Disney is finally bringing classic characters from the original trilogy to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, including Darth Vader, Han Solo, Leia Organa, and Luke Skywalker. This post covers dates and details about where to find the iconic heroes and villain in the different ‘regions’ of Batuu.
Both the Resistance and the First Order have had presences on opposite ends of Batuu right now. In between the two, Hondo Ohnaka has set up shop with Ohnaka Transport Solutions, a smuggling operation that ‘borrows’ the Millennium Falcon.
For most of its existence, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge has been set during the brief window between the events of The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker. These are the last two films in the sequel trilogy, effectively barring every character that was not in those movies–or at least plausibly alive during that timeframe–from Batuu.
Upon opening, Galaxy’s Edge was set at that specific time and the specific place. That land was canonical to the Star Wars universe, meaning that which happened in Galaxy’s Edge was part of the official mythological history of the fictional saga. While the land wasn’t central to any movie or Disney+ series, it was being established as part of the larger lore.
That meant you would not see Darth Vader, Han Solo, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Padme Amidala, Cassian Andor, etc. wandering around Batuu. They were all (spoiler alert) dead by the point of the film franchise. And contrary to the opening crawl in The Rise of Skywalker, the dead do not speak!
Well, except when they do. Force-sensitive characters have been an exception to this since the beginning, since they are basically ghosts. They could appear in Galaxy’s Edge, Casper-style. But the only example of this we ever really witnessed–at least to the best of my knowledge–was Yoda, who (now this part really is a spoiler) makes his presence known during the Savi’s Workshop lightsaber building experience.
The gradual ‘erosion’ of the stringent story standards for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge began back in 2022, when Imagineer Scott Trowbridge explained that storytelling would evolve in the land with the introduction of new characters:
“While we as visitors may be able to experience different stories throughout Star Wars history, the characters on Batuu can not. They will remain in their specific story and timeline and won’t intersect with other characters or stories that would not be appropriate for them.”
Since then, there’s been a steady stream of new characters into Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, including Mandalorian and Baby Yoda at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World, as well as Boba Fett, Fennec Shand, Sabine Wren, and Ahsoka at Disneyland.
There also have been a handful of characters out exclusively during special events that seem like they’re not bound by the same rules. I spotted General Hera Syndulla during DVC Moonlight Magic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and others have appeared during Star Wars Nite at Disneyland.
However, some of these characters appeared in Tomorrowland or just outside the boundaries of Batuu for this very reason. I’m still holding out hope for Darth Mater to make the road trip on over from Cars Land!
Last year, a young Luke Skywalker appeared in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland for Season of the Force, which was the biggest breaking of the sacred timeline to date. As noted above, the land is supposedly set between Episodes 8 and 9 of the sequel trilogy, when Luke is an old man.
Meanwhile, “The Mandalorian” is set after the events of Episode 6. Although Din Djarin and Baby Yoda have appeared in the land already, it’s plausible for them to be consistent with the timeline. Mando wears a helmet to conceal his face; Grogu is a baby of the yoda species, and they age oddly (scientifically speaking, of course).
In other words, there was a bit of wiggle room or plausible deniability with just “The Mandalorian” characters. With those events only set a couple of decades before the timeline of Galaxy’s Edge, all that was really required for thematic consistency was future Star Wars canonical stories to not kill them off. Or age them in ways inconsistent with their Galaxy’s Edge appearance, I suppose.
Absent a reverse-aging procedure from one of Batuu’s best plastic surgeons, the young Luke Skywalker face character eliminated that, at least on a seasonal basis, opening the door for much more. And now, Disney is pushing things further with an official shifting of the sacred timeline of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
Star Wars Land Timeline Shift at Disneyland in April 2026
Disney has announced that beginning April 29, 2026, visitors will be able to experience different points of the Star Wars saga inside Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland, with new characters and storylines. These updates to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will enable visitors to experience even more of the eras of the franchise at Disneyland (Batuu West).
New storylines will be brought to life on Batuu West, spanning multiple eras of the planet’s rich history beginning April 29, 2026. These updates will enable you to experience the Galactic Civil War and New Republic, as well as the Age of the Resistance and First Order.
Black Spire Outpost will roll back in time several decades, thoughtfully introducing beloved characters from across the Star Wars timeline, new props, musical selections from Star Wars film scores throughout the land, and more. Each era will be brought to life with the same care and attention to detail that the land was originally designed with, weaving together stories from across time and space in one location.
Original Trilogy Star Wars Characters Coming
Darth Vader’s search for Luke Skywalker will bring him to Batuu. This Sith Lord will be joined by Imperial Stormtroopers, and as they seek the elusive Jedi, they may find hints of the Force around the outpost.
