Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

Darth Vader joined the Imperial Fleet as they invaded the Wookiee home planet of Kashyyyk, due to persistent rumors of a renegade Jedi battling to defend the Wookiees. After fighting through a multitude of fierce Wookiees, Vader eventually arrived at a humble dwelling, the residence of the rogue Jedi named Kento Marek. Kento, striving to shield both the planet and his young son, Galen, from Vader's clutches, confronted the Sith Lord. Predictably, Kento was defeated in the duel and subsequently killed by Vader using a Force choke. However, during their confrontation, it became evident that Kento's young son possessed remarkable power in the Force. So much so, that Vader chose to murder his own officers and stormtroopers to safeguard the boy, rather than permitting them to kill him.

The young boy, now under Vader's control, undergoes training in the ways of the Sith. He is raised as Vader's clandestine apprentice, dispatched on perilous assignments by his dark master to assess his capabilities, and given the designation "Starkiller".

Galen's inaugural mission involves locating and eliminating an ex-Jedi General named Rahm Kota at the Nar Shaddaa shipyard. Prior to embarking on this mission, Galen is acquainted with Juno Eclipse, the newly appointed pilot of the Rogue Shadow. Together with PROXY, they depart for the shipyard, immediately encountering a space battle upon exiting hyperspace. Galen is deployed within the TIE Fighter Construction Facility, where Kota is in hiding, and battles his way through both Kota's Troopers and Stormtroopers. Upon finally reaching Kota, the two engage in combat, with Galen ultimately emerging victorious, sending Kota plummeting towards the planet and presumed dead. Before returning to his master, Galen retrieves Kota's lightsaber as instructed by Vader.

After his victory over Kota, Galen's next objective takes him to the junk-strewn world of Raxus Prime, where he is tasked with finding and assassinating the deranged Jedi, Kazdan Paratus. He battles through hordes of Rodian scavengers and discarded droids before reaching the tower housing the makeshift Jedi Temple constructed by Paratus. The unhinged Jedi Master, determined to safeguard his mannequins representing fallen Jedi Masters, confronts Galen, who eventually defeats him.

Before they could confront the Emperor, Vader informs Galen that he must overcome someone even more powerful than the other Jedi, Shaak Ti. On Felucia, she is training a force of Felucian Force-sensitives. Upon spotting the Rogue Shadow, she instructs her Zabrak Padawan, Maris Brood, to conceal herself while she draws the assassin to the site of sacrifice, the massive sarlacc's nest. However, not even her strength and connection to the sarlacc can match Galen. As she dies, Shaak Ti warns him that the Sith are destined to betray each other.

Galen's return to the Executor coincides with the arrival of the Emperor's fleet. Vader's spies, not a pre-arranged lure, had trailed Galen from Felucia. Without warning, Vader plunges his lightsaber into Galen's chest as Palpatine orders him to kill his apprentice. The Emperor, observing the supposed death of the former apprentice through PROXY, delights in witnessing Galen's beating, exclaiming, "Yes! Kill him, Lord Vader!" After brutally attacking the powerful Dark Jedi, despite his pleas for cooperation, Vader hurls Galen out of a viewport. Vader later dispatches a droid to retrieve his body.

Galen later awakens aboard Vader's science vessel, the Empirical, his wounds treated and healed. Via PROXY, Vader instructs Galen to divert the Emperor's spies by gathering the Empire's adversaries. Following the transmission's end, PROXY reveals to Galen that he has programmed the Empirical to crash into the nearby sun. Despite the holodroid's entreaties, Galen rescues Juno, who has been imprisoned and branded a traitor.

Recalling Kota's prediction of his future involvement, Galen tracks him from Nar Shaddaa to Ziost, eventually finding him – blind, skeptical of the Empire's downfall, and intoxicated within the Vapor Room, an industrial cantina situated on a construction platform near Cloud City. Galen implores the former General to assist him, as they evade the Imperials in pursuit.

Kota mentions a contact providing him with intelligence on Imperial targets, but requires Galen to locate something on Kashyyyk. Galen descends to the planet, discovering an old hut that feels strangely familiar. He experiences a vision in which his father expresses his disapproval of his current path. Galen then rescues Princess Leia Organa, who is being held captive by Captain Ozzik Sturn. She refuses to leave until the skyhook is destroyed. Galen proceeds to destroy the skyhook and eliminate Ozzik Sturn, who attempts to kill Galen in his personal AT-KT.

Following his master Darth Vader's act of killing and reviving him, Starkiller feels a Force-driven compulsion to visit the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Navigating through the temple to the High Council quarters, the Sith apprentice makes his way to the lobby of the High Council Tower. Here, he blasts an ancient Jedi statue, using it as a makeshift bridge to reach the Council Chambers. Inside, Marek faces Jedi trials, tests designed to challenge the Force users' abilities. After passing these trials, Starkiller confronts his next adversary: a Sith Stalker. Employing the Force and other techniques to subdue the Sith phantom, Marek ultimately defeats the Sith. Before departing, however, the Sith is revealed to be none other than Galen Marek himself.

Kota states that, feeling useless to Bail Organa, he sought out Shaak Ti. Galen then returns to Felucia, where the Empire is engaged in conflict with its inhabitants, who have succumbed to the dark side, and studying the Sarlacc. Galen manages to locate Bail, who is being held captive by Maris, who plans to use him to secure leniency from the Empire. Galen defeats Maris and her pet bull rancor, holding her at his mercy. She pleads with him to let her go, promising to renounce the dark side. Galen allows her to leave; when Bail questions his mercy, Galen responds that Maris will have to live with her choices for the remainder of her life.

