STARKILLER
Galen Marek, codenamed 'Starkiller', is the Force-sensitive protagonist of the Star Wars: The Force Unleashed franchise. Discovered as a child on Kashyyyk by Darth Vader, he was secretly trained as a dark side assassin before sacrificing his life to save the founders of the Rebel Alliance.
Cronologia
Biografia
Galen Marek, widely known by his Imperial codename 'Starkiller', was the secret apprentice of Darth Vader during the era between the rise of the Empire and the Galactic Civil War.
Portrayed through voice and likeness by actor Sam Witwer, Starkiller was raised in total secrecy to hunt down surviving members of the Jedi Order and eventually help Vader overthrow Emperor Palpatine.
Equipped with devastating Force abilities and deadly lightsaber combat skills, Starkiller carried out missions across the galaxy aboard his stealth ship, the Rogue Shadow, alongside his Imperial pilot Juno Eclipse and the prototype training droid PROXY. After defeating Jedi Masters Rahm Kota, Kazdan Paratus, and Shaak Ti, Starkiller was repeatedly betrayed by Darth Vader on Emperor Palpatine's orders. Ultimately turning away from the Dark Side under the guidance of a blinded Rahm Kota, Starkiller chose the path of a Jedi. He sacrificed his life aboard the Death Star while saving Rebel leaders Bail Organa and Mon Mothma, inspiring the formation of the Rebel Alliance.
Storia
Born on the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk, Galen Marek was the son of two Jedi Knights, Kento and Mallie Marek. Following his mother's death, Galen was raised by his father until Darth Vader led an Imperial attack on Kashyyyk.
Sensing extraordinary Force potential in the young boy, Vader killed Kento Marek and abducted Galen, keeping his existence hidden from Emperor Palpatine. Vader subjected the boy to brutal dark side training, shaping him into a lethal assassin dedicated to purging Order 66 survivors.
Beyond Galen Marek, the name 'Starkiller' holds extensive history in Star Wars lore: it originated in George Lucas's 1974–1977 draft screenplays as Luke Skywalker's original surname, appeared as the Mandalorian gladiator Bendak Starkiller in Knights of the Old Republic (2003), and was used for a 20,000-year-old Frommon freighter in Legends as well as the First Order's superweapon in The Force Awakens.
I PEZZI DI STARKILLER
Poteri & Abilità
* Raw Force Destruction: Capable of unleasing extreme Force Push, Force Lightning, Force Repulse, and Force Grip. * Telekinetic Feats: Possessed immense telekinetic power, famously pulling a Imperial Star Destroyer down from orbit. * Lightsaber Mastery: Proficient in single-blade, dual-wielding, and aggressive Form V / Jar'Kai lightsaber combat styles.
* Red & Jedi Lightsabers: Dual-wielded red synthetic crystal lightsabers under Vader, later transitioning to blue and green Jedi crystals. * Stealth Vessel (Rogue Shadow): Commanded a custom, stealth-equipped starship piloted by Juno Eclipse. * PROXY Holodroid Combat: Trained against a unique prototype assassin holodroid capable of imitating Jedi combat styles. * Sith Stalker Armor: Wore cybernetic dark side armor with bone-like prosthetics in alternate 'what-if' timelines.
Apparizioni
* 1974–1977: Early Star Wars Script Drafts — Name introduced by George Lucas as 'Annikin/Luke Starkiller'. * 2003: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic — Features Bendak Starkiller, a Mandalorian gladiator on Taris. * July 2008: Soulcalibur IV — Starkiller appears as a playable guest fighter called 'The Apprentice'. * August 2008: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Novel) — Written by Sean Williams, detailing Galen Marek's story. * August 2008: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Graphic Novel) — Published by Dark Horse Comics, written by Haden Blackman. * September 2008: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Video Game) — Debut action game starring Galen Marek across multiple consoles. * 2008: LEGO Star Wars Rogue Shadow Set (#7672) — First LEGO minifigure release of Starkiller with his ship.
