The LEGO Star Wars franchise has been incredibly successful since its debut in 2005. Traveller's Tales has taken fans on a journey across the galaxy far, far away through six different games. While not every game was perfect, they are among the best Star Wars titles available. With the launch of LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, fans are now curious about the direction the studio will take for the next installment.
As LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga covered the mainline series, the next installment's direction is not immediately clear. The studio could further explore The Clone Wars with another game, delve into The Mandalorian and its related shows, or adapt the two A Star Wars Story films. However, delving into the immensely popular Rise of the Empire period may be the most promising route forward.
LEGO Star Wars Has Countless Stories to Adapt
Traveller's Tales' Success with Major Star Wars Entries
Traveller's Tales has already adapted much of the mainline series, so fans may not want to revisit familiar territory. LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game explored the Star Wars prequels, LEGO Star Wars 2: The Original Trilogy covered the original films, LEGO Star Wars 3: The Clone Wars adapted the first two seasons of the popular animated show, and LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens allowed players to experience the first sequel trilogy film in LEGO form. The studio then went above and beyond with LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga.
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga showcased all nine films in an innovative LEGO game, enabling players to explore almost every aspect of this iconic galaxy with beloved characters. However, it omitted the anthology films and every TV show. While these characters appeared in the roster or via DLC, they didn't receive significant focus within the game. The next LEGO Star Wars title has the potential to rectify this omission.
The Next Chapter for LEGO Star Wars: The Rise of the Empire
With LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga covering the main series, the next game needs to offer something fresh. While it could explore The Mandalorian era and its associated shows, delving into the Rise of the Empire period might be the most compelling option. Not only is it a remarkably popular era in the Star Wars universe, but it also presents numerous TV shows waiting to be adapted.
The Rise of the Empire era spans the time between the prequels and the original films, when the Empire held sway across the galaxy and only small pockets of rebellion dared to challenge its authority. This struggle is vividly portrayed in The Bad Batch, Rebels, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Andor. Additionally, it takes center stage in Rogue One and Solo. This abundance of content makes it an ideal era for LEGO to explore.
While some of these projects featured as character packs in previous LEGO Star Wars games, none of them have been fully explored in a LEGO game. Traveller's Tales could seize the opportunity to delve deeper into the expansive Star Wars galaxy, allowing players to experience some of the franchise's most captivating stories in LEGO form, which could potentially lead to great success.