Best New Characters in The Force Awakens

Star Wars: The Force Awakens provided loads of new characters, but some were far better than others. Here’s our favorites. Warning, SPOILERS await below…

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A great thing about breathing life into a film franchise that has been for all practical purposes on life-support, is that you can invent all new characters to help that franchise gain footing in a whole new era of film. This is exactly was J.J. Abrams did with Star Wars: The Force Awakens, mixing a bit of the old and familiar (Original Trilogy heroes) with a bit of the new…and it worked out brilliantly. So, here’s a list of some of our most favorite new characters from Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

10. Unkar Plutt

Unkar Plutt was portrayed by Simon Pegg and for the little time he had on screen, he did a fantastic job. Sure, he isn’t badass and pretty like Daisy Ridley, or cute like BB-8, or ruggedly handsome like John Boyega, but as a greedy and underhanded junk dealer on Jakku, Unkar Plutt made his mark on Star Wars. And, with Rey’s Force vision showing Unkar’s hand grabbing her and his voice telling her to be quiet as a little girl, Unkar Plutt’s role in the new Star Wars trilogy may not be over, yet.

9. Bazine Netal

Bazine Netal was the mercenary who informed the First Order that Rey and BB-8 were at Maz Kanata’s castle. She is the subject of her own short-story in the Journey to the Force Awakens books, called The Perfect Weapon where she is described as a quick-witted mercenary who takes big risks for bigger rewards. With her unique look, and her deadly skills, Bazine makes the perfect merc in the seedy underworld of Maz’s castle, and could just as easily be found in Mos Eisley where you will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.

8. Ello Asty

As an X-wing pilot under the command of Commander Dameron the Abednedo pilot Ello Asty flew with Cobalt Squadron in the early days of the Resistance and is a member of Blue Squadron during the attack on Starkiller Base, where it appears as if he may have died, or at least been shot down in the last trench run, protecting Poe’s six. J.J. Abrams named Ello as an homage to his first show on ABC, LOST (L – O – S – T), and Beastie Boys album Hello Nasty.

7. General Hux

The fanatical leader of the military division of the First Order, General Hux — portrayed by Domhnall Gleeson — made his indelible make on Star Wars cinematic history, with his fervent dedication to the ideas and beliefs of his new Empire. As a leader, Hux inspires fear in the men that follow him, and he knows how to deliver a speech that Hitler himself would be proud of. General Hux makes the perfect bad-guy, and it will be satisfying to see him taken down, when the Resistance finally catches up to him in Episodes VIII or IX.

6. Kylo Ren

Image via empireonline.com

Kylo Ren (Adam Driver)

Ph: David James

©Lucasfilm 2015

The big-bad of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Kylo Ren’s power in the Dark Side of the Force was unmistakable. But, he also felt a pull to the Light, that he constantly battled, every day. Perhaps Kylo’s final push to the full embrace of the Dark Side was killing his father, Han Solo, and maybe he can never be redeemed in the Light. However, Star Wars is all about redeeming those thought irredeemable, much like Darth Vader’s turn to the Light when he saved Luke from the Emperor. Is it too late for Kylo Ren nee-Ben Solo? Only time, and two more films, will tell.

5. Supreme Leader Snoke

If Kylo Ren was the big-bad of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, then Snoke was the bigger-bad. Our only glimpse of the Supreme Leader of the First Order was in a huge Holo-projection whilst he sat on a throne. Snoke is clearly the Dark Side master to Kylo Ren’s apprentice, and at the end of the film, he even tells Hux to bring him the defeated Kylo, so that he could complete his training. Snoke looked every bit the frightening and ominous Dark Side villain that we’ve come to expect from Star Wars, and I look forward to seeing more from him in future films.

4. Poe Dameron

Quick witted and a superb fighter pilot, Commander Poe Dameron’s ties to the Resistance go back to his parents involvement in the Rebel Alliance’s defeat of Palpatine’s Galactic Empire. Poe is the leader of all the X-Wings, Black Squadron, and flies his unique X-Wing, Black One. Poe Dameron really is the fastest and best pilot in the galaxy, which is something he more that proved in his destruction of Starkiller base…now the question is, is he Force sensitive?

3. Finn

Brave, daring, and willing to do the right thing in the face of adversity, Finn is the epitome of Star Wars hero. Taken from birth and raised as a Stormtrooper in the First Order, Finn’s life was constant training in the ways of war (and sanitation), and hatred for the Rebel Alliance and the Resistance. Finn rescued Poe from the clutches of Kylo Ren, then helped Rey (or Rey helped him) get to the Millennium Falcon to escape Jakku. Finally, Finn’s willingness to bravely face the forces of evil, nearly cost him his life, as he valiantly fought a much more skilled lightsaber duelist in Kylo Ren, before being defeated. With Han tragically dying, Finn may now be the new trilogy’s Han Solo character.

2. Rey

Rey is the hero of the new Star Wars trilogy. Whether you believe her to be a Skywalker, or just a strongly Force sensitive person, there is no doubt that The Force Awakens was all about Rey’s journey to find Luke Skywalker…who is totally her pops, right? Rey is a fine example to young girls everywhere that the strong female in a film doesn’t need to rely on a man to help her, as is evident in her saving Finn more than once. And, there is no doubt that once she allowed the Force in, Rey was more powerful than Kylo Ren. We should all look forward to seeing Rey kick ass as a newly trained Jedi Knight in Episodes VIII and IX.

1. BB-8

Move over R2-D2, because BB-8 is the new cutest and most adorable droid on the block. Since his first appearance on screen with his master Poe Dameron, BB-8 began to steal the hearts and minds of every Star Wars fan in attendance in the theater. BB-8 proved his usefulness by carrying the lost map to the Resistance, and by attempting to knock R2 awake, because he knew R2 held the other piece of the map. BB-8 also provided tons of hilarious moments, like the lighter thumbs up to Finn, while they were working to repair the Falcon. BB-8 is the new popular droid, but there’s still room for R2…now that’s he’s awake and with Luke, that is.

Do you agree with this list? Is there anyone or anything that you would add or take away from it? let us know in the comments section and on social media.

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The Best New Characters from Star Wars: The Force Awakens

By David Harris (Razor) | Dec 21, 2015