I Can’t Stop Looking at the Majestic Horse Pilot on This Star Wars Book Cover

The Star Wars Expanded Universe is afloat of galore delightful things. Some of them are possibly delightful due to the fact that they’re compelling drama, oregon raise fascinating questions astir Star Wars. Others are possibly delightful due to the fact that they are perfectly unhinged. “What if a equine piloted an X-Wing?” is 1 of those things that is possibly each three.

That peculiar horse—that peculiar Thakwaash, to beryllium specific—in question is Hohass “Runt” Ekwesh. A subordinate of Wraith Squadron, the starfighter squadron/covert ops commando unit established by Wedge Antilles arsenic a caller tactical attack for the New Republic’s conflicts with the myriad Imperial Remnants successful the aftermath of the Battle of Endor, Runt (nicknamed for being comparatively tiny for his species, but inactive aggregate times the size of an mean human) was a peculiarly skilled, but brash aviator successful Wraith Squadron’s founding roster. Thakwaash make aggregate personalities for specialized functions that, with property and experience, they larn to amended power and power between. Runt’s aviator mind, portion exceptionally talented, had a precise assertive property that clouded his judgement and quality to travel orders successful the vigor of battle, thing helium yet began to negociate and flooded with the assistance of his wingman and adjacent friend, Kell Tainer.

Did we notation helium looks similar a equine successful an X-Wing aviator formation suit? Yeah.

Presenting the covers of the adjacent batch of Essential Legends paperbacks with archetypal screen art, hitting shelves this fall!

Art by: @seanpphillips, @Doaly, and Juan Esteban Rodríguez pic.twitter.com/ZbJXiNoFB5

— Star Wars Books (@StarWarsByRHW) July 11, 2024

We’re each being reminded of this wonderful Star Wars character—sincerely, helium has a large arc successful Aaron Allston’s Wraith Squadron books—because Runt is connected the recently revealed screen for Solo Command‘s accomplishment successful the Star Wars “Essential Legends” postulation of EU caller reprints. Solo Command volition merchandise successful the latest question of paperbacks owed retired this fall, alongside The Han Solo Adventures by Bryan Daley (with screen creation by Sean Phillips), and the Force Unleashed caller by Sean Williams (with screen creation by Juan Esteban Rodriguez).

Illustrated by Doaly, who has provided covers for each the X-Wing books re-released successful the postulation truthful far, it’s a vivid image, with bold colors and also, we cannot accent this enough, a equine successful an X-Wing aviator formation suit connected the cover. For what it’s worth, though the Thakwaash were ever described arsenic being equine successful appearances, depictions of conscionable however horse-y they are person varied crossed the years. Some interpretations person pivoted Runt into a much alien appearance, astir akin to the Bothans’ depiction successful the EU, portion others, arsenic Doaly’s enactment present does, person skewed much intimately to “Literally A Horse.”

Solo Command‘s artwork is besides portion of a chill continuing inclination Doaly has taken with the “Essential” reprints of the Wraith Squadron books truthful far, pairing a quality subordinate of the squad with 1 of their alien partners: Wedge Antilles stood alongside Jesmin Ackbar (Admiral Ackbar’s niece) connected the cover of Wraith Squadron, Tyria Sarkin was paired with the Gamorrean Voort “Piggy” saBinring on Iron Fist, and present Runt stands with Shalla Nelprin on Solo Command. Few of these characters person transitioned from the Expanded Universe and into current Star Wars continuity, truthful getting brand-new artwork of them each these years aboriginal is simply a treat, and particularly creation that consenting to item the divers premix of pilots that were portion of these squadrons.

But it besides conscionable speaks to immoderate of the fantastic contrasts of the aged Expanded Universe, and Star Wars astatine large. The Wraith books were gritty subject combat thrillers, each astir the details of warring covert battles, spycraft and subterfuge alongside starfighter scraps successful adjacent measure—so fewer characters felt safe, and similar they could perish astatine immoderate moment. They remain, alongside the wider X-Wing caller bid Allston worked connected with writer Michael A. Stackpole, some of the champion storytelling the EU had to offer. And yet, present we are: saying that portion proffering a publication with a equine successful an X-Wing aviator formation suit connected the cover.

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