The Star Wars franchise is much bigger than the Skywalker family, and it seems that Lucasfilm has finally realized that. We're only a few days away from the release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and that film is set to kick off an awesome, new tradition of standalone Star Wars movies. It's a brave new world for the galaxy far, far away, and it promises some awesome stories that will examine previously unexplored corners of this universe.
With that in mind, we have compiled a thorough list of obscure Star Wars stories that Lucasfilm should bring to the silver screen. Some of these stories come from books, others come from video games, but they're all worthy of being adapted for mainstream audiences. Check out the list and let us know the story YOU want to see adapted in the Star Wars universe. Now let's get the ball rolling with one of the best Star Wars video game stories of all time...
Knights of the Old Republic
It has generally become a universal truth among Star Wars fans that Knights of the Old Republic is one of (if not THE) definitive Star Wars games of all time. A prequel in the grandest sense, Knights of the Old Republic takes place during a vicious war between the Jedi and the Sith 4,000 years before the rise of the Galactic Empire. Although much of the story is subject to the whims of the player, the overall narrative follows a young, amnesiac soldier who follows in the footsteps of a fallen Jedi named Darth Revan in order to discover the secret to stopping a vicious Sith lord named Darth Malak. Knights of the Old Republic is one of the most well told stories in the entire Star Wars lore, and it's completely deserving of its own film.
Republic Commando
On the silver screen, the life of a Stormtrooper was never really explored until John Boyega's Finn debuted. However, within the realm of Star Wars video games we got to jump directly into the helmet of an elite clone trooper in the hit game, Republic Commando. Following a group of Special Forces clones as they embark on a series of nearly impossible missions, Republic Commando does a phenomenal job in regards to making the audience truly feel for characters we don't typically empathize with. It's also worth noting that a Republic Commando film could fill in the gaps of the existing Republic Commando mythology, as the game ends on a tantalizing cliffhanger regarding the fate of one of your men.
Death Troopers
Zombies in the Star Wars universe. What's not to love? Out of all the stories on this list, Death Troopers is probably the most self-contained, but the intense horror themes that it brings to the table makes it a tantalizing prospect for a future storyline. Taking place roughly one year before the events of A New Hope, Death Troopers centers on a broken down Imperial prison barge that seeks refuge on a derelict Star Destroyer in deep space. Unbeknownst to the crew of the barge, a secret bio-weapon has been released on the Star Destroyer, and the resulting infection has created hordes of zombies in Stormtrooper garb. Ultimately, Death Troopers , which is based on a novel by author Joe Schreiber, is basically Dawn of the Dead crossed with Alien 3, and I think we can all agree that such an idea sounds amazing. It could even become the first ever R-rated Star Wars movie if Lucasfilm feels brave enough.
Darth Plagueis
Chancellor Palpatine's monologue about the tragedy of Darth Plagueis has become one of the most iconic scenes from the prequel trilogy, but it has a far deeper meaning than anyone initially realized. Plagueis was actually Palpatine's Master during his years as a Sith apprentice, and the Darth Plagueis storyline informs their relationship leading up to the point where Palpatine turned on his mentor. Given the events of the previous seven Star Wars movies, Plagueis would be a perfect opportunity for the franchise to shed more light onto the years leading up to the Star Wars we know and provide an even deeper look at the Sith Rule of Two. We haven't really had the chance to see much of the Sith history on the big screen to this point, and this would be an excellent way to explore it.
Rogue Squadron
Despite the fact that the Star Wars saga features some truly amazing dogfight sequences, no movie has ever really focused specifically on aerial combat. That could easily change with an adaptation of the wildly popular Rogue Squadron stories. Centering on a Rebel squadron during the Galactic Civil War, this story would focus on a group of pilots as they provide air support for bloody ground campaigns. Given recent advances in filmmaking technology, we could see some seriously amazing battle sequences in a story like this. A Rogue Squadron movie would also allow fan-favorite character Wedge Antilles to take center stage in a story of his very own.
Darth Bane
The Star Wars franchise has always relied on a fairly binary perception of good and evil when it comes to the relationship between the Jedi and the Sith, and no stories have ever allowed a Sith Lord to take center stage. An adaptation of the Darth Bane trilogy, a book series by Drew Karpyshyn, could allow the franchise to do that with incredible grace. Taking place a millennium before the events of the original trilogy, Darth Bane follows the powerful, titular Sith as he rises above the in-fighting and pettiness of his order to unite the Sith in their ultimate quest to eradicate the Jedi and embrace the Dark Side.
The Force Unleashed
Although he ultimately embraced his status as a follower of the Dark Side and a member of the Sith order, Darth Vader's loyalty to the Emperor was never absolute. The Force Unleashed games informed much of the backstory of their relationship by revealing that Vader secretly had a hand in the formation of the Rebellion. This awesome 2008 story follows Vader's young, secret apprentice named Starkiller (a reference to Luke Skywalker's original name in early Star Wars drafts) as he trains with the robotic Sith lord to one day overthrow the Emperor and rule the galaxy. Spoiler alert: it doesn't really pan out according to Vader's plan, but it's an amazing story to watch unfold.
Shadows of the Empire
In the same way that Rogue One: A Star Wars Story informs the events leading up to A New Hope, an adaptation of Shadows of the Empire could similarly shed new light on the events that follow The Empire Strikes Back. Shadows is chock full of great storylines to mine from -- such as an ideological battle between Darth Vader and Prince Xizor over the fate of Luke Skywalker, as well as the search for a frozen Han Solo. Perhaps the most valuable asset that a Shadows of the Empire adaptation could bring to the table is the introduction of fan-favorite smuggler, Dash Rendar, who plays a key role in tracking Boba Fett with Lando and discovering Han's ultimate location.
Any Kyle Katarn Story
If there's one single character from the Star Wars expanded universe that deserves to be revived on the silver screen, it's Kyle Katarn. A badass in the truest sense of the word, Katarn combines the best elements of Han Solo, Boba Fett, and Luke Skywalker; as a result he has gone on some of the coolest adventures in the history of the Star Wars mythos - featured in both books and video games. This guy has pretty much done it all -- he was once an Imperial Stormtrooper who eventually defected to the Rebellion; ran a number of clandestine operations as a soldier and spy; and even eventually became a Jedi under the tutelage of Luke. That's an arc that would work beautifully on the silver screen.
What obscure Star Wars stories would you like to see adapted on the silver screen? Let us know what you think in the comments section to keep this conversation going!
