If there's one thing audiences won't be lacking for in the coming years it's Star Wars content. Even though the sequel trilogy has tapered off with no announced continuation, it is already known that Disney has loads more to show off in a galaxy far, far away. Many of these new projects are original TV shows headed for their exclusive streaming service, Disney Plus.
These shows seem to span a wide range of settings and time periods, ranging from a series focused on Obi-Wan Kenobi, to a continuation of the Clone Wars show titled The Bad Batch. There are plenty of returning faces, and many of the announcements focused on familiar concepts being revived from the films or expanded universe. The new era of Disney Star Wars has brought back characters like Rex, Anakin, and even Darth Maul, but there is one person who has languished unacknowledged for far too long.
Like many characters in the prequel trilogy, General Grievous was dealt a bad hand. Though the character was actually invented for the 2003 miniseries Star Wars: The Clone Wars, his transition to live-action for Revenge of the Sith was a rough one. Grievous only serves as a secondary antagonist for the film, and the climax of his involvement is an extended battle with Obi-Wan filled with early 2000's CGI, which ends with a lucky blaster shot that takes out the robotic Jedi-hunter for good.
It's a shame, because Grievous as a character is easily one of the most interesting villains in the Star Wars universe, and is woefully underutilized. He's a sickly, injured being given incredible strength and power by extensive machine augmentations, driven by anger and hatred for the Jedi to become a skilled lightsaber fighter with no connection to the force, and ultimately killed many of them, adding their lightsabers to his collection of trophies.
Despite his power and viciousness, he's also clearly unwell, constantly coughing and wheezing in a way that implies his body is still in immense pain, kept alive by a series of constantly replaced robotics that make him seem more machine than organic. He is so skilled at what he does, he goes on to become the Supreme Commander of the droid army, an unstoppable foe that strikes fear into the hearts of his enemies, and the Republic's top military target.
Until he ends up on screen that is, where he is constantly beaten, outwitted, and humiliated. For a character who is supposedly so terrifying and dangerous, he rarely succeeds at anything that happens in the films or the Clone Wars TV show. So what better way to give some real weight to his reputation than a Disney Plus show of his own, where audiences can finally see first-hand what makes Grievous the imposing figure he supposedly is.
There are plenty of plot threads to run with too: exploring his injuries and how he became the cyborg he is during the war, following his military achievements during the height of the Clone Wars, or perhaps showing people just how he built his collection of lightsabers, victim by victim. If Disney is truly committed to exploring every facet of the Star Wars universe, reviving a familiar face would be a great way to dive back into the prequel era as well.
Whether it's a miniseries that brings the original actors back for a brief stint, or an extended show that reimagines the mechanical General in full, Grievous deserves to have his time in the sun, without being overshadowed by the bigger players surrounding him. Hopefully, someday his time will come, and the Head Clanker himself can prove once and for all that he's just as dangerous as any lousy Jedi.