One of the advantages of the Star Wars universe is the plethora of characters that inhabit it. Almost every character seen on-screen has an extensive back-story expanded on in the books, comics, or video games that could easily be mined for material in the upcoming series of Star Wars films. The following characters all appear on-screen in the original series but for one reason or another didn't really have all that much to do, something that needs to be addressed in the new trilogy. They come with built-in fan-bases and have already been developed quite well in the expanded universe, although it seems likely that those stories don't count anymore, so most of the hard work has already been done. In short, the filmmakers in charge have little reason not to feature these characters in major roles, and should definitely give a little thought to it. Here are 5 minor characters who need a bigger role in Star Wars Episode VII...
5. Chewbacca
While Chewbacca wasn't really a minor character in the original series, for the most part he was pretty much just along for the ride for the most part. Assuming JJ Abrams' sequel series does in fact ignore the expanded universe mythology (where Chewbacca gets killed in the Yuuzhan Vong War) and bring back the original cast, Chewbacca really deserves a more substantial role than what was handed him in the original series. Everyone's favorite sidekick should get a little bit of a back-story and maybe even get a chance to return to Kashyyyk for some reason (as long as it doesn't bring back memories of the Holiday Special). With the advancements in special effects over the last thirty years, Chewbacca could finally get to highlight an action scene and hopefully, Abrams will see fit to give him a medal this time around.