Do You Agree These Are the 10 Most Underrated Star Wars Characters?

The Star Wars galaxy is packed with leaders, pilots, spies, warriors, and scoundrels who move the story forward in quiet and essential ways. This list gathers ten characters from the films and series whose actions shaped key battles, political turning points, and cultural shifts across the Republic, the Empire, the Rebellion, and the New Republic.

Each entry focuses on concrete details like first appearances, affiliations, notable missions, and on screen contributions across the saga. You will find where they showed up, what they accomplished, and how they connected threads between stories in titles such as ‘A New Hope’, ‘The Clone Wars’, ‘Rebels’, ‘Rogue One’, and ‘Andor’.

Wedge Antilles

Wedge Antilles first appears as an X wing pilot in ‘A New Hope’ and returns in ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ and ‘Return of the Jedi’. He flies with Red Squadron at Yavin and later with Rogue Squadron on Hoth, where he and Luke Skywalker bring down an Imperial walker with a tow cable. In the attack on the second Death Star he leads Red Squadron and coordinates with Lando Calrissian to strike critical targets inside the battle station.

Portrayed by Denis Lawson, Wedge is one of the few Rebel pilots to survive multiple major engagements. He is seen again late in the timeline with a cameo in ‘The Rise of Skywalker’. Across these appearances he links the early rebellion with its final victories, serving as a consistent tactical presence in starfighter combat.

Mon Mothma

Mon Mothma is introduced in ‘Return of the Jedi’ as a senior Rebel leader and later receives expanded focus in ‘Rogue One’ and ‘Andor’. A senator from Chandrila, she works publicly within the Imperial Senate while covertly coordinating resistance networks and funding operations that will grow into the formal Rebel Alliance.

Played by Caroline Blakiston in the original trilogy and Genevieve O’Reilly in newer projects, Mon Mothma’s story continues into the New Republic era. In ‘Andor’ the series follows her political maneuvering and personal risk as she balances public duty with clandestine support for the rebellion, laying groundwork for her later role as New Republic Chancellor referenced in ‘Ahsoka’.

Captain Rex

Captain Rex serves under Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano in ‘The Clone Wars’ as a veteran commander of the Grand Army of the Republic. His arc documents frontline campaigns, evolving views on command, and the removal of his inhibitor chip during Order 66 with help from Ahsoka and droids.

Rex reappears in ‘Rebels’, living with fellow clones Wolffe and Gregor before rejoining the fight against the Empire with Phoenix Squadron. He takes part in operations that support the liberation of Lothal and provides continuity from the Clone Wars generation to the era of the Alliance to Restore the Republic.

Hera Syndulla

Hera Syndulla commands the Ghost crew in ‘Rebels’ as pilot and mission leader with the callsign Spectre Two. A Twi’lek from Ryloth, she coordinates cell activity for the early rebellion and flies the VCX 100 light freighter Ghost in operations against Imperial forces, assisted by the astromech C1 10P also known as Chopper.

Hera is referenced in ‘Rogue One’ and appears in live action in ‘Ahsoka’ as a New Republic general played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead. Her record includes work with Phoenix Squadron, cooperation with Alliance High Command, and mentorship of crews that connect to later New Republic defense efforts.

Hondo Ohnaka

Hondo Ohnaka debuts in ‘The Clone Wars’ as the Weequay leader of a pirate gang based on Florrum. His activities include raiding supply lines, negotiating prisoner exchanges with Jedi and Separatists, and shifting allegiances that follow profit and survival more than ideology.

He returns in ‘Rebels’ where his partnership with Ezra Bridger produces both complications and advantages for the Ghost crew. Hondo’s dealings with smugglers, crime bosses, and resistance cells provide a recurring bridge between underworld networks and larger conflicts that shape the era of the Empire.

Asajj Ventress

Asajj Ventress appears in ‘The Clone Wars’ as a Dathomirian Nightsister trained by Count Dooku. After Dooku’s betrayal she returns to Dathomir, works with Mother Talzin, and transitions into life as a bounty hunter with assignments that put her in contact with Jedi and Separatist targets.

Her story tracks the fates of the Nightsisters and the shifting power dynamics around Dooku and General Grievous. Across the series she teams with and opposes figures like Obi Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka Tano, illustrating how former Separatist agents moved through the galaxy after losing formal backing during the later stages of the Clone Wars.

Bodhi Rook

Bodhi Rook is introduced in ‘Rogue One’ as an Imperial cargo pilot who defects with information from Galen Erso. He brings the message to Saw Gerrera’s partisans on Jedha and then supports the Rogue One team at Scarif by coordinating communications and relaying instructions on how to transmit the Death Star plans.

Played by Riz Ahmed, Bodhi’s technical skills and knowledge of Imperial procedures enable the ground team to reach the master switch and align the dish for the final transmission. His actions directly connect Galen Erso’s warning with the Alliance intelligence chain that delivers the plans to Leia Organa at the end of the film.

Chirrut Îmwe

Chirrut Îmwe appears in ‘Rogue One’ as a Guardian of the Whills from Jedha City. Although he is not a Jedi, he is highly attuned to the Force, which informs his perception and combat style that uses a lightbow and staff while navigating battle despite blindness.

Portrayed by Donnie Yen, Chirrut supports the Rogue One team at Scarif by advancing through heavy fire to reach the control panel and activate the master switch. His partnership with Baze Malbus and his steady invocation of the Force mark the spiritual dimension of the mission that leads to the successful transfer of the Death Star plans.

Cad Bane

Cad Bane debuts in ‘The Clone Wars’ as a Duros bounty hunter who operates across Hutt Space, Coruscant, and the Outer Rim with contracts that target senators, Jedi, and high value assets. His methods include infiltration, hostage taking, and escapes that challenge Republic security.

He appears again in ‘The Bad Batch’ and in live action during ‘The Book of Boba Fett’. Across these projects he crosses paths with Fennec Shand, Omega, and Boba Fett, showing how bounty hunter rivalries and client politics influence events that stretch from the end of the Clone Wars into the period of Imperial rule and its aftermath on Tatooine.

Nien Nunb

Nien Nunb enters the story in ‘Return of the Jedi’ as a Sullustan pilot from Sullust who serves as Lando Calrissian’s copilot aboard the Millennium Falcon during the attack on the second Death Star. His navigation and systems work support the run through the superstructure during the final strike on the battle station.

He later appears with the Resistance in the sequel trilogy, including ‘The Force Awakens’ and ‘The Last Jedi’. These appearances show his continued service with Alliance and Resistance forces across decades of conflict, linking the original campaign against the Empire with the fight against the First Order.

Share your picks and any characters you would add in the comments.