Underrated Star Wars Characters

[Mitch Henessey]

Star Wars fans always make sure to give plenty of praise to Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker, Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Chewbacca, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, and Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious. These are the more famous Star Wars characters, but there are some out there who can be overlooked. Here are some of my favorites:

Lando Calrissian

Who could forget Lando's infamous betrayal in The Empire Strikes Back? Lando's treacherous deal with Darth Vader caused Han Solo to be frozen in carbonite, and he did play a crucial part in springing the trap that eventually caught Luke Skywalker. Lando would make up for his betrayal by helping Princess Leia, Chewbacca, Luke, C-3PO, and R2-D2 escape from Cloud City, as the Empire began to take over, and he joined the Rebel Alliance at the very end of the film. Lando would continue to fight for the good guys in Return Of The Jedi. He helped find and rescue the frozen Han Solo from Jabba The Hut‘s Palace, and he was in the Millennium Falcon as the second Death Star was destroyed.

I always enjoyed Lando. He was a cool character who could provide some comic relief, and he was fun to watch. I think Billy Dee Williams did a great job with this character.

Grand Moff Tarkin

Tarkin was a very cold and calculating villain. Princess Leia tried to fool Tarkin on the Death Star in Episode IV. Leia thought she could tell the evil commander of the Death Star a false location for the Rebels’ base. She thought she could fool Tarkin, but she was wrong. Tarkin ordered a search for Dantooine, but he wanted to test the power of the Death Star, so he decided to destroy Alderaan, and Leia is forced to watch her home world be destroyed. The heartbroken look on her face is unreal, and this is one of the more memorable Star Wars moments. Tarkin would allow Leia and her band of rescuers(Luke, Chewbacca, Han, R2-D2, C-3P0) to escape, but this would prove to be a costly mistake, because Luke would save the day, and destroy the Death Star, and of course, Tarkin would be trapped inside, as he met his demise inside the super battle station.

Darth Maul

Episode I can receive a lot of harsh criticism from Star Wars fans(mainly because of Jar Jar Binks) but I actually thought this film was pretty decent, and Darth Maul is one of the main reasons why I enjoy this film. Maul was a mysterious Sith Lord who could strike fear into the hearts of their opponents. Qui-Gon Jinn was rattled after the brief battle with Maul in the deserts of Tattoine, and Maul would return to finish off the Jedi Master towards the end of the film. He carried the dangerous double-bladed light saber, and Maul just had this chilling presence. He hardly ever speaks in Episode I, but Maul was a quiet villain who could tear you apart in an instant. When it comes to popularity, Maul might not be on the same level as Vader and Palaptine, but this silent assassin is one of my favorite Star Wars characters ever.

Padmé Amidala

Padmé Amidala was sweet and mysterious, but she could also be tough and brave. She fought right in the middle of some fierce battles in Episodes I and II. Padmé was a fierce leader, but she did have a tragic passing in Episode III. The devastated look on her face, as Anakin reveals his turn to the dark side is something I’ll never forget. Anakin tried to harm Padmé, but luckily, his former Jedi Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi saved the day.

Who are your favorite underrated characters from the Star Wars film series?

 

[Fizzy]

What a coincidence. I just re-watched the six movies for the first time in years. I forgot how much I loved them. I read some reviews for each movie, and was surprised at the criticism that episode I and II received. They were at the bottom of the series, but that isn't really an insult considering how fucking great the others were. I don't think there was one time where I was un-interested in any of the six movies. That said, I will give you my list.

Darth Maul Might be my third favorite Star Wars character behind Anakin, and Yoda. He was extremely powerful, and often overlooked when thinking about the characters in the series. Just look at the guy. He is fucking badass! He has the exact look as I would expect a Sith Lord to have. I'm not a fan of the dual-sided lightsaber, but he could really pull it off. Truly a badass this guy was.

General Grievous He had a somewhat disappointing part in the movie, but he was fucking awesome. He looked fucking intense during his battle with Obi-Wan, when he attacked by spinning his lighsabers in a circular motion like a fan. I read a little on his backstory earlier, and he has an incredibly interesting one. Really underrated, and fantastic addition to the series.

Trade Federation Leaders Those guys are fucking funny man. That's all I really have to say about them. Their voices made me laugh countless times.

I would agree with you on Padme. She was a true warrior, and despite being a politician, was right up close in many battles. I would also agree on Lando as he played a pretty heavy part in the series. I'd also add the Ewoks. I swear, these were the fucking funniest characters in the entire series. They are easily my favorite race out of the entire series. I have never enjoyed myself more while watching a film than I did when I was watching those little fuckers. There are many characters in the series that deserve recognition.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Jango Fett

Jango Fett was one of those characters who I wanted to see more of. The brief battle he had with Obi-Wan in Episode II was awesome. Jango showed off his impressive skills during this battle, and this battle did make him look a like real bad ass. When it comes to Jango's son Boba, we never got a chance to learn about the man underneath the helmet in Episodes V and VI. In Episode II, we do get see some personality from Jango. He was bold and defiant, as Obi-Wan tried to question him about the Clone Army on Kamino. Jango also had this mystique about him, and he was pretty crafty. It's a shame Mace Windu had to chop his head off.

