When Star Wars: The Force Unleashed came out in September 2008, it was a modern marvel and a defining title of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 era. In its memory, a talented fan re-imagined the game's protagonist Starkiller in the Clone Wars art style. The Force Unleashed was a visual treat for its time, guiding players across a sprawling adventure on famous Star Wars planets such as Felucia, Kashyyyk, Bespin, and even capping off its story on the unfinished Death Star.Primarily, it told the tale of Vader's apprentice and the formation of the Rebel Alliance, but at its heart, it was an unapologetic power fantasy that delivered the destructive might of the Force directly into the hands of the player. Many Star Wars fans who played The Force Unleashed remember Galen Marek plucking out a Star Destroyer from the sky above Raxus Prime, or dueling Darth Vader and the Emperor in the final moments of the game. Following the Disney purchase and the subsequent reset of the old canon, many fans were wondering if they'd ever see Starkiller in an official Star Wars production ever again. Twitter user Kyle Katarn put forward an idea of an animated series for Star Wars: The Force Unleashed made in the iconic art style of Genndy Tartakovsky's Clone Wars, embedding a concept drawing made by Samuel Deats within the body of the tweet.
If Starkiller's powers were to ever be given their due, it would have to be in an animated format, and given the near-mythical heroics of Mace Windu taking on an entire battalion of battle droids single-handedly in Tartakovsky's show, it would likely be a perfect match. That being said, one needs to ask themselves if Galen Marek even has a place in the new canon. With Andor's take on the formation of the Rebellion by Tony Gilroy and his team, Disney seems quite interested in telling the story with more nuance and substance instead of the Imperial-funded ploy established in The Force Unleashed.
Moreover, if Vader's depiction in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is anything to go by, Disney seems reluctant to turn the Dark Lord of the Sith into a ragdoll to be thrown around by the player. Ultimately, while Starkiller was perhaps right for the era of Star Wars he was made in, one might make the argument that modern Star Wars is better for the inclusion of Cal Kestis, whose confrontation with Vader on Nur is just as iconic, and just as memorable, even if it's for the completely opposite reasons.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is available for Nintendo Switch, PC, Playstation 3, and Xbox 360.