When Disney acquired Lucasfilm from George Lucas for a whopping $4 billion, the Star Wars Expanded Universe immediately concluded and was latter dubbed "Legends."
This wasn't a shock as there was no way the studio would ever be beholden to decades worth of comics and tie-in novels while trying to create a new trilogy of movies - not to mention countless tie-in stories - set in a Galaxy Far, Far Away.
Understandably, many Star Wars fans have been upset to see the characters and tales they loved from the EU era sidelined and largely forgotten. However, Disney has incorporated elements of them into the new canon from the start, with Grand Admiral Thrawn's Star Wars Rebels role a perfect example of that.
As we first reported on SFFGazette.com, we're also slowly starting to see merchandise based on those stories, and Hot Toys has today unveiled a Luke Skywalker figure based on his appearance in Star Wars: Dark Empire.
Dark Horse Comics published the comic book between 1991 and 1992, and it takes place after the events of Return of the Jedi, continuing the story of Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, Han Solo, and the rest of the Rebel Alliance.
Written by Tom Veitch and illustrated by Cam Kennedy, Dark Empire explores a galaxy still reeling from the defeat of the Galactic Empire. The story introduces a new threat in the form of Emperor Palpatine's return, who has somehow managed to cheat death by transferring his consciousness into a series of clone bodies.
Palpatine, now known as the Dark Empire, launches a massive offensive against the New Republic and Luke Skywalker, struggling with the dark side of the Force and haunted by visions of his father, Darth Vader, confronts his own inner demons while facing the resurrected Emperor.
As you can see, this figure does an incredible job of recreating Luke in his Vader-inspired attire, and we do not doubt that this will be a must-have for many of you. More details and images are revealed in the Facebook post below.
Hot Toys has also revealed a new Darth Maul figure based on the villain's appearance in The Phantom Menace (and right in time for the movie's 25th anniversary).
While this is a re-issue, several improvements have been made, including a far more lifelike headsculpt, light-up USB components - including Maul's speeder and lightsaber blades - and general improvements which should make this figure stand out in any fan's collection.
You can take a look at some images in the Facebook post below.