In its rush to close out the Skywalker Saga,?left a lot on the table. Pretty much everything not directly related to Rey, Luke, Leia, Ben Solo, and Sheev Palpatine was left hanging for future storytellers to resolve in comics, novels, television shows, and, yes, future films. And, as it happens, at least a few ideas directly related to them are still in the margins as well. But with so much about the other characters (and the galaxy for that matter) unresolved, it would seem there is plenty of material for a direct follow-up toThe Rise of Skywalker– anEpisode X, as it were.Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

So let’s go on a thought experiment and consider what anEpisode Xmight look like and why it may eventually be vital for?to continue to the episode saga… if perhaps in a slightly different way going forward.Star Wars

In the very early days ofStar Warssuccess,vision was very much in flux. As he has mentioned in numerous interviews, the film was the result of a massive 200-page script that more or less formed the backbone of the Original Trilogy (and,, the eventual). Early drafts also hinted at the sequels, with one revision directly telling the reader the Leia character would have a larger role in the next film.George Lucas’as we’ve discussed elsewhereStar Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace

But even as?began to coalesce into a shooting script, Lucas and his collaborators considered a 12-episode series. That sequence was envisioned as more of a James Bond-style format, with fewer narrative ties between episodes and certain films acting more as preludes or epilogues to larger story ideas like the Clone Wars. It was abandoned in favor of a nine-episode story in which the later sequels would see Leia become “queen of her people,” Luke finding his sister (who was not initially intended to be Leia), and anEpisode IXintroduction of the Emperor. All of this changed as Lucas became disenchanted withStar Warsduring the development of, which condensed several ideas from the later episodes into its plot.The Empire Strikes BackReturn of the Jedi

Nonetheless, we totally expect the early references to the 12-episode cycle to become part of the Lucasfilm narrative when it inevitably announcesEpisode X.

And make no mistake,Episode Xis inevitable.

Although inevitable, the timing ofEpisode Xis less of a certainty. After its experiment with yearlyStar Warsfilms proved untenable, Disney pulled back and cancelled all of itsStar Wars Storyspin-off pictures. A film is scheduled for a 2022 release – with a director reportedly already on board and subsequent films scheduled every two years afterward through 2026?– but it is understood this project will not continue story threads from the Skywalker Saga.

Granted, the possibility still exists that this filmcouldbe labeled as?Episode X.

But presuming Disney sticks to its new plan of slightly more sporadicStar Warsfilm releases, anEpisode Xmight be what people want after a decade away from the episodic saga and, seemingly, the forward momentum ofStar Warsinto an uncharted, post-Palpatine age.

As much as the films are about the Skywalker clan struggling to save the galaxy,?the are also about the galaxy’s own failure to prevent its fall into an Empire. Even in the Sequel Trilogy, we see its influence continue and the New Republic unable to cope with those remnants coalescing into the First Order.

It leaves the galaxy with the problem the Republic faced in the infamous?Phantom Menacesenate scenes: the centralized government is ill-equipped to prevent its own collapse. In its final form, the Sequel Trilogy was also not equipped to address this problem; it chose to wipe out the New Republic instead. So it leaves the remains of the Resistance with a different set of questions than those the Rebel Alliance faced after the Battle of Endor. For the latter, there was a stated goal of restoring the Republic. But will the weary Resistance fighters of the Sequel Trilogy want to do that?

In lieu of a Republic,Episode Xcould take us into a galaxy without that central leadership. It could be an era when the hyperspace routes are patrolled by more localized coalitions with uneasy alliances and a tacit agreement not to disrupt trade. If we need some familiar faces to give itStar Warscontinuity, the Trade Federation could re-emerge as a power player as it maintains security along the spaceways.

Sure, it sounds a little dry – and maybe too much likeThe Phantom Menacefor some – but it offers a new context in which to set up a new adventure. Perhaps a core group of Resistance fighters are still trying to restore the Republic. Or, maybe, just trying to survive in this more lawless galaxy is enough motivation for heroes new and old to engage in a star war.

