Summary
Star Wars has expanded into live-action TV series, with many focusing on characters established in previous Star Wars stories.
Ahsoka, Andor, and Obi-Wan Kenobi have all laid the foundation for more familiar Star Wars heroes to get their own TV shows.
Exploring characters like Qui-Gon Jinn, Finn, and Jango Fett in their own TV series could provide a deeper look into their intriguing backstories and character development.
The Star Wars franchise has delved into the realm of live-action television following the conclusion of the sequel trilogy, and although there are more live-action movies in various stages of development, several Star Wars heroes could benefit from their own series. Following the success of The Mandalorian, Lucasfilm released new shows starring familiar characters from the saga movies, such as The Book of Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Andor. The successes and missteps of these shows can inform future TV shows as they continue to expand the lore and characters of the modern Star Wars canon.
While many of the shows can center on the Star Wars franchise’s heroes, these potential properties can also delve into the histories of famous villains and anti-heroes. Part of the appeal of the Star Wars franchise is how vast its universe is, with the movies often leaving viewers curious about the pasts of supporting characters. The following 10 shows could explore such characters, retroactively strengthening their respective roles in the films, using stories from the now-bygone Star Wars Legends continuity as inspiration in some cases.
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10 General Grievous Has A Rich Backstory
First Appeared: Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003)
In Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: The Clone Wars, General Grievous is anything but a hero, yet he was not always the megalomaniacal Jedi killer he is known as during the Clone Wars. Back when Legends was the official Star Wars continuity, Grievous was a somewhat tragic figure, with his homeworld being victimized by the invading Yam’rii, whose subjugation of the Kaleesh was facilitated and supported by both the Galactic Republic and the Jedi. An adaptation of this Legends-era backstory in the modern canon presents fascinating possibilities in a General Grievous TV series.
Obviously, the Jedi are not truly villainous, but the Kaleesh-Yam’rii War highlights their complacency and the corruption of the Republic. A TV adaptation of Grievous’ backstory would add complexity to his character, depicting him as a hero within the context of the war and explaining his hatred for the Jedi. Given how underwhelming Grievous is in the modern Star Wars canon compared to his original Legends-era incarnation, this series could also portray him as a competent strategist and combatant.
9 Count Dooku’s Fall (& Sinister Rise) Is Compelling
First Appeared: Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones
Like General Grievous, Count Dooku is clearly a villain in the context of his cinematic and The Clone Wars appearances, yet he is easily one of the most complex and fascinating characters in the franchise. This makes him worthy of further exploration, even with Sir Christopher Lee’s passing necessitating a new actor for Dooku. Count Dooku’s backstory is covered in large part by both the Legends and modern canon continuities, but his time as both a Sith Lord and the political leader of the Separatists is a period worth depicting in detail.
The Separatists divided the galaxy in the lead-up to the Clone Wars, meaning their ideology was appealing enough to make a massive portion of the galaxy leave the Republic for it. Andor has proven that, when handled with tact and respect for the audience, the political and ideological side of the Star Wars franchise can be one of its most compelling elements. Count Dooku himself, despite being a Sith Lord with sinister hidden motives, initially fell to the dark side due to his frustrations with the Republic and Jedi Order’s corruption, and a Dooku series can explore these complexities.
8 Chirrut Îmwe & Baze Malbus Are A Great Star Wars Pair
First Appeared: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Introduced in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Chirrut Îmwe and Baze Malbus have an endearing friendship and quickly become invaluable members of the Rebel Alliance, playing key roles in the climactic Battle of Scarif. Although both Chirrut and Baze perish during the battle, their dialogue references a fascinating history, as does their affiliation with the Guardians of the Whills, a Force-using religion that is similar to the Jedi Order. A TV series for the pair could benefit the characters and modern canon lore.
The Guardians of the Whills, their philosophy, their relationship with the Jedi Order prior to Order 66, and how they are treated by the Galactic Empire following Palpatine’s coup are all worth exploring in a Chirrut and Baze TV series. The Galactic Empire’s occupation of Jedha and theft of the planet’s sacred kyber crystals led Baze to lose faith in the Force and the Guardians (with Chirrut noting that Baze was once one of their most devoted members). This sets up a compelling potential character arc for the pair, making their respective Rogue One roles even more meaningful.
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7 There Is So Much More To Qi’ra
First Appeared: Solo: A Star Wars Story
Qi’ra and Han Solo’s relationship in Solo: A Star Wars Story was one of the movie’s highlights, with the two being tragically separated during an attempt to escape Corellia, leading them down two different paths. Yet Qi’ra and Han’s reunion ended their relationship rather than renewing it. Moreover, Qi’ra supplants Dryden Vos as the leader of Crimson Dawn, ending her story on an ambiguous note. Marvel’s modern Star Wars comics have continued Qi’ra’s story, but a TV series could properly end it.
The underworld of the Star Wars galaxy has seen renewed popularity in properties like The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, and there are notable gaps in Qi’ra’s story that are perfect for a spinoff show. Qi’ra’s leadership of Crimson Dawn between the events of Solo and the Syndicate War in Marvel’s comics is the ideal setting for a series, allowing it to explore Qi’ra’s history without contradicting the printed media. Qi’ra notably learned about the Sith from her former boss, Darth Maul, and the series could show how he ended up stranded on Malachor in Star Wars Rebels.
6 Qui-Gon Jinn Is The Galaxy’s Beloved Jedi
First Appeared: Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace
Despite only appearing in one main Star Wars saga movie, Qui-Gon Jinn left a lasting impression on viewers, thanks to his compassion and willingness to defy the Jedi Council when he felt it necessary. Although Qui-Gon’s past has been explored in numerous modern canon and Legends-era properties, there are still portions of his history worth exploring in a potential TV series, such as his apprenticeship to Count Dooku (which was partially explored in Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi) and his year-long mission to Mandalore with Obi-Wan Kenobi (referenced in The Clone Wars).
