Ever since the main Skywalker saga came to a close, Star Wars has become a testing ground for new kinds of stories to tell. The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and Obi-Wan Kenobi all contained minor and major appearances from obscure and beloved characters. Heroes and villains were brought to life in remarkable ways that served the story and mostly seemed to please long-time fans.
Still, many characters from the rest of the expanded universe haven’t seen much attention in other forms of media, even if they deserve much love. They range from the powerful and intimidating to the comical, unique, and downright bizarre. But they all have amazing stories that offer striking perspectives on a specific galaxy far, far away.
Hondo Ohnaka
If Don Karnage and Mr. Krabs had a son that became a space pirate, you’d have Hondo Ohnaka. Intended as a one-off villain for The Clone Wars animated series, this lovable scoundrel began to take on a life of his own as an honorable, comedic, and greedy to a fault pirate.
He proved such a beloved mainstay that he became a recurring character in Star Wars Rebels and became the host of the Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run ride at Galaxy’s Edge. He’s earned more than enough of a reputation to get his spin-off, traveling the galaxy and ripping people off in as many ways as possible.
Mara Jade
While excised from canon following the Disney buyout, her name is legendary amongst the Legends fandom. She was trained as the emperor’s secret apprentice and was manipulated into being sent to kill Luke Skywalker after Palpatine’s death. Instead, Luke broke the emperor’s hold on her mind, allowing her to turn against the empire and train as a Jedi.
She and Luke later got married, siring a boy named Ben. While Luke in the current timeline has not been confirmed to have any romantic relationships with anyone, if Thrawn can be brought back into canon, Mara Jade can as well.
Cal Kestis
The lead protagonist of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Cal is a former Padawan whose master was killed in front of him during the Order 66 Jedi purge. After spending years going into hiding from the empire, he begins to work through his trauma while starting a search for force-sensitive individuals across the galaxy to rebuild the Jedi order in secret.
His dark past and unique skills have made him a famous new Jedi, so bringing him into the live-action universe simply makes sense. Perhaps seeing him alongside Ashoka Tano and Kanan Jarrus would make for a unique interaction as Order 66 survivors.
Galen Starkiller
He is another Legends mainstay that deserves a second chance. The central character in the Force Unleashed video games, Galen’s parents were killed by Darth Vader. However, rather than killing the boy, he took him in and trained him as his secret apprentice, with only a few aware of his existence.
Eventually turning against Vader, Galen inadvertently started the rebel alliance, ironically becoming one of the most significant characters in Star Wars history. Currently, Darth Vader in canon has shown no signs of having a true apprentice. But he does have a band of Jedi hunting Inquisitors. What if Galen was the first?
Saw Gerrera
Portrayed by Forrest Whitaker in Rogue One, Rebels, and Fallen Order, Saw is a rebel leader not associated with the central alliance. While he has aspects of a great leader, he is also known for his brutality with any potential enemy and borderline psychotic devotion to his cause.
He changes physically and psychologically in the 20 years that pass from Clone Wars to Rogue One, dealing with his sister’s death, the rise of the empire and adopting Jyn Erso. He’s had a storied life, and it needs more attention.
Jaxxon
Star Wars is no stranger to, well, strange creatures. Mos Eisley alone had a werewolf and a man who looked like a demon, after all. But Jaxxon, a 6-foot talking rabbit trying his luck at smuggling, takes the cake. He is perhaps most known for being a recurring acquaintance of Han Solo, jealous of the latter’s fame while claiming to be a better pirate.
He has been regarded on a similar level to Howard the Duck, pushed away from the main storyline with the occasional reference or cameo in primarily comic books. Maybe he could become the focus of an animated heist comedy series?
Cad Bane
The Clone Wars introduced this legendary bounty hunter who quickly made a name for himself as one of the evillest non-sith characters in this universe. After not being seen for many years, he made a surprise return taking over Tatooine in The Book of Boba Fett.
While his appearance was somewhat brief, it left a strong impression and many questions; What was he up to between Clone Wars and then? How did he gain this much power? When did he come into contact with the Pyke Syndicate? What amount of history does he have with Boba Fett? These are all questions that can provide the background for a complicated series that Cad Bane truly deserves.
Plo Koon
Considering he’s Dave Filloni’s favorite Jedi, it’s a wonder why he hasn’t had a potential series. In the prequels, he was just one of several Jedi who looked cool but didn’t do much, killed off rather swiftly during Order 66. But the Clone Wars animated series gave him some much-needed depth and cemented him as the Jedi many fans aspire to follow.
Among his achievements was being the Jedi who trained Ashoka Tano before she was sent to Anakin and was known by clone troopers and fans for being stoic yet kinder than his Jedi brethren. So seeing him leading a clone mission or his own training would be a sight to behold.
Sergeant Kreel
Kreel is another comic book character that gained much traction when he first appeared. He is a rebel hunter who became the leader of his own Stormtrooper squadron tasked with hunting down Luke Skywalker. He is known for his wholehearted devotion to the empire, clever and brutal tactics, as well as the simple image of dressing as a Stormtrooper while using a green lightsaber, not unlike Yoda and Luke’s.
While a live-action depiction of Luke and Kreel’s battles is not likely to be shown, an appearance by Kreel himself, whether depicting his origin or on another imperial assignment, would showcase this imperial fanatic to a whole new audience.
Black Krrsantan
Imagine if Chewbacca gained some muscle, dyed his fur black, and became a bounty hunter. Initially appearing in the first Darth Vader comic series in 2015, he came into live-action for the first time in The Book of Boba Fett. In that series, he was a bodyguard for the Hutt twins, then switched loyalties to Boba Fett after the latter spared his life.
He has a past of being a former gladiator and, unlike other Wookies, can be deceitful and violent when he wants to be. History has proved it is admittedly challenging to have a Wookie as the protagonist, but given his impressive history, it might not be impossible for Black Krrsantan.