The player may decide that the character comes form humble or hardscrabble beginnings. Perhaps they were a moisture farmer on some barren world, an indentured servant working for the Hutts, or abandoned from a young age to survive in the depths of Coruscant's underworld. This character starts out knowing that life is nasty, brutish, and short and probably has seen more than their share of horror. They may have seen friends and family members die from malnutrition, disease, or violence and witnessed tremendous injustice done to the weak or vulnerable.

Despite (or because of) this harsh, early view of the universe, characters from this type of background strive to better themselves and do their utmost to escape their plight. The character either trains incessantly, picking up knowledge any way that they can, or simply is tough and resourceful enough to go out on their own.

However, leaving this rough-and-tumble life might not be as easy as it seems. The character may still have family left behind in squalor, former comrades that take a dim view of them leaving a gang, or former "employers" that want the character to finish up their "contracts."

Sometimes a character comes from modest, but comfortable conditions prior to entering a life of adventure. The character and their family did not come from vast wealth and they know the meaning of hard work to get ahead. This "middle class" background may be the hardest of all to leave, for the character had a taste of the good (or at least decent) life and finds that getting into adventuring is harder than it appears.

This broad category could include anything form a skilled technician, minor political official, professional soldier, or any other lifestyle that typicaly involves hard work - but with the pay to make it worthwhile. The character lived comfortably, but put in long hours to make ends meet. They're no stranger to hard work and certain levels of injustice, but may have been shielded form the truly darker side of the galaxy - crime, corruption, slavery, and conflict.

As the saying goes, the bigger they are, the harder they fall. Even characters from high social standing, great wealth, or an existence of comfort can still be subject to the whims of fate and find themselves cast out from the life they once knew. This fall from grace could come in many forms - scandal, poor business decisions, war and revolution, or revenge from enemies. Regardless of the method, the character is irrevocably wrenched from this world and cast into the murky shadows of Edge of the Empire.

Characters from this type of background include landed gentry, wealthy business owners, doctors, politicians or upbringing that brings with it money, power, and status above that of the common rabble. After the events that push them out of that world, however, these previously entitled characters find a rough life ahead. The character might find themself fleeing their former life with only the (admittedly upscale) clothes on their back and nothing else but their abilities, skills, and will to survive in the unforgiving galaxy.

A character from this background typically finds their Obligation tied to the cause of their downfall. Perhaps their fall came from a huge gambling debt, blackmail from a family enemy, or bringing shame upon their clan that results in exile. As the wealthy and powerful typically rub elbows with those of their own social level enemies or "holders" of the character's Obligation are also typically wealthy, powerful, and influential in their own right.

A character from this background came from a society outside of the galactic norm. This includes isolated planetary systems not yet marked on the maps, prison colonies, or even the rare case of a character growing up in solitude out in the wilderness. The character is probably ill-informed about or completely unaware of the politics, customs, and even technology of the rest of the galaxy. They may be superstitious of the strange sights around them or embrace the wonders that they encounter.

This choice works better for some careers than others - a Mechanic from a primitive world stretches credulity, for example - unless the player and GM come up with a good reason for this to happen. Maybe the Mechanic character was the sole survivor of a downed ship on a backwater planet and learned their skills from tinkering with the ship's equipment.

Of course, the player must come up with a good reason regarding how the character managed to leave their isolated or primitive upbringing. Perhaps their character was brought back to civilization by an explorer or slipped on board a trade vessel that landed on their planet.