Summary
- Star Wars retcons, though controversial, have led to incredible character updates and storylines in the franchise.
- The 10 best retcons in Star Wars have reshaped major plot points, including the Death Star’s weakness and Darth Vader’s backstory.
- Retcons like introducing Anakin’s Padawan and changing Luke and Leia’s relationship have had a lasting impact on the Star Wars saga.
Star Wars is a franchise known for its retcons, and these 10 are the very best throughout Star Wars movies and TV shows. Because the Star Wars timeline hasn’t moved in just one order but rather has moved around in time, retcons are common in the franchise. In fact, this began even in the original trilogy, where most of the major plot twists were really retcons or decisions made after the fact.
While the term retcon may have a negative connotation, particularly as of late in the franchise, it can mean incredible character updates and storylines. In fact, many of Star Wars’ best movies have major retcons. Of all the many retcons throughout Star Wars, these 10 represent the best.
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Star Wars has a decades-long legacy, and with that comes a number of incredibly popular characters—these 15 are the very best in the whole franchise.
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10 There Was An Unaltered Female Clone
Star Wars: The Bad Batch
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Omega
Created By George Lucas , Dave Filoni Cast Michelle Ang First Appearance Star Wars: The Bad Batch
The clones have had an incredible journey in Star Wars, coming quite a long way from their minimal role in the prequel trilogy, which saw them as little more than soldiers. Star Wars: The Clone Wars began this journey, with clones becoming main characters. In fact, Captain Rex very quickly became a fan favorite. However, Star Wars: The Bad Batch took this one step further, by focusing entirely on the clones’ stories, specifically Clone Force 99.
Alongside this arc, The Bad Batch retconned the clone story to include an unaltered female clone, Omega. While some may have bristled at this addition, this retcon ended up leading to one of the most beautiful stories in Star Wars. Over time, Omega truly became the daughter of Clone Force 99, although Hunter in particular. The Bad Batch also shocked viewers by giving these clones a very rare happy ending. Star Wars may also see the return of Omega, as she was confirmed to be joining the Rebellion in The Bad Batch finale.
9 Ventress Returned From The Dead
Star Wars: The Bad Batch
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Asajj Ventress
Created By George Lucas , Genndy Tartakovsky Cast Nika Futterman , grey delisle First Appearance Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003) Alliance Sith, Bounty Hunters
In addition to introducing Omega, The Bad Batch also briefly saw the return of Asajj Ventress, a very popular Clone Wars character who was once Count Dooku’s assassin but then became a bounty hunter. Excitingly, it seemed Ventress had grown even more since then, as she showed up with yellow lightsabers, indicating a possible return to the light side of the Force. Further supporting this was Ventress’ willingness to test Omega in the Force.
It has been confirmed that Ventress will be back in an unidentified upcoming
Star Wars
show or movie.
This too was a retcon, as Ventress died in the canon novel Dark Disciple by Christie Golden. Although The Bad Batch didn’t explain how Ventress came back from the dead, seeing her return to Star Wars was thrilling all the same. Moreover, it has been confirmed that Ventress will be back in an unidentified upcoming Star Wars show or movie, proving her story isn’t over yet.
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8 The Death Star Was Weakened On Purpose
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
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Jyn Erso
Created By John Knoll Cast Felicity Jones First Appearance Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Alliance Rebel Alliance
One of the plot points that hasn’t made sense from the very beginning of the franchise was why Luke Skywalker could destroy the Death Star so easily in A New Hope. Yes, he used the Force, but it also took very little effort for this incredible super weapon to be blown up. Thankfully, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story came up with a brilliant explanation.
In Rogue One, Galen Erso and Jyn Erso were introduced as an estranged father and daughter pair, with Galen having been forced to rejoin the Empire and work on the Death Star. Although Jyn had lost faith in him, Galen proved that he had never truly assimilated to the Imperial ways, as he intentionally built a weakness into the Death Star. With Jyn’s help, Galen was able to get this information to the Rebels, ensuring that, in the end, they were able to destroy it.
7 Darth Maul Survived The Phantom Menace
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Darth Maul
Created By George Lucas Cast Ray Park , Sam Witwer First Appearance Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace Alliance Sith/Shadow Collective, Crimson Dawn
Although Star Wars is beginning to have a bit of a problematic pattern with bringing dead characters back to life (Palpatine, Ventress, and Boba Fett, for example), the return of Darth Maul in The Clone Wars was genuinely a good retcon. This is in part because Star Wars so successfully built upon his story, making it forgivable that it made little sense for Maul to have survived being cut in half and falling down a reactor shaft. Despite his spider legs, though, The Clone Wars massively improved Maul’s story with his return.
Not only did Maul get to reveal his bitterness over being replaced so quickly by Darth Sidious, but he also ended up being a truly formidable opponent for the Jedi even outside the Sith master and apprentice dynamic. In fact, Maul even successfully took over Mandalore at one point, sadly killing Obi-Wan’s love interest, Satine Kryze, in the process. Maul’s role has continued even beyond that, with a major arc in Star Wars Rebels and a cameo in Solo: A Star Wars Story.
6 Luke And Leia Were Siblings
Return Of The Jedi
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Leia Organa
Created By George Lucas Cast Carrie Fisher , Ingvild Deila , Vivien Lyra Blair First Appearance Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope Alliance Rebel Alliance, New Republic, Resistance
The decision to reveal that Luke and Leia were actually twins in Return of the Jedi was downright shocking, particularly in light of their kiss in The Empire Strikes Back. However, in the long run, making Luke and Leia twins paid off for generations. For one, it massively informed the prequels, which in part led to the relationship between Anakin and Padmé (although, so did the shocking twist that Vader was really Luke’s father).
