The Star Wars sequel trilogy should have been nothing short of amazing, but the competing visions of two filmmakers - J.J. Abrams and Rian Johnson - resulted in a series which struggled to make anyone truly happy.
At Star Wars Celebration this past April, Lucasfilm announced plans for a sequel to the sequels featuring Daisy Ridley as Rey Skywalker. Directed by Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, it will be set 15 years after the last events of the Skywalker Saga, telling the story of Rey rebuilding the New Jedi Order and the powers that rise to tear it down.
There was plenty to like in The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi and, yes, even The Rise of Skywalker. However, as we look ahead to that sequel to the, er, sequels, we can't help but think certain characters should not make their return. That's either because there's nothing left to do with them or, to put it bluntly, they sucked! Still, if you think you know who to expect here, trust us when we say you'll likely be surprised.
To check out our selections (courtesy of SFFGazette.com), you just need to click on the "Next" button below.
7. Zorii Bliss
Visually, Zorii Bliss looks awesome. She's mysterious and enigmatic in a way that made Boba Fett such a hit when the original Star Wars trilogy was released. That's unfortunately where the comparisons stop because the character was otherwise completely uninteresting.
Keri Russell did her best with the material she was given to work with. However, throwing her into the mix as an old ally/love interest of Poe Dameron felt like a desperate attempt to flesh out the backstory of a character who had only ever been explored on a surface level.
Zorii also came across as one of those characters who exists to sell action figures and there's simply no need to explore her any further. It's a shame as we can't help but think there's a better version of the spice runner who could have resurfaced as an unexpected ally to Rey.
6. DJ
Rian Johnson made many perplexing decisions while filming The Last Jedi, but introducing DJ has to be somewhere near the top of that list of "WTF?" moments.
Speculation ran rampant about who he might be and what he was up to, but in the end, he was just a basic baddie who betrayed Finn to the First Order. Not every Star Wars character needs a detailed history or connections to familiar heroes and villains; however, this guy felt like little more than a lazy way to get Finn from point A to B (the movie wouldn't have remotely suffered without him).
All Benicio del Toro's quirky performance did was highlight that there was at least a chance to do something interesting with DJ. Instead, he's a poor man's Lando Calrissian and there's now no need for Rey to cross paths with him on her next adventure, even if would serve as connective tissue to the sequel trilogy.
5. Maz Kanata
As the Pirate Queen of Takodana, The Force Awakens set Maz Kanata up as a big deal, only to spectacularly drop the ball on a character many felt could be the next Yoda. We never did learn how she came into possession of Luke Skywalker's lightsaber and, yet again, she was a creation of convenience.
There's nothing bad to say about Lupita Nyong'o's performance because she did an excellent job. However, Johnson, clearly unimpressed with Abrams' creation, completely sidelined her in The Last Jedi.
Given a glorified cameo in The Rise of Skywalker, any importance the supposedly Force-sensitive being once had was well and truly lost. Had Maz been established as a former Jedi or something along those lines, she could have been Rey's Yoda. Instead, she's been largely forgotten and that's a real shame.
4. Poe Dameron
Yes, we know many of you are going to see Oscar Isaac's Poe Dameron being listed here as some sort of terrible slight against the actor. That's not the case in any way, shape, or form. He's a star and someone we can only wish had been utilised properly by this Star Wars trilogy.
The Force Awakens was a solid introduction, but The Last Jedi largely confined him to a ship. He was given more to do in the final chapter, but by that point, both Isac and fans had pretty much zoned out (something that's obvious from the way he delivers that now-infamous line about Emperor Palpatine's return).
He should have been the new Han Solo; as things stand, Poe is barely Wedge Antilles. What more is there to be done with him as a supporting character in Rey's movie? The best move will be to say he fell heroically in battle or is in charge of the new government's military forces.
3. Jannah
Original plans called for Jannah to be revealed as Lando Calrissian's long-lost daughter. There wasn't a huge amount of room for this subplot in Episode IX, but it would have been an effective callback to the First Order stealing the children of those who fought in the Rebellion to use them as soldiers.
The whole thing was scrapped, doing everyone involved a disservice (including Billy Dee Williams and Naomi Ackie). That entire group of warriors was an odd addition to the movie and making Jannah Finn's new love interest after the backlash aimed at Rose was one of Lucasfilm's sorriest decisions.
To be honest, there's just no need for Jannah to return. Sure, she could be shown as Finn's wife or something along those lines but there's no need for it. Heck, we wouldn't be shocked if most of you had forgotten she even existed!
2. Supreme Leader Snoke/Emperor Palpatine
Lucasfilm dropped the ball on Supreme Leader Snoke. Allowing Johnson to kill him may have been a good way to shock fans, but it also undid everything Abrams laid the groundwork for in The Force Awakens.
Of course, later revealing that he was simply a failed Emperor Palpatine clone puppetted by the Empire's leader only made the whole thing more confusing. If he was a clone, why did he look and sound so different? The lack of backstory also makes the entire situation for anyone who doesn't consume every bit of tie-in content.
The Mandalorian seems to have abandoned plans to reveal how he was created and bringing Palpatine back again in any way - even if he is Rey's "grandfather' - just feels ill-advised on every possible level. The best thing this movie could do is move on and pretend all this never happened.
1. Luke Skywalker
It pains us to say this, but we don't want to see Luke Skywalker in the movie. The sequel trilogy failed Mark Hamill on nearly every conceivable level, and throwing him into the mix as a cheerful Force Ghost in The Rise of Skywalker did little to make up for previous missteps.
We've seen a much better interpretation of Luke on television and, if there's any movie Hamill should reprise this role in, it should be Dave Filoni's Heir to the Empire. There, the younger Jedi can hopefully find some measure of redemption when he teams up with Ahsoka Tano to stop Grand Admiral Thrawn.
Where does that leave Rey and who can mentor her? Perhaps nobody. Maybe Hayden Christensen's Anakin Skywalker or her fallen foe-turned-friend, Ben Solo. Then again, perhaps it's best to just move on from the Skywalker Saga altogether.