Disney Needs to Introduce Knights of the Old Republic

It’s been some time since fans witnessed the cancelation of Star Wars’ latest Disney+ series, The Acolyte. With projects like Skeleton Crew and Andor Season 2 on the horizon, plus recent news about a new trilogy of films and the planned Rey-driven film, the future of Star Wars has no shortage of projects. Yet while so many projects look to the future of the franchise, there are some fans who wish to look back on the history that drove events towards the Skywalker Saga. The idea of The High Republic era of storytelling is still a good one, but to truly appreciate those ideas and that particular history, Disney needs to be willing to fully lay out the history of Star Wars, including the Old Republic.

Fans of the franchise know of the Old Republic days thanks to countless novels, comics, and video games, including Knights of the Old Republic. The beloved game introduced longtime fans to the Old Republic, including fan-favorite hero-turned-antagonist (then turned hero and then antagonist again), Darth Revan. For fans to appreciate the long history that led to the Star Wars story George Lucas introduced them to all those years ago, Disney needs to introduce a live-action version of Knights of the Old Republic to a wider audience.

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Knights of the Old Republic, Explained

The story of KOTOR takes place 4,000 years before the original films and the rise of the Galactic Empire. After a bloody war fought between the Republic and the invading Mandalorians, the Jedi heroes Revan and Malak disappeared into the far reaches of the Unknown Regions. When they returned they led an armada of Sith warriors and ships. Revan had become Darth Revan, but eventually he was toppled by his apprentice, Darth Malak. However, things did not end for Revan there.

Instead, the Jedi discovered him. With the help of the Jedi Council, they managed to erase his memories altogether, forging him into an unnamed soldier for the Republic and eventually a Jedi apprentice, in hopes he would lead them to the war machine that he and Malak had discovered in the Unknown Region. His master, Bastila, guided him on this path, and sacrifice herself to save him and their allies. However, she turned to the Dark Side. Based on the player’s decision, she can either return to the light or be destroyed.

The story of Revan continued into the game’s sequels, as did the story of his many allies and foes. The series served to highlight the ancient wars fought between the Sith and the Jedi during the days of the Old Galactic Republic, and the mysteries that lay in the Unknown Region of space beyond the edges of the Republic itself. Such mysteries included the enigmatic Rakatan species, who were reportedly the first to ever develop Hyperspace travel. Their planet housed the war machine used by Revan and Malak before becoming a fully operational space station.

Knights of the Old Republic in Live Action

The rich history and mythos that was developed in Knights of the Old Republic and its sequels would make for a vast, potentially popular new entry into the live action series. The hit show The Mandalorian has already set up elements of this history. Season 3 in particular discusses the history of Mandalore and the war that Mandolore waged against the Jedi and the Republic in ancient days. Getting to see the days of the ancient Mandalorians and the world at its height would be a hit.

One interesting note is that prior to the rise of the Galactic Empire, the Republic had, for a long time, forgotten or ignored the history of the Sith in the Galaxy. When Vader and Palpatine take over, it is as leaders of the Empire, with only a handful recognizing their roles as master and apprentice of the Sith. Getting to see a galaxy that acknowledges the power of the Sith and a Sith Empire fueled by many masters and apprentices would be visually and cinematically satisfying. Audiences could witness a true war between Jedi and Sith unlike anything seen before.

While many are ready to turn the page on the legacy of the Skywalker Saga and leave those stories self-contained, the established universe of pre- and post-Empire life is hard to let go of. Only by turning to other parts of the Star Wars history and mythos can Disney keep bringing fans back time and time again. By bringing characters like Revan, Bastila, and Malak to life in the Old Republic, and showing the long-storied history of the Jedi and the Sith, Disney can do just that. Through Knights of the Old Republic, both the non-canon established history and the canonical history brought forth in projects like The Mandalorian and The Clone Wars, these stories can continue to thrive for fans of the Star Wars universe.

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Star Wars

Star Wars is a multimedia franchise originally created by George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd with the 1977 motion picture. The science fiction franchise follows the adventures of characters (both humanoid and alien) in outer space including those who can wield a mystical power known as the Force. Since the release of the original trilogy of movies, the franchise has expanded to include multiple films and branched out to other media like comics, video games, tv shows, theme park attractions, and more. The IP and Lucasfilm were sold to Disney in 2012.