Top 20 Star Wars Characters

10. Princess Leia

Leia was the perfect antidote for girls who wanted to be Star Wars nerds too, sometimes creating animosity within the male Star Wars fans who thought that Star Wars was reserved for their own imagination. Leia exhibited a toughness all her own that could scare a male into servility . She was acrimonious at times, even to the most nefarious of the empire fleet. In A New Hope she had no problem talking back to Vader, letting him know that the Empire’s hold on deep space was slowly “slipping through your fingers”. Leia shows even more truculence in “Return of the Jedi”, strangling Jabba to death with the fetters and chains that were tying her up. This all added to her sex appeal which eventually began to win over the male fans of Star Wars who began to have fixations of her. It was in Jabba’s palace in “Return of the Jedi” where the fixation became an obsession, when the Stars Wars nerd caught a glimpse of Leia in a skimpy slave bikini. Leia’s (Kerry Fishers) identity after that scene would forever be ingrained in popular movie culture and Star Wars lore throughout time. Her identity would also unfortunately be tied to the awakening in the fans mind when they realize that in Empire Strikes Back, she makes out with her own brother. Regardless of this later odiousness, Leia would mostly retain a legacy of strength and salience.

9. The Emperor

The reason the Emperor is so cool after we finally see him in person in Return of the Jedi is that during the original trilogy it took so long for us to finally see him. Pre-Phantom Menace George Lucas had the patience to build up the character slowly, driving the fans of the movies crazy with anticipation, wondering who it was who could possibly scare Darth Vader. We also had no idea where the Emperor came from. We knew Vader was a Jedi knight turned evil, but how did the Emperor learn the ways of the dark side, or even the force for that matter? Also how did he become the emperor of the entire galaxy? Like Yoda, we knew he was a badass, but never really got to see how much of one he really was. It was always intriguing to me as a kid growing up and watching the original movies that two of the most powerful characters in the Star Wars saga were also two of the most frail looking. Of course we find out how he became Emperor in the prequel trilogy, somewhat ruining the mystery behind this purely evil and completely mysterious character, but the emperor still remains one of our favorite characters because of the fear he inspired in us as kids.

8. Luke Skywalker

Luke Skywalker, for the most part is never referred to as a great character in all of the Star Wars episodes. He doesn’t have the charisma of Han Solo, the wisdom of Obi Wan, or even the comedic appeal of someone like Chewbacca for example. This is an odd phenomena as Luke is the main character throughout all of Star Wars episodes 4-6. What Luke lacks in definability comparatively to all the other characters, he more than gains in keeping the story steady throughout all the movies. Luke is a fairly serious character, always practicing his Jedi training with the utmost gumption. Not even Solo’s repudiation of all things Jedi turns Luke away from his beliefs; inevitably he begins thinking that Solo was just a plebian who couldn’t understand the truth in the universe. Luke Skywalker appeals to the dedicated viewer who continually looks forward to that which instinctually appeals to their whole being. Never undulating, and never diffuse, Luke proves to be one of the better representations in movie history of a character growing into a mallifluous stoicism. Even if one who wants to grow into this perfect state is not as “interesting” as the sarcastic lover of all things in the immediate, this does not take away from the inner sense in all of us for growth and development.

7. Wedge Antilles

Wedge Antilles has long been one of the most popular characters amongst Star Wars nerds. We first meet Wedge in A New Hope, where, as Red “2″ he plays the perennial skeptic, in contrast to Luke’s naive optimism, such as during the de-briefing before the battle of Yavin, when he scoffs, “That’s impossible, even for a computer”. In most movies, the skeptical minor character usually dies at some point during the movie, especially when that skepticism manifests itself right before a major battle. But Wedge actually survives the battle of Yavin, and makes it to the second movie, where he has been transferred to Rogue Squadron. During the battle of Hoth, Wedge shows amazing ingenuity when he and his gunner Janson take down an Imperial AT-AT walker using nothing but their tow cable. After the battle we don’t see Wedge again until Jedi, where he has been promoted to Red Leader, and he fires the shot that allows Lando to destroy the second Death Star. Not only that, but his quotes throughout the final battle are among the most memorable and enduring quotes within the Star Wars nerd community, i.e “Red Leader standing by” or “Nice shot Red 2!” His ability to survive every major battle during the original movie trilogy, along with his ability to help engineer victory within those battles where none seemed possible, has led him to become one of the most beloved characters in the history of Star Wars. And his incredible level of popularity proves that in Star Wars, minor characters are loved as much as, or even more so than the actual main characters.

