Star Wars Insider #228

As Halloween looms, we find ourselves wondering what the scariest thing in Star Wars might be? Is it a regular monster like the rancor or the wampa? If you suffer from ophidiophobia, then the vexis from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is probably up there. The exogorth (better known as the space slug from The Empire Strikes Back) must have been extra scary for people afflicted by molluscophobia – the irrational terror of slugs and snails! Or perhaps the scariest thing about Star Wars (for long-term fans especially) is that it’s an unforgiving indicator of the passage of time. On November 12, 2024, Star Wars: The Mandalorian is five years old. That’s half a decade. How did that happen?!

Given the spooky vibes of the season, phantoms, baddies, and beasts dominate this issue of Star Wars Insider. Aside from commemorating the Mando landmark with a feature on how the show has expanded our knowledge of galactic history, we explore the horror aspects of the saga, from the Frankensteinesque transformation of Darth Vader to the Witches of Dathomir and beyond. We speak to Diana Lee Inosanto about deepening Morgan Elsbeth’s story in Tales of the Empire, and take a look inside the covers of Star Wars Bestiary Vol. 1 with the book’s writer S.T. Bende and illustrator Iris Compiet. We also catch up with Star Wars: The Acolyte’s Dafne Keen and Charlie Barnett, and Alyssa Wong’s The High Republic short fiction reaches its devastating climax.