{"id":1021043,"date":"2026-08-24T13:34:29","date_gmt":"2026-08-24T13:34:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/1021043\/"},"modified":"2026-08-24T13:34:29","modified_gmt":"2026-08-24T13:34:29","slug":"galaxys-edge-echoes-of-the-empire-5-review-batuu-remains-the-strongest-character-in-an-era-ending-series-finale","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/1021043\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Galaxy\u2019s Edge: Echoes of the Empire\u2019 #5 Review \u2013 Batuu Remains the Strongest Character in an Era-Ending Series Finale"},"content":{"rendered":"

Galaxy\u2019s Edge: Echoes of the Empire #5<\/a> released this week, with a finale issue tracking Leia and Luke\u2019s trip back to Batuu set after Return of the Jedi. This finale solves the series\u2019 central mystery, and more importantly, brings an end to this particular era of Galaxy\u2019s Edge.<\/p>\n

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While the previous issue<\/a> followed Han and Chewie during the Skywalker family\u2019s trip back to Batuu during the New Republic era, issue #5 gives us a Luke and Leia story. It\u2019s a middling finale in a series that is clearly more focused on Batuu\u2019s connected history than crafting a compelling story. But as a fan of that connected history, I admire Echoes of the Empire\u2019s attention to detail and the care the creative team gives this world, even as that world is about to change forever.<\/p>\n

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Echoes of the Empire marks the end of an era for Galaxy\u2019s Edge, and the promise of a lived-in Star Wars planet that we can visit in the real world. That dream is changing, but this series built on that history in a way that I enjoy. In fact, if you\u2019re interested in reading through the entire in-universe history, story, easter eggs, and connections to the wider canon that Galaxy\u2019s Edge has to offer, including archived versions of the soon-to-be-sunsetted datapad, transcribed versions of every audio loop now missing from the park, and every other bit of story from this ever-changing experiment, stick around after the review to see what I\u2019ve been working on with another fantastic member of the Star Wars community!<\/p>\n

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Spoilers ahead!<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\"Cover<\/a>Galaxy\u2019s Edge: Echoes of the Empire Issue #5 Written by Ethan Sacks with Cover Art by Phil Noto.<\/p>\n

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Throughout my reviews for this series, I\u2019ve made sure to say that if you\u2019re a dedicated fan of Galaxy\u2019s Edge and want to learn more about the world of Batuu, this series is made for you, just like its predecessor, and is well worth checking out. However, if you\u2019re a comic completionist, or in search of new and compelling stories with characters like Luke, Leia, Han, Vader, and the rest, I fear you will be disappointed.<\/p>\n

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But Star Wars stories are made for different audiences, and though this series speaks to my fandom, its weaknesses do make it hard for even me to enjoy wholeheartedly. That failure is mostly a reflection of the constraints coming from the five-issue format and the unique expectations this story is under, not the talent of the veteran creative team behind it. Echoes of the Empire is written by Ethan Sacks, featuring art by Roi Mercado and Jethro Morales with cover art by Phil Noto.<\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/a>Rey and Oga fight the First Order<\/p>\n

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The finale issue, \u201cThe Living Ghosts,\u201d picks up from issue #4\u2019s cliffhanger.<\/a> Oga has apparently turned in Rey to the First Order, but in this issue she quickly double-crosses the troopers and finishes her tale to Rey before the young Jedi has to leave to help Finn and his raid on a Star Destroyer (an event that takes place during \u201cRise of the Resistance,\u201d the iconic ride at Galaxy\u2019s Edge).<\/p>\n

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Rey hopes that the Force artifact Luke and Leia had taken off Batuu and kept away from Darth Vader could be the key to the Resistance\u2019s victory. Oga continues her story to disabuse Rey of that idea.<\/p>\n

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Since last issue, the twins head to Batuu\u2019s Jedi Temple with the artifact in hand, still inert since they last left the planet years ago. That temple was featured in the High Republic era, and is even viewable in the VR game Tales from the Galaxy\u2019s Edge, where you can fight Dark Side monsters alongside Frank Oz, who returned as Yoda.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

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Luke and Leia fight a Kerrakk hive, an alien species from the series, Bounty Hunters, and a Sacks original. They then follow a call to help to a village in the Surabat River Valley. A hanging flag shows it\u2019s the town of Surabat. Interestingly enough, the Batuu Traveler\u2019s Guide<\/a> actually noted kids in Surabat used to go missing, which is presumably explained in this story.<\/p>\n

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\"The<\/a>The town of Surabat on Batuu<\/p>\n

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The people of Surabat mine golden lichen, which is used as a high-end garnish on drinks at Oga\u2019s Cantina. The bar owner is also a seller of the planet\u2019s most famous export, and is present when Luke and Leia arrive. Oga is trying to figure out why miners are going missing, so Luke and Leia set out to help figure it out. The miners are trapped by a Stellamax, said to be an ancient creature from Batuu\u2019s past.<\/p>\n

