OKAY, I REALLY LIKE BEING A DWEEB, so here’s my best shot at a comprehensive but hopefully still readable list of what goes into what continuity:
1. GEORGE LUCAS CONTINUITY:
Anything GL was around to create or supervise, which are the first six movies + The Clone Wars 2008 TV series seasons 1-6.
2. LEGENDS CONTINUITY:
Anything created before April 25th, 2014 that’s reasonably expected to be taken seriously. Books, comics, video games, and reference books. If you’re wondering if something is Legends, just check the date it was published and that’ll usually tell you!
A notable exception is that roleplaying guidebooks (like the ones from Fantasy Flight Games or Wizards of the Coast, etc.) may not be included in what’s canon to this continuity, I haven’t heard a yea or a nay specifically about their relationship with the Legends continuity.
STATUS UNSURE: LucasArts pumped out a ton of games back in the day and I’m not sure how much you’re meant to take them as part of the Legends continuity. Probably the more serious ones, yes, like KOTOR/SWTOR or Republic Commando. Probably the less serious ones like the podracing game, no. (But that’s just guessing on my part!)
3. PRE-DISNEY, NON-SERIOUS STUFF:
Things like LEGO Star Wars or activity books or trivia books or storybooks are probably going to be canon-compliant, but they’re likely not meant to be taken as part of the Legends continuity. Star Wars Infinities (like that comic where Darth Vader lived) are deliberate otherworlds stories.
4. DISNEY’S LUCASFILM CONTINUITY:
Anything post-April 25th, 2014 that’s a serious movie, TV show, novel, comic, serious video game, reference book, etc.
There are some exceptions, like some of the books that were in production during the Disney buy were still put out, but would have a disclaimer in the back about how it was based on Legends info. Fantasy Flight Games roleplaying books are canon-compliant but should not be used as “canon” material, according to the Story Group. (I don’t know if Wookieepedia is aware of this or if they disagree or it’s a gray enough area that they include it, but I have seen a lot of FFG material on the wiki, so always check the sources on something if you want to know.) The KOTOR/SWTOR games are not meant to be included in this continuity either.
However, the story mode of Battlefront II is canon, so are Jedi: Fallen Order and Vader Immortal. I believe the Forces of Destiny animated shorts + books are canon as well.
STATUS UNSURE: Mobile games that have background lore in them. For example, the game Star Wars: Commander came out in August of 2014 and has some Tusken Raiders lore (that I only know about because I read about it on Wookieepedia, I admit 😂) but I have never seen a yea or a nay on whether they’re included in this continuity.
STATUS UNSURE #2: I swear I once read one of the story group say that the From a Certain Point of View anthology books might not be canon (which would make sense, given that they have A SENTIENT CAVE in one story), but I can’t remember which one and I may have read someone else saying they read it, so I’m only including this for comprehension’s sake and something of a plea for it someone has seen a yea or a nay from an official source on this.
PERSONAL NOTES: I would put any trivia books on a very low level of “canon”, because a lot of times they’ll contain stuff like, “Finn isn’t Force-sensitive!” because it was written just after TFA came out and the ST went in the direction that he is Force-sensitive.
While Lucasfilm said that their continuity is going to be a level playing field, that all things are equally canon, they’ve proven in the last year or so that that’s bullshit and I would suggest going back to a tiered understanding of the canon. Movies + TV shows > novels/comics/serious comes >>>>> reference books.
5. DISNEY’S LUCASFILM NON-SERIOUS CONTINUITY:
LEGO stuff still isn’t canon (even though it should be! 😂), mobile games like Galaxy of Heroes probably aren’t (but I can’t say that with 100% certainty), and I don’t think stuff like the Galaxy of Adventures shorts contain enough to say one way or the other.
6. FANTASY FLIGHT GAMES’ CONTINUITY:
FFG works hard to be canon-compliant and consistent within their own world, and thus are their own separate continuity apart from the main one! As I understand (as someone who has only vaguely flipped through a few pages of their books), they are consistent within their own world that contains both Legends and Disney’s Lucasfilm Canon.
IN CONCLUSION:
None of the above is any kind of value judgement or an attempt to make you, on a personal level, keep things separate. You can (and, frankly, probably should) mix and match to your heart’s delight! This post isn’t about someone choosing what their own person canon is.
This post is purely about what Lucasfilm themselves have slotted things into, as best I can say. This is about what Lucasfilm has said they are beholden to, not you as a fan. You, as a fan, are free to do whatever the hell you want and I wish you well on slow roasting all continuities and carving out only the juicy bits!
But if you’re interested in what Lucasfilm themselves has included in a given continuity, the above should be a pretty good guide!
