25 underrated characters from the 'Star Wars' franchise of films

A friend of Luke Skywalker's back on Tatooine, Biggs (Garrick Hagon) was similar to his pal, in the sense he too wanted to leave the desolate planet and become a great fighter pilot. Unlike Luke, Biggs managed to attend the Imperial Academy, but was turned off by the Empire's beliefs. He eventually hooked up with the Rebellion, and was reunited with Luke at Yavin 4's Rebel base shortly before the attack on the Death Star in A New Hope. Sadly, Biggs did not survive the mission, but he meant much to Luke.

In the case of poor R5-D4, it's a matter of what could have been. Had he been in proper working order, he could have enjoyed a solid working life with Owen and Beru Lars on Tatooine, as first introduced in A New Hope. Instead, he was relegated back to the trash heap after the Jawas tried to sell the droid with a bad motivator. Instead, the Lars family and Luke Skywalker acquired R2-D2, who essentially helped the Rebel Alliance destroy the Galactic Empire and become one of the most beloved fictional characters in film history.

Veteran favorite Keri Russell had her moment in the The Rise of Skywalker, playing a leadership role in her family's spice-running business. The helmet-clad Zorri is a scoundrel, but proves a worth ally for the Resistance. Meanwhile, her rather complex relationship with Poe Dameron adds a little intrigue to the character, who we wish could have been a little more involved. Or, perhaps, be revisited in other areas of the Star Wars franchise.

Beru, whether in her older days (while played by Shelagh Fraser) from A New Hope, to those younger years (when portrayed by Bonnie Piesse) via Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, tended to be a calming, almost reasonable, voice opposite husband Owen — especially when it came to raising nephew Luke Skywalker. Beru was loving and protective of Luke, but also was well aware of his genes and what could be hidden inside, notably her step-nephew's passion for curiosity and exploration. 

Not that we condone violence, but when it comes to a species of troublemakers within the Star Wars universe of films — and beyond, the Tusken Raiders, aka Sand People, are highly entertaining. Roaming the various desolate regions of Tatooine, the Tusken Raiders seem like a rag-tag bunch of deviants, who layer their clothing and make menacingly loud grunts and growls while on the prowl. As we'll see later on this list, the Sand People actually are responsible for one of the more heinous murders in the annals of the Star Wars franchise.

He's the blue-skinned, kind-of baby elephant-looking leader of the renowned Max Rebo Band. Max — who plays some sci-fi version of the organ — and his group of underappreciated creature-like musicians, can be found playing in and around Jabba the Hutt in Return of the Jedi. Now, thankfully, after Jabba met his demise, Max and Co, survived. As far as we know, he continues to entertain throughout the galaxy.

Present in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, Piett (Kenneth Colley) rose through the Imperial ranks as Darth Vader grew tired of the incompetent leadership under him and ahead of Piett. Even though Piett was forewarned of his potential deadly fate if failing to execute or ticking off Lord Vader, he took the promotion to Admiral, and served quite well. He survived Vader's wrath at the end of Empire, but succumbs to the second Rebel attack on the second Death Star.

Consider this a Star Wars two-for-one. Paige (Ngô Thanh Vân) is the older of the two Tico sisters, but Rose (Kelly Marie Tran) has the juicier storyline after her older sister is killed in the early moments of The Last Jedi. The sisters are both mechanics, and tech-savvy, which comes in handy for their roles within the Resistance. Rose eventually becomes a key piece in the movement, along with Finn and Poe Dameron. She again appears in The Rise of Skywalker, but it would be nice to learn more about the sisters, especially Rose.

Alderaan royalty, Bail Organa (Jimmy Smits), who appeared in Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith and Rogue One, is best-known for being Leia's adopted father. He served in that role following the death of Padmé Amidala, whom he was close to while both served on Chancellor Palpatine's Loyalist Committee — prior to the fall of the Republic. Known for his honesty and good-natured demeanor, Bail became alarmed with Palpatine's policies and saw the trouble that was brewing. Thus, he worked with various Rebel factions, with the hope of restoring good to the galaxy. We would love to see a more in-depth series about Leia's upbringing with the Organas.

