It often seems there’s a Star Wars story for every character and event, however, there are several crucial gaps that haven’t been filled in the canon timeline. The old Star Wars Expanded Universe, now branded as “Legends,” had almost 40 years to develop each storytelling era, but even that often had large gaps dictated by George Lucas himself. That entire timeline was declared non-canon after the Disney acquisition, and the current continuity has done an impressive job producing new content in less than a decade. Still, every new story also adds more questions about galactic history. This leaves plenty of room for future Star Wars projects to fill in these missing gaps in the timeline.
The Star Wars franchise excels at raising questions that demand answers, and gaps in the timeline are a big part of that. Audiences were excited about the prequels because they promised to reveal what happened with Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, while the hype for the sequels came from finally learning what happened to Luke Skywalker and his friends after Return of the Jedi. The demand for stories that fill in these gaps creates a unique opportunity to add to the world of Star Wars and build excitement for new releases. There are already 12 major gaps in the Star Wars canon timeline that audiences would love to be filled.
12 Star Wars Still Hasn’t Shown The Great Purge Of Mandalore
One of the most recent gaps in the Star Wars canon timeline is the Great Mandalorian Purge. The Mandalorian has offered some details through exposition, and The Book of Boba Fett showed the Night of a Thousand Tears through flashbacks, but the Purge itself has not been the focus of any story. It’s crucial for Star Wars to show the Mandalorian Purge because it leaves a major gap between Star Wars Rebels season 4 and The Mandalorian season 1. This missing gap will become more apparent with the live-action debut of Sabine Wren (played by Natasha Liu Bordizzo) in Ahsoka, given her character inspired Mandalorians to fight the Empire – and arguably set this whole chain of events in motion.
11 Anakin Skywalker’s Story Between Episodes I & II Is Yet To Be Told
Both canon and Legends have stories about Anakin that are set three years after Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, but that leaves a large gap before the events of Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones. Anakin grew into a completely different character between Episodes I and II, so it would be exciting to see his gradual development over the course of 10 years. Stories set during this time could track Anakin’s life from immediately after The Phantom Menace to right before Attack of the Clones, depicting his and Obi-Wan’s adventures that were referenced in the movies.
10 The Millennium Falcon’s Whereabouts/Owner Before Lando Calrissian Remain A Mystery
The Millennium Falcon had an incredibly detailed history in Legends, but its whereabouts and owners before Lando Calrissian are largely unknown in canon. Some aspects of the Falcon‘s history from James Luceno’s novel Millennium Falcon by James Luceno are still canon, including the ship having been owned by the Republic Group when it was called the Stellar Envoy. The ship was eventually won by Lando in a game of sabacc, though when and where has yet to be revealed. It’s possible that this will be the plot of the previously announced Lando TV show, which Kathleen Kennedy confirmed was still happening at Star Wars Celebration 2023.
9 Star Wars Is Yet To Show The Rise Of The First Order
Lucasfilm deliberately avoided telling the story of the rise of the First Order during the development of the sequel trilogy. The Mandalorian and its spinoffs continue to focus on the Imperial Remnant, but the formal beginning of the First Order has not been shown in canon. What’s known for sure is that many Imperials fled the Battle of Jakku at the end of the Galactic Civil War, traveling to the Unknown Regions to gather their forces. Star Wars: Bloodline by Claudia Gray showed that the First Order had infiltrated the New Republic by 24 BBY, and Delilah S. Dawson’s Phasma presents a glimpse of the early First Order, but the main story has yet to be explored.
8 Luke Skywalker’s Jedi Academy Is A Gap In The Star Wars Timeline
From the construction of Luke’s Jedi Temple in The Book of Boba Fett to its destruction at the hands of Ben Solo, Luke’s years of teaching Jedi have been largely unexplored in canon. The Legends continuity focused heavily on the growth of Luke’s Jedi Academy, and George Lucas’ sequel trilogy would have seen Luke rebuild the Jedi Order, too. Luke has made brief appearances in this part of the timeline, but there have been surprisingly few stories that revolve around him specifically. However, with Luke’s return in The Mandalorian season 2’s finale, and the upcoming Star Wars TV crossovers, there will be plenty of opportunities to return to the Jedi Academy.
