You know what Star Wars does really well? Creating unforgettable characters. You know what it also does? Forgetting to use some of them properly.
Here’s my hot take on six characters that deserved better. Much better.
1. Kylo Ren
Absolute legend material. He had the setup: a dude torn between his dark side vibes, his Skywalker/Solo baggage, and that whole “my grandpa was Darth Vader” thing.
But what did we get? A redemption arc that felt like someone pressed fast-forward. One minute, he’s full-on emo Sith; the next, he’s dying for Rey in a heroic sacrifice. Cool? Sure. Satisfying? Not really.
Give me the Kylo from the Duel of the Fates script—wrestling with his demons, clashing with Rey on ideals, and actually earning that redemption. Instead, we got “oops, gotta wrap this up in two hours.”
2. General Hux
Remember when Hux screamed his lungs out in The Force Awakens? Dude was terrifying. Straight-up First Order fanatic.
Then The Rise of Skywalker turned him into… a mole? Out of pure jealousy? That’s the equivalent of Darth Vader quitting the Empire because Tarkin stole his lunch.
In Duel of the Fates, Hux dies a tragic, bitter death as a true believer in the First Order. That would’ve been epic. Instead, he got reduced to “lol, I’m the spy” and disappeared from relevance.
3. Captain Phasma
Phasma looked like she was about to wreck everyone’s day. Chrome armor, icy vibe, leader of the freakin’ Stormtroopers. She was right there, primed to be a Finn’s nemesis or a hardcore enforcer for the First Order.
But nah. Trash compactor. Brief cameo. Quick death. That’s it.
Why not let her go full Terminator on Finn and the Resistance? Make her the relentless hunter who’s always one step behind them. Instead, she’s just… shiny and wasted.
4. Finn
Finn’s intro in The Force Awakens was chef’s kiss. A Stormtrooper breaking free? A fresh angle we hadn’t seen before. And then… the sequels didn’t know what to do with him.
By The Last Jedi, he’s on a casino side quest, and The Rise of Skywalker barely touches his hinted Force sensitivity. Bro deserved more!
Imagine if Finn became a symbol of rebellion, rallying other Stormtroopers to turn against the First Order. Or if he embraced the Force and started training as a Jedi. Instead, they put him on the sidelines. Why?
5. Snoke
Snoke showed up like a boss in The Force Awakens. Big, mysterious, clearly the mastermind pulling the strings. Fans went wild with theories—fallen Jedi? Sith remnant? Some ancient dark side god?
Turns out, he was just… Palpatine’s clone puppet thing? Really?
They could’ve made him a rival to Palpatine, a dark power from the Unknown Regions, or literally anything more interesting. Instead, he got iced before we even knew who he was.
6. The Knights of Ren
The Knights of Ren were hyped as Kylo’s dark side squad, and honestly, they looked amazing. But what did they actually do? Not much.
Were they fallen Jedi? Mercenaries? Force-sensitive? Who knows, because the movies didn’t bother to explain. They just stood around looking cool until their inevitable throwaway fight.
These guys could’ve been Kylo’s Inquisitors, fully fleshed-out badasses with backstories and personality. Instead, they were basically the galaxy’s edgiest boy band.