The Star Wars universe is huge. There's (soon to be) three movie trilogies, several spin-off films, television shows, countless books, comics and video games, all based on the fascinating universe. It's a vast, brilliantly realised sci-fi setting, filled with stories and characters. The numerous background characters are a key reason that the Star Wars movies are so immersive. Each one of these characters feel like they have their own story outside of the movies, serving to enrich the already compelling environments our heroes journey to. Many of these side characters have managed to earn a cult following just as strong as those for your Han Solos and Boba Fetts. In particular, fans of the Star Wars books and comics can find standalone tales based around the more remarkable background characters. This list takes a look at ten of the best side characters from the original trilogy, and the awesome back-stories that go with them. Sadly, many of these stories have since been rendered non-canon by Lucasfilm, with the announcement that they're part of a new, 'Legends' timeline. Of course, it's unlikely that any of these minor characters will pop up in the new movies - so unless something specifically overrules them, we'll be going by this stuff for the time being!
