The 15 Best Star Wars Side Characters

Star Wars isn't only defined by the Skywalker Saga. The series contains a multitude of tales fueled by the humans, aliens, and droids who help or hinder the heroes, many of whom exist outside of the main storyline. As Star Wars expanded into other materials — spinoff films like "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story," TV shows like the Disney+ series "The Mandalorian," comics, novels, and more — it became as clear as the stars that these players don't need the Jedi by their side.

The Star Wars galaxy is an ever-expanding cosmos of players who impact the universe in their own ways, and the franchise is nothing without these colorful supporting characters. Whether they are brought to life by live-action performers, CGI-animated models and voice actors, elaborate practical effects, or puppeteers, they enrich the main stories while becoming well-rounded characters in their own right.

They may not have the spotlight, but these characters don't really exist on the side. They're the foundations of the whole Star Wars franchise. From the movies, live-action television, cartoons, and books, these are the best side characters in the galaxy far, far away.

Voiced by Tiya Sircar, this young hot-blooded Mandalorian, her colorful beskar armor splattered with pink and purple paint, loves to stick it to the Empire in the "Rebels" cartoon. Enjoying a sisterly relationship with the Jedi-in-training Ezra Bridger, Sabine has a dark past in which she created weapons for the Empire. She eventually broke free and, to atone for her wrongdoing, became part of the Ghost's crew.

Sabine's art emerges as a spiritual force throughout "Rebels." Although Sabine doesn't interact with the legendary Grand Admiral Thrawn, the manner in which he treats art makes Sabine one of his biggest foils. Grand Admiral Thrawn steals art from its creators and uses it as a tool of oppression; Sabine's art champions her culture, intimacy, and her belief in a higher cause. In the "Rebels" ending, her art that immortalizes her found family long after the Ghost's crew parts ways. 

Sabine was also the center of one of the greatest "Rebels" episodes, "Trials of the Darksaber," which played out a deconstruction of the Chosen One narrative. In it, Sabine has to decide if she wants to wield the Darksaber and rule Mandalore — and, remarkably, Sabine is given the option to say no. In a fantasy story like "Star Wars," it's rare and refreshing to see a young girl who's allowed to lay down a burden of this magnitude with the blessing of her family.

Like C-3PO and R2-D2, separating this duo would not do either justice. Played by Donnie Yen and Jiang Wen, Chirrut and Baze are the Jedha human duo introduced in "Rogue One" who became irreplaceable allies to Jyn Erso, Cassian Andor, and the Rebellion.

In the live-action movies, Chirrut introduced us to acolytes who were not Force-sensitive but still follow the principles of the light side. No, Chirrut is not a Jedi, and yet the Force very much flows through his essence and his virtues. It guides him through his blindness, his keen senses, and his deadly combat stick.

Baze is as cynical as Chirrut is spiritual, but they are thick as thieves and good friends despite their different outlooks. Baze loves ribbing about Chirrut his spiritualism, but what Chirrut needs, Baze will get done — often with a flamethrower. As much as the war-hardened Baze rejects the Force, the deeper you get into "Rogue One," the more evident it becomes that Baze keeps Chirrut around because he hopes that Chirrut's optimism will rub off on him. Now, that's friendship.

Played by Veronica Ngo, Paige Tico is introduced five minutes before she is killed off. But for a fleeting appearance, by golly does she have a big impact on "The Last Jedi." On the surface, Paige's purpose is to release the bombs that destroy a First Order Dreadnought. When she's slammed below deck, she grunts, kicking a ladder to get the denotation trigger into her hands. When the deed is done, she shuts her eyes; the fire swallows her peaceful expression as she clutches her crescent moon necklace.

Why does a character killed off so easily resonate throughout "The Last Jedi" and embody the spirit of Star Wars? Her sister, Rose, portrayed by Kelly Marie Tran, carries the same necklace. Shots of the jewelry denote Paige's presence, marking moments when Paige's memory inspires Rose to do the right thing, even if it means sacrificing herself.

It would be easy to dismiss Paige as a plot device to motivate Rose, but "Last Jedi" director Rian Johnson understood that it was important to witness her terror, her determination, her resolve, and her peace. In that way, the audience honors the anonymous people who exist in the margins of the Skywalker saga. Paige's lines are little more than grunts, yet her expressions, actions, and spirit echo across the cosmos.

