Okay, it is no secret to my blog readers that I dislike (sometime's highly) parts of the Expanded Universe. Due to the recent article in Insider, I feel an opposing look must be established with these 20 points. I'll go through each one, and give my viewpoint.

1. The Death of Chewbacca-New Jedi Order: Vector Prime
I have made no secret of the fact that I absolutely, positively despise the NJO series for totally (and I mean totally) messing with the Star Wars Universe. The first book started by killing off Chewbacca, which started a kill fest to see how many main characters the authors could kill off, most without reasonable cause. The Death of Chewbacca started it all and was a prelude to the worst series of all time.

2. Vader Remembering See-Threepio-Tales #6 "Thank the Maker"
This unexpectally was in here and it is actually one I can approve of. I merely skimmed through it when I read it, but it was fairly good. Vader remembers C-3PO on Cloud City when his remains are found after he was blasted by stormtroopers. It was very moving and a great link between the two trilogies.

3.Enter General Grievous-Clone Wars Chapter 20
Again another that I like (2 out of 3 isn't so bad). As many of you know, the General corners some Jedi on Hypori and ruthlessly attacks and kills most of them. Very cool and fun to watch.Even though Grievous's character changed during production to more of a coward, or someone who has others to his dirty work, still fun to watch (but don't get me started on Chapters 21-25.

4. Heirs of the Sith: Anakin Skywalker Meets Asajj Ventress-Clone Wars Chapters 17,18,19
Another okay one. Asajj was an interesting villian and the fight with Anakin was very interesting to watch. However, I thought it was weak not to have Anakin kill her, but for her to escape, defeated. She then jumps to some unknown place in Hyperspace never to return. (Maybe she'll return in Legacy of the Force, just kidding)

5. The Artistic Fate of Grand Admiral Thrawn-The Last Command
Hey, another one I like. Maybe the EU isn't too horrible after all. Anyway, Timothy Zahn's series was pretty good, especially the end. You really come to appreciate Thrawn and his genius. However, you hate him for almost destroying the New Republic. He tricked and lied to his Noghri bodyguards and his main one stabs him on the brink of a victory. He says "But is was so artistically done". A great ending.

6. Boba Fett Escapes the Sarlacc-Various (I liked the Boba Fett Trilogy the Best)
At first I was hesitant to accept that Boba lived. GL intended for him to die and I just followed that. However, when I started the aforementioned Boba Fett Trilogy, I really liked the advantures that came with him living. I like the character and the prequels (specifically AOTC) fills in some of the holes in his past.

7. Jacen Solo Descends into the Rings of Hell-New Jedi Order: Traitor
Uh oh. Brace yourselves. In one of the worst books of the NJO series, a very odd and weird storyline is woven. In this Jacen Solo is experimented on and is spritually reborn (okayyyyy) and talks about the force and its definitions. This is just plain weird, odd, messed up, etc. Why it is here, I have no idea. (I'm shaking my head as I write this).

8. Borsk Feylya, A Noble End for the Guy You Love to Hate-NJO-Star by Star
My absolute least favorite book in the series has Coruscant fall (ughh) and Borsk kill himself (along with 25,000 Vong). The changing of Coruscant is one of the absolute worst parts of the EU, taking a core world(no pun intended) of the Star Wars Saga and almost destroying it. This was the end of the New Republic (come on), and with it died pretty much the meaning of the entire saga.

9. Luke Duels with Darth Vader for the first time...Before the Empire Strikes Back-Splinter of the Mind's Eye
One, don't read Splinter. It is inconsistant with the rest of the Saga, and was written in 1978 and is really, really outdated due to what we know now. Luke and Leia have this relationship going on (They're siblings!!!) and Luke somehow beats Vader, who falls into a hole. Bad book, bad climax, bad everything.

10.The Death of Ton Phanan-X-Wing: Solo Command
(Takes Breath) Another okay one, I was able to feel the characters' emotions and the heartache when Ton died. Garik Loran, his friend, arrives but is unable to save him. But Ton's death helped Garik get over some emotional hurtles and was a good part of the book and series.

