We may know about Bothans from Return of the Jedi or Legends materials. This shadowy spy species is primarily self-serving, but it did aid the Rebels in their crucial hour. However, as of yet, Lucasfilm has not shown the Bothans in any film or show. Why is that? It could be that they want to get the characterization right, but more likely, it has to do with timing.
Why Haven’t Bothans Been Shown in a Movie or Show?
Two years ago, a fan posted that Lucasfilm Story Group was “intentionally holding off to depict” Bothans. The reason was that they wanted to make sure “to use them for the right story” and hadn’t decided “what canonical Bothans” would look like. As another post indicates, the Bothans were an enigmatic species that could be construed as “a category of Rebel agent.”
That insight is based on what Mon Mothma said about the Bothans in Return of the Jedi. Mothma’s brief phrase in the scene, “Many Bothans died to bring us this information” leaves them shrouded in mystery.
We have a Legends depiction and description of Bothans as “furry mammalian anthropoids” who arose on Bothawui and other colonies. Coinciding with Mothma’s comments, they became known as “spies, craving intrigue and subterfuge.” Their Bothan Spynet adds to their complexity. This intel network has aimed to gather “intelligence on potential political enemies,” which goes beyond but centers on the Empire.
Hence, the problem may be the difficulty in depicting these deceptive, intelligent, and elusive species on screen. However, the Bothan culture, described on their Wookieepedia page, makes them sound like perfect viewing material.
That is, the “Bothan Way” persuades Bothans to place “their own political and economic success above all other concerns.” Yes, some Bothans helped the Rebels against the Empire, but the “volume of backstabbing, subtle character assassination and political maneuvering in Bothan society” makes them ripe to be included in a series or film.
Given recent Disney+ programming that explores new angles to the galaxy, the idea that Lucasfilm couldn’t figure out how to depict the Bothans ends up not being a sufficient explanation.
Why Haven’t We Seen Any Bothans?
Their absence from movies and shows is perplexing. In a recent discussion, one fan proclaimed, “You’re telling me Filoni can bring back Thrawn, bring back Maul with robot legs, clone Palpatine…but he can’t give us even ONE Bothan spy?”
This post raises a good point. We have seen many new directions with Ashoka, which is scheduled for a second season, The Clone Wars, and Rebels, among other Filoni accomplishments. He is currently working on an untitled Mandalorian movie and co-writing The Mandalorian and Grogu film due out next summer.
These developments add to the perplexity over why we haven’t seen any Bothans. This video leads to that same conclusion by specifying how the Bothans represent “a major open spot.” Given the success of Rogue One and Andor, and the use of Legends material in shows like The Acolyte, we can readily conceive how the Bothans should appear, especially since they could be “the most prominent species in the EU.”
The Bothan Borsk Fey’lya is a prime candidate, as his “career spanned much of the history of the New Republic.” This Bothan is renowned for political manipulation, which would fit right in with shows like Andor through the original trilogy timeline.
So, the explanation may be that Lucasfilm and Star Wars are waiting for the right opportunity to launch the Bothans. They could see them as such a promising addition that they don’t want to jeopardize their premiere. As this previous article indicated, and this seems still true, “the time period between the prequel and original trilogies is one that Disney is particularly interested in exploring.”
We could very well see the Bothans take more of a center-stage appearance with their espionage exploits.
Bothans Have Not Appeared Yet
Lucasfilm creators may still be determining how they wish to reveal Bothans in canon. Yet, it seems more likely that they are waiting for the best time and time period to launch this captivating species into a show or movie.