Key Takeaways
- Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga lets you play as all Star Wars characters, human or alien, in a fun and abridged manner.
- Star Wars Episode 1: Racer allows players to experience podracing with a variety of alien racers, providing diversity in gameplay.
- Star Wars: The Old Republic offers players the choice to play as various non-human species in an MMORPG set in the Star Wars universe.
For a series set in an ultra-diverse alien charcuterie board of a galaxy, Star Wars really seems to have a thing for humans. From the movies to the shows to the games, they all feature tons of various species, but rarely in the lead roles.
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Sure, it’s not like there are actual Twi’leks and Mon Calamari in the real world who need representation in these stories. But even still, we’ve seen plenty of humans, they’re everywhere, and it’s exhausting. So what are some of the Star Wars games that let us escape from that anthropocentric mundanity and live as someone a little more stellar, even just for a bit?
9
Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga
|
Fixed Character(s) |
Yes |
|---|---|
|
Playable Alien Species |
All of them, but Lego |
Technically, there are no humans or aliens in the charming Lego Star Wars games. They’re all minifigs. But within that context, they let you play as pretty much every possible Star Wars character you can think of as you relive the events of your favorite movies and also The Rise of Skywalker.
The retroactively incorrectly-named Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga is an excellent early example of this, taking you through the first six Star Wars movies in a hilarious abridged manner. You quickly unlock tons of characters, including non-humans like Jar Jar Binks, and you can use them in every level after beating it once.
8
Star Wars Episode 1: Racer
|
Fixed Character(s) |
Yes |
|---|---|
|
Playable Alien Species |
Vulptereen, Triffian, Fluggrian, Xexto, Er’Kit, Glymphid, Nuknog, Toong, Sneevel, Nosaurian, Phuii, Gran, Xamster, Aleena, Dug, Ciasi, Veknoid, Devlikk |
Star Wars Episode 1: Racer is one title that would have been remarkably dull if it didn’t let you play as aliens. Seeing as how Anakin Skywalker is the only human who can podrace, it would have been a very, very short game.
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In this Nintendo 64 classic, you get to live out one of the best parts of the prequel trilogy as you take part in podraces across the galaxy. Aside from Anakin, you can play as a hefty number of alien racers, including the infamous Sebulba and your pick of other weird little guys and big guys.
7
Star Wars Episode 1: Jedi Power Battles
|
Fixed Character(s) |
Yes |
|---|---|
|
Playable Alien Species |
Kel Dor, Tholothian, Zabrak, Cerean |
Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles
- Released
-
March 21, 2000
- Developer(s)
-
Lucasfilm Games
- Publisher(s)
-
Lucasfilm Games
, THQ - ESRB
-
t
For licensed games back in the day, following the plot of the movies they’re based on with some creative liberties was the standard operating procedure. For Star Wars Episode 1: Jedi Power Battles, those liberties involved pretending Plo Koon was a bigger part of the movie than Anakin. This is even funnier if you unlock Darth Maul.
The console versions of this action game take you through the events of Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace with a lot of embellishments. Aside from adding much more action for you to slash at, they allow you to choose between five Jedi to play as, including the Kel Dor Plo Koon and the Tholothian Adi Gallia. Ki-Adi-Mundi is also unlockable, though only for the Sega Dreamcast version.
6
Star Wars: Lethal Alliance
|
Fixed Character(s) |
Yes |
|---|---|
|
Playable Alien Species |
Twi’lek |
Most people probably don’t know about Star Wars: Lethal Alliance, which is a shame since it’s a pretty engaging entry for what it is. This PSP title sees you play as Twi’lek mercenary Rianna Saren. No relation to the Mass Effect guy (but how wild would that crossover have been?).
The game features cameos from Star Wars icons like Leia Organa and Kyle Katarn, but this is Rianna’s story. With the help of her new droid buddy Z-58-0, she fights her way through a galaxy leading up to the original trilogy, even contradicting a few previous plot points along the way. Just like any proper Star Wars tale.
