10 Star Wars Details Introduced in Video Games that Were Made Canon

Star Wars video games hold a special place in all fans' hearts. Not only because we get to pull Star Destroyers from the sky, but because of the deeply engaging lore some games introduce.

Some of these ideas have become so beloved among the fan base that even after being decanonized following Disney's acquisition of the IP, they've been reintroduced to the series. Even The Acolyte creator Leslye Headland would go as far as to praise Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2 for influencing the series and its main antagonist.

Several recent movies and TV shows have name-dropped important lore tied to previous games, with some even going so far as to repurpose plot points to fit within the new canon. Which I have to admit, is pretty great to see as a long-time fan.

So, without further ado, here are 10 details introduced in Star Wars video games that the main series would go on to make canon.

10 Darth Revan - Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

Everyone's Favorite (Ambiguously-Canon) Sith Lord

Darth Revan is one of Star Wars' best characters, which is why fans are keen to see any acknowledgment of the character outside the Knights of the Old Republic series. It doesn't help that Revan almost had appearances in the main universe, but unfortunately had to be cut later on.

In the Clone Wars, Darth Revan was intended to appear alongside Darth Bane, urging The Son (one of the Mortis gods) to embrace the Dark Side over the light. George Lucas would end up cutting this scene late in the episode's production, determining that the Sith couldn't become force ghosts as he believed it would conflict with his interpretation of the Force.

Revan was also set to appear in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which was meant to display the Sith Lord along with other video game favorites as statues during a scene. Unfortunately, the scene was cut, but the idea did make it into The Rise of Skywalker: The Visual Dictionary, which also confirmed an entire legion of Sith Troopers were named after them. It's a small step, but for Revan fans, this is some confirmation that Disney is interested in maintaining the character's legacy.

9 Malachor V - Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2

Home of the Most Traumatic Event in Star Wars' History

Malachor is a dark, terrifying planet that is the closest thing to hell in the Star Wars universe.

Introduced in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2, the planet would play host to the final battle in the Mandalorian Wars millennia ago. It was here that the Jedi would activate the Mass Shadow Generator, shattering the planet and murdering countless on its surface. It's an event that causes The Exile to cut themselves off from the Force and deeply traumatizes every survivor in the game.

The foreboding planet would be introduced again in the Star Wars: Rebels show, where the crew would visit the planet and have an infamous confrontation with Maul, several Inquisitors, and Darth Vader. The official canon of Star Wars would change the war with the Mandalorians to instead be a battle between the Jedi and the Sith. It was here that a super weapon would be activated on the planet, resulting in the death of everyone who remained on the planet.

It's possible that this isn't the exact Malachor and one of the many planets within its system, but the name and the similar conflict are hard to ignore.

8 Dark Troopers - Star Wars: Dark Forces

The Homework Mandalorian Season 2 Copied From

Star Wars: Dark Forces was a classic Quake-inspired Star Wars game released in 1995, which has had a surprisingly long legacy, influencing several Star Wars stories to this day.

In the game, you play as Kyle Katarn, a former Imperial Stormtrooper turned mercenary, who has been hired by the Rebel Alliance to steal the plans for the Death Star. Across your journey, you'll discover the secretive Dark Trooper project led by one of Star Wars' most interesting villains, General Rom Mohc.

While the game would become part of Legends, it would go on to inspire season 2 of The Mandalorian. Much like Katarn, the Beskar-covered bounty hunter would discover the Empire's Dark Trooper project, helmed by the equally interesting Moff Gideon.

7 Delta Squad - Star Wars: Republic Commando

The Original Elite Clone Force

Before the Clone Wars expanded on the Clones and their diverse personalities, we had the Delta Squad from Star Wars: Republic Commandos. This squad of four elite Clone Commandos would sport their own specialties and unique personalities. You had Sev the sniper, Scorch the demolitions expert, Fixer the slicer, and Boss, the leader of the group.

Each would provide their own thoughts and feelings on the ongoing conflicts happening across the Clone Wars and their fierce loyalty to the Republic. Their place in canon would remain a big question mark following Disney's acquisition in 2021, as well as the long list of changes The Clone Wars were making to the canon at that point.

It was not until the show's third season that Delta Squad would officially make a cameo in the show. Scorch would also make additional appearances in The Bad Batch TV series as a frequent antagonist to the Clone Force 99.

6 Operation: Cinder - Star Wars: Battlefront 2

Emperor Palpatine's Scorched Earth Contingency

We all know Sheev Palpatine is one of the most evil villains to exist. Which is why it's no surprise that after his death, rather than continue on a strong legacy with a capable successor, the Sith Lord instead chooses scorched earth.

This plan would come in the form of Operation: Cinder, a cruel contingency plan orchestrated by Palpatine to punish the Galactic Empire for failing to protect him from death by destroying its core planets. To do this, the most dedicated factions of the Empire would use satellites to cause catastrophic weather events like intense electrical storms or tsunamis, destroying the planet.

The first mention of Operation: Cinder would be introduced in the 2015 comic series Shattered Empire. But Star Wars: Battlefront 2 would provide the imperial perspective, demonstrating the immense ramifications it was taking on core Imperial planets and on Imperials themselves.

