After Embo, These 8 Clone Wars Characters Still Need To Make Their Live-Action Star Wars Debut

For years, fans of The Clone Wars have wondered when the popular bounty hunter Embo would appear in live-action, ever since his debut on Orto Plutonia. Lucasfilm has now confirmed that Embo will be a key villain in The Mandalorian & Grogu, the 2026 film that will bring Star Wars back to the big screen after a seven-year absence.

The new film arrives in theaters on May 22nd and features Pedro Pascal as Din Djarin. Sigourney Weaver and Jeremy Allen White (as Rotta the Hutt) also star, alongside Steve Blum. Interestingly, Dave Filoni, who originally voiced the character of Embo in animated form and recently became president of Lucasfilm, once again provides the voice for Embo.

Embo’s appearance raises the question of whether we’ll see more characters from The Clone Wars in live-action Star Wars shows. The Clone Wars introduced many compelling characters who haven’t yet appeared in live-action, and now that Embo has, fans are hoping to see at least eight more make the transition.

Clone Wars Favorites That Should Make the Jump To Live Action

Asajj Ventress

Asajj Ventress is a complex and compelling character in the Star Wars universe, originally born into the Nightsister clan on Dathomir. As a baby, she was separated from her people and trained by the exiled Jedi, Ky Narec, on Rattatak. After Narec’s death, she fell into a cycle of revenge, which led her to be discovered by Count Dooku, who trained her as a deadly assassin. Throughout The Clone Wars series, Ventress acted as Dooku’s merciless agent, known for her dual red lightsabers, sharp tongue, and talent for challenging Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker.

However, Asajj Ventress’s story takes an unexpected turn. Darth Sidious, feeling his control slipping because of the connection between Ventress and Dooku, secretly ordered her death. Dooku followed orders, abandoning her to die. This led her back to her Nightsister family on Dathomir, and ultimately, to a life as an independent bounty hunter. In the animated series, she finds love, rescues a Jedi, and makes the ultimate sacrifice to allow someone else to find redemption.

Asajj Ventress later returned in The Bad Batch, brought back to life using Nightsister magic, and appeared in Tales of the Underworld on Disney+ in 2025. Nika Futterman has voiced the character throughout her animated appearances, and fans have long hoped for a live-action version. Ventress’s story connects several key characters – Obi-Wan, Maul, Ahsoka, and the Nightsisters – making her a crucial link between the prequel films and the early days of the Empire. Because of this, she would fit naturally into any story set during that time period.

Hondo Ohnaka

Hondo Ohnaka seems poised to appear in live-action soon, considering his connections to characters already featured in those shows. This pirate captain, memorably voiced by Jim Cummings in the animated series, first appeared in the Clone Wars episode “Dooku Captured,” quickly becoming a fan favorite – someone who could even kidnap Count Dooku and make audiences surprisingly support him.

Hondo Ohnaka was originally intended to appear in only a few episodes, but he became a fan favorite and a recurring character in both The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. Leading the Ohnaka Gang from their base on Florrum, Hondo was a complex figure – he’d capture Jedi, then fight alongside them, and even steal from the Rebellion before aiding in a planet’s liberation. Ultimately, Hondo was motivated by profit, which made every encounter with him surprising and unpredictable.

In a 2025 interview with TopMob, actor Dee Bradley Baker (who voices Hondo Ohnaka) hinted that his character isn’t finished with Star Wars, saying, “Hondo is not done yet.” Given Hondo’s strong relationship with Ezra Bridger, many believe his best chance to appear in live-action will be in Season 2 of Ahsoka, as Ezra is also returning in that season.

Satine Kryze

Satine Kryze demonstrates that The Clone Wars was capable of compelling political storylines alongside its action sequences. As the ruler of Mandalore and head of the Council of Neutral Systems – a group of 1,500 planets that stayed out of the Clone Wars – she firmly believed peace was the only path forward for her people.

