Here Are Six Star Wars Characters Who Deserve Their Own Spinoffs
From Grand Admirals to Imperial defectors, here are the films and shows we want to see.
As Disney+ kicks into gear and we come to the end of the Skywalker Saga, it’s time to think about what other stories might be explored in that galaxy far, far away.
There are books, TV shows (both animated and live action), comics, and of course, the anthology movies, which gives us plenty of room to explore many fan fave characters from different properties. Most of them aren’t as well-known as Han Solo or Luke Skywalker, so having them star in their own series won’t just be an exercise in relying on the same old characters in different settings.
With a huge array of characters to choose from, here are our top choices for characters who deserve their own miniseries or movie. We tried to avoid bigger names like Thrawn or legacy characters like Leia in favor of some more unique choices who would shake up the Star Wars universe in an awesome way.
Grand Admiral Rae Sloane
Grand Admiral Rae Sloane, the featured image of this article, is the coolest character in the universe. She climbed the ranks of the Empire to achieve the coveted rank of Grand Admiral and helped start the First Order in the Unknown Regions. She mentored one Armitage Hux, and hopefully she’s alive somewhere, because if Snoke killed her, I’m going to be pissed.
More importantly, Sloane is a Black bisexual woman; live-action Star Wars projects are sorely lacking in Black women and queer characters. A series or film tracking her rise to power would be incredible. I’m not sure who to cast—Viola Davis is a popular choice among Sloane fans—but it would be a welcome change of pace from the majority of white brunettes who dominate the female leads of Star Wars.
Sinjir Rath Velus
Star Wars: Aftermath book cover. (image: Del Rey)
My darling, dearest, first canonically gay protagonist in Star Wars. Sinjir has everything you could want from a character: He’s a charming, snarky Imperial defector on a quest for personal redemption. The end of the Aftermath series sees him in the perfect position for his own series, where he teams up with boyfriend Condor and best friend Jas, as well as fan favorite Mon Mothma.
As author Chuck Wendig describes it, it could be West Wing in space. As for casting our charming lead, my current choice for Sinjir would be Saïd Taghmaoui, but quite frankly, as long as he’s not played by a white guy, I’ll be set, as his ethnicity isn’t necessarily made clear in the books.
Doctor Aphra
Doctor Aphra #27 comic cover. (image: Marvel Comics)
Aphra might be the most popular character on this list. Aphra was first introduced in the Vader comics, and now is the star of her own ongoing series. The anti-heroine is a reverse Indiana Jones, a “rogue archaeologist” who finds weapons to be used rather than to be hidden away.
She’s teamed up with Vader, clashed with Luke Skywalker, and hooked up with Han Solo’s first wife Sana Starros. A series centered on her could be a fun, adventurous romp through the galaxy, rather than a serious character study that’s all doom, gloom, and crying. And for casting, I’m thinking Agents of SHIELD‘s Chloe Bennet could be a perfect choice for our not-so-heroic leading lady.
Baze Malbus and Chirrut Îmwe
Chirrut and Baze in Rogue One. (image: Disney/Lucasfilm)
Yes, we all know what happens to Baze and Chirrut at the end of Rogue One, but there is plenty of story to explore before their mission to Scarif. The pair were Guardians of the Whills on Jedha, protecting the temples there. A series could easily alternate between their lives pre- and post-Imperial occupation.
There’s already two rich arcs set up there: Chirrut has become more devout, while Baze has lost his faith. Actors Donnie Yen and Jiang Wen could return, with a pair of newcomers playing their younger selves. It would add a rich, heartbreaking new layer to Rogue One, as well as tackle a theme that’s been present but relatively unexplored in Star Wars: faith and what makes or breaks it.
Eleodie Maracavanya
You’d be forgiven for assuming I’ve mostly been mining from Chuck Wendig’s Aftermath for characters for this post; it’s just that a lot of my favorite new extra-canon characters come from Aftermath. Eleodie is 100% a favorite, especially because we see so little of zhem, but zhey are an incredibly rich character.
A pirate captain who’s gang takes over a Super Star Destroyer, there is so much to explore with Eleodie, and zhey also are, most importantly, gender non-conforming and are referred to by male and female pronouns as well as by zhey/zhem/zher. To have a gender non-conforming character lead a Star Wars film or series would be a huge step forward for representation, as well as a breakout moment for an unknown actor.
Who do you want to see get their own project? Let us know in the comments!
(featured image: Del Rey/Lucasfilm)
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