So, I've been really heavy into the EU for about 12 years now, and I've read of countless characters who could have been great, but just fell by the wayside. The one that sticks out the most to me is Kar Vastor, from Shatterpoint and Luke Skywalker and The Shadows of Mindor. I really think that Vastor could have been so much more than what Stover intended. He was a great adversary in Shatterpoint, and was only in Mindor briefly. A Force user that beat the snot out of Mace Windu, who dueled Palpatine to a standstill? What a terrific villain!!! Completely untrained, like a wild animal. Who do you (the reader) think had great potential but was just wasted?
Half of anyone in the post NJO fits. I didn't hate all the writing but the constant focus on the Big 3 is a annoyance
Dooku, big time. Kar Vastor I liked, but I think he works best in the Heart of Darkness. Anakin Skywalker. Scout, but she was just a victim of the time period. All three Solo kids. The next generation of Jedi.
Kyp is definitely a big one for me, there were so many routes they could have gone with his character and yet aside from a little bit of arguing and a weird thing with Jaina in the NJO he's barely appeared at all. Meetra Surik. I loved the Exiles story but she was just utterly wasted in the Revan novel.
Frankly there are hundreds of characters who were just outright abandoned after appearing in major roles in a single EU work. This includes almost any Jedi not named Skywalker or Solo introduced following The Unifying Force and almost any politician as well. I give my vote to Turr Phennir - a once minor character from the X-wing novels he shows up as lead of the big new galactic faction the Confederation, which is basically intended to be the Separatists 2.0, and all he does is given a speech mocking Jacen Solo. We have no idea how a once staunch Imperial ended up in that position, what his plans or goals were, or how he governed the semi-autonomous Confederation afterwards, including any reaction he may have had to the whole huge Daala-Jedi-Lost Tribe-Abeloth fiasco. Phennir could, and should, have played a huge role in FotJ (and any major subsequent works) and his character could have been taken in almost any direction whatsoever, but no, the man has no lines at all.
Hmmm right. And Revan was sort of wasted too. And perhaps in more ways than one, but the looks of him.
Kyle Katarn has still not fulfilled his obligation to save all life in the universe, past, present and future.
Definitely the Solo kids. Kidnapped 23865 times when they were small, and either killed early, killing a sibling on direction of their parents, or going dark when they're older.
Don't call her "Meetra Surik". But, yeah, considering she was pretty much the Luke Skywalker of the KotOR era, she deserved so much more.
I'd like more Talon Karrde before The Thrawn Trilogy. I know we get a couple of shorts from Zahn from the Adventure journals, and the Appearences in the X-Wing novels, but there is more to tell there. and I'd love to fill in Shada's time as a Mistryl. We have the Short from Zahn in the Cantina Anthology, and at least one more short from the Adventure Journals, but there is more that could be told before her appearence in The thrawn Trilogy. I Want more Dash Rendar. Shadow Games was good, but a little offsetting sue to inconsitancies. I want the smart mouthed Smuggler and body guard we see in Shadows or the Empire. I did like the rivalry with Han though. And show os the Fate of Juval. I think a Sequal to Shadow Games is needed. Winter is just asking to be fleshed out a bit more. Zahn originally had her very regal, but we've seen her able to get down and dirty with the rogues a few times. I'd love to see one of her solo adventures. Maybe wirkign with some other minor rebel characters. Maybe Major Derling.