This. Is. Madness!

Things are afoot. I promise. One of these days when I’m not crazy tired, I’m planning another refreshing revamp of the canon section, including 1) a modest defense of canon, 2) stronger definitions of what is not Star Wars canon, what is Star Wars canon, and what is personal apocrypha; also, an update to my most popular post ever, my simple list of sentients. (It’s come to my attention there’s some major gaps up in there.) Yes, I’m still simmering plans for an Orangecoat store, working on getting out wristbands for the masses, and other attention-grabby stunts. It’s all in my head and will soon be on the site. Really.

But right now, to kind of get things cooking again, allow me to toss out the following: I’ve been working on the idea of unified hashtags, something we can all remember and use whenever we want to call attention to the real Expanded Universe. #GiveUsMoreLegends is fine, but what if the cause isn’t continuation? What if the cause is just keeping it alive, in people’s hearts and minds? I’ve picked up #EUForever, #LegendsNeverDie, and also coined #realcanon. But I had an idea the other day for another one, #TREU, for true EU. Then a fan reminded me that treu is German for faithful and the appropriateness skyrocketed.

So in order to celebrate TrEU, I offer you . . . MARCH MADNESS. I don’t know the first thing about whatever sport is associated with March madness, but I do have a vague understanding of how a bracket works, but I have put one together and I believe I get the idea.

I’ve chosen 64 characters from the Expanded Universe — 16 heroes, 16 heroines, 16 villains, and 16 villainesses. I did not, on any level, try to be comprehensive. Some characters are more major than others. I tried to make sure I hit all the big names, and to be as fair as possible about including people I’m not familiar with who seem to be popular nevertheless. There are plenty of minor players as well, because apart from making sure the male : female and hero : villain ratios were equal, I wanted to make sure I had a decent representation of all sorts of people from the Era Before the Republic to the New Republic Era. (No, NJO and Legacy aren’t on here. It’s my website and I don’t have to acknowledge what I don’t want to acknowledge. Which is why no TCW, either. “15, Jabba, don’t push it.”)

The arrangement is slightly randomized. I organized them chronologically and then sorted them so that they would roughly be facing off with their own contemporaries without matching them against people they matched in their actual stories.

Your task is to pick the 32 characters worthy of making it to round 2! You can decide either who would win in a fight, who would beat the other in combat, or simply who you like better. Click the image to see it full-size. Print and fill it out for your own use, if you like. But far more importantly — in order for Round 2 to even happen, you must tell me who wins!

• Comment on this post with your picks
• Tweet me @rebelrealcanon
• Tell me on Facebook
• Or even fill out the contact form!

Depending on response, Round II will either publish on March 8 or a week from today. To find out more about your fighting characters, keep reading — I’ve provided the list for your convenience with Wookieepedia links.

THE HEROES

• Meetra Surik vs. Aayla Secura
• Mission Vao vs. Kir Kanos
• Laranth Talak vs. Muuurgh
• Kyle Katarn vs. Dengar
• Tycho Celchu vs. Isolder
• Bastila Shan vs. Siri Tachi
• Barris Offee vs. Galen Marek
• Jax Pavan vs. Bria Tharen
• Voort saBinring vs. Teneniel Djo
• Mara Jade vs. Winter
• Kyp Durron vs. Anakin Solo
• Kuat of Kuat vs. Mirax Terrik
• Wedge Antilles vs. Talon Karrde
• Corran Horn vs. Jacen Solo
• Jaina Solo vs. Salla Zend
• Callista Ming vs. Dracmus

THE VILLAINS

• Freedon Nadd vs. Aleema Keto
• Visas Marr vs. Darth Traya
• Darth Bane vs. Maris Brood
• Prince Xizor vs Xanatos
• Jerec vs. Ysanne Isard
• Warlord Zsinj vs. Joruus C’Boath
• Thrawn vs. Gethzerion
• Exar Kun vs. the Emperor Reborn
• Ana Blue vs. Admiral Daala
• Leonia Tavira vs. Tavion Axmis
• Thrackan Sal-Solo vs. Jiliac the Hutt
• Pellaeon vs. Kueller
• Sariss vs. Erisi Dlarit
• Guri vs. Aurra Sing
• Darth Zannah vs. Darth Zash
• Darth Nihilus vs. Naga Sadow