FOURTH THE MAY BE WITH YOU. — Yoda.
Ahem.
So! Hey. Star Wars.
Of all the films, shows, books, and so forth, I gotta know —
Who is your favorite obscure Star Wars character?
(They don’t need to be all that “obscure” — just not one of the “main cast.” No Luke, Leia, etc.)
Me, from the original trilogy, I love me some Nien Nunb.
I don’t know why.
I like that the joy he expresses when they win.
I like his workman’s attitude. He seems like the kinda Sullustan you’d want on your side. Or at your barbecue. He just looks like a good dude. I mean, sure, his face is super gross? It’s like, a bunch of moist folds stacked on top of each other. He’s like several layers of animated mortadella bologna just flapping wetly at you, but hey, whatever. You can’t judge him on that.
If I had to go deeper —
The bounty hunter Sugi, from The Clone Wars.
It’s easy to love the bounty hunters, but she’s even easier because she seems noble, somehow — not just your standard mercenary scum, but Scum With Honor. She’s pretty obscure — I think she only shows up in two episodes? But I like that there’s more going on there than what you see. You get the sense of larger story, somehow.
So, your turn.
Fave third-tier, obscure character? GO.
Braccia says:
There are so many. I guess it’s Hermi Odle. He’s Jabba’s Abe Vigoda.
May 4, 2015 — 10:18 AM
Braccia says:
Also, Gonk Droid. Because it’s my spirit droid.
May 4, 2015 — 10:20 AM
Ryan V says:
Gooooonk gonnk gooooonk GONK
May 5, 2015 — 2:09 AM
Mark says:
The sobbing Rancor keeper
May 4, 2015 — 10:21 AM
Nola Sarina says:
Completely, totally agree. From the costume to the performance, the sobbing rancor keeper was that moment of trickle-down consequence for his actions that is easy to forget about in all of Luke’s victories.
May 4, 2015 — 1:18 PM
Matt Black says:
Oh that’s a good one.
May 4, 2015 — 1:55 PM
thesexiestwriter says:
yea, he was like that weird “even the bad guys love something, and was he really a bad guy or just not bright?” character. It was like an entire missing back story in his thirty seconds of fame.
May 4, 2015 — 3:33 PM
John K. Fulton says:
It all turned out OK in the end, though:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/114140110/bffs
May 5, 2015 — 8:15 AM
strugglingwriter says:
I always liked R5D4 because he was like R2D2 but you know, red (my favorite color).
May 4, 2015 — 10:22 AM
Kelly Jensen says:
I’ve been reading Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and I love Marn Hierogryph. All the characters, including the lead, Zayne Carrick, are engaging, but Marn makes me laugh. 🙂
May 4, 2015 — 10:22 AM
jralbert says:
From the old republic games: HK-47! Droid assassin extraordinaire! He’s evil and hilarious.
May 4, 2015 — 10:22 AM
jrblackwell says:
Corran Horn, Jedi Detective. I could watch an entire series just about him solving mysteries.
May 4, 2015 — 10:23 AM
A Green Anisodactyl (@ngc_457) says:
It could only be Aayla Secura: the hottest thing to ever come out of the Galaxy Far, Far Away. Make gold bikini Leia look like trailer trash.
May 4, 2015 — 10:23 AM
Dann Albright (@dann_albright) says:
Definitely IG-88. His (their?) story from Tales of the Bounty Hunters is definitely my favorite. I’m not sure what about him I like so much—it’s not like he has a great personality. I think I just like the idea of a perfect killing machine turning on its creators and being unleashed into the galaxy to wreak destruction.
There’s definitely a parable there.
May 4, 2015 — 10:25 AM
terribleminds says:
I’ll add HK-47 to that mix.
…
Meatbag.
May 4, 2015 — 10:31 AM
joshuamneff says:
I was going to say IG-88, too, just because I like the idea that he (he?) turned on his creators and became an independent droid. Makes a nice change from the servile and annoying C-3PO.
Also, I’m right with Chuck on Nien Nunb.
