00:05One of the things that makes Star Wars so quintessentially Star Wars-y are the background
00:11characters. You know, the ones that have names like Rex Longlegs or Bo Movine or Droopy McCool,
00:17who show up for maybe one scene, but then you find out they have reams of material dedicated
00:21to them in the wider canon. Yeah, I love that stuff. The expanded universe has changed a lot
00:27over the years, but for the sake of convenience, in this list, I'm going to be talking about
00:32TV shows, books, comics, and video games that have all enriched the saga over the last couple
00:37of decades. So let's buckle up and punch it. I'm Ewan, this is WhatCultureStarWars, and
00:43here are 8 characters saved by the expanded universe.
00:47Number 8. Clo Kuhn. The Jedi High Council were introduced as something of a committee in The
00:53Phantom Menace as they sat in their chamber discussing all things the Force and judging
00:57prospective Padawan learners, but it did seem as though it was Master Yoda and Mace Windu
01:02taking the lead on things. With this in mind, Jedi Master Plo Kuhn never actually says a word in
01:08any of the prequel movies, and the only action we see from him is some background gestures,
01:13a few glimpses at the Battle of Geonosis, and his death at the hands of his squadron of clone
01:17troopers in Revenge of the Sith. So, how can what is effectively a background character be saved
01:24exactly? Well, Plo Kuhn's appearances throughout the Clone Wars series shed some light on what an
01:29exceptional Jedi he truly is, as one piece of dialogue paints a picture of the most compassionate
01:35Jedi of them all. In only the second episode of the series, which kind of lays down the whole
01:40ethos surrounding its approach to the clone troopers, Plo Kuhn and his clone squadron are stranded
01:45above Abregado, and his clone troopers state they do not believe they will be rescued as they
01:50consider themselves quote-unquote expendable. Master Plo responds simply with, not to me.
01:56That compassion would be Plo's defining characteristic throughout the Clone Wars,
02:00elevating just another cool-looking alien into a truly beloved aspect of the franchise.
02:07Number 7. Qui-Gon Jinn. We've heard an awful lot about the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise,
02:12but no one ever seems to talk about the tragedy of Liam Neeson's Qui-Gon Jinn appearing in just one
02:18prequel movie, The Phantom Menace. Although Neeson's voice did appear in subsequent films,
02:23his demise in Episode I proved to be the catalyst that ultimately paved the way for Anakin Skywalker's
02:28fall and the subsequent collapse of the whole Jedi Order. But at least Qui-Gon fans have been left
02:33vindicated by the expanded material dedicated to the maverick Jedi, which builds upon his appearance
02:39in The Phantom Menace and makes him even better. The Clone Wars series is a particular highlight,
02:44with the last episode seeing Master Yelda hear a familiar voice and embark on a quest to learn
02:49how to manifest his spirit as a force ghost from the ethereal Jinn. Without his teaching,
02:55Obi-Wan would never have been able to guide Luke to Dagobar after his death at the hands of Vader,
02:59which ultimately would have left Luke's trading wholly incomplete, and the fate of the galaxy would
03:04have been very, very different to say the least. Qui-Gon has also benefited from a new wave of
03:09Star Wars EU literature, taking a leading role in Claudia Gray's Master and Apprentice novel,
03:15which seriously, please read, it's so good.
03:18Number 6. General Grievous
03:20One of the biggest criticisms of the prequel trilogy has to be the sudden jump from the
03:25beginning of the Clone Wars on Geonosis at the conclusion of Episode 2 to the latter stages of
03:30the epic conflict at the beginning of Episode 3. Without both animated Clone Wars series,
03:36fans were just expected to accept that suddenly a primary threat to the Republic was an asthmatic
03:41cyborg who went through lightsabers like Lonely Men go through Funko Pops. No offense intended,
03:46of course, but those black soulless eyes really do. Oh my god, get off the screen, off the screen!
03:52Not only was Grievous thrown into the mix without any introduction at all, but he was gone just as
03:57quickly as he arrived at the hands of Obi-Wan Kenobi midway through Episode 3. So, where was the
04:03threat that the Separatist General posed exactly? Thank the Force for the Clone Wars series giving
04:08General Grievous the development he so desperately needed, as viewers were treated to a completely
04:13different kind of Star Wars villain. Instead of the lightning-blasting mastermind and his
04:18menacing apprentice, we were shown a conniving and almost cowardly leader of the droid armies who
04:23more often than not escaped by the skin of his rebreather unit. I will say that the original
04:28Clone Wars series from 2003 did a much better job with the character, though. He was legitimately
04:34terrifying there, even if his characterization was a little at odds with his on-screen depiction.
04:39Number 5. The Mandalorians
04:41This is something of a cheat entry, but the Mandalorians lost so much when Disney consigned the
04:46Knights of the Old Republic franchise to the Realms of Legends. Sort of. The KOTOR series detailed
04:51the Mandalorians as fearsome, brutal warriors who were capable of slaughtering even the Jedi
04:56Knights of the time. But without these stories in canon, the only Mandalorians we ever saw
05:01were Jango and Boba Fett, and neither were initially figures to write home about if one
05:06was to be brutally honest. Thankfully, though, the likes of the Clone Wars and the Mandalorian
05:10have made the Mandalorians one of the most essential and fascinating aspects of Star Wars.