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Luke and Leia find the miners, but quickly realize the Stellamax is warping their minds and showing them their greatest fears. For Leia, it\u2019s a Molator named Grimtaash, a monster from Alderaanian bedtime stories. It\u2019s a pull from past stories that detail the history of the in-universe dejarik piece. We just saw the fearsome Molator in The Mandalorian and Grogu in the arena fight on Shakari. Funnily enough, in-universe, Ben Solo named his ship the \u201cGrimstaash\u201d when he was a Jedi trainee in a characteristically edgy move that was sure to upset his mother.<\/p>\n

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That said, I find it ridiculous to say the \u201cGrimtaash\u201d is Leia\u2019s biggest fear. I have to believe the woman who faced Darth Vader, Grand Moff Tarkin, and creatures and enemies on hundreds of planets has more important things to be afraid of, just like Luke.<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\tLuke and Leia face their fears.<\/p>\n

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Luke sees the looming figure of the Emperor and figures out that the artifact they\u2019ve been holding onto all this time is actually a seed, belonging to Batuu\u2019s ancient tree guardians, the Stellamax themselves. Luke gives the seed to the beast, and it shrinks down and retreats back into the cave, never to be disturbed again by the townsfolk or Oga. The issue ends with Oga\u2019s narration detailing how the artifact isn\u2019t around to help Rey and the Resistance defend Batuu, but tells Rey that she\u2019ll find a way to win.<\/p>\n

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Batuu is plucky, it\u2019s tough, and it\u2019s home to so many stories of survival, and Rey uses that to galvanize her. The issue ends with her giving a familiar speech, the narration to new Resistance recruits, which park guests see at the start of the \u201cRise of the Resistance\u201d ride.<\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/a>Rey\u2019s speech leads into the \u201cRise of the Resistance\u201d ride<\/p>\n

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We also see Dok Ondar has four more seeds of his own, showing that there is more hope for Batuu into the future, or at least the promise of more stories. It\u2019s a fitting wrinkle, because at the end of the day, this series isn\u2019t about our characters; it\u2019s about Batuu and the living history of that world. Oga\u2019s story disappoints Rey, and frankly this comic sometimes disappointed me, but the story in Echoes of the Empire isn\u2019t about the wider implications for our characters or the universe. The story here worth following is the telling of the tale itself.<\/p>\n

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Oga, Dok, and the people of Batuu remain the most interesting and compelling parts of an otherwise threadbare story. Echoes of the Empire is made of weak parts, but overall it makes a worthwhile addition to this broader corner of the universe. And that corner of the universe is made and maintained with so much love and care, and is well worth celebrating and preserving, especially as it changes.<\/p>\n

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\"BlackBlack Spire Outpost on Batuu in Disney\u2019s Galaxy\u2019s Edge<\/p>\n

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As I mentioned in my intro, I\u2019ve been helping a fellow lore-focused community member, Numidian Prime, archive and share the story and canon of Galaxy\u2019s Edge, and as of this week, those years of work are finally complete and available to read!<\/a> If you\u2019re looking for a complete record of Batuu\u2019s history, its past, its present, and all that went into making this world come alive, this is the place to go. I hope you check it out. It\u2019s a fantastic work, and one that I\u2019m honored to be a part of.<\/p>\n

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Galaxy\u2019s Edge is changing. We\u2019re going to lose some of the more immersive elements, starting with the Galactic Starcruiser\u2019s demise,<\/a> followed by the original trilogy revamp,<\/a> and now the sunsetting of the datapad, radio station, and other elements that were designed to let you live out your own Star Wars story on Batuu.<\/p>\n

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Now, the focus is on the park being as accessible and recognizable to everyday people and casual fans as possible. It\u2019s a fate many have seen coming, and while we have a right to lament that promise of a lived-in world we were promised,<\/a> I hope for a bright future for Galaxy\u2019s Edge. If the same care and attention continues to be paid by the people who created this world, then I know there will be plenty for all of us to enjoy, and hopefully Batuu can remain a jumping-off point for years of fantastic stories to come.<\/p>\n

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Until then, Til\u2019 the Spire!<\/p>\n

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RATING: 7\/10<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\t\t
\n \"\" <\/a><\/p>\n

Colin is a lifelong Star Wars fan and researcher who enjoys diving deep into every corner of this weird and wonderful galaxy far, far away.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Galaxy\u2019s Edge: Echoes of the Empire #5 released this week, with a finale issue tracking Leia and Luke\u2019s…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1021044,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[28],"tags":[171,234570,7644,53,14398,408563,227206,67,132,68],"class_list":["post-1021043","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-movies","tag-entertainment","tag-galaxys-edge","tag-marvel","tag-movies","tag-star-wars","tag-star-wars-comics","tag-star-wars-galaxys-edge","tag-united-states","tag-unitedstates","tag-us"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/117150749562160380","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1021043","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1021043"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1021043\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1021044"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1021043"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1021043"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1021043"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}