May 4, 2015 — 10:36 AM
chrisdubecki says:
Do the KotOR games count? Because then I choose HK-47.
“Retraction: Did I say that out loud? I apologize, master. While you are a meatbag, I suppose I should not call you such.”
May 4, 2015 — 10:28 AM
lokic says:
Hera Syndulla: ace pilot, cool under fire, thinks on her feet, somehow tolerates the entire rest of her crew being lovable screw ups without strangling any of them.
May 4, 2015 — 10:30 AM
coreyredekop says:
Admiral Ackbar. No question.
May 4, 2015 — 10:32 AM
Gareth Skarka says:
Jaxxon.
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Jaxxon
May 4, 2015 — 10:33 AM
Jeremiah N says:
Grand Admiral Thrawn, from Timothy Zahn’s trilogy in the early 90s. Such an amazing badass.
May 4, 2015 — 10:33 AM
Steve says:
The MSE-6 ‘mouse’ droid in the original that ran away when handcuffed Chewbacca roared. Something funny about that little bot doing a 3-point turn.
May 4, 2015 — 10:33 AM
Tia RAGEFACE MCAVOY (@tiakall) says:
Wedge Antilles. The Rogue Squadron books are the kind of books we need more of in the Star Wars universe.
May 4, 2015 — 10:33 AM
Anthony says:
I’ll second the call for Wedge Antilles. Only pilot in the Rebellion/New Republic with TWO death stars on the kill sheet. Even Luke Skywalker says Wedge is the better pilot. And some of my favorite moments in the books are when “Old Man Wedge” comes out of retirement and hops into a X-Wing combat simulator to show all the new aces what it took to be an ace back when he was flying the small ships. Of particular note in the New Jedi Order series when the hotshot chiss pilots are giving all of Rogue Squadron trouble but their best pilot ca’t even get a glancing hit on Wedge before getting vaped.
May 4, 2015 — 11:51 AM
Jessa Lynch (@chichenpizza) says:
*runs in* KIT FISTO KIT FISTO IS THE BEST KIT FISTO. *pants heavily* So. Yeah. Kit Fisto.
May 4, 2015 — 10:34 AM
Georgia says:
Grand Admiral Thrawn, hands down. You have got to love a guy who a) comes from a meritocracy and b) can figure out how to conquer a civilization by studying their art.
May 4, 2015 — 10:34 AM
David says:
Am I allowed to say Indiana Jones? He discovered Han Solo’s mummified corpse that one time. Probably not, though, right?
The old Tales of the Bounty Hunters book did right by every bounty hunter in The Empire Strikes Back, so collectively they’re pretty awesome. Damn. Need to reread me some of that. And out of that gang I guess I’d go with Zuckuss and 4-LOM. They were scum with good hearts, or processors in 4-LOM’s case.
And for guys who never appeared in the movies, or really even Expanded Universe canon, I’d go with Trioculus, the three-eyed mutant Imperial warlord from the Jedi Prince series of children’s books. A full-blown card-carrying villain claiming to be Palpatine’s son. With dialogue like this how can you not respect him?
“Is it so wrong to be a murderer? Or a liar? Or an inhuman monster? I may be all of those things, but I still have a heart.”
May 4, 2015 — 10:34 AM
Kat Simons says:
Ha! I have that Indie, Han Solo shirt.
May 4, 2015 — 3:17 PM
Andrew T says:
The Cantina Band. The ones that played the saxophone-like instruments in the New Hope.
May 4, 2015 — 10:39 AM
Maurice says:
Salacious Crumb. He a nasty little bastard.
May 4, 2015 — 10:39 AM
Scott Parker says:
Biggs Darklighter. The cut scene from New Hope–that was featured on Episode 1 of the radio adaptation–gave Luke not only some good backstory, but a peek at the broader galaxy. His death should’ve been more prominent.
May 4, 2015 — 10:43 AM
G T Moore Jr says:
I have to second Biggs, too. When I was a kid I read the novelization before I saw the movie, and was expecting to see him (and the rest of the Tattooine gang), so he grew to myth-like proportions in my imagination. I was also taken aback by the lack of emphasis on his death.