We’ll be honest, the only final end for the Sith and the Jedi would be a galaxy-wide repudiation of the Force itself – something it seems cannot actually happen, as the Force will always find sentient beings happy to access its power. This means the fate of the Jedi must be decided beyond the vague allusions to the future at the end ofThe Rise of Skywalker. And while Rey’s () story is seemingly done with her finding an identity, the Expanded Universe has taught us?– to borrow aWatchmenline?– nothing ever ends.Daisy Ridley

Your desire to see the restoration of the Jedi depends entirely on how much you like their view of the Force. We’ll admit theStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republicvideo game and its sequel colored our understanding of their absolutism. In that light, we hope the Order can emerge in the post-TROStime period as something more gray. Both the Prequel and Sequel Trilogies seemingly call for a notion of balance as well.

But it is possible that subtext is just too unruly for a continuing series of space adventure movies. Maybe the Order just needs to be unambiguously restored with Rey and Finn () leading the way. AnEpisode Xin this vein could mirror something like, with a young adherent learning the ways of the Force and, perhaps, undergoing a trial to face their own Dark Side. While the conflict would be more personal, it would reveal an Order more stabilized than we ever see in any of the films.John BoyegaThe 36th Chamber of Shaolin

And in an interesting quirk, this new Order could be filled with all of those escaped stormtroopers like Finn and Jannah (), who felt the pull of the Force so strongly that it prevented them from engaging in the First Order’s oppression. Also, for just this moment, we’ll disregard the fact a bunch of former child soldiers are learning to become warrior magicians because we’re still trying to get an unambiguous victory here for the Jedi.Naomi Ackie

In concluding the Skywalker story, Poe (), Finn, and Rose () were left by the wayside. New characters like Jannah, Zorri (), and Beaumont () barely had a moment to establish themselves before the final iris-out. And though the actors all seem pretty burned out onStar Warsat the moment – a common occurrence at the end of these trilogies – the characters deserve better.Oscar IsaacKelly Marie TranKeri RussellDominic Monaghan

Giving any one of them the lead position inEpisode Xwould lead to interesting new directions and satisfy fans of those characters – yes, they exist – who felt they all got short shrift in the resolution of Rey and Ben’s () story.Adam Driver

And since some of them are certainly underdeveloped,Episode Xcould be a film in which they receive that much-needed development. An ace X-Wing pilot, a former Stormtrooper, a mechanic, and a smuggler form a pretty strong starting point in terms of character dynamics. No doubt manyStar WarsRPG parties are composed of that exact mixture right now. With the burden of Palpatine and the Skywalkers off their backs, this group could go chart some of the uncharted new galaxy left inThe Rise of Skywalker’s wake.

Throughout this discussion, we’ve avoided looking at a potentialEpisode Xas the beginning of a new trilogy for a very specific reason: the format no longer works for the open-ended narrativeStar Warsevolved into. The fans’ love of the EU, the success of, and Disney’s investment in the property as a whole means there can never be a true conclusion.Star Warsis a suite of storytelling tools now. And though commodified by a gigantic corporation, it is the modern mythology early fans always hoped it would become.Star Warswould continue even if there wasn’t a huge monetary benefit in its longevity.The Mandalorian

At the same time, it still needs a major storyline to anchor the various ways people interact with the mythology.Episode Xcould be the beginning of a new saga structure. Like the looser concept of the 12-episode cycle, newStar Warsepisode films could be more complete story units on their own while furthering an overall vision of the post-Skywalker galaxy. Sure, it could become as vast and unwieldy as the old EU and its tiered canon structure, but the essential bits ofStar Warslore are for another civilization to agree on a long, long time from now. For those of us living in it, it means an almost boundless array ofStar Warsideas to call our own, while we occasionally gather together for a new episode. And that next new planet, character, or idea may be reason enough forEpisode Xto become a reality.

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