EP. 187
Starting with Mask of Fear and ending with Master of Evil, 2025 was a steady parade of all-time Star Wars novels. The standalones were all brilliant, only to be outdone by the High Republic’s long-awaited finale, Trials of the Jedi. And since the Force moves in mysterious ways, it was a less significant year for streaming — notwithstanding Andor season two — and a very mixed and perplexing year for comics. That all served to make the novels stand out even more. With the year coming to a close, we look back on Star Wars stories from the last twelve months.
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EP. 186
Master of Evil by Adam Christopher adds another layer of depth and feeling to Darth Vader’s journey from shining Jedi Knight to Dark Lord of the Sith. Along the way, we encounter a sympathetic Imperial with a terminal condition, his deeply loyal droid companion, a snivelling corporation with the usual dark science underbelly, and clones who keep on serving their brothers and their commanders, because it’s their duty. We also get some meaty lore about the Sith, the Separatists, the Empire, and a whole lot in-between! So strap in because this week we’ve got a good ol’ fashioned book review!
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Guest! Ash Mothma
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EP. 185
If you can believe it, 2026 is only a month away! A new year is always a good time to consider getting into new things, or helping your friends get into new things – resolutions and all that… So if you or someone you know is hoping to get into a new-to-you-or-them part of Star Wars, we’ve got you covered this week! We look back at the last 49 years (!) of screen stories, the last 11 years of the new canon, and the upcoming 13 months of new shows, books, comics, and yes I hear there’s a film coming out, to pick out the best Star Wars on-ramps for 2026!
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Claudia Gray of Team Luminous gave us this in Master & Apprentice: “Only through sacrifice of many Jedi will the Order cleanse the sin done to the nameless. The danger of the past is not past, but sleeps in an egg. When the egg cracks, it will threaten the galaxy entire. When the Force itself sickens, past and future must split and combine. A Chosen One shall come, born of no father, and through him will ultimate balance in the Force be restored.” In Revenge of the Sith, Yoda reminds us just how slippery interpreting it can be: “A prophecy, misread could have been.” That didn’t stop Qui-Gon though: he was convinced Anakin was the one. As we approach Advent and Christmas, we explore the theme of Prophecy in Star Wars and in real-world religions!
You can watch our episodes live every Monday at 5:30 PM PT, 8:30 PM ET at https://www.youtube.com/@Starwarsunderworld/streams
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EP. 183
The Last Order by Kwame Mbalia gives us a probing story of brainwashing, heroism and disillusionment, told through the backstories of Finn and Jannah before the events of the sequel trilogy. It also gives us a fun self-insert character and framing device, who knows more about the galactic tea-making industry than we knew we wanted, and pushes the needle a few inches forward in the timeline after The Rise of Skywalker! The YA novel is a must-read for fans of the Sequel era, so this week we dive in!
You can watch our episodes live every Monday at 5:30 PM PT, 8:30 PM ET at https://www.youtube.com/@Starwarsunderworld/streams
Hosted by Matthew Neugebauer https://instagram.com/mneug1138
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EP. 182
Canon storytelling often dances around the topic of humanocentric fascism – maybe it has other fish to fry? Or maybe it’s uncomfortable to write about? However, it’s been lurking in the background of Star Wars since the very beginning. This week we square it up, face-first, and chart the development of that lurking lore point in Legends, Canon and on screen.
You can watch our episodes live every Monday at 5:30 PM PT, 8:30 PM ET at https://www.youtube.com/@Starwarsunderworld/streams
Hosted by Matthew Neugebauer https://instagram.com/mneug1138
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EP. 181
Ever since the Disney changeover, Legen…I mean EU fans have been clamouring for their favourite characters, storylines, factions and concepts to make their return to canon. Over a decade later, Thrawn is the only major example of the Legends-to-Canon pipeline, alongside some minor (and very minor) ones. This we look at what kinds of returns-to-story there could be, and offer some of our favourite examples.
You can watch our episodes live every Monday at 5:30 PM PT, 8:30 PM ET at https://www.youtube.com/@Starwarsunderworld/streams
Hosted by Matthew Neugebauer https://instagram.com/mneug1138
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Guest! Ash Mothma
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EP. 180
This week we focus on cosplay, novels and sourcebooks. How is Lucasfilm Publishing embracing the Sequel era once more? What insights might we glean from The Mandalorian Visual Guide? What’s it like to be interviewed for SW dot Com? Find out as we round up the network’s coverage of New York Comic Con 2025!
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Guest! Ash Baker
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EP. 179
Clone Force 99 goes on a wild chase through the Galaxy, which leads to some fantastic exploration of their own motivations and worries. Bad Batch: Sanctuary by Lamar Giles is at once moving and exciting, a combination brought out masterfully by Marc Thompson’s stellar audiobook performance. This week, we get ourselves back to a good old-fashioned book review!
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EP. 178
We’ll admit it: canon contradictions can sometimes be hard to swallow. Of course, screen stories have overwritten details on paper a few times, perhaps the most famous example being Caleb Dume’s experience of Order 66 in the opening moments of The Bad Batch. And what about when one paper story seems to go against another, like the apparent discrepancies between Alex Segura’s Battle of Jakku and Chuck Wendig’s Aftermath Trilogy? How much do these inconsistencies really matter? And how has our thinking and feeling about them evolved in the nearly four years(!) that we’ve been doing this podcast? This week we catch up on the Great Canon Continuity debate, and dive back in!
