Main Character Energy: How the Sidekicks of Star Wars Stole the Show

If there’s one thing fans learned at Star Wars Celebration Japan, it’s that “sidekick" is just another word for scene-stealer. In a panel called “The Heroic Sidekicks of Star Wars," moderator Ashley Eckstein opened the panel with thunderous energy, setting the tone for a celebration of Star Wars’ most beloved supporting characters - though by the end, even that label was challenged. “Here’s where the fun begins," she teased, welcoming a trio of Star Wars icons to the stage: Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), Ahmed Best (Jar Jar Binks), and Alan Tudyk (K-2SO).

Daniels quickly pointed out that C-3PO had the most lines in the original Star Wars, asking, “Who was the main character again?" The crowd erupted as all three actors embraced the idea that sidekicks - if you can call them that - are at the emotional heart of the saga. Daniels noted, “We get to comment on everything happening. All the humans are doing stupid stuff, and we’re the ones reacting."

Daniels recalled being at the very first Star Wars Celebration in 1999 and marveled at how far the event - and the fandom - has come. “You are my brothers," he said warmly, referencing fans who braved the mud of that first gathering in Denver. “It went viral because of you." Tudyk added that the energy in Japan was unlike any con he’d experienced. Best got to the emotional core: “There’s a lot of crazy in the world. But when we turn on these movies, we all share in this thing we love. That’s hope. That’s togetherness."

Eckstein steered the conversation to the artistry behind these characters. Daniels described how C-3PO’s nervous voice was born on the first day of filming in the desert, surrounded by heat, sand, and uncertainty. “He arrived with the grace of the Force," Daniels said, revealing that even George Lucas hadn’t initially planned to use his voice. He shared that the same was even true of Frank Oz’s voice for Yoda, and Ahmed Best didn’t know his voice would be used for Jar Jar Binks until the first table read for The Phantom Menace.

Tudyk, meanwhile, shared how K-2SO’s design and performance were informed by Daniels’ work. He credited his Juilliard training and prior role as a robot in I, Robot as foundational. “Emotion lives in the body," he said, explaining how movement and stillness shaped K-2’s presence. And, bringing things back to the history of Star Wars Celebration, he revealed that after meeting with Rogue One director Gareth Edwards, he was summoned to another meeting backstage at Celebration Anaheim in 2015 where Edwards formally offered him the part.

Ahmed Best recalled creating Jar Jar’s voice as a last-minute pitch to George Lucas, borrowing from a silly voice he used with his young cousins. For Jar Jar’s physicality, he blended Jackie Chan’s comic martial arts with Buster Keaton’s expressive silent-era comedy. “The world is crazy and he's the only sane one," he said, echoing Keaton’s timeless comedic approach.

The final moments of the panel grew unexpectedly emotional. Eckstein praised Daniels for being a beacon of consistency and heart for nearly 50 years. Daniels turned the gratitude back on the fans: “You have enormous power and emotional impact on us."

Best acknowledged that fan reactions haven’t always been easy but ultimately come from a place of care. “Star Wars is personal for all of us," he said. “We put our whole hearts into it because we were fans first." He shared a moving story of his childhood - how his mother made him Star Wars curtains and sheets from fabric, since they couldn’t afford the official merchandise. “We are fans just as much as we are in these things."

Before wrapping up, Best shared a fun behind-the-scenes story: on his day off during Attack of the Clones, Daniels convinced him to suit up for a cameo in the bar scene. “Put this on," Daniels told him. The costume didn’t quite fit, but wardrobe fixed it with gold bricks. And when George Lucas realized what they’d done, they even got a close-up.

Ashley Eckstein summed it up best: “Sidekick who? Sidekick what? This is main character energy."