Embracing The Gold Legends Banner
It's every Star Wars book collector's dream for everything to match ...
I know of a surprising amount of Star Wars book collectors who specifically hunt for Legends (“EU”) titles without the gold banner printed across the cover defining them as Legends books.
These days, Legends books are still very much in circulation (despite loud cries that these books have been wiped from existence — not sure where that belief sprang up from …). The biggest difference between Legends titles printed before 2014 and those printed after are the banners.
I’ve acquired a number of Legends hardcovers without the gold banner, and they do look quite nice. But I’m no longer in a position where I can go out of my way to hunt them down specifically — and I’m starting to believe that might actually be for the best.
Legends books sans banner — especially hardcover editions — are getting more expensive all the time. Newly printed books are limited to paperback, but even paperbacks free of the banner are no longer cheap in most cases. I recently passed up a few of them at one of my local shops, and when I returned two weeks later, they were already gone.
There’s also the fact that many Legends reprints are now available with redesigned covers as part of the Essential Legends Collection — the initiative bringing Legends to readers old and new (the prime example of Legends still being fully alive and well). Yes, they’re still labeled as Legends. But that’s because that’s what these books have become.
Legends “ending” in 2014 did not make the stories told in these books disappear. Authors and other professional Star Wars creators are still pulling inspiration from these stories all the time (think Mike Chen referencing the Revenge of the Sith novelization in his Canon work). Legends still matter. They’re just not “Canon.” (I’m going to summon a spontaneous Alden Diaz rant just from writing that.)
As a Star Wars book collector, I — like many others — like when the covers and spines of my books match. It’s fun and satisfying. Especially in photos and as a backdrop to videos and Zoom calls.
But there’s also magic in a mismatched collection. Mine includes Canon hardcovers, Legends books I’ve owned since before they were Legends (no banners), and plenty of gold-banner Legends books. I kind of like it that way. It reminds me that I’ve loved these books for a very long time, and will continue to love them for many years to come.
And that brings me to one final reason the “gold banner books” might actually be superior: They actively acknowledge Legends as an essential foundation upon which the stories Star Wars has since told continue to build.
This banner is a symbol of treasure, a mark of honor. Star Wars publishing did not erase the EU; in fact, “Legends” books matter even more now than they did before they were Legends. They are artifacts of the early days of Star Wars storytelling, worth studying and celebrating for everything they are. Legends are not past tense — they are current. They are relevant, and they are important. They always will be.
Next time you see that gold banner, think of how that book has paved the way for those that have come after it. Think of how Republic Commando pairs so wonderfully with The Bad Batch, or how the stories of The Old Republic could shape a future era of Canon storytelling. Think of Thrawn’s journey in Ahsoka and its homage to Timothy Zahn’s groundbreaking Heir to the Empire trilogy,
Legends books are, quite literally, legendary. They will remain so. Embrace the gold banner for what it is: A signpost for hundreds of legacies still wholly deserving of their spotlights.
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