Disney's 2012 purchase of Lucasfilm saw the announcement of a new trilogy of Star Wars sequels, as well as a series of "Anthology" spinoffs focusing on different characters. Last week it was confirmed that a 2018 Star Wars Anthology film will focus on a young Han Solo, with The Lego Movie and 21 Jump Street directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller directing the project. In honor of Han Solo, here are the top ten Star Wars characters that deserve a film.
But the Star Wars universe is vast and filled with interesting characters. Here are 10 others that we think deserve their own movies.
Darth Maul
One of the most popular characters of the prequel trilogy, Darth Maul was quickly silenced at the end of Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace, though the subsequent Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series revived the iconic Sith Lord. Though a spinoff film focusing on the character's backstory could provide an interesting explanation of the Sith training system, fans have been curious about the character's further exploits.
Lando Calrissian
One of the iconic heroes of the original trilogy, Lando Calrissian served as an interesting character with a flexible moral agenda, whose heroic nature was eventually brought out. Lando's history with Han is mentioned briefly in Star Wars: Episode V -- The Empire Strikes Back, but the character's backstory would surely provide an interesting film -- especially seeing the charming character's journey to Cloud City in The Empire Strikes Back.
Qui-Gon Jinn
Though Liam Neeson only got one film to star in as Qui-Gon Jinn, the character became immensely popular, combining the noble nature of the Jedi Order with a rouge, Han Solo-esque quality. The character's history was hinted at in the Star Wars prequels, including the fact that he was trained by Count Dooku and ended up training Obi-Wan Kenobi, and a spinoff would hopefully explore the Jedi training methods.
Count Dooku
Sir Christopher Lee's performance as Count Dooku was definitely one of the highlights of the Star Wars prequels and provided the saga with one of its most interesting villains. The character also has a interesting history as a former member of the Jedi Council that became seduced by the dark side of the force. This could make an interesting spinoff film that builds upon the character's limited prequel appearance, as well as explore the duality of the Jedi and Sith.
Mace Windu
Mace Windu stands out as an interesting character in the Star Wars prequel trilogy that received very little screen time and character development. A spinoff film could explore Windu's adventures prior and between those films, showing the hierarchy of the Jedi Order and the idea of the Jedi serving as peacekeepers and warriors. Not only would a spinoff build off a cool character, but would also improve the other films by developing a lesser known casting.
Yoda
Perhaps the most enigmatic character in the saga, Yoda's backstory has long been shrouded in mystery, with his species and home planet never being revealed. Additionally, the character is responsible for some of the most inspirational moments in the saga, providing an important message about the force. There are a lot of questions and possibilities for the character, and a spinoff could explore the backstory of the character everyone knows and loves.
Wedge Antilles
One of the unsung heroes of the original Star Wars trilogy, Wedge Antilles appeared as a Rebel pilot fighting alongside the iconic characters on both Death Star assaults, as well as the battle of Hoth. Wedge's backstory is never spelled out, but his journey to joining the Rebel Alliance could provide some great dogfight action. With Wedge known for being a great pilot, a spinoff film could explore the history behind the X-Wing fighters and the brave heroes behind them.
Darth Sidious/Emperor Palpatine
Emperor Palpatine is perhaps the most menacing villain in the Star Wars saga, pulling strings and committing villainous actions and both trilogies. It's hard to humanize such an evil character, but Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith gave some clues to Palpatine's history, including his murder of the his master Darth Plagueis, a Sith Lord who used the force to create life and stop death. A spinoff focusing on Palpatine could certainly explore that aspect of the character, and mirror his fall to the dark side with that of Darth Vader.
Boba Fett
Ever since the announcement of Star Wars spinoff films, fans have clamored for a film following the adventures of Boba Fett. Though the character's backstory was explored in Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones, Fett has never served as a leading man, and exploring the "hive of scum and villainy" of the Star Wars universe would be an interesting spinoff film, especially with the angle of bounty hunters and criminals.
Though Fett's limited screen time increased his appeal, seeing the character as a lead could redefine his status in the original films, and both compliment the character's legacy while expanding upon it.
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Though a majority of fans were disappointed by the Star Wars prequels, an undeniable positive of the films was the performance of Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi, who built off of Alec Guiness's incredible Academy-Award nominated performance in the original Star Wars: Episode IV -- A New Hope. Obi-Wan Kenobi's backstory was definitely explained in the prequels, but the character's journey between the end of Revenge of the Sith and the beginning of A New Hope has yet to be explored, and McGregor's current age would fit within that timeline.
Outside of the friendship with Luke Skywalker that was established in the original film, the setting would allow for characters such as Owen Lars, Darth Maul and the force ghost of Qui-Gon Jinn to appear. Kenobi is one of the most interesting characters in the entire series, and a spinoff film could complete his story by tying the two trilogies together.