I would agree with you on Padme. She was a true warrior, and despite being a politician, was right up close in many battles. I would also agree on Lando as he played a pretty heavy part in the series. I'd also add the Ewoks. I swear, these were the fucking funniest characters in the entire series. They are easily my favorite race out of the entire series. I have never enjoyed myself more while watching a film than I did when I was watching those little fuckers. There are many characters in the series that deserve recognition.

Yeah, the Ewoks could provide some great comic relief. They were HILARIOUS in Episode VI. I never get tired of seeing them help Luke, Han, Leia, and the rest of the Rebel Alliance destroy the shield generator for the second Death Star. Some of the traps they helped set up were just great. Also, seeing the Ewoks worship C-3P0 never gets old. It's just great stuff.

 

[Notorious718]

Ooh a Star Wars thread! I love it. First and foremost, I do agree that Lando was very overlooked and underrated. I mean, he played a major role in two of the Original Trilogy films. I think part of the reason he's overlooked is because he didn't make an appearance in the first movie. He's really cool and as shown in Empire Strikes Back, quite suave. One of my favorites.

Wedge Antilles is another I feel is overlooked. As far as I know, he's participated and survived most of the major battles in the original trilogy, most notably both battles to destroy the Death Star. In fact, if memory serves correctly, both Lando and Wedge were the ones that dealt the final blow to the second Death Star, which I think is sometimes overshadowed by Luke saving Vader and Han destroying the shield generator.

 

[Notorious718]

Oh yeah, I also forgot to mention Bail Organa. Not am exciting character by any means but very pivotal in helping Jedi refugees get to safety after the Clone Wars (most notably Yoda and Obi-Wan). Another thing that most casual fans might not know about him is that he was one of the Rebel Alliance's founding members which as we know ultimately destroyed the Empire. And of course, he raised Leia and instilled in her the ideals that would pretty much change the lives of those living in the Star Wars galaxy.

 

[JGlass]

It's fucking GAME TIME brothers, I looooove Star Wars.

My favorite underrated Star Wars character is Qui Gon Jin.

He's not exactly the model Jedi. He lies, he uses his Jedi powers to help him win at gambling, and he convinced the consul to take on Anakin despite the fact Yoda knows that this kid is trouble, but that's what makes him so cool! He has a reputation of being sort of the rebel within the Jedis, but he's not going to be hopping over to the Dark Side anytime soon. He believes in everything the Jedis stand for and what they want to accomplish, he just tends to go about it a different way, and I can totally dig that. He also discovered the ability to become a force ghost. That's right, he fucking taught YODA how to become a force ghost. That's badass.

And who doesn't love a little Admiral Ackbar in their life?

The Ackbar is cool because he's just an awesome military leader. He cares about all his soldiers, but he'll do whatever it takes to rid the galaxy of any trace of the evil Imperial Forces. He's a wise commander that can handle any situation he's face with because of his dedication to the military arts. He also doesn't like getting his hands involved in politics, and while he does have a clear political alliance, he prefers to let politicians do all the dirty work that comes with politics.

 

[FunKay the Inevitable]

Count Dooku

I personally found it a breath of fresh air to have a different type of foe for the Jedi's to face as opposed to 'young, mislead, rouge', we got a master looking to expand his powers and that's what Dooku was. He was a lot older than the majority of the Sith so it was a good change of pace to have him not only combat the Jedi physically but also battle tactically with them. He was witty and by far one of the best things about Attack of the Clones. Christopher Lee did a solid job with the character and it would be near impossible to believe anyone else in that role.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Darth Maul, who has already been mentioned a few times already, would get my vote because he was one of the few characters from 1-3 that I liked, and that two sided lightsaber during the fight with Obi Wan was incredible. Maul could have gone on to become far more popular if he had made it into more of the movies and although he would never have reached Vader's popularity, I think he would be remembered more in discussions like this if he had just been around longer. A really cool character that isn't mentioned much anymore.

Honestly, I like just about every single character in Star Wars. Except for Jar Jar Binks. Anybody who likes him isn't a true Star Wars fan.

 

[wrestlingfan]

Hell I would even say the characters from the Expanded Universe are underrated because not alot of people know about them. The only ones people know about are from the Original and Prequel Trilogies.

 

[Notorious718]

Honestly, I like just about every single character in Star Wars. Except for Jar Jar Binks. Anybody who likes him isn't a true Star Wars fan.

Pretty much this. Especially the Jar Jar Binks thing. Considering that he was the one who pretty much fucked everyone over (albeit with good intentions) by starting the Clone War.