In 2005, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic was released to great critical acclaim, becoming an icon of the Star Wars expanded universe. It later got a sequel, Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords and an MMORPG spin-off. The games were set roughly 4,000 years before the original films, and revolved around a Jedi knight player character who makes decisions that affect their alignment toward the light or dark side. Those choices, in turn, affect how certain events play out, and ultimately, the fate of the galaxy.
Both the first game and its sequel were huge hits and featured characters that still have deep-rooted fanbases today.
The games' influence can definitely be felt in more recent productions. The Rebels' hammerhead corvettes are clearly inspired by Republic cruisers like the Endar Spire and the Harbinger. The Mandalorian had a story about hunting a Krayt dragon that was probably inspired by the first game's Tattooine level. There are even rumors of an upcoming remake. But the games' actual position in the new Star Wars canon is not entirely clear. There have been small hints suggesting at least some of their events may have happened in the timeline, but, overall, they still have a lot of great characters that have not been used.
6 Canderous Ordo
Canderous Ordo was a Mandalorian who embraced the idea of honor in battle, which he believed could only be gained from facing a worthy opponent. To him, it did not matter whether he won or lost, but rather how difficult the enemy was and how hard he fought them. Because of this, he never held a grudge toward those who managed to defeat him.
He first fought Revan in the Mandalorian Wars, before siding with the former dark lord against Darth Malak and went on to become Mandalore the Preserver, dedicated to reuniting the now-scattered Mandalorian clans.
The Mandalorians have been getting a lot of attention recently. The Clone Wars, Rebels, and now The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett have done a lot to solidify their role in the canon timeline, but what of Mandalorian history? The existing shows only cover the time period of the movies. With all the attention given to Mandalorian society, it would seem to make sense to bring in a major player from their history.
He does not even need to make a direct appearance. There could be some great opportunities just exploring his legacy and how he is remembered by Mandalorians in the present. Maybe Canderous sealing himself in his suit was an inspiration for the Children of the Watch and their rule against removing their helmets. How would he be viewed by someone like Sabine Wren or Bo-Katan? There are some great opportunities here!
5 Juhani
Juhani might not be the most iconic character in the Knights of the Old Republic games, but her presence did make a splash in the first game for one particularly noteworthy reason — she was the first openly gay character in the Star Wars franchise, at a time when the word "gay" was thrown around as a petty insult on the schoolyard.
This was a pretty big leap for inclusivity, and sadly, it would take almost 20 years to get any more LGBTQ+ characters into a Star Wars property. This makes Juhani a pretty historically significant character, and an opportunity to diversify the cast — especially if the lesbian romance option with a female Revan was made canon.
4 Mission Vao and Zaalbar
The first act of Knights of the Old Republic takes place on the dangerously capitalistic and species-segregated world of Taris — a planet infested with crime and corruption, which is not helped by a Sith blockade.
One of the first real allies the player gets is Mission Vao, a potty mouthed but kind-hearted street urchin who grew up in the undercity with her best friend Zaalbar. These two are a package deal and end up joining the party together, both having backstories that tie in with later levels. They quickly became popular with fans, but sadly have not made a reappearance.
Interestingly, actress Cat Tabor went on to voice several other Star Wars characters, including two Twi'leks she admitted to seeing as descendants of Mission, but the beloved character remains otherwise untouched. Twi'leks are one of the most iconic races in the Star Wars universe and have been getting a lot of attention in more recent TV series, so it would be amazing to see one of the most popular members of the race make a comeback.
3 Darth Nihilus
Throughout the history of the Star Wars galaxy, there have been many Dark Lords of the Sith, but few managed to embrace their inner dark side quite like Darth Nihilus. This was a man, if he can be called that, whose very existence caused more destruction than any Death Star ever could.
Though once a man, he became a walking wound in the Force, driven by an insatiable hunger — eventually to the point where his body was destroyed and he was held together by the Dark Side alone. Staying alive involved draining energy from entire planets, destroying all life on them in the process. To an aspiring Sith Lord, Nihilus should be seen as a cautionary tale warning others not to become enslaved by their own power.
Darth Nihilus quickly resonated with fans, arguably becoming better known than the actual main antagonist of Knights of the Old Republic II. His simple but enigmatic appearance makes him quite unsettling, and makes Darth Vader look pretty mild by comparison. Naturally, he would make a great character to re-introduce for a TV series, or simply for exploring the history of the Sith.
The Legends timeline included some strange details, like Nihilus containing his spirit inside his mask and leaving behind holocrons. This would mean an appearance would not have to be limited to the Old Republic era — his presence might still be felt as late as the sequel trilogy.
2 Darth Revan
Darth Revan was the main protagonist of Knights of the Old Republic... sort of. More accurately, they're an amnesiac Revan with false memories of another identity. They can either use this fresh start to redeem themselves or reclaim their old title. But one bonus with Revan is that the character is flexible, and the new timeline can change some things up.
The game allows players to customize Revan. The character can be male or female, and their decisions affect whether they end up embracing the Light or Dark Side. Annoyingly for some fans, the Legends timeline arbitrarily declared Revan was a Light-side male, thereby invalidating all other ways the game could be played, with this one being declared "correct" or canon.
This means that the canon timeline can do something new and different with Revan by taking advantage of one of the various other paths available in the game. They could embrace the idea of a Dark Side Revan if they're feeling more ambitious, but a Light Side female Revan would also be a nice change. They could even take advantage of changing social norms and make the popular lesbian romance with Juhani canon, thereby making the star of one of the most beloved Star Wars games an LGBTQ+ icon.
1 Visas Marr
Visas Marr was an interesting addition to Knights of the Old Republic II. She was a member of the Miraluka race who was brainwashed into becoming a loyal servant of the Dark Lord responsible for destroying her homeworld, only to turn on him when she is bested by the player, to whom she swears loyalty. Depending on the players' choices, Visas can find the confidence to forge her own path or become consumed by a lust for revenge against the people who wronged her.
The Miraluka in general should be brought back. They are a fascinating piece of Star Wars lore — a Force-sensitive race that lacks conventional vision, instead being able to see through their connection to the Force. But, Visas had a way of standing out among her people.
