With the announcements from Disney in the past few months about The Mandalorian series and the Rogue One spin-off series centered around Alliance operative Cassian Andor, it’s an exciting time for Star Wars fans. We’ve already been treated to several animated series like Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, as well as the impending Star Wars Resistance, so it seemed only fitting that a life-action Star Wars series arrive. But in an era where television programming is experiencing a renaissance, fans will have high expectations.
In the age of Game of Thrones, not only will the series have to look great, but it will have to be intelligently written. Its characters will need to be complex, its plotlines compelling, and fans will be noting how closely the creative teams follow the source material. Since much has been explored of the Mandalorians both as a people and specifically their role in shaping a young Boba Fett, The Mandalorian will need to be more structured. As for the Rogue One spin-off, the source material can be loosely adapted, as not much is known of Cassian Andor and his adventures in the Rebel Alliance. But with all these new series coming out, it begs the question: Why are these characters getting the star treatment? Wouldn't the 900 years of Yoda’s life make enough material for a show? There are many characters that deserve a series, and just as many that as far as fans are concerned, should never be focused on again. The Mandalorian and the Rogue One spin-off series will premier on Disney Plus sometime next year.
20 DESERVES: DARTH VADER
No Star Wars fan alive walked out of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story without talking about the 19 seconds of unadulterated awesome that was Darth Vader mowing down Rebel scum. It seemed like since A New Hope fans had been waiting to see just what homicidal furor the Dark Lord was capable of, especially since there was so little of it in Revenge of the Sith.
While Vader has been enjoying immense success as the star of his own Marvel comic series, a television series set in the 19 years between Revenge of the Sith and Rogue One would be well-received, as it would not only explore his inner conflict during that time period, but chronicle the rise of the Empire.
19 DOESN'T: HAN SOLO
When it was announced that Solo: A Star Wars Story was in the works, fans became understandably divided. Diehard Han Solo fans were excited for a chance to see the origin story of one of the saga’s most famous characters. Others wondered why the exploits of the cocky smuggler needed to be retread when there were new characters’ backstories to tell.
Solo was released a mere six months following The Last Jedi and perhaps as a result, was a mediocre success. Its poor box office numbers ultimately terminated any chance of a Han Solo franchise, and left a sour taste in the mouths of many Star Wars fans. Let his character remain where it belongs, immortalized by the great Harrison Ford, in the classic trilogy.
18 DESERVES: LANDO
One of the best things to come out of Solo: A Star Wars Story was more screen time for the brash buccaneer with a fondness for capes, Lando Calrissian. When he first sauntered towards the gangplank of the Millennium Falcon in The Empire Strikes Back, audiences were instantly enamored with the smooth talking space pirate.
While fans may have been soured by the portrayal of Han Solo in the film, they loved Daniel Glover’s take on a young Lando. His adventures haven’t even begun to be explored... such as the famous battle of Taanab that got him made a general in the Rebel Alliance decades later. Bursting with charisma, Lando is a greatly underutilized character that has the star power to lead his own show.
17 DOESN'T: POE DAMERON
When Poe Dameron was introduced as the heroic Resistance starfighter pilot in The Force Awakens, audiences responded to his rakish charm and ready smile. He never lost the courage of his convictions, never abandoned his friends, and was able to put his impressive piloting skills to the test time and time again.
All that changed in The Last Jedi, when he let his superiority complex get ahead of the mission. He defied direct orders from superiors that far outranked him, and put the safety of the Resistance and its future in jeopardy by reckless maneuvers, such as flying a single fighter against a Dreadnaught with systems specifically designed to eliminate that threat. Following an obnoxious, self-absorbed flyboy would be uninteresting and one-note.
16 DESERVES: CHEWIE
Chewbacca has long been associated as one half of a dynamic duo, friend to smuggler Han Solo, and co-pilot of the Millenium Falcon. Though it was revealed he did fight in the Clone Wars, not much of his history has been shared. According to the events of Solo: A Star Wars Story, he was taken by the Empire and intended to perform manual labor before being freed by a young Han.
Chewie has always been an incredibly expressive background character, but it’s time his story was told. Not only do audiences want to know more about the famous Wookiee, but about his species in general. His own series would allow for both to happen, and might even feature a few cameos by some well known characters.
15 DOESN'T: MAZ KANATA
Like so many characters thrown into the over-crowded The Force Awakens, Maz Kanata seemed to only serve a means to an end. Her character, a tavern-owning intergalactic spy and mercenary, seemed interesting on the surface but after a few scenes with her, you couldn’t wait for more of the action to happen.