7 Ahsoka’s Story After Joining The Rebellion Hasn’t Been Told
Ahsoka Tano joined Bail Organa in Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi, and there are plenty of stories waiting to be told in the years before her appearance in Star Wars Rebels. Watching Ahsoka’s development through each Star Wars era is one of the most satisfying parts of her journey, so it would be great to see the role she played in the early days of the Rebellion. The third and final season of Star Wars: The Bad Batch could be that story since the show has already featured Ahsoka’s allies from Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 7. The upcoming Ahsoka Disney+ TV show could also include flashbacks to her time with the Rebellion.
6 Thrawn’s Return To Power After Star Wars Rebels Is A Mystery
Ahsoka will also feature the return of Imperial strategist Grand Admiral Thrawn (now played by Lars Mikkelsen), a character last seen disappearing into hyperspace in Star Wars Rebels‘ season finale. This raises several questions about where Thrawn was during the original trilogy, how he took control of the Imperial Shadow Council, and what he did to Jedi Padawan Ezra Bridger – the hero responsible for spiriting him away into hyperspace. While Ahsoka could include flashbacks to fill in the gap, a story specifically about Thrawn’s return to power would be much more satisfying. This gap is especially crucial to the timeline because it’s one of Star Wars Rebels‘ greatest unsolved mysteries, and it will form the foundation of Thrawn’s plans and motivations going forward.
5 Darth Maul Survived The Phantom Menace, But What Happened Next?
Although Darth Maul was believed dead in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Lucas himself chose to course-correct on this in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The canon has done an excellent job telling stories about Darth Maul’s return, but none of them have focused on the immediate aftermath of The Phantom Menace. Considering how crucial Maul has become throughout the Star Wars canon timeline, it’s strange no story has shown how he survived being cut in half, received spider-like robot legs, and wound up on a desolate Outer Rim planet called Lotho Minor. Focusing on Maul right after his defeat would make for a horrifying yet utterly compelling story about a man on the verge of death, struggling to stay alive as he slowly descends into madness over the next decade.
4 Palpatine’s Story Before The Sequel Trilogy Is Still A Star Wars Mystery
One of the Star Wars timeline’s longest unexplored gaps is Emperor Palpatine between his “death” in Return of the Jedi and his return in The Rise of Skywalker. The movie novelization and some other books have offered bits of information and followed Palpatine’s allies during this time, but not much attention has been given to Palpatine himself. The decision to bring Palpatine back was one of the sequel trilogy’s most controversial decisions, largely because his survival and long-term plans weren’t explained in detail. However, the Star Wars TV shows’ focus on cloning could potentially lead to a story about Palpatine and/or Snoke.
3 Star Wars Hasn’t Shown Count Dooku Launching The Separatist Movement
Star Wars canon has great stories about Count Dooku’s fall to the dark side, but none about how he created the Separatist movement. Star Wars books and comics have shown how he recruited Jango Fett and created General Grievous, as well as referencing his schemes that eventually created the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Even so, no story has fully depicted Dooku’s early political machinations or how the galaxy reacted to him announcing the Separatist movement. Stories like Star Wars: Darth Plagueis have shown how engaging this kind of premise can be, so a book or comic about Dooku and Palpatine prior to Attack of the Clones would be very welcome.
2 What Happened To Jabba’s Son After Star Wars: The Clone Wars?
Since his debut in The Clone Wars movie, Rotta the Hutt hasn’t appeared in any stories set after The Clone Wars TV series. Considering that his father, Jabba the Hutt, lived to be 604 years old, it’s unclear how much Rotta aged biologically. He could have remained a small Hutt, living in Jabba’s Palace but never being shown onscreen. Rotta could also have grown up and taken control of his own system for the Hutt clan, planning to take his father’s place one day. It’s currently unknown how Rotta reacted to his father’s death, whether he sought revenge against Leia Organa, or if he challenged Boba Fett for Jabba’s Empire.
1 Where Was Ahsoka During The Star Wars Original Trilogy
One of the most crucial gaps left in Ahsoka’s Star Wars timeline is where she was during the events of the original trilogy. After Ezra saved her life, she promised to find him again after she returned to Malachor. Given the other rebels thought she was dead, it’s likely that she was stuck on Malachor, but somehow she eventually escaped. This would be a great story of survival that showcases Ahsoka’s determination, and it could lead directly into the search for Ezra in Ahsoka. The Star Wars franchise would benefit from filling in any of these gaps in the canon timeline, creating new and exciting stories along the way.
