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Credit: LucasfilmFor over two decades, many characters from the Star Wars franchise have been given the animated treatment. The Clone Wars, whether the 2003 miniseries, the theatrical film, or the long-running 2008 series, gave us several prequel trilogy characters, including Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mace Windu, Qui-Gon Jinn, and Count Dooku/Darth Tyranus.
Several Star Wars Characters Are Missing From Animation
Star Wars: Resistance (2018-2020) brought Poe Dameron, General Hux, and Captain Phasma from the sequel trilogy into animation, and The Bad Batch (2021-2024) gave us Fennec Shand, who was first introduced in The Mandalorian (2019) and became a recurring character in The Book of Boba Fett (2021).
However, the animated side of the galaxy far, far away has yet to lean properly into characters from the original trilogy. The closest we’ve come is with shows such as Star Wars: Rebels (2014-2018), which featured appearances from Darth Vader, Lando Calrissian, and Princess Leia. There are exceptions, though — Yoda has appeared across numerous projects.
Star Wars: The Forces of Destiny (2017-2018) might have also featured Leia (as did Resistance), but its lineup included several female characters from across the entire Skywalker Saga, including Qi’ra (Solo: A Star Wars Story), Jyn Erso (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), Padmé Amidala (the prequels), Maz Kanata (the sequels), and Rey.
As for the likes of Luke Skywalker and Han Solo, they showed up briefly in that series, but they have yet to appear anywhere meaningful in animation. They also appear in Star Wars Galaxy of Adventures (2018), but that’s nothing more than a short-lived micro-series that simply retells iconic moments from the wider franchise in bite-sized, animated form.
Related: Disney Has a Clever Way of Removing the ‘Star Wars’ Sequel Trilogy From Canon
In fact, they didn’t even show up in the franchise’s first two animated shows, Droids (1985-1986) and Ewoks (1985-1986), which orbited the original trilogy in very close proximity (and neither did Leia). Of course, they’ve appeared in Star Wars LEGO, but otherwise that’s it.
In other words, when will we get an animated series — or film series — that focuses exclusively on these legacy characters within, or even straight after, the original trilogy era? And we aren’t just talking about Han, Luke, and Leia, but also other supporting characters, including C-3PO, R2-D2, Chewbacca, Lando, Obi-Wan, and Darth Vader.
Remember the video game Disney Infinity, where they all appeared? Now we’re talking.
Rumors That Luke Skywalker Is Getting His Own Series
These characters led the way in George Lucas’ original trilogy: Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope (1977), Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back (1980), and Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi (1983).
However, while the likes of Han, Luke, and Leia returned throughout Disney’s sequel trilogy (with Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, and Carrie Fisher reprising their roles), many fans feel they weren’t given the screen time they deserved.
Recently, however, reports that Luke Skywalker could lead a new round of the Tales of episodes (following Tales of the Jedi, Tales of the Empire, and Tales of the Underworld) have emerged. While Lucasfilm hasn’t announced anything, it still gives us plenty to think about, especially when it comes to potentially revisiting the original trilogy era.
Somehow, Reports That the Sequel Trilogy Is Being Erased Have Returned…
Interestingly, this report comes at a time when rumors that the sequel trilogy is being erased have resurfaced online yet again, with several content creators suddenly claiming that Disney plans to somehow “erase” its three hugely divisive Star Wars films from canon.
But it’s worth noting that these rumors tend to pop up every few years. While this latest theory seems to be gaining a lot of traction, particularly on YouTube, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen this happen. Before Ahsoka (2023) premiered, many fans were convinced the Disney+ series would de-canonize the sequel trilogy using the World Between Worlds.
Of course, that never happened, and the mysterious realm connecting time and space wasn’t used in any meaningful way, besides serving as some very heavy nostalgia-baiting.
Star Wars Has Struggled for Years Since the Sequels
Still, it’s important to understand why many fans want to see the sequels erased from existence so badly (which is impossible, but canonically it can be done).
While Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens (2015) was a promising film, that potential was squandered by Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi (2017), and Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker (2019) was the final nail in the coffin for fans.
Since then, Star Wars has struggled with audiences. Disney+ series such as The Book of Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022), Ahsoka, The Acolyte (2024), and The Mandalorian Season 3 failed to impress fans and many have turned away.
However, it has succeeded in animation. So, is it time we returned to the most beloved era in the franchise, with Han, Luke, and Leia leading an all-new adventure, whether it’s on the small screen or in theaters?
Such a project could even be set during the sequel era, perhaps retelling their respective character journeys and correcting what the sequel trilogy got wrong. Perhaps even in an alternate Star Wars timeline, which would certainly please those who still want those three films erased from the history books.
For now, Disney and Lucasfilm have yet to comment on the sequel trilogy rumors, and there’s also no confirmation regarding the report that Luke is set to appear in animation.
What are your thoughts about all this? Do you want to see an animated series or films with the original Star Wars characters, and how do you feel about the sequel trilogy? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
