Alternate Character Interpretation: Is it true that Kyp was only under Kun's influence and not control, as Corran argues, because Kyp didn't kill Luke when he had the chance? Was it actually impossible for Kun to kill Luke (who, by this point, had gone toe-to-toe with Darth Sidious) flat-out and had to use indirect methods to kill him? Or was he just content to leave Luke as a comatose spirit separated from his body since it eliminated (what he thought was) the only serious threat to him? It could even be that Kun regarded Luke's fate as being payback for how the Jedi did basically the same thing to him. Corran and many fans think it's the first, but it's impossible to tell.
Broken Base: There's a sharp divide amongst fans who think the Jedi Academy Trilogy was absolutely awful, those who find it merely Overshadowed by Awesome with The Thrawn Trilogy as well as Dark Empire, those who actually like it, and those who love it. It seems to depend on how serious you like your Star Wars since Kevin J. Anderson took a somewhat over-the-top comical style to the series (albeit with plenty of moving or itense moments).
Moruth Doole is a Rybet who began his career on Kessel as an administrator of the spice mines. After Palpatine's death, he led a revolt against the remnants of the Empire, eventually taking over the planet. He was disappointed when he saw a dead rancor in a prison, as he planned to feed prisoners to said rancor. His worst crimes are his harem of female Rybets he had sent over; he would use the offspring produced as slave labor in the spice mines before killing them.
Fridge Brilliance: To the Christian reading the books, Kyp Durron's arc is a dramatic example of how inherently scandalous grace is.
Ho Yay: About half a page in Dark Apprentice is dedicated to a man-hug between Luke and Wedge. Also, drinking game: Shot of Wyren's Reserve whenever anyone, both men and women, mentions how handsome Kyp is.
Heartwarming Moments: Luke playing with young Jacen & Jaina in "Jedi Search". "Playing" meaning doing Yoda imitations and using the Force to levitate them.
Just Here for Godzilla: The scenes where the Jedi clash with Exar Kun and/or the Mêlée à Trois at the Maw Installation and Kessel in the third book are what really attract some fans.
In Jedi Search, Lando uses an electronic gadget, previously used by the Empire, to tell if someone is strong in the Force. This indicates that there were measurable physical traits associated with Force sensitivity. And the book came out years before the whole flap over midichlorians.
The series reveals that all three of Han and Leia's children were raised in isolation from nearly everyone (including their parents) in order to protect them from Dark Side influences. Again, this was years before the whole"no attachment"part of the Jedi Code was established—but afterDark Empire (which this series chronologically follows closely), in which the risen Emperor Palpatine tried to twist the unborn Anakin Solo in the womb.
Although Episode II was famous for including the first purple lightsaber as a result of Samuel L. Jackson's insistence, Gantoris already uses a violet blade in Dark Apprentice.
The Woobie: Kyp Durron. Ok, so he killed over a million people, but he's also suffered horribly at the hands of the Empire all his life. When he was a kid, his parents were murdered for criticizing the Empire, and he was thrown in the mines of Kessel. When Han and he escape, they manage to steal the Sun Crusher, a nearly indestructible starship that can make suns go supernova. Durron first helps throw it into the heart of Yavin, but, Exar Kun manages to tempt him into retrieving it and destroying the Imperial star-system of Carida in revenge for everything they did to him. Fortunately, he has a Heel Realization after he realizes he killed his brother who was on Carida, and, after Exar Kun is banished for good, helps destroy the the Sun Crusher once and for all.
