The potential for any Star Wars property to contain familiar faces, locales, and events is always high - from Rogue One's passing cameo for Dr. Cornelius "Death Penalty on Twelve Systems" Evazan toThe Mandalorian turning an ice cream maker into a crucial plot device, there is no end to the level of cross-promotion and cross-breeding that can occur in the Star Wars universe.

The recently-announced Star Wars Outlaws (releasing in 2024) has more potential than any Star Wars property before it for cameos, references, and adapted stories, as the franchise's first attempt at an open-world video game will let players explore a galaxy far, far away at their own speed and on their own terms. And what, dear reader, do we think they'll find there? Here are the characters, planets, items, and events that we're most sure players will be interacting with in Outlaws.

But first, let's recap what's been officially confirmed about the game.

What We Know So Far

Star Wars Outlaws takes place in the roughly one-year window between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi (3 to 4 ABY for you pedants). We know this from the official site, which also gives us the name of the protagonist (Kay Vess), her adorable pet/companion (Nix), and a hint of the game's plot - hobnobbing with the crime syndicates and making a name for yourself (as long as that name is Kay Vess). We also know the game will travel to planets both new and familiar, with shots from trailers pretty much confirming that Tatooine will be one of the stops on our way to the top because all roads lead to Tatooine (Seriously - if it doesn't have Tatooine in it, can we even be sure it's a Star Wars?).

Kay and Nix, alongside new characters like Mon Calamari broker Danka, rugged scoundrel Jaylen, and extremely world-weary battle droid ND-5, have been the main focus of what we've seen so far, but if Star Wars has taught us anything, it's that blue milk is safe to drink. Another thing it's taught us is that it's a Small Galaxy After All and the next face you see could be one you know very well.

Destination Tatooine

The planets of Star Wars are almost as important to the franchise as the characters, and there's a laundry list of known planets that could be visited in Star Wars Outlaws.

Tatooine

This a done deal. It's the home of the Hutts, one of the biggest crime syndicates in the galaxy, and we've seen multiple shots in trailers that are clearly set on the home world of Luke Skywalker.

Corellia

The planet known mostly as the birthplace of Han Solo has a long history with syndicates (which we'll get to), and should be a regular stop for players looking for their next job.

Takodana

An out-of-the-way oasis for miscreants and ne'er-do-wells trying to stay below the Imperial radar can find themselves at this planet's watering hole and potentially taking jobs from the cantina's owner.

Canto Bight

The casino planet from The Last Jedi is a thriving home of the galaxy's arms trade, and welcomes anybody looking to make a deal. It's also a great place to pull off a daring heist.

Batuu

Batuu's not a film fixture, but it is the setting of Disney World's Galaxy's Edge, which the park describes as "a thriving port of rogue traders, droids and strange creatures."

Rebels and Other Familiar Faces

Given the time period in which it is set, there's a whole slew of characters from the movies and TV shows that can appear in Star Wars Outlaws. Here we'll give a list of the big names we think are the most likely to pop into the life of Kay Vess.

Boba Fett

From the trailers, we can see that Han Solo has "safely" made his way to Tatooine (more on that in a bit) and Boba Fett will be close by. If Kay Vess has any dealings in Jabba's palace, then we'd expect her to run into the man in Mandalorian armor.

Jabba and his Cadre

Said trip to Tatooine and Jabba's palace would be incomplete without an appearance from the Hutt himself. Whether as antagonists or benefactors, Jabba and his various associates (Bib Fortuna, Salacious Crumb, the Rancor's shirtless caretaker) will have their moment in the spotlight.

Lando Calrissian

Depending on the exact timing of Outlaws, Lando will either be part of the Rebel fleet or in disguise at Jabba's palace as he waits for Luke to devise an overly complicated plan for rescuing Han. Considering that both settings are near-certain destinations for Kay Vess, we think that it's a safe bet to say that we'll be seeing the former head of Cloud City around.

Wedge Antilles

Another character likely to be among the Rebels, Wedge is the leader of the newly-reformed Red Squadron and could also be encountered during one of his several brushes with pirates during this era.

Maz Kanata

If we're sure that Takodana serves as one of several stop-over points, then Maz Kanata is a slam-dunk to appear in Outlaws. The confidante of scoundrels from across the galaxy is usually found at the cantina she runs on the planet's surface, and could be the source of a few quests for Kay.

Bounty Hunters

Early trailers have hinted that young Kay will have a bounty on her head (likely from an Imperial source), and the galaxy has plenty of hounds to follow on her heels. We've already stated the case for Boba Fett, but there's a long list of semi-familiar faces known to claim Imperial bounties in this era. Here are just a few:

  • Bossk, the Trandoshan mercenary known mainly for not wearing shoes and intimidating Imperial officers.
  • Dengar is a cutthroat who's very comfortable taking Imperial money. At this point in his history, he's fallen into debt with the Ohnaka Gang, led by the ruthless Skragg.
  • Boussh is better-known as the source of Leia's disguise when she infiltrates Jabba's palace, but the real Boussh regularly does the dirty work of various employers.
  • IG-88, the killer robot programmed for maximum efficiency - although we're not sure what value money has to a machine.
  • Krrsantan, a Wookie bounty hunter whose intimidating presence makes him a formidable foe or friend.
  • Cad Bane, the be-hatted blue bounty hunter of Clone Wars fame who's taken work from the Pyke Syndicate among others.

The Crime Syndicates

Since the main focus of Star Wars Outlaws will be on dealing with, backstabbing, and outsmarting the various crime syndicates, we'll mention a few factions that make up the galaxy's seedy underbelly. These are the major players behind the galaxy's minor misdeeds. More syndicates and factions will be in Outlaws, but we're confident that those mentioned below will be among the game's main quest-givers and antagonizers.