11.Darth Vader vs. Darth Maul-Tales#9 "Resurrection"
Okay, I know fans always want big bad guys of the saga to face off, but the story here is kind-of messed up. Somehow, Maul is resurrected and challenges Vader. Vader appears to be beaten, but drives his own lightsaber through himself to skewer Maul, who was behind him. A bit odd, and while it is cool, the storyline almost has to make it not canon.

12. Luke vs. Lumiya-Star Wars: A Long Time Ago
Lumiya is a "Dark Lady" (what are we going to have next "Dark Princess???") She is a great threat to the Alliance and challenges Luke Skywalker to a duel. She utilizes a Sith Lightwhip and Luke uses his lightsaber. Luke is soundly beaten by her and left for dead. Not really needed, I just don't like the Lumiya character at all. "Female Darth Vader?" Come on.

13. Luke Skywalker Creates a Jedi Academy-Jedi Academy Trilogy & I, Jedi
I used to be supportive of this storyline, but have come to highly dislike it. For one, it seems that every apprentice Luke trains, they either fall to the Dark Side, get killed by another student, or half-possessed by Exar Kun (why on Earth is he around anyway?) Luke isn't a very good teacher it seems. Also, this features the whole "Sun Crusher" storyline that is unneeded and stupid, trying to trump the Death Star. Also, Luke trains about 12 Jedi to go around the galaxy, like that is going to help at all. Also, the Jedi now can marry and be trained old, and all this stuff that was not allowed by the "old" Jedi. Oh well.....

14. Aayla Secura appears on the Big Screen-AOTC
She appeared in AOTC. Do I really care? No. Sure, I'm glad that EU people like that she is in there, but I don't have an opinion about it really. Just another character to have a cool Order 66 death scene I guess.

15. Crix Madine, A Life in Service to the New Republic-Darksaber
A stupid storyline, and a main character dying (Yippeee!!!!!!!!) I'm being sarcastic. The storyline was poorly written and not really needed. "Darksaber" the weapon was not very terrifying and Crix Madine's death not needed. Like Chewbacca's, it was the start of a slippery slope of death to film characters. I liked Crix and did not appreciate his death.

16. Exar Kun Gives in to the Dark Side-TOTJ-DLOTS(I am not writing that all out)
I've never liked Exar Kun and his "immortality", and I never liked this story. The Sith were different way back a couple thousand years ago, and Kun gives into the Dark Side to save his life. Sad sure, but a little odd for me.

17. The Redemption of Ulic Qel-Droma-TOTJ:Redemption
I liked this one surprisingly. It was a good story of Ulic trying to get over the evil he had done and rediscover the force. He helps another cast out Jedi, Vima Sunrider, and saves her from the Dark Side. A happy, if not sweeter story to be read.

18.The Pregnancy of Mara Jade Skywalker-NJO-Balance Point
Don't like it. Jedi aren't supposed to have children or get married. It's NJO, and I don't like that. It is also written by a woman author (who tends to write really weird books: Crystal Star, Children of the Jedi). I really did not like this development and that's that.

19. The Emperor Reborn-Dark Empire
Hate! Hate! Hate! Hate! Up there with NJO as bad, bad, bad. It perverts the saga (Anakin died for really nothing), messes with Star Wars Ideas (only Qui-Gon, Yoda, etc. gained immortality, NOT the sith), messes with Palpatine's character(Turns him into a weird clone that's crazy instead of the smart Palpatine), and lures Luke to the Dark Side(Not needed, not supposed to be able to come back from that). As my readers know, I absolutely hate this series and am planning an entire entry about it.

20. Ganner Rhysode, A Hero at the Gates-NJO:Traitor
Again, I hate the NJO. Sure he is nice and heroic, dying by attacking all the Vong. Sniffle, sniffle. Sure it is sweet, but again the storyline that leads up to it really stinks. Doesn't Jacen(who he's protecting) go to "hell" anyway. Sure I can feel the emotional content, but I still don't like the stuff that got the reader to this point.

Well, that's it and I hope you enjoyed it. I know probably most of you are seething at me, and I understand that. But this is the way I feel, and I can definitely say that not all these moments were "memorable".