After The Star Wars Clone Wars Movie, Starkiller Needs an Animated Movie

by

While Star Wars is now a leader in animation, the 2008 Clone Wars film wasn’t a hit, and the franchise largely avoided animated movies afterward. However, the recent success of Maul – Shadow Lord has sparked renewed interest in Star Wars animation, making now a great time for a new animated film. Sam Witwer’s character, Starkiller, would be a perfect fit.

As a longtime Star Wars fan, I’ve watched Sam Witwer become a legend within the galaxy far, far away. He’s practically royalty thanks to his incredible work as Darth Maul, The Son, and even Emperor Palpatine! But for many, myself included, his portrayal of Galen Marek, a.k.a. Starkiller, in The Force Unleashed games is what really stands out. Even though those games aren’t considered official canon anymore, fans – and I’m definitely one of them – have always wondered if Starkiller could ever return. Hearing Witwer himself express interest recently got me thinking, and honestly, an animated movie feels like the perfect way to bring that character back to life.

Who is Starkiller and Why Isn’t He Canon?

I remember when The Clone Wars came out – it was a huge deal for fans like me! That’s when we learned about Darth Vader’s secret apprentice. This kid, Galen Marek, was found as a child on Kashyyyk by Vader himself. Turns out, he was the son of a Jedi and incredibly strong with the Force. The really wild part? Vader secretly took him in after Galen killed his own father, and started training him as his personal assassin.

Starkiller traveled the galaxy completing missions for Vader, which involved eliminating surviving Jedi. Vader led Starkiller to believe they would eventually team up to defeat the Emperor and take control of the galaxy. However, Vader ultimately betrayed Starkiller, forcing him to join forces with the beginnings of the Rebel Alliance. The game let players decide Starkiller’s fate, putting him in a showdown with the Emperor where he could either defeat both Vader and the Emperor, embracing the dark side, or spare Vader and attempt to defeat the Emperor alone, choosing the path of the light side.

The outcome for Galen is difficult, as it could either lead the galaxy deeper into despair or ignite the Rebellion. That’s why fans were surprised to see him return in The Force Unleashed II (2010). This version of Starkiller was a clone, searching for his place in the galaxy. The game itself is smaller in scope and culminates in a final choice: Starkiller can either spare Vader and embrace the light, or kill Vader and succumb to the dark side.

As much as I love the old Expanded Universe games, it’s a bit of a bummer they’re not officially part of Star Wars anymore. When Disney bought Lucasfilm, they basically hit the reset button on everything except the movies and The Clone Wars animated series. I get why – they wanted to tell new stories without being tied down by decades of existing lore. It was probably the right call for the franchise’s future, but it still stings to see so many stories I grew up with get tossed aside.

Elements of Starkiller’s story have likely influenced current Star Wars canon. The Inquisitors, for example, share similarities with Starkiller as Jedi hunters working for Darth Vader. Additionally, The Mandalorian appears to have borrowed the cloning concepts from The Force Unleashed II and incorporated them into its own narrative. While it’s uncertain if Starkiller himself could fit into the current canon, an animated movie could explore his story, either within the official timeline or as a separate, non-canon tale.

Starkiller is the Perfect Character for an Animated Movie

The biggest reason to make a Starkiller movie animated is simple: Sam Witwer’s incredible voice acting. While he’s a capable live-action actor, his voice work is truly exceptional. He’s made Darth Maul the compelling character he is today by bringing a raw, emotional depth to the role, even with subtle changes in his voice. That same talent could make Starkiller come to life in an animated movie, just like he did in the video games.

For decades, Star Wars has developed a distinctive animation style. Beginning in 2008 with a simpler look, it evolved into a signature style recognized throughout the franchise and considered among the best animation today. Each season of Clone Wars improved the visuals, and The Bad Batch took them even further. Bringing this style to a large-scale film filled with lightsaber battles and impressive Force abilities would be a stunning cinematic experience.

As a huge Star Wars fan, I always thought the biggest problem with Kylo Ren – or Ben Solo, really – was how they didn’t let him fully unleash his power. In the old Expanded Universe, as Starkiller, he was doing incredible things with the Force – like blowing up ships and ripping Star Destroyers out of the sky! That’s the kind of stuff we’ve all been waiting to see in live-action, and while Obi-Wan Kenobi got a little closer with Vader, it’s just so expensive and time-consuming to create those massive visual effects. Honestly, animation feels like the smarter way to give us those epic Force abilities without completely breaking the bank.

A Starkiller Movie Could Be Canon, But Doesn’t Need to Be

Bringing Starkiller into official Star Wars continuity would be tricky, but doable. It would mean changing parts of his backstory, especially his role in starting the Rebellion and the Jedi he defeated. However, a good approach would be to reveal him as a secret Inquisitor who worked closely with Darth Vader. This would allow him to still rebel against Vader and the Emperor, and continue hunting Jedi, offering the most seamless way to integrate him into the existing story.

This story would be perfect for an animated Star Wars movie, especially since the Inquisitors are already popular in Star Wars animation. It would be fascinating to explore their motivations and see how a group of Jedi who turned to the dark side would respond to someone challenging the Emperor. This setup would allow for many of the key moments from Starkiller’s life to be reimagined, potentially creating one of the most exciting Star Wars films yet.

Some argue a movie about Starkiller doesn’t even need to fit into the official Star Wars storyline. It could be a standalone artistic project, proving Star Wars is willing to explore stories outside of its main canon. Similar to the Tales of… series, Star Wars could create non-canon animated films based on stories from the old ‘Legends’ collection. This would be like Marvel’s What If…? show. While perhaps not the most exciting option for some, it would allow the most accurate depiction of Starkiller to be adapted for the screen.

Animation is a fantastic format for Star Wars, and the franchise truly excels in it. It’s surprising we haven’t seen more animated Star Wars films, but the story of Starkiller would be a perfect fit. Combining Sam Witwer’s amazing performance, Lucasfilm’s beautiful animation style, and Starkiller’s incredible Force abilities, a movie would be a major success for both the franchise and its fans.

5 Questions
Ignite the Force: Test Your Starkiller Knowledge!
Your Top Score
—
Attempts
—
0
0
Report Error

Found an error? Send it so it can be corrected.

Read More

2026-04-18 06:09