Organa asserts that, to rally other dissidents, they must demonstrate the Empire's vulnerability. Vader suggests destroying the Star Destroyer construction yard above Raxus Prime. Upon attempting to communicate with the planet's sentient computer core, PROXY's mind is immediately hijacked, and he finally attempts to fulfill his programming by killing Galen, but the apprentice defeats him. After using the ore cannon to destroy the construction yard, one of the Destroyers crashes down through the atmosphere. Kota instructs Galen to use the Force to bring the Destroyer crashing down. After he complies, PROXY is found, his mind restored, and regretfully informs Galen that he no longer remembers his primary function.

On Corellia, Bail, Mon Mothma, and Garm Bel Iblis convene to establish a Rebellion aimed at overthrowing the Empire. However, as soon as the Alliance is declared, the Empire strikes, capturing the Senators and Kota. Vader then reveals to Galen that he has been manipulating him and never intended to assassinate Palpatine with him. He attempts to kill his apprentice, but PROXY, disguised as Obi-Wan Kenobi, saves him, sacrificing his own life in the process. Galen, whom Vader presumed dead, is rescued by Juno. He realizes that Vader's only intention was to draw out the Empire's enemies.

Guided by the Force and his knowledge that the Rebels are scheduled for execution by Palpatine, Galen and Juno venture to the incomplete Death Star to rescue Kota, Mon Mothma, Garm Bel Iblis, and Bail Organa. Upon being discovered by Palpatine, Vader is dispatched to deal with Galen. They engage in a duel, leaving Vader injured and with damaged armor. Kota, after a failed attempt to attack the Emperor, is struck by Force lightning, prompting Galen to intervene. He defeats Palpatine in a duel, but chooses not to kill him; Palpatine, as in his duel with Windu, is feigning defeat. To protect the Alliance from Palpatine as they escape, Galen sacrifices himself. Later, the Alliance is formally established, and they decide to adopt Galen's family crest as their symbol.

Galen Marek and Juno Eclipse journeyed to the Death Star I with the objective of rescuing Rahm Kota and the Rebel leaders, who had been captured by the Emperor for execution. Before the apprentice left the Rogue Shadow, Marek and Eclipse declared their love for each other. As Marek fought his way through the battle station, he eventually reached the throne room, where he encountered Darth Vader, and the two engaged in a duel. Marek crushed Vader with several metal girders before throwing him into the throne room. As Darth Vader lay clinging to life before him, Palpatine attempted to influence Marek to murder Vader and become Palpatine's new apprentice. Rahm Kota, sensing the mind trick, attempted to distract the Sith Lord. However, it was not enough to deter Marek from his bloodlust, and Marek struck down Darth Vader in anger.

Upon returning to Palpatine, he found Kota lying at the feet of the Dark Lord, charred from Sith lightning. Palpatine decreed that Marek's final test was to kill Rahm Kota, thus severing all his ties to the Jedi. Instead, Marek turned to attack the Emperor. Palpatine easily deflected the attack, stating that he had foreseen it. He threw Marek through the observation window. Marek saw the bodies of Bail Organa and the other rebel leaders. Juno Eclipse attempted to save Marek with the Rogue Shadow. Palpatine gripped the ship with the Force, and with Juno Eclipse still inside, he threw it on top of Marek. The last thing Marek saw was darkness. The next thing Starkiller saw as he woke up was the Emperor, standing over him. He was on an operating table. Starkiller looked down at his hands. To his horror, they matched the vision he had at the Jedi Temple. He had been clad in his own suit of life support armor. And so, Lord Starkiller was born.

These versions exhibit slight variations, incorporating additional levels within the Jedi Temple and on Cloud City. The most significant alteration lies in the location of Rahm Kota, who is found on Nar Shaddaa rather than Bespin.

After Starkiller defeated Rahm Kota at the TIE fighter construction facility, Darth Vader dispatched his apprentice to the ruins of the Jedi Temple to prepare for his next mission. Within the temple, his presence activated the Holocron of the long-dead Sith Lord, Darth Desolous. Feeding off Marek's fear, Desolous launched his attack, wielding a cortosis shield and a red lightsaber. Starkiller successfully defended against the Sith's lightsaber blows and used Force lightning to send the Sith reeling. Nearing defeat, Desolous made a final attempt to destroy Marek, but failed. Starkiller then used the Force to hurl Desolous' Sith Holocron towards the main statue at the top of the hall, and up along the statue's surface. The Holocron was then cast down from the statue's face and hurled into the stone floor. With a final pull of the Force, the giant statue of Palpatine came crumbling down on the hologram of the ancient Sith Lord, defeating him and ending the Trials program.

Following Starkiller's assassination of the deranged Jedi master Kazdan Paratus on Raxus Prime, Darth Vader sent his apprentice to the Jedi Temple once more. While Darth Sidious had ordered the library's protection during Operation: Knightfall, the Jedi protecting the four main wings of the Archives brought down the ceiling in the central atrium and a few of the archive's wings. It was within one of the damaged wings that Starkiller encountered an incarnation of the ancient Sith Lady, Darth Phobos. Engaging each other in lightsaber combat, Phobos often changed her appearance to that of one of the few people Starkiller cared for, Captain Juno Eclipse, believing that would hold him back. However, the young Sith apprentice was unrestrained by the illusion, and savagely battled the Sith apparition. Hurling busts and holobooks around towards his opponent, Starkiller eventually pushed the Sith illusionist through four bookcases. Wounded, Phobos once again attempted her disguise in order to spare her defeat. Not fooled by the image before him, Starkiller stabbed Phobos through her back.

