Could Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Sith Troopers Tease Knights of the Old Republic Connection?

Debuting in 2003, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic quickly became a major hit with Star Wars fans, as its dense mythology that took place thousands of years before the events of the original trilogy offered audiences an opportunity to explore a familiar world with an all-new storyline. The game earned a sequel in 2004 and an MMORPG in 2011, with Disney's purchase of Lucasfilm in 2012 rendering the events and characters of the game no longer canonical. With fans regularly hoping that elements of the Knights of the Old Republic franchise will be incorporated into new projects, the confirmation of a Sith trooper appearing in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker possibly teases the embrace of elements from the beloved game.

StarWars.com revealed that a new type of First Order Stormtrooper, known as Sith troopers, would be debuting in the upcoming film, yet their origins have yet to be revealed. They merely appear as red First Order Stormtroopers, leading audiences to wonder if being named after Sith means they are sworn to protect the nefarious Force-wielders or if these troopers have abilities with the Force themselves.

Fans familiar with Knights of the Old Republic will recognize the name "Sith trooper," as they previously appeared in the video game. They served as members of the Sith army under Darth Revan's leadership during the Jedi Civil War. It's entirely possible that the use of the name is merely a coincidence, yet, with a number of rumors swirling about an Old Republic film being developed, we can't help but wonder if the characters will have a connection to the characters from that series.

Lucasfilm previously announced that Game of Thrones co-creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss would be developing a series of Star Wars films, with their experience in the world of fantasy sparking speculation that they could be tackling the Old Republic material. Earlier this year, a report claimed that their films would, in fact, explore this mythology and begin shooting this fall.

Back in April, when Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy was asked directly about whether we'll ever see that mythology explored, she replied, "You know, we talk about that all the time. Yes, we are developing something to look at. Right now I have no idea where thing might fall."

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker lands in theaters on December 20th. In December of 2022, an untitled Star Wars film will be landing in theaters, the details of which are unknown.

Do you think this trooper could be establishing a connection to Knights of the Old Republic? Let us know in the comments below or hit up @TheWolfman on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!