The Case Against a Threequel

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home March 1, 2025 5 Views 8 Min Read
The Case Against a Threequel
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Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is one of the most acclaimed and iconic video game series to come out of Star Wars. In fact, calling Knights of the Old Republic iconic may very well be a bit of an understatement. Both games in the duology were on the cutting edge of RPG gameplay and Star Wars storytelling, and have remained beloved for these reasons since their release.

Neither game was without its flaws, and a KotOR remake has often been fronted as a way to polish the series’ rough edges. Alternatively, many fans feel that the series has still never received the satisfying conclusion it deserves, and this issue wouldn’t be addressed by a remake or remaster of any kind. Some members of the community have suggested a potential KotOR threequel as an alternative solution, but that may not be the best path forward for the series either.

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Star Wars KOTOR: The Case for a Threequel

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and The Sith Lords deserve an ending that reaches the heights of its storytelling through a threequel.

Knights of the Old Republic was Lightning in a Bottle

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic takes place around 4,000 years before The Phantom Menace, which makes it one of the earliest periods in Star Wars history ever explored. Knights of the Old Republic was left without the baggage of existing Star Wars stories, and crafted a wholly unique narrative that remains unchallenged to this day within the franchise as a whole. Developers spared no expense with gameplay either, and designed a D&D-inspired system that was equal parts immersive and mechanically rich.

After its predecessor received such universal acclaim, Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords was left with enormous shoes to fill. Despite being developed by an entirely different studio only a year after the release of the original, KotOR 2 did the impossible by standing shoulder to shoulder with Knights of the Old Republic both critically and commercially. The sequel took what can only be described as an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach, but still managed to feel as bold and fresh as the first game.

The Sith Lords left off on a cliffhanger which has still never really been followed-up on. Star Wars: The Old Republic is technically the latest installment in the series, but features a mostly original story. On top of this, The Old Republic is an ongoing MMORPG, meaning its gameplay system is a completely different experience from Knights of the Old Republic. SWTOR has plenty of fans, but it doesn’t amount to a full continuation by any means. However, perhaps breaking from old traditions is exactly what Star Wars needs right now.

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Star Wars Has Vast Potential for a New Story Beyond Knights of the Old Republic

If there’s any franchise that has become infamous for being too quick to retread old ground, it’s Star Wars. While the announcement of a KotOR threequel would make huge headlines, the following development cycle would likely be met with cautious optimism at best. Lightning does occasionally strike the same place twice, but it’s never a great idea to bet on it coming back a third time.

The Sith Lords Makes Its Own Argument Against a Sequel

Ironically, one could argue that the more than twenty years since The Sith Lords have done more harm than good to the argument for a threequel. Trying to conclude its story would inevitably involve elements that some old fans have forgotten, and that new fans never had the chance to learn in the first place. More importantly, returning to the well with Knights of the Old Republic would directly oppose what made the series special in the first place.

Knights of the Old Republic brought players to a place they had never been before, and had a brand-new gameplay system to boot. Many Star Wars fans have grown tired of seeing the same handful of characters, and that almost makes KotOR‘s utter detachment from the Skywalker Saga sound even more appealing. On the other hand, directly bringing back old characters and old narratives could risk falling into the same trap as other once-beloved cameo fests that can be found throughout the franchise.

Knights of the Old Republic Still Has a Future

Following KotOR‘s legacy does not mean continuing its story. On the contrary, it would be more inspired to create a brand-new Star Wars RPG that revives KotOR‘s “d20 System” of gameplay, but leaves its characters in the past in favor of an original narrative. A Knights of the Old Republic threequel runs the risk of widespread disappointment, while a spiritual successor could truly revive everything the series stood for.

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