Star Wars is one of the most lucrative and well-loved movie franchises of all time, with the fantasy property being the subject of three trilogies since 1977, several TV shows, and countless comic books and extended universe literature.
However, due to the fact that the Star Wars galaxy is full of unique characters, some are given too much screen time, and others are cheated out of their fair share of screen time.
Underused: Boba Fett
Perhaps the most obvious entry on this list, Boba Fett is the archetype of an underused Star Wars character. The bounty hunter is beloved by fans despite barely having any screen time in the original trilogy.
What’s strange about Boba Fett is that he appears to have this infamous reputation, but in the movies appears to be a bit of a klutz. Perhaps a Disney+ series could show Boba Fett stumbling through the galaxy.
Overstayed: Kylo Ren
Kylo Ren is a fantastic villain, and his character arc, despite being predictable, was well done to a certain extent in the sequel trilogy. That being said, the character hung on for far too long in the final movie.
While dying once and coming back is forgivable, ‘dying’ a second time and coming back only to die a final time is exhaustive to say the least.
Underused: Bossk
Bossk is a bounty hunter who, despite appearing in the original trilogy, isn’t as well known as he ought to be. The character is one of the most notorious bounty hunters in the galaxy, with this reputation being explored in extended universe works.
It would have been great to see the character in more Star Wars films, but perhaps there is more hope for the character in the form of Disney+ content.
Overstayed: Nute Gunray
The prequel trilogy has been enjoying a renaissance of late. The trilogy was initially disliked by fans due to its obsession with delving deep into galactic trade deals and the politics of the galaxy, avoiding the action of the original trilogy.
The character most associated with this overuse of galactic trade deals as a plot device was Nute Gunray, an annoying character who received his comeuppance via lightsaber in Revenge of the Sith.
Underused: Snoke
Despite the fact that Snoke is a villain, he is probably the biggest victim of the sequel trilogy. The Force Awakens set Snoke up as the big villain of the trilogy, showing that he was mentoring Kylo Ren in the ways of the Dark Side.
However, the character was suddenly killed off in The Last Jedi, with no mention of his backstory or his goals. The Rise of Skywalker showed that he was some kind of Force clone created by Palpatine, but this was just an even bigger insult to the character.
Overstayed: Finn
This one will be a controversial entry, but it is largely to do with how the character was used after Force Awakens. The idea that Finn was a Storm Trooper who defected is brilliant, but this was underplayed in the movies that followed.
Rather than continue with this fascinating backstory, the writers tried to turn Finn into just another Star Wars hero. More could have been done to make Finn more unique and interesting.
Underused: Lando Calrissian
Billy Dee Williams’ Lando Calrissian is one of the coolest and most interesting characters in the Star Wars galaxy. Williams appeared in the final two movies of the original trilogy and then appeared in Rise of Skywalker, while Donald Glover played the character in Solo: A Star Wars Story.
However, it’s a shame the character didn’t have more appearances in the sequel trilogy. In fact, the character didn’t really get much screen time in the Rise of Skywalker.
Overstayed: Whiny Anakin Skywalker
This one may be controversial as it only applies to a certain period in a character’s life, but it is certainly worthy of a place on this list by the criticism he received. This applies to Anakin Skywalker in Attack of the Clones, with many fans taking issue with how Anakin was characterized in this film.
Anakin was very whiny and seemed to rebel against Obi-Wan’s commands without hesitation. Fortunately, the character changed in the Clone Wars series and Revenge of the Sith.
Underused: Captain Phasma
Captain Phasma was a key element of the promotional material for the Force Awakens. Played by the fantastic Gwendoline Christie, Captain Phasma was a cool-looking enforcer of the First Order who looked like she was going to be a real threat to the heroes.
That being said, Captain Phasma was barely used in the movie at all, and she reappeared in the Last Jedi only to meet her demise. This character has a really interesting backstory, and it would have been great to see this explored more in the movies.
Overstayed: Emperor Palpatine
Before his appearance in the Rise of Skywalker, this would’ve been an almost sacrilegious inclusion to this list, with Emperor Palpatine being one of the most iconic Star Wars characters of all time.
That being said, his inclusion in the Rise of Skywalker was considered to be so hamfisted that it would be impossible not to include the character in this list.