Star Wars ‘Legends’ Fancast
The year following Star Wars’ release in 1977, the first Star Wars book Splinter of the Mind’s Eye was released. From then on, the Expanded Universe (EU) was created. The EU was made up of all the books, comics, and games that were part of Star Wars lore. For almost 40 years it grew to the point of being too convoluted and confusing for people to get into. So when Disney purchased Lucasfilm they decided to start with a clean slate of the lore and canon. This made everything that came prior to the purchase ‘Legends.’
Events and characters that were introduced several years ago no longer exist. However, there have been a number of characters who have made it into present-day canon. Characters such as Grand Admiral Thrawn (Fancast) and Rukh from the famous ‘Thrawn Trilogy’ have made their return to Star Wars through the shows. Even minor, comedic characters such as Tag and Bink seem to be making appearances in Solo: A Star Wars Story.
There are so many characters that fans want to see return to Star Wars. Obviously, certain changes would have to be made but if the character is still respected then they should be brought into canon eventually. So let’s start with introducing these 5 characters.
Mara Jade is probably the most popular character to come from Legends, right next to Thrawn. Although many remember or know her as Luke’s wife, she was once an assassin to the Emperor himself. She was originally supposed to kill Luke but was being controlled by the Emperor’s Force telepathic abilities. Eventually, she came around with the help of Luke. Jade is a relentless, proud woman and like most Imperials, she keeps a very calm composure. With lightsaber skills rivalling Luke’s, it takes an actress who is familiar with fighting to portray her. This is why I chose Emily Beecham, who can play proud and relentless while also exhibiting compassion.
Dash Rendar is another fan-favorite character. There are some that would call the character a Han Solo knockoff since he’s also a pilot and smuggler from Corellia. However, his background is different. His family was wealthy and prestigious in the shipping business, but he went on to become an Imperial Officer instead. When his brother was assassinated and crashed his ship into an Imperial Museum, the Emperor exiled Rendar’s family from the Core World and expelled Dash from the Imperial Academy. He went on to become a smuggler and eventually joined the Rebel Alliance. Like most smugglers, he has an easy-going attitude but is constantly aware of his surroundings and has no problem getting into fights. Pedro Pascal can play the charm that comes with Dash, while also portraying the relaxed but tough attitude needed.
Sidenote: This article was posted before Pedro Pascal was cast in The Mandalorian.
The Abeloth is an interesting character. She’s more of a being within the Force, wielding immense Force powers that can only be compared to the Mortis gods. These powers include telekinetic abilities and teleportation. Much like the Mortis gods, she doesn’t definitively have one form. She can shape her appearance to become anyone she has killed, but her true form is that of a humanoid woman. Her life is one of isolation and anger, which causes her to seek revenge on Jedi and Sith. If they were to include her in canon she could be another Mortis god known as ‘The Mother’, played or voiced by Helen Mirren. She has the regalness and presence to portray such a grand scale antagonist.
Bastila Shan is a character from the beloved video game Knights of the Old Republic. There is still an Old Republic timeline that takes place before the Prequels, and it can be filled with fresh new ideas while also bringing back classic characters from ‘Legends.’ Bastila Shan was a Jedi Knight who possessed the rare Force power of battle meditation, which boosted her surrounding allies’ endurance and morale. With such rare powers, it caused her to be arrogant and impulsive. While she was a great Jedi who rejected many of the Jedi codes, she would later meet Darth Revan and eventually fall to the Dark Side on her own. There is a strong conflict in the character as she battles her emotions, and I believe Elodie Yung is a perfect match. She has the range and the experience; just replace the sai blades with a lightsaber.
If you haven’t noticed, Star Wars is never short of complicated characters. One of the most complicated ones is arguably Darth Revan. He was once a Jedi Knight who would later found the Revanchist–a group of rogue Jedi Knights who would assist in the famed Mandalorian War. Once the war was over, Revan and his friend Alek were hailed as heroes but left to the unknown regions where they uncovered the Sith Empire. They had their minds warped, becoming Darth Revan and Darth Malak. Eventually, they waged war against the Jedi Order and the Republic. Eventually captured by Bastila Shan, the Jedi Council wiped his mind and gave him a new identity. After a short while, he was retrained as a Jedi and defeated Darth Malak who continued to wage war.
He was a militant/tactical genius, with a strong desire for knowledge. He had a nice charm to him, as well as a Jedi. He believed in taking direct approaches which made him a natural leader. As a Sith, he was ruthless and unmatched in combat. It takes an actor with fight choreography experience and a capability of charisma layered with torment. Ultimately I went with Daniel Wu, the only person I believe is capable of playing the character.
I believe these characters will eventually be mentioned over time. Changes can be made to make it happen, but only time will tell.
