Through the good times and the bad, Star Wars has remained a beloved long-running franchise that’s transported fans to a galaxy far, far away. And, at this point, it seems unlikely that we’ll ever leave. As the Star Wars cinematic universe continues to expand, the possibility of tapping some beloved and iconic characters for their own solo film projects is growing even further.
With audiences flocking to see The Mandalorian and Grogu on an epic adventure on the big screen, the prospect of other characters getting their own movie adventures increases. So, who should be bestowed such an honor? It's time to discuss characters from the franchise that could go solo. Hopefully, craft a better film than Solo: A Star Wars Story. While there are certainly a handful more that could make this lineup, this list serves as the most fascinating and unique roster.
Jar Jar Binks
Image via LucasfilmBefore you come with the pitchforks, let’s begin by saying that should the infamous Jar Jar Binks (Ahmed Best) receive his own solo movie, it's meant to serve as a redemption for what the character went through when he was first introduced. First seen in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Jar Jar was solely meant to provide comic relief. And, as we know, that backfired greatly. Recognized as a universally disliked character, time has done small wonders, as some fans are giving him credit, understanding that it was simply poor execution. Also helping the cause was the small arc in the animated series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Here, he was given equal treatment and had significance during his arc. While we only know what we were shown, there is a rich world in which a Jar Jar story could go: pre-Phantom Menace or post-Revenge of the Sith.
Let's begin with the latter. To endure the perfect redemption arc, a film literally about redemption, as he faces the consequences of his role in the events that reshaped the galaxy in the Sith's favor. In a pre-film story, Jar Jar could explore the story found in the recent comic. What's even better, that story was co-written by the actor himself, Ahmed Best! Here, he went from being an outcast banished by his own people to a respected Senator, only to be manipulated into proposing the emergency powers that brought down the Republic and created the Empire. A story of guilt could help naysayers find some genuine empathy through his vulnerability. Or, if fan service and theories play a factor in plot choices, there's always the Sith Lord hiding in plain sight option. While many solo films and projects focus on powerful Jedi or hardened mercenaries, a Jar Jar-centric story would explore the galaxy through the lens of the seemingly innocent. It might be a tough sell, but it's a risk worth taking.
Jod Na Nawood
Image via LucasfilmOne thing you'll notice with this list is that bonus points are given to big-name stars since they're more likely to get the chance to lead their own film. Especially if there had been fanfare regarding their previous appearance and desire for more. Such is the case for Jude Law's Jod Na Nawood. Perhaps best related to Long John Silver of space, Jod is a Force-sensitive scoundrel and pirate captain from Star Wars: Skeleton Crew. On the surface, Jod projected a charismatic mentor persona, but beneath the surface, he was morally gray, driven by self-serving motives. The ultimate treasure hunter: a prequel story would open a world of endless opportunities, expanding the galaxy to places we’ve yet to reach.
In the series, Jod has nods to his background, but what led to his questionable past and shifting allegiances could help color his character. Plus, how does he fare going up against people his own size and age? The truth is, learning more about his Jedi training being cut short during Order 66 is a fascinating premise. This solo movie could discover the transformation from a grieving Jedi initiate into a self-serving pirate. Jod is a different brand of scoundrel, which is why he was such a great character against an already beloved ensemble. Law is a phenomenal performer who could easily tap into deep psychological trauma stemming from an unresolved past. We’re all in for rogue Jod!
Mace Windu
Image via LucasfilmBetween being the only Jedi wielding a purple lightsaber and being portrayed by the one and only Samuel L. Jackson, the intrigue around Mace Windu was already there. But of the prequel characters who have yet to earn more screen time, the top of the list stands Mace Windu. Though Windu's fate was sealed by his dramatic death during Revenge of the Sith, there is more to explore about the most unorthodox Master. The most intriguing option would focus on how he developed and mastered Vaapad, a lightsaber form that channels a user's inner darkness and aggression without falling to the dark side. Or, the story could be pulled directly from the upcoming Dark Horse Comics standalone story.
Having a story to draw from makes for an easy adaptation, but fans are eager to learn about that infamous weapon. In honoring fan service, the theory that he survived Revenge of the Sith could lead to a revenge story against Boba Fett (Daniel Logan), the original individual meant to kill him, giving Jackson a chance to expand his character. Realistically, it's the prequel story that makes the most sense. With de-aging technology possible, there's no doubt that a Jackson-led Windu standalone could be possible. As one of the more prominent crossover actors between the MCU and Star Wars franchises, Disney could use his enthusiasm to return to their advantage.