In that way, she served her purpose; a narrative stop-gap for the mechanisms of the story to fall into place. However, her returning cameo in The Last Jedi was just enough screen time for her, and an entire series based on her exploits is unnecessary (unless it included lots of her flirting with Chewie).
14 DESERVES: CAPTAIN PHASMA
The first of her kind, Captain Phasma appeared in The Force Awakens like a titanium titan. Commanding discipline and respect from her very presence, she was a grounding rod to the impulsive kinetic energy ricocheting between General Hux and Kylo Ren. It was she who put the “order” in the First Order, and her screen time was cut all too short. When she suddenly appeared in The Last Jedi, it was to be underutilized yet again.
The origins of her rise in the ranks of the First Order would be intriguing, especially since the Empire never allowed women (on-screen) to achieve nearly her level of authority. A glimpse behind the visor would be well deserved, especially given her status as a fan-favorite.
13 DOESN'T: GENERAL HUX
General Hux occupied a time honored archetype in Star Wars canon; that of the myopic, power-hungry, perpetually patronizing authoritarian. Like Grand Moff Tarkin before him, he believed wholeheartedly in the complete supremacy of his regime, and was egotistical to a fault. He appeared in the The Force Awakens as a ruthless dictator that was also a dangerous military tactician.
When we see him again in The Last Jedi, he’s reduced to a simpering despot, whose only service is to supply comic relief. The real threat is now Kylo Ren, his main rival. If he is to be so de-fanged, General Hux need never grace the corridors of another Dreadnaught (or series).
12 DESERVES: THRAWN
One of the only characters from the Star Wars Legends and Expanded Universe to become canonized amidst the recent Disney-approved Star Wars intellectual properties, the character of Thrawn is simply too charismatic to ignore. The member of an alien race given the furthest reaches of the galaxy to bring under Imperial control, the blue-skinned military genius was one of Emperor Palpatine’s most powerful tools.
Thrawn has recently been the subject of his own novel by the author that made him famous in a trilogy of books in the ‘90s, Timothy Zahn, as well as featured in Star Wars Rebels. A series devoted to his rise in the ranks of the Empire would be both welcomed and long overdue.
11 DOESN'T: LUKE SKYWALKER
Luke Skywalker -- his name is so closely associated with the Star Wars saga as to be inextricably tied to its annals forever. His family drama spawned the content for one of the greatest stories ever told in modern history. And yet, it is his name that often holds back the progress of a galaxy rich with the stories of so many other characters.
His final bow in Episode IX should be his last. A series devoted to Luke Skywalker, even if it chronicles how he rebuilt the Jedi Order amidst the ashes of the Empire, would overshadow the voices of other characters that deserve just as much attention and respect.
10 DESERVES: QUI-GON JINN
One of the greatest characters to come from the Star Wars prequels was Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn. The mindful mentor of a brash young Obi-Wan Kenobi, he was a master of the Living Force and a keen believer in following his instincts even at the expense if his reputation. This put him at odds with the Jedi Council, but not the legions of Star Wars fans who liked the maverick Jedi and his devil-may-care attitude.
He did not survive The Phantom Menace, to the dismay of his new fans (and Obi-Wan). His days as a Jedi Knight would make a great standalone series, especially training under Count Dooku, his master who would later turn to the Dark Side.
9 DOESN'T: GENERAL GRIEVOUS
A new villain was introduced to the Star Wars galaxy in Attack of the Clones, taking the form of the bionic, multi-armed cyber warrior named General Grievous. Trained in the Jedi Arts by Count Dooku, he was primarily used as a foil for Obi-Wan Kenobi, and only advanced the plot through threatening checkpoints.
Grievous was a second tier antagonist. While initially interesting, he was made less threatening than he should have been by the ubiquitous presence of a hacking cough that rattled some of the only living tissue still housed in his metal frame. How he acquired it, like much of his origins, was of little interest to Star Wars fans.
8 DESERVES: OBI-WAN KENOBI
As much as the saga of Star Wars is tied to the Skywalker clan, one other name has become synonymous with its mythos: Obi-Wan Kenobi. Growing from precocious Jedi Knight to centered Jedi Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi not only witnessed the rise and fall of his apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, but also the demise of his Jedi comrades and countless loved ones as the Empire took over the galaxy.
