Star Wars: The Force Unleashed’s Protagonist Was Almost Canon

If, like me, you enjoyed Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, you’d be interested to hear that Galen Marek (Starkiller) was almost a part of Star Wars canon. Apparently, his character nearly made it into Star Wars Rebels, the animated show currently going into its fourth and final season.

This information was revealed by none other than Starkiller himself, Sam Witwer, who voiced Vader’s secret apprentice in both of The Force Unleashed games. During a Twitch livestream, Witwer discussed just how Starkiller would have been brought into the fold.

Those who watch Star Wars Rebels should be familiar with the Inquisitors, Force-sensitive people who work for the Empire and are sent to hunt down the remaining Jedi who had survived Order 66 during the Clone Wars. Starkiller was supposed to be one such Inquisitor, however plans fell through because of a few problems that this idea posed.

First of all, Starkiller was entirely too overpowered to exist as an Inquisitor. Even for a video game character, he accomplished miraculous feats like defeating several Jedi Masters, pulling down a Star Destroyer with just the Force, being hurled into space by Darth Vader. You get the idea. Being an Inquisitor without actually taking out Rebels’ main characters just wouldn’t have suited his character.

Second, his backstory is likely not something that Lucasfilm would want to make canon. Being Darth Vader’s secret apprentice is one thing, but his family crest also served as the symbol of the Rebel Alliance, which he himself acted as a martyr to unite. Of course, his backstory could have been changed for Star Wars Rebels, but that brings out another set of issues when considering how to approach his inclusion.

Alas, it just wasn’t meant to be. It’s yet to be seen if Lucasfilm can somehow bring Starkiller into future stories, but if they do, much of his history will likely be changed.