While the entertainment industry has created many prequels and spinoffs exploring individual characters in the past decade,some iconic movie and TV characters still have no backstory.At face value, a famous character’s past might seem like something fans should want to see. However, manymovie characters who didn’t need an origin storybut got one in the form of a prequel demonstrate the pitfalls of this approach.
Tropes including"Protagonist Without a Past,““No Origin Stories Allowed,“and"The Noodle Incident"are exemplary of how a certain amount of mystery in a character’s past can be very satisfying,an effect that is ruined by an origin story. Moreunwanted upcoming sequels and spinoffsmay overextend certain character arcs, while those inclassic movies that actually can’t be remadeor continued are supposedly safe. A handful of iconic characters are spectacular enigmas, and should always remain that way.
10Yoda (Frank Oz)
From Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
From his debut inStar Wars: The Empire Strikes Back,Yoda has servedStar Warsas the ultimate secretive and wise mentor.Generally, his advice should be followed, with the effects being focused on the protagonists rather than him. Most of his story as an individual has been kept in the dark.
Star Wars
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise that started in 1977 by creator George Lucas. After the release of Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope (originally just titled Star Wars), the franchise quickly exploded, spawning multiple sequels, prequels, TV shows, video games, comics, and much more. After Disney acquired the rights to the franchise, they quickly expanded the universe on Disney+, starting with The Mandalorian.
George Lucas stopped Yoda’s species from being revealedor from the Jedi master being given any substantial backstory.One of the biggest breakthroughs in this regard was the introduction of Grogu a.k.a.“Baby Yoda"inThe Mandalorian,an acknowledgment of this species' continuation in theStar Warsuniverse.
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However,Yoda and Grogu’s species and homeworld are still unnamed.Bits of Yoda’s past have been revealed in tie-in materials, only saying that he joined the Jedi Order as a youngling, rose to the rank of master, and spent centuries training thousands of Jedi. Yet this is a standard Jedi career; most of Yoda’s singular history is intentionally shrouded in mystery.
9The Doctor (Various Actors)
From Doctor Who (2005-2022)
“The Doctor"has been a staple of TV and the sci-fi/fantasy genre for decades, played by numerous legendary actors. Yet they are also a figure whose backstory has always been kept vague. Some information about the Doctor’s supposed origins has always been a part of the canon, with it being said they are a Time Lord.This was until the controversial reveal during the Jodie Whittaker era that the Doctor is actually a Timeless Childand may be older than the setting itself.
Doctor Who
Cast
Doctor Who: Released on August 14, 2025, this series follows the Doctor and their companion as they journey across time and space, encountering a range of extraordinary friends and adversaries, expanding the universe of the long-running British science fiction series.
However,elements like the Doctor’s true name or familial relationships are either a closely kept secret or muddledat best. Other parts of their personal history have been rewritten by different creators, as well as being altered or obscured by in-story shifting timelines and memory loss. When the Doctor is a larger-than-life figure who makes all the fantastical adventures of the series happen, it is better that they have no past, which would ultimately make them too realistic.
8V (Hugo Weaving)
From V For Vendetta (2005)
V being no one conveys the theme that he can be everyone.
“V"inV for Vendettais a massive mystery, having inexplicably acquired the skills and resources to do what he does in the movie.It is confirmed that V was at one point imprisoned by the dictatorship he aims to overthrow,but his real name and where he came from is never revealed. Evey’s intense connection with V develops even though she knows nothing about him, but she is attracted to his persona, which is only defined by his desire for revolution.
Ultimately, V being no one conveys the theme that he can be everyone. In the final act,thousands of people in the city dawn V’s signature Guy Fawkes maskto play a role in the downfall of an evil regime. V pointedly tells Evey that the point is not who he is but what he does, and his whole characterization revolves around his goal.V for Vendettaspeaks of someone who gave up their identity for a cause, but Evey still says the individual meant something to her.
7Danny Ocean (George Clooney)
Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
Frank Sinatra’s Danny Ocean from 1960’sOcean’s Elevenis a World War II veteran, as are the others he recruits for his ambitious heist of robbing five casinos. Even this is arguably not a full backstory but a mention of what the protagonist was previously doing. However, because of the different setting,George Clooney’s iteration of Danny Ocean doesn’t have a major historical event in his immediate pastthat would have been a defining experience for him; his past is only a confused history of criminal activity.
