Which Characters Should We See in From a Certain Point of View: Return of the Jedi?

This year will mark the 40th anniversary of Return of the Jedi, and though Lucasfilm hasn't announced many book releases for 2023 so far, it seems reasonable to expect that we'll get the third entry in the From a Certain Point of View series, an anthology book containing stories told from secondary and tertiary characters from the original films, along with other well-known characters who just weren't much involved with the events of the film.



The previous two books retold the events of A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back through the perspectives of minor characters and creatures from each film, including Raymus Antilles aboard the Tantive IV, Beru Lars, Darth Sidious, the dragonsnake on Dagobah, Bossk, and L3-37. Pretty much any organic being or droid you remember from the films could get their own chapters, letting you see the events of the films through their eyes. The next book is expected to cover Return of the Jedi.



This makes us wonder: which characters do we want to see in From a Certain Point of View: Return of the Jedi? Some of our writers list a few of their favorites below. Shout out to Star Wars Explained for covering this subject a bit already in one of his excellent Q&A videos.



Malakili







The only man who could love a rancor; Malakili was Jabba's rancor trainer and was noticeably devastated after its death at Luke's hands. He seems a likely candidate to get a story, giving us another perspective on the rancor fight as he watches his beloved friend die at the hands of a Jedi.



Though The Book of Boba Fett also helped us understand the bond that can exist between a man and his rancor, a Malakili story would give us even more clarity on their special relationship. He also had his own POV chapters told in Chuck Wendig's Aftermath novel, which told us what happened to him after the events of Return on the Jedi so it wouldn't even be a stretch to give him his own story this time.



~ Josh



Luke Skywalker







Luke's ambitious plan to break Han out from Jabba's Palace in the opening act of Return of the Jedi has been widely criticized as being bizarre and making little sense. As such, a POV story focused on it could be an entertaining read.



There are two different ways to approach this: comedically, explaining how pretty much all of his plan went wrong but he was able to wing it anyway, or dramatically, as it could explain that each step of his plan was an attempt to resolve the conflict peacefully, reflecting on his own journey as a Jedi.



~ Grant



Paploo







Some of you might remember Paploo, the Ewok who rushed over to the Imperial bunker and stole one of their speeder bikes. A story from his point of view would be a fun way to shed some light on what it was like to be the fastest Ewok alive, the wind running through his fur, travelling at a speed so fast he was struggling to hold on to the handlebars.



What an adrenaline rush it must have been for an Ewok that clearly wasn't tall enough to get on that ride. It's a story that truly deserves to be told.



~ Josh



Salacious B. Crumb







Everyone remembers Salacious Crumb, the funny-looking alien and pet of Jabba the Hutt. I would love to get his perspective on everything that happens. Is he sentient in knowing that he's serving a ruthless gangster? Does Mr. Crumb agree with his master's actions or is he simply a bystander? Is Salacious a pet or slave to Jabba, or could he leave of his own free will? Does he suffer from Stockholm syndrome?



I would love a deep dive into his mind and overall situation. It could offer some interesting perspectives on slavery in the Star Wars universe and the twisted mind of Salacious, who could just be an agent of chaos.



~ Mario



Yoda







One of the most memorable scenes from Return of the Jedi is when Yoda dies of old age and becomes one with the Force while Luke sits at his bedside. A Yoda story could tell us what the Jedi Master's final thoughts were before he left this mortal coil on Dagobah. We could learn more about his hopes and fears for what might become of Luke Skywalker ahead of his conflict with Vader and Palpatine, or perhaps a moment of self-reflection as he reminisces on his successes and failures from the prequel trilogy.



Perhaps we might even get his perspective of the big party on Endor at the end of the film!



~ Josh



Giant Mouse Droid







I've always been fascinated by random background characters and despite having watched it a bazillion times, I only recently spotted a giant mouse droid peeping out from behind some stormtroopers in the hangar on the Death Star II. Here's my story pitch:



Overlooked and ignored by all the personnel on the second Death Star, 'RAT-5' has been tirelessly working for 'the glory of the Emperor' (as he is programmed). Upon hearing that the Emperor is coming to visit, he sneaks into the hangar to catch a glimpse of the man he has been serving. Expecting to see a noble and heroic figure, he is horrified to see a wizened and cruel old man. Shocked out of his programming, he sets about undoing everything he did to create the Emperor's weapon -- much to the chagrin of Moff Jerjerrod, who is busy doubling his efforts!



~ Aled



Emperor's Royal Guard







Palpatine's royal guards have some pretty iconic armor (our site's owner is a pretty huge fan himself), but beyond the scenes in the Death Star's throne room and a brief action scene in Star Wars Rebels, we don't know all that much about them. How do you become a royal guard? What do they do when they're not standing at attention in Palpatine's presence?



At the very least, a royal guard story might give us a window into one of Palpatine's conversations with Vader, perhaps giving us some insight into what a member of the royal guard might think of Darth Vader or his master. It's a level of clarity that I very much look forward to getting.



~ Josh



Admiral Ackbar







A chapter from Admiral Ackbar's point of view throughout the Battle of Endor would be fascinating as he commands the Rebel forces and reacts to the ever-changing nature of the space battle. I'd love to know what he was thinking as the Death Star II destroyed a Rebel capital ship with its laser, and if he held out hope or figured he was fighting a losing battle. Of course, he'll need to say his iconic 'It's a trap!' line, but his account of the battle would be engrossing.



~ Josh



Anakin Skywalker







I'd love a chapter from Anakin Skywalker's point of view as a Force Ghost during the party on Endor. His reappearance at the end of Return of the Jedi has always been a point of intrigue that raises many questions among us Star Wars fans, so any insight that can be gathered from his perspective would be welcome. Perhaps we can also get some feelings of pride at all that his son has achieved, or any conflicted feelings over his life decisions.



He wouldn't be the first Force Ghost to get his own chapter either -- A New Hope gave us a chapter from Qui-Gon Jinn of all people, while The Empire Strikes Back gave us one from Obi-Wan Kenobi's perspective. It seems likely that we'll get another Force Ghost chapter for Return of the Jedi, but hopefully this one is for Anakin.



~ Josh



Are there any other characters you'd like to read in the next installment of From a Certain Point of View? There are so many that we didn't cover, but if you have any ideas, then let us know in the comments!



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