Star Wars: The 10 Most Shocking Returns Across The Franchise
The benefit of having an expanded universe is that previous fan-favorite characters could appear at any moment. Whether they had been shelved for some time, or perhaps even believed to be dead, plenty of heroes and villains from the galaxy far far away have made their triumphant returns in the most shocking of ways.
As the Star Wars universe continues to grow, thanks in large part to a seemingly never-ending supply of Disney+ content, fans are always on the lookout for when the next surprising appearance will happen. The Mandalorian may have given audiences far more than they expected, but there's also a number of shocking moments from other Star Wars properties.
10 Ahsoka Tano
Ahsoka Tano started off as one of the most despised characters in the franchise. Young, in over her head and incredibly sassy, Tano rubbed some viewers the wrong way during her initial Clone Wars outing. The tables have certainly turned as Ahsoka has grown and developed into one of the most popular Jedi in Star Wars.
Her shocking return in The Mandalorian also marked her first live-action appearance. With her own Disney+ show in the works, the character has opened the door for others to return. However, her appearance in Rebels was equally as shocking due to the fact that fans didn't know the fate of many Clone Wars characters thanks to Order 66.
9 Boba Fett
The rumors of Boba Fett's return to the series have always run rampant. The character's death just wasn't to be believed. Surely the infamous Bounty Hunter would be able to survive a Sarlacc Pit as he had in the now non-canonical expanded universe!
The Mandalorian finally answered the many questions surrounding one of the last of the clones. Fett returned in all his glory and now audiences are focusing on The Book Of Boba Fett, to see what the next chapter of his story will look like.
8 Luke Skywalker
Audiences are unlikely to forget this iconic Mandalorian moment any time soon. The childhood hero for so many, while some were disappointed by Luke Skywalker's portrayal in the sequel trilogy, it was difficult not to feel nostalgic about his latest appearance.
Slicing his way through a legion of Dark Troopers, not only was Skywalker's arrival absolutely epic, but it also managed to rhyme with Vader's return in Rogue One. What's more, it would have been so difficult to keep a secret like this from audiences for so long, to really make that shocking cameo special.
7 Dryden Vos
Solo: A Star Wars Story wasn't overly well received either critically or commercially upon its release. Since then, due in part to its appearance on Disney+, the film has become a bit of a cult classic amongst fans of the franchise.
One of the villains of the piece, Dryden Vos, was threatening and charming; a rare combination in Star Wars compared to the normal madness of the Sith. Fans were shocked to see him appear in the animated corner of this universe as part of the final season of Clone Wars, with the character likely to resurface again in The Bad Batch.
6 Captain Rex
Captain Rex started out as a generic clone soldier. The character has evolved more than most across his appearances in the Star Wars universe. Although fans are still waiting for his official live-action debut, they were delighted to see him return in Rebels.
Once again, much like Ahsoka, Rex's fate was unclear thanks to the fall of the Republic. It was revealed in both Clone Wars and Rebels that Rex was one of the troopers who defected and remained loyal to the Jedi; taking out the chip in his head and reuniting with Ahsoka Tano.
5 Darth Maul
After being cut in two in The Phantom Menace it seemed rather unlikely that Darth Maul would ever make a comeback; after all, no one could survive something like that. Fast forward to Clone Wars though and the former Sith apprentice makes a glorious return, with spider legs to match.
That wasn't his first shocking appearance though, as he not only returns for Rebels but also has a huge cameo in Solo as the new leader of the Crime Syndicates. Maul has risen far up the ranks of the criminal underworld, although he finally met his maker after a duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi.
4 Obi-Wan Kenobi
Obi-Wan Kenobi is a legendary Jedi both in the canon of the universe and amongst audiences. Alec Guinness brought the character to life and Ewan McGregor continued on his legacy. It looked as if in terms of the live-action side of the universe, Kenobi had finally finished his story.
The news of an Obi-Wan show heading to Disney+ absolutely thrilled fans. The biggest reveal was that McGregor would step into the role once again. After becoming the highpoint of the prequel trilogy, it's going to be a treat to see the Scottish actor return to deliver yet another outstanding performance.
3 The Emperor
The Emperor has remained one of the more iconic villains from cinema history, besides Darth Vader himself of course. His death marked the conclusion of George Lucas' original trilogy of films and the character was fleshed out further in the prequels.
Yet, the new sequel trilogy sought to bring Palpatine back once again, to face off against a new generation of characters. His shocking return in The Rise Of Skywalker is still one of the elements of this film that is widely debated, but it's fair to say that fans of the originals would never have seen this twist coming.
2 Anakin Skywalker
Much like Ewan McGregor in the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi, for a whole generation of fans, Hayden Christensen absolutely embodied the role of Anakin Skywalker as he descended into darkness. At the time of release Hayden's performance received a lot of criticism, although in the years since there has been a groundswell to see him return in the role.
The reveal that Christensen would come back as Anakin Skywalker, after all of these years away from the franchise, was a monumental one. Fans are eager to see what's in store for Anakin in the Obi-Wan series.
1 Grand Moff Tarkin
Before Rogue One, it really wasn't all that common to see actors brought back in CGI. There were a few notable examples of it, but the first Star Wars solo film really put the emphasis on the fact that they had revived Peter Cushing on screen.
Grand Moff Tarkin's return to live-action was kept a secret right up until the release of the movie. It caught many movie goers by surprise but demonstrates just how far this technology has come and that Lucasfilm isn't afraid to honor their past as they journey into the future at hyperspeed.
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