When the Expanded Universe stories were labeled Legends in 2014, many legends were lost.
Characters ranging from the Old Republic days to the alternate aftermath of the Original Trilogy were purged from the official Star Wars storyline, left to wait in carbonite until the time is right for their return. Grand Admiral Thrawn was brought into the new canon fairly quickly, with Star Wars Rebels and two new book trilogies adding to the legacy of the fan-favorite antagonist.
Some characters, like Thrawn, create legacies. Others define it.
The return of Star Wars' ultimate icon has long been overdue. Many fans never thought they'd live to see the day that the larger-than-life figure would be back in the mix of new tales in the galaxy far, far away, that he would be lost to history forever.
But, they were wrong. At long last, the time has come.
THE RISE OF DURGE
Marvel Comics revealed via io9 that bounty hunter Durge will be returning to Star Wars in Doctor Aphra #11. The iconic antagonist, known for his appearances in Genndy Tartakovsky's Star Wars: Clone Wars and the Dark Horse comics, will be back in time for the War of the Bounty Hunters crossover event and can be seen in all his glory on the Aphra cover below:
NATIONAL DURGE DAY
March 17.
The day Tom Brady left the New England Patriots. The day COVID-19 lockdowns began.
The day Durge returned to Star Wars .
While the former two occurrences were national tragedies, the glory of Durge's rise is a victory on a scale unseen in generations. It is for that reason that March 17 is hereby declared National Durge Day.
This mighty warrior will restore Star Wars to its former glory. Disputes over the direction of the franchise will transpire no more as the fearsome Durge has returned to save the galaxy. Nobody knows what his role in the coming stories will be — but it doesn't matter. He's here.
In the EU Clone Wars series, Durge once led a battalion of IG forces against the Jedi and clones, a hero to the Separatists and a man of honor. The daring combatant went toe-to-toe with Obi-Wan Kenobi, and his Twizzler-like innards proved to be his undoing. While Durge's demise in Clone Wars was a grotesque tragedy of galactic proportions, it can now be erased from memory as the bounty hunter will get a fresh start in the canon, joining the fray at a time when he's already outlived his previous conquerer.
Durge's return is cause for rejoice and celebration. Fortunately, the Herculean force can be seen on Disney+ come April when both volumes of the 2D Clone Wars series hit the streaming service.
Gone is the Dark Times in which fans needed a hero most. Gone is the void in the Star Wars universe, so desperate to be filled. Gone are all things that will stand in the way of His Majesty's majestic return.
There is only Durge. This will be a day that is long remembered.
