General Grievous' Tragic Origin Story Should Still Be Star Wars Canon
General Grievous is ultimately a short-lived villain in the Star Wars films, but his tragic Legends-era origin story makes him one of the saga’s most tragic antagonists. The Star Wars Legends continuity, formerly called the Expanded Universe, was the franchise’s official timeline until Lucasfilm declared it apocryphal in 2014. However, compared to his canon counterpart, the Legends-era General Grievous is a far more nuanced and effective threat, thanks to a tragic background that properly explains his hatred of the heroic Jedi he’s infamous for murdering.
In Legends, Grievous (whose real name is Qymaen jai Sheelal) is a terrifying foe who cuts down the Republic’s elite Jedi and Clone Troopers with ease, employing psychological warfare, expert lightsaber combat skills, and his cyborg body’s physical enhancements. A severe injury during the Battle of Coruscant, courtesy of Mace Windu, results in Grievous’ weakened state in Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith, but his canon counterpart is depicted as never having been a major threat to the heroes. 2008’s Star Wars: The Clone Wars makes Grievous a cowardly villain who struggles to win fair fights and is perpetually prepared to flee the heroes, removing the sense of dread that his Legends counterpart always had.
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The more threatening Legends version of Grievous also has a fittingly macabre backstory, delving into his background as a Kaleesh warrior. In the Star Wars: Visionaries story 'The Eyes of Revolution' by Warren Fu, Grievous’ transformation into the cybernetic military leader of the CIS and his hatred of both the Republic and the Jedi are depicted. Grievous’ homeworld, Kalee, has been at war with
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