After more than two decades, LEGO Star Wars is dusting off a long-forgotten character from the prequel trilogy. As Revenge of the Sith surpasses its 20-year mark, nostalgia for the prequel era is growing among millennial and Gen Z fans eager to revisit the galaxy of their childhood. Answering that call, LEGO is rumored to be reintroducing a long-forgotten bounty hunter in an upcoming set.
LEGO Star Wars fans may soon get a long-awaited return to the prequel trilogy with a rumored new set called "EP II Bounty Hunter Pursuit," according to The Brick Tap via Instagram. The set appears to recreate the iconic Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones chase scene through the lower levels of Coruscant, where Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) pursued Zam Wesell following her assassination attempts on Senator Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman).
If confirmed, this would mark the first time Wesell, originally played by Leeanna Walsman, has appeared in a LEGO set in over 20 years.
The last set she was featured in, the 2002 LEGO Star Wars Bounty Hunter Pursuit (#7133), included her Minifig alongside Obi-Wan and Anakin in their flying vehicle.
Zam was a shapeshifting Clawdite bounty hunter hired by Jango Fett to assassinate 24-year-old Padme, which set off a high-speed chase through Coruscant's lower levels after her bombing attempt.
Obi-Wan and Anakin pursued her as she weaved through tunnels and crowded in-air streets, using her speeder and various weapons to try to escape.
The chase ended in a shady bar, when Wesell tried to sneak up on Kenobi, but he sensed her behind him and used his lightsaber to sever her arm.
As Wesell lay dying and struggled to reveal her employer, Jango Fett secretly fired a Kamino saberdart into her neck, killing her before she could finish speaking, "It was a bounty hunter called..."
This sets into motion a lot of the plot within Attack of the Clones, namely, leading to Obi-Wan's later discovery of the planet Kamino after tracing the saberdart used by Jango Fett back to its source.
The new set would revisit that thrilling sequence, offering a nostalgic LEGO addition for those looking to enhance their collection.
This isn't the first time this shape-shifter was addressed in recent Star Wars lore. Based on the book Star Wars: The Secrets of the Bounty Hunters, Zam Wesell could have easily changed her form to escape the Jedi after her speeder crash, but she chose to stay to strike back at Obi-Wan and Anakin for ruining her mission.
The book explains that her decision wasn't a mistake in the story; it was driven by revenge, giving fans an in-universe reason for her seemingly risky behavior.
Some new information is still being discovered about the prequels. A recently confirmed Easter egg in The Phantom Menace revealed George Lucas' face subtly carved into a stone plaque in a Naboo battle scene, finally putting to rest a 25-year fan rumor.
More Star Wars Prequel Stories Incoming?
While the prequel trilogy remains a beloved part of Star Wars history, it's unlikely that Lucasfilm will produce many new live-action or animated projects set during this era anytime soon.
The studio has shown a fondness for revisiting the timeline through returning actors, such as McGregor in Obi-Wan Kenobi and Christensen reprising Darth Vader in that series, as well as appearing in Ahsoka Season 1 and reportedly even Season 2, releasing later this year on Disney+.
This even extended out to Jar Jar Binks' actor, Ahmed Best, who returned to the Star Wars universe in The Mandalorian Season 3 as Jedi Master Kelleran Beq.
The legacy of the prequels continues to resonate with fans, and LEGO sets like "EP II Bounty Hunter Pursuit" help keep that nostalgia alive; however, major new stories set during this era are not expected in the near future.