The relationship between her and Obi-Wan Kenobi is one of the most tragic parts of the entire Star Wars saga. Before the events of The Phantom Menace, he protected her during a conflict among the Mandalorians, and they fell in love. Obi-Wan even admitted he would have abandoned the Jedi Order if she had asked him to. However, by the time viewers meet her in Season 2, that love is gone, replaced by a careful distance created by their commitment to their responsibilities.

Throughout her time in the series, Satine Kryze faced constant threats from her political rival, Governor Pre Vizsla, who led a secret war against her leadership. She skillfully navigated attempts on her life, political schemes in the Senate, and corruption within her own government. Ultimately, Darth Maul killed her before Obi-Wan. However, being owned by Disney doesn’t necessarily mean a character stays gone forever, and Lucasfilm could easily bring her back. Katee Sackhoff, who plays Bo-Katan, has expressed strong interest in seeing Satine appear in live-action, making a return seem even more possible.

Mother Talzin

Mother Talzin was the scariest villain to come out of The Clone Wars. As the leader of the Nightsisters on Dathomir, she used a powerful and unique form of dark magic, different from anything the Jedi or Sith understood. It was so strong that even Darth Sidious tried to learn how to control it.

The character’s appearance was based on early sketches Iain McCaig created for Darth Maul in The Phantom Menace. This connection is intentional, as Talzin is actually Maul’s mother. Darth Sidious took Maul from her as a baby, recognizing his strong connection to the Force, and this act sparked a long-lasting rivalry that drove her actions during the war.

She turned Savage Opress into a powerful fighter and then manipulated Maul to attack Dooku and Sidious. She had the ability to control others, appear far away, and even heal broken minds.

In the comic series Son of Dathomir, which used story ideas from unaired episodes of The Clone Wars, Asajj Ventress fought bravely against Sidious until Dooku’s Force lightning gave him the advantage. She sacrificed herself to save Maul, and was ultimately defeated by General Grievous. With the Nightsisters now appearing more in live-action shows like Ahsoka, it’s now easier to bring her character back.

99

Like all the soldiers in the Republic’s army, 99 was a clone of Jango Fett with a flaw in his creation. He aged quickly, wasn’t strong enough to fight, and spent his life doing maintenance work at the military base on Kamino. Actor Dee Bradley Baker provided the voice for 99, who appeared in only two episodes of the Clone Wars series – “Clone Cadets” and “ARC Troopers,” both from Season 3.

Honestly, in just a few minutes, 99 manages to connect with people on a deeper level than many characters do over whole seasons of TV. I was really struck by the scene where he notices Hevy about to desert Domino Squad. He doesn’t give a grand speech, just a quiet, heartfelt talk about what it means to be brothers-in-arms, and it works. It’s so touching that Hevy later gives 99 his graduation medal as a thank you – a small thing, but 99 clearly cherishes it as the closest he’ll ever get to a proper soldier’s honor, and it just broke my heart in the best way.

When Separatist forces attack Kamino, 99 bravely jumps into action. He helps his fellow clones by providing supplies and guiding lost cadets through his detailed knowledge of the base. Tragically, he’s killed by a battle droid in the hangar while attempting to reach the armory, but not before firmly declaring to his brothers that he is one of them – a soldier. As a tribute to his heroism, the squad known as the Bad Batch is officially designated “Clone Force 99.” Seeing 99 appear in any live-action story set during the Clone Wars era would be very meaningful, and could easily be done through flashbacks.

Savage Opress

Savage Opress is a deeply tragic character in The Clone Wars, at the heart of one of the series’ most dramatic stories. He began as a leader of the Nightbrothers on Dathomir, known for fiercely protecting his younger brother, Feral. Asajj Ventress chose him to carry out her plan to get revenge on Count Dooku. Through rituals led by Mother Talzin, Savage was physically and mentally changed – made bigger, stronger, and turned into a weapon. From the moment he gained power, his own identity was lost, serving only the goals of others.