An underachieving and not-all-that-intimidating bounty hunter, Greedo is infamously known for, and unsuccessfully, trying to hassle Han Solo in the Mos Eisley cantina from A New Hope. He works for Jabba the Hutt and, as fans of the 1977 film that started it all, was a terrible shot. Come on, how did Greedo (portrayed by Paul Blake/Maria De Aragon; voiced by Larry Ward) not know that Han was ready and willing to blast him up against the wall when the Rodian confronted the smuggler. This moment was brief, but among the most memorable in the legacy of those Star Wars films.

Solo: A Star Wars Story has become somewhat of a forgotten entity of the overall film franchise. Its lukewarm reception is a big reason, but one of the more positive aspects of the film is Phoebe Waller-Bridge's L3-37. She provides plenty of humorous moments as Lando Calrissian's highly opinionated, snarky droid companion. She's incredibly intelligent and her ability to tap into and manipulate the inner workings of the Millennium Falcon is invaluable. L3-37 might be the most likable, and endearing, Solo character.

In the annals of the Star Wars fictional universe, Lobot (John Hollis) has always been one of the more intriguing fringe characters. Complete with the brain-enhancing tech gadget wrapped around his ears and back of his head to connect and communicate with Cloud City's central computer system, Lobot is a human, and he's essentially Lando Calrissian's right-hand man. Though a product of the Empire, Lobot proves loyal to Lando in helping his friends escape in The Empire Strikes Back.

An eerily, deliciously evil figure featured in the The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. And, also one of the more intriguing characters within the fictional world of Star Wars. A master of the dark side of the Force, Snoke (Andy Serkis) was the Supreme Leader of the First Order, even though he wasn't a human but rather an artificial being created by Emperor Palpatine, and used to run what was essentially a puppet regime. Of course, Snoke is the main reason Ben Solo became Kylo Ren. So, yes, he's a pretty important figure that deserves more props. 

Going back to the exceptional standalone prequel Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Bohdi (Riz Ahmed) was an Imperial pilot who ends up switching sides to work with the Rebel Alliance and help Jyn Erso download the plans of the Death Star — with its known defect, a vulnerability in the space station that the Rebels could exploit — for her side to study. Bohdi could be a bit agitating, but when it came to getting the job done, and helping bide time as Jyn and Cassian Andor downloaded the plans during the rebel attack on Scarif, he delivered. Plus, Bohdi came up with "Rogue One" as the call name for their stolen Imperial ship.

We know that Dooku (Christopher Lee) played a prominent role in the dark side storylines of Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, but he will forever remain overshadowed by Darth Vader. Dooku was groomed to be a Jedi and trained by Yoda, but eventually became disenchanted by the ways of the Force. Ultimately, he turned to the dark side, became a key ally of Darth Sidious and was essentially responsible for the Clone Army. One can argue that Dooku was smarter and more disciplined than Anakin, but less menacing and cutthroat.

An underappreciated pilot by far, Nien Nunb (portrayed by Richard Bonehill and performed by Mike Quinn; voiced mostly by Kipsang Rotich) did pretty well for himself within the Star Wars fictional world. He went from smuggler to Rebellion and Resistance hero. He's likely best known for co-piloting the Millennium Falcon with Lando Calrissian during the Battle of Endor in Return of the Jedi and helping destroy the second version of the Death Star. In the sequel trilogy of films, Nien can be seen piloting an X-wing fighter in the Battles of Starkiller Base, Crait, and Exegol, Sadly, Nunb gave his life for the Resistance to succeed, but he will always be remembered for his combat expertise and overall value to the cause.

Felicity Jones' Jyn Erso from Rogue One should be considered one of the great characters in the Star Wars family of films. However, let's give serious praise to the young version of Jyn (played by sisters Beau and Dolly Gadsden), who managed to stay alive after the Empire honchos came looking for her father, Galen, who had a major hand in designing the Death Star, and mother. Young Jyn, aka "Stardust," knew this day was likely to come, and she was wise among her years, knowing the value and importance for her to stay alive — and, ultimately be mentored by the masterful Saw Gerrera.