After Marek's master, Darth Vader, killed and resurrected him, Starkiller felt compelled by the Force to return to the Temple a final time to finish the Trials. Winding through the High Council quarter, the Sith apprentice made his way to the lobby of the High Council Tower and entered the ancient turbolift that would transport him to the summit chamber. When the turbolift stopped and emptied into the Council Chambers, Starkiller gazed upon his next adversary; a robed Jedi, yet another opponent selected from the Trials program's memory bank. Using the Force and other techniques to subdue the Jedi phantom, Marek eventually pulled the Trials' ghost down and impaled him with his saber. Before the program cut out, the Jedi revealed itself to be Kento Marek, Galen's father.

After destroying the shipyard above Raxus Prime, Marek traveled to Cloud City to find Senator Bel Iblis. With his assistance along with Bail Organa's, there would be enough people to help in the creation of a resistance against the Galactic Empire's rule. Upon reaching Cloud City, which was still under construction at the time, Marek encountered the administrator of the floating platform, which was Lobot. He informed the cyborg that master Rahm Kota had sent him to meet with the senator. However, Lobot informed him that the senator was unavailable, as he attempted to negotiate with a criminal gang led by Chop'aa Notimo, who's mercenaries were assaulting the city. Mounting the Basilisk war droid, Chop'aa fought Marek and after a long battle the droid was defeated when Galen used the Force to send it crashing into the ground. From the flames, Notimo's helmet rolled out and he came charging at Starkiller ready to kill him. After a lengthy battle, Galen slashed his lightsaber across Chop'aa, thus killing him. Now that Chop'aa was dead, Starkiller came before Bel Iblis and told him that he was safe. Galen attempted to inform Garm that Rahm Kota sent him, but Bel Iblis was already aware of this and knew of his plans for a rebellion. When Starkiller asked the senator if he was with them, Garm replied by stating that he had spoke out against the Emperor too many times, which resulted in Palpatine issuing death warrants against him and his family. He then said that he was of course going to join Marek and told him to meet him with Bail Organa in order to discuss their next move.

The Nintendo DS version, developed by N-space, closely mirrors the plot of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions. However, the opening crawl and certain plot elements differ from the other console versions. It also omits Garm Bel Iblis and Mon Mothma. Other distinctions include the implementation of Feel the Force events in some missions, such as on Kashyyyk where Darth Vader encounters Kento Marek, the use of text and boxes beneath character icons during cutscenes instead of cinematic sequences, Captain Ozzik Sturn piloting an AT-RT instead of an AT-KT, and Trandoshans serving as his protectors, among others.

The cellphone version, The Force Unleashed Mobile, developed by THQ Wireless, restricts player control over Starkiller's movements. Instead, the player must manipulate patterns of numbers appearing above enemies' heads to eliminate them. Starkiller can also utilize Force push, Force drain, Mind trick, telekinesis, and Force lightning by manipulating specific patterns. The plot loosely follows that of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions, with some major differences. Rahm Kota is entirely absent from the plot after his initial encounter with Starkiller. Instead, after Starkiller is resurrected, Vader immediately dispatches him to Kashyyyk to liberate Organa. Following her rescue, the Princess sends Starkiller to liberate several Wookiees, one of whom is a local leader. After he completes his objective, Organa dispatches Starkiller to infiltrate an Imperial prison and set free more Wookiees. Inside the prison, Starkiller faces off against an Imperial commander equipped with a lightwhip and kills him. Later, instead of sending Starkiller to Raxus Prime to demonstrate the Empire's weakness, Vader sends him to destroy the TIE fighter construction facility above Nar Shaddaa, where he confronted Kota.

THQ also developed two additional versions of the game: one for the N-Gage service for Nokia smartphones and another for the Apple iPhone and iPod touch. Both versions employ the same combat system as the mobile game but feature 3-D graphics. In these versions, Starkiller rescues Organa from a group of escorting stormtroopers in the forest of Kashyyyk. Unwilling to leave while the planet's population remains enslaved, Organa sends Starkiller to liberate Wookiees from a nearby prison compound. After freeing the slaves, Starkiller faces off against an electrostaff-wielding Sturn inside the prison. The captain is also assisted by two AT-STs. However, Starkiller manages to push the AT-STs out of the prison building and closes the doors through which they have come. When Sturn charges him with the electrostaff, Starkiller kills him with a discharge of Force lightning.

Additionally, in these versions, Starkiller's initiation as Vader's apprentice occurs on the Death Star instead of the Executor, and the duel with Maris Brood takes place within the wreckage of a starship. As in the cell phone version, Starkiller goes to the TIE fighter construction site instead of Raxus Prime. There, after destroying the core, he duels a Shadow Guard. Also, Vader does not kill Starkiller aboard the Executor; instead, when the Rebels have been rallied, he tells him to go to the Death Star to confront the Emperor. There, Starkiller discovers that Vader has betrayed him and duels his master. They fight through the Death Star, eventually reaching the Emperor's throne room. There, Marek uses the Force to collapse a nearby Star Destroyer into the Death Star, thus creating a distraction for the Imperial troops stationed inside and allowing Bail Organa and the other Rebels—who are unidentified in these versions—to reach the Rogue Shadow and escape. After their escape, Starkiller tells Vader that without him he will never be free and deactivates his lightsaber, and Vader deals a mortal blow.

In 2009, at San Diego Comic-Con, LucasArts revealed the Ultimate Sith Edition for The Force Unleashed, a version exclusively for the 360, PS3, PC, and Mac. This edition encompasses all original game missions, augmented by an additional trio of bonus missions. Notably, these three extra missions are available for download on the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of the initial game.

