Saga What "new threats" might appear in SW one day, and still feel like SW?

What "new threats" might appear in Star Wars one day, and still feel like Star Wars, and worthy of being in a saga movie? (This is assuming they'll eventually make Episodes beyond IX, even if it's not for another few decades.)

I was thinking of this as I was recently trying to think of a way for Snoke to "fit" with what we knew, but not be Palpatine-lite

As well as thinking of my other ideas in the past.

I think it's good to have villains occasionally that are less generic, who are interested in more than power, bringing order, cheating death, and revenge.




Some ideas:



1. The God-King of Utopia

What is it?
A powerful Force-user who truly can grant immortality to others, bring the dead (even the long-dead) back to life, bestow prosperity and peace. But in return, the God-King demands worship and obedience. He/She rules a small region of space in the galaxy, definitely less than a third of the GFFA, or maybe one of its satellite galaxies. The God-King is not a dark-sider, and has his/her own Jedi-like "Royal Knights" sworn to obey him/her (maybe give them white lightsabers to look unique). As more worlds began to secede from the Newer Republic to join the Kingdom, the Republic sees it as a seductively insidious threat, and declares war with a pre-emptive strike.

Why would this be interesting?
Because it would get to the core of the Dictatorship versus Democracy question in Star Wars. So often, stories (not just Star Wars) kind of cop-out on the question by turning the dictator into a mass-murdering, deceptive lunatic. So start a story where the only thing wrong with the Dictatorship really does seem to be only that it's a Dictatorship, and start with already showing Democracy is flawed and can make mistakes. But by the trilogy's end, show how despite the flaws that arise in Democracy, how Dictatorship is inherently flawed and how it outweighs all of Democracy's flaws and how Dictatorship is based on the lie that some people are inferior/superior to others and the lie that it is right for anyone to impose force on others. That there's the possibility a seemingly-benevolent dictator, even if starting out good, could fall to evil because they're still human, or be succeeded by someone not as good. That even when Dictatorship is "shiny" and "cool" and seemingly-benevolent, just by being a Dictatorship it is still bad. Have the Republic reform and purify itself in response to this challenge, and show once and for all that Dictatorship in all its forms is bad. A very Star Wars message.



2. The Liberator

What is it?
Seeing that the Newer Republic is repeating the mistakes of the past, still has corruption and imperfect politicians, still has mass poverty, still turns a blind-eye to slavery, still doesn't give rights to droids... the Liberator emerges as the anti-Palpatine. Perhaps she is the literal opposite of him superficially too... young, female, alien, not associated with colors like red/black/white/gray (I personally imagine a 30-something, yellow, female Twi'lek). The Liberator is forming a populist uprising from the masses, and is very charismatic. She wants to collapse the Republic, bring down the regional/system/planetary governments too, and perhaps she's already succeeded by the time these movies start. She and her Force-trained "Revolutionary Guardians" are the key to this movement, and are willing to embrace violence, but they want no power for themselves. And if any new government begins to rise from the ashes, the Liberator and her Force-trained revolutionary fanatics, patrolling the galaxy, work to bring it down before it can gain real power. But in this "enforced anarchy," there are still many problems, caused by the Liberator and her yellow/orange-bladed Guardians squashing any attempt at mass-cooperation since it could become a government. No one is oppressed (unless the Guardians think they're trying to form a government), but worlds starve or have fallen into even worse poverty due to lack of organized trade, pirate raids are common (even if the Guardians try to crush them as a form of oppression, they can't be everywhere), etc.

Why would this be interesting?
Because it would be very unique, and show the other extreme, as well as address problems that many have had with the galaxy. Why keep bringing back a Republic if it will always turn corrupt or ineffective? Why not do something more about slavery? Why haven't droids won rights yet? The Liberator would be a sympathetic villain, but still a villain due to her bloodthirsty tactics, and the effects of her "enforced anarchy" stifling the galaxy as much as a dictatorship would have. Instead of being about extremes, it would show the Republic as the "middle ground" between two bad extremes. This conflict could lead to the reborn Republic finally fixing some of its predecessors' mistakes, and no longer turn a blind eye to slaves and droids and the poor, no longer ignore the potential of a populist uprising. Yet, to me, it still feels "Star Wars," with a Force-trained order of the Revolutionary Guardians being the fanatic followers of the Liberator patrolling the galaxy to duel the heroes, and the fight to restore a Republic.



3. The Destroyers

What is it?
The Destroyers are a dark side cult, but very unlike the Sith or anything else we've seen in the movies so far. They, like the Liberator, do not want to rule. But while the Liberator wanted to liberate, and then prevent new governments from forming, but still stood for life and freedom... the Destroyers stand only for collapse, destruction, and death. They are spies, infiltrators, assassins, and saboteurs. They want the Republic to collapse, and all the sector/planetary governments to collapse too. And then, with the people deprived of a defense force, they will massacre people. They will also seek to build superweapons like the Death Stars and Starkiller Base... but instead of the threat of them being used to keep order through fear, they want to actively use them until every star and every planet in the universe is destroyed. They believe only destruction is eternal, the only true power is the power to destroy, and that only eternal destruction will bring peace. Unlike the God-King and his Royal Knights, or the Liberator and her Revolutionary Guardians, the Destroyers are trained in and worshipfully devoted to the dark side of the Force.

