There is a huge catalog of iconic Star Wars characters that populate the galaxy far, far away, but not all of them have been completely explored, and there are 12 characters who especially deserve backstories. Star Wars movies have typically followed galaxy-altering events like Order 66 and the Galactic Civil War, which doesn’t leave much time to explore each character’s backstory. Upcoming Star Wars movies may change that though, as they could begin to focus more on their characters and feature smaller scopes.
If Star Wars does decide to explore existing characters further, it already has a long list of candidates that would benefit from more backstory. The galaxy far, far away has many hidden corners that could be revealed by exploring some characters who left the spotlight before their backstories had been established. From non-Jedi followers of the Force to a droid who lived to see almost every generation of Jedi ever, here are 12 characters who deserve more to have their history explored.
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12 Chewbacca
First Appeared: Star Wars
One of the most iconic faces of the entire Star Wars franchise has a very mysterious and unexplored past. Chewbacca was born on the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk during the High Republic era. After that, not much is known about him until he meets Han Solo in Solo: A Star Wars Story. He was a very influential figure throughout the Dark Times, the Galactic Civil War, and the Age of Resistance. It seems odd that a character as important and familiar as Chewbacca had such an unexplored life prior to the movies, but Star Wars could finally fix that.
11 Darth Plagueis
First Mentioned: Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge Of The Sith
Darth Plagueis is one of the most mysterious figures in all of Star Wars canon. Known only as Darth Sidious’ Sith master, Plagueis’ backstory was detailed in James Luceno’s Legends novel Darth Plagueis, but there is no canon explanation of the Sith Lord’s backstory. The story of how he mentored a young Palpatine into the most powerful Sith of all time would be incredibly entertaining. It could also give a glimpse into how the Sith managed to remain hidden for centuries prior to the prequel era, and how he found the key to immortality.
Purchase James Luceno’s Darth Plagueis from Amazon
10 Lando Calrissian
First Appeared: The Empire Strikes Back
Lando Calrissian’s earliest appearance in the Star Wars timeline was in Solo, but it came at a time when he was already a well-established smuggler. His time in the movie also ended well before he could become the leader of Cloud City. The Lando movie has been in the works at Lucasfilm, and it should give more insight into his past, but there is currently no official release date. When and if it does release, Lando will have plenty of adventures to follow as Calrissian makes a name for himself with more sabacc games and smuggling runs.
9 Huyang
First Appeared: Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Huyang is the oldest living character in all of Star Wars, as he has been helping Jedi Padawans build their lightsabers since about 25,020 BBY. With such a long lifetime, the lack of details about Huyang’s past is astonishing. Huyang interacted with some of the most notable Jedi of the Star Wars movies, including Yoda and Mace Windu, but he also had several hundreds of generations of Jedi he met. Any one of them could provide a compelling story to use to give more insight into the droid’s long life.
8 Fennec Shand
First Appeared: The Mandalorian
Fennec Shand was introduced as one of the deadliest bounty hunters and assassins in all of Star Wars, but little is known about her. One of Shand’s earlier missions was to find the perfect clone Omega and return her to Kamino, though the Bad Batch later recovered the girl. There is a large gap between then and her first appearance in The Mandalorian, and the story of how Shand earned her reputation is worth telling. Shand will return in The Bad Batch season 3, so at least part of her story will be revealed.
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7 Cad Bane
First Appeared: Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Cad Bane has an explosive introduction to Star Wars, as his first appearance saw him taking the Galactic Senate hostage to free Ziro the Hutt. Since then, he has displayed impressive tactical and fighting skills, which helped him earn a reputation as one of the best bounty hunters in the galaxy. Bane was taught by Jango Fett, but little is known about the pair’s time together or the lessons Bane learned. Focusing on Bane’s backstory would give insight into two of the most ruthless gunslingers the galaxy ever knew, and it would be guaranteed to be an action-packed story.
