5 More Star Wars Standalone Films We Want to See

Star Wars has come back in a big way thanks to the new official canon that Disney and Lucasfilm have established across most every media platform available, with the crown jewel being the $2 billion box office earned by Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

However, with the release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story we will see the first of the planned stand alone films to hit theaters, offering fans a wider cinematic glimpse of the galaxy far, far, away.

It is already know that after Rogue One there will be a film about the younger adventures of Han Solo and Chewbacca (from LEGO Movie directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller), while rumors have floated that a third film could examine Boba Fett and the Star Wars Bounty Hunter underworld. With so many possibilities for good standalone stories set in the Star Wars universe, we’ve picked 5 More Star Wars Standalone Movies We Want to See after Rogue One has opened the door.

The Adventures of Obi-Wan Kenobi

Obi-Wan has become one of the biggest figures in the Star Wars saga to not have the last name “Skywalker,” and it’s not without good reason. Fans have spent so much time with Obi-Wan “Ben” Kenobi at different points in his life that’s it’s hard not to be attached to him; especially with animated series like Clone Wars and the canonized Star Wars comic books all offering deeper looks at the character’s history and complexity, via short storylines or one-off adventures. 

Well, what works on the small screen and the comic book page could definitely work on a movie screen. Obi-Wan Kenobi (and actor Ewan McGregor) can definitely lead his own feature-film adventure – ideally something that helps continue to fill in gaps about his time in seclusion on Tattooine, while also providing insight into other points in his life (as a young Force-sensitive, a Padawan, a Jedi Knight, an untested General, etc.). Given the scope of his travels and the accomplishments behind him, there’s no limit to the Easter eggs, cameos, and tie-ins that could be woven into the story. A safe bet for a family-friendly adventure movie built around a character whose popularity hasn’t faded with time. 

Shadows of the Empire

Fans of ’90s-era Star Wars were introduced to a new hero in the saga named Dash Rendar, via the video game Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire. The game told a side-story to the Original Trilogy, centering on smuggler Dash Rendar becoming embroiled in the Rebellion while delivering supplies to Hoth base as the Empire attacks. Rendar was instrumental at pivotal moments of the Original Trilogy, such as attempting to rescue a Carbonite-frozen Han Solo from Boba Fett, protecting Luke Skywalker from assassination, and helping the Rebels steal plans for the second Death Star. 

Dash Rendar has only seen his popularity within the Star Wars universe grow over time, having his story continue through the “Legends” canon into the era after the Galactic Civil War (which is now the pre-Force Awakens era, currently being explored in official canon novels like the Aftermath trilogy or Bloodline). A Shadows of the Empire movie could give fans a Star Wars hero they’ve long wanted to see on the movie screen – either starring in his original storyline (the OT tie-ins), or in a new storyline (“Shadows of the Empire” updated for the pre-FA era), or both!

There’s enough Dash Rendar love amongst fans to spread this story around…

Rise of the Dark Jedi

Hardcore Star Wars fans are well-versed in the long history and deep mythology of the saga – but a lot of that rich history is now unfortunately considered non-canon. A great way to recover some Star Wars EU history and make into a fun movie experience for all fans, would be a story about the initial split between light and dark sides within the Jedi order. 

Rise of the Dark Jedi could be a great way to take what is now the unofficial Star Wars “Legends” canon and connect it to the canonized history of the dark side, and the rise of the Sith Empire. A movie about the big split within the Jedi Order could make the separation between light and dark more personal than ideological, as a team of close-knit Jedi Knights all begin to pull into separate factions, over different views of how the Jedi Order should be run.

Indeed, “The Great Schism” would be a timely and relevant parallel for the current socio-political climate. A great way for Star Wars to get deeper into some rich philosophical quandaries, while also adding a more medieval and/or Steampunk aesthetic to the saga, as we explore the ancient history of the galaxy. The fight scenes between teams of master Jedi would round things out with some nice action movie excitement. 

Sith Legends: The Rule of Two

Now that Darth Bane and his “Rule of Two” philosophy has been made official canon via Star Wars: The Clone Wars, it would be great to get a Star Wars movie that put fans inside the world and psychology of the dark side’s most fearsome agents. 

Rather than repeat a lot of history that fans of the “Legends” canon already know, a Rule of Two standalone movie could simply follow a group of Sith out on a dangerous mission, seeking some MacGuffin of great power. That framework would provide us with a dark story of power, ambition and betrayal, as the Sith agents systematically turn on and betray one another in pursuit of their mutual goal, until there are only two left: a new Master, and his/her conquered apprentice. 

It’s the type of villain story the Star Wars movie universe needs, and a great way to reinforce why the dark side (read: greed, ambition, fear, selfishness) is not as cool or fun as Vader, Maul or Kylo Ren often make it look. It’s also as close to a horror/thriller as Star Wars is likely to get. 

The Seven Jedi: A Yoda Story

Back when Disney first acquired Lucasfilm, and word of Star Wars standalone movies first started to circulate, one of the more interesting ideas came from Justice League director Zack Snyder, who wanted to make a version of Seven Samurai / Magnificent Seven set within the Star Wars universe, featuring a team of Jedi Knights. It’s a pretty cool idea (a story about the noble sacrifice, mental discipline, and compassion of Jedi Knights), and one that we want to echo here – albeit with a twist. 

Another long-rumored Star Wars standalone movie has been an origin story for Jedi Master Yoda. But rather than learn about Yoda’s full origin (in a movie populated by cute green CGI aliens), we’d rather witness a tale that demonstrates why this particular Jedi Knight went on to become one of the greatest Jedi Masters of all time.

The story of a younger Yoda and his comrades bravely protecting an innocent town or village against an immense evil threat (and giving their lives, with one young survivor), would be the perfect way to combine the deep warrior code themes of Seven Samurai with a parable about how one of the most beloved Star Wars characters of all time transformed from young warrior into the hobbling, Zen-like sage that we know and love.

“George Lucas and his proteges like Star Wars Rebels showrunner Dave Filoni have frequently talked about how Akira Kurosawa and films like Seven Samurai already influence the stories and world of Star Wars,” said ComicBook.com’s Star Wars expert Lucas Siegel, “so bringing it full circle to a thematic and story adaptation set in the Star Wars universe seems like not just a natural fit, but almost a must-make.“