Discussion Side Characters that become cult favorites are needed in ST

Yo!

I think one of the main things lacking in the PT is that no side characters – characters that get little screen time – that became fan favorites. I think that was one of the big appeals of the OT – you had dozens of characters that didn’t have much screen time become everyones favorite characters.

This would include the likes of Boba Fett, IG-88, Boskk, Dengar, Lobot, the Cantina Band, Salacious Crumb, that weird spy dude that tells the stormtroopers where the Falcon was in Mos Eisley in Ep IV, Royal Guards, the Rancor, etc...

The list could be almost endless.

I’m trying to think of those type of minor characters, that might have been seen on screen or mentioned that became cult favorites. Outside of the Jedi (Kit Fitso, Plo Koon, and Ayalla Secura), I really cant think of many. In fact, the only one I can come up with is Grevious's Magna Guards. I believe they tried to do this with characters like Watto, Dex, Tion Medon, and Aura Sing – but they pale in comparison to OT characters.

The ST needs to feature a handful of these cool “side characters”. Its part of the Star Wars lure. And I feel something that was drastically missing in the PT.



-C

 

Yup, there are plenty of those (potential) characters throughout the PT, but as you said they pale in comparison.

The reason why is simple: the bad screenwriting of the PT.

Let's hope Arndt brings us back some new SW cult side-guys.

 

YES! The OT was full of awesome characters that you wanted to learn more about and sadly the PT just wasnt...

Bad writing, bad character development, bad CGI even are all contributing factors in my opinon.

Look at Dex Jettster...in OT probably would have been awesome. In PT, forgettable.

 

Oh boy another PT vs. OT thread.

 

I agree that these B and C characters really serve to fill out the GFFA and give it more of a real-world appeal. In fact, while I'm personally a sucker for the big roles (though Boba Fett did catch my fancy), there are folks throughout the fandom - particularly in the collecting realm - who insist that they've always found these sidemen to be the most appealing of character subsets.

To me, the PT had a few of these guys - Jango Fett, for one (and heck, even though he seems to have been meant to be one of the 'bigs,' given his limited screen time, I even consider Maul an interesting side character) - but I guess I agree that, generally speaking, the OT used these guys to greater effect. The Imperials had their share of engaging B's and C's, for example.

As far as the ST is concerned, I'd find it hard to believe we won't see a new bounty hunter-type make an appearance (and my money is on he or she being a Mandalorian), but yeah, beyond that, I really hope that the new films really dig deep with these characters and offer up a nice assortment, boasting some cool designs and quality roles.

 

Me too. Cool designs is essential. I'm not going to go into PT vs OT, however one thing I definitely don't want to see is the new trilogy try and rehash popular favourites (ie Boba Fett) by just sticking in another hard-nosed mandalorian who never says much. If they are going to fill out the movie with some interesting side characters, make them (a) look a little bit different and exotic and (b) actually have some purpose to the plot, if only small.

Personally I'd like to see Guri make an appearance. Ass-kicking hot female human replica droid = win.

 

Can we just have a seperate PT bashing forum? I visit here for discussions about the future trilogy. But as you did have a pop, don't discount the minor jedi from PT, that's rediculous, you listed plenty of PT characters then discount them for being jedi? Not having that.

Bosk is the worst OT character. Reverence of him is beyond belief... Something about rose tinted glasses.

 

Wasn't there a basher's sanctuary back in the day?

 

I want a Hondo type character in the ST.

 

I want to see more gangsters in the ST.

 

I'm sorry - but Dexxter Jettster, as an interesting side character, pales in comparison to Garindan? No. Just no.

 

I'm sure there will be this one guy who at one point in ST holds the door open for Luke, with a barely visible smile and a nod.

Later on, in a three-part novel series (which will be direct-to-DVD, don't ask) we will discover that he was in fact Joanna Fett's (Boba's daughter) secret dark side apprentice, who after years of training and slaughtering Jed Ghosts was finally ready to exact revenge for Luke slicing his father in half sometime during Children of the Jedi (retconn needed, ofc). The novel will explain how it was at this exact precise moment that he intended to poison Luke by spraying a colorless, odorless toxin through his fake front teeth - which he in fact did. Luke Skywalker only escaped dying from the toxin he inhaled at the door by drinking a cup of new brand of cyan milk, which happens to be one of the three substances in the known Universe that cancel the effect of the Byfronna Pollen (as the toxin is called, and is at length explained in the tie-in eBook).

On a more serious note, yeah, side characters can be pretty cool.

 

I do want some of the new characters to become classics so they *disney and lucasfilm* wont feel like they have to rely on the OT cast or look alike characters *like throwing in another Fett or character who resembles another character*. We dont want audiences growing tired of the older or "look alike" characters by going "Oh look...that guy again. Yawn. Bring me something new". Too much of something familiar *whether it be the OT cast or not* is at risk of getting old really quickly *no pun intended*

 

^ This. Screw it, just bring Hondo himself in. To hell with continuity!

 

Or Hondo's son but Hondo works. Who knows how long his species lives?

 

Hondo's daughter, Honda? Perhaps she helps the characters reach some sort of Accord?

 

Nah, she's a Civic leader.

 

An Accord with a Civic leader is a Prelude to peace!

 

Peace Wars!

 

I'm not sure I agree to be honest. There were interesting side characters in both the PT and OT in my opinion. Plo Koon, Zam Wessel, some of the pod pilots, Panaka... I think a lot of our conceptions of the OT are influenced by nostalgia for our childhoods. As a kid I was so fascinated by the likes of Boba Fett, to a childlike extent that probably wouldn't happen if I first viewed the OT now as an adult. When I look at Fett I feel those same things that I did when I was a kid. The same with the original sarlacc pit, or the aliens in the cantina. It's nostalgia!

I'm sure we'll see some cool side characters in the ST.

 

yarael poof, aayla secura, zam wesell, kit fisto... i know you mentioned some of these, but the PT is FULL of great characters that were underexplored and have become cult favorites. nostalgia can really warp things.

 

I cant believe the love for Zam Wesell? I thought she was a horrible character. Plus, I dont think shape-shifting has any place in Star Wars (along with cloaking, but we can get into that later...).

I thought Zam's character was boderline mentally challenged. Maybe because it was the way she was used. I mean, who goes to assasin someone by dropping some bugs in through a window and then runs away?? If you can cut a hole in the window - SHOOT HER!



-C

 

Zam Wesell was awesome. One of the few tolerable things in AOTC.

Great costume, I like the shape-shifting and a sweet line, "it was just a job".

 

I hate that line. Over used....

-C

 

You can't really create a side character who becomes a cult icon. You can only create characters and some take off while others don't. A guy like Sebulba for example would seem to be a great candidate for such a push. He's mean, he's the best racer in the system, he swears, he finds himself being surrounded by hot women, he assaults Jar Jar...what's not to love? But Sebulba never really caught on.

Then you have characters like Ahsoka Tano who starts off kind of annoying and seemingly out of place in the context of the gap between 2 and 3, but ends up being one of the most developed characters in the saga without us ever actually getting to know much of her backstory, while Kit Fisto becomes a fan favourite, not for any heroic displays or deep backstory, but because in one shot in AOTC, he smiled. Seriously, that's what the guy is known for. He's the smiling green Jedi.

Boba Fett, perhaps the biggest cult character in the supporting cast, doesn't actually do all that much. He basically just stands around, nodding his head and the only time we see him in a meaty action sequence, it turns out that he's actually kinda lame having been beaten by a blind man and eaten by the Sarlaac. But nodding his head, not seeing his face and being told "no disintegrations" was enough to make him a fan favourite.