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Jedi Prince is the informal name given to series of Star Wars young reader novels that "take up where Return of the Jedi left off." The title "Jedi Prince" refers to Ken, the twelve-year-old hero of the series who teams up with Luke Skywalker and the Rebel Alliance to fight the Empire.
The Empire, led by Grand Moff Hissa and Supreme Prophet Kadann, attempt to install Trioculus as Emperor, claiming that he's Palpatine's son. Palpatine's real son, according to the series is a madman named Triclops. It is for this reason that the series is also sometimes called the Son of Palpatine series. Both Trioculus and Triclops are mutants who have three eyes.
The books were written by a married couple, Paul and Hollace Davids, and illustrated by Karl Kesel.
Books in the Series
Fan reaction
The series is generally not popular with fans of the movies, who consider them to be silly. Due to the series dispopularity, almost none of the character from the series have been in any other work of the Expanded Universe and the idea of Palpatine having offspring seems to have been, more or less, abandoned.
Aside from this, fans have accused the series of being preachily politically correct. For example, every book has a "save the environment" theme. Fans also believe many of the film characters either don't appear very often or act out of character. In response to the negative critique, Paul Davids points to the popularity of the series among student readers and their sales of millions worldwide.
Characters
Ken
Ken Palpatine is an overly enthusiastic youth, whose behavior is obviously meant to mirror Luke Skywalker. Raised in the Lost City of the Jedi for the first twelve years of his life, Ken joined the Alliance when he was discovered by Skywalker. Ken is the son of Triclops and, therefore, grandson of Palpatine.
Since the Jedi Prince series used Ken as its main hero, setting up Palpatine as his grandfather was obviously meant to mirror Luke Skywalker revelation that Darth Vader was his father.
Trioculus
Chief Slavelord Trioculus and later His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Trioculus I of The Galactic Empire is the self-proclaimed, with a lot of help from Grand Moff Hissa and Supreme Prophet Kadann, son of Palpatine. As his moniker implies, he is in possession of a trio of visual sensing organs upon his face. He attempts to procure the glove worn on the hand that Darth Vader lost in his duel with Luke Skywalker in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. This glove is rumored to bestow great power upon its holder.
Triclops
"Triclops" Palpatine is, according to the series, the real son of Palpatine and a mutant with three eyes, one being on the back of his head. His description suggests he was born in about 40 BBY, making him middle-aged by the time the series is set. Palpatine sensed that Triclops could grow more powerful than him in the Force and, rather than killing him, made him a common slave in the spice mines on Kessel.
When Palpatine died, rumors began to abound that Palpatine had a three-eyed son somewhere and Grand Moff Hissa took advantages of this and set up another three-eyed named Trioculus as Palpatine's son, since the Empire considered Triclops to be both insane and dangerous. He was moved him to an asylum on Duro.
Triclops had, however, produced an offspring named Ken, who was in cahoots with the Alliance, and Triclops himself was also against the Empire and a pacifist. He joined the Alliance as well.
Grand Moff Hissa
Grand Moff Hissa, whose alien origins, signified by his pointed teeth, seems to contradict with the Empire's supposed "anti-alien" politics, seems to be far more in control than Trioculus, whom he uses as something of a figurehead.
Supreme Prophet Kadann
Dreamer of Dark Dreams, Supreme Prophet of the Dark Side Kadann is notable is being one of few the characters from the series to be depicted in any other work of the Expanded Universe, along with Zorba the Hutt. Kadann is bearded dwarf and prophesied the next Emperor would wear the glove of Darth Vader, hence Trioculus' interest in it.
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