Within the bonus content of this edition is a mission set within the Jedi Temple. The remaining pair of missions delve into the aftermath of Galen Marek's transformation into Palpatine's apprentice, stemming from the game's Dark Side ending. Instead of rescuing Kota, Galen triumphs over Vader, impaling him with a pair of lightsabers, thus taking Vader's place at Palpatine's side. His ultimate trial involves eliminating the vulnerable Kota, but Galen instead targets the Emperor, who thwarts the attempt. Palpatine swiftly subdues Galen and causes the Rogue Shadow to crash upon everyone present, leaving only Galen and the Emperor alive. The concluding scene depicts Galen, in a mechanical suit, resting on a table, drawing parallels with Anakin Skywalker's transformation in Revenge of the Sith. In this non-canon narrative, fans often dub Marek "Darth Stalker" due to his role as Sidious' new Sith Apprentice and his armor's designation, though he is referred to in-game as "Lord Starkiller".

The inaugural mission in this new sequence sees Marek dispatched to Tatooine to uncover details about the stolen Death Star blueprints. After battling through numerous Jawas and Tusken Raiders, Marek infiltrates Jabba's palace, eliminating several of Jabba's thugs in an attempt to secure a meeting with the crime lord. Jabba is impressed by Marek's destructive display, and agrees to meet with him. Marek seeks information regarding two droids; a protocol droid and an astromech droid; believed to possess the plans. Jabba initially denies any knowledge of these droids, but his current translator droid inadvertently reveals his deception.

Furious, Jabba throws Marek into the Rancor pit. However, Marek slays the Rancor and escapes via the palace incinerator, where he encounters a damaged PROXY. PROXY aids Marek in bypassing the garbage disposal security, enabling his escape to the Palace hangar, where he is confronted by Boba Fett, who intends to claim the bounty on Marek's head. A protracted battle ensues, with Marek ultimately winning by telekinetically redirecting one of Fett's rockets back at him, seemingly killing the bounty hunter. Acting on the information leaked by Jabba's translator, Marek proceeds to Mos Eisley and disrupts Docking Bay 94 just as the droids, accompanied by Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, are boarding the Millennium Falcon. Kenobi stays behind to confront Marek, who is delighted at the prospect of finally defeating the "real Obi-Wan Kenobi", having spent much of his training under Vader fighting PROXY's combat simulation of the Jedi.

Following an extended lightsaber duel with Kenobi, Marek finally defeats the Jedi. However, before he can board the Falcon, he is ambushed by Kenobi's Force ghost. After another lengthy duel, Marek manages to vanquish the spirit, just as the Millennium Falcon is taking off. Leaping onto the hull, he manages to plant a tracking node before falling off.

Despite Marek's success in attaching the homing device to the Millennium Falcon, the Rebels still managed to destroy the Death Star. After this significant conflict, the spirit of Obi-Wan began to instruct Luke in the ways of the Force. Sometime later, Marek discovered Luke Skywalker and other Rebels on Hoth. He dispatched a snowspeeder using his lightsaber and exited his AT-AT, initiating an assault on Echo Base. Captain Keenah, designated as Marek's liaison for the attack group, devised a plan for the dark lord to enter Echo Base through ice caverns adjacent to the base. These caverns were teeming with wampas, which Marek easily defeated. As the ice columns the Sith was jumping across started to collapse, Captain Keenah contacted Marek via comlink to inform him about the cavern's instability, attributing it to the walker invasion force. Despite the captain's claim of unintentional error and Marek's unharmed state, the dark lord used the Force to strangle the captain for his failure. Lieutenant Marsen then took over as Starkiller's liaison, assisting the Sith throughout the remainder of the invasion.

The ice caverns were connected to the Rebel base. To prevent Wampas and other threats from the cave, the Rebels had set up an automated sentry turret defense. This defense proved insufficient against Marek. After Marek destroyed a generator, deactivating the door shield, Rebel troops investigated the disturbance, but were quickly overwhelmed. Marek continued his violent advance into the base, slaughtering Rebels and wampas that entered during the battle. Lieutenant Marsen informed Starkiller of a group of Rebels ahead, likely led by an officer. He was correct, as Marek soon found the young Force-user he sought. Upon confronting Luke alone, Starkiller revealed the truth about Luke's father to provoke and confuse him, though Luke initially denied it. Despite the chaos of the invasion, Luke remained composed during their lightsaber and Force duel. Luke even attempted to sway Marek from the dark side, sensing the good within him, but these attempts failed. Luke released three wampas to cover his escape. This did not deter Marek for long, and Starkiller continued his pursuit through the base to trap Skywalker.

When Marek disabled the force field generator protecting the Millennium Falcon in the Echo Base hangar, the blast doors were sealed to protect the ship and Princess Leia. Starkiller tried to force the doors open, but Skywalker was waiting and pushed him away, stepping through and resealing the doors. Luke declared he would not run from Starkiller or his destiny. Another duel began, amidst the fighting between Rebel and Imperial soldiers in the hangar. Starkiller overpowered Luke, drawing him closer to the Dark Side. As snowtroopers moved to capture Skywalker, he tapped into the Dark Side to defeat them, reinvigorating himself for the fight against Starkiller. Skywalker used red Force lightning, wild lightsaber attacks, and proclaimed he could defeat Marek where Obi-Wan had failed. Despite Luke's aggressive powers, Starkiller absorbed his lightning into his lightsaber and launched it back, also defeating him in lightsaber combat. Marek threw Luke into the path of an oncoming snowspeeder. Luke charged again, and after a series of strikes, Marek disarmed him and severed his right hand with Luke's own lightsaber. As Marek prepared the final blow, the blast doors behind him opened, and the Millennium Falcon sped out of the hangar, escaping the planet. Starkiller quickly reacted, catching the ship with the Force. Marek told Luke that he could only save his friends with the power of the Dark Side, and the now-fallen Jedi complied by unleashing Force lightning again. Marek blocked it with his lightsaber and pushed the lightning back at him. Although Luke's attack distracted Marek, allowing the Millennium Falcon to escape, he was defeated and had embraced the dark side. Marek congratulated Luke and addressed him as his new apprentice. Luke looked up at his new master, his eyes and teeth yellowed from using the Dark Side.

