Earlier this month, Disney announced a whole new batch ofStar Warsprojects, including two new TV shows which are planned to eventually tie intoThe Mandalorian–Star Wars: Ahsoka, andStar Wars: Rangers of the New Republic.
Not much has been revealed about the plots of these upcoming projects, but it is known thatStar Wars: Rangers of the New Republicwill take place after the events ofEpisode 6and before the events ofEpisode 7, during the same time period asThe Mandalorian. However, if Disney plans to massively expand the non-movie side of theStar Warsfranchise, the basis for the new TV show could also provide the basis for a new spin-off installment in BioWare’sKnights of the Old Republicseries of RPGs.
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New Star Wars Stories
In one sense, the newStar Warsstories will struggle to directly tie into the events ofKnights of the Old Republic. Not only did the events ofKOTORtake place thousands of years before the events ofThe Mandalorian, but they were never officially part ofStar Warscanon. TheStar WarsEU was made non-canon before the new trilogy, which also hints that it’s unlikely that Disney will turn toKOTORtimeline instead of its own new stories.
However, the premise of TV shows likeStar Wars: Rangers of the New Republiccould also be a great premise for a newStar WarsRPG from BioWare. The conclusion of theStar Warssequel trilogy was controversial to say the least – many fans felt it focused too much onthe Skywalker familydespite a galaxy of characters to choose from. Since then,Star Warshas found success focusing on the smaller stories that take place around and between the major events in the movies.
This began in the movies withRogue Onebut has found real success withThe MandalorianTV show. While giant galaxy-wide stakes like those in the movies have proved exhausting, the smaller stories which take place in the peripheries have proved increasingly popular.
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Rangers of the New Republicwill likely focus on characters attempting to rebuild the Republic after the fall of the Empire. AsThe Mandalorianshows, the galaxy is still filled with Imperial remnants, andRangers of the New Republicwill likely help show the transition that took place between episodes6and7.
AnewStar WarsBioWare RPGthat takes place near the events of the movies but within an unexplored time likeRangers of the New Republiccould be a huge success. It could help moveStar Warsaway from some of the tropes that have bogged down the movies, focusing on characters without Force powers and helping to tell more intimate stories than the sweeping epic stakes of the main saga often allows.
This could be one of the most immersive ways into theStar Warsuniverse, allowing players to explore what it’s like to be a relatively normal person in that galaxy while far larger forces battle it out. Hopefully, Disney’s increased interest in non-movieStar Warsmedia will lead to more discussions aboutStar WarsRPGsin the future.
NoKnights of the Old Republicgames are currently known to be in development.
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