The Disney buyout of Lucasfilm in 2012 resulted in the unanticipated cancellations of many Star Wars properties as Disney sought to effectively reboot the universe with a highly contentious sequel trilogy. Among the properties canceled was the third game to The Force Unleasheda well-received multimedia project in the now Legends universe.

RELATED: Star Wars: 10 Fights Darth Vader Should've Avoided (& Why)

Although there were never any known plans to turn The Force Unleashed franchise into films, several moments from both games could've been capitalized upon in cinema. Sam Witwer's titular Galen Marek—who operates under the pseudonym "Starkiller"—is a particular standout that elevates the franchise to the greatness typically expected from Star Wars.

10 Fans Would Witness The Imperial Takeover Of Kashyyyk

Young Galen Holding Lightsaber Toward Darth Vader

The first game opens with the Imperial conquest of Kashyyyk where Darth Vader searches for Kento Marek, a former Jedi who survived the Great Purge. As Vader clashes with the former Jedi, he has a fateful encounter with Marek's son—Galen, thereby facilitating the events of The Force Unleashed.

However, this opening sequence also offers fans a glimpse of the Empire's hostile takeover of Chewbacca's homeworld, something that has been yet to be shown on film, in canon or in Legends. Not even Solo: A Star Wars Story details this encounter, instead opting to locate the famous Wookiee in a prison on the mining world of Mimban.

9 PROXY Lacks The Ethical Consideration Most Droids Have

PROXY Talking to Galen

R2-D2 is everyone's favorite OG astromech droid. C-3PO is the incessant negative Nancy. K-2SO is the anomaly of cynicism and sarcasm. Part of what makes the Star Wars universe is the colorful personalities of the droids that can be encountered across the galaxy.

The Force Unleashed has the Imperial holodroid PROXY, a robot that prides itself in trying to fulfill Vader's primary directive to kill its human companion and friend, Galen. Capable of wielding lightsabers, the droid can also mimic the fighting styles and appearances of others like Obi-Wan Kenobi. This alone would've been a great excuse to bring back past fan favorites to the big screen.

8 Starkiller And Juno Eclipse's Slowly Evolving Relationship

Juno Eclipse Holding Galen Marek

When Galen and Juno Eclipse first meet, their exchange is terse and cold. Only after several missions of hunting down former Jedi does Juno begin to warm up to the enigmatic Starkiller, a feeling gradually reciprocated by the Sith assassin.

RELATED: Star Wars: 10 Forgotten Sith From Legends

What makes Galen and Juno's brief relationship so poignant is its believability. It doesn't bear the burden of retconning that made Empire Strikes Back's kiss awkward; it isn't controversial like the unhealthy obsession Anakin harbors for Padmé; and, it doesn't come out of anywhere like the random kiss Rey and Ben Solo share in The Rise of Skywalker.

7 The Rebel Alliance Is Vader's Way Of Undermining Palpatine

Rebellion - Garm Bel Iblis, Rahm Kota, & Mon Mothma

The alliance that eventually became the iconic Rebellion that toppled the Empire in Return of the Jedi has been conceived in many ways throughout Star Wars media. Likewise, The Force Unleashed offers its own take on the Rebellion's inception—formed indirectly through the hands of Darth Vader.

After his apparent "death" about halfway through the first game, Starkiller awakens to new orders from his master to foster a rebellion amongst the Empire's enemies. While ultimately a ruse by Vader to draw out dissidents in hiding, the mission results in Galen crossing paths with many leaders that would eventually come to head the Rebellion, including Mon Mothma, Garm Bel Iblis, and Bail Organa.

6 Starkiller Uses The Force To Bring Down A Star Destroyer

Galen Marek Bringing Down a Star Destroyer

While recruiting more senators to the Rebellion's cause, Vader suggests that Starkiller launch an attack on the Star Destroyer facility at Raxus Prime. It's on this mission that players get to witness one of the moments that made The Force Unleashed so iconic—Starkiller pulls a Star Destroyer out of the sky using the Force.

