Star Wars introduced moviegoers to a wide array of appealing characters who quickly became iconic -- Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, R2-D2, Princess Leia, and Han Solo are just a few of them. The first of the prequels, The Phantom Menace, brought us even more, like Qui-Gon Jinn, Mace Windu, and Darth Maul. With the first entry in the new trilogy, The Force Awakens, we got Rey and BB-8, to name just two. Delivering characters we want to spend time with is fundamentally what George Lucas's epic saga does.
If we consider A New Hope, The Phantom Menace, and The Force Awakens all the "originals" of their respective trilogies, then there have been five sequels so far -- The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith, and The Last Jedi. Each of them added new characters designed to further develop the overall story and take it in new, unexpected directions.
Some of those character additions have been successful. Fans have fallen in love with many of the new players, more than a couple of whom have proven absolutely vital to the series. Others have had the opposite effect. They may have seemed like a good idea on paper, but they didn't translate to the screen very well, consequently becoming weak points in the franchise. A few are even downright horrible. We've picked out the ones that added the most and those that detracted from the enjoyment of this epic space tale.
Here are 10 New Character Additions That Hurt Star Wars Movies (And 10 That Saved It).
Hurt: Count Dooku
Count Dooku makes his debut in Episode II - Attack of the Clones, but also factors into Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. He has a fascinating backstory. Once a Jedi Master -- trained by Yoda, no less -- he was swayed by the dark side of the Force and committed himself to advancing the nefarious agenda of the Sith.
By all s, he should be a fearsome character.
The casting of Christopher Lee, a screen veteran long associated with horror movies, was nothing less than inspired. Who better to bring such a devious, evil character to life? That's why it's so disappointing that relatively little is done with Dooku. He never achieves the overwhelming presence a Star Wars villain needs, which blunts his power. Darth Vader he is not.
Saved: Rose Tico
An unfair amount of negativity greeted Rose Tico -- and Kelly Marie Tran, the actress who plays her -- after she was introduced in The Last Jedi. Such criticism was misguided. Rose is a maintenance technician who moves to the front lines of the Resistance after a random encounter with Finn. Over the course of the movie, she goes from an average, almost anonymous citizen to a full-fledged hero.
What her critics fail to recognize is that Rose is a Star Wars character in the classic mode of Luke Skywalker. Like her, he overcame his humble beginnings-- Luke went from farm boy to Jedi Knight. The main theme of Star Wars has always been that average people with good intentions can make the galaxy a better place. Rose fits perfectly into that notion.
Hurt: Bail Organa
Bail Organa receives a mention in the original Star Wars film, but doesn't become a full-fledged part of things until Attack of the Clones. He is a respected member of the Republic Senate, a colleague and confidante of Pe Amidala, and eventually the adoptive father of Leia. Bail and his wife Breha take the infant girl to hide her away when Anakin Skywalker makes his transition into Darth Vader. While this fact takes up just a brief moment of screen time, it's a pivotal piece of Star Wars history.
With a strong actor like Jimmy Smits in the role and his status as Leia's paternal protector, Bail should be a much stronger presence.
To include him and not maximize his potential seems like a waste.
Saved: Jabba the Hutt
Jabba the Hutt has a great entrance into the Star Wars saga. He is mentioned in A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, in both instances referred to as a loathsome, highly dangerous gangster. Because we don't see him in either of those movies, he gains an air of mystery.
Then, in Return of the Jedi, we finally get to lay our eyes on Jabba. He's even grosser than we could have imagined. The character is brilliantly designed so that his physical size is equal to the size of his menace, and his unattractiveness is comparable to the depths of his immorality. Jabba is a world-class bad guy.
Hurt: Ewoks
The Ewoks are controversial figures within the Star Wars fan community. Some people love them, others hate them. Those who hate them do so with a ion. Truth be told, they have a point.
The teddy bear-like creatures seem a little bit too childish for the conclusion of the original trilogy.
Return of the Jedi is supposed to be the dramatic culmination of the Rebels' efforts to destroy the Death Star and put Darth Vader out of commission. That's some heavy stuff. Presumably, the Ewoks were included to give the intense proceedings a kid-friendly vibe. They ittedly have some innovative ways of helping our heroes fight evil, but the effort to cater to children is a bit too obvious.
Saved: iral Ackbar
iral Ackbar has one of the most well-known and beloved lines of dialogue in the entire Star Wars saga -- "It's a trap!" He exclaims this upon realizing that the rebels have been lured into an ambush on Endor. It's hard to say why fans have seized upon this particular moment. Maybe it's because there's such heightened drama, or maybe because Ackbar is just a cool-looking character. Maybe a little of both.
What we know for sure is that his cry makes an impact. Ackbar is a shrewd, perceptive leader and an expert military tactician. While his screen time in the saga is relatively small, the good iral has thrived in the popular Star Wars books. Fans can't get enough of him.
Hurt: Salacious Crumb
When we meet Jabba the Hutt in Return of the Jedi, we also meet his pet, Salacious B. Crumb. We're not entirely sure what this thing is. Salacious has parts that look like a monkey, parts that look like a lizard, and parts that are somewhat hard to pinpoint. He's also got an annoying cackle that gets on your nerves quickly.
The problem with Salacious is that he's clearly a puppet.
Yoda is, too, in the original trilogy, yet he has such personality and is so skillfully brought to life that it isn't hard to forget about that. The same can't be said for Salacious. Instead of an alien pet, it seems as though Jabba has a creepy Muppet hanging around him all the time.
Saved: Boba Fett
Some people like to mock Boba Fett. He doesn't get a whole lot to do, and he meets his demise rather unceremoniously in Return of the Jedi. Despite those things, the ragged-looking bounty hunter has become a serious fan favorite, thanks to his mysterious nature and some masterful costume design. George Lucas gave him a second chance, revealing his origin in the prequels, which only boosted his popularity.
Boba Fett has helped the saga by proving his versatility. He's been the subject of comic books, novels, and videogames. Even if his on-screen time isn't the most glorious, something about him has captured the imagination of fans, putting him in the upper echelon of Star Wars characters.
Hurt: Vice iral Holdo
Just to be clear, we like the idea of Vice iral Holdo. Having another strong woman step up to lead the Resistance fleet following Leia's injury was an inspired idea. It creates a moment of tension in The Last Jedi, as she gets into a scrape with Poe Dameron. And we can't forget the heroic lightspeed sacrifice she makes.
There just simply isn't enough of her.
Laura Dern is a great actress worth watching in literally anything, but Holdo doesn't get a lot of screen time before making that sacrifice. For that reason, her act of selflessness fails to generate the same emotional impact it would have had we gotten to know her better first -- or had a more established character made it.
Saved: DJ
Having an Oscar winner the cast of a Star Wars movie was an exciting proposition. Benicio del Toro, who won the Academy Award as Best ing Actor for Traffic, appears in The Last Jedi as DJ, an amoral scoundrel. DJ's big act of malice is to give the First Order all the details of the Resistance's plans, betraying Finn and Rose in the process.
The Star Wars films tend to be black-or-white when it comes to the characters. Most of them fall squarely into the category of either "good" or "evil." DJ is different. He initially helps Finn and Rose, but later turns on them when it's to his advantage. Such ambiguity provides a refreshing change from the norm, especially since he is not redeemed at the end.
