Star Wars is known for having a vast and diverse set of characters with rich backstories and adventures of their own. Seriously, you can just pick a random alien from The Skywalker Saga, and there's a good chance they have at least one interesting story that happened outside of the Star Wars movies.
Many of these characters are super cool because of their stories, or simply super cool-looking enough that they inspired writers to give them stories. In either case, here are some of the more intriguing characters from the Star Wars films who got very little screen time, but are still awesome via their contribution to the franchise in other tales.
Ponda Baba
Ponda Baba is best known as the alien who gets his arm lopped off by Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Mos Eisley Cantina, but his history runs far deeper than that. He and his pig-faced companion Cornelius Evazan were spice runners for Jabba The Hutt, and successful ones at that. Most of Baba and Evazan's Legends adventures have been retconned post-Disney acquisition, though the two did appear in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and showed up new Star Wars material. Baba did eventually get his severed arm back and expressed remorse over bullying Luke Skywalker.
Shaak Ti
Shaak Ti was one of the prequel era's strongest Jedi, and a key character in the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars. This is despite that the fact she was given very little screen time in the movies, and her death in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith was cut from the film. Though Star Wars later confirmed her death via The Clone Wars, it was a pretty disrespectful ending for a character that was deemed one of the strongest combatants in the Jedi Council. Oh well, at least she got plenty of shine elsewhere!
Sidon Ithano
Seen only briefly in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Sidon Ithano is a famous pirate who lived along the Outer Rim in the decades following the Galactic Civil War. He and his crew searched out the treasure of Count Dooku (a collection of kyber crystals), and he later came into a number of antique Super Battle Droids that he sold to Kragan Gorr in Star Wars Resistance. Though he may not have been the most noble character, Ithano did fight against the Sith in the Battle of Exegol and survived the fight to have future adventures in the Star Wars universe.
Nien Nunb
Though he's appeared in the Star Wars franchise a good deal and is well-loved, Nien Nunb didn't have a ton of screen time in the Skywalker Saga. Over the course of four films, I'd be shocked if he's been on screen for over two to three minutes, though I'll add that he's always a standout in all those scenes. While the character died in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, he lives on as a pilot in the Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge ride Rise of the Resistance, so I can't really say the franchise did him that dirty.
Greedo
Greedo had a notoriously short scene in Star Wars: A New Hope, but that scene was so iconic that it justified prequel stories about the character. Had Greedo survived his encounter with Han Solo (regardless of whom shot first), it's hard to say whether or not people would've cared to see any more adventures that predated his infamous last mission in the Mos Eisley cantina. In this case, perhaps it was for the best Greedo didn't get a lot of screen time in the Original Trilogy.
Yarael Poof
Another forgotten Jedi Master on the council, Yarael Poof (they guy with the long neck above), was shown in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace and was noted for his ability to create illusions and perform impressive combat moves thanks to his spineless physique. Unfortunately, he was killed during the Battle of Genosis, at least according to canon. In reality, George Lucas feared Poof's species too closely resembled the Kaminoans of Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, so he was replaced by another Jedi, Coleman Trebor. Though his character was short-lived in Star Wars, he'll be remembered fondly for the Robot Chicken sketch he inspired.
Wicket W. Warrick
The iconic Ewok Wicket W. Warrick is another well-known and beloved character of Star Wars, yet he doesn't have a lot of screen time. His appearance in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi was rather brief overall, and he cameoed in The Rise Of Skywalker, but Wicket was a vital part to the upbringing of many Star Wars fans thanks to the animated series Ewoks. Not everyone loves the Ewoks, but I would wager most all who do immediately think of Wicket when they remember the furry little creatures.
Paige Tico
The older sister of Rose Tico, Paige Tico's heroic sacrifice is one of the first major moments of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Though we only see her final act as part of the Resistance, Paige completed several missions before that, and originally tried taking on the First Order with just Rose until Leia Organa stepped in and advised they'd be more effective being a part of the bigger picture. It's hard to dispute that considering the impact of Paige's final action, and how it inspired her sister Rose to be a greater hero in her own regard.
Bossk
Bossk was one of the bounty hunters hired by Darth Vader in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, but he ultimately falls short of the goal of tracking down the Millennium Falcon. He's beaten to the punch by his rival Boba Fett, who Bossk had quite a history with leading to that moment. Bossk accompanied a young Boba Fett in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and attempted to help him track down the murderer of Fett's father, Mace Windu. Bossk was last seen in Jabba's palace and aboard the Hutt's sail barge during the events of Return of the Jedi, though there is some chance he may have escaped before the barge exploded.
Do you have a favorite minor Star Wars character that didn't make the list? Sound off in the comments below, and be sure to stick with CinemaBlend for all the latest news regarding Star Wars and other goings on in the world of movies and television.
