Star Wars: Starfighterwill hit theaters in 2027, and while little is known about the story, it’s the best opportunity forStar Warsto move beyond the Sith. The mainStar Warsmovieshave always followed characters' training to become Jedi, so dark side villains like the Sith are natural antagonists. However, theStar Warssequel trilogychose to bring the Sith back even though they had been defeated at the end ofReturn of the Jedi.
SomeStar Warsfans were upset that this contradicted theChosen One prophecy, which stated that Anakin Skywalker would destroy the Sith and bring balance to the Force. While the prophecy was always debated in-universe, Emperor Palpatine’s return somewhat undermines Anakin’s sacrifice and how hard Luke Skywalker and the rebels fought to overthrow the Empire. Even Supreme Leader Snoke and Kylo Ren were so similar to the Sith that it didn’t really matter if they saw themselves as such.
WithStarfighterset a few years afterStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the franchise can feature new antagonists other than the Sith. However, the presumed plot of the movie suggests that dark side villains may still be a good idea, just not the same as ones that came before. WhateverStarfighteris ultimately about,Star Warsneeds bad guys, anda new project in the unexplored future has the most freedom to try something new.
Star Wars: Starfighter Is Clearly Still About The Force
The logo looks very similar to the Jedi Order symbol
Nothing concrete has been revealed aboutStarfighter’s plot, but the short teaser trailer hints that the Force will be involved. As theStar Warslogo appears, the beam of light strongly resembles the symbol of the Jedi Order. Of course, this could be a subtle way of showing that thisStar Warsmovie is moving beyond the Jedi, butI personally don’t think they would emphasize the Jedi symbol like this unless it’s relevant to the story.
It’s fair to assume that Ryan Gosling’s character will be a Force-sensitive pilot, which would be a smart decision for several reasons.Star Warshas a long history of characters whose Force abilities make them exceptional pilots, and there’s a lot of storytelling potential. It would also make Gosling’s character a potential candidate for Rey’s New Jedi Order, connecting the post-Rise of Skywalkermovies.
If this is the plot ofStarfighter, it would probably be similar to Corran Horn from theStar WarsLegends Expanded Universe. He first appeared as a New Republic pilot in theStar Wars: X-Wingbook series, but eventually joined Luke Skywalker’s New Jedi Order.Seeing a dedicated pilot with no interest in the Force grow into a Jedi Master would be fascinatingto watch on the big screen.
If The Force Is Involved… We Need NEW Force-Sensitive Villains
A Star Wars hero is only as good as their villain
If Gosling’s character is a Force-sensitive pilot, this is a perfect chance to introduce Force-sensitive villains other than the Sith. Although the Sith are the most recognizable dark side villains inStar Wars, the franchise has featured several dark side groups, both in the new canon and the Legends timeline.It’s fascinating to see the unique philosophies, methods, and goals of different dark-side groups, using the Force in ways previously unseen.
TheStar Warssequel trilogy introduced the Knights of Ren, whose history and relationship to the dark side have been greatly expanded in the MarvelStar Warscomics.The live-actionAhsokaseries introduced Dark Jedi Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati, who are still ruthless but feel noticeably different from Sith Lords. The show also brought back the Nightsisters to live-action, who use dark magic to access the Force and create an army of the dead.
Most recently,Andorhas teased the Rakatan Infinite Empire fromStar WarsLegends, a vicious warrior race who ruled the galaxy long before the Republic existed. These are only a handful of dark side organizations available, butStarfightercan also create something new. Just as there are countless religions, philosophies, and organizations in the real world,there are infinite possibilities for howStar Warscharacters can view the Force and what they would use it for.
It’s Time To Move Beyond The Sith
Evil can always take a different form
As much as we all love the Sith, it’s time to letStar Warsmove on to new villains, at least in the galaxy’s future.It was arguably a mistake to reveal that the Sith were secretly the villains of the sequel trilogy, butStar Warstook this approach long before Disney bought the franchise. The Legends timeline also brought the Sith back multiple times, inevitably returning to the classic Jedi vs. Sith conflict of previous storytelling eras.
However, this ironically demonstrates howStar Warscan move on and create new Force-sensitive villains. While Legends did bring back the Sith,the post-Return of the JediEU had multiple Sith factions with their own history, philosophies, and methods of conquest.It was fascinating to see what different groups thought it meant to be a Sith, so ifStar Wars: Starfighterremoves that constraint entirely, there’s no telling what villains we could have in futureStar Warsstories.
