Star Wars Canon Debate

[Yukaphile]

Mecha82 said in the Fighter Showdown thread he was happy that a fighter from Legends made its way into canon. My question for debate is, why are fans getting so hung up on "what's canon?" Why do they want what was shown in Legends to come into the Disney canon? Seriously, I don't get it. Legends still exists, and it's still good. Is this more of the "I hate a lot of the stuff in Legends, so I just want those in charge to cherry-pick the good stuff to bring into the new canon?" When you're sitting side-by-side along hugely divisive works like Last Jedi, really? Ultimately, what is the point of bringing something from Legends into Disney canon? To me, I really hate that. It's plundering 30 years of world-building while doing nothing new. I guess an argument can be made for people wanting to see further adventures from their old beloved pieces of the verse, but regardless, to me the point of a reboot is to do something new. Adding stuff from the previous continuity is lazy storytelling to make a quick buck, and ultimately is not doing anything new. Why not create new fighters, new capital ships, new characters, new planets, new enemies, new everything? I know the answer to the reason for those in charge is that they can't deviate too far from the norm or it would stop being Star Wars and people would hate it, but honestly, that's no excuse. I frankly would wish for something new from Star Wars "canon" rather than bastardizing Legends elements into canon and getting them wrong in the end anyway, like changing the looks of planets or renaming them, seriously.

[Mecha82]

My personal view is that when some good elements like Grand Admiral Thrawn and TIE Defender are added to canon from Legends gives more people chance to get to know those. As strange it might seem to some Legends fans not every SW fan is into Legends or even cares about it or even has to be. Like every other fandom SW one isn't some hive mind were everyone has to think same and have same likes and dislikes so it makes sense that not everyone in it is into Legends.

Also my personal view is that both canon and Legends have they share of both good and bad material. Legends isn't this flawless collection of material that some Legends fans make it seem to be like while canon has it's share of actually good material as well as material that can be liked even when those are flawed. I know because I have read my share of Legends material back in day with plenty of those having been actually bad while repeating same plot points that other writers had already done in they SW stories.

At end of day what connects SW fandom is love for SW in it's different forms while what divides it is toxicity and hostility towards anyone who doesn't share certain way of thinking. That has always been there but with age of social media it has become easier to get out those views and find others that share those views.

[Yukaphile]

See, I don't take that view. I say, let them find out via the old material.

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

Legends still exists, and it's still good. Is this more of the "I hate a lot of the stuff in Legends, so I just want those in charge to cherry-pick the good stuff to bring into the new canon?" When you're sitting side-by-side along hugely divisive works like Last Jedi, really? Ultimately, what is the point of bringing something from Legends into Disney canon? To me, I really hate that. It's plundering 30 years of world-building while

Like what is that even supposed to mean? As if it being divisive means that you're supposed to have no reverence for what is canon? Even if you're someone that likes the movie?

, to me the point of a reboot is to do something new.

Well man that's not really the point of a reboot. It's an opportunity for that, but is certainly not some sort of requisite. And having one character from the prior lore doesn't invalidate it from being something new and original.

[Elderdog]

I'd argue that it's because the Legends Canon was the only real lifeline that the fans had to the franchise considering that Lucas took years to release the prequel trilogy and explain the Clone Wars; until that time the only Star Wars media that fans had where the comics, books, and some bad to mediocre TV shows and movies. Thankfully, the Thrawn Trilogy was able to reinvigorate the franchise but, in some ways Thrawn was to good and Lucas basically flooded the market with so much Star Wars media that the canon became almost impenetrable to the average fan.
Heck, I remember obsessively collecting all of the essential guides and going on Wookiepedia binges so I could understand every aspect of the Star Wars universe and have a leg up on my friends whenever we discussed Star Wars. However, when Disney announced that they where making the Sequel trilogy all that knowledge I had gathered became unnecessary and I admit that I felt disappointed but, I was happy that there would be more movies and that new people would be able to streamline the franchise. The problem was that not everyone felt like that, and the hardcore Legends fandom felt betrayed and developed into a bitter subculture within the fandom and we haven't recovered since.

[Yukaphile]

We shouldn't hold either in reverence. I really dislike those in charge using the damn words "canon" and "non-canon." Call 'em both separate continuities, I think it'd diminish nerd flame wars.

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

We shouldn't hold either in reverence. I really dislike those in charge using the damn words "canon" and "non-canon." Call 'em both separate continuities, I think it'd diminish nerd flame wars.

No. Canon is a thing.

[Yukaphile]

But for Western creators and audiences, it's a straitjacket. Japan don't care about that stuff.

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

That's a different topic I'm afraid.

[Mecha82]

I'd argue that it's because the Legends Canon was the only real lifeline that the fans had to the franchise considering that Lucas took years to release the prequel trilogy and explain the Clone Wars; until that time the only Star Wars media that fans had where the comics, books, and some bad to mediocre TV shows and movies. Thankfully, the Thrawn Trilogy was able to reinvigorate the franchise but, in some ways Thrawn was to good and Lucas basically flooded the market with so much Star Wars media that the canon became almost impenetrable to the average fan.
Heck, I remember obsessively collecting all of the essential guides and going on Wookiepedia binges so I could understand every aspect of the Star Wars universe and have a leg up on my friends whenever we discussed Star Wars. However, when Disney announced that they where making the Sequel trilogy all that knowledge I had gathered became unnecessary and I admit that I felt disappointed but, I was happy that there would be more movies and that new people would be able to streamline the franchise. The problem was that not everyone felt like that, and the hardcore Legends fandom felt betrayed and developed into a bitter subculture within the fandom and we haven't recovered since.

While I try to understand other side as well I feel same way about this as you do. It's like Legends material has become cage to it's fans that can't seem to go beyond it and accept that it's no longer all there is when it comes SW material beyond movies and regard it as something perfect. I do think that this leads to that bitterness towards material that is considered canon and they are unable to accept that they way of being SW fans isn't that one correct one but just one way to be SW fan as well as leading them to hate all new material and considering it automatically inferior to they beloved Legends because of it. That bitterness and hate only hurts SW fandom in whole because it makes it seem really toxic and unwelcoming because those people are most vocal part of fandom.