10 Star Wars Legends Characters That Should Be Brought Back Into Canon

Introduced in the Shadows of the Empire novel, Prince Xizor was a Falleen prince and the leader of a criminal organization known as Black Sun. In that story, Xizor sought to usurp Darth Vader as Emperor Palpatine’s apprentice, and he was considered by many to be just as influential as Palpatine. We’ve already seen Black Sun retroactively canonized in The Clone Wars, so why not pull the trigger and bring in Xizor, as well?

With Han Solo dead, the Star Wars Universe could use another notable smuggler. Enter Dash Rendar. Developed for the Shadows of the Empire multimedia project, he was intended to fill the void left by Han Solo when he was frozen in carbonite and possessed many of the same characteristics as the classic scoundrel, including his Corellian upbringing and even his possession of a YT-class light freighter. Furthermore, Rendar also has heavy ties to the aforementioned Prince Xizor, which makes him all the more fitting to join the current iteration of Star Wars canon. 

Introduced in the widely popular Force Unleashed video game, Galen Marek, aka Starkiller, was the secret apprentice to none other than Darth Vader. However, after one too many betrayals by his mentor, he eventually abandoned the ways of the Sith and instead embraced his family’s Jedi heritage, rescuing Bail Organa, Mon Mothma, and Garm Bel Iblis, and effectively facilitating the formation of the Rebel Alliance. Obviously, some of his backstory would need to be tweaked if Marek were to make the jump to canon, but many elements of his character could certainly be adapted.

Working closely with Darth Vader, the former Shira Elan Colla Brie was disfigured while attempting to kill Luke Skywalker, and after receiving cybernetic replacements and training in the Dark Side, she was dubbed Lumiya. However, her most notable role is the one who was largely responsible for turning Jacen Solo to the Dark Side before ultimately being killed by Luke. It’s hard to say how, exactly, Lumiya could fit into the current iteration of Star Wars canon, but nonetheless, she’s far too fascinating a character to leave by the wayside.

A fan-favorite from the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic video game, Revan served as both a Jedi and a Sith, taking part in such events as the Mandalorian Wars, the Jedi Civil War, and the Great Galactic War. Elements of Revan’s backstory have recently made it back into canon, such as the planet Malachor, which was a key location during two of the three wars, and his Sith Holocron indirectly paved the way for the rise of Emperor Palpatine and the Galactic Empire. Should Lucasfilm decide to produce an Old Republic-era film or TV series, this would be an excellent place to bring in Revan.

While Darth Bane – founding father of the Sith Rule of Two – is part of Star Wars canon, his apprentice, Darth Zannah, is not. A prominent figure in the Darth Bane trilogy, Zannah fought and killed her master and in true Sith fashion, took on an apprentice of her own and continued Bane’s legacy. If nothing else, it’d be worthwhile to explore Zannah’s days as a Sith Lord, as she’s a fascinating character and yet, this section of her life isn’t dealt with in much detail in any Legends material.

Another famous smuggler from the old EU is Talon Karrde, who was created for Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn trilogy. Imagined as what Han Solo could have been had he not entered the Rebellion, Karrde was something akin to Jabba the Hutt in the sense that he was the head of a smuggling organization. Unlike Jabba, though, his demeanor instilled loyalty in his men, rather than fear. Much like Dash Rendar, Karrde could easily be inserted anywhere in the Star Wars timeline to help fill the void left by the now-deceased Han Solo.

Logistically, inserting Jacen and Jaina Solo into canon could prove to be difficult. After all, the only child we know Han and Leia have had in the post-Disney Star Wars Universe is Kylo Ren, and many elements of Jacen were incorporated into his character. However, even if they aren’t depicted as Solos, the Jedi and Sith twins are two of the most intriguing characters from the Expanded Universe, and they deserve to be represented in current canon one way or another.

Mara Jade is arguably the most popular character in Star Wars Legends. Introduced in the Thrawn trilogy, she was taken from her parents at a very young age by Emperor Palpatine and trained in the ways of the Force. As the Emperor’s Hand, Jade acted as both a spy and an assassin for Palpatine, aiding in hunting down any Jedi who survived Order 66. Upon Palpatine’s death, Jade received one final command, by way of the Force, ordering her to kill Luke Skywalker. However, after being forced to work with Luke on several occasions, the Jedi was able to help relieve Jade of this telepathic command. Experiencing a change of heart, Jade began training as a Jedi, and as a smuggler, working with Lando Calrissian on a number of occasions. However, she always found herself drawn back to Luke, and the two soon fell in love and were subsequently married. Much like Jacen and Jaina, it’d be difficult to insert the wife of Luke into canon as it stands right now, but even if you ignore that element of her history, there’s still more than enough to work with.