Many fans have clamored for an Obi-Wan-centric original film. His exploits during the Clone Wars are well documented, but it’s the years that he was Luke Skywalker’s ward on Tatooine for 19 years that has everyone thinking a series might be better. There’s no way he would have become a hermit overnight!
7 DOESN'T: VICE ADMIRAL HOLDO
Amidst other characters like Maz Kanata, Vice Admiral Holdo suffered the same fate as those persons introduced only to move the plot along; once she was done fulfilling her need, she was no longer useful. And as much of a fuss as was made about her being a longtime friend of Leia Organa-Solo, there were other seasoned leaders from the glory days of the Rebel Alliance that deserved the glorified cameo treatment (Ackbar, for instance).
Holdo was slated to be a sound military strategist, and while her kamikaze maneuver on a First Order Dreadnaught was admirable, logic dictated it didn’t need to happen at all had she made a few other decisions prior. A series about her would be equally disappointing.
6 DESERVES: CIRRUT IMWE AND BAZE MALBUS
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is easily one of the most well-received of the Star Wars films made in the last 20 years. It combined elements of the classic trilogy with its time period and familiar faces, while also introducing new locations and characters. Two stand out stars involved in the main Rogue One storyline were Cirrut Imwe and Baze Malbus.
A pair of Force-followers known as the Keeper of the Whills, Baze Malbus had long since lost his faith, while Cirrut Imwe held fast to his knowledge of the Force. A true “odd couple” in terms of their personalities, they stole the show with their banter. A series about Force users that aren’t Jedi would be informative and different.
5 DOESN'T: PADME AMIDALA
Padme Amidala is undoubtedly one of the formative characters in the Star Wars saga -- not only was she Anakin Skywalker’s wife and Luke and Leia’ mother, she was the queen of Naboo and then Senator who bravely fought against the tyranny of the Trade Federation and the beginning of the Empire.
For so formidable a person, her presence in the Star Wars prequels often felt diminished. Regulated to an objectified pedestal by Anakin, her life seemed to be as a means for his chrysallis, and her demise a means for his rebirth into Darth Vader. It isn’t necessarily her fault that Star Wars fans have no interest in her.
4 DESERVES: YODA
Nine hundred years is a lot of ground to cover, so a series about one of the greatest Jedi Masters of all time would have limitless material. Not much is known about Yoda! He led the Jedi Council in the waning days of the Old Republic, taught hundreds of padawans, and after the Clone Wars broke out and the Empire emerged the victor, he went into hiding until he was found by Luke Skywalker. And that’s only over the span of time from Episode I to Episode VI!
Yoda has become an endearing character in the Star Wars Universe, and an enduring symbol of its greatest aspects. Both childlike and sagacious, diminutive and intimidating, he is a quirky paradox whose mystery would make a legendary show.
3 DOESN'T: FINN
Finn was one of the breakout stars of The Force Awakens. A young stormtrooper of the First Order conflicted about his role in a fascist regime, he defected to the Resistance and joined his new allies in defending the galaxy against tyranny. Beginning as an awkward coward, he found his confidence over the course of the movie, and also proved to be quite humorous.
All of that changed in The Last Jedi, when the character growth Finn had developed was left behind in favor of other characters’ arcs. He was placed in a jarring subplot that proved as banal and uninteresting as any series he might star in.
2 DESERVES: LEIA
While the Skywalker family has been well documented in the Star Wars Universe, one character deserving of more recognition is Leia Organa Solo, former Princess of Alderaan and General in the Resistance Army. A formidable presence at a young age in the Galactic Senate, she watched as the Empire destroyed her home planet with one blast from the Death Star and vowed to fight its tyranny in every form it took, including the First Order that rose from its ashes years later.
Though Star Wars Rebels showed a little of young Leia’s adventures, and Marvel has given her several issues in a mini-series, there are periods of Leia’s life, especially between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, that would make for amazing storytelling.
1 DOESN'T: SUPREME LEADER SNOKE
When Snoke materialized in The Force Awakens as a huge holographic head floating above Kylo Ren, theaters buzzed with anticipation. Was he an Emperor Palpatine rip-off, or some new menace sent to destroy the Skywalker family? He had already converted Ben Solo to the Dark Side, what else was he capable of?
Between that film and The Last Jedi, almost nothing was revealed about the Supreme Leader of the First Order. His apprentice, Kylo Ren killed him before he was even very influential in the plot. Though initially mysterious, fans grew weary of his presence when it was clear the only purpose he served was to make way for Ren becoming the next Supreme Leader.