7 Star Wars Characters That Deserve Their Own Spin-Off

The Star Wars universe is packed to the brim with fascinating characters around every corner. (For proof of this fact, just look at Star Wars’ Wookieepedia entries, with even the most limited supporting characters possessing thousand-word biographies.) With such a rich and expansive universe at their disposal, the creative minds behind Star Wars have ensured plenty of great movies and TV shows focusing on their memorable heroes and villains, whether in the form of Ahsoka, Andor, or Obi-Wan Kenobi.

As enjoyable as these various projects have been in the past, it’s also worth pointing out the numerous other Star Wars characters with the potential to star in their own unique spin-off. From fugitive Clone troopers to scheming Sith lords, here are the Star Wars characters whose stories we’d love to see more of in a feature-length film or television series.

Darth Plagueis

“Have you ever heard the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise?” While this oft-quoted line has become something of a joke among viewers, no amount of hilarious memes or parody videos can detract from Darth Plaguesis’s story. The shadowy master of Darth Sidious, Darth Plaguesis sought to unlock the secrets of immortality alongside his treacherous apprentice, his experiments in manipulating midi-chlorians potentially even triggering the birth of Anakin Skywalker. Given his role as the de facto mentor to Palpatine, seeing an entire narrative around Plagueis and his relationship to the future emperor would help illuminate the mysteries surrounding Palpatine’s earlier years–perhaps even explaining how Palpatine cheated death in The Rise of Skywalker.

Mace Windu

As a general rule, any character capable of besting Darth Sidious in singles’ combat deserves their own spin-off series. Case in point with Mace Windu, Samuel L. Jackson’s purple lightsaber-wielding Jedi Master throughout the Prequel Trilogy. Among the most gifted duelists in the Jedi Order, Windu also possesses the unique ability to tap into the Dark Side, making him all the more powerful when it comes to channeling the Force. A fascinating figure who tows the line between Jedi and Sith, there’s no end to the possibilities of a Mace Windu-oriented movie or TV series, from his initial training in the Jedi Order to his peak years as the supportive friend of Count Dooku and Qui-Gon Jinn.

Qi’ra

The long lost love of Han Solo’s youth, Solo’s Qi’ra goes on to become an integral member of the Crimson Dawn crime syndicate, serving directly under the faction’s enigmatic leader, Maul. Yet as most fans likely know, much of Qi’ra’s story–including her tenure in the organization and the remainder of her lifetime during the Galactic Civil War–remain a complete mystery. As Star Wars continues to branch out and explore exciting new narratives, it’s worth wondering what a space opera crime series might look like with Qi’ra in the lead role. Documenting her rise and struggle to rebuild the Crimson Dawn after the events of Solo, said series can even include one final encounter between Qi’ra and Han, adding a much-needed sense of closure to their mutual romantic infatuation.

Rex

Since his initial introduction in 2008’s Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Clone Captain Rex has become one of the most recognizable creations of George Lucas and Dave Filoni. The loyal yet somewhat hot-headed Clone commander of the 501st Legion, Rex became something of a breakout star on Filoni’s Clone Wars TV series, culminating in his return with Rebels and The Bad Batch. As one of the few Clones to avoid executing Order 66, Rex became a stalwart opponent of the fledgling Empire, traveling the galaxy in search of any Clone brethren recovering from the disastrous Great Jedi Purge. While he has popped up time and time again in later Star Wars stories, there’s no doubt that having an entire series centered around Rex’s solo adventures might make for a riveting TV show, whether taking place in between the Prequels and Original Trilogy or detailing Rex’s later service in the Rebel Alliance.

Darth Bane

Put plainly, everything we know and associate about the Sith stems directly from Darth Bane. The strongest Sith of his generation, Bane established the all-encompassing Rule of Two, limiting the number of Sith in the galaxy to a master and an apprentice. As one of the most important characters in Star Wars’ continuity, having an entire series dedicated to Bane’s life could make for an incredible show, both in terms of showcasing the Old Republic era and Bane’s genocidal campaign to eliminate his countless Sith rivals.

Count Dooku

As Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi has made perfectly clear, Count Dooku remains one of the most fascinating characters in the Prequel Trilogy. A thoughtful and contemplative Jedi turned influential Sith lord, Dooku’s fall was borne out of repeated tragedies in his personal life and his own frustrations with the Jedi Order. With a story mirroring Anakin Skywalker’s own transformation to a Sith warlord, seeing Dooku’s story expanded more fully would add further depth to his characters, as well as his relationship to long-standing Star Wars characters like Mace Windu, Qui-Gon Jinn, or his former master, Yoda.

Galen Marek

The lead character of the fan-favorite Star Wars: The Force Unleashed video games, Galen Marek–like most pre-Disney Star Wars characters–was condemned to the non-canonical limbo of the Star Wars Legends universe at the start of the 2010s. Yet as later Disney projects have made clear, banishing a well-loved character to Legends doesn’t necessarily eliminate the possibility of their return to the chronological canon.

Following in the footsteps of other former Legends characters like Thrawn and Asajj Ventress, Galen Marek could one day make his entry into Star Wars’ current canon. While it might take some creative writing to tweak the character’s background and legacy in Star Wars, Force Unleashed fans would no doubt appreciate seeing Darth Vader’s secret apprentice return to the series in some way, shape, or form, perhaps even as the star of his own spin-off series.