It would not be an understatement to say that Star Wars is in a state of flux at the moment. Following the backlash to The Last Jedi, released in 2017, Disney followed it up with a box office stinker in the form of Ron Howard's Solo. Since then, the bigwigs over at the studios have been playing it coy. We know there's a new trilogy on the way as well as a Mandalorian series on Disney Plus, but precious little else about the future of the galaxy.
Here, we look at 10 characters we've seen on the big screen before who deserve their own trilogies and explain why fans would be desperate to see more of them on screen.
Han Solo
While Solo: A Star Wars Story flopped at the box office, it was actually a pretty decent film. The blockbuster, starring Alden Ehrenreich, did a good job at filling in missing chunks of the loveable rogue's backstory. We see his first love, Qi'ra, his first mentor, Tobias Beckett, and also see him introduced to Chewbacca, escaping with the Wookiee after the duo are both imprisoned by the Empire.
And, while it appears at this moment in time that Disney has no plans for a sequel, they really should consider picking up where this film left off. It was heavily hinted that Han would go to Tattooine and meet Jabba the Hutt at the film's finale and that is something audiences would love. There's also so much intrigue about Qi'ra, who it was revealed working for the syndicate Crimson Dawn, headed by Darth Maul at the film's finale. So more of everybody's favorite scoundrel, please.
Chewbacca
Everybody's favorite Wookiee has always had to contend with being a side character. He makes a fleeting appearance in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, where he and another of his species, Tarfful, help Master Yoda flee the island to engage Emperor Palpatine in battle. And then, years later, Chewie meets Han Solo and stays with the scrounger as they go to war with the Empire. Nowadays, he is working alongside Rey following Han's death at the hands of his son, Kylo Ren.
But there's certainly scope for Chewbacca to be given a trilogy of his own. Audiences still don't know how he escaped the war on Kashyykk—and people would no doubt love to know what he did for all the years after. There's also the matter of how he met Han—why was he imprisoned in the first place? The official guide for Solo: A Star Wars Story claims he was betrayed by a bounty hunter. Was it Boba Fett? Alas, we don't know. But we would certainly like to.
Obi-Wan Kenobi
When you talk to Star Wars fans about the character they would love to see return to the big screen, the vast majority appear to opt for Obi-Wan Kenobi. But not just that. They all want Ewan McGregor, who played the Jedi during George Lucas' prequel trilogy, to don his robes and return to the role as well.
With Kenobi, we have already seen the vast majority of his story told via various Star Wars media, from the films to the Clone Wars TV series. However, there's a gaping hole in his journey that directors would be able to fill. We are, of course, talking about the years Obi-Wan spent on Tatooine watching over a young Luke Skywalker as he grew up with his aunt and uncle. It would make for fascinating viewing to see him adjusting to his desert surroundings, mourning the loss of his close friend Anakin Skywalker and no doubt encountering some of the galaxy's most dangerous foes.
Qui-Gon Jinn
While we're on the subject of Obi-Wan, what about some more Qui-Gon Jinn? Liam Neeson's character from the much-criticized Star Wars: The Phantom Menace was actually one of the redeeming features of a film that had audiences left appalled and confused when it hit screens 20 years ago.
There's a fair bit that needs telling of the Jedi, too. He never seemed to have the trust of Yoda and Mace Windu on the council, with both characters criticizing his decision to take a young Anakin Skywalker under his wing while he already had an apprentice in Kenobi. Jinn was viewed as a rogue on the council and trained under Count Dooku, who would turn to the dark side years after his apprentice's death. The prospect of him training under Dooku, before perhaps indulging in some un-Jedi-like antics, would make for an intriguing trilogy.
Boba Fett
There's always been clamor for a Boba Fett film because the bounty hunter is one of the cult heroes of the entire Star Wars franchise. We see his younger years shown in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones where he and his father, Jango Fett, help Count Dooku and the rest of the Separatists go to war with the Jedi on Geonosis, while also becoming embroiled in a skirmish with Obi-Wan Kenobi on Kamino.
