Focusing on female characters across multiple eras and installments of the franchise, the series explores how each character's decisions affect her destiny.
Forces of Destiny aims to expand the galactic saga’s audience by highlighting its female heroes in eight new 2D animated shorts, which will debut on Disney YouTube in July, then be packaged with eight others in the fall for a pair of TV specials airing on the Disney Channel. The central figures are Princess Leia from the original trilogy era, Padmé Amidala from the prequels, Rey from The Force Awakens, Rogue One'sJyn Erso, and a trio from the animated Star Wars Rebels series: Sabine Wren, Ahsoka Tano, and Hera Syndulla. Multiple heroines are set to appear in adventures with each other, even though some of them have been separated by different timelines – but it is all official canon. "One of the opportunities here was to tell the stories in between the larger moments and imagine some of the ways our characters have crossed," says Carrie Beck, executive producer of the shorts and a member of the Lucasfilm story group braintrust. "It’s all part of the larger swath of storytelling."
Each of the Forces of Destiny shorts are about three minutes long, and they were penned by Jennifer Muro, a writer known for DC’s Justice League Action, and directed by Brad Rau, who has helmed episodes of Star Wars Rebels. Dave Filoni, executive producer of Rebels, also helped create the new storylines. Other sci-fi/fantasy franchises have created special stories to attract female fans, like DC Superhero Girls, which rounded up heroes and villains into a high school. Rather than putting its heroines into a new environment, like a galactic classroom or summer camp, Lucasfilm preferred to keep the characters within the same universe.
"We didn’t want to put them in a false social construct. They’re meeting each other on Star Wars terms," Beck tells EW. "No part of Star Wars should feel like, ‘That’s the fake Star Wars, over there.’ No matter who you are, or how young you are, you want to feel like you are sharing the same thing your dad and mom love, that your grandparents love. You want to feel like you are a part of it."
Many of the original actresses will be voicing their characters, except for Carrie Fisher (due to her passing) and Natalie Portman. Leia will be voiced by Shelby Young in the shorts, while Catherine Taber, who voiced Padmé in The Clone Wars, reprises her role. Lupita Nyong'o will narrate the shorts as Maz Kanata.
The Forces of Destiny shorts will be accompanied by a new line of Hasbro "Adventure Figure" toys that aim to blend the qualities of traditional dolls (11-inch height, rooted hair, changeable outfits) with old-school action figures (weapon accessories, battle attacks). "They all have an action motion that’s true to their character, so, for instance, Rey can swing her lightsaber," Hasbro’s Samantha Lomow tells EW, squeezing the character’s legs to make her torso swivel as her blue laser sword cuts the air.
The primary goal of Forces of Destiny was to reach novice fans – especially young girls who have not previously felt welcome in the fandom. But they are meant to also appeal broadly. "That’s really the challenge: How do we make this relevant for somebody who is new to Star Wars – and someone who has experienced all of Star Wars," Beck says. "We have these new access points for kids, but (the shorts) are not so reliant on knowing everything else that’s happened in Star Wars history."
Television:Star Wars: The Clone Wars • Star Wars Rebels (videography) • Star Wars: Forces of Destiny • Star Wars Resistance • The Mandalorian • Star Wars: The Bad Batch • Star Wars: Visions • The Book of Boba Fett • Obi-Wan Kenobi • Andor • Tales of the Jedi • Star Wars: Ahsoka • The Acolyte • Star Wars: Lando • Star Wars: Rangers of the New Republic • Skeleton Crew • Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures Video Games:Club Penguin Star Wars Takeover • Star Wars Battlefront • Star Wars: Tiny Death Star • Star Wars: Assault Team • Angry Birds Star Wars • Angry Birds Star Wars II • Star Wars: Scene Maker • Star Wars: Commander • Disney Infinity: 3.0 Edition • Star Wars: Uprising • Star Wars Rebels: Recon Missions • Star Wars: Mobile App • LEGO Star Wars:The Force Awakens • Star Wars: Force Arena • Star Wars Battlefront II • Disney Magic Kingdoms • Roblox • Star Wars: Squadrons • The Sims 4 Star Wars: Journey to Batuu • Star Wars Jedi: Survivor• Kingdom Hearts IV Books:Star Wars The Adventures of Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight • Ahsoka • Star Wars: Bloodline • The Art of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story • Battlefront II: Inferno Squad • Lost Stars • Star Wars: The High Republic Comics:Marvel Comics • Star Wars Adventures • Star Wars: Forces of Destiny Cancelled projects:Star Wars: Attack Squadrons
Imperial/First Order:Imperial Shuttle • Imperial Star Destroyer • TIE Fighter • TIE Advanced x1 • TIE Bomber • TIE Interceptor • TIE Advanced v1 • TIE Defender • First Order TIE fighter • First Order Special Forces TIE Fighter • TIE Striker • TIE Silencer • TIE Whisper • TIE Brute • Kylo Ren's command shuttle • AT-AT • AT-ST • AT-ACT • AT-DP • First Order AT-ST • First Order AT-AT • AT-M6 • Super Star Destroyer • Imperial Speeder Bike • 614-AvA Speeder Bike • Imperial Landing Craft • Imperial Freighter • First Order Star Destroyer • Imperial Interdictor • Zeta-Class Cargo Shuttle • Supremacy Miscellaneous:StarSpeeder 3000 • Slave I • Nightbrother • Colossus
Locations
Tatooine • Death Star • Yavin 4 • Hoth • Dagobah • Yoda's Hut • Cloud City • Bespin • Death Star II • Endor • Ryloth • Naboo • Coruscant • Jedi Temple • Kamino • Geonosis • Kashyyyk • Mustafar • Mandalore • Lothal • Lothal Jedi Temple • Bracca • Jakku • Starkiller Base • Takodana • D'Qar • Luke Skywalker's Jedi Temple • Ahch-To • First Jedi Temple • Tree Library • Mirror Cave • Atollon • Garel • Malachor • Malachor Sith Temple • Wobani • Ring of Kafrene • Eadu • Scarif • Jedha • Dathomir • Dantooine • Cantonica • Canto Bight • Crait • Batuu • Exegol
