Star Warsrecently made headlines yet again thanks to a major announcement forTales of the Jedi, a new animated series fromThe Clone WarsandThe Mandalorianwriter Dave Filoni. And like those previous shows,Tales of the Jediwill explore untold stories in theStar Warssaga, this time focused on the Jedi Knights from the age of the Republic.
Tales of the Jediwill be composed of six animated shorts. Half will focus on fan-favorite Ahsoka Tano, while the other three will showcase Count Dooku, telling the story of his tutelage of Qui-Gon Jinn and fall to the Dark Side of the Force.But while Ahsoka andDooku will be the only characters to receive the spotlight in the show’s first season,Tales of the Jedicould easily give prominence to other beloved characters if it’s brought back for a Season 2. Here are just a few Prequel-era characters who could benefit from a starring role in the upcoming series.
RELATED:Obi-Wan Kenobi: Things Only Die-Hard Star Wars Fans Know About The Grand Inquisitor
Mace Windu
It’s already been confirmed that Mace Windu will be making an appearance in Season 1 ofTales of the Jedi, but the extent of his role is still unknown. Even so, he’s a perfect candidate to receive his own focus storyline in a future season. Windu is one of the most popular Jedi Masters of the Prequel Trilogy due to hisexceptional skill as a warriorand his stylish purple lightsaber — not to mention being played by Hollywood legend Samuel L. Jackson.
Mace Windu has already left his mark on animation thanks to a spectacular showing in the original 2003Clone Warsshorts directed by Genndy Tartakovsky (Samurai Jack,Dexter’s Laboratory). However, that series focused on exploring Windu’s combat prowess rather than his backstory or characterization. Little is known about Windu as a person outside of his stubborn, short-sighted personality, making him an ideal subject to be explored inTales of the Jedi.
Yoda
This diminutive trickster is practically synonymous with the Jedi, from his mastery of the Force to his skill with a lightsaber to his boundless wisdom. But despite indisputably being one of thegreatest Jedi of all,Yoda is hardly perfect. A series of shorts delving further into his story could go a long way towards showing how multifaceted he can be.
Yoda typically plays the role of mentor, not hero — outside of a handful ofThe Clone Warsepisodes, showing him in this light would be a novelty for the franchise. Of course, a large part of Yoda’s appeal is his enigmatic nature, so showing too much of his past could easily kill the mystique. But if done well, a Yoda-focused storyline could be something special indeed.
Plo Koon
Star Warsfans who are only familiar with the live-action side of the franchise may not recognize Jedi Master Plo Koon at all. After all, he started out as little more than a backgroundcharacter in the Prequel Trilogy— just another odd-looking alien in a sea of Jedi, whose name fans would never learn without looking him up on Wookiepedia. But thanks toThe Clone Wars, Plo Koon has become beloved among die-hard fans.
Plo Koon plays a major role in Season 1’s first multi-part storyline, the Malevolence arc. Over the course of the arc, the Jedi Master establishes his wise and noble personality, along with his compassion towards the Clone Troopers under his command. In one famous scene, Plo Koon risks his own life to save his Clone squad, defiantly declaring that even if the Clones are meant to be expendable, he believes their lives have value. Plo Koon is also something of afather figure to Ahsoka Tano,making it likely that he’ll show up in her ownTales of the Jediarc. Even so, Plo Koon is a compelling enough character that he could easily carry his own storyline. And since he’s a personal favorite of showrunner Filoni, it’s plausible that he eventually will.
Kit Fisto
Another minor Prequel Jedi who was fleshed out by the cartoons, Kit Fisto was initially known primarily for his striking tentacle-headed design and his somewhat silly-sounding name. However, he later made a memorable appearance in one of the TartakovskyClone Warsshorts, in which he led an underwater battle against a legion of Battle Droids on the aquatic world of Mon Cala.
Fisto would endear himself even furtherto fans inThe Clone Wars,in which he showed off a friendly, easygoing personality. It didn’t hurt that he was voiced by voice acting icon Phil LaMarr, known for his roles as the title character ofSamurai Jack, Green Lantern inJustice League, and Hermes Conrad inFuturama. As such, Kit Fisto is another character who plenty of fans would love to see return inTales of the Jedi.
General Grievous
Technically, this cyborg warlord was never a Jedi at all, despite his expansive lightsaber collection. Even so, Dooku’s status as one of the Season 1 leads means thatTales of the Jediisn’t shying away from exploring the backstories of major villains. And when it comes to prominentantagonists of the Prequel era,it’s hard to get much bigger or badder than General Grievous.
While the commander of the Droid army was a massive presence throughoutThe Clone Wars, his history has yet to be explored onscreen.Tales of the Jediprovides a perfect opportunity to depict how Grievous wound up becoming a Jedi-slaying war machine and allying with Count Dooku in the first place.
MORE:Little Details You Missed in LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
