There are several characters from the Star Wars sequel trilogy who must return, to either complete their story arc, or get better treatment on screen. While the future of the Star Wars movie universe remains unclear, another trilogy, or standalone project, is certain to return, and these projects should return to some of the characters introduced in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. Alternatively, the Star Wars universe is currently being expanded and enriched through the Disney+ streaming series. The characters listed below could also be revisited in this format too.
A whole raft of new and interesting characters were introduced in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and several more through Star Wars: The Last Jedi to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. The core three (Rey, Finn and Poe) felt like natural additions, and it’s a testament to the writing of the characters and the actors work during all three new films that they held the screen alongside icons like Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Leia Organa (Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher). Despite this, the core three and many others suffered from story arcs cut short, being underutilized or directional missteps. These are all the Star Wars sequel trilogy characters who must return:
Finn
Who is Finn? Frustratingly, this is one question that was never answered in the sequel trilogy, despite plenty of teasing that it was a question that mattered. It’s notable that John Boyega spent the run-up to TROS hinting at big revelations and character development for Finn, and seemed as deflated as the fans when nothing really happened. A firm example of this is Finn telling Rey that he needs to talk and tell her something throughout TROS but it never being revealed. Boyega said (via Jake's Takes) that Finn was going to tell her that he could feel the Force, but this was clearly dropped on the cutting room floor. For a central character, his past, future and potential for wielding the Force was never explored properly and Finn is a character that deserves further development.
Rey
Rey (Daisy Ridley) arguably gets the best treatment through the Star Wars sequel trilogy. The protagonist throughout, her journey from Jakku scavenger to becoming the true last Jedi was fully fleshed out. While the revelation of Rey as a Palpatine was inarguably divisive, it was satisfying to see her drop the Palpatine name and become Rey Skywalker as she chose the path of the Jedi at the end of TROS. It does, however, leave her as the most important character left in the Star Wars universe and Rey must be returned to if the future of the franchise is going to return to the Jedi. While Rey is unlikely to be the last Force sensitive individual in the galaxy, she is potentially the only one with any training and if the Jedi are going to return again, she will be essential to that future story.
Rose Tico
Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran) was unceremoniously benched in TROS, to stay behind with the Resistance while the core characters got to go on adventures. Rose was introduced in TLJ, playing a central role in trying to disable the First Order’s tracking device, traveling with Finn and BB-8 to Canto Bight. Her character’s role was dramatically reduced in TROS, adding insult to injury after Kelly Marie Tran was subject to sexist and racist abuse after TROS. Her budding romance with Finn was dropped, her role in the Resistance, while important, remained unexplored on screen and her backstory was relegated to a novel called Cobalt Squadron. Tico must return, if only to give Tran the big screen outing she deserves.
Maz Kanata
Maz Kanata was an intriguing, enigmatic addition to the Star Wars universe. Introduced in TFA, her age and wisdom suggested a rich past full of stories to be told and links throughout the galaxy. A pandoras box of Star Wars world building wrapped in a wonderfully rendered CGI creation. Maz Kanata was brought to life by Lupita N’yongo, and she was an absolute highlight in TFA. Unfortunately, while playing a crucial role in introducing Rey to Luke’s lightsaber in TFA, she was from then on massively underutilized and the reason why she had Luke’s lightsaber was never explained. She popped up briefly in TLJ and then again in TROS, but her potential was wasted. A rich seam like Kanata should be brought back and mined properly.
Captain Phasma
Gwendoline Christie is a phenomenal actress and when it was announced that she was joining the Star Wars universe fans were understandably excited. Then it was announced that she would be playing the fantastically named Captain Phasma. Expectations were high, and then they were consistently dashed with three films with no character development, no depth and barely any screen time. A perfect example of visually appealing but essentially vacuous fan service. Phasma was nothing more than a big shiny stormtrooper, perfect for selling toys and filling cinema seats. With a blank slate and an ambiguous demise, Phasma must be brought back to make her existence worthwhile.
Jannah
Another First Order stormtrooper defector (similar to Finn) Jannah (Naomi Ackie) seemed like a character director JJ. Abrams wanted to do more with in TROS. When all the characters are celebrating the demise of Palpatine and the First Order, she shares an exchange with Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams) where it is heavily implied that she is his daughter. This possibility is given further weight in the Rise of Skywalker Visual Dictionary, where it is revealed that Lando did have a daughter, but she vanished. It’s too rich and fascinating a storyline to simply hint at and then drop, so Jannah needs to return. Her Star Wars arc has barely even begun.