5 Clone Wars Characters That Could Appear In Future Star Wars Movies

With Rotta the Hutt preparing to appear as a "Mandalorian and Grogu" villain, it's clearer than ever that "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" characters are becoming a big deal for modern live-action "Star Wars" properties. Ahsoka Tano, especially, keeps showing up across the various Disney+ "Star Wars" programs, including in her own solo show (with Rosario Dawson stepping in for Ashley Eckstein), "Ahsoka." Meanwhile, "Clone Wars" characters like Cad Bane (Corey Burton) have scored prominent appearances in recent "Star Wars" media. That Cartoon Network show from the 2000s is continuing to reverberate throughout new explorations of that galaxy far, far away.

Given the ubiquity of such characters, it's doubtful Rotta and Ahsoka will be the end of "Clone Wars" characters appearing in live-action "Star Wars" properties. That show featured a ton of memorable figures who could easily come back for further adventures on the big screen. Five "Clone Wars" characters in particular look primed and ready for a comeback in whatever theatrical movie adventures this franchise gets into next. Some of these characters seem like obvious candidates for appearances because the lore and cultures they inhabit are key to recent "Star Wars" projects.

Others, meanwhile, are just so beloved by fans that it's impossible to imagine them staying on the sidelines forever. "The Clone Wars" is becoming a principal influence on the direction of new "Star Wars" media. With that reality apparent, now's the time for these five "Clone Wars" characters to make their live-action movie debuts.

Bounty hunter Robonino (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker) was a fishy critter that had two in-person appearances in "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," including the Season 1 "Hostage Crisis" episode that saw the debut of Cad Bane. When audiences last saw this morally dubious creature, he was being arrested after enacting an evil plan that involved Padme's potential demise. Because he was locked up behind bars, Robonino was nowhere to be seen for the rest of the series, even as his former associate Cad Bane became prominent through subsequent "Clone Wars" seasons.

Luckily for Robonino, his return could be imminent simply because modern "Star Wars" media loves bounty hunters. "The Mandalorian" and its titular lead (Pedro Pascal) belonged to this profession, after all, and "The Mandalorian and Grogu" will heavily feature the "Clone Wars" bounty hunter Embo (voiced by Dave Filoni). Bane himself even made the jump to live-action with the streaming show "The Book of Boba Fett." With so many bounty hunters jumping around current "Star Wars" projects, there might be room yet for Robonino to break out of jail and cause more mayhem.

The fact that this figure was so vaguely defined in his handful of "Clone Wars" appearances could make him extra enticing for new "Star Wars" movie writers. Robonino is basically a blank slate that doesn't come with towering expectations; you can do whatever you want with him. The rising tide of prominent "Clone Wars" bounty hunters could give Robonino a second wind in pop culture.

The end of "Clone Wars" Season 1 focused on a multi-episode storyline involving a battle on the planet Ryloth. In one of these episodes, clone troopers Waxer and Boil (Dee Bradley Baker) encounter a young Twi'lek girl who went by the name Numa (Catherine Taber). In the middle of all the gunfire, Waxer and Boil developed a bond with the youngling. It was a moving sight, demonstrating that these clones built for slaughtering could develop personal connections. This particular outing ended with the two clones bidding Numa farewell, but not before the youngster called the pair "brother" in her native language.

Almost a decade after that episode aired, "Star Wars: Rebels" featured an adult version of Numa now working against Empire forces. Her return in the show established that Numa was no one-off figure. To boot, she was now rubbing shoulders with the "Rebels" crew, who have been appearing plenty of live-action "Star Wars" properties like "Ahsoka" and "The Mandalorian and Grogu." It could be time to bring her back again. Another jump could uncover fascinating new corners of who Numa is and how Waxer and Boil's kindness towards her continues to reverberate through her existence.

Plus, the Rebel Alliance (née Resistance) can always use as many hands on deck as possible. It would make sense for Numa to be a fixture of these organizations long after the stories in the Original Trilogy movies have ended. If forthcoming "Star Wars" projects are looking for a seasoned alien fighter, Numa could be a perfect choice. 