6 Tobias Beckett
First Appeared: Solo: A Star Wars Story
Another notorious criminal deserving of an origin story is Tobias Beckett, Han’s mentor in Solo. He had a notable career, and he even claimed he killed another legendary bounty hunter: Aurra Sing. Most of his story was told in passing, though, and the details of Beckett’s exploits could be great material for a show or movie. In his career as a thief, Beckett planned elaborate heists and had interesting philosophies that he passed down to Han. Seeing where those plans and mottos originated from could be an epic tale.
5 Chirrut Îmwe
First Appeared: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Chirrut Îmwe was a member of a mysterious, Force-worshipping group known as the Guardians of the Whills. Îmwe’s story has a definitive ending in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, but its beginning is less clear. The Guardians of the Whills protected the Temple of the Kyber on Jedha, which had been ransacked by the Empire prior to the movie. Star Wars could explain Îmwe’s backstory by telling the story of the Guardians and the fall of the temple they swore to protect. This would also paint his devotion to his religion and the Force in a new light.
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4 Enfys Nest
First Appeared: Solo: A Star Wars Story
Enfys Nest was a mysterious figure through most of Solo, and she was thought to be the leader of a gang of marauders. It was later revealed that she and her group, the Cloud-Riders, were actually acting as members of the Rebellion with Saw Gererra. She mentioned that her mother had worn the mask and controlled the Cloud-Riders before handing it down to her. Enfys’ early days as the leader of the group could be perfect for an episodic story, as would their missions against the Syndicates and the Empire. Expanding upon her backstory could make Enfys an icon of the Rebellion.
3 Greef Karga
First Appeared: The Mandalorian
Greef Karga had a great redemption arc in The Mandalorian. He began as the seedy leader of the Bounty Hunters’ Guild on Nevarro, but grew to become a benevolent magistrate that would clean up the city and turn it into “the jewel of the Outer Rim.” His clerical skills were briefly explained by mentioning that he was formerly a magistrate before arriving on Nevarro, but there is more than enough room to explore that story. Explaining how Greef came to be the leader of the Guild on a backwater planet could make his redemption even better.
2 Miramir
First Appeared: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Emperor Palpatine described Rey’s parents as “nobodies.” This was due to Rey’s father and Palpatine’s strandcast, Dathan, not being able to wield the Force and the fact that he sought out a quiet life with his family. Palpatine may have misjudged one of Rey’s parents, as her mother, Miramir, may have been Force sensitive. Adam Christopher’s novel Shadow of the Sith gave an insight into both Dathan and Miramir, but it only hinted at her Force sensitivity. There is ample room for Miramir’s story to be explored, and Miramir’s story could help explain Rey’s incredible strength in the Force.
Purchase Adam Christopher’s Shadow of the Sith from Amazon
1 Dr. Royce Hemlock
First Appeared: Star Wars: The Bad Batch
Dr. Royce Hemlock was introduced in The Bad Batch as a main antagonist and driving force behind the search for Omega. He was a brilliant but completely unethical scientist, and he became the leader of the Advanced Science Division at the beginning of the Dark Times. Tech revealed that Hemlock was once part of the Republic’s science corps, but had been expelled due to his “unorthodox” experiments. Showing these experiments in-depth would give insight into why Hemlock is so determined to continue his research into cloning, and could make one of Star Wars‘ most diabolical villains even worse.
Many Star Wars characters made huge impressions on the franchise, despite their limited time in the story. Those characters would have fascinating backstories for the franchise to explore. Delving into the histories of these 12 characters could give Star Wars limitless opportunities to expand upon the galaxy far, far away. From heroes to villains to everyday people, there is more worth telling to many of the galaxy’s favorite characters.
Star Wars
- Created by
- George Lucas
- Character(s)
- Luke Skywalker , Darth Vader , Princess Leia Organa , Han Solo , Rey Skywalker , Kylo Ren , Emperor Palpatine , Obi-Wan Kenobi , Ahsoka Tano , Grand Admiral Thrawn , Grand Inquisitor , Reva (The Third Sister) , The Fifth Brother , The Seventh Sister , The Eighth Brother , Yoda , Din Djarin , Grogu