The game also contains an in-game encyclopedia. Entries on various objects and characters unlock as players progress. This feature mirrors the encyclopedia in the video game Star Wars: Rebellion.

• TIE Fighter
• TIE Fighter Construction Facility
• Imperial Senate Sentinel
• MAAT
• Executor
• Darth Vader
• The Secret Apprentice
• Emperor Palpatine
• Wookiee
• Kashyyyk
• Rahm Kota
• Kota's Militia
• AT-ST
• Stormtrooper
• Imperial Navy commando
• Imperial medic
• Imperial Heavy Trooper
• Jumptrooper
• Shadow EVO Trooper
• Shadow Trooper
• Shadow Guard
• Maris Brood
• Shaak Ti
• Sarlacc
• Rancor
• Bull rancor
• Felucia
• Raxus Prime
• PROXY
• Juno Eclipse
• Felucian shaman
• Felucian warrior
• Rodian heavy defender
• Rogue Shadow
• Imperial Ore Facility
• Jedi Temple
• Junk Jedi Temple
• Jedi Trials
• Darth Desolous
• Darth Phobos
• Purge trooper
• Heavy Tactical Fighting Unit
• Chop'aa Notimo
• Kleef
• Cloud City
• Lobot
• Bail Organa
• Princess Leia
• Garm Bel Iblis
• Mon Mothma
• Death Star
• Empirical

Around August of 2004, the video game's development team was assigned the task of crafting a significant addition to the Star Wars universe. Initially, numerous concepts were suggested, including narratives set centuries before the films, an open-world game centered on smugglers, a game featuring Darth Maul or a Wookiee protagonist, or "the first Rebel". Some concepts emphasized game mechanics, such as an open world, highly customizable weapons or ships, or newly discovered exotic Force powers and Force-imbued weapons.

George Lucas was not typically involved in video game development, The Force Unleashed was an exception, as it was envisioned as a major chapter in the saga. In the spring of 2005, the developers met with him at Skywalker Ranch, presenting pitch boards and concept art. Lucas stressed the importance of comedy, drama, and redemption as central themes in Star Wars, and shared both reservations and enthusiasm for the team's ideas. He expressed interest in the "Underworld" and "Rise of the Rebellion" concepts, granting them freedom to create the origin of the Alliance. Lucas also approved a new interpretation of Force powers, derived from another concept.

Following the meeting, the team decided to concentrate on the "Rise of the Rebellion" concept. Considering the gaming community's preference for Jedi characters, they chose to make the protagonist a Jedi, leading to the "Rebel Jedi" concept. The protagonist was conceived as an archetype inspired by spy fiction and Westerns: a former Imperial soldier betrayed upon the revelation of his Jedi heritage. Operating from a secret base, the Force-sensitive vigilante would use customizable weapons, gadgets, exotic vehicles, and loyal contacts against the Empire and its bounty hunters. His personal quest for revenge would inspire Bail and Leia Organa to establish the Alliance.

Despite the lack of a clear vision regarding the game's future gameplay features, storyline, and protagonist, the team developed development tools and technologies. A concept animation depicted the Rebel Jedi igniting a Stormtrooper and using the Force to set others ablaze, or freezing one with a carbonite gun before destroying him with the Force.

The LucasArts executive team rejected the disparate elements of the "Rebel Jedi", and the team decided to strip the concept off them. They focused on the Jedi protagonist's villainous beginnings, reliance on lightsaber and Force powers, which would enable actions never before seen in a game. Starting as an evil Force-sensitive would make him an Emperor's Hand, or even Darth Sidious's secret Sith apprentice. Ultimately, it was determined that the Emperor was not an intimidating figure to serve, and the Apprentice was reassigned to Darth Vader: a Dark Jedi secretly trained to overthrow the Emperor. The secret nature of the Apprentice (and his eventual redemption) would necessitate killing both the Empire's enemies and Imperials, ensuring extensive action.

An examination of novel Force abilities dismissed the majority of outlandish suggestions (for instance, the ability to summon the spirits of Jedi or Sith warriors, teleportation, shape-shifting, or scaling walls), opting instead to reimagine established Force powers. Concept artwork featuring a Stormtrooper being propelled with immense Force against pillars sparked the concept of unrestrained Force abilities: While Jedi undergo training to regulate their emotions and control their power, the Apprentice would not be bound by such constraints; rather, they would be encouraged to utilize their abilities in raw and uncontrolled ways, appearing "amped up." By the autumn of 2005, both the protagonist and the vision of the Force had been solidified.

Haden Blackman envisioned the protagonist's powers as so unbridled that he could wrench a Star Destroyer from the heavens. An iconic piece of concept art portrayed a Star Destroyer collapsing before the protagonist, a vision that encapsulated the essence of the subsequent inspiration. Additional concept artwork explored familiar Force powers in their amplified form, as well as their evolution into new abilities, such as "Force repulse".

To present their concept, Blackman and Omernick collaborated with animator Patrick Przybula and effects artist Eric Antanavich to produce a pre-rendered animation, titled "Force Power Pre-Vis." This animation showcased a character employing standard powers to push, throw, and slam Stormtroopers, even using one as a projectile to destroy an approaching TIE fighter. In the pre-rendered Pre-Vis, objects warped and shattered, and the Stormtroopers struggled to grasp nearby objects or each other, attempting to shield themselves or evade impact.

