5 Characters Who Could Actually Show Up In Star Wars’ New Game

The long library of characters in the Star Wars franchise means that there are many recognizable faces, even if they only appeared briefly in a movie, TV show, or other property from the legendary series. With the upcoming Galactic Racer game bringing back podracing into the hands of players, there’s a chance of many characters from Star Wars history participating in the fast-paced races across various planets. While this could include some major cameos, other figures have a higher chance of showing up than others.

Already, there are some deep pulls in Star Wars Galactic Racer regarding the playable characters on its roster. Characters seen in Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace make their appearance, including podracers Ben Quadinaros and Sebulba, in different trailers for the game. These figures are tied to the concept of podracing introduced in that film, with developers at Fuse Games teasing even more “familiar faces” coming to the game as well.

5. Anakin Skywalker

The most obvious cameo for Galactic Racer would be the most important character in the original podracing scene, Anakin Skywalker. Before he became a Jedi Knight and later the infamous Darth Vader, Anakin developed their piloting skills through the underground racing circuit, using a podracer hobbled together from spare parts. The simplistic design of Anakin’s podracer from The Phantom Menace is iconic from that movie, making it a design that needs to be in the game as a customization option at the very least.

Anakin himself might appear in the game, but perhaps as an arcade mode style character rather than a fleshed out figure. Since Galactic Racer takes place after Darth Vader’s death in Return of the Jedi, Anakin has no chance of showing up in anything other than possibly a cameo in online play or some “non-canon” mode. However, given the character’s history with podracing before, perhaps he’ll simply be mentioned by Sebulba as one of the only people to ever defeat the racer in the game’s story.

4. Ratts Tyerell

Another Episode 1 character who could show up in some capacity is Ratts Tyerell, an additional participant of the Boonta Eve Classic race that Anakin ended up winning in the movie. While this character canoically died within that race, there are multiple instances in Star Wars Legends books and comics of the legendary racer being survived by his children. In fact, some accounts mention that his son tried to ban the sport of podracing following his father’s death.

This character was known for having an intense rivalry with Sebulba, with his podracer sporting some of the most impressive engines in the sport. Flexible maneuverability could define Tyerell’s playstyle in Galactic Racer, creating a unique character for players to select. Other information about Ratts Tyerell suggested he hated cheating in podracing, which could create a noble character in the game’s story through his son or any others connected to him. In fact, the Tyerell Foundation his son created could serve as an antagonist or ally in the campaign, creating a niche reference for diehard fans.

3. Aldar Beedo

Aldar Beedo finished third in the podrace from The Phantom Menace, but has a far greater role in Legends stories. Beedo was an assassin sent to that podrace to kill Sebulba as a bounty hunter, and later tried again at several other podraces the Dug character attended after the events of the movie. However, after multiple failed attempts, Beedo would later work for Sebulba as a bodyguard. Given their storied relationship in Legends and Sebulba’s likely role as a major character in Galactic Racer, Beedo is someone who players might be able to interact with.

Unlike dead characters who would show up as cameos in limited capacity, Aldar Beedo might be somewhat of an important character for your podracer’s personal story. Perhaps Beedo can act as an NPC that gives you information about races, or acts as someone who can help you cheat prior to a race to even the odds. Alternatively, players might be able to control Beedo, using the twin turbojets on his unique podracer to have one of the largest and deadliest vehicles around.

2. Watto

Watto in Star Wars Galactic Racer doesn’t make as much sense as some of the other returning prequel characters on this list at first. However, when you consider that Watto is deeply tied to Anakin’s involvement in the first podrace shown, it connects the character to the sport more than you would think. Like Beedo, Watto is never shown to have died, meaning he could be a cameo for the game in some capacity. Watto never raced himself, but he was involved in the betting and wagering parts of podracing tied to the sport’s connection to underground markets.

In the scope of the game, Watto could be a character that shows up to sell you podracer parts you need to trick out your vehicle, acting like the shrewd shop owner seen in The Phantom Menace. Watto might also help you place bets on races you don’t participate in, helping you earn funds to buy additional parts or other pieces to your podracer in due time. Overall, Watto can fulfill a necessary role in Galactic Racer without ever reaching top speeds in a podracer of his own.

1. General Grievous

Alright, hear me out on this one. General Grievous is not a character people associate with podracing in any way, as the four-armed lightsaber wielding leader of the Droid Army is more a Jedi hunter than someone who gets behind the wheel. However, consider this — General Grievous’ most consistent trait is him fleeing in some sort of vehicle, the biggest example of this coming from his signature Wheelbike on Utapau while retreating from a battle with Obi-Wan Kenobi.

This Wheelbike alone is an amazing vehicle concept for Galactic Racer, diversifying it as an ultra rare tool for races alongside speeders, podracers, landspeeders, and other confirmed vehicles. The physics on Grievous’ Wheelbike could be entirely distinct from any other vehicle, giving players a style of gameplay unlike anything else available. Although Grievous himself doesn’t need to be playable for this Wheelbike to be included, there are ways the cyborg could return.

Despite his death, there are multiple instances of Legends stories where Grievous’ body is retrieved from Utapau and repurposed for something new. Perhaps in this game, the droid general has been re-programmed to be a destructive force in podraces, acting as a deadly final boss whose prowess in battle creates a tense confrontation beyond what players could ever expect. While a bit of a long shot, the special vehicle General Grievous used might make for the most shocking cameo in Star Wars Galactic Racer yet.

What characters do you think will show up or get mentioned in Star Wars Galactic Racer? Leave a comment below or join the conversation in the ComicBook Forum!