05:15Even Boba has gotten in on the action, benefiting from not just his appearances in the Clone Wars,
05:20but from a fan-favorite return in The Mandalorian Season 2. In short, the Mandalorians are back
05:26where they belong. Long may their reign continue.
05:29Number 4. Anakin Skywalker
05:31Yeah, yeah, I know. How can literally the most important character in all of Star Wars be
05:36saved by the expanded universe? Well, I'm getting to that, you big dafty.
05:41What I'm referring to here is the kind of Anakin we were meant to see in the prequels. As much
05:47as I
05:47can defend aspects of Hayden Christensen's performance or even Anakin's depiction more
05:51generally, we never get to see the character as the war hero we know him to be in any of
05:57those
05:57three films, making his eventual turn in Episode 3 less affecting overall.
06:03Once again, the Clone Wars series came to the rescue and painted a very different picture of
06:08Anakin Skywalker. He was confident, tactically brilliant, and a fearsome combatant in the field,
06:14but he also possessed an air of calm cunning, compassion, and the underlying darkness the
06:19character always needed to display. The highlight of Anakin's character rescue has to be the superb,
06:25albeit short, Mortis arc of The Clone Wars, which showed a glimpse of what Vader could have been
06:30had it not been for his defeat on Mustafar, something fans had been desperate to see for at least a
06:36decade.
06:37Number 3. The Clones
06:38Another thing we have to thank The Clone Wars for, a series that transformed the clones from
06:43expendable stormtroopers into beloved individuals with a heavy burden to bear.
06:48By the time Episode 3 released, fans had already developed a degree of affection for certain clone
06:53troops, Clone Commander Cody and Fordo being just two. But it wasn't until the 2008 series that these
06:59characters were truly fleshed out, with Dave Filoni and co delving deep into each clone's personality,
07:05as well as finally answering just how much control the clones had over their actions during Order 66.
07:12Cody, Rex, Fives, Gregor, Wolf, Domino Squad, they're all the stars of that series,
07:18and it remains a highlight of Star Wars currently that they're getting so much attention,
07:22with the Bad Batch series also on the way.
07:25Number 2. Wedge Antilles
07:27Dennis Lawson is one of the most dedicated actors in the entire Star Wars franchise,
07:32but his role as Rogue Squadron pilot Wedge Antilles is actually minor. A few lines in
07:37the original trilogy and a cameo in The Rise of Skywalker didn't really flesh out Wedge's
07:42character all that much, but the expanded universe ensured his legacy would live on.
07:47Many of Wedge's adventures may now be considered non-canon, but does that really matter? Those
07:53Rogue Squadron games and the X-Wing books that are set to inspire Patty Jenkins' upcoming Star Wars
07:58film are beloved for a reason, and all helped cement Wedge as one of the most legendary pilots
08:03in the entire rebellion. Furthermore, Wedge has appeared in a smattering of Rebels episodes,
08:08albeit voiced by Nathan Kress, and there's even a snippet of Lawson's voice over an intercom
08:13in Rogue One. Throw in some appearances in post-Disney Star Wars novels, the Star Wars
08:18Squadron's video game, and the chance for him to appear once again in the new movie,
08:23and it's clear that Wedge is one of the characters who's truly benefited the most
08:26from the expanded canon. And number one, Maul.
08:30Okay, so everyone who knows me knows I'm a big fan of The Phantom Menace. Yeah, it has dumb bits,
08:36but overall I like it, and for more reasons than just Mars Guo's death noise during the Boonta Eve
08:42classic. Either way, while the big highlight of the return to a galaxy far, far away in 1999 was the
08:51fearsome Darth Maul. With his striking appearance, his epic double-bladed lightsaber combat,
08:56and his limited speaking part, Maul utters only 31 words in the entire film, giving him a mystique
09:02like no other villain in the franchise. Sadly, he was literally cut down just as things were getting
09:08interesting, and many thought that was that for the Zabrak Sith so many were initially captivated by.
09:14But they couldn't have been more wrong. Yet another Dave Filoni masterstroke saw Maul brought back in
09:20awesome fashion in the Clone Wars series, and later in Solo, Rebels, and even his own novelizations and
09:26comic books. Sam Witwer, the voice of Maul in the Clone Wars and Rebels, even returned to voice the
09:31character in Solo, A Star Wars Story. Maul's reintroduction to the Star Wars franchise changed him from a loyal
09:37apprentice to a manipulative, powerful villain with a fantastic vendetta against his former master and
09:43Obi-Wan. No wonder he's so many fans' favorite character in the franchise. And those were eight Star Wars
09:49characters who were saved by the expanded universe. Remember you can find more content like this at
09:54whatculture.com, and more of me if you want to, at EwanRuinsthings on Twitter. That's all for now though,
10:00take care, and may the Force be with you. Bye!
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