Star Wars: The Force Unleashedtells the story of Darth Vader's secret apprentice, but it almost featured the last Skywalker in Star Wars' far future. According to The Art and Making of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed by W. Haden Blackman and Brett Rector, the game went through several changes in development and originally had a completely different story. One of these ideas, dubbed "Jedi Outlaw," would have continued the Skywalker legacy and taken Star Wars into the future like no story has done before or since.
In a time when most Star Wars stories don't stray too far from parts of the timeline that are familiar, having a plot that could go in this direction sounds exciting to me. It's fun to contemplate what could have been and imagine if any upcoming Star Wars movies will tackle this kind of story. There are also plenty of game mechanics and abilities proposed in The Force Unleashed's original outline that could make for a truly outstanding Star Wars gaming experience.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Unused Jedi Future Explained
500 years after Return of the Jedi
The developers of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed considered several time periods to set the game, including "an era about five hundred years after the death of Darth Vader," which would have been the first time the franchise went that far into the future. This time jump would have allowed both the Jedi and the Sith to have rebuilt, but instead of waging another war, both orders would have struck an uneasy alliance. Now there is just "the Council," led by six Jedi and six Sith, though how such an alliance could be maintained was not specified.
In Star Wars Legends, long before Darth Vader asked his son to help him overthrow Emperor Palpatine, he had a secret apprentice known as Starkiller.
Taking this approach would have given the developers freedom to tell a story free from any continuity restraints of previous Star Wars eras. I also would have loved to see how two orders with inherently opposing philosophies could possibly work together, or maybe it would have caused them to develop a new philosophy as one group. The Star Wars: Legacy comic series by John Ostrander and Jan Duursema is still one of my favorite Star Wars stories for this reason, jumping a head to show how the galaxy evolved long after the movies.
The Force Unleashed's Last Skywalker Was Set Up To Be A Fantastic Hero
On the run from the Jedi and the Sith
While Luke Skywalker never had children in canon, he did start a family in the Star Wars Legends timeline, and the original pitch for The Force Unleashed would have focused on his descendant. This protagonist would have started the game as a Jedi sheriff protecting his region of space from criminals and other threats, until he is framed for murdering another Jedi and becomes the game's "Jedi Outlaw." He would go on the run from the Jedi and the Sith, all while trying to discover who framed him, which may be a Council member with the last name "Solo."
Furthermore, why would a Jedi Master, let alone a Solo, frame a Skywalker, and what would his plans be for the Jedi and Sith going forward?
While I already loved the basic worldbuilding, this sounds like it would have made for a genuinely engaging story. It reminds me of Ahsoka Tano having to run from the Jedi in the final arc of Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 5, but this game would have had the added benefit of the Sith being involved. Furthermore, why would a Jedi Master, let alone a Solo, frame a Skywalker, and what would his plans be for the Jedi and Sith going forward? These are fascinating questions that I would have loved to explore in a Star Wars video game.
Even The Force Had Evolved For This Star Wars Timeline
The Jedi have discovered new abilities
One of the most surprising aspects of this early Force Unleashed pitch is how much Force powers had grown and evolved, which would make for incredibly fun gameplay. The developers believed the Jedi and the Sith would have discovered new and inventive ways to use the Force, including hurling balls of Force energy, seeing in different spectrums, and even shape-shifting. This mindset carried over to the more over-the-top Force powers seen in the final version of The Force Unleashed. The Jedi would also have had more sophisticated armor, specialized weapons, and the ability to infuse the Force into their gear.
Some of these ideas are probably a bit much for a Star Wars movie, but I think they sound perfect for a video game. I also like how the developers prioritized making the Jedi and the Sith evolve with time, making the story really feel like the future of the galaxy. These abilities would add greater stakes to the story since the Jedi and Sith chasing down the last Skywalker would make for incredibly powerful boss fights. Sadly, the developers ultimately decided the story wouldn't have enough mainstream appeal, but I still love many of these ideas.
Skywalkers Versus Solos... What Could Be More Thrilling?
Some things never change for these Star Wars families
Custom Image by Nathaniel Roark
I must admit that the Skywalker vs. Solo aspect of the game intrigues me the most. Seeing Luke's nephew fall to the dark side was heartbreaking in both Star Wars timelines, from Jacen Solo becoming Darth Caedus in Legends to Ben Solo's turn as Kylo Ren in canon. By the time of Star Wars: Legacy, the Skywalker and Solo families had essentially gone their separate ways, only interacting on rare occasions. I wonder if it would be the same in this "Jedi Outlaw" game, or if they know their family history and that makes one betraying the other more devastating.
I'm just speculating, but maybe Jedi Master Solo was planning to become a Sith or merge the Jedi and the Sith, which is why he murdered a fellow Jedi who was against it. He then framed Sheriff Skywalker to keep everyone distracted, or maybe he wanted to bring both orders to an end. This era and story opens up so many possibilities, and I really hope future Star Wars projects will take risks like this. If we can have Star Warsstories thousands of years in the past, why not continue the Skywalker and Solo story into the far future?
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is an action-adventure game created by LucasArts that follows the story of Starkiller, the secret Sith apprentice of Darth Vader. Starkiller is sent to hunt down surviving Jedi of the infamous Order 66. However, his moral compass evolves along his journey, casting doubt on his actions. Players will guide this powerful Force wielder as they decide what path to take Starkiller down, as they eventually enter the ultimate showdown against the light or the darkness.
Released September 16, 2008
Developer(s) LucasArts
Engine havok, euphoria
ESRB t
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Custom Image by Nathaniel Roark 
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