Every Star Wars fan has their favorite live-action character they would love to see make the jump to animation. For me, its characters from Andor like Dedra or Luthen. For Athena Yvette Portillo, Lucasfilm Animation vice president and executive producer of Star Wars – Maul: Shadow Lord, it’s a Star Wars prequel character you would never in a million years expect.
For many lucky fans, some live-action characters have already appeared in animation, such as Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Others, however, are still waiting for their dream live-action character to get the chance. Which character, however, depends on whom you ask.
For Portillo, the answer was immediate.
“Zam Wesell! I love Zam Wesell. That was short-lived, right?” Portillo tells Polygon, referring to Zam’s introduction and almost immediate death during the second prequel film, Attack of the Clones.
For those unfamiliar, Zam Wesell is a bounty hunter hired by Jango Fett. Jango was hired by Count Dooku, who was instructed by Darth Sidious to have Padmé Amidala killed. Zam almost succeeds, but after an intense chase scene between Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Zam through the city streets of Coruscant, the changeling is caught. Before she can reveal who hired her, she is killed by a poison dart from Jango Fett.
As brief as Zam’s live-action role was, the beauty of Star Wars is that characters’ stories can continue even after their death. Zam has already appeared in several spin-off media, including mobile game Galaxy of Heroes and comics like Jedi Knights.
According to Portillo, Zam appearing in animation wouldn’t just be a great way to learn more about the Clawdite changeling; it would also pose a challenge for Lucasfilm Animation.
“I love the costume, and I love anything about shape-shifting. You can make a great story for someone who shapeshifts,” Portillo tells Polygon. “I know it’d be a challenge in animation, but awesome to take on.”
Many live-action characters have transitioned to animation, and vice versa, with figures like Ahsoka and Thrawn making their live-action debuts after appearing in animation. Could we someday see something involving Zam Wesell? We can always hope.