6. Obi-Wan Kenobi

Every aspiring hero needs a mentor, and who could have asked for a better mentor than Obi-Wan Kenobi? He was a noble Jedi knight, and an eternally wise old wizard. He was what we all aspire to when we think of greatness. With his peerless compassion and sensibility, he guided Luke to fulfill his destiny. In his younger days, his skill with a lightsaber was unmatched, and his fame had spread across the galaxy after his role in the Clone Wars, so much so, that a desperate Princess Leia called him her “only hope”. Aside from being a great Jedi warrior with infallible instincts, Obi-Wan was also a wise teacher who had a steady hand in the lives and fate of Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader and ultimately, the entire Star Wars Universe. And even after death he continued acting a as a guide to Luke, with his ghost telling him to “turn off his targeting computer” and use his feelings to destroy the Empire’s first Death Star during the climatic battle of Yavin. Without Obi-Wan, Luke Skywalker probably never would have made it past the first semester of Jedi Knight training, and then who would have faced Darth Vader? The whole Star Wars universe would inevitably fall prey to the dark side of the force and everyone in it would be speaking.. I dunno …some other language likely rooted in dark force evil diction. Let’s face it, Obi-Wan is the epitome of wisdom and strength. There is no other character in the Star Wars saga as admirable and inspirational as Obi-Wan.

5. Boba Fett

Boba Fett was the nefarious character throughout all of Star Wars that the audience loved to love. Fett was an appreciated heel at a time when protagonists were only popular. Boba Fett was a bounty hunter for Jabba the Hut and other grotesque tycoons. His main mission throughout “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi” was to capture Han Solo who owed many excessive debts. We first see the brazen bounty hunter in “Empire Strikes Back”(we don’t count the Special Editions) being spoken too by Vader who wants to find the Millennium Falcon somewhere hidden in deep space with Leia onboard. We see him afterwards in “Return of the Jedi” taking the frozen Han Solo back to Jabba the Hutt’s palace so Han could be recognized as a conspicuous signifier to all those who forget to pay Jabba back. Boba Fett is always efficaciously “cool” looking with his enviable helmet and expedient jetpack on his back that help him pay his way in the universe by making others pay…who don’t pay. It was a sad moment in “Return of the Jedi” when Han accidentally hits Boba Fett with an axe propelling his jets into Jabba’s barge, eventually into the massive digestive system of Sarlacc (except in the expanded universe, where someone as cool as Boba Fett can’t be allowed to die). Fett was aesthetically and demonstrably appealing, making kids all over the world want Boba Fett action figures. Today, you should find these caricatures in most homes of Star Wars nerds, and maybe even actual life sized helmets of Boba Fett, that nerds wear when no one is around.

4. Yoda

The stoic, all-to-often abstruse Yoda was the hallmark character in all the Star Wars series. Yoda represented the peak of man’s existence knowing everything that could be known in concise maxims that were perfectly abstruse, that often made Luke’s jedidom appear amateur. We meet Yoda for the first time in “Empire Strikes Back” at the command of Obi Wan’s apparition. Yoda aesthetically appears old, crippled and curiously puerile. It’s when we hear Yoda speak his wisdom to the young Luke that we understand Yoda as an infinite mind with knowledge of all causes in the universe. We also see the power of completed Jedi training when the small feeble Yoda raises the X-Wing out of the bedraggled swamp amazing the young Luke on what the force can really accomplish. Luke certainly had a long way to go in his Jedi training from just one meeting with the old master. Yoda would go onto exhibit more explicit powers in the later Star Wars series movies (episodes 1-3) that often seemed overtly “new age” and stylish, although always entertaining. Regardless, we find his true character in the much more focused Empire Strikes Back where he doesn’t need to show off obvious “street fighting” game abilities to have a profound impact on the audience. The character of Yoda is rightfully perceived alongside the best philosophers of all time in the first movies of the series.

3. Lando

In the cinematic world there are few characters that ever break the mold of either good or bad, protagonist or antagonist. When a character on screen does straddle that line, they become human. In the Star Wars universe, they become legendary. Enter Lando Calrissian, professional gambler. We meet Lando in Empire where although he’s presented as a friend to Han Solo, we can tell some shit is about to go down. Even though we know we should be developing a hatred for this shady bastard, there is a little part of everyone that refuses to hate Billy Dee Williams, no matter how bad he is. He’s just so damn cool.

