Star Wars’ New Movie Is The Perfect Chance To Move Beyond The Sith

Star Wars: Starfighter will hit theaters in 2027, and while little is known about the story, it’s the best opportunity for Star Wars to move beyond the Sith. The main Star Wars movies have always followed characters’ training to become Jedi, so dark side villains like the Sith are natural antagonists. However, the Star Wars sequel trilogy chose to bring the Sith back even though they had been defeated at the end of Return of the Jedi.

Some Star Wars fans were upset that this contradicted the Chosen One prophecy, which stated that Anakin Skywalker would destroy the Sith and bring balance to the Force. While the prophecy was always debated in-universe, Emperor Palpatine’s return somewhat undermines Anakin’s sacrifice and how hard Luke Skywalker and the rebels fought to overthrow the Empire. Even Supreme Leader Snoke and Kylo Ren were so similar to the Sith that it didn’t really matter if they saw themselves as such.

With Starfighter set a few years after Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the franchise can feature new antagonists other than the Sith. However, the presumed plot of the movie suggests that dark side villains may still be a good idea, just not the same as ones that came before. Whatever Starfighter is ultimately about, Star Wars needs bad guys, and a new project in the unexplored future has the most freedom to try something new.

Star Wars: Starfighter Is Clearly Still About The Force

Nothing concrete has been revealed about Starfighter‘s plot, but the short teaser trailer hints that the Force will be involved. As the Star Wars logo appears, the beam of light strongly resembles the symbol of the Jedi Order. Of course, this could be a subtle way of showing that this Star Wars movie is moving beyond the Jedi, but I personally don’t think they would emphasize the Jedi symbol like this unless it’s relevant to the story.

It’s fair to assume that Ryan Gosling’s character will be a Force-sensitive pilot, which would be a smart decision for several reasons. Star Wars has a long history of characters whose Force abilities make them exceptional pilots, and there’s a lot of storytelling potential. It would also make Gosling’s character a potential candidate for Rey’s New Jedi Order, connecting the post-Rise of Skywalker movies.

If this is the plot of Starfighter, it would probably be similar to Corran Horn from the Star Wars Legends Expanded Universe. He first appeared as a New Republic pilot in the Star Wars: X-Wing book series, but eventually joined Luke Skywalker’s New Jedi Order. Seeing a dedicated pilot with no interest in the Force grow into a Jedi Master would be fascinating to watch on the big screen.

If The Force Is Involved… We Need NEW Force-Sensitive Villains

If Gosling’s character is a Force-sensitive pilot, this is a perfect chance to introduce Force-sensitive villains other than the Sith. Although the Sith are the most recognizable dark side villains in Star Wars, the franchise has featured several dark side groups, both in the new canon and the Legends timeline. It’s fascinating to see the unique philosophies, methods, and goals, using the Force in unexpected ways.

The Star Wars sequel trilogy introduced the Knights of Ren, whose history and relationship to the dark side have been greatly expanded in the Marvel Star Wars comics. The live-action Ahsoka series introduced Dark Jedi Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati, who are still ruthless but feel noticeably different from Sith Lords. The show also brought back the Nightsisters to live-action, who use dark magic to access the Force and create an army of the dead.

Most recently, Andor has teased the Rakatan Infinite Empire from Star Wars Legends, a vicious warrior race who ruled the galaxy long before the Republic existed. These are only a handful of dark side organizations available, but Starfighter can also create something new. Just as there are countless religions, philosophies, and organizations in the real world, there are infinite possibilities for how Star Wars can view the Force and what they would use it for.

It’s Time To Move Beyond The Sith

As much as we all love the Sith, it’s time to let Star Wars move on to new villains, at least in the galaxy’s future. It was arguably a mistake to reveal that the Sith were secretly the villains of the sequel trilogy, but Star Wars took this approach long before Disney bought the franchise. The Legends timeline eventually brought the Sith back multiple times, inevitably returning to the classic Jedi vs. Sith conflict of previous storytelling eras.

However, this ironically demonstrates how Star Wars can move on and create new Force-sensitive villains. While the EU did bring back the Sith, it also had multiple Sith factions with their own history, philosophies, and methods of conquest. It was fascinating to see what different groups thought it meant to be a Sith, so if Star Wars: Starfighter removes that constraint entirely, there’s no telling what kind of villains we could have in future Star Wars stories.