Star Wars: Unlimited is heading into the wreckage of the Empire, which is usually where Star Wars gets interesting. Ashes of the Empire is the eighth set for Star Wars: Unlimited, releasing July 17, 2026, with prerelease events already giving players an early look at the cards. The set focuses on the Battle of Endor and the unstable years after the Galactic Empire’s fall, which means this is not just another nostalgia lap around Return of the Jedi. It is about what happens after the throne room burns, the Death Star explodes, and everyone realizes the galaxy still has a very large mess to clean up. That is a strong theme for a trading card game set. Endor gives Ashes of the Empire familiar icons, but the post-Empire angle gives it room for chaos: broken command chains, desperate Imperial remnants, Rebel leaders trying to build something better, Mandalorians entering the…
Emperor Palpatine
Dan Gilroy: How Palpatine Might’ve Snuck into Andor if It Had Spanned Five Seasons
One of the most compelling Star Wars spin-offs, Andor, concluded after two seasons—but it almost had a much different story arc. A Famous Emperor That Could Have Appeared According to writer Dan Gilroy (yes, Tony Gilroy’s brother), if Andor had gone the distance as originally planned, it likely would’ve brought Emperor Palpatine into the narrative. The show was initially envisioned as a five-season saga charting Cassian Andor’s rise and the Empire’s growing dominance. Even though Palpatine was frequently mentioned, his physical presence was always beyond reach—until now, at least in concept. Tony Gilroy previously confirmed Darth Vader was never a narrative priority. He felt that writing Vader was creatively restrictive—Palpatine, perhaps less so, but still a weighty figure to introduce. Why Andor Ended Early Andor wrapped up with a dramatic second season because the scale of production became unsustainable—both logistically and financially. Instead of traversing five chronological seasons, the team…