Brought up to be a stormtrooper in the First Order, Finn (John Boyega) realized just what that particular organization was all about, and did not like it — to no surprise. So, Finn shunned his FN-2187 identification and defected to the Resistance, where he became a potent and valued member of the cause — not to mention, one of the most popular characters to feature in the sequel trilogy. That said, we believe Finn should be praised as one of the best in the entire Star Wars franchise of films.

Now, Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) certainly played a prominent in the prequel trilogy of Star Wars films. Of course, he is the guy who saved young Anakin Skywalker from slavery and sets him up to learn the ways of the Force — from his standpoint — during The Phantom Menace. So, in a sense, he indirectly created a monster. Qui-Gon, though, was a free-spirted believer of the Force, and seemed to do everything based on instinct — like believing that there was really good in young Anakin. Now, the guy wasn't perfect, but he obviously plays a vital part in the overall story of the Star Wars world.

This is truly where it all began when it came to the Star Wars saga. Shmi Skywalker (Pernilla August) is the mother of Anakin, who eventually becomes Darth Vader and is the father of Luke and Leia. A poor woman, working in slavery, Shmi raises Anakin on her own, but eventually gives him up to be cared for by the aforementioned Qui-Gon Jinn in The Phantom Menace. She eventually remarries, but is later captured and tortured by the Tusken Raiders on Tatooine. When a grown Anakin finds her, she is beyond saving and dies in her son's arms in Attack of the Clones, thus setting off a chain of aggression and emotional despair that will guide Anakin's path toward the dark side.

Mon Mothma is another character that would be worthy of her own limited series. According to Star Wars lore, her backstory is quite fascinating, and aside from Princess Leia, Mon (originally played by Caroline Blakiston, then Genevieve O'Reilly), Mon is arguably the most powerful and respected female figure within the New Republic, then the Rebel Alliance (which she helped co-found). We were first introduced to Mon in Return of the Jedi, and further experience her commanding presence and strength while opposing the policies and whims of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine in Revenge of the Sith and Rogue One.

General Grievous was first introduced during the Star Wars: Clone Wars animated series. He then featured through CGI form in 2005's Revenge of the Sith (voiced by Matthew Wood). A Jedi hunter, Grievous had a robotic body and frame that was a weapon in and of itself. He could wield as as many as four light sabers, and serves as a ruthless killer, though keenly intelligent. His raspy cough only adds to the aura of a criminally underappreciated villain from within the Star Wars universe — whether on the big or small screen.

A solid, talented and dependable pilot, Wedge (portrayed by Denis Lawson, voiced offscreen by David Ankrum) plays an important role in taking down the evil Galactic Empire. In A New Hope, Wedge saves Luke in the trenches of the Death Star, in order to help the young Skywalker destroy the massive space station. He later fought in the Battles of Hoth and Endor in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, respectively, plus The Rise of Skywalker. We also hear his voice in Rogue One. True Star Wars fans have always thought highly of Wedge.

Sure, these foot soldiers of the Galactic Empire had the worst aim of any fighters, perhaps, in the history of action, war-time cinema — real or fiction. They also don't seem too bright. They are easily swayed by the ways of the Force, always seemed to be duped by any faction of the Rebellion or Resistance, and it's hard to move in those bulky uniforms. That said, when it comes to the look and style of the stormtroopers, there really aren't many cooler bad guys than this (with our preference being the uniforms from the original trilogy). Come on, how many Baby Boomers and Gen Xers went as a stormtrooper for Halloween at some point?

Yes, C-3PO (brilliantly played and voiced by Anthony Daniels) is one of the most beloved characters in sci-fi film history. However, this humanoid, cyborg-like robot never seemed to get the credit he probably deserved. He endured quite a bit of adversity during the nine Star Wars-related movies. He was shot at often, even hit a few times, and attacked and battered by the Tusken Raiders and the Empire. C-3PO came across as annoying because he wouldn't stop talking, and was often rudely treated by best pal R2-D2, who stole 3PO's thunder on more than one occasion. However, when it came down to it, there might not have been a more loyal and important companion and friend to the Rebellion than C-3PO.