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EP. 177
We all know that the real winner of the Clone Wars was one Sheev Palpatine aka Darth Sidious, at least from a narrative and character point of view. How about from an institutional perspective? Between the main combatants, the Republic and the Separatists, is it possible to claim a winner? If the Empire is the successor state to the Republic, then does that mean that the clones were ultimately victorious? Or how about the ties that the New Republic and even the Resistance had to the Separatists? This week we pick up our discussion about successor states to look at its implications for our understanding of history in Star Wars.
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It's an Eye on Canon bonus episode!
Matthew got a chance to talk with Tessa Gratton, author of The Acolyte: The Crystal Crown, four High Republic novels and multiple books outside the galaxy far, far away. Give the full interview a listen here!
Tessa's socials:
Watch the Eye on Canon Podcast LIVE every Monday at 5:30 pm PT, 8:30 pm ET on The Star Wars Underworld YouTube Channel
EP. 176
The Crystal Crown is a fun and gripping adventure! It continues Tessa Gratton’s strong work from The High Republic of writing diverse young characters stepping out into a larger world. Matthew got a chance to interview Tessa all about her impressive Star Wars output and what she brings to our favourite sandbox. Catch the full interview, followed by Matthew’s and Joel’s thoughts on Tessa’s comments. And yes, we’re bringing back the original tagline for old time’s sake!
You can watch our episodes live every Monday at 5:30 PM PT, 8:30 PM ET at https://www.youtube.com/@Starwarsunderworld/streams
*Special guest* Tessa Gratton https://tessagratton.bsky.social
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EP. 175
Did the Empire succeed the Republic? Did the First Order succeed the Empire? Does that mean the First Order succeeded the Republic? Real-world history abounds with examples of regime changes, successor states and sweeping constitutional amendments. How can they help us understand similar dynamics in Star Wars? This week we’ve got our poli sci hats back on so strap yourselves in for another classic EOC deep dive!
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EP. 174Ritual, material, cultural adaptation, genuine faith: these are a few things that mark real-world communities defined by metaphysical beliefs, what we call “religions” nowadays. How well does Star Wars depict religions and their communities, at least analogously? Does it show widespread beliefs and practices, or confine them to a select few practitioners? When does it explore the relationship between the elites and the masses of a religious hierarchy? If a Jedi gives a Sunday sermon, do they have a congregation to hear it?
You can watch our episodes live every Monday at 5:30 PM PT, 8:30 PM ET at https://www.youtube.com/@Starwarsunderworld/streams
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EP. 173
One of the nicest things about an extended canon – be it in streaming shows or in books and comics – is that it gives creatives more time to flesh out and expand the characters and character beats of the films. This expansion is particularly notable for characters who only have bit parts on the big screen, but then find a new lease in life in other media. For some of these examples, it's the fan reaction to a character or even a character design that prompts both creatives and executives to give these characters more time in the sun, reminding us that the stories that Lucasfilm tells and the support (financial and otherwise) that fans give to those stories are in a symbiotic, chicken-and-egg relationship. This week we look at some major characters that had a surprisingly small amount of screen time when we first met them.
You can watch our episodes live every Monday at 5:30 PM PT, 8:30 PM ET at https://www.youtube.com/@Starwarsunderworld/streams
Hosted by Matthew Neugebauer https://instagram.com/mneug1138
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EP. 172
Ewan McGregor. John Boyega. Ethan Sacks. Paulo Villanelli. Tim Zahn. Some other folks named Matthew, Ash and Dominic. The premiere genre fandom event on the north side of the border is *just* around the corner, and we get you set for all the Star Wars content coming up!
PLUS! We do an extended “grab bag” edition of Our Week in Star Wars!
You can watch our episodes live every Monday at 5:30 PM PT, 8:30 PM ET at https://www.youtube.com/@Starwarsunderworld/streams
Hosted by Matthew Neugebauer https://instagram.com/mneug1138
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EP. 171
San Diego Comic-Con culminated in its first-ever appearance by The Maker himself, George Lucas. He was joined by Oscar-winning director Guillermo Del Toro and longtime Star Wars designer Doug Chiang to introduce the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, set to open next year. In the Hall H panel, they described the “why” of the museum, which led to a moving and profound exploration on the meaning and power of art in our social and cultural consciousness. This week we unpack their comments on the panel and talk about what that might mean for the way we approach the narrative and visual worlds of Star Wars.
You can watch our episodes live every Monday at 5:30 PM PT, 8:30 PM ET at https://www.youtube.com/@Starwarsunderworld/streams
Hosted by Matthew Neugebauer https://instagram.com/mneug1138
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Lucas Museum @ Comic-Con panel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ke3LUd2V30
Last night! Matthew joined Starrapter on Outer Rim Transmissions to look back on the High Republic initiative! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5z5RmvFXaEw
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EP. 170
San Diego Comic-Con was a whirlwind, and Star Wars sure made its mark! Filling the gap were two publishing panels, a spectacular booth celebrating Lucasfilm animation, and an awesome afterparty. Rounding out the whole convention was The Maker’s first-ever SDCC appearance! This week we continue our coverage of con season with a look at all the offerings from the Galaxy Far Far Away!
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Ep 169Begun the Clone Wars has! Back in 2003 Dark Horse comics and Jon Ostrander chronicled these events in the epic Republic comic book run. Joel is joined by Redleader Antillies to discuss it all and more!You can watch our episodes live every Monday at 5:30 PM PT, 8:30 PM ET at https://www.youtube.com/@Starwarsunde... Hosted by Joel Davis https://bsky.app/profile/jid20234.bsk... Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/eyeoncanon.b...Star Wars Underworld Podcast NetworkJoin us on Discord! / discord Audible 30-Day Free Trial https://amzn.to/3cfeebq