The Hutts

The crime family that's been running Tatooine like it's their personal kingdom since before Anakin Skywalker truly knew what pod racing was. If we are, in fact, going to Tatooine (and we're definitely going to Tatooine), then a run-in with the Hutts - specifically Jabba - is all but inevitable.

Pyke Syndicate

Pyke Syndicate, unlike the Hutts, is 100% confirmed to be in Outlaws, as the gameplay trailer showed off during Ubisoft Forward featured Kay Vess blasting her way out of a Pyke stronghold on Toshara. The Pyke Syndicate is probably best-known for their turn as the villains of Mandalorian Season 2.5 The Book of Boba Fett, having previously established a foothold on (you guessed it) Tatooine.

Corellian Syndicates

The planet Corellia happens to be one of the grungiest corners of the galaxy, a planet where three crime syndicates tussle for dominance. The White Worms (led by Lady Proxima, who had a blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearance in Solo) are the most powerful Corellian clan during the time in which Outlaws is set, but the slightly more anonymous Mourner's Wail and Unbroken Clan could call Kay's number from time to time. If crime syndicates are a major part of Outlaws, then we'd expect Corellia to be one of our main stops.

Crimson Dawn

The Crimson Dawn is a crime syndicate that was formed by the top half of Darth Maul in the early years of the Empire and was a major player until Maul's untimely demise at the hands of Obi-Wan Kenobi during a duel on Tatooine (it always comes back to Tatooine). In 3 ABY, Crimson Dawn is led by Lady Qi'ra, Han Solo's former flame, and is doing its darnedest to get its grubby little fingers into every corner of the galaxy. They serve as the spark plug for one of the most overblown conflicts among the galaxy's ne'er-do-wells during this time period, which we'll talk about in a moment.

Quests, Missions, and Side-Gigs

Video games aren't only about meeting characters that you've seen on the big and small screens, they're also about doing things. Despite the short time period of one year, and the dearth of information from Star Wars's movies and TV shows, there's quite a bit going on in the timeframe of Star Wars Outlaws that could sweep its players along. We found a few storylines from recent Star Wars comics that could become either side-quests or part of the main story.

The Rebel Fleet and Imperial Dogging

Unless the trailers have lied to us (trailers are good at that), Kay Vess will find herself sharing space with a rebel fleet caught between Hoth and a hard place. It's possible that she'll involve herself in the plot of the Marvel Star Wars comic from 2020, when Imperial forces attack the Rebels at Rendezvous Point Delta-Three, and their subsequent harrying on the way to Backup Rendezvous Point Gamma-Nine. The name to watch here would be Commander Ellian Zahra, the Imperial officer who oversees the attack from his flagship Tarkin's Will.

Corellian Game of Thrones

It's about this time that the heads of both the Mourner's Wail Syndicate and Unbroken Clan on Corellia are dispatched by ruthless scoundrel Nakano Lash in 2020's Bounty Hunters, uncorking a a mass of intrigue and politicking that could easily sweep up a smuggler just trying to find her place in the galaxy.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Tatooine

This particular production plays out in 2021's War of the Bounty Hunters and you might want to buckle up, because it's a doozy. The Crimson Dawn, through an absolute cluster of shenanigans, swipe the carbonite-preserved body of Han Solo from Boba Fett, then send messages out to all the major syndicate heads (including Jabba the Hutt) inviting them to a meeting on the planet Jekara, where they have the gaul to auction off the ex-smuggler's resting place to the highest bidder.

The meeting draws not only the leaders of the galaxy's underworld, but also Rebel agents and Darth Vader himself, who voids the nascent auction (won, naturally, by Jabba's one million credits) and claims Han Solo under Imperial Eminent Domain. At this juncture, we feel the need to point out that Vader had Solo in his clutches not six months prior and willingly handed him over to Boba. Qi'ra, not happy with her potential payday being absconded with, duels Darth Freaking Vader until the latter senses the nearby presence of Luke Skywalker and goes off to hunt him.

Vader's Skywalker distraction gives Boba Fett the opening he needs to infiltrate the Imperial Destroyer holding Carbon Solo and take back the prize that he'd rightfully stolen, which means that he can now fulfill his contract with Jabba the Hutt and Return of the Jedi  can act like none of this ever happened.

War of the Bounty Hunters almost sounds too involved for Outlaws, but seeing as how it's a canon comic from only a few years ago and involves a huge swath of the galaxy's criminal movers and shakers, we'd rubber stamp this storyline with a solid "Maybe."

Retrieving Luke's Lightsaber

If you thought our last story sounded implausible, then get ready for this one, which has no basis in any Star Wars story - comic or otherwise - because it's a question that remains unanswered eight years afterThe Force Awakens posed it: How did Maz Kanata get Luke's lightsaber? It's our pet theory that Kay Vess will receive a job requiring her to travel to Cloud City and recover the lightsaber that Luke lost there during his confrontation with Darth Vader. This could put to rest that particular unsolved mystery so we can focus on a more important question: What happened to Luke's hand?

And there you have it, a far-too-deep dive into a galaxy of crime and sin that will form the backbone of Star Wars Outlaws. Whether these predictions and postulations come true or turn out to be a big pile of bantha poodoo will be revealed when Outlaws hits shelves (both virtual and physical) sometime next year.

Are there any Star Wars characters or planets that we overlooked? Have your own theories for quests and storylines in the game? Share your thoughts in the comments!