Ocean’s Eleven
A remake of the 1960 film and the first in a trilogy of movies by Steven Soderbergh, Ocean’s Eleven is an ensemble comedy-heist film that follows Danny Ocean and his friend Rusty Ryan who enlist the help of several specialized con men, safe-crackers, and experts to pull off a colossal heist of three casinos. Seeking revenge against the new husband of ex-wife Tess, Danny begins to tip-toe dangerously between the line of the job and revenge.
In his 20s,Danny was a gambler in Las Vegas and learned from Reuben.After his wife Tess left him, Danny got involved in some other crimes before getting arrested. These scattered details are pretty much all the audience knows.Ocean’s Eightreveals that Danny has a sister and that their father was also a criminal. However, Debbie’s assertion that she wants to rob the Met Gala"because it’s what [she’s] good at"is as much of an explanation as either of them gives. Danny may also have had reason to fake his death.
The Incredibles (2004)
The exact hierarchy of superheroes and how they become so has never been fully explained inThe IncrediblesorIncredibles 2. Technically,Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl don’t have backstorieswhen it is not explained whether they inherited their powers from parents who were also supers or if they are naturally occurring; no mention is made of mentors or training either.
The Incredibles
The Incrediblesis a popular animated superhero franchise created by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The franchise began with the 2004 filmThe Incredibles, directed by Brad Bird, which introduced audiences to the Parr family, a group of superheroes trying to live a normal suburban life while secretly saving the world. The film was praised for its engaging story, humor, and action, becoming a critical and commercial success. The franchise expanded with a sequel,Incredibles 2(2018), which continues the adventures of the Parr family as they battle new villains while balancing their family dynamics. The series is set in a retro-futuristic world that combines elements of classic superhero stories with a unique family-centered narrative.
Somehow in this setting, various supporting jobs to the supers also arose. Government agencies help them maintain secret identities, whilethe charismatic Edna Mode made a career designing superhero attire.How she learned to make clothes accommodating supers' various powers might actually be an interesting story.
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However,there is still much joy in Edna turning up unexplained in the family story ofThe Incredibleswith her impossible sass,delivering some tough love to the Parr family. Such a confident and wild character is a delight to watch at work, especially when she just is.
5Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem)
No Country For Old Men (2007)
Javier Bardem’s Anton Chigurh is doubtlessly one of the most iconic movie villains of all time,demonstrating why no past is great for many villainous characters. Many of thebest classic Disney villainsweren’t given some tragic backstory before the rise of the live-action remakes — Maleficent’s only grief was not being invited to a party, but audiences love her for being magnificently evil. Similar is the case of the villain who serves his narrative purpose in the Best Picture winner with little story outside the movie’s events.
No Country for Old Men
No Country for Old Men is a western crime-thriller based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy and directed by the Cohen Brothers. Following three protagonists, the film centers around a large $2,000,000+ cache of dirty money lost near the Rio Grande. With a veteran who finds it, a hitman who will stop at nothing to get it, and a sheriff trying to investigate the crimes connected to it, all roads lead to death and mayhem as they find themselves in each other’s crosshairs.
Anton is a ruthless, violent criminal who slaughters everyone in his way as he hunts down a small fortune from a drug deal. His actions are not the result of a dark past, but the driving force behind the movie’s themes.No Country for Old Menis a discourse on confronting new criminals, making Anton the most vital part of the story,even if no one knows where he comes from or how he started his criminal career.
4Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams/Donald Glover)
Given Disney’s current attitude towards Star Wars, it seems like Lando will get a backstory eventually.
Shockingly,almost nothing is known about Landon outside his interactions with Hanand the rest of the mainStar Warscast. Details are sparse on theLandomovie, initially proposed as a TV show. BetweenSolo: A Star Wars StoryandThe Empire Strikes Back, Landon is shown to be a successful smuggler who becomes the leader of Cloud City, with no exposition on how he achieves either of these things.
