Eye on Canon Podcast

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 comman...

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 year...

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 throu...

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 timeli...

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 li...

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...

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! You can watch our episodes live every Monday at 5:30 PM PT, 8:30 PM ET at https://w...

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! You can watch our episodes l...

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 Ja...

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 ulti...

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: Bluesky Instagram Watch the Eye on Canon Podcast LIVE every Monday at 5:30 pm PT, 8:30 pm ET on The Star Wars Underworld YouTube C...

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’...

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 anoth...

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 relationsh...

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&#...

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:...

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 meani...

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! You c...

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:...

EP.   168 They did it. They really did it. In Trials of the Jedi by Charles Soule, the story of the High Republic publishing initiative comes to a gripping, heartfelt and utterly satisfying end. This week we dive deep into the twists and turns of adventure and introspection carried throughout by this extremely well-paced and engaging final novel. You can watch our episodes live every Monday at 5:3...

EP.   167 The origins of Star Wars lie in Modesto, California, an All-American city in the San Joaquin Valley. While creatives from across the globe have made their mark on the Galaxy Far, Far Away, the franchise is first and foremost a piece of American pop culture. George Lucas used his platform and his imagination to reflect on the ins and outs, ups and downs of his own world, his own society,...

EP 166 Connections to Canada in Star Wars might be a bit obscure, but they’re there if you know where to look. Thankfully, half the members of this podcast hail from the Great White North, so we can spot plenty of references. From Naboo’s shimmering lakes and benevolent constitutional monarchy, to real-world creatives like Hayden Christensen, Deborah Chow and Pablo Hidalgo, Canada surely punches a...

EP. 165The Death Star: the ultimate power in the galaxy, or is it insignificant next to the power of the Force? Or maybe it's a small moon? This week we continue the Andor momentum train with a look at the fearsome superweapon that started it all, and what it symbolizes in the mythology of Star WarsYou can watch our episodes live every Monday at 5:30 PM PT, 8:30 PM ET at https://www.youtube.co...

EOC 164 The year is 1991. The Star Wars Trilogy ended nearly a decade ago and fans have been left in the lurch. Though entries such as the Ewoks films and Droids sustained us for so long, we yearned to know what happened to our main trio. That story came thanks to Tim Zahn, a science fiction author who gave us that answer in the form of the Thrawn Trilogy. You can watch our episodes live every Mon...

EP.   163 “History is replete with turning points.” This rings true in any franchise, including the Star Wars Canon timeline. Of course, how in-universe historians and real-world fans come to define the most important of these events depends a lot on what we consider the overall thrust of the grand narrative. This week we count down each of our top 5 most important events, with some honourable men...