Fans have officially lost count of how many Star Wars characters there are. Since Disney purchased Lucasfilm in 2012, content has been rolled out onto Disney+ like there’s no tomorrow, and there are now so many characters populating the faraway galaxy that a text crawl listing all their names would likely go on forever.
Animated shows like Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008 — 2020) and Star Wars: Rebels (2014 — 2018) may have existed before the streaming service arrived, but Star Wars: The Bad Batch (2021), Star Wars: Visions (2021), and Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi (2023), to name a few, came after. And then, of course, there are the many live-action shows.
Star Wars Has Become Overrun With New Characters
Despite once being a rare breed, the live-action shows have since taken over. Now, the likes of Din Djarin/The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu already feel like a distant memory. Along with The Mandalorian (2019), there’s The Book of Boba Fett (2021), Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022), Andor (2022), Ahsoka (2023), The Acolyte (2024), and Skeleton Crew (2024).
Amid the clutter, we recall simpler times in the franchise fondly: when we only had characters in the original trilogy to think about. Even by the time the prequel trilogy began in 1999, there were still only novels, comic books, and video games to accompany the films. Now, there’s so much going on that we think it’s time for a much-needed break.
So, forget Ahsoka Tano, Darth Maul, Ezra Bridger, Sabine Wