Dark Empire Episode 2, Devastator of Worlds
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ส.ค. 2024
- Years after the battle of Endor, a new danger threatens the galaxy. It's up to Luke, Leia, Han, and Chewie to once more rise to the challenge! The second episode in the ongoing Dark Empire fan series.
Sound effects and voice talent are from the 1994 time warner audio publishing Dark Empire Audio Drama (Yes that is Billy D Williams as Lando)
special thanks to Autodidactic Studios (www.autodidact...) for their support of the wilkinsanimations TH-cam channel!
Special thanks to Outlier Studios who made all the music!
Here is their webpage and youtube channel:
-www.outlierstu...
- • STAR WARS Expanded Uni...
Special Thanks to Petr Harmy for our fun interview! You can watch the interview here: • Harmy interviews Wilki...
Special thanks to PartTimeSeagull for modeling and rigging the spectacular Palpatine rig, check out his youtube channel here: / @parttimeseagull5186
Special thanks to Dash Nolan for 3D modeling the spaceships, check out his channel here: / @gunrunning-theseries1756
The Story is from the 1991 Dark Horse Comic Dark Empire by Tom Veitch and Cam Kennedy
Furthermore, thank you to all my Patreon supporters!
If you too would like to support the channel and what I do, here is the link to my / spikeytortoise
Last time I was this early the EU wasn't called "Legends".
I honestly don’t mind the name cause it just proves that the EU was legendary
@@JonP1245
Exactly!
@@JonP1245 True, but I'd still rather not use Disney's pet name for it
Palpatine: Don't worry my young apprentice, in time the Disney Trilogy will be called...
...fanfiction.
@@nightwalker174 Pretty sure it's more Lucas publishing's name for it?
“My fathers destiny... is my own.”
I am a Sith, like my father before me
@@julesleman8151 so be it.. Sith
The emperor has never been more dangerous than he is in this trilogy
As a reader of the graphic novel I am so very impressed and it’s the old EU materials coming back to life coming to take it back from the dark Disney Kathleen Kennedy nightmare.
@@deleonfrancis60 I have the massive three-in-one novel, love it
Cant wait to see Empire's End in this style, at least it will be more consistent than the ersatz artist they got after Cam Kennedy. His art was something out of this world.
I like when he comes back as david bowie!
@@deleonfrancis60 long live kathleen kennedy🤤
"If there is a dark center of the Universe R2, this is it"
That line always gives me the chills
It's a great reference to Luke's line in ANH
@@matt55800 which one?
@@Automadon “If there’s a bright center to the universe, you’re in the planet that it’s farthest from” Luke says to C-3PO
Does this mean Darth Jar Jar was on Byss??
@Bob Radvanovsky What’s the Rise of Skywalker, you mean that piece of shit Dark Empire ripoff?
The Resurrected Emperor of _Dark Empire_ was something straight out of Lovecraftian Horror and adds to the reasons why people rejected the sham we got in TROS.
This is so high quality and so underrated that it’s criminal
Thank you!! Really appreciate you saying that. 🙏
Agreed
You should see heir to the Empire that's got great quality too
@Trey Stephens Disney just published a reprinting of these comics, dummy
Yea
"You can't fight the dark side if you can't understand it."
Yoda's jedi order failed because it didn't understand the dark side more
@@jayvhoncalma3458 Also because they were isolated in guilded towers and had no idea how most of the galaxy worked, lived, or thought.
@@johnj.spurgin7037 I'd argue this is more the case, specifically for the PT-era Jedi. they aren't the bad guys, they're just not living up to what the galaxy needs at that moment
@@adambomber3384 That's the perfect way to describe it. Most people like to think of the Jedi as evil simply based on misunderstanding that.
Its so cool they got Billy Dee Williams to reprise his role as Lando Calrissian
He always plays lando whenever they bring him back
Aye, gotta give props to the old audio drama crew from the 90's being able to recruit him into doing this. Then again, Billy Dee is a sweetheart.
Also, little fun fact, the dude who voices Palpatine here also played him in several other SW works, such as Genndy Tartakovsky's 2003 Clone Wars.
@@youngsmitty347 ah, the one where Grievous is actually scary and not an asthmatic sunday morning cartoon villain.
Wait that was actually Billy Dee Williams?!!! Are you serious? No sound alike. The actual actor?!!! If so holy crap!
@@Jackal_El_Lobo34 Aye, his voice from the 1990's radio drama of DE.
In a memory of Dave Prowse as Darth Vader and
Jeremy Bullock as Boba Fett
And Peter Mayhew as Chewbacca.
And Carrie Fisher
Peter mayhew
And Kenny Baker as R2
Here we go to the darkest area of Legends and when it's the scariest moments for the galaxy when Palpatine nearly destroyed it all.
What's "Legends"?
@@cttc-chintokastacticalcrap2421 legends is the universe of Star Wars before Disney came and replaced it with their own Canon. And adding that the Legends is complex and there's no doubt for it, but it add a whole lot of different event that happen all at one and even gives the Yuuzan Vong war where star wars literally went to Warhammer 40k in a few years and then went back to normal star wars.
@@cttc-chintokastacticalcrap2421 Dark Empire is also a part of Legends.
Personally the Vong were a bit more frightening than the resurrection of Palpatine, but that’s just me.
@@ericchung3177 they are.
This is a masterpiece!
Didn't you hate everything that is after episode 6 canon and legends?
@@kocaola2503 no they just believe star wars should end in return of the jedi they can still enjoy stories after episode 6
@@kocaola2503 scoundrels cantina was one of the supporters of the first episode 1 year ago
@@kocaola2503 Also the scoundrels cantina likes mandalorian and other stories after episode 6 so I doubt they hate it
Brutal
Love the melding of the old Droids cartoon style, the Dark Empire story and little nods to the sequels.
And Tartakovsky Clone Wars as well
Star wars droids 1985
Star wars Ewoks
I would say anything from the Diswars sequels is unnecessary in this masterpiece. Had to criticize Darth Sidious in the diswars garbage mechanical contraption. Edit that part out and the rest of the episode is 100% accurate to the Dark Empire comic.
@@starfreakist what’s diswars? Honestly I like the mic between the sequels and the dark empire comic, I think that’s what we should have got. Because I think the sequels are ok, but they lack new and original ships, same with dark empire. Now hold on, when I say new and original, I mean any other ships besides the old empires Star destroyers in dark empire, and lack of ships besides reserve the class Star destroyers. Like, imagine if the dark empress Star destroyers were reserve the class Star destroyers instead of the old ones? And they made that the sequels? That would have been cool.
@@starfreakistNah the hanging thing from Rise of Skywalker is badass. Gotta give credit where credit is due.
This is really good. It's easy to tell that this is a real passion-project.
Thank you! Lots and lots of hard work went into this, so seriously appreciate the kind words!!
Dear God, the wait was worth it. This is quality and a half.
Thank you!! So happy you thought it was worth the wait, and appreciate you taking the time to let us know!
Brilliant. Can’t wait to see more. Also, major props for making that Sidious design actually kinda work.
I am inclined to agree. His voice also adds to the sense of dread to that scene. I always liked how the mechanism that held Palpatine together looked the way it did. Made the Dark Side look like the stuff of nightmares.
I don’t know I kinda think it looked better in rise of Skywalker Here it kinda looks like he is in a mechanical diaper
dang it Evan don’t encourage the incorporation of Disney’s utter stupidity
@@aacproductions996 Well, reborn Sidious isn't something great at all...
@@CommanderRex- You sound biased.
Oh okay the TH-cam algorithm is on fire this evening. Let me just send this to everyone I know
*The Star Wars that should have been, but will never be again.*
Imagine being the people that were denying that rise of Skywalker would rip off dark empire only be proven wrong on opening night
@@LyciaD3 this is literally the audio adaptation of Dark empire from back in the day
@@yuzzem64 Yeah, but this depiction of Palpatine differs from the comic, to be closer to TROS
I prefer the younger look from the comics
Have y’all ever scene that crazy animated dark empire light saber duel? That palpatine looks awesome
I think the word is 'adapted', and although I hate TROS, I commend them for using EU material in that way.
Now THIS is the Palpatine that I remembered.
Once again, The Mouse- with all the money in the world and legions of minions at its back- is no match for the heart and dedication of a loving, devoted fan base.
God imagine the thrawn trilogy in this style...
That would be amazing.
Check out "Heir to the Empire" by DarthAngelus.
But yes, it would be nice to get the Thrawn books done in this style of animation.
@@Kirkmaximus already have. It’s good but I like the style of this. The retro, classic Star Wars feel to it would be perfect for the thrawn trilogy given that it’s one of the most well recognized legends book series out there. And was basically the Start off point to the legends universe after the original trilogy.
Darthangelus’s interpretation is still good though.
The REAL sequels.
Don’t forget the thrawn trilogy which came right before this. Both are canon in legends same as how the yuuzhan vong were undisputed canon
@@RomanumChristum tbh I feel both would not be great for a starwars movie trilogy though I’m a little more favorable towards dark empire. My reasoning is that it’s all kinda too close to the sequel trilogies in terms of ships characters and technology. Though admittedly dark empire varies this up a bit. But still the similarities is one of the major complaints about the sequel trilogy you know. Basically too similar and unoriginal.
@@Prophetofthe8thLegionthat’s not true they’re way better
@@Prophetofthe8thLegiondialogue and story writing is significantly better in the EU
@@garyzhu1913 let me rephrase. I basically just meant I want new ships. Not upscales, repaints, or hey it’s the same ship with 1 extra shield generator
That's it I'm reading the books rn
When your childhood comes back with open arms.
Master skywalker as he should be. Strong, wise and selfless.
That is until the very end of this episode, but I think he has a plan.
@@SuperCaleb360 I remember that luke thought that by learning the dark side, he could better understand his enemy and defeat it. Instead he ended up traveling down the same path as his father and almost was lost to it.
Astonishing, magnificent, jawdropping. These are words that can describe how much I enjoyed this episode. The first one was already great, but the second episode's quality is just fantastic.
Byss, World Devaststors, Luke meeting the Emperor once again... As a fan of "Dark Empire" I really wanted to see someday this comic adapted in any form. I'm glad that it was adapted into an animation created by a talented person.
Well done, Wilkins Animations! The Force is strong with you! :)
Using Palpatine's TROS apparatus to convey him is a nice blend of ideas. The best of both worlds. Dark Empire was my introduction to SW decades ago, so this tribute really hits the spot for me. Great job!
I feel the same ! Well said.
It's annoying, much like how the reprints gave Thrawn Filoni's pupils. I don't like it, given the sneering from outsiders Legends fans have had to endure since 2014.
@@saberiandream316 It should be noted that Thrawn being given pupils was I think more of a visual cue to help the animators.
@@seawolf4846 CGI cartoons from the 1990s had villains without pupils. Filoni has no excuse. And now the reprints are following his example.
@@saberiandream316Boohoo
You and DarthAngelus are doing an amazing job at bringing the Expanded Universe to life at a time it's needed most.
The last episode was super impressive but this is a whole other level
Oh my lord, ITS HERE ITS HERE, THIS IS NOT A DRILL!
" You will witness the final destruction of the Alliance, and the End of this insignificant Rebellion."
The long awaited episode 2!!!
Wow, with this and fan film heir to the empire ep 11 released yesterday we r a bunch of lucky star wars fan indeed. Good work my friend already looking forward to next chapter.
Approved by yours truly....
I know both Heir and dark videos have been utterly amazing
@Darth Durling could you a provide a link for heir of the empire I would love to check it out
Audio mixing makes the voices hard to hear over the music, but I bet you can fix that for the master video combining all episodes.
I'm with you on this, so thanks for saying that! I tried my best to turn the music down as low as reasonable for those extra quiet dialogue parts. Sometimes it was the actual audiobook that had the voices lower than the SFX, which was hard to work with (the dialogue and SFX were one file). They just weren't meant to have music go under them, you know? In any case, it's great to have your ideas, because the purpose of doing these is to experiment with different styles and techniques, so helpful thoughts like yours will go towards the next one!
Palpatine laugthers
10:43
13:04
13:50
Absolutely Fantastic man, Thank You so much for bringing the EU to life. The shots of the Devastators tearing through fighters gave me serious N64 Rogue Squadron flashbacks
Well and there Xystons in canon too and they're dangerous as Devastators
@Starika cap.
Devastators are *millions* of times more terrifying than oversized ISDs with a big laser underneath it. not only can it consume a planet and its resources with its massive tractor beams, but it can create a military of its own with the resources it consumes as it is a self propagating factory ship. it can also upgrade itself in the middle of battle with more devastating weapons or even hull size with some larger than ISDs and battlecruisers when more resources are consumed. the more they experienced battles, the more hardened they get since they are controlled by a droid brain that analyzes and adapts to every situation encountered. once they’re given coordinates to a planet either by the central computer or command structure, they freely do whatever they want unless they’re shut down by a shutdown command as it was nearly impenetrable no matter how many missiles and torpedoes you shoot at it.
Disney: Legends isn’t canon
Me: *THEY ARE CANON TO ME!*
This is so P H E N O M E N A L!!! I love that you incorporated the old school radio drama and I love how the animation is inspired by Star Wars Holiday Special animation, Droids cartoon and cartoon version of Clone Wars (Palpatine). It has this saturday morning 80's cartoon feeling. I just read Dark Empire trilogy again like a week ago and I can say that your adapttion is just as good as the comic book. In terms of scenario it's even better because it has less exposition then the comics.
I get the sense Palpatine was bored of owning the Galaxy, he seems to have more fun reconquering it time and time again.
Maybe 🤷♂️
It's cool that the guy who voices Palpatine in this audio drama, went on to voice him again in the old Battlefront 1 and 2, the 2003 Clone Wars, the Rogue Squadron games, Bounty Hunter, and Empire At War
also Luke Skywalker's audio VA is John Cygan, RIP
better known as Solidus Snake from Metal Gear Solid 2
Waiting over a year for that gem to be released was totally worth it. Great direction, great visuals, great music and great animation.
Thank you so much for the kind words!! Really happy you liked all of that, especially the music, which was a new composing technique for me!
It's interesting to see what sort of skills can be developed from day one of creating something, all the way to the final release. One of the most fascinating things I've seen from Ian is the evolution of styles. Just look at Leia and Han from the first shot, to the shot after the war room meeting!
@@DanielCiurlizza Yes, everything was in perfect harmony. :) The music was great. It really grasped emotions and atmosphere of certain scenes, especially during scenes with Luke on Byss.
About the second part of your post, I totally agree. I also noticed how Wilkins Animations' skills improved over the time, comparing this episode to the previous one, or even certain scenes of this episode that were made the earliest I believe. Leia and Han from first shot and that shot after the war room meeting is the best example to show the improvement, indeed. :)
From what I had heard of Dark Empire and what people thought of it, I expected Palpatine's return to be much more insane and comically dumb. This was actually menacing and left me wanting more.
Long have I waited...
Kind bummed he went rise of skywalker with the emperor... But still kick ass
How... How did this get made? This is a dream come true!
I loved Dark Empire growing up. And you adapted it marvelously.
I especially love Palpatine's voice filter. It's honestly horrifying to see him this way.
Voice acting, top notch. Animation reminds me of 2003 Clone Wars, awesome.
Can you guys, like, take all of my money please?
The voices all come from the old audio dramas, Spike does the animation, and the new music was done by another small team of fans. If you're a bit impatient like me and don't mind the lack of visuals, a channel called MrPoke has full uploads of the audio dramas for ease of binge listening.
R2: Damn, here we go again
Very well done I applaud u soo much for I am a starwars fan just like u.
World Devastators are my favorite EU superweapon. Can't wait for the next episode to see them in action some more.
infinitely better than anything of Disney's, or the drug trip that was the Sun Crusher.
That thing was an admittedly bad part of the EU, and there's no shame in admitting it.
It was really good, but I do feel like Luke’s transition to the dark side happened way too fast in that scene. He went from “never!” To “sure bud whatever you say” in, like, two minutes.
Other than the not-so-subtle nods to Rise of Skywalker, I really enjoyed this!
I mean, say what you will about ROS, the production design had its moments.
I'm literally mind blown by how good this video is. 10x better than the sequels.
Awesome work and I love the mix of rebellion and resistance music for the new republic.
SO happy you caught that! Thank you so much! Something really fun is that the "March of the Resistance" idea I used is only a little similar to the *actual* "March of the Resistance". I call the version in this episode "The New Republic". In the original MotR, the melody just goes up and up, because they're just kickin' ass and mostly winning, you know? (Like, didn't they destroy an ENTIRE planet/Starkiller Base in TFA??)
But in this, they're not yet the Resistance... just an offshoot of the New Republic led by Leia, if anything. So instead of going up in emotion/melody, it goes down. They just aren't powerful/kickass enough to justify the full "March of the Resistance" treatment. Thanks again!!
@@DanielCiurlizza It's done really well and I love such symbolism in music.
@@deadshot5007 🙏🙏🙏
@@DanielCiurlizza Kinda reminds me of how the New Republic fighters in season 2 of The Mandalorian were musically represented by a slow, trap-style variation of the "March of the Resistance".
I absolutely love how he integrated the audio from the audio drama into this too
Star wars Dark Empire master of puppets excellent as story of star wars legends and Beyond !😛❤👍 long live the Emperor and the galactic empire
To conquer the Galaxy Sith masters 🤟
oh god please don't make us wait another year 😭
this was spectacular
Better than the Sequel trilogy
I like that even tho ive read the dark empire books. That this made be excited for the future chapter
I would much rather pay movie ticket prices for this than the sequel trilogy
Impresive, most impresive
I got shivers from this version of Palpatine, good job!
I'm not really a Dark Empire fan, but I think it's so cool how much work you've put into this, and its quality considering it's only one person doing ALL of this. (As far as I'm aware)
I could definitely have seen something like this as a sequel series to the original trilogy back in the 80's
Really incredible animation. Great job and congratulations to all those involved in this project.
Really great to see fan animation of stories from the Expanded Universe. DarthAngelus and you are really doing great work animating these stories( Heir to the empire and Dark Empire).
My thanks to you and the people involved in this project, have a good day/night/one, and the same to those who wander in the comment section.
Thank you!! Thanks so much for taking the time to watch this and write such kind words! 🙏♥️
Damn that score at the end... Goosebumps as he kneels before the Senate
The MC90s are GORGEOUS and the animation is just AMAZING
Incredible work, just wish the Imperial fleet around Byss was just as diverse as the comics, all those cool designs
Ackbar: Glad to be in one piece after what we've seen.
Star Wars fans: **Sobbing**
You know, if you think about it, the world devastators are the closest to remaking the Star Forge.
Somewhere Sion shakes his head in shame at Palps. Immortality isn't a gift, it's a curse.
Excellent work, my friend. That was well put together, I see you borrowed a bit of inspiration from Rise of Skywalker with Palpatine being attatched to that harness thing, plus you did well making his Dark Empire audio voice more menacing.
Ooh that's cool that you caught Palpatine's voice change! The original audio is VERY well performed, but it felt too clean for what we were seeing-essentially, "zombie Palpatine" is what Wilkins kept saying. Thanks for the kind comment!
@@DanielCiurlizza I'm curious to know how you fellas edited it. I use audacity, and for my own projects, I'm always keen to know how it's achieved. Btw I believe you guys did a great job on this adaptation overall. It was quite a treat to see after work.
Most impressive.
I see if not mistaken, you have added the werid machine from 9, yet it being added doesn't feel out of place but naturally while given Sidious look close to his cloe wars adventure appearance.
Luke acting is good, learn to control anger but sometime slip. Sidious threat of the idea of him taking Luke body is genuine, like Sidious wouldn't mind taking Luke body but rather have someone replace Vader role as his enforcer.
So this place Luke in diffcult spot, if he strike Sidious, the sith take his body, leaving the hard choice of being the emperor enforcer to learn about the dark side to save everyone like his father before him but at risk of being the thing he want to destory.
I alway pefer the idea that the sith frist come around was because the jedi order was becoming stagnated and start limit the risk out of fear, so the frist Sith want to learn more about the limits of the force orginal out of good intent but were the jedi order come into conflict since the jedi fear the sith using the force in unnatural matter. (for fear can turn wise man into fool) In turn the Sith turn in their suffering as rage aganist the jedi for limiting them. I see this more logic of Jedi-Sith conflict, Jedi try to do the right but fall into fear that cloud their better judgment, the Sith wanting power but reject their humanity in a mad quest for more power.
Luke and Sidious can mirrior this, both seeker of knowledge, That Sidious is the end result of taking power for yourself while Luke learn power to protect and help other.
Oh my he succesfully translated the dread of the Worlddevestators in motion.
Genius work
Dude... I have no words for how happy I am to have discovered this,. As much as I love the Mandolorian and Clone Wars the EU will always hold a special place in my heart. Thank you for doing this for all of the Star Wars fans out there!
I like how Palpatine’s clone was based off of his appearance in The Rise of Skywalker with that apparatus holding him up.
Such a spectacular collaboration of artistic talent. Seeing the Imperial Sentinels animated was my personal favorite!
WOW I am just blown away. THIS IS STAR WARS ! Disney can learn a few things from you guys.
Thank you,Thank you to give us such quality Star Wars in Dark times like this. May the force be with you.
Can't wait for episode 3 !
Wow thank you for some REAL starwars material fans don't get treats like this
Finally its the true star wars, the true emperor reveals himself...
And yes I never was able to marvel at the glory of legends other than Jedi Outcast, Rogue Squadron and Empire at War but this feels more full filling than 400 min of disney trillogy
This feels like an old 60s cartoon and I just love it more b/c of that.
Dark Empire remains my favorite Star Wars story.
Ahhhhh the refreshing feeling of my memories of the sequel trilogy being washed away
wow that last scene with luke was intense!! Great job!
Amazing work! This comic lends itself so well to animation. I really liked your choice to use the Palpatine life support system from ROS, made him more dynamic during the scene and fit very well.
the supproting is probably a machine reducing the effect of the darkside destroying the body
I'm so excited to see the rest.
This should have been the sequel trilogy. This makes perfect sense, and feels more spiritually aligned with the classic Star Wars. I am so proud and grateful for this creative team and their future. ♥️
Didn't like the choice to put the clone emperor in the Rise of soywalker mechanical chair, but the rest of it was excellent.
Damn...Luke deadass didn’t learn from his daddy’s mistakes or.....
iirc Luke never served the emperor out of the dark side, but his own free will, only serving him so as to grow closer to him and understand him, just so he could save his friends.
or he's just lying
That had been Luke's intent, but he did briefly fall, after his defeat at the reborn Emperor's hands on Byss. Leia had to restore his faith in the light side during a brief duel on the Eclipse, before they worked together to defeat Sidious by turning his own Force Storm against him.
@@jaysanimations7189 yeh that makes more sense
To be fair, Palpatine gloated that if Luke killed him, he would just transfer his soul into another clone or maybe even steal Luke's body. If I remember right, part of the reason Luke stayed with Palpatine was to find the cloning lab so he could sabotage it.
Love the visual connection to Palpatine in TROS!
At last the true sequel of the Skywalker saga , this is a work of pop art it itself
The Dark Empire classic comic from Tom and Cam back in 1991
This is the true star wars sequel
It's finally here! To quote the Count, "I've been looking forward to this." Just want to say, it's ironic how a fan film beats the big budget "star wars" to pieces
I can't understand how can this be so good. How can a fan animation made by a youtuber and based on an old star wars book be better than an entire than any of the new star wars movies! Can't wait for part 3!
Honestly this dark empire storyline is 1000 times better than the sequel trilogy but the heir to the empire is still my favorite. Great job making this 👏👌👍
HOLY CRAP!!!!!!!! I just finished watching!!!! Oh my gosh, I LOVE how you combine Legends and Canon into an incredible spectacle that is, in my opinion, totally worthy of George Lucas' legacy!!
This is the way
Seeing the original Legends books come to life is a dream come true! now I understand Disney got its inspiration ,yet original story done it better Justice.
MASTER YOU ARE CONQUERING OUR HEARTS, ITS ANMZING THIS PART OF DARK OF THE FORCE.
This animation is really great! Keep up the good work!
Thanks, will do!
Can't wait for episode 3.
(Luke Skywalker)“For the Strength of the force your Shroud evil has been lifted from my mind!.”
Just discovered these. I've always wanted to see this series animated. These are so good and remind me of the clone wars mini series.
Thanks!