Part of Star Wars’ allure is how massively diverse it can be. Myriad planets and alien races populate the franchise between live-action content, animation, novels, and games, giving it a great wealth of potential stories. Yet Star Wars seems comfortably routine in terms of what characters it decides to portray. Star Wars’ excessive dependence on Jedi and Sith, for example, is evidence that it has few plans to divert from traditional iconography.
Even in The Mandalorian, there has been an emphasis on characters such as Grogu and Luke Skywalker that arguably outweigh its bounty hunter protagonist. However, there is an even bigger issue concerning Star Wars’ iconography. Since Star Wars’ first theatrical installment, the franchise has had an unabashed over-reliance on human protagonists. The same can be said for Star Wars games, and it is an issue that should be addressed to make for more diverse and interesting protagonists.
Star Wars is Oversaturated with Human Protagonists
Part of what has cemented humans as protagonists in Star Wars is the lackluster argument that humans are more relatable and expressive, able to be identified with. But any alien race in Star Wars, be it Abednedo, Quarren, Gungan, Duros, Sullustan, or Mon Calamari, is capable of self-expression and the same qualities of a human character. Moreover, human protagonists have been the status quo due to Star Wars’ reliance on the Skywalker family.
Andor, despite being a breath of fresh air for Star Wars, still perpetuates this status quo with an overabundance of human characters. Star Wars games are disappointingly similar, though there are a couple of clever workarounds that players should be able to take advantage of to create their own representation. BioWare’s Knights of the Old Republic lets players choose how they would like to make their character avatar look in its custom character creator, for example. Unfortunately, only human characters can be selected.
This could be a result of the protagonist’s true identity in Knights of the Old Republic, but it still reveals a flaw that Star Wars games should rectify. Two of Star Wars’ most popular contemporary games are The Force Unleashed and Jedi: Fallen Order, both of which have human protagonists. This is unlikely to change in the near future, but games should have the foresight to include more representation for Star Wars’ breadth of diverse characters.
Star Wars' Aliens and Droids are an Untapped Well
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Star Wars games such as Battlefront do allow players to choose an alien character avatar, but it is still not representative of an alien character as a fully fledged protagonist. Instead, alien races are typically left to be sidekicks or supporting characters whom the protagonist can interact with.
The status quo that has made human protagonists frequent in Star Wars also typecasts alien characters into these supplementary roles, which is disappointing. Star Wars’ droids serve the same purpose, though they mainly behave as close companion characters - Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order’s BD-1 for instance, or Star Wars: The Force Unleashed’s PROXY. These characters meet the standards of their roles well, but droids and aliens could also be a protagonist if they were written for that role.
Perhaps one reason why more alien protagonists or antagonists have not been featured is because of the extensive effects work that would need to be considered. Still, with how lucrative and beloved the Star Wars franchise is, that excuse seems to pale in comparison.
If an alien protagonist was introduced in the next original Star Wars IP, it would be instantly noticeable based upon how many human characters there are in protagonist roles thus far. Because human protagonists have been so oversaturated, it would be great to see more installments where an alien or droid was a Star Wars protagonist rather than comic relief.
Star Wars’ Future in Games Needs Originality and Diversity
Disney reportedly wants to release new Star Wars games every six months, which raises concerns about quality, but is also a fairly exciting concept for representation. As long as these biannual titles are not solely conceived around pre-existing Star Wars lore, it is possible that fans may soon see games with alien protagonists in rotation.
If this rumor is not true, it is still a development formula that should be followed if Star Wars wishes to maintain originality and diversity. Knowing a black, female protagonist was originally considered for Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, it seems like the right considerations are hopefully being put in place for protagonist portrayals in Star Wars’ future.
Though the status quo may not be easily swayed, it seems inevitable that Star Wars will dip into its alien races for an interesting protagonist. That is not to say that Ewoks or Jawas need to be protagonists, but Star Wars will always have more potential when it delves into its deeper science-fiction features and represents iconic and unique alien races.