But years go by before we see him again in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, with the marksman falling in the Sarlaac pit in the latter. This means Disney have two routes to go down. They could give audiences a trilogy of Fett's rise to one of the universe's most deadly bounty hunters and explain how he falls in with the Empire. Or they could even set the films in his future. It is assumed he died via the Sarlaac but, in canon, his armor made it out. So could he be able to do the same? It is certainly something a trilogy could do—even if it may rankle with some fans.
Mace Windu
Out of all the members on the Jedi council, with the exception of Master Yoda, Mace Windu was the most popular character from the prequel trilogy. Samuel L Jackson's character garnered admiration for his skills with a lightsaber and, had it not been for the late intervention of Anakin Skywalker, would have put an end to Emperor Palpatine's villainous plot to control the galaxy. Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith saw him against the Sith Lord himself and audiences also see him saving Anakin, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Padme Amidala in the previous movie.
In Revenge of the Sith, Windu seemingly dies when Palpatine throws him from the window of his chambers. However, many have theorized that he could yet be alive as—with all suggestions like this—there's no body. It would be compelling to see Windu lying low as the Empire rose to power, perhaps seeking temporary solace with fellow outcasts Yoda and Obi-Wan before perhaps encountering Anakin in one final showdown. Alas, we can only dream.
General Grievous
Despite only popping up in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, General Grievous is a popular character among fans. After all, it’s not every day you get to see a cyborg with a crippling cough. Especially when they are armed with four lightsabers and are involved in some of the movie’s biggest action sequences, with the Separatist leader engaging both Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi in combat.
Grievous dies via a blaster shot to the heart from Kenobi on Utapau, but there’s so much scope for his character still. It would be great to see him meet Count Dooku for the first time, with the former Jedi council member training the cyborg. Or perhaps even when Grievous was, to quote a Star Wars classic, more man than machine. It would also be interesting to see how he fell in with Darth Sideous, who used the general to accelerate his own plans for the galaxy. Grievous may be long dead but he is certainly not forgotten.
Emperor Palpatine
Emperor Palpatine’s story, you would think, has been told. In the prequels we see him orchestrate his rise to power, while the original trilogy shows him as the puppet master of the Empire, pulling the strings of Dark Vader from behind the scenes. He is set to return when Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker comes out later this year, but Disney could also build a whole trilogy around the character, dated long before his rise to power.
After all, the core material is there. Palpatine, we know, trained under the mysterious Darth Plageuis, telling a young Anakin Skywalker an old Sith tale in order to help edge him closer to the dark side. What we don’t know, however, is how he managed to overthrow his master. Plageuis supposedly learned how to teach death and a trilogy consisting of the two dark side users would help shed more light on the Sith, the characters and the dark side in general.
Maz Kanata
Man Kanata is another character who causes much intrigue among Star Wars fans. She was introduced to us in 2017’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens where, despite being in just a handful of scenes, she drops some rather interesting snippets. She has seen the rise and fall of the Galactic Empire. She is aware of Han Solo and his back story. And she somehow fell into possession of the very same lightsaber that Luke Skywalker lost at the hands of Darth Vader in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.
However, she was mysteriously underused in The Last Jedi, restricted to just a cameo role for comedic effort. And, as of yet, there’s no word as to whether she will return to the franchise for the sequel trilogy’s big finale. Seeing Maz in her younger years, perhaps working inside the Republic before then having to fend off the Empire, would add some much-needed depth to her character. It would also explain a few mysteries surrounding her too.
Knights of Ren
It is pretty much a given that the Knights of Ren will pop up in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. But, unless the Disney bigwigs decide to flesh out their characters and shed some more light on their origins, fans will leave the screen feeling underwhelmed. Audiences have been waiting two whole films for them to appear and all we’ve got so far is a vision of them in a flashback sequence. Hopes, obviously, are high.
But if Disney doesn't do a good job, the clamor for an origins trilogy will be ferocious. The prospect of seeing how they all formed, and how Snoke was able to manipulate them, makes for an enthralling series. Obviously, this could yet change if the Rise of Skywalker does a good enough job of explaining where they came from and what their purpose in the saga is. But, for now, it’s certainly something that should be considered.