It's been a good few years for LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, which is scheduled to come out later in 2021. It promises to take fans back to a galaxy far, far away and give them an experience they haven't had before. And with the developers having plenty of material to work with, it's looking likely to be one of the biggest releases of the year.
Details have been kept tightly under wraps but free roam is set to be a major part of the title. So there are some key planets from the nine movies that have the potential to be amazing to explore.
Tatooine
The The Rise of Skywalker. It's also been visited in The Mandalorian and has a considerable amount of depth behind it.
There are Formidable foes such as Jabba the Hutt and Boba Fett can be found on the system and, if a player opts to go searching for them, chances are they'll be successful. This, out of all the planets in the series, has the potential to be the best.
Coruscant
First introduced in The Phantom Menace, Coruscant is majestic. It's like a space version of New York City with its tall buildings, fantastic skylines, and glamorous feel. It was present in all Duel of the Fates script been used, with the director originally intending for Kylo Ren to go back there to search for more answers about the dark side.
The trailer for LEGO's Skywalker Saga appeared to show Mace Windu running around in the city's underground and that suggests all of it will be accessible. Whether it's searching the Jedi Temple or peeking around the Senate, the possibilities for hours of intriguing fun are endless.
Naboo
Naboo may just be the most beautiful setting in Star Wars. With its gorgeous blue skies and wonderful waterfalls, and old, European buildings, it never seizes to leave fans breathless. It's rather crucial, too, being the home planet of both Palpatine and Pé Amidala while also being the place where the latter is buried Revenge of the Sith.
Again, the trailer seemed to indicate this planet would be fully explorable. It'll be interesting to see if they include creatures such as Nunas and Shaaks, which could be used to get around quicker if players get tired of moving on foot. Even Jedi need a different mode of transport sometimes.
Utapau
Utapau has only appeared in one movie so far, which still makes it somewhat mysterious. Revenge of the Sith shows it to be rather beautiful, home to nice creatures like Varactyls and nasty ones like Ginnthos while also being ruled by Tion Medon, whose teeth definitely linger in the memory. It was in the 2005 Star Wars: Battlefront II game and was also featured in the third movie's game of the same name.
Yet because it's been absent from other forms of Star Wars media, bringing it back to fully explore would be a shrewd move. Absence only makes the heart grow stronger, of course, and the brief glimpses of Utapau fans have received so far have suggested there's more to it than meets the eye. Medon should be included in LEGO form as well because that would be pretty cool to see.
Yavin IV
Much like Tatooine, Yavin IV is also one of the most iconic locations within the franchise. It's first seen in A New Hope, being home to the Rebel Alliance and where they plot a way to destroy the first Death Star. It also appeared in 2016's Rogue One, with Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor planning there before then successfully obtaining the plans to the evil Imperial space station and ultimately laying the groundwork for its obliteration.
Fans have been able to roam around it in 2017's Battlefront II but, in LEGO form, it'd be an extremely different experience. A little mini-game allowing you to help different of the Rebel Alliance would be a masterstroke and, much like D'Qar in 2016's Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens, it could act as a central hub for players to drop in and out as they please.
Bespin
Bespin is The Empire Strikes Back, being the location where Darth Vader reveals himself to be Luke Skywalker's father and where Han Solo is carted off to Jabba the Hutt after being encased in carbonite. It's also ruled by the loveable Lando Calrissian, who gives up his friends to Darth Vader in order to escape imprisonment, torture, and possibly even murder.
Roaming around the orange skies, exploring the carbon freezing chamber, and following in the same footsteps of Vader and Luke all sounds appealing. Especially if you can step into one of Lando's iconic capes and take a walk as Billy Dee Williams' legendary character.
Endor
Many fans thought force ghosts Anakin Skywalker, Yoda, and Obi-Wan Kenobi also ing in the celebrations. It's home to the cute Ewoks and also where the Imperial troopers are bettered and battered, with many perishing in the fight that takes place within its wooded environment.
Given Endor's vast landscape, it's another setting that will guarantee hours of endless exploration. If players get the chance to play as Ewoks, even better. They're already cute enough but in LEGO form? Even more so.
Takodana
First appearing in 2015's his lightsaber duel with Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back many years previously.
Takodana was fun to explore in Battlefront II and, therefore, should be the same in the new LEGO game. Maz's castle, in particular, could be home to many more secrets just waiting to be discovered. She's just that kind of character, after all.
Cantonica
Star Wars: The Last Jedi is a pretty divisive blockbuster with many fans taking issue with the sequences set on the planet of Cantonica, also known as Canto Bight. Rose and Finn's adventures there coincided with the battle taking place between Kylo Ren, Rey and Supreme Leader Snoke, therefore somewhat distracting from one of the biggest points in the movie. But while that's the case, the way the planet looked was certainly impressive.
There's no place in the galaxy comparable at the current moment in time. With its entertainment venues angled at the wealthy, interesting creatures, and huge landscape, it's another that should certainly be tantalizing to delve deep into. A gambling mini-game would be fun but, given the title is aimed at younger audiences, that's probably a stretch too far.
Exegol
The Rise of Skywalker introduced the planet of Exegol for the very first time. This is where Palpatine has been lying low for 30 years following his defeat in Return of the Jedi and is also where the final showdown takes place. Fortunately, the Resistance is able to overcome its inferiority in numbers to defeat both Palpatine and the sinister Final Order once and for all.
Given that Exegol is still very much a mystery, and appears to be a hub of darkness, it's another place fans will relish look around. There could be many dark side secrets there just waiting to be found...