The initial story draft, presented to George Lucas, featured a different scenario triggering the Apprentice's redemption, revolving around his ultimate adversary: the Apprentice eliminates Shaak Ti on Alderaan, who serves as the guardian of the Royal Family. Although young Princess Leia witnesses the event, the Apprentice is unable to bring himself to kill her. Subsequently, Vader and a mysterious Dark Jedi launch an assault on the Apprentice. It is revealed that Vader was secretly training two distinct apprentices concurrently to determine the superior one and eliminate the other should he falter. The Apprentice is rescued by his droid and placed in a comatose state, where he encounters the spirit of Qui-Gon Jinn. Awakening ten years later as a cyborg, he embarks on a quest for vengeance against the Empire under the guidance of Qui-Gon's spirit.

His journey leads him to the early Rebel leaders and brings him into close proximity with the Organa family (who do not recognize him). He assumes Shaak Ti's role in protecting Leia to atone for her murder and defeats the Dark Apprentice. He participates in the Battle of Toprawa and facilitates Leia's escape on the Tantive IV with the Death Star plans, eliminating his rival. Vader then attempts to corrupt him once more, explaining that he betrayed him to encourage his hatred and desire for revenge, inviting the Apprentice to rejoin him. The player's decisions would influence the fate of the Rebellion.

The second meeting with Lucas occurred in late 2005, where he expressed enthusiasm for the Pre-Vis animations and certain story elements. He offered insights into the dynamics between Vader and his Apprentice, portraying Vader as both cruel and promising the Apprentice the Emperor's position in the future. He dismissed Leia's role as a known Rebel, her relationship with the Apprentice, and the story's specific timeframe. Furthermore, he expressed skepticism about the rival Apprentice, favoring the Emperor and Vader as the primary antagonists: the Emperor relied on greed rather than fear, and the Apprentice did not need to kill either of them to create a climactic battle to save the Alliance. Lucas suggested the Emperor discovering the Apprentice and betraying him, a less defined timeframe, and new characters, including a living Jedi mentor, a new love interest, and a comic relief sidekick. Lucas also concurred that Bail Organa could have been among the founders of the Alliance.

In an early writing phase, Obi-Wan Kenobi was considered as the protagonist's mentor, with the spirit of Qui-Gon Jinn guiding him to Tatooine to meet Obi-Wan.

As the main concept began to take shape, the team faced the more complex task of identifying the target platforms, the required assets, and the team size; technology plans were a crucial yet adaptable factor. Around this time, the team relocated from Skywalker Ranch to the Letterman Digital Arts Center, where they were joined by additional members. In Presidio, they shared space with ILM employees, exchanging techniques and knowledge to develop a game editor and a graphics renderer.

Blackman also determined that the story required a significant plot twist that would rewrite the established timeline. Vader's motivations were explored, including a potential plan to resurrect Padmé; the appearance of Plagueis was considered in various roles, such as Plagueis controlling Vader, being reborn as the Apprentice, or serving as the Apprentice's mentor. Lucas also provided insights into Vader's character between the trilogies: a tragic, broken figure, forever transformed and under the Emperor's control. As Vader was to remain loyal to the Emperor, his "conspiracy" with his Apprentice to overthrow him would be part of a larger scheme orchestrated by the Emperor: while the Apprentice lived and honed his skills to potentially overthrow him, his primary role was to hunt down the Emperor's enemies and solidify the Empire's dominance. Vader's "betrayal," which would enable the Apprentice to secretly form the Alliance, was part of the Emperor's plan to gather and eliminate all his adversaries.

As the final story was being developed, so were the archetypal characters—Kota as the mentor, Eclipse as the love interest, and PROXY as the comic relief—and on February 10 2006, the team submitted a memo to Lucas outlining the story, the cast of characters, and several questions. These questions concerned the Organa's visibility within the Rebellion and the Emperor/Vader's awareness of them, as well as their role in the creation of the Alliance. Lucas responded via fax, approving all the ideas, answering the questions affirmatively, and providing additional suggestions, such as the existence of other Rebel leaders besides Organa.

The narrative of The Force Unleashed would unfold across diverse and recognizable environments, all evoking the familiar Star Wars atmosphere, featuring planets from both trilogies as well as new ones. The chosen planets would facilitate Imperial presence to advance the plot concerning the Empire's control over the galaxy following Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith. The specific settings were designed to incorporate natural hazards and abundant destructible objects.

In early drafts, Tatooine was considered as a setting, being one of the saga's most iconic planets. Guided by Qui-Gon's spirit, the apprentice would have to traverse a bantha graveyard, a Jawa fortress, and Chalmun's Cantina to locate Obi-Wan; this concept was abandoned when Lucas suggested an original character as a mentor. Alderaan was also a significant location in early story versions: the setting for the apprentice's confrontation with Shaak Ti, his encounter with young Leia, and the beginning of his redemption. The Aldera Royal Palace was envisioned to house a vast natural history museum. Haroon was an original location considered as the source of the crystals powering the Death Star's superlaser, where the Apprentice would liberate the slave Gial Ackbar; this concept was abandoned as Ackbar's liberation was already established in previous sources. Despite this, Haroon was later integrated into continuity through subsequent publications.

Kashyyyk was a favored location from the outset, being a familiar planet with the popular Wookiees; its natural scenery would illustrate the timeline's devolution under the Empire, from a vibrant world to a charred dystopia. The foliage and Wookiee fur would showcase the game engine's capabilities. Another location proposed early on was Raxus Prime, which had appeared in The Clone Wars video game; rich in objects and props for Force manipulation, as well as "natural" hazards like acid streams and avalanches. The landscape was designed to avoid being an overwhelming maze, with the playable area defined by large objects such as turbines and derelict spaceships. The layers of junk formed geological-like structures such as canyons and hills. Felucia, a visually striking planet briefly seen in Revenge of the Sith, was a popular choice for inclusion, expanding upon what was shown in the film.

