heroes they fight against. Every tale has two sides, after all, and to understand the full picture, we must first examine the events from all sides.

Chances are, even if you’re a hero at heart, there’s at least one villain in a galaxy far, far away that you’re itching to learn more about. What was Vader doing as his children were growing up? Was Palpatine’s story of Darth Plageuis just a story, or something more? How did Thrawn become the only alien species to rise through the ranks of the Empire -- and where did he even come from?

The answers to many of your questions can likely be answered in a Star Wars book. Star Wars books about villains are plentiful, and once you begin exploring these stories, you’re going to have a hard time pulling yourself away from them.

Want to dive deeper into the stories surrounding the “bad guys” of Star Wars? Here’s your chance to read them all.