LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is filled with secrets — from characters tucked away in story mode files to unused skins that never made it to the official roster. For longtime fans of the franchise and completionists alike, the thrill of discovering hidden gems remains one of the game’s most rewarding features. Let’s explore some of the craziest secret characters, features, and behind-the-scenes details that you probably didn’t know were lurking just beneath the surface.

The Return of Force Ghosts (Kind of)
Buried deep in the game’s files are fully modeled versions of Force ghost Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Yoda. While they do make cutscene appearances, they aren’t playable without mods. This is a huge shift from their powerful presence in The Complete Saga, where Force ghosts were invincible, undetectable by enemies — even bosses — and naturally became some of the most expensive characters in the game. The developers likely removed them from playability in The Skywalker Saga due to balancing changes, like the introduction of RPG-style upgrades and health systems. However, the Hologram Mode data card gives every character a ghostly appearance as a fun nod to those classic days.

Minikits to Monsters — Early Hidden Characters
Before large creatures like the Rancor or Wampa were standard, LEGO Star Wars fans had to look closely for secrets. In The Complete Saga, if you activated the Extra Toggle feature during Episode I or V’s minikit bonus levels, you could actually play as the Rancor or Wampa — making them the first games to allow creature play in a roundabout way. Toggling this feature elsewhere also reveals exclusive characters not found on the main roster. Buzz Droids, an AT-AT driver nearly identical to the Clone pilot, and the Scout Trooper (curiously missing from the unlock list) are just a few examples. Even the bizarre swimsuit Stormtroopers made the cut — though their purpose remains a mystery.

LEGO Star Wars 3: Clone Wars’ Monsters Left Behind
LEGO Star Wars 3 introduced many enemy creatures from The Clone Wars series, including terrifying beasts like the Acklay, Nexu, and Reek. Unfortunately, these are limited to enemy roles and cutscenes, not playable characters. Even in The Skywalker Saga, these iconic monsters appear only as boss fights on Geonosis. The same goes for Count Dooku, who gets a hilarious yet hidden “shower” variant in Episode III. You can spot this if you avoid destroying droids in the control room on Grievous’s ship — a small reward for the curious.

Clone Wars vs. Movie Skins: A Missed Opportunity
Another curious design choice involves Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Padmé’s character models. In LEGO Star Wars 3, these three wear their movie outfits during the Geonosis arena mission — but switch back to their Clone Wars styles in every other scene. Even when you equip the movie skins outside of missions, loading into a new area reverts them. It’s a disappointing oversight, especially since the movie variants look great and offer a nostalgic callback to Episode II. Similar treatment was given to the Jet Super Battle Droid, replaced by a golden B2 variant, and the game also lacks color-specific B1 Battle Droids and fully ranked Phase I Clone Troopers — despite the lore potential.

Custom Characters Unlock the Unseen
The Custom Character Creator has long been a playground for creativity, but it also hides access to unused character parts — many from cutscenes or file leftovers. Burnt Anakin from Revenge of the Sith, for example, never appears in gameplay but is fully modeled and animated. Combined with Anakin’s Episode VI scarred face and a lightsaber color swap, you can recreate any version of him manually — including his green saber from the campaign. The Spaceman character, an old fan favorite, is also buildable in parts. Even Calrissian’s cutscene skin, Han Solo’s unused outfit, and characters like Nien Nunb and Ten Nunb are hidden as custom-ready pieces. You can even build Dr. Evazan, Ponda Baba, or the Tatooine shopkeeper — just don’t expect their personalities.

Savage Opress: The Secret Code Character
In LEGO Star Wars 3, one of the rarest hidden characters is Savage Opress — unlockable only by entering a special code. Because the game only covers seasons 1 and 2 of The Clone Wars, and Savage debuts in season 3, he wasn’t officially part of the game’s timeline. This also explains why Darth Maul retains his Episode I appearance instead of his later robotic versions. These character inclusions — and exclusions — offer fascinating insight into the developers’ timeline alignment and design decisions.

Secret Messages in Aurebesh
Scattered across levels in various LEGO Star Wars games are signs written in Aurebesh, the Star Wars universe’s written language. While most players ignore them, fans have begun translating them for hidden jokes and easter eggs. There are too many to list, but the community has even created study materials to learn the language. One such fan project includes an Aurebesh flashcard deck with multiple difficulty levels — from basic letters to full sentences — to help players decode these messages.

Missing and Misused Ships
The Skywalker Saga boasts more ships than any LEGO Star Wars title to date, with highly detailed models. But not all ships seen in the cutscenes are playable. For example, Anakin’s yellow Jedi starfighter from Episode III is included, but Obi-Wan’s matching ship seen in the opening cutscene is not. Similarly, the LAAT (Republic Gunship) is sadly non-playable and only appears in story segments. Even the Wookiee gunship from Rebels — the Auzituck — makes an unexpected appearance in Episode III, replacing the more iconic LAAT for unclear reasons.

The Younglings That Got Away
Perhaps the biggest missed opportunity in all of LEGO Star Wars is the absence of playable younglings. Despite being fully modeled and wandering around the Jedi Temple, they can’t be selected or harmed — suggesting they were intentionally protected in design. The same goes for the orphan children seen in The Last Jedi. And yes, the developers included a playable Episode III Anakin… just in case you were wondering about that narrative tension.

Quirky Weapon Details and Unique Lightsabers
Palpatine’s goofy lightning rods, seen in Episode VI cutscenes, are modeled after his toy minifigure’s accessories — a clear homage to LEGO history. Meanwhile, The Skywalker Saga introduces new lightsaber handles inspired by actual toy updates. Rey’s saber features a black hilt for her yellow blade, Ezra Bridger has his curved version, and Count Dooku’s iconic handle is also faithfully recreated. Kylo Ren’s hilt is included too, reflecting its crossguard design.

Conclusion
The Skywalker Saga may be the most polished and feature-rich LEGO Star Wars game to date, but behind that polished surface lies a treasure trove of unused content, hidden characters, obscure references, and missed opportunities. Whether it’s Force ghosts, secret ships, custom character parts, or creatures lost to side missions, there’s still so much that exists just out of reach — a reminder that even in a galaxy made of bricks, the mysteries never truly end.