Padmé Amidala
When it comes to Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman), her presence in the overall Skywalker Saga is quite important. And yet, she was mostly relegated and reduced to a plot device in Anakin Skywalker's (Hayden Christensen) tragic love story. The truth is, with untapped potential, she's one of the more fascinating figures in the prequel trilogy. Played by Natalie Portman, Amidala begins her tenure as the teenage Queen of Naboo, then later serves as a prominent Senator. Of course, her legacy continued by secretly giving birth to twins Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher). While love was predominantly the focus of her narrative, a solo film should explore her political prowess.
A genuine space political thriller led by Portman could examine her espionage traits as she served as queen while also serving as one of her own highly trained handmaidens. This story would open the door to showcase her political strengths and how she operated in the shadow of the crumbling Galactic Republic. The goal of a Padmé-centric movie would allow the prequel-era lore and mythology to expand and be canonized. Now, we're not necessarily advocating for zombies, but the actress has revealed she wouldn't mind a lightsaber if her character returned from the dead. Maybe a Jedi Padmé clone would solve that thread.
Collider Exclusive · Star Wars Quiz
Which Force User
Are You?
Light Side · Dark Side · Or Somewhere Between
The Force is not a binary. It is a spectrum — from the serene halls of the Jedi Temple to the shadowed corridors of Sith space. Ten questions will reveal where you truly fall. The Force has always known. Now you will too.
🔵Jedi Master
🟡Padawan
🔴Sith Lord
⚫Inquisitor
⚪Grey Jedi
IGNITE YOUR SABER →
01
What is the Force to you? Your relationship with the Force defines everything else.
AA living energy I must be worthy of — it is not mine to control. BSomething vast and mysterious I'm only beginning to understand. CNeither light nor dark — just a current I choose to ride. DPower. Pure and simple. The strong take it; the weak don't.
NEXT QUESTION →
02
When you feel strong emotions — anger, grief, love — what do you do? The Jedi suppress. The Sith feed. Others choose differently.
AAcknowledge them, then release them. Attachment leads to suffering. BFeel them fully, then decide what to do — they're not the enemy. CBury them. Emotion is a liability I can't afford to indulge. DUse them. Passion is the engine of the dark side for good reason.
NEXT QUESTION →
03
The Jedi Council gives you an order you disagree with. You: How you handle authority reveals your alignment.
AFollow it. The Council's wisdom surpasses my own perspective. BVoice my objection clearly, then defer to the decision. CComply outwardly while doing what I think is right. DIgnore it. The strong don't answer to committees.
NEXT QUESTION →
04
You are offered forbidden knowledge that could give you enormous power. The cost is crossing a moral line. You: The dark side's pull is never more than a choice away.
ARefuse without hesitation. There is no cost worth that price. BWeigh it carefully — sometimes darkness holds real answers. CFeel the pull but walk away — for now. DAccept it. Power justifies the method used to obtain it.
NEXT QUESTION →
05
Your approach to training and learning is: A student's habits become a master's character.
ADedicated but humble. There is always more to learn from my masters. BRigorous and patient. Mastery is earned through years of discipline. CEclectic — I draw from every tradition, not just one. DRelentless and brutal. Pain accelerates growth. Rest is weakness.
NEXT QUESTION →
06
In a duel, your lightsaber fighting style reflects: Combat is the purest expression of a Force user's philosophy.
ADefense and composure — I wait for my opponent to overcommit. BFast and instinctive — I trust the Force to guide my movements. CUnpredictable — I blend styles to keep enemies off-balance. DOverwhelming aggression — I end fights before they begin.
NEXT QUESTION →
07
A defeated enemy lies at your feet, powerless. You: Mercy — or its absence — is the truest test of alignment.
AStrike them down — compassion toward enemies is naïve and costly. BNeutralize them permanently. I can't afford loose ends. CSpare them if I can — but stay clear-eyed about the risks. DOffer them a chance to surrender. Every being deserves that.
NEXT QUESTION →
08
The Jedi Code forbids attachment. Your honest view on love and bonds: The source of the greatest falls in the galaxy.
AThe Code is right. Attachment clouds judgment and invites suffering. BLove is not a weakness — the Jedi Code got this one wrong. CI have no attachment — only loyalty to my master's mission. DI feel it deeply but struggle to reconcile it with my training.
NEXT QUESTION →
09
Why do you use the Force at all? What's the point? Purpose is the difference between a knight and a weapon.
ATo learn. I'm still figuring out what I'm capable of. BTo protect and serve. The Force is a responsibility, not a gift. CTo survive — and maybe carve out something worth having. DTo dominate. Strength demands to be expressed, not contained.
NEXT QUESTION →
10
At the final moment — light side or dark side pulling at you — what wins? In the end, every Force user faces this moment. What does yours look like?