The Cloud City appeared in an early stage, still under construction. This familiar yet new setting was inspired by Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back concept art by Ralph McQuarrie. Originally, it was conceived as a pirate stronghold under Maris Brood, until she was made Shaak Ti's apprentice. A new role was sought for the location, such as a Jedi survivor sanctuary, an Imperial stronghold, or the birthplace of the Alliance.

Corellia was selected as the location for the Rebellion's declaration, aligning with established canon that referred to it as the "Corellian Treaty" since 1990. A remote, abandoned watchtower was chosen as the Treaty's site.

The ruins of the Jedi Temple were considered in early stages as a location for the Apprentice to explore, interact with Force ghosts of former Jedi, and unlock additional knowledge and stronger powers. In the final game, powers are unlocked automatically between levels. However, missions to the Jedi Temple are still present in some versions.

The Death Star appears in its unfinished state. From the beginning, Blackman wanted to utilize the superlaser and its shaft as a gameplay environment, where the player could throw enemies to their demise; consequently, the firing tube was among the first sceneries created for that level, drawing from scenes and production stills from A New Hope. The inner workings of the superlaser's creation were also expanded upon, and new areas were designed for the otherwise familiar Death Star. New sceneries included a "laser convergence room" where one of the Tributary beams is formed. Another significant new location is the Imperial throne room.

Darth Vader played an important role in all drafts and had to be developed during the period between the trilogies, which was largely unexplored in the Expanded Universe. His motivations and stance towards the Emperor evolved until Lucas provided his insights: although subservient to the Emperor, his loyalties are tested when he suffers at his master's hand.

Concept art shaped the appearance and characterization of the new characters. The presence of Darth Plagueis was explored in some drafts, marking the character's first appearance in any medium. Concept art explored his identity, depicting him as human, sometimes reminiscent of undead, vintage, or occult figures, even mechanically clinging to life.

Characters from the original trilogy, besides the Emperor and Vader, would bridge the game's continuity with the movies, such as a young Princess Leia and Mon Mothma. Leia and Bail Organa (one of Hayden Blackman's favorite characters) were almost always featured in the most prominent drafts, with Bail consistently opposing the Emperor and Vader. Young Leia's role in an early draft would trigger the Apprentice's redemption, as previously mentioned. In another abandoned concept, Leia would lead a small Mandalorian rebel group on Alderaan against the Empire. Leia was initially intended as the Apprentice's love interest, but her young age in the timeframe, her established relationship with Solo, and Lucas's preference for new characters led to the creation of Juno Eclipse. With Leia's role diminished, Bail's became more prominent and significant. Blackman established him as a brave, passionate, and strong-willed idealist of freedom.

Another reused character was Garm Bel Iblis from the Expanded Universe. Garm and Mon Mothma were already established in the EU as founding members of the Rebel Alliance. Lucas personally agreed with the developers that Bail Organa was also present at that event.

Characters and sprites, such as Wookiees and Stormtroopers, were based on the movies; the Wookiee warriors were based on those seen in Episode III, while the Imperials represent an intermediate stage between the Clone troopers of the prequels and the Stormtroopers of the original trilogy, incorporating visual elements from both. Besides the familiar Imperial Gunners, new types of Stormtroopers were introduced, such as EVO, Incinerator, and Shadow Troopers, offering richer gameplay. Giant robotic Dark troopers were also considered.

Given the game's use of high-resolution motion capture and actor likenesses, actors were selected based on how the characters were envisioned in concept art. The casting process spanned nearly four months: talent agencies, using information and concept art, provided photoshoots to Blackman and Darragh O'Farrell, the Senior Manager of Sound and Audio at LucasArts, to select from hundreds of candidates. Darragh O'Farrell, sound designer David Collins, and their voice team auditioned the candidates in a Los Angeles studio. Sam Witwer, a friend of Collins, expressed interest in participating and was cast as The Apprentice. Adrienne Wilkinson was also chosen for Maris Brood from the initial audition.

An actress with a British accent was needed for the role of Juno Eclipse, aligning with the speech patterns of Imperial characters from the original trilogy. The team traveled to London, where casting director Kate Saxson assisted in selecting candidates before choosing Nathalie Cox.

Of the sixty minutes of cutscenes, many would focus on the characters and their relationships, maintaining a Star Wars feel. Acting performances and body language would minimize the need for extensive exposition dialogues. Scenes began as storyboards for each shot, created by a storyboard artist with director Martin Stoltz. The storyboards were then transformed into rough 3D animations with character models and the final dialogue lines by the actors (or recorded on the spot by a crew member), determining layouts, camera angles, movement, and timing. This stage involved the most revision and tweaking as they experimented with details such as line delivery and cuts. Significant changes, such as dialogue rewrites, were determined at this point to improve pacing.

ILM partnered with LucasArts to deliver movie-quality special effects in real-time for the game. The Force Unleashed marked the first full collaboration between the two subsidiaries. This partnership began with a visit from LucasArts employees to ILM's 2003 Research and Development open-house event, showcasing visual effects (notably, the previous year saw the release of Star Wars: Bounty Hunter, whose cinematics resulted from collaboration between LucasArts, ILM, and Skywalker Sound). The exhibited Zeno toolset caught the attention of LucasArts's senior engineer Nick Porcino, who envisioned it as the next step for cutting-edge video games; that year, he began discussing with ILM's R&D director Steve Sullivan about technologies that could be shared between the two companies and the integration of technologies into a single tool pipeline.

The Pre-Viz video shown to Lucas served as a point of reference, with its elements being approved by him. Although the events in that animation (the realistic behavior of characters and objects under Force powers) were pre-rendered, new technology would be required to display all of this with A.I. in real-time.

For the game engine, leading engineers examined both previous LucasArts code and third-party technologies but deemed them inadequate to achieve their plans; nor would externally developed software allow close collaboration with ILM technology. The company decided to proceed with the development of Ronin, a brand new engine, by late 2004. Meanwhile, discussions for the new game development pipeline were held between engineers from LucasArts and ILM.