Why would this be interesting?
Because it's a level of evil that even Palpatine never approached (that we know of), and would be a different but clear villain. Instead of fighting for freedom, it's a fight for survival, a fight for life and the Force itself. The villains have no "new hope," they've lost hope and fallen into despair, convinced that life and the universe will only bring forth new pain, so the only way to end suffering and make sure it will never return is to destroy everything. Yet most of their actions, with bombings and assassinations, and superweapon tests, won't make them seem too different from the more traditional villains, especially as lightsaber-wielding darksiders (maybe give them darksabers to look unique). It would also add a lot of tension, because unlike some invading or separatist or oppressive threat, the danger will be of infiltrators and traitors and spies everywhere.







What other "new threats" might appear in Star Wars one day, and still feel like Star Wars, and worthy of being in a saga movie?

 

I'm not so sure your first 2 would be "threats." The God King, as you present him, is benevolent. Dictatorships are bad because dictators tend to do evil things. Like mass murder. What's the problem with a dictator that is benevolent? How is that a threat to the Republic outside people and systems literally just saying "hey, we believe in this guy?" He's doing right by his followers, without him doing some seriously sinister ish, you cant sell that as a threat.

Same with the Liberator. Is anarchism inherently threatening? To who? Without her doing outright evil, you're going to end up with the Republic being the threat. I would love to see an anarchist faction in Star Wars, perhaps modelled after the Spanish Revolution. I wouldnt want to see it presented as the bad guys.

The third one i like. Reminds me of Blackhole/Cronal/Shadowspawn a bit.

The God King is a bit the anti-Palpatine, too. Like, Dark Empire Palps, but good. It may be a bit too Dune though.

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Well with the God-King, the story is reinforcing the Star Wars view that dictatorship is inherently flawed. That, like I said, even if you start out with a benevolent dictator and a flawed republic opposing it, the dictator is still human, and can still fall. And possibly die and be replaced by someone not as good. Kind of a combination of Roan Fel and Darth Plagueis. A more thought-provoking trilogy, with a grayer villain, but still showing why a benevolent dictatorship by any mortal being is bad and should be opposed.

With the Liberator... like I said, she achieves the "liberation" through violent force, massacring the elites and their supporters, and anyone who forms any big organization that may become a government or government-like. Her "enforced anarchism," as I said, also leaves many more people in poverty and starving to death, and almost all progress stifled, despite her good intentions. The Republic has already fallen by the time the story starts. Similar to if the Red Lotus in the Legend of Korra had succeeded in bringing down all governments, but kept intervening when new governments like Kuvira's began to spring up.

They are both meant to be much more sympathetic foes than usual, and not as outright evil as the Sith or Empire or First Order. They would both make the heroes and audience question if they're on the right side. But both of those imagined trilogies would still show why they are too extreme.

 

The threat should be mutual self destruction(I'm sure I'm saying that correctly). Have a Civil War start to break out among the Galaxy. Trying to make an even bigger threat probably won't work, but we have yet to see the other beings turn against each other. That would be interesting to see...

 

Well every trilogy so far has featured a civil war, with the beings turning against each other (Separatists versus Republic, Rebels versus Empire, First Order versus Republic/Resistance). But you're right that we haven't yet seen one where both sides are openly developing or even using superweapons.

But what should the two sides be? The ideology is key.

 

I find the third idea most interesting. They would likely consider themselves 'purer' than the Sith as they seek to serve the Dark Side, rather than bending it to their will for their own ends.

It's very dark and could make for some brilliantly gritty films. It would be a great way of raising the stakes from a philosophical standpoint.

On Snoke, I'm expecting him to have different motivations from Palpatine. The Last Jedi really seems to be taking on the cosmic scope of the Force, which excites me greatly.

 

Yeah the third one definitely sounds like Cronal/Blackhole and his "way of the Dark", which is centered primarily upon the belief that destruction is the most powerful Force in the universe and that even the Force was insignificant compared to it.

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I really like Idea #1. Reminds me of Ozymandias from Watchmen.

Idea #2 sounds the most difficult to turn into a film. But it has potential, because the flaw of the Liberator is the same as the flaw of the God-King: one person's belief that they know what is best for the galaxy, without bothering to consult the people thereof.

It might work if you focus the idea to have the Liberator oppose great multi-system spanning governments, rather than individual worlds. The Liberator's idea being that "Republics always lead to Empire," and thus seeking to prevent any large single state from forming across multiple star systems, in the name of historical determinism. Whereas the heroes are fighting to say that no, things don't always have to turn out the same way, and we can learn from the mistakes of the past. In other words, this series could turn on the idea of Free Will and Choice vs. Determinism and Fate.