Leia Organa and Han Solo will be reunited with Luke Skywalker and Chewbacca amid the rocky spires.
Luke Skywalker will roam the outpost seeking knowledge of the Force and artifacts related to lightsaber building, kyber crystals, and more. After previously appearing on a seasonal basis last year, Luke becomes a permanent resident of Batuu as of April 29, 2026. Luke will once again appear in his Jedi Knight look from “The Mandalorian.”
Leia Organa may be spotted near the Millennium Falcon, where she’ll recruit travelers and locals to help keep Luke safe. Leia will be sporting her “adventure” costume, as also seen in the Star Wars Battlefront video game series.
Han Solo also will linger around his prized ship, tempted by the local cantina.
These iconic heroes and villains of the Star Wars saga will join familiar faces you may see now in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
Encounter Ahsoka Tano, as well as The Mandalorian and Grogu near the marketplace.
The beloved starship mechanic and fighter pilot’s assistant, R2-D2, will also continue to roll through the land near Droid Depot and the garage.
The forested area on the outskirts of Black Spire Outpost will continue to represent a time inspired by the Age of the Resistance. You may find Rey around this Resistance camp.
All of these will be roaming characters, not dedicated meet & greets. They will often appear in pairs.
Characters that previously appeared elsewhere in Disneyland due to the timeline rules of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will now appear exclusively in the land. This means that Darth Vader’s Visa meet & greet in Tomorrowland is ending, but the villain will be replaced by Kylo Ren in that same location.
Our Commentary
I am fully on-board with these changes to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. There are a couple of things that made me open to a wider range of characters on Batuu. The first is the introduction of the Mandalorian and Baby Yoda a few years ago. This dynamic duo was a smash sensation from day one, and continues to be the highlight of Galaxy’s Edge for many guests.
Seeing the excitement on faces when the meet Mando and Grogu was enough, by itself, to sell me on the idea. There’s also a lot of this with Chewbacca and Rey, but not so much with Kylo Ren or some of the other characters.
The introduction of Luke Skywalker last year was another positive change, at least in terms of guest reaction, but I felt like he fell a little flat without another face character. He’s a bit like Hiro without Baymax–kinda just looks like an oddly dressed, enigmatic dude on his own.
Having Han Solo and Leia Organa to go along with Luke Skywalker should make for a more ‘complete’ set of classic heroes. This should make them more instantly recognizable to guests, and the face characters appearing in pairs should make for more engaging and varied interactions; perhaps even quasi-show moments.
Adding Darth Vader, who is far and away the most-requested character in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, to the mix in search of Luke Skywalker will likewise be a tremendous asset. As someone who has no dog in the Star Wars fight, I’ve always enjoyed seeing Kylo Ren, but it’s pretty undeniable that Darth Vader is the more iconic character. He’s arguably one of the most iconic villains of all-time. I was beginning to think Disney was holding out to use him in Villains Land instead of Galaxy’s Edge.
Because Darth Vader is such an iconic villain that resonates with generations of Star Wars fans, he’s an instant and significant upgrade over Kylo Ren. As we’ve seen with Mandalorian and Baby Yoda, so much of what makes this land special–or could make it special–comes down to not just the space or characters, but the interplay with guests. Darth Vader is going to dial things up a notch, which should add a whole new dimension to Batuu.
This is a lesson we’ve learned not just from Mandalorian and Grogu, but before them, Avengers Campus.
We’ve been quite critical of Avengers Campus, and for good reason: because it’s not very good. The land itself has all the charm of a strip mall featuring Circuit City in Irvine, California. It is redeemed and rises above its Circuit City roots to a large extent because the land itself is primarily a canvas for the action and actual characters.
As with the movies, that’s where Avengers Campus shines–it comes alive with a range of heroes and villains from the various MCU properties, with little explanation offered as to why each is there. To whatever extent Avengers Campus works, it’s on the shoulders of the story-breaking characters.
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is better than Avengers Campus by orders of magnitude when it comes to the land as a whole, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any lessons from the latter than could be applied to improve the former. With the introduction of classic characters from the original trilogy of Star Wars, we’re about to see Galaxy’s Edge come closer to living up to its full potential. We cannot wait!
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Are you excited to see Darth Vader, Han Solo, Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge? Do you think these characters will eventually make their way to Walt Disney World? Do you think Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge should break its own rules or stick to the fixed timeline and story? Would you like to see regular Yoda or any other classic characters in the land? Think Galaxy’s Edge should focus on fun, canon, or a mix of both? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!