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back
The Empire Strikes Back is the second installment in the original Star Wars trilogy, directed by Irvin Kershner. Released in 1980, it follows Luke Skywalker as he trains under Jedi Master Yoda, while Princess Leia, Han Solo, and the Rebel Alliance face ongoing threats from the Galactic Empire and Darth Vader.
VariousStar Warstie-in materials also drop brief mentions of events in Lando’s past,primarily a range of criminal acquaintances and activities. Still, no full backstory has fully emerged. Lando’s backstory with a cameo by Han might have actually been better than fully fleshing out Han’s history, butStar Warsnaturally returned to Han first. Given Disney’s current attitude towardsStar Wars, it seems like Lando will get a backstory eventually.
3Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson)
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Practically none of the characters inPulp Fictionhave real backstories,as it is a standalone movie showcasing vignettes of the criminals' lives as they come to different conclusions about humanity and redemption. A movie about the Vega brothers — John Travolta’s Vicent inPulp Fictionand Michael Madson’s Vic a.k.a. Mr. Blonde inReservoir Dogs— was discussed but never made. However, relating toPulp Fiction’s main theme, no one is more impactful than the hitman played by Samuel L. Jackson.
Pulp Fiction
Quentin Tarantino’s classic tale of violence and redemption follows the intertwining tales of three protagonists: hitman Vincent Vega, prizefighter Butch Coolidge, and Vincent’s business partner Jules Winnfield.
At the end of the movie, Jules resolves to leave behind a life of crime after directing a reckless couple out of the robbery they attempt. Nothing of how Jules got this job in the first place is revealed, largely unimportant to the movie.Quentin Tarantino makes his characters deeply engaging in the momentwith razor-sharp dialogue, with no extensive histories needed.
2The Joker (Heath Ledger)
The Dark Knight (2008)
The most famous Batman villain’s origins have always been mysterious and highly debated for decades.After 84 years, DC finale confirmed the Joker’s origin storyas the version of events depicted inThe Killing Joke. Meanwhile,Jokeras a movie was more of a hypothetical character study,showcasing another possible origin for the Joker.
The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight, directed by Christopher Nolan, is the second installment in the Batman trilogy starring Christian Bale as Batman. Released in 2008, the film follows Batman’s alliance with Jim Gordon and Harvey Dent as they combat the organized crime that threatens Gotham, facing the menacing Joker.
On the other hand, the most famous cinematic version of the character was given no past, allowing Heath Ledger’s Oscar-winning performance to be the main attraction.The Dark Knight’s Joker wants to prove Batman’s philosophy wrong by corrupting Harvey Dentbecause that is his worldview, not because of a tragic event in his past.
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The Joker throws around some backstory-like comments that may or may not be true duringThe Dark Knight, but they aren’t really the point of his character. Alfred tells Bruce:“Some men just want to watch the world burn.“The Joker believes he has a point to make by taking on Batman, which is mostly justified by his take on the world revolving around chaos and destruction.
1Bill Cipher (Alex Hirsch)
From Gravity Falls (2012-2016)
Thebiggest takeaways fromGravity Falls' The Book of Billinclude the closest fans have come to an origin story for the villain Bill Cipher yet.Bill is implied to have destroyed his home,the"second dimension.“The main issue with this account is that it is Bill’s and cannot be fully trusted. Bill searched for other dimensions to rule and worked with some of the ancient peoples of Earth. However, Bill’s psychedelic nature as a character and his being an unreliable narrator throughout the book make this a less solid backstory than some.
Gravity Falls
When Dipper and Mabel Pines are dropped off to spend the summer with their uncle in Gravity Falls, they discover that all is not as it seems in this small town. When Dipper discovers a strange journal in the forest, the twins team up to solve the town’s mysteries.
The bigger elements ofThe Book of Billare Bill’s confirmed survival after the events ofGravity Fallsand his various insightsinto the phenomena of the multiverse. In both the book and show, Bill’s backstory is an amalgamation of half-explained implications of pure chaos, while he exists presently as a pure evil villain who simply loves destruction. He is another character who is most effective with only minimal backstory details, existing as he is for the sake of it.