A Qui-Gon Jinn series could serve a similar function to The Acolyte, showing the complacency and gradual decline of the old Jedi Order. In this case, it would be from the perspective of a Jedi familiar to most viewers, who is known as a maverick by the events of the prequels. Not only would this series explore the long-term character development of Qui-Gon himself, but it could also further endear viewers to his master, Count Dooku, making his fall to the dark side even more tragic.
5 Finn Deserves A Bright Spotlight
First Appearance: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Finn was arguably the most novel character introduced in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, as his origin added a compelling level of humanity to the otherwise faceless, disposable, and murderous stormtroopers. Although Finn was nominally a main character in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, he was underused in the latter two installments, leaving some viewers wishing for more and better stories for such an interesting character. A Finn TV series could help correct the sequel trilogy’s mistaken mishandling of the former stormtrooper.
A Finn TV series could take inspiration from one element of The Book of Boba Fett by juxtaposing its main story (set during or after the events of the sequel trilogy) with flashbacks to Finn’s brutal upbringing as a First Order stormtrooper. The series could give Finn the necessary drama and gravitas that the movies often ignored, portraying Finn as both a competent warrior and a tragic character who deals with long-term trauma from his indoctrination. The show could also give the same dignified treatment to other former First Order stormtroopers, such as Jannah and the rest of Company 77.
4 Jango Fett Has A Fascinating Mandalorian History
First Appeared: Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones
Jango Fett has one of the most dramatic and fascinating backstories in his original Legends-era incarnation, with his early life and eventual selection as the Clone Army’s template being detailed in Jango Fett: Open Seasons, by Haden Blackman and Ramón F. Bachs, and the 2002 video game Star Wars: Bounty Hunter. Although Jango Fett was retconned to have never been a Mandalorian in the modern Star Wars canon’s early years, The Mandalorian season 2, thankfully, reestablished the vague outline of his original Legends-era backstory. An adaptation of Fett’s original history would make for epic and incredibly dark Star Wars storytelling.
The modern canon reestablished Jango Fett as a Mandalorian foundling and a veteran of the Mandalorian Civil Wars, with Open Seasons revealing Fett to have been a child soldier in Jaster Mereel’s contingent of true Mandalorians after losing his family to the Death Watch terrorist group. Fascinatingly, there is an early connection between Fett and Count Dooku, with the latter leading a Jedi task force that wiped out most of Fett’s brethren in the Battle of Galidraan. This, of course, would recontextualize Fett’s eventual partnership with Dooku, along with the Death Watch, who appear in other Star Wars TV shows.
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3 Wedge Antilles Is A Classic Star Wars Hero
First Appeared: Star Wars (1977)
Wedge Antilles is a fairly popular supporting character in the Star Wars original trilogy, proving himself to be one of the Rebel Alliance’s finest pilots and surviving some of the Galactic Civil War’s toughest battles. Antilles is also the star (or co-star) of numerous Legends-era properties, such as the Star Wars: X-Wing novels, the Star Wars: X-Wing Rogue Squadron comics, and the Star Wars: Rogue Squadron video games. These properties could provide a Wedge Antilles spinoff TV show with plenty of exciting material to adapt.
Notably, the Star Wars franchise already has a Rogue Squadron movie by Patty Jenkins in development, with Wedge Antilles potentially appearing in the movie, since he leads the famed squadron in both timelines. If Rogue Squadron is repurposed as a TV series like Kenobi, a Wedge Antilles show might be redundant. That said, a Wedge series could also supplement the Rogue Squadron movie, either building hype for its eventual release or continuing the movie’s story afterward.
2 Padmé Amidala Is A Rebellion Founder
First Appeared: Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace
Although Padmé Amidala is one of the co-stars of the Star Wars prequel trilogy itself, she, like Obi-Wan Kenobi, is more than worthy of a spinoff TV series. Although the political side of the prequels is often mocked, there is potential for dramatic and compelling political drama in the Star Wars prequel era, if handled well. The Separatist Crisis, which took place in the years between the first two prequels, saw the Galactic Republic divided as Count Dooku’s Separatist movement won entire systems over from the increasingly corrupt Republic.
A Padmé series could delve into the intricacies of the prequel-era Republic and the ideals of the Separatists, perhaps making it difficult for even the viewers to decide which side they truly support. Of course, this would carry the tragic weight of the audience’s foreknowledge that both sides are controlled by the Sith, who are manufacturing a conflict to facilitate their autocratic coup. With the right writing team, a Padmé series could prove that the Star Wars franchise and lore are robust enough to entertain viewers with galactic politics and little to no action.
1 Captain Rex Is A Fan-Favorite Clone
First Appeared: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Movie)
With Ahsoka continuing the story of Ahsoka Tano after the events of Rebels (and her live-action debut in The Mandalorian), a Captain Rex TV series would have another beloved animated Star Wars character star in their own show. Captain Rex co-starred in The Clone Wars, returned as a supporting character in Rebels and Star Wars: The Bad Batch, and made his live-action debut in a cameo in Ahsoka. Considering Rex’s popularity and the potential for exciting new stories, he would be the perfect lead for a new Star Wars TV show.
As established by the series finale of Rebel, Captain Rex remained an active member of the Rebel Alliance throughout the Star Wars original trilogy era and was even chosen by Han Solo for the Endor strike team. A Captain Rex TV series could show his original trilogy-era adventures, have Rex work alongside Han Solo, and even tie up loose ends from other properties. Rex could try to recruit other clone troopers to the Rebellion, perhaps bringing his old friend Commander Cody into the fold and continuing his Star Wars story as well.