AThe light. I choose peace, even when darkness would be easier. BNeither fully — I carve my own path through the middle. CWhoever I serve — my loyalty defines me more than my morality. DThe dark. Power is the only thing that's ever actually been real.
REVEAL MY ALIGNMENT →
Your Alignment Has Been Determined Your Place in the Force
The scores below reveal how the Force sees you. Your highest number is your true alignment. Read on to understand what that means — and what it will cost you.
🔵 Jedi Master
🟡 Padawan
🔴 Sith Lord
⚫ Inquisitor
⚪ Grey Jedi
Disciplined, compassionate, and deeply attuned to the living Force, you have walked the path long enough to understand its demands — and accept them. You lead not through authority alone, but through example. You have felt the pull of the dark side and chosen otherwise, every time. That is not certainty. That is courage.
You are earnest, powerful, and brimming with potential — and you know it, which is both your greatest asset and your most dangerous flaw. You act before you think, trust your gut over your training, and sometimes confuse impatience for bravery. The Masters see something in you, though. The question isn't whether you have what it takes — it's whether you'll be patient enough to find out.
You are not simply dangerous — you are certain, and that is worse. You have decided what the galaxy needs, and you have decided you are the one to deliver it. Your power is genuine and formidable, earned through sacrifice that would have broken lesser beings. But examine your victories carefully. Every Sith believed their cause was righteous. The dark side's cruelest trick is that it agrees with you.
You were forged in fire and reshaped by those who found you at your lowest. You serve, because service gave you structure when you had none. Your allegiance is not to an ideology — it is to survival and to the master who gave you purpose. But there is something buried beneath the conditioning. The Jedi you hunt? You recognize them. Because you remember what it felt like before the choice was taken from you.
You have looked at the Jedi Code and the Sith Code and found both of them incomplete. You walk the line not out of indecision but out of conviction — you genuinely believe both extremes miss something essential. The Jedi don't fully trust you. The Sith think you're wasting your potential. They're both partially right. But so are you.
↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ
Poe Dameron
Image via LucasfilmThere are very few new generation stars quite like Oscar Isaac. Not only is he enamored as a Hollywood heartthrob, but he's a brilliant actor. His rise to stardom was solidified when he made his Star Wars sequel trilogy debut as Poe Dameron in Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens. The highly trained X-Wing fighter pilot, Poe was the sequel trilogy's answer to Han Solo (Harrison Ford). Having appeared in numerous other projects, including the television specials The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special, Terrifying Tales, and Summer Vacation, the time has come for a solo film.
Though the film only skimmed the surface, Poe's backstory has been explored in comics and the novel Free Fall. It's there that the intrigue of a Poe movie lies. Whatever the plot might be, Poe's story would be action-packed. What might his journey from reckless hotshot pilot to a seasoned, wise military leader be like? In a backstory film, audiences might learn about his life as a spice runner on Kijimi. The truth is, even if Poe goes solo, he must be accompanied by BB-8! Isaac has served as a mesmerizing spiritual successor to Ford's iconic character. And while he may have had to pass the baton to another actor, Alden Ehrenreich, to play the younger version of him, no better time than now to give Issac another shot in the pilot's seat. Now, it's just up to Disney to "figure it out."
Qui-Gon Jinn
Image via LucasfilmThe prequel trilogy was known for many things, but most certainly one of the more positive aspects was the introduction of Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn. Then, before you could truly embrace him, he was taken away from us at the hands of Darth Maul (Ray Park). We may have only had one film with the legendary Jedi Master whose legacy is boundless, so a chance to have more time with him, in the vein of Solo: A Star Wars Story, seems like the logical next step. While we'll never know why he wasn't mentioned in the original trilogy, his story was documented in novels like Master & Apprentice and in animated anthologies like Tales of the Jedi. Now, a live-action canon film would allow for the character to live on.
Qui-Gon was known for trusting his instincts and focused on the "Living Force," staying present in the moment and following the will of the Force rather than adhering to the Jedi Code. Having been trained by Count Dooku (Christopher Lee), a backstory film could explore that dynamic and how it led him to become the mentor to Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) as we knew him. The truth is, an origin story for Qui-Gon via Dooku might help elevate the prequel trilogy and carry more weight than some fans give it credit for. Perhaps the ultimate payoff would be seeing how he harnessed the ancient technique of preserving one's consciousness after death. Another notch to help the prequels! While Neeson would not be part of this concept, especially since his requirements are George Lucas as director, his contributions to Star Wars will never be forgotten.