5
Star Wars Battlefront 2
|
Fixed Character(s) |
No (aside from Heroes) |
|---|---|
|
Playable Alien Species |
Sullustan, Nikto, Quarren, Zabrak, Weequay, Rodian, Duros, Abednedo, Twi’lek, Mirialan, Aqualish, Wookiee, Ovissian, Ewok, Caphex |
If you’re not interested in story and just want to blast stuff, Star Wars Battlefront 2 is your friend. Granted, it actually does have a shockingly well-written campaign, but that’s not the focus here. The real focus is the gigantic amount of alien appearances you can unlock for your units (yes, that unfortunately says unlock).
As with all of the Battlefront games, the main draw is getting to join in iconic Star Wars battles from throughout the series as a soldier (and maybe a Jedi hero now and then). Battlefront 2 boasts an impressive amount of aliens to choose from alongside their human fellow troops, including Zabraks and Wookiees. Also, you can play as an Ewok, for those who really want to play as an Ewok.
4
Super Star Wars
|
Fixed Character(s) |
Yes |
|---|---|
|
Playable Alien Species |
Wookiee |
- Released
-
November 1, 1992
- Publisher(s)
-
JVC Musical Industries
, Disney Interactive Studios - ESRB
-
Everyone // Animated Violence
Even way back in the SNES days, some Star Wars game developers understood the appeal of stepping outside the human norm. Super Star Wars is a hard-as-nails action platformer where you play through the events of Star Wars: Episode 4 – A New Hope as you very much did not remember them. Anyone else remember Luke fighting a Sarlacc single-handedly two movies before it appeared?
5:14
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During these creatively adventurous levels, you switch between playing as Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Chewbacca. As the only playable alien here, Chewie is a blast to play as, literally. Just feel how powerful his bowcaster is. The two sequels, following the rest of the original trilogy, also included Chewie as a playable character, because why change a good thing?
3
Star Wars: Starfighter
|
Fixed Character(s) |
Yes |
|---|---|
|
Playable Alien Species |
Feeorin |
As sort of a spiritual successor to games like Star Wars: Rogue Squadron and the much more technical Star Wars: X-Wing series, Star Wars: Starfighter brought a more user-friendly audience into the fold. Not only does it feel great to control these diverse ships through space battles, but one of them is piloted by an alien.
Nym, a Feeorin space pirate, gets dragged into the battle against the Trade Federation during the events of The Phantom Menace, and you get to play as him through his piracy and eventual heroic helpful moments. While newbie Naboo fighter pilot Rhys Dallows and mercenary Vana Sage seem more like the leads of the game, they’re humans, so no spotlight for them here.
2
Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
|
Fixed Character(s) |
No |
|---|---|
|
Playable Alien Species |
Twi’lek, Kel Dor, Zabrak, Rodian |
Back in the day, and also today to a probably lesser extent, Star Wars fans have loved the idea of seeing what things were like at Luke Skywalker’s Jedi Academy. Aside from plenty of great novels about the place, arguably the best (now non-canon) representation was Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy. It even let you pick a Dark Side path, because what Star Wars game would be complete without it?
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Allowing you to create your own character, Jedi Academy sees you training and going out on missions while slowly uncovering a dark plot, as these things go. While not super in-depth, the character creator includes options to play as various aliens like Twi’leks, Rodians, and Kel Dors. Plus, the lightsaber gameplay is so satisfying that people still play its multiplayer mode over 20 years later.
1
Star Wars: The Old Republic
|
Fixed Character(s) |
No |
|---|---|
|
Playable Alien Species |
Zabrak, Chiss, Miraluka, Mirialan, Rattataki, Sith Pureblood, Twi’lek, Cathar, Togruta, Nautolan |
- Released
-
December 20, 2011
- ESRB
-
T for Teen: Blood and Gore, Mild Language, Sexual Themes, Violence
Jedi Academy may have offered some degree of player choice from the character creator to the Dark Side ending, but if you want choice to be at the forefront, you call on BioWare. Their MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic is still going strong well over a decade later, and it’s not hard to see why.
As a successor to the acclaimed Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic games, The Old Republic lets you create your own character and adventure through the galaxy during a time thousands of years before the movies. But unlike KOTOR, you can choose to play as one of ten different non-human species here from Zabraks to Chiss and even Nautolans like Kit Fisto.
