Star Wars: Legends Characters Who Can Return To Canon
At the height of the Expanded Universe, Star Wars continuity was a little bit tricky. The galaxy far, far away had exploded into a multimedia phenomenon, with dozens of properties throughout Star Wars comics, games, and novels. Disney's purchase of LucasFilm in 2012 simplified things greatly, with the trilogy films, several spin-offs, and a new line of novels and Marvel Comics classified as 'in canon,' and most other Expanded Universe projects relegated to status.
That decision delivered heartbreak and hope at once, since several characters from Star Wars' Expanded Universe have made appearances in the new canon already. The most recognizable is Grand Admiral Thrawn, the antagonist of Timothy Zahn's seminal Heir to the Empire trilogy of novels, who returned in his own novels, comics, and as a primary antagonist of Star Wars Rebels. And with the new Star Wars comics filling in gaps in both the past and present, there's no telling which character could be next in line for such a high profile return to the canon.
With a timeline stretching from the golden age of the High Republic to the rise of the First Order, there's a lot of ways familiar characters can reappear in a new fashion. Here are a few characters which could fill the new Star Wars chapters.
There is perhaps no more beloved EU character than Mara Jade. A ruthless assassin to the Emperor, Jade used the Force to hunt down the enemies of the Empire, until the Empire was no more. Still, Mara Jade remained plagued by the one target she never received an opportunity to kill: Luke Skywalker. She would get her chance many years later working as a smuggler, but would end up allied with Luke (and later falling in love with him). The couple eventually had a son, Ben Skywalker, but that didn't stop them from continuing to have adventures throughout the galaxy. Tragically, Mara Jade was killed upon discovering the son of Han and Leia had become a Sith.
Fans have long suspected her character could still be canon -- and the new Star Wars comics may re-introduce Mara Jade sooner than anyone ever expected. On top of that, there is a thirty-year gap between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens to explore, providing plenty of time for her to foster a relationship with Luke. However, it seems likely a new version of Mara Jade will need her own corner of the Star Wars universe to thrive in, rather than trading one bad ending for another. One of the most endearing elements of Jade's characterization is the successful and ongoing embodiment of redemption. While Star Wars characters like Anakin Skywalker and Kylo Ren only achieve redemption at their demise, Jade is able to find not atonement, but also belonging and a new sense of purpose.
This one is also a slight stretch, if only because these two are technically canon. Created by Kevin Rubio, Tag and Bink are two Rebel soldiers who escape the Imperial attack on the Tantive IV by masquerading as stormtroopers - prompting the pair to appear in memorable scenes throughout the trilogy. The two stormtroopers that Obi-Wan distracts to shut down the shield generator? Tag and Bink. The two stormtroopers that stop Luke and his friends outside of Mos Eisley? Tag and Bink. Based loosely on the Tom Stoppard play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (which is itself a spin-off of Hamlet), Tag and Bink would go to appear throughout the first two trilogies.
The two were slated to appear in Solo: A Star Wars Story, but the scene was cut for pacing issues, though it does appear in the novelization, making them technically canon. The Stormtroopers who capture the Child in The Mandolorian also seem vaguely Tag and Bink-like, and Rubio himself has backed up the fan theory that the pair are also the First Order Stormtrooper avoiding Kylo Ren's latest tantrum. Tag and Bink are more than comedic background characters though and work best as reluctant heroes who find themselves undercover in a battle beyond their comprehension.
If the Expanded Universe had one flaw, it is one well known to comic book fans: different creators enjoy different characters. That's the case with 'Lysa Dunter.' At a glance, she appears to be a nervous rookie starfighter pilot. However, her fidgeting exterior hides an extremely competent pilot - one that nearly gave Wedge Antilles a run for his money. This is all the more fitting, considering she's Wedge's daughter Syal under an assumed name. While Syal had been previously introduced as a member of the Antilles clan, her re-appearance as "Lysa Dunter" represents the character truly coming into her own.
Unfortunately, Lysa's introduction comes at the tail end of the Expanded Universe, and many of her appearances are few and far between. While this is a shame, Wedge's re-appearance in The Rise of Skywalker does add some hope that her character could appear either in concurrent or future stories, carrying on the Rogue Squadron's legacy during the missing years of the sequel trilogy, in one form or another.
This first one is a bit of stretch as it refers to a multitude of characters. However, this particular addition hits at a major criticism of the latest trilogy. While the First Order exists largely as an extension of the Empire, what would of the Empire have become after its defeat, having shed the xenophobic attitude of Palpatine? This is seen in the Imperial Remnant, otherwise known as the Empire of the Hand. Formed by Grand Admiral Thrawn, the Imperial Remnant exists largely devoid of the racist philosophy of his predecessor, with several non-human members making up its ranks. Though Thrawn himself remains an implacable foe for the Skywalker family, the Imperial Remnant continues to exist after his downfall.
Furthermore, the Imperial Remnant existed to keep peace in the Outer Rim as well as protect its worlds from invaders. As such, the Imperial Remnant isn't an existential threat to the New Republic, but rather, a co-existing power with goals that sometimes line up with the Republic. As such, the heroes have teamed up with the Imperial Remnant on several occasions, including the fight against the Vagaari invasion. Popular characters within the Empire of the Hand include Jagged Fel, ace pilot and eventual head of the Imperial Remnant as well as Aurek-Seven, a group of hyper-competent stormtroopers from the reformed 501st. If a non-racist, and less fascist idea of empire seems a story worth exploring, there's no reason why creators couldn't lift from the EU in the High Republic, or in return to the timeline of the most recent trilogy.