The following year, both companies relocated to the Letterman Digital Arts Center, and collaboration became more focused. LucasArts worked with ILM's Zeno tool framework and helped ILM build its Zed game editor. Lucas commented that having the two companies working together in the same building was "a great collaboration."

A large team of ILM animators created the sixty minutes of cutscenes, which introduce locations, bosses, advance the story and character relationships, and provide context. ILM's face- and motion-capture "CloneCam" technology (previously used for the Pirates of the Caribbean movies) recorded actors' voice and physical performances.

Visual effects played a crucial role in the game's aesthetics, designed to have the necessary impact and fit within the environment. Some were used to guide the player, e.g., to object interactions, away from dangers, or simply blaster shots; more elaborate effects had to visualize Force energies, giving the "unleashed" feeling while staying within the established aesthetics of Star Wars. Some effects, such as Force Push, underwent numerous iterations before finalization. Zed was used to animate the effects, and designers worked extensively on creating their textures. During development, more motion tools and advanced shading techniques were employed.

Havok is a system also utilized in the well-known Halo series; it enables the game to understand the dimensions of objects and how they interact with each other.

The use of euphoria, developed by NaturalMotion, provides characters with advanced bio-mechanical A.I. (DMS Behaviors), allowing them to realistically respond to environmental changes without requiring scripting by the designers.

In late 2004, Lead Engineer Nick Pavis researched NaturalMotion's "Endorphin" technology for creating CGI stuntmen for movies. "Euphoria" was an early run-time development of the same concept. Pavis and Steve Dykes of LucasArts collaborated with NaturalMotion to integrate "Euphoria" into the game engine.

DMM, developed by Pixelux Entertainment, aims to create truly interactive environments that behave realistically, eliminating the need for artists to animate object behavior or destruction; especially in video games, the destruction of interactive objects typically uses pre-determined, repetitive animations.

By considering the physics of an object's material, mass, and density, the technology simulates in real-time how objects break, shatter, cut, snap, splinter, squeeze, or ruffle in unique ways, depending on external forces, as in the real world.

Given that the concept of The Force Unleashed revolved around destructive, over-the-top Force powers against an interactive environment, Pavis and other senior engineers discovered Pixelux when DMM was still in the prototype stage. The two companies collaborated to develop tools for creating and editing DMM objects and integrating the technology into the Ronin engine.

A demo video was released, showcasing a wooden panel within a 3D environment; the narrator threw R2 units at various points on the panel, demonstrating different breaking mechanics based on the distance and angle from which R2 was thrown.

• The PC, Xbox 360, and PS3 versions were developed by LucasArts and are essentially identical. They all utilize Ronin, the game engine developed by LucasArts, which integrates the physics engines Havok, euphoria, and Digital Molecular Matter.
• The Switch version is a port of the Wii version, offering the option to use button controls instead of motion controls.
• The DS version was developed by n-Space and features a touch-screen combo system and a four-player deathmatch mode.
• The iPhone version was developed by THQ Wireless. This version is controlled by pre-determined movements on the touch screen that must match what is shown for successful attacks with the Force. The playable character moves to areas on his own while the player simply has to destroy the obstacles in the way, enemies and non-organic alike.

The musical score was composed by Mark Griskey, who also scored Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. The 90-minute soundtrack was recorded by the Skywalker Symphony Orchestra and both mixed and recorded at Skywalker Sound on September 23 and 24 through October 2007, and was released as a promotional album available for listening here.

When asked in an interview if he thought the soundtrack would be released for sale, Griskey replied, "I can always be hopeful! I don't have much control there. That's really up to the legal and PR folks to decide."

During certain action sequences and boss battles, stock music by John Williams was used.

The game was the centerpiece of a comprehensive multimedia campaign, featuring an accompanying novel and comic book.

Advertising for the game included the smartphone app Lightsaber Unleashed, which allowed users to view the lightsabers of the characters.

• The Wii, PS2, and PSP versions were developed by Australian developers at Krome Studios, but each version has slight variations. They all include characters and locations not found on the other consoles, such as a bar on Nar Shaddaa and the ruins of the Jedi Temple.
• The Wii's control scheme enables players to "wield" a lightsaber using the Wii Remote and utilize Force powers by moving the Nunchuk. The game also includes a two-player duel mode with nine arenas and 27 characters to choose from.
• The PSP version offers three quick play modes – Order 66, Force Duel, and Historic Missions – and three multiplayer modes – Force Frenzy, Rule the Galaxy, and Force Out; which can be played by two to four players in Ad Hoc mode.
• In the first mission ( TIE Fighter Construction Facility ), the LucasArts-developed versions (PC, Xbox 360, and PS3) feature Galen Marek fighting an AT-CT. In the Krome Studios-developed versions (PSP, PS2, and Wii), this is an AT-ST captured by a soldier of Kota's Militia.
• Some story elements also varied across the versions. For example, in the opening level, the Imperial commander who greets Vader is either a fully armored stormtrooper commander or an Imperial officer, depending on the version, and Vader's treatment of him also differs slightly: in the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, the officer was explicitly spared Vader's wrath for his incompetence (though only because Vader didn't care about the battle's outcome due to his personal mission), while in the PS2, Wii, and PSP versions, his fate was handled more ambiguously, with the scene immediately cutting to behind Vader when releasing him from his grip.
• The skin for Kento Marek in the PSP version refers to him as "Kento Nion."

LucasArts unveiled The Force Unleashed II on December 12 at the 2009 Spike Video Game Awards with a teaser trailer showcasing Galen Marek battling a massive creature in an arena. Vader and Yoda's voices can be heard in the trailer's voiceover.