Qimir
Image via LucasfilmIf you're like me, the biggest Star Wars-related travesty in recent memory was the cancellation of The Acolyte. While we could simply lament, perhaps the best way to celebrate its short run is to push for a solo film centered around the Stranger, better known as Qimir (Manny Jacinto). Leslye Headland has given hints as to where his story might have gone, so there are the legs for a solo movie to stand on. The primary antagonist in The Acolyte, Qimir is a former Jedi who was once the Padawan of Vernestra Rwoh (Rebeca Henderson). Upon being cast out, he turned to the dark side, where he became entangled with the Sith. Armed with a crossguard red-bladed lightsaber, Qimir may have been an early precursor to the Knights of Ren and tied to Darth Plagueis.
With a much-needed cool factor, Qimir's story could be an action-packed examination of the gray areas between light and dark sides of the Force. A backstory film would easily give audiences insight into his character as his motivations, previous struggles, and secrets could be explored. For an individual who rejected the Force and the Sith, Qimir would serve as a truly unique lead. Though he may seem like a Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) type, and that standalone didn't pan out, but the truth is, Manny Jacinto deserves a spotlight feature film.
Rose Tico
Image via LucasfilmBy far, the most underutilized and wasted character in the sequel series was Rose Tico. Played by Kelly Marie Tran, Rose first arrived in Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi. Rose was introduced as a maintenance worker for the Resistance, but she soon evolved into a key figure who joined Finn on the crusade to protect the galaxy from the First Order. By the time of Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker, she emerged as a commander who aided in the efforts against Darth Sidious (Ian McDiarmid) and the Final Order. A genuine hero with fierce loyalty and a desire to fight tyranny, Rose always seemed as if she were being built up for a solo project. Now's the time to flesh out her story and fix the unfortunate sidelining the films did to her.
Rather than being relegated to a sidekick, Rose could be in the spotlight as she showcases her tactical mind and engineering skills. If it were a backstory movie, it could explore her bond with her sister, Paige (Veronica Ngo), when they were just everyday people. If it sticks to a plot that revolves around the sequel films and just thereafter, it could give Star Wars fans a chance to get a perspective through the lens of someone not Jedi or Force-wielding. Spotlighting a more grounded, underdog character could lead to a non-magical experience where ordinary people are just as important as those with powers. Tran has shared her openness to the Star Wars world, so it's time to pull the trigger!
Thrawn
Image via LucasfilmOne character who's had a unique journey through the Star Wars universe is Grand Admiral Thrawn. He first came to prominence in Timothy Zahn's '90s novels, known as the Thrawn trilogy. From there, he was canonized in Star Wars: Rebels. Emerging as a fan favorite, it was only a matter of time before a live-action iteration arrived, played by Lars Mikkelsen in Ahsoka. Revered as the ultimate tactical genius of the franchise, a member of the Chiss species, Thrawn's distinct appearance didn't deter his ability to be the only non-human and last Grand Admiral promoted by Emperor Palpatine himself. His rise in the ranks came from defeating his enemies by understanding psychology and culture; if he could anticipate how they think, he could counter and become victorious. A uniquely complex anti-hero, Thrawn is unlike any other traditional villain, making him perfect for a solo film.
The Mandoverse movie, which would unite characters from The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, and The Skeleton Crew to battle Thrawn, is on the rocks, so now's the time to let the bad guy have his own moment in the sun. Much of the Star Wars universe is meant for the heroes, but Thrawn's potential can shift the perspective toward the bad guys. Further, as a bridge between many of the Star Wars eras, Thrawn's big-bad presence could be comparable to the villains seen on the big screen. Thrawn would be the perfect vessel to deepen the lore as unexplored regions of the galaxy are finally tapped.
Yoda
Image via LucasfilmA Yoda movie we want. OK, I promise this entry will not be in Yoda syntax. Let's face it: one of the most recognizable figures in Star Wars history is Yoda. The legendary, diminutive green alien and Jedi Master has been revered as the wisest and most powerful Jedi of his era. And rightly so. Having such a profound impact on the Skywalker Saga, training generations of Jedi while instilling wisdom along the way, Yoda has never been the central character in any of the stories. It's time to give him his flowers. Originally brought to life by Frank Oz, we know that young creatures of this species exist thanks to Grogu, so let's see that time period between "Baby Yoda" and Jedi Master Yoda.
The opportunity to give Yoda a solo project would mean the ultimate deep dive into Star Wars history, lore, and mythology. With a 900-year lifespan, a series would make the most logical sense, but why wouldn't you bring the iconic character to the cinemas? Through Yoda, Star Wars could give a cinematic scope to the golden age of the Jedi, uncharted eras of the High Republic, and the rise of Yoda into the wise sage he ultimately becomes. The untapped timeline truly sounds like the most rewarding prospect. The primary reason why a Yoda movie might be a challenge is the immediate loss of mystery. Yoda has always had a shroud of intrigue attached to him that a film may demystify this. The pros and cons are high, but the giddiness of fans is well worth it.
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