Let’s break the man down for a moment. He’s the only African American character we’ve seen in the trilogy when we meet him. He’s a former pro-gambler who won the Millennium Falcon in a game of sabacc. His friend, the only character cooler than Lando himself, Han Solo, teaches him to fly his prize. Lando gets cocky and loses the MF to Han in the sabacc championships, forever straining their friendship. Time passes, Lando (the cheeky SOB that he is) manages to run a city (Cloud City) built on a damn gaseous planet (Bespin)!!! The dark side (and a bit of hurt pride) convince him to set up our man Solo to be ambushed and captured by Boba Fett (I’ll stop explaining the characters now, if you’re visiting this site and don’t know who Han and Boba Fett are you don’t belong here…).

So now we get the human Lando. Feeling torn by his actions, he joins the Rebel Alliance and helps save a handless Luke after a perilous (and revealing) Oedipusian (and I stress “pusi”) battle with Lord Vader. Flash to Jedi and he’s a full-fledged member of the core alliance super-friends! Ooh, who’s that in the MF destroying the Death Star? It’s your boy, Lando. Proving that he’s still only the second coolest character in the Star Wars universe when he has no comeback when Han Solo, fresh from a carbonite nap, reminds Lando he’s only “a fair pilot.” He still blew up the death star, broke the Star Wars colour barrier, and won over the hearts of millions of nerds that hated his guts half way through Empire. Good or bad, Lando is the Shaft of Star Wars.

2. Darth Vader

Darth Vader is the most noticeable bad guy in movie history. He has the most salient of deep voices. His entire costume is black, signifying a nefarious disposition not seen since Bergman’s early movies. Watch Vader on the screen though and you will find a true badass chocking imperial commanders who don’t listen to him and threatening anyone who threatens the Empire’s existence. Vader’s eventual relapse back into the light side almost makes the devout viewer sad. Many a Star Wars fan liked the evil Empire based on Vader’s short-fused tendencies and penchant for physical aggression. Watch his duel against his son Luke in Empire Strikes Back and one will see some of the best saber/sword fighting in movie history. Watch him enter the rebel’s blockade runner in A New Hope and one is overwhelmed by the sheer presence of this dark side minion. It was ironic to see his boss as someone so small and frail who could barely move. That Vader never tried to take the Empire himself from the Emperor was a mystery for the Darth Vader fan who saw this massive hard breathing monster as the kind to rule the universe on his own. Everything with Darth Vader stands out from his voice, actions, costumes, and even his action figure. When one thinks of Star Wars action figures, one thinks of the Darth Vader figure bigger than all the rest and noticeable from even the largest of distances. When one thinks of the bad guy in a movie, there is no one else to comes to mind than Darth Vader. He will forever burn an effigy in the moviegoers mind.

1. Han Solo

Who’s the coolest character in all of movie history? The answer is clearly Han Solo. Equipped with the shabby Millennium Falcon and a walking carpet who’s as clumsy as he is stupid, Han Solo epitomized the freewheeling spirit of the 70′s. No situation could shake Solo’s equanimity. Take a look at Episode 4 inside the Catina. The bounty on Solo’s head made bounty hunters from all over the universe seek him out. Does Solo get flustered under the pressure of having to pay up? No. He calmly takes out his gun and shoots the fucker who wants to take him back to Jabba’s palace. When in a dog fight in the Falcon, does Solo ever lose his composure? Never. Even with the Falcon’s continual malfunctioning, Solo barks out commands to the rest of the members with the ease and prudence of a lifelong commander. Solo though had none of these types of accolades under his belt. He traversed the distant galaxies of the Star Wars universe just looking for the highest risks that would come his way. Han Solo wasn’t about accolades or adulation from a superior commander. For him, those approval games would be a massive yawn fest compared to his recluse lifestyle of living every day like its your last. As the Star Wars series moves on past episode 4, we see Solo gain a conscience when seeing Luke about to be destroyed inside the Death Star proving that even the most extreme of freelancers can have an idea of right and wrong, but never so much as to consume their natural personality. Throughout the Star Wars series, Solo would exhibit this 2-fold personality that made the viewer appreciate Solo on a higher level than most characters in the movie. It was a sad day when the viewer had to endure seeing Solo encased in carbonate in Jabba’s palace (even though he was still a cocky son of a bitch right before he was frozen solid). The minute he was unfrozen, Solo returned to his sarcastic ways toying with Leia’s strong insistence of love. This ambivalence for herodom and sarcasm makes Han Solo our favorite character in the Star Wars series. We feel we can both be heroes and assholes because of Han Solo.

Coming Monday: Classic Console Review: SNES