* November 2009: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed - Ultimate Sith Edition — Expansion featuring the cybernetic 'Lord Starkiller'. * October 2010: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II (Video Game) — Sequel starring Subject 1138, a clone of Galen Marek. * October 2010: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II (Novel & Graphic Novel) — Story adaptations by Sean Williams and Dark Horse Comics. * December 2010: Battle of Endor DLC — Non-canonical Dark Side expansion involving Endor. * March 2011: LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars — Unlockable playable character. * December 2021: Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes — Added as a powerful Journey Guide unlockable unit. * April 2022: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Nintendo Switch) — Switch remaster of the motion-control release. * September 2022: Star Wars: Andor (Season 1, Ep 4) — Live-action Easter egg showing the Sith Stalker helmet in Luthen Rael's gallery.
Relazioni
* Darth Vader: Master and captor who executed Galen's father, trained him in secret, and repeatedly betrayed him. * Emperor Palpatine / Darth Sidious: The Galactic Emperor who demanded Starkiller's death and was later confronted on the Death Star. * Juno Eclipse: Imperial pilot of the Rogue Shadow who became Starkiller's love interest and primary moral anchor. * PROXY: A loyal prototype holodroid servant programmed to randomly attempt to assassinate Starkiller during training.
* Rahm Kota: Blinded Jedi Master who mentored Starkiller and guided him back to the Light Side. * Kento & Mallie Marek: Galen Marek's biological parents, both Jedi Knights. * Shaak Ti, Kazdan Paratus, Maris Brood: Order 66 Jedi survivors targeted by Starkiller during his trials. * Bail Organa & Mon Mothma: Rebel leaders saved by Starkiller's final sacrifice. * Leshy Drobo & XT-8: Bounty hunter and assassin droid team who owned the transport ship named Starkiller (Legends). * Roni von Wasaki: Jedi Knight held in carbonite aboard the freighter Starkiller for 20,000 years (Legends).
Evoluzione
Starkiller's arc represents one of the most compelling redemption stories in Star Wars Expanded Universe history. Initially introduced in 2008 as a merciless Sith assassin carrying out Darth Vader's dark bidding, Galen Marek viewed Jedi survivors strictly as targets. However, exposure to Juno Eclipse's humanity and Rahm Kota's spiritual guidance opened his eyes to the Light Side. His ultimate decision to sacrifice himself on the Death Star transformed him from a hidden tool of oppression into the foundational catalyst for the Rebel Alliance.
Following Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm in April 2014, Starkiller's story was reclassified under the non-canonical Star Wars Legends banner. Despite no longer being part of active screen canon, the character's popularity remains extraordinarily high. Lucasfilm continues to celebrate his legacy through video game ports on the Nintendo Switch, mobile updates in Galaxy of Heroes, action figures, and canon Easter eggs—such as the Sith Stalker Armor helmet displayed in Star Wars: Andor. Actor Sam Witwer has actively voiced enthusiasm for returning to play the character in live-action should the opportunity arise.
Da Collezione
For action figure collectors and statue enthusiasts, Starkiller is an absolute grail character in the Star Wars Expanded Universe/Legends sector. He made his physical toy debut in 2008 with LEGO's Rogue Shadow set (#7672), which included the first-ever Starkiller minifigure alongside Juno Eclipse and an Imperial Officer, making it a prized piece on the secondary market.
Hasbro has consistently delivered standout collectibles for Galen Marek across both 3.75-inch and 6-inch scales. In recent years, Hasbro expanded its high-end lines with figures in both The Vintage Collection (3.75-inch) and The Black Series (6-inch). These figures highlight his iconic costumes, including his Secret Apprentice tunic, Jedi Knight outfit, and the dramatic Sith Stalker Armor. Due to his cult-favorite status among collectors, Hasbro's Black Series releases of Starkiller routinely sell out fast and command impressive aftermarket value.
Curiosità
* George Lucas originally used 'Starkiller' as Luke Skywalker's surname in early 1970s script drafts. * The Marek family crest was adopted as the official symbol of the Rebel Alliance to honor Galen's sacrifice.
* Sam Witwer provided both his voice and physical facial likeness for Galen Marek in The Force Unleashed games. * The Sith Stalker Armor worn by Lord Starkiller made a subtle canonical appearance in Luthen Rael's gallery in Star Wars: Andor. * In Star Wars Legends, a freighter named Starkiller spent 20,000 years drifting at sublight speed with a frozen Jedi Knight aboard.
