Zombies are very popular in pop culture, so it is no surprise that Star Wars has its own virus. It transformed stormtroopers into the undead, bringing terror to the galaxy.
Project Blackwing is a dark chapter in the history of the Galactic Empire from Star Wars. It is a research project that worked to achieve immortality and took place between the Battle of Yavin and the Battle of Hoth.
However, it went wonderfully wrong, and the scientists of the Sith Academy had to watch as lifeless bodies suddenly came to life. A virus was out of control, transforming all those infected into zombie-like undead.
Those affected were primarily the otherwise rather useless stormtroopers working at the research facility on the planet Dandoran. Different types of stormtroopers produced different strengths of undead; together they formed a dangerous army that grew rapidly.
Even the Emperor found it too much. He ordered the virus and the undead to be fought, just as the rebels did. They managed to seemingly resolve the issue. Unfortunately, a second outbreak occurred, but that was also successfully dealt with.
Project Blackwing and its consequences were introduced into canon thanks to the game Star Wars: Commander from 2014. Outside of that, the novel “Death Troopers” first told of the virus in 2009. In this story, the history of the undead goes much further back and unfolded somewhat differently.
Over 4600 years earlier, the virus raged once before
What does Legends say? The origin also lies here in a failed experiment. 4645 years before the Battle of Yavin, the Sith Lord Darth Drear also attempted to achieve immortality.
He developed an elixir that actually extended his life. The side effect: he became infected and died despite some efforts to stop the decay. However, the Sith Lord’s records documented his findings, and over time the Sith repeatedly researched it.
In Legends, it was none other than Darth Vader who discovered the story of the virus thousands of years later. He wanted to reproduce it to create a biological weapon. With it, opponents could be easily eliminated and chaos could be spread across the galaxy.
If research could also uncover the secret to eternal life, that would have been a pleasant side effect for a Sith like Vader. After all, the death of his beloved Padmé had deeply affected him.
Thus, in this version of the story, Project Blackwing was also born. On the Star Destroyer Vector, scientists were researching it when the virus broke out on board. Almost everyone on the Star Destroyer died and returned as undead. Although an attempt was made to study the virus at another research station on Dathomir, it broke out again and spread.
Will we see the virus in a movie or series? The topic is essentially perfect for a real horror movie in the Star Wars universe. However, the story of the virus in canon is just a footnote.
Since Disney largely ignores Legends and wants to appeal to a broad audience, it is currently unlikely that Project Blackwing will be realized as its own movie or series. Would you be interested in that? Feel free to let us know in the comments. The undead are far from the only danger in the galaxy: 5 dangerous creatures from Star Wars that would make even Darth Vader suit up
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