When Disney acquired Lucasfilm in 2012, one of the biggest shakeups in the Star Wars universe wasn’t just new movies — it was the decision to rebrand decades of novels, comics, and games as Star Wars Legends. These stories, once considered official canon, were suddenly pushed into an alternate continuity, and I think I speak for a good portion of fans when I say that it sucks that an incredibly creative and rich portion of Star Wars lore was ripped out of canon.
But fear not: Disney hasn’t left Legends totally behind. In fact, they’ve been quietly mining it for some of the franchise’s most exciting modern stories. Grand Admiral Thrawn returned in Star Wars Rebels and Ahsoka, Dark Troopers resurfaced in The Mandalorian, and countless Easter eggs pay homage to that deep well of lore.
With fan demand higher than ever, here are six Star Wars Legends stories Disney should adapt next — tales that could electrify audiences and reshape the Star Wars universe.
1. Heir to the Empire (The Thrawn Trilogy)
Timothy Zahn’s Heir to the Empire trilogy (1991–1993) was the spark that reignited Star Wars fandom after Return of the Jedi. It introduced one of the most enduring villains in Star Wars history: Grand Admiral Thrawn.
We’ve already seen Thrawn make his live-action debut in Ahsoka, and with whispers of an upcoming Heir to the Empire-inspired film, this feels inevitable. But Disney has the chance to go beyond Easter eggs and adapt the trilogy in full. The books feature not only Thrawn’s brilliant military campaigns but also characters like Mara Jade (a fan favorite assassin-turned-ally) and Joruus C’baoth, a twisted Dark Jedi clone.
Done right, Heir to the Empire could become Disney’s Infinity War moment for Star Wars.
2. Knights of the Old Republic (Darth Revan)
Few stories are as beloved in Star Wars fandom as BioWare’s 2003 video game Knights of the Old Republic or the Darth Revan Legends novel. Set thousands of years before the Skywalker Saga, it tells the tale of a Jedi hero who falls to the dark side, becomes Darth Revan, and ultimately faces redemption.
Fans have been begging for a KOTOR adaptation for years, and its mix of moral complexity, epic scale, and ancient Jedi vs. Sith warfare is perfect for the Disney+ era. With projects like The Acolyte already exploring the High Republic, Revan could bridge the gap between that era and the deeper Old Republic.
Better still, KOTOR has the kind of cultural weight that rivals The Mandalorian. For many fans, Darth Revan is the ultimate “Legends-to-canon” request.
3. Darth Bane Trilogy (The Rule of Two)
If the Sith are going to remain central villains, it’s time Disney adapted Drew Karpyshyn’s Darth Bane Trilogy. These novels reveal the origin of the Rule of Two: “One to embody the power, the other to crave it.” To me, these novels feel like the peak of Legends material.
Bane’s story is brutal, tragic, and cinematic. A miner-turned-warrior, he rises through Sith ranks, destroys the old Sith Order, and creates the master-apprentice dynamic that defines all Sith stories to follow.
Audiences craving a darker, more mature Star Wars tale would eat this up. Imagine a prestige-level Disney+ miniseries chronicling Bane’s rise, with the tone of Andor but the mysticism of The Acolyte.
4. The New Jedi Order (Yuuzhan Vong Invasion)
In the early 2000s, Del Rey Publishing launched the ambitious New Jedi Order series: 19 novels chronicling the galaxy’s war with the Yuuzhan Vong, an extragalactic species immune to the Force.
The Yuuzhan Vong were unlike anything Star Wars had seen before — brutal, religious zealots who used biotech instead of machines. Their invasion pushed the Jedi to the brink and forced the New Republic to adapt in terrifying ways.
Bringing the Yuuzhan Vong into canon would allow Disney to break away from the Empire-vs.-Rebellion cycle and introduce a fresh, existential threat. A Disney+ event series or multi-film arc could make the Vong the next “big bad” of Star Wars.
5. Death Troopers (Star Wars Horror)
Joe Schreiber’s Death Troopers (2009) is one of the boldest Legends novels — because it’s pure horror. Set on a derelict Star Destroyer, the book follows a group of survivors as they encounter a terrifying outbreak of a virus that reanimates stormtroopers into undead monsters.
Imagine Star Wars meets The Walking Dead or Alien. This story would not only expand the tonal range of the franchise but also draw in fans of sci-fi horror who may not typically follow Star Wars. With Disney+ experimenting with genres (see Marvel’s Werewolf by Night), Death Troopers could work as a Halloween special or limited series.
6. Darth Plagueis (The Sith Master Behind the Saga)
You’ve heard the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise — but you’ve never seen it told in full. James Luceno’s Darth Plagueis novel (2012) dives deep into the life of Palpatine’s Sith master, and if you haven’t read this masterpiece, please do yourself a favor and dive into it!
The book explores Plagueis’s quest to manipulate the Force itself — even to cheat death — and his training of young Palpatine, who would become Darth Sidious. It’s a slow-burn political and philosophical thriller, weaving Sith lore with the rise of the Empire.
Given that The Rise of Skywalker brought back Palpatine, adapting Darth Plagueis would give much-needed depth and context to his story. It would also satisfy fans who’ve long wanted a canon explanation for his infamous “unnatural abilities.”
Legends Already Seeping Into Canon
It’s worth noting: Disney is already adapting Legends, bit by bit. Thrawn is back. Bane appeared briefly in The Clone Wars. Even the Dark Empire concept of a cloned Emperor found echoes in The Rise of Skywalker.
The door is wide open for more. The question is whether Disney will commit to full-fledged adaptations — or keep mining Legends piecemeal.
Conclusion: A Galaxy of Untapped Potential
From epic wars to intimate tragedies, Star Wars Legends offers a host of untapped stories. Adapting them wouldn’t just please long-time fans — it would provide fresh, daring narratives for new audiences.
Disney has shown that Star Wars thrives when it embraces boldness (Andor, The Mandalorian) and nostalgia (Ahsoka, Obi-Wan Kenobi). The six stories above strike that balance perfectly.
So the real question is: Which Star Wars Legends story would you want to see adapted first?Legends Already Seeping Into Canon
It’s worth noting: Disney is already adapting Legends, bit by bit. Thrawn is back. Bane appeared briefly in The Clone Wars. Even the Dark Empire concept of a cloned Emperor found echoes in The Rise of Skywalker.
The door is wide open for more. The question is whether Disney will commit to full-fledged adaptations — or keep mining Legends piecemeal.
Conclusion: A Galaxy of Untapped Potential
From epic wars to intimate tragedies, Star Wars Legends offers a galaxy of untapped stories. Adapting them wouldn’t just please long-time fans — it would provide fresh, daring narratives for new audiences.
Disney has shown that Star Wars thrives when it embraces boldness (Andor, The Mandalorian) and nostalgia (Ahsoka, Obi-Wan Kenobi). The six stories above strike that balance perfectly.
So the real question is: Which Star Wars Legends story would you want to see adapted first?