In just a matter of days, Star Wars once again took over the world. After years of intense speculation, bated breath, and high hopes, The Force Awakens quickly managed to untie entire generations of fans the world over for another adventure in that galaxy far, far away. Though characters like Rey, Finn, Kylo Ren, and BB-8 have already become permanent Star Wars staples and will continue to carry on the franchise, a large part of what has drawn fans to the new film has been the long-awaited return of characters that haven't been seen on the big screen in decades. Those of us who grew up wanting to see the further adventures of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo have now had our patience rewarded, and clearly it's clicking, with the film basking in critical adoration, staggering financial success, and positive fan reception. Now that we've already taken a look at how the newest faces introduced in The Force Awakens stacked up, let's turn the spotlight on the characters who have returned from the original trilogy to take a spoiler-filled look at which ones had the warmest welcome home and why...
9. Nien Nunb
This one likely flew right under the radar of many casual audience members, but the appearance of Lando Calrissian's old Return of the Jedi co-pilot Nien Nunb was a welcome sight late in the film. Fittingly enough as a part of Poe Dameron's Black Squadron. His role might not seem like much considering he's not the focus of the scene, nor a character that most fans were clamouring to see return, but his inclusion nonetheless goes a long way in giving The Force Awakens some historical, lived-in weight. 30 years later, the struggle between good and evil is still ongoing, and the return of characters like Nunb helps highlight the fact it's more than just our favorite main characters' fight to win or lose. Nunb played a part in the Rebellion's victory against the Empire, so to see him still around rallying against The First Order is a great callback to the original trilogy, while speaking volumes about the kind of heroic dedication embedded in every corner of the Resistance.
Writer, film enthusiast, part-time gamer and watcher of (mostly) good television located on the fringe of Los Angeles, who now has his own website at www.highdefgeoff.com!
