One of the things that makes the Star Wars franchise so enduring to fans is the random side characters that we all know and love. Often pages and pages of fan fiction are written about the most fleeting characters in the show. Entire backstories are invented and enter the lore - and sometimes even the canon. Here are a few of the best examples of random characters and why fans love them so much.
Greedo
When of the earliest examples of fans getting attached to a somewhat minor character is Greedo in the first Star Wars movie. Fans have argued for decades over whether it should be Han Solo shooting first in their encounter (as it was originally) or the bounty hunter shooting first (as it is in the re-edits). Either way fans still love the confrontation and we learn a lot of Han either way.
Wedge Antilles
It's easy to see why fans love Wedge Antilles. He is a first-rate pilot and a dedicated member of the Rebel Alliance in the first three movies. He takes place in most of the major battles in the original trilogy, playing a part in the destruction of both Death Stars and flies a snowspeeder in the Battle of Hoth as well. He even has a voice cameo in Rogue One.
Boba Fett
It's true, Boba Fett doesn't really count as random anymore, what with his backstory in the second trilogy and his own show on Disney+, but we had to include him here because he's really the O.G. random character that fans gravitated to in the original trilogy.
Willrow Hood
Without a doubt, Willrow Hood is the most random character to gain traction among fans in the Star Wars universe. He's seen for about one second on screen, evacuating from Cloud City in The Empire Strikes Back carrying what appears to be an ice cream maker. Fans loved the shot of him so much that an entire backstory has been created, making him a hero of the Alliance.
Salacious B. Crumb
For a character who is kind of pure evil and doesn't have an lines other than his maniacal laugh, Salacious B. Crumb has become quite the fan favorite. He's essentially just Jabba The Hutt's pet in Return of the Jedi, but that laugh and his ridiculous nature have endeared him to fans, who just love to hate him.
Logray
The Ewok shaman Logray quickly became everyone's favorite Ewok besides Wicket. His reactions to C-3PO's stories and his leadership in the community is what fans are most drawn to.
MSE-6 Mouse Droid
Though it's not really a character per se, this little repair droid has a big personality and from the beginning of the franchise has been a fan favorite among the random droids. An MSE-6 Mouse Droid is first seen in A New Hope and has appeared in many places around the franchise over the years.
Cornelius Evazan
Cornelius Evazan is a wanted man, he has the death sentence in 12 systems if he is to be believed. He is also on the business end of a light saber the first time Star Wars fans saw one in action when Obi-Wan strikes him down in the cantina. He does make a cameo in Rogue One as a great easter egg for fans.
Lobot
Lobot is a classic case of a random character taking on great lore among Star Wars fans. Though little is said about him when viewers first see him on Cloud City in Empire, it turns out he has a long backstory and has been Lando's right-hand man for years, as revealed in comics years later.
Lor San Tekka
It was always great when the late Max von Sydow showed up in a movie or TV show. His addition to the Star Wars universe in The Force Awakens as Lor San Tekka, a believer in the Jedi Order. He plays a key role in finding where Luke Skywalker is hiding.
Admiral Motti
Even snarky baddies like Admiral Motti in the original Star Wars. Not only is his attitude shocking, but he learns the hard way just how powerful Darth Vader is, and viewers see just what can be done by using The Force. He's not a good guy, but he is a fan-favorite character.
Uncle Owen And Aunt Beru
Uncle Owen And Aunt Beru aren't the most random of characters, obviously. They play an important role in the saga as the people who raised Luke Skywalker and are ultimately part of his motivation for the rest of the franchise. Still, they have very minimal screen time in the original Star Wars and they are beloved by fans, so they fit on this list.
Kit Fisto
Over the years, Kit Fisto has become an important character, especially in the animated Clone Wars but originally, when he is first seen in Attack Of The Clones is just a random member of the Jedi High Council who caught fans' eyes. It turns out he's one of the strongest Jedis, but it would be years before we learned that.
Nien Nunb
Nien Nunb is one of the many characters who have a pretty limited role when we first meet him as the co-pilot of the Millennium Falcon in Return of the Jedi but grows as a character throughout the third trilogy, but his reactions and flying skills endeared him to fans way back in the day.
The Rancor Trainer
There is no more random character who captured the hearts of fans than the rancor trainer in Jabba's palace in Return of the Jedi. What did for everyone is the way he broke down and cried after his rancor was killed by Luke. It's a very human moment, as it were.
Labria
Labria, or Kardue'sai'Malloc as we would later learn was his real name, has about two seconds of screen time in the cantina in the original Star Wars. His devilish look was instantly a great Halloween costume for hardcore fans.