The events of Operation: Cinder would be referenced by Bill Burr's character, Migs Mayfield, who appeared in The Mandalorian as a former Imperial Trooper turned Mercenary who was traumatized by his participation.

5 The Dyad - Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Series

Why Ben Skywalker and Rey are Linked

Kylo Ren and Rey's deep bond in the Star Wars sequels may have seemed like some Force mumbo jumbo to some movie-watching fans, but for any viewers who had played the KOTOR games, this was an exciting nod to the series.

It isn't until Palpatine directly confirms their connection as a Dyad in the Force in Rise of Skywalker that we understand what's exactly going on between the two. However, fans already knew what to expect thanks to Revan and Bastilla, and the Exile and Kreia in KOTOR.

If you need a reminder, a Force Dyad is a rare phenomenon where two Force-sensitive individuals become deeply bonded and essentially become "one" with the Force. In the KOTOR series, after Bastilla saves Revan's life after he was betrayed by his apprentice Malak, the two form an intense Force-bond, allowing them to share their thoughts and feel each other's presence from afar.

This bond would be later explored in KOTOR 2, where The Exile and Kreia unknowingly form a bond at the start of the game. This bond would allow them to speak to each other from afar, where Kreia would share her guidance (and contempt in some situations) from afar. It's also this bond that would let both share each other's pain, as shown when Kreia's hand is cut off in battle, which The Exile similarly feels from afar.

4 Battle of Jakku - Star Wars: Battlefront 2

Explaining the Ship Graveyard in The Force Awakens

Jakku is maybe one of the more uninteresting locations in all of Star Wars, but there's no denying that the countless Imperial Star Destroyers littering the planet set up an interesting history. In The Force Awakens, we got to see Rey show off her scavenging skills by picking parts from a wrecked cruiser, but it wasn't until Star Wars: Battlefront 2 that we got to learn about the battle that took place here.

After a year-long conflict with the Empire following the Battle of Endor, the New Republic would have its final battle against the Empire over the planet. While it would be a decisive victory for the New Republic, it would leave a massive amount of wreckage on the surface of Jakku.

In Battlefront 2, The Battle of Jakku would be the final mission in the first campaign. Taking control of Iden Versio, you'd work with the New Republic to stave off Imperial forces and play a big role in killing your big bad Imperial dad. It's a grand spectacle that helps to reinforce the isolation Rey must have felt on Jakku surrounded by the ghosts of the Empire.

3 TIE Defenders - Star Wars: TIE Fighter

A Callback to the Classic Space Simulator

Star Wars: TIE Fighter is one of the oldest video games to be released in the franchise, but it was still packed with some neat lore details that helped fans feel seen. The space fighter simulator would have players take on the role of an Imperial Pilot after the events of The Empire Strikes Back. Not only does the game see you have plenty of encounters with Grand Admiral Thrawn (who was a popular book character at this point), but it also features the TIE/D Defender class spaceship.

This model of TIE Fighter would actually come into Disney's new canon in Star Wars: Rebels in a short arc introducing Thrawn. The arc would follow the Ghost crew as they infiltrate an Imperial Factory on Lothal, which is churning out the new, powerful TIE/D Defender ship.

It's a more subtle nod to the classic game, but having Thrawn's introduction in the series connected to this all-powerful ship goes to show how the creators behind them were big fans of the series.

2 Teräs Käsi - Star Wars: Masters of Teräs Käsi

Qi'ra's Impressive Martial Arts Skills

Star Wars: Masters of Teräs Käsi is objectively a terrible fighting game, which makes its many references in recent canon a solid gag.

This 1997 fighting game popularized the combat style of Teräs Käsi, which is a form of hand-to-hand combat designed to counter the Jedi. More aptly, it's an excuse to have Star Wars characters punch each other like they're in Tekken without breaking the immersion of characters getting immediately sliced in half by a lightsaber.

The martial art would go on to be name-dropped by Qi'ra after apprehending an unfortunate security guard on Kessel, remarking that the film's main antagonist, Dryden Vos, taught her. The combat style would also appear most recently in Star Wars: The Acolyte, where we saw Jedi Master Sol and the series villain Qimir engage in some impressive hand-to-hand combat.

1 Rakata - Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

The Mysterious Crystal Luthen Gives to Andor

Andor is loaded with countless easter eggs for the wider Star Wars universe, mostly hinted at in the series set design and throwaway lines. Thanks to one of its central characters, Luthen, being an antique collector, we're treated to artifacts from several different locations across the universe, with some being pretty elaborate deep cuts.

One of which is the Kuati Signet Luthen gives to Cassian, which he describes as "Blue Kyber" that "celebrates the uprising against the Rakatan invaders". Luthen would give Cassian the crystal as a down payment for his role in the Aldhani heist, requesting it back once his job was finished.

For many viewers scratching their heads and jumping to Wookiepedia to learn what a "Rakatan" is, once again, KOTOR fans got to flex smugly. As introduced in the first KOTOR game, the Rakatan's were an amphibious species who were ruthless rulers from millennia ago. In some Legends stories, they would be cited as the first to develop hyperspace travel, which would go on to explain their imperialistic tendencies following this major discovery.

After the universe rebelled against them, the once great society would be decimated by their own corruption from the dark side of the Force. By the time Revan discovers them, they are all but extinct, and a mere shell of their former glory.