"Clone Wars" villain and Darth Maul's (Sam Witwer) quasi-mentor Mother Talzin (Barbara Goodson) perished at the hands of General Grievous (Matthew Russell Wood) in a storyline only realized in a canonical comic book. However, her legacy has lived on in other "Star Wars" media through her impact on characters like Maul. Meanwhile, the "Ahsoka" TV show utilized the Nightsisters of Dathomir group she once reigned over. While questions persist over whether or not the Nightsisters are more powerful than Jedi, it's clear that the corner of "Star Wars" lore Talzin belonged to has endured years after her demise.

Talzin could return from the grave in a Palpatine-style resurrection. However, her appearance in live-action "Star Wars" media could take far more creative (and better) routes. A flashback, for example, could allow Talzin to live once more, this time in a whole new medium. Meanwhile, the witchy magic of the Nightsisters could allow a vision of Talzin to appear and assist newly introduced mystical "Star Wars" characters. Given the limitless potential of supernatural abilities, there's all kinds of ways Talzin could make a comeback, even after her grisly death.

Considering how important the Nightsisters lore is becoming to live-action "Star Wars" media, it would be a shame for one of the first mainstream faces of that faction not to have some role in forthcoming "Star Wars" movies. Talzin's life had a definitive ending, but that doesn't mean her story is also wrapped up. 

Captain Rex (Dee Bradley Baker) emerged from "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" as one of its most exciting breakout characters. His importance in the show became so discernible that the final "Clone Wars" episodes even focused on him and Ahsoka Tano trying to survive as the chaos of Order 66 broke out. Since then, he's appeared in further productions like "Star Wars: Rebels" while "Ahsoka's" fifth episode gave this major "Star Wars" character their live-action debut. That Disney+ program has already established a precedent for Rex appearing outside of the animated shows. Forthcoming "Star Wars" projects should further exploit that.

After all, there's been confirmation that Rex was at least alive and well during the Battle of Endor in "Return of the Jedi." Whose to say he couldn't survive a few more years to be active during the events of "The Mandalorian and Grogu?" Plus, potential future live-action "Star Wars" projects could take place across various points in this franchise's timeline (such as during the Original Trilogy) when Rex was very much a force in Rebel activity. There's all kinds of ways Rex could factor into new "Star Wars" stories, especially given his connections to prominent characters like Ezra Bridger (voiced by Taylor Gray, and brought to live action by Eman Esfandi) and Ahsoka.

With so many exciting possibilities for where and how Rex could factor into new "Star Wars" stories, it'd be a shame not to explore that material. Plus those further appearances could organically extend off "Ahsoka" already breaking the seal on bringing Captain Rex back.

The entire Darth Maul story includes his defeat in "The Phantom Menace" and subsequent resurrection, which also involved him meeting his brother, Savage Opress (Clancy Brown). Both refugees from the Sith, Opress worked with Maul to build a crime empire that finally give them control over their respective existences. However, this major on-screen "Star Wars" villain was killed when Darth Sidious (Ian McDiarmid) showed up to confront Opress and Maul. This grisly farewell between the two siblings seemed to close the book on Opress, especially since Maul (who later evaded Sidious) perished in "Star Wars: Rebels."

However, if Maul could come back from the dead, why couldn't Opress? Resurrecting this villain would be another fascinating way he and Maul are warped mirrors of each other. To boot, bringing him back long after Maul's death in a new piece of "Star Wars" media would offer up a fascinating opportunity to explore who Savage Opress is beyond his brother. With Maul gone, what kind of life and goals does Opress pursue? There's a chance to flesh out this villain and give him further dimensions. His return could even give the lead characters of forthcoming projects like "Star Wars: Starfighter" a chance to fight a striking adversary.

On so many levels, Savage Opress (who never had a chance to appear in live-action) feels like a well of untapped potential. Given the precedent set by Darth Maul and other Sith characters, bringing Opress back from the dead could be a natural move.