8 Characters Who Need Bigger Roles In Star Wars: Episode VIII

Star Wars: The Force Awakens was faced with the daunting task of including beloved fan-favourite characters while introducing plenty of new faces as well. With so much going on, it's no surprise that so many of these characters got lost in the shuffle.

While it may have been unfair to expect so much, with all of the hype for the movie before it came out, nearly every new addition was touted as the next big thing. Likewise, it was expected that every returning character was going to play a major role in the plot. So when many of them either didn’t get any proper time on screen or simply suffered from a lack of compelling development, it felt like a missed opportunity.

To rectify this going forward, these same underdeveloped characters need more face time and to be more involved when they are on screen. Episode VIII has to learn from these complaints and find ways to ensure that every character reaches their fullest potential.

These characters might not have been perfect, but with expanded roles in the next film, Episode VIII can build on what The Force Awakens set up. Now that their introductions are out of the way, more time can be spent of making them the Lando and Yodas of a new generation, instead of just under-used imitations.

For a villain that was expected to follow in the footsteps of Grand Moff Tarkin, the angry and underdeveloped General Hux really failed to make much of an impression. He gave The First Order’s troop a visible face, but, other than that, most of his actions could easily have been carried out by Kylo Ren or Captain Phasma instead.

It's not even that Hux didn't get enough time on screen, it's just that he didn't do much when he was there. Tarkin had a similarly small role in A New Hope but his ruthlessness as he destroyed Alderaan and his stark contrast to Darth Vader caused him to stand out nonetheless. 

Frankly, Domhnall Gleeson is too good of a young actor to waste again in the sequel - he's proven in Ex Machina and About Time he can bring emotional nuance. He doesn’t need to be the main villain of the film, but even as a secondary antagonist he was underwhelming. 

A fully-formed Hux could give The First Order some more credibility going forward and his expansion should be a priority for Episode VIII.