Voiced by Vanessa Marshall, Hera Syndulla is the "mom" to the Ghost's crew in "Star Wars Rebels." A green Twi'lek pilot, Hera is the heart of the cast, passing advice and encouragement to Kanan, Sabine, Zeb, and Ezra. While Kanan usually leads the on-field missions and Hera provides the getaway rides, she knows how to take charge when necessary. If it wasn't for Hera, Kanan would not have rediscovered his Jedi purpose, as seen in John Jackson Miller's novel "A New Dawn." By the time that Hera welcomes Ezra into her crew, he's impressed with how she's knitted together a family.

In "The Bad Batch," we glimpse how her childhood was forged, in the words of Grand Admiral Thrawn, by war on planet Ryloth. Her appearance in that series lets the audience see how a young soul, someone who is not a soldier, is affected by the Empire's rule. After the event of "Rebels," Hera's battle continued in the "Alphabet Squadron" books and the "Doctor Aphra" comics.

If C-3PO is a nuisance who tries too hard to be polite, K-2SO is your insensitive buddy who's happy tossing around insults and thwacking a stormtrooper's skull. An Imperial droid reprogrammed to serve Rebel spy Cassian Andor, he offers just as much snark as he does help. Played on set and voiced by "Firefly" star Alan Tudyk, K-2SO is a scene-stealer whose quotable quips add levity to one of the grimmer Star Wars movies. One of his iconic moments? "Jyn, I'll be there for you. Cassian said I had to."

How many of you cheered when Jyn finally gave K-2SO a blaster and he used it on stormtroopers? And he used it well, proving himself a formidable threat. Like the entire cast of "Rogue One," K-2SO's sacrifice motivates Jyn and Cassian to find plan Stardust, and his actions ensure that Luke Skywalker will destroy the Death Star in "A New Hope."

Fans waiting for the "Andor" spin-off series on Disney+ will be pleased to hear that Tudyk is reprising his role as the cranky bot. "How does [Cassian] reprogram K-2? What is that like? I'm sure K-2 doesn't go quietly, so that'll be fun to play," Tudyk said.

Saw Gerrera was the first animated Lucasfilm character to leap to the live-action universe, showing a remarkable range for his character. When he's introduced in "Clone Wars," Saw is a hot-headed youth dedicated to saving Onderon, his home. By the time he pops up in "Rogue One" in the grizzled form of Forest Whitaker, his imposing presence injects grey morality into Galactic Civil War, which is usually shown as a fairly black-and-white battle. Saw doesn't have the greatest reputation among the Rebellion, which seeks to dissociate from his deeds thanks to his high casualty count.

This doesn't mean that Saw ignores humanity, just that his allies often need to kick some sense into him. Sometimes, Saw's paranoia reflects the graveness of the Empire's power. Sometimes, his strategy involves placing kids in danger. We hear of people talk about his violent actions, designating him a terrorist. Depending on which media you consume, you might see different sides of Saw, too. When you meet the man in "Clone Wars," "Rogue One," "Star Wars Rebels," and "The Bad Batch," he can be reasoned with. His zealousness is as sympathetic as it is disturbing. Still, in his later appearances, he's equipped with a mechanized body, making him the lighter antithesis to the mechanized Darth Vader.

"In my book, experience outranks everything." Rex, designated CT-7567, did not have the most fortunate debut — he first appeared in the ill-received "The Clone Wars" theatrical film — but eventually grew into a main, fully realized cast member. Rex is loyal to both the Jedi and his friend Ahsoka Tano, but also learns to formulate his own principles, realizing that he sometimes has to circumvent orders to do the right thing. This key moment arrives in "The Deserter," when Rex is willing to keep a secret to protect an AWOL clone and his family. In the infamous Umbara arc, Rex's story serves as a cautionary tale about unconditionally following orders.

Rex never stopped fighting for justice. In "Star Wars Rebels," he suits up and fights of his own volition. Rex became so popular that fans theorized that he was actually one of the extras on Endor. While this wasn't canonically the case, the "Rebels" finale revealed that he did serve during that climactic battle. We don't know Rex's fate after "Rebels," and the accelerated aging of Kamino-bred clones may have hindered his chance at longevity. We can only hope that Rex enjoyed the peaceful retirement he clearly deserves.