Something that has always particularly stood out about The Force Unleashed was the unique and amazing ways the Force was used. While Disney has tried to explore new ways that the Force can be used in its sequel trilogy with force projecting in The Last Jedi and force healing in The Mandalorian, none of these moments can quite match the feat Galen pulls off on Raxus Prime.

5 An Alternate Version To Events In The Original Trilogy

Galen and Luke Skywalker Hoth Dark Ending

Both of The Force Unleashed titles boast a player option at the game's ending, typically identified as "Light Side" or "Dark Side." While the "Light Side" endings are deemed the canon routes, the "Dark Side" endings boast the more intriguing story, so much so that they warranted multiple DLCs to explore how events would play out in an alternate timeline.

In these timelines, players are offered teases as to just how much Starkiller is able, especially in concern to the original trilogy. In this continuity, Starkiller—as the Emperor's assassin—directly intervenes in major events, such as the demise of Obi-Wan Kenobi and the downfall of Luke Skywalker. Given how ubiquitous the story of the original trilogy is, it would've been exhilarating to see how these "what if" scenarios play out.

4 There's A Glimpse Into Kaminoan Cloning Under Imperial Rule

A man having a lightsaber battle with Darth Vader

The Force Unleashed II takes players back to an under-utilized location that is fundamentally integral to the shaping of the Star Wars universe: Kamino. In the film, the planet only appears for a short time in the early parts of Attack of the Clones and is mainly remembered for the chase sequence between Obi-Wan and Jango Fett.

RELATED: Star Wars: Top 15 Most Skilled Clone Troopers

While The Mandalorian teased Kaminoan cloning technology in Season 2 and The Bad Batch reveals what happened to the ocean planet following the Clone Wars, the continuity presented in The Force Unleashed fully realizes the potency of Kaminoan cloning in the form of Starkiller clones—individuals who are capable of wielding the Force like the Jedi and Sith.

3 Starkiller's Clone Has A Compelling Arc In His Search For Identity

Rebellion - Garm Bel Iblis, Rahm Kota, & Mon Mothma

After escaping the cloning facility on Kamino in the early hours of the second game, the Starkiller clone struggles to come to terms with his identity as a clone. He knows he has all of the memories of the "real" Galen Marek and knows that Darth Vader will ultimately betray him. With this in mind, the arc of the second game becomes one about finding purpose.

The search for identity is a strong and compelling story device that often facilitates some of the strongest stories (and entries in the Star Wars universe). Similar to the Starkiller clone, Disney's Bad Batch follows the renegade Clone Force 99 in the wake of Order 66. With the Empire born and no war to fight, the clones are cast out of the Imperial ranks and must pave their own road forward.

2 The Story Occurs When Vader Is At The Height Of His Power

Darth Vader Rogue One Hallway Massacre

If there's one thing the Star Wars universe could use more of, it's witnessing maximum Darth Vader. While Vader's status as a villain is easily cemented in cinematic history, the events of the original trilogy took place during the waning days of his power. Even his lightsaber duels with Obi-Wan and Luke only hinted at what the Dark Lord was capable of.

One of the most popular aspects of newer Star Wars media like Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Jedi: Fallen Order are the appearances of the Sith Lord. They are brief, but they are brutal, visceral, and terrifying. The Force Unleashed takes place at an optimal point in Vader's timeline—one capable of showcasing the villain's sheer raw power.

1 Galen Marek And Darth Vader Affirm The Sith's Rule Of Two

Galen Marek Kneeling to Darth Vader

The Force Unleashed emphasizes one particular aspect of the Dark Side that deepens Star Wars lore among the masses: the Rule of Two. In the Legends universe, Darth Bane (who has since been re-canonized) was the individual who established this edict after his dissatisfaction with the Brotherhood of Darkness.

The rules are simple: there can only be one master and apprentice. Eventually, the apprentice must fight their master to the death—the victor takes on a new apprentice (if they haven't already) to repeat the process. By taking on Galen as his apprentice, Darth Vader effectively initiates this process against his own master, thereby upholding the Sith code.

NEXT: Star Wars: 10 Sith Who Weren't Actually Evil