With a new movie and much more, the Force will be especially strong this year.
If you thought 2015 was a good year to be a Star Wars fan, wait until you see what’s in store in the coming months. Here's where the fun begins in 2016.
1. New Books
If your New Year’s resolution is to read more Star Wars novels, you will have no trouble fulfilling your goal tenfold. Start by picking up copies of Claudia Grey’s Lost Stars and Chuck Wendig’s Star Wars: Aftermath (if you haven’t already!) and get ready for more! This spring/early summer, the authors will give us even more information about the events that occurred before the new trilogy ranging from the start of the New Republic to…well, that’s about all we know so far. In Grey’s New Republic: Bloodline, we will be introduced to new characters and storylines separate from Lost Stars, in a story that will take place six years prior to the events of The Force Awakens. Wendig’s Star Wars: Aftermath -- Life Debt, due out early summer, remains mostly a mystery aside from a shot of our favorite hunk of junk on the newly-revealed cover. Either way, we're making room on the bookshelf (physical and digital).
2. The Rebels Return!
Darth Vader. New Inquisitors. Ahsoka Tano. And tons more. Star Wars Rebels' amazing second season is set to continue shortly -- so what can we expect this year? Who knows...and that's the fun of it! We can’t wait to see what new adventures await the Ghost crew when Rebels picks up this month after a short hiatus. And for those already dreading the end of Season Two, worry not -- Season Three will also commence sometime in 2016. Even Chopper is excited, we think.
3. New Star Wars Battlefront Content
Star Wars Battlefront was released to much fanfare in November, and there's more to come. EA has announced four upcoming expansion packs, and the first is slated to debut in early 2016. Some new features to look forward to include four new heroes and villains, four new game modes, 16 new multiplayer maps, and over 20 new pieces of galactic tech. If you can’t wait to dig into these new features, you may want to consider buying a season pass. It's like video game lightspeed: you'll get two-week early access to the expansion packs, as well as an exclusive “shoot first” emote. Press start!
4. More Marvel
Marvel’s Star Wars relaunch kicked off last year, and the line has changed Star Wars forever. After the debut of the flagship title Star Wars last January, we’ve seen comics focused on everyone from Leia to Lando to Chewie to Vader. Backstories were explored and deepened, secrets were revealed, and the stories were just fun. This year will bring us a new series focusing on Obi-Wan and Anakin, centered on the previously unexplored time period between The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones. Also, the excellent Kanan series wraps up this spring -- so hit the Jedi Archives and make sure you're all caught up!
5. Celebration Europe 2016
Celebration: A Star Wars party that even impresses Ewoks. If you’ve never experienced a Star Wars Celebration before, you may want to start planning a trip to the London area this summer. From July 15 - 17, the ExCeL London Exhibition Centre will host the next Celebration, including exhibits, screenings, panels, autograph sessions, and much more. At last year’s Celebration Anaheim, Kathleen Kennedy and J.J. Abrams treated fans to a brand new The Force Awakens teaser, and we also got our first peek at Rogue One from director Gareth Edwards. Who knows what surprises await this year? Don your Jedi robes and get your tickets now.
6. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
A New Hope’s opening crawl, all the way back in 1977, mentioned the Rebels' first victory against the evil Empire: the theft of plans to the dreaded Death Star. How did they do it? Rogue One, coming December 16 from director Gareth Edwards, will finally tell that story -- and it promises to be a Star Wars adventure like never before. We can't wait.
What are you looking forward to this year? Let us know in the comments below!