May 6, 2015 — 2:52 AM
Graham Powell says:
I always liked Hobbie, the pilot from Empire who finds the nearly-frozen Han and Luke, and holds off the Imperial forces long enough for the Rebels to escape. Alas, he doesn’t make it…
May 4, 2015 — 10:45 AM
Kimber Leigh Wheaton says:
No doubt– Salacious Crumb, Jabba’s court jester with the hysterical laugh. The moment I saw him I fell in love. Even the name is cool. I have a little plush of him sitting on the shelf in my room.
May 4, 2015 — 10:46 AM
Carl Park says:
Salacious Crumb captured my imagination in 1983, and holds it now. A cute, jovial little dude who just wanted to have a laugh. He was kind of like an alien Artie Lange. Brash, obscene, sure. But there’s a good heart in there. He deserved a better fate than incineration on Jabba’s sail barge.
May 4, 2015 — 10:50 AM
ryanjamesblack says:
Max Rebo, the keyboard playing elephant from Jabba’s Palace that sorta looks like a giant blue breast implant…
But, if we’re talking expanded Star Wars universe here…..how about Noa, (aka the incomparable Wilford Brimley) from the 1985 made-for-t.v classic: EWOKS The Battle for Endor
If you haven’t seen EWOKS The Battle for Endor, I feel bad for you, but allow me to summarize the plot:
It’s a romping, two and a half hours of Noa disinterestedly eating interstellar Quaker Oats, combing his stoic space moustache, and warning the Ewoks against the dangers of intergalactic Diabeetus
May 4, 2015 — 10:58 AM
Lara says:
Yay, another Rebo fan!
May 4, 2015 — 4:42 PM
Ryan V says:
The fast moving rat guy thing! Him too!
May 5, 2015 — 2:15 AM
James F. Brown says:
Jar Jar Binks
May 4, 2015 — 10:59 AM
Morticia says:
I commend your bravery. 😉
May 4, 2015 — 6:02 PM
Darke Conteur says:
I have been, and always will be, a Kyp Durron fan.
May 4, 2015 — 11:01 AM
Samantha Warren says:
Boba Fett, hands down. He is the ultimate badass of all the badasses. However, Jeslor Salaktori is pretty damn awesome, too. (I have a thing for bounty hunters. Can you tell?)
May 4, 2015 — 11:03 AM
Sam Reeves says:
Hammerhead. Because his voice sounds like a garbage disposal when you toss a bunch of cooked spaghetti in it.
May 4, 2015 — 11:14 AM
Karl J. Green (@karljosephgreen) says:
Revan is one of the most interesting so I’ll pick him!
May 4, 2015 — 11:14 AM
Anthony says:
Without going into it, I was so sad when I found out that “Canon” Revan was male, and exile was female and not the other way around for KoTOR 1 and 2. Female Lightside Revan from KoTOR was probably my favorite, but she only exists in specific playthroughs of that game.
May 4, 2015 — 11:48 AM
Bonita Gutierrez says:
Asajj Ventress because hello double light sabers and she’s a Nightsister.
May 4, 2015 — 11:16 AM
Chris Wilde says:
Seconded. Asajj Ventress is brilliant. Particularly her “screw you guys, I’m out” bounty hunter period. In the original trilogy it has to Wedge Antilles, though.
May 4, 2015 — 12:01 PM
jack lee taylor says:
Cade Skywalker because he happens to have my son’s first name. That makes me a Skywalker.
May 4, 2015 — 11:17 AM
D. Moonfire says:
I’m pretty biased, but I’m going with R5-D4. I even wrote a blog post of why R5-D4 should have been the one in episodes 1-3 (ignore expanded universe stuff, of course).
May 4, 2015 — 11:21 AM
jack lee taylor says:
Love R5-D4. I think R5 should totally get revenge. You just don’t tamper with another droid’s motivator. Curious, why des Luke call R5 and R2 unit?
