As a die-hard Star Wars fan that wants to see the franchise flourish, I’m convinced the franchise is sitting on a ready-made saga villain that isn’t another flavor of Imperials or Sith cultists. Don’t get me wrong, I am all for bringing the Old Republic Era to the big screen, but I feel we are leaving out a very interesting Star Wars villain from Legends that gets over looked most of the time.
It’s time to bring in the Yuuzhan Vong, the extragalactic zealots whose living technology and apocalyptic crusade reshaped Star Wars storytelling for fans of the New Jedi Order arcs in Legends. If Disney wants the next multi-project arc to feel new while still being authentically Star Wars, I really believe the Vong are the move. If you want to do a deep dive into their lore you have to check out their Star Wars Fandom page.
Who Are the Yuuzhan Vong
In Legends, the Yuuzhan Vong are a nomadic, extragalactic species who reject technology outright. So much so that the canon alternative to traditional technological devices/machines that we usually see consist of symbiotic life. Another hallmark of their species is that they are cut off from the force. This makes them a terrifying and unique threat that we have not explored yet in Disney Star Wars canon.
Their invasion of the New Republic drove a 19-book publishing initiative, The New Jedi Order (1999–2003), beginning with R.A. Salvatore’s Vector Prime, which introduced the Vong and in a controversial and quite shocking turn of events they killed Chewbacca, one of the most beloved characters in the Star Wars universe.
So, we already have a very established and explored villain that we could work off of and adapt for Disney Star Wars canon. Plus, as of the release of Ahsoka, we now have another galaxy part of canon. So, it wouldn’t be a stretch to introduce these characters into mainstream canon.
Why the Vong work for Disney’s next era
Now that we are somewhat familiar with the Vong, and hopefully you have visited their Star Wars Fandom page to read all about them, let’s take a look at why I think the Vong would work as the next villain.
A visual and tonal reset
As far as on screen exploration goes, we have seen nothing but triangle-hull ships, TIE Fighters, Storm/Clone Troopers, and the lot. The Vong bring organic dread through coral-grown hulls, spined silhouettes, living technology.
It is something that would be very foreign to the Star Wars Universe on a large scale, and I feel it would be a breathe of fresh air if done correctly.
Galaxy-scale stakes without the need of the Sith
For me this is the biggest reason to do it. It will force Star Wars story telling for the big screen into a direction that we haven’t seen. I firmly believe that the onscreen story telling needs to expand beyond the Skywalker Saga.
Which, I think we are going to see a little bit of that in the upcoming Mandalorian and Grogu movie that is slated to release in the Summer of 2026. However, so far everything is just so intertwined with the Skywalker Saga that it would be daring to bring in something unique.
Proven To Work
The New Jedi Order novels have already gone to great lengths to prove that the Vong are not only a great villian, but one of the best “big bad’s” in the Star Wars universe. That’s a template Lucasfilm can modernize for film+series continuity while avoiding old traps.
Verdict
If Disney wants the next Star Wars era to feel bold, the Yuuzhan Vong are the rare villain that expands the mythos while honoring it. The canon door is open (Ahsoka’s far galaxy), the creative precedent exists, and the Legends blueprint proves the staying power. It’s time to let the living ships breach the rim.
Sources & Further Reading (handy links)
Yuuzhan Vong (species overview, biotech, culture) — Wookieepedia.
The New Jedi Order (19-book Legends event; timeline & publication) — Wikipedia/Wookieepedia.
Vector Prime (intro of the Vong; Chewbacca’s death) — Wookieepedia.
Far Galaxy / Peridea (intergalactic travel made canon) — StarWars.com Databank & episode coverage.
Ahsoka Databank (purrgil crossing to Peridea) — StarWars.com.
Pretty sure there's a giant button on Kathleen Kennedy, now Dave Filoni's desk that just says "Yuuzhan Vong" on it with a sticky note that says "break glass when you need a new villain."
I think, although I'm not 100% sure since it's been a while since I've read the books, that the new Thrawn novels have some villains that are basically the Vong but with a different name.