As a huge Star Wars fan, I always found Savage Opress fascinating. He’s a Dathomirian Zabrak – the same species as Darth Maul – and it turns out they’re actually brothers! Together, they spent a lot of time in the later seasons of The Clone Wars building this massive criminal organization called the Shadow Collective, which was basically meant to be a rival to the Sith. He was a seriously powerful fighter, even taking down a Jedi Council member. He had a brutal showdown with Obi-Wan Kenobi on Florrum where he lost an arm, and he stood with Maul on Mandalore when Darth Sidious himself showed up to deal with things. It was a really intense storyline!

Sidious killed him, piercing him with his lightsabers. As the Nightsister magic left his body, the powerful warrior shrunk back to the more peaceful Nightbrother he once was. Because of his connections to Maul, the Shadow Collective, the Nightsisters, and the Death Watch, he would be a great character to include in a live-action story set during or immediately after the Clone Wars.

Omega

Omega first appeared in Star Wars: The Bad Batch, a show that continues the story of The Clone Wars. Because of this connection and how closely her experiences tie into the world established by The Clone Wars and the clone troopers, she deserves to be included here.

Omega, voiced by Michelle Ang, is a clone created using the same genetic material as Jango Fett, essentially making her Boba Fett’s sister. Unlike most of the Republic’s clone soldiers who were artificially aged, Omega ages at a normal rate. She grew up helping the Kaminoan scientist Nala Se, and remained hidden from other clones until the end of the Clone Wars, when she met Clone Force 99 and her life changed.

Over the course of The Bad Batch, we see a young girl change from an innocent, protected child – one who hadn’t even experienced the outdoors – into a strong and independent survivor. She learns about the harsh realities of the galaxy and decides for herself who she wants to be. The Empire pursued her because of her unique genetic makeup, hoping the Kaminoans could use it to continue making clones.

Omega broke free from captivity at Mount Tantiss and survived the end of the Empire, finally gaining her independence. While The Bad Batch finished its run in 2024, Omega’s story feels unfinished. Given how well-developed her character is and the fact that she exists in a period of the Star Wars timeline that’s just starting to be shown in live-action series, it’s likely we’ll see her again.

Pre Vizsla

Pre Vizsla is at the heart of the conflicts seen in live-action Mandalorian stories, though he hasn’t actually appeared in those shows yet. He was the governor of Concordia, a moon of Mandalore, and while publicly supporting Duchess Satine Kryze, he secretly led the Death Watch. This group aimed to bring back Mandalore’s traditional warrior culture through violent means. Pre Vizsla was a descendant of Tarre Vizsla, an ancient Mandalorian Jedi who created the Darksaber, a powerful weapon that Pre wielded expertly and with unwavering belief.

Jon Favreau, who later created the series The Mandalorian, provided the voice for this character. The Mandalorian heavily relies on the history and traditions established by Pre Vizsla. Favreau has explained that the Darksaber became a key element of his show because George Lucas revised an episode of Clone Wars to introduce it with Pre Vizsla, replacing a simple weapon with something much more important.

As a longtime fan of the Clone Wars, I have to say Pre Vizsla was a compelling villain. His motivations were always clear: he wanted to restore Mandalore to its former glory as a planet of warriors, and he was willing to align himself with anyone – even Count Dooku and later Darth Maul – to make it happen. He actually succeeded for a short time, but his triumph was tragically cut short when Maul challenged him to a duel. It was a brutal fight, and the shocking moment when Maul beheaded him with his own Darksaber is something I still remember vividly. A truly impactful, if brief, arc.

Pre Vizsla accepted his fate with the same unwavering belief that guided all his decisions: only the most powerful deserve to lead. His beliefs, fighting style, and family history are already part of the live-action Star Wars universe, making him a natural choice for what comes next.

2026-02-23 19:09