Star Wars completed The Skywalker Saga under Disney, and is already well into creating a whole new set of adventures with The High Republic. Meanwhile, the works of numerous authors remain in the Legends/non-canon continuity, along with their characters, some of which are well-loved in the fandom.
There are also the characters who have been lucky enough to be a part of official canon that, for one reason or another, have fallen by the wayside in the Disney era. Here are some of the standouts for me that, while I'm doubtful it'll ever happen, am nonetheless hopeful they'll receive some form of recognition or shine in the coming years.
Mara Jade Skywalker
Out of all the Legends characters fans requested be used for the Sequel Trilogy, I suspect Mara Jade Skywalker appeared the most. For those unfamiliar, Mara went from an Emperor's Hand to Jedi Master, and eventually became the wife of one Luke Skywalker. She was a beloved character in Legends canon, and one who fans still wonder whether or not she could be incorporated into the story set in a galaxy far, far awat one day.
I think it's possible to re-introduce Mara Jade in a way similar to what the franchise did with Grand Admiral Thrawn, meaning it can happen with heavy retcons and creativity. Keep the parts that work and drop the stuff that doesn't make sense, though I see Luke having a wife and never mentioning this once in Star Wars: The Last Jedi or The Rise Of Skywalker potentially being a problem. Reasons can be made up for why, of course, but I can't imagine a world where Disney will jump all the hoops necessary to make this happen.
Darth Plagueis
Many Star Wars fans have heard the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise, but since then, the franchise has done very little to bring him into any movie. Granted, there's been little opportunity to do so, considering he was murdered by Darth Sidious before the Prequel trilogy.
Since his creation in Star Wars: Revenge Of The Sith, fans have been interested to learn more about Plagueis. Right now, the only canon thing about the character is that he existed, so the rest can't be fleshed out until Disney decides to re-introduce him. There's a chance he could factor into in The High Republic initiative the franchise is working on, though it largely depends on how long Plagueis was around before Palpatine. The Sith Master found a way to cheat death, so it stands to reason he could have an unnaturally long lifespan.
Naga Sadow
It's more than fair to say Disney has sidestepped dealing with much of The Old Republic era of the Star Wars timeline, which is really quite a shame. Case in point, this era contains one of the most powerful Sith of all time, a magic user by the name of Naga Sadow. Sadow nearly led the Sith to complete domination of the galaxy during the Great Hyperspace War with his impressive feats of magic that utilized the dark side of the Force.
Some truly insane stuff happens in The Old Republic era, which is why those who followed it want to see it tackled on the silver screen someday. Naga Sadow, for example, was able to augment his magical abilities from his ship and create illusions of beasts and other things. Plus, a character who manifests his Force powers with magic? This is the type of creativity we need to see in Star Wars' future content.
Jar Jar Binks
Jar Jar Binks is, without question, the most divisive character in the Star Wars franchise. His role in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace has been mocked for decades, and he's criticized for things, not the least of which his clumsiness. Still, fans have fought for Jar Jar to get some form of redemption over the years, but their plights have largely fallen upon deaf ears.
Jar Jar did get some page time in in Star Wars: Aftermath: Empire's End, and there was a rumor he'd appear in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series at one point. Until that comes to pass though, it feels like the small story where he became a street clown is the only Jar Jar follow-up, which is far from any redemption for the polarizing character.
Kyle Katarn
A reformed imperial soldier, Kyle Katarn was a Jedi who ran several covert missions for the Rebel Alliance and New Republic. Joined by smuggler Jan Ors, the two thwarted a lot of Imperial plots and had a significant impact on the Star Wars world prior to the Disney acquisition.
While a beloved character, it's hard to justify Katarn being added to the modern canon of Star Wars. His former Empire story played out in the Sequel Trilogy via Finn, and one of his biggest accomplishments (stealing the Death Star blueprint) was negated with Jyn Erso in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Disney could still certainly bring back Katarn, though with two major parts of his story now credited to other characters, one would really have to ask why it's even necessary at this stage.
Dash Rendar
Pre-Disney acquisition, there was a canonical work that linked Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. Since then, Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire has reverted to Legends continuity, and with it, most of the story of Han Solo's rival, Dash Rendar. Rendar was the fill-in character for Solo while he was frozen in carbonite, and for all intents and purposes, Rendar largely the same character without the Leia romance.
Surprisingly, Dash Rendar has been brought back into canon via Solo: A Star Wars Story: Tales from Vandor. The exerpt doesn't give more than a quote on how he's a better smuggler for a job than Han Solo, but at least there's an opening for this character to be re-introduced in Star Wars in some way. Perhaps this time, Dash can be differentiated from Solo and maybe eventually become a character to tell more stories that take place within the original trilogy.
Galen Marek
Galen Marek is the protaganist of the Star Wars: The Force Unleashed video games, and a secret apprentice under Darth Vader. Marek sought out Jedi who escaped Order 66 at Vader's behest, and did his bidding until Sidious discovered his existence. After Vader betrayed Marek twice, he eventually turned on his former master and helped save key Rebellion figures, like Mon Mothma. He ultimately sacrificed his life for the greater good.
All it would would take for Disney to make this canon is to say "Yeah, it happened," but in reality, that's a whole can of worms. Confirming Marek confirms a lot of other characters, and then people would want a movie, merchandise, expanded material, the whole nine yards. With Lucasfilm all in on The High Republic, I don't see confirming Galen Marek as a priority anytime soon, but we can continue to hope this will change one day.
Boba Fett
You know him, you love him, and you know he's much better than his exit scene in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. Boba Fett had an extensive history fleshed out in the Legends continuity, but that's all gone in the Disney era. Much like Jar Jar, the character got a mention in one of the Star Wars: Aftermath novels, which featured the implication Fett escaped digestion inside the Sarlacc he fell into.
In Disney's defense, there were plans for a Boba Fett movie that eventually fell apart. Now it seems the Star Wars franchise is focused on The Mandalorian, which many think the character could appear on at some point. I would say the odds of Boba Fett resurfacing in the current canon is high, though not a sure thing until a project actually makes its way through.
Are there any characters you'd like to see Disney acknowledge more or at all in the coming years? Share your thoughts in the comments below and continue to stick with CinemaBlend for all things happening in movies and television.