May 4, 2015 — 11:28 AM
jack lee taylor says:
Oops… meant this post as a reply to D. Moonfire.
May 4, 2015 — 11:29 AM
Marianne says:
Ferrus Olin from the Jude Watson books. Noble and tragic. He’s also gay, if you read between the lines.
May 4, 2015 — 11:30 AM
Jessica Quest (@raygungirl) says:
Shaak Ti. She doesn’t even talk in the movies. Multiple death scenes cut from Revenge of the Sith and Force Unleashed, so she’s canonically still alive in that era. She’s awesome on Clone Wars but still feels like a major mystery.
She just looks so badass, and all the blurbs about her in the Visual Dictionaries and stuff are super cool.
May 4, 2015 — 11:34 AM
doctorhu says:
Ackmena – survivor of the Star Wars Holiday Special who went on to fight the Empire with music and comedy. Bonus points: Played by Bea Arthur. http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Ackmena
May 4, 2015 — 11:34 AM
cwsawyer says:
This was my second choice. But maybe it should have been my first …
May 4, 2015 — 2:10 PM
louyuhasz says:
Bossk- Never rad any EU, but had the original Kenner action figure and he was my goto villian.
May 4, 2015 — 11:40 AM
GraeTree says:
My fave has got to be Wedge Antilles, one of the only survivors of the first Death Star battle, and he actually destroys the second one personally. Total badass, but seems like such a nice, quiet, kind sort of fellow.
Also, I would say my all time favourite is Boba Fett, but he is definitely not third tier.
May 4, 2015 — 11:46 AM
Steven Cowles says:
I’m also loving Nien Nunb, mostly because anyone that gets to help fly the Falcon and take out a Death Star is solid gold.
Plus, Lobot. Got to love anyone with that much dedication to getting a premium WiFi signal.
May 4, 2015 — 11:48 AM
Brian Basham says:
I like the Storm Troopers that got Jedi Mind tricked. “Move along. Move along.”
May 4, 2015 — 11:51 AM
Davide Mana says:
“Dudah dudah, Solo?”
Greedo, most certainly.
I think the poor guy was short-changed by Lucas – after all, he’s supposed to belong to a species of slimy, ruthless, amoral killers… and he gets iced like that?
Sad.
And let’s not get into that story about who shot first…
May 4, 2015 — 11:52 AM
Matt Black says:
Grand Moff Tarkin. Sonofabitch was ice cold.
May 4, 2015 — 11:58 AM
Sigrid Ellis says:
As I am watching TCW for the first time, I have to say Fives. Fives or Heavy.
May 4, 2015 — 12:18 PM
Otterpoet says:
Wedge Antilles all the way. He survives – and thrives – from New Hope onward… and seems like the Everyday Guy, so totally relatable to the audience. Plus that slick-cool run through the Death Stars’s infrastructure. Damn man, that boy has skills XD
May 4, 2015 — 12:24 PM
Pixy says:
Mouse droids, Droidekas, and Battledroids, They actually got personalities in Ep 3 (Cute ones at that) And I always felt really bad when they got killed…Oh wow, I think I just realized I may have a droid fetish.
May 4, 2015 — 12:32 PM
jaybushman says:
Toryn Farr. Lady wields an Ion Cannon like nobody’s business. http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Toryn_Farr
May 4, 2015 — 12:58 PM
Ryan V says:
She shoots the ion cannon and she’s the last one to leave. Rowr. Wow.
May 5, 2015 — 2:36 AM
elsie alexandra cristina venegas ibarra says:
Of the first trilogy what is the only one in my humble opinion of the two that there are. Teddy bears wins!!
They are really obscure characters who wanted to eat the protagonists and only C3Po could save them and made them help and fight. Except for the little felow teddybear who fell for Leia, apparently he didn’t get the memo about been a obscure character.
May 4, 2015 — 1:09 PM
Ron Mitchell says:
Nien Nunb is the best. I hope he makes an appearance in your post-Jedi book. Although I know you probably can’t confirm or deny unless you want to be disappeared.
May 4, 2015 — 1:15 PM