Dak Ralter
We don't get to know too much about Dak Ralter. In the Battle of Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back, Dak is Luke Skywalker's wingman in the snowspeeder. After the is shot down, sadly Dak doesn't make it. Luke manages to escape but is unable to save Dak and it's a surprisingly emotional moment for a character we hardly knew.
IG-88
Sure, the IG-88 has become one of the most iconic droids in the Star Wars universe over the years, but back when it first appeared in Empire, it was just a random bounty hunter, one of a number of bounty hunters, who got it's own action figure. One of the O.G. randoms.
Fi'Grin Dan And The Modal Nodes
Music is incredibly important in the Star Wars universe, from John Williams' amazing score (one of his best) to the music in various water holes around the universe. One of the most famous bands, and a group that fans absolutely love, is the O.G. cantina band, Fi'Grin Dan And The Modal Nodes.
Yaddle
For a character who has as little screen time as Yaddle to have the kind of lore she eventually has shows just how much fans can connect to the most random characters in the Star Wars universe.
Garindan Ezz Zavor
Garindan Ezz Zavor is a spy for the Empire whose look seems to be inspired by doctors during the Plague in the Dark Ages. He follows the rebels as they try to escape Mos Eisley in A New Hope and though he is only seen in a few brief scenes, his striking appearance made him the subject of a lot of wonder from fans.
Paige Tico
Paige Tico is one of the biggest heroes in The Last Jedi, yet she is still a pretty random character to play such a big role. This isn't unique to the franchise, of course, so she definitely belongs on this list, as she only has a couple of minutes of screen time. A big impact in a small amount of time.
GNK Power Droid
One of the greatest things about the art department on the Star Wars movies is how many fun and interesting droids they come up with. A prime example is the GNK Power Droid, which pops up in a number of spots around the universe but really grabbed fans' hearts with his terrifying scream as his feet are branded in Return of the Jedi.
Tion Medon
Tion Medon has one of the most unique vibes in the whole franchise. He looks like a character from a horror movie, but he proves quite quickly where his alliances lie when he informs Obi-Wan that Grievous is using his home planet as a base in Revenge Of The Sith. Later, he takes on a bigger role in The Clone Wars.
Max Rebo
Like other musicians in the Star Wars universe, Max Rebo quickly became a fan favorite after first being spotted in Jabba's palace in Return Of The Jedi. He was so popular that he was brought back in The Book Of Boba Fett. His unique look and awesome-looking keyboard make everyone want to hire them for their parties.
Dexter Jettster
The prequels are often accused of being too cartoony for the Star Wars franchise and it's characters like Dexter Jettster who justify the complaints. As a... diner owner... Dexter Jettster is an old friend and source for Obi-Wan in Attack of the Clones. Despite being a pretty silly character in a pretty silly moment, he's still pretty fun, which explains his popularity among those who love the prequels.
EV-9D9
One of the most nerve-wracking droids has to be EV-9D9, which runs Jabba's fleet of stolen droids. He's like the warden in a droid prison and his crackly voice makes him very intimidating, but it makes him stand out and people love him for it.
Ben Quadinaros
Sure, he's one of the cheesiest parts of The Phantom Menace, which itself is the cheesiest of all the movies, but Ben Quadinaros is still easy to love. The hapless podracer just can't find any luck in the race and everything goes wrong for the poor guy. He's an underdog we can all root for.
Jek Tono Porkins
Porkins is a character that Star Wars fans love to hate. He certainly doesn't fit the mold of a typical pilot, as he's on the heavier side. He also doesn't perform all that well in his attempts to take down the Death Star. But come on! We should appreciate that he even got into the fight!
Plo Koon
He may look like a living nightmare, but Jedi Council member Plo Koon is one of the Jedis in the prequels that fans just loved. A deft fighter and a strong ally in every way, Plo Koon met his demise due to Order 66 but his memory lives on forever.
Exogorth
Is it fair to call the Exogorth a character? Sure, why not, is what we say. The "character" doesn't have any lines and it's only on screen for a few seconds as it attempts to eat the Millennium Falcon after Han and co tried to hide in its belly. It's one of the best moments of Star Wars and one of the most memorable for even the youngest fans.
Teedo
Like so many other characters and creatures in the Star Wars universe, Teedo (which is technically his species, not his name) packs a lot of personality into just a little screen time. He's a scrounger on Jakku, competing with Rey with junk to sell in The Force Awakens. It was a moment when fans felt like the sequel trilogy returned to its original roots after the prequels.