In the long run, making Luke and Leia twins paid off for generations.
However, it also meant that the sequel trilogy continued the relationship between Luke and Leia. While the sequels were largely met with backlash and criticism, it was nevertheless meaningful to see Luke and Leia together again. In fact, the sequels even confirmed that, in the end, Luke and Leia really were joined in the Force, as they both appeared as Force ghosts to Rey on Tatooine.
5 Obi-Wan Got To Know Leia When She Was Young
Obi-Wan Kenobi
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Obi-Wan Kenobi
Created By George Lucas Cast Alec Guinness , Ewan McGregor First Appearance Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope Alliance Jedi
One of the oddest plot holes the sequel trilogy created was calling into question why Leia cared so much about Obi-Wan Kenobi, as she named her son, Ben Solo, after him (or at least his alias from when he was hiding on Tatooine during the Dark Times). In Legends, it was Luke who named his son Ben, which made considerably more sense given all Obi-Wan had done and meant for Luke. However, there seemed little reason for Leia to have chosen that name based on her minimal interactions with him in the original trilogy.
One of the oddest plot holes the sequel trilogy created was calling into question why Leia cared so much about Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Moreover, the prequels had revealed that Obi-Wan had met Leia very briefly when she was born, so it seemed the two had no other connection. However, Obi-Wan Kenobi proved that there really was so much more between them, as Obi-Wan rescued Leia (multiple times) when she was just 10 years old. This was the perfect way to address the sequel trilogy’s choice, and it meant some incredibly exciting additional Star Wars content focused on Luke, Leia, and Obi-Wan Kenobi.
4 Inhibitor Chips Were The Reason The Clones Betrayed The Jedi
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
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After The Clone Wars began to reveal the humanity of the clones and the bond they shared with their Jedi, the horrors of Order 66 became so much more intense, particularly because it still wasn’t clear why they would betray the Jedi so viciously. However, The Clone Wars also fully revealed the true reason, and it ameliorated some of the pain of this event. Rather than genuinely turning on the Jedi, the clones were programmed to destroy them once Order 66 was executed, and they had no ability to stop it.
While this made the story quite a bit more tragic for the clones, who were acting against their own will, it was comforting in an odd way.
While this made the story quite a bit more tragic for the clones, who were acting against their own will, it was comforting in an odd way. For a time, it seemed like the clones’ sentiments about their Jedi were disingenuous—which was particularly heartbreaking given characters like Rex. This retcon, however, brought some relief, as it proved that these actions really weren’t a choice by the clones at all.
3 Darth Vader And Obi-Wan Faced Off Before A New Hope
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader
Created By George Lucas Cast Bob Anderson , Hayden Christensen , James Earl Jones , Matt Lanter , Matt Lucas , Jake Lloyd , David Prowse , Sebastian Shaw First Appearance Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope Alliance Jedi, Sith
Just like Obi-Wan having additional backstory with Leia in Obi-Wan Kenobi, Obi-Wan also had a brand-new encounter with Darth Vader revealed in the show. In fact, the former master and apprentice had multiple encounters, the last of which ended in an epic battle rivaling that of the one on Mustafar in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. This was a similarly effective retcon because Darth Vader’s comment in A New Hope seemed to refer to an event never shown on screen.
Specifically, in that movie, Darth Vader said, “When I left you, I was but the learner. Now I am the master.” This was particularly confusing following Revenge of the Sith because Anakin/Vader very clearly had not left Obi-Wan; rather, Obi-Wan had left him burning on Mustafar. However, Obi-Wan Kenobi finally made sense of this, as Vader and Obi-Wan had indeed met again before A New Hope.
2 Anakin Skywalker Had A Padawan
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
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Ahsoka Tano
Created By George Lucas , Dave Filoni Cast Ashley Eckstein , Rosario Dawson First Appearance Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) Alliance Jedi
Viewers were shocked and not universally pleased when the Star Wars: The Clone Wars movie revealed that Anakin had a Padawan, as that hadn’t been indicated whatsoever in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones or Revenge of the Sith. However, Ahsoka Tano has truly become one of the best characters in Star Wars. Throughout The Clone Wars, Ahsoka helped to flesh out Anakin’s story arc and character development considerably, bridging Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith perfectly.
Ahsoka has also continued to be critical in Star Wars, appearing in Rebels, The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and Ahsoka. This has also meant that Ahsoka moved from animation to live-action, which reflects how important she has become. Her story also isn’t over, as Ahsoka season 2 is confirmed to be in the works.
1 Darth Vader Was Luke’s Father
The Empire Strikes Back
Luke Skywalker
Created By George Lucas Cast Mark Hamill , Grant Feely First Appearance Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope Alliance Jedi
The single greatest retcon in Star Wars has been the reveal that Darth Vader was actually Luke’s father. In addition to being an epic plot twist, this also set in motion the rest of the events of the Skywalker Saga, changing the franchise forever. Because the prequels had to tell this story, Anakin and Padmé had to come together, and Vader’s fall had to be especially tragic, as it was clear that, in the end, there was still good in him.
The single greatest retcon in
Star Wars
has been the reveal that Darth Vader was actually Luke’s father.
Clearly, although often controversial, Star Wars largely knows what it’s doing with retcons. Presumably, they will continue to be resisted by some corners of the fanbase, as Star Wars is a franchise that many have deep nostalgia for. Nevertheless, these 10 examples of retcons in Star Wars truly are the best and reveal how impressively Star Wars can change a story when it needs to.