I feel like lots of the Legends EU has touched on idea #3 already. It's a natural fit with the sort of chaotic villainy of the EU Sith. However, having it codified as an ideology of "destruction rather than rule" is a nice touch.

 

I think that A.I. would fit easily into this. Not droids that are created by organics and (quite honestly) binded into servitude, but an entire race of A.I. that revolted, overthrew their creators and now run their own society and have their own evolution, with their own advanced technologies.

 

I would go with a computer that generates images. The images start taking on a life of their own, kind of like a Force ghost becoming solid. Debates rage across the galaxy over whether or not the images are more than images. Like droids, some fight for the Republic, some for the latest Empire. The original image generating computer is seen as a god by some, a physical manifestation of the Force by others, and just an evil piece of corrupting technology by another faction. War breaks out and only by trilogy's end will we see if the mysterious computer can remain in the GFFA, or be shunned and exiled forever.

 

A quote that nicely sums up the autocratic ideas of both the Liberator and the God-King:

Constitutions become the ultimate tyranny. They're organized power on such a scale as to be overwhelming. The constitution is social power mobilized and it has no conscience. It can crush the highest and the lowest, removing all dignity and individuality. It has an unstable balance point and no limitations. I, however, have limitations. In my desire to provide an ultimate protection for my people, I forbid a constitution.
-- Paul Atreides, Dune Messiah

 

Any more new ideas?


And are there any ideas from the old EU that are unique (not another rehash of Jedi versus traditional Sith) that could fit as a new threat in a future movie?
-Perhaps something like the Killik hive-mind?
-Extragalactic invasion of transhumanistic religious zealouts with weird technology and castes and worship pain/death, like the Yuuzhan Vong?

 

I've said in other threads I think the Yuuzhan Vong were based on early ideas for the ST. The same influence probably also shaped Timothy Zahn's characterization of the Chiss as a remote, isolated, militaristic society very wary of the New Republic.

 

-A massive droid uprising where droids turn violent against organics
-Communist revolutionaries who seek to make everyone in the galaxy financially equal
-Some kind of supernova threatening the safety of a populated system like Coruscant

 

See if someone were to ask me to pitch a Star Wars idea I would venture into time travel. I think it would be interesting to see a Jedi go back in time and interact with the PT/OT/ST universes.

The threat would of course have to do with concepts of threatening and altering the future.

 

I'd like to see something like that happen but more like a Bosbit Matarcher type incident where an ancient Sith Empire fleet gets stuck in a hyperspace jump and finally comes out of it in post ST time. They then capture the planet they arrive from hyperspace at and slowly start beginning to conquer other systems, eventually catching the attention of the Republic and starting full scale war. The Sith make their return, but by complete accident.

 

If they go back a few thousand years before the films I would be all in for a film series following the Sith Wars, New, Old. or whatever.

Otherwise I'd rather they avoid using force using villains. They come off as a silly desperate attempt to copy the main films, without calling the bad guys 'Sith'.

One Idea I came up with before TFA was announced was criminal cartels like the Hutts. I think it could be an interesting new take. They are already established, and could be a formidable foe, controlling a large quadrant of space with mass criminal activities that could be a threat to the hero's. Maybe even the return of Rotta the Hutt all grown up? I

'd very much like that. Though it's just my idea.

 

An expansionist "Manifest Destiny" agenda of the New Republic, pushing it's political borders further amidst the Outer Rim (and beyond?) with the aim to bring democracy peacefully, which proves anything but simple; ranging from noble intentions naivete to flat-out corruption. Along with this, tied within, the idea of the Jedi continuing not as some institutional Order, but in more purely oral lore, Lutheran-like terms, and how such might lead to conflict among its members.

 

Not the threads from Lucas´s ditched story for Episodes VII, VIII and IX, that´s for sure.

 

I'd like to see some Jedi extremist group with a Mace Windu type ideology, maybe trying to destroy Luke's order because they consider it too moderate (Think Rein of terror in France)

 

Did you write this bold part? Are these your ideas?

The old Marvel series from the late 70s-early 80s had a Lord of Chaos villain. I've always liked that idea.

 

Yeah I wrote it, just quoting myself from a TLJ forum thread, why?

 

Reminds of the Jedi Covenant in the KOTOR comics, or what Luke almost became in the TLJ flashbacks...

An imperialist Republic would be interesting. and present a true challenge to the Jedi.

The Chiss aren't that much of an ideological threat to really be a villain, in my opinion. If anything, they're closer to that God-King of Utopia idea, but more of an oligarchy and without Force-powers.

A droid uprising seems like one of the great untold stories in Star Wars.

Before TLJ, I wouldn't say a communist revolution would feel that Star Wars, but now I can see it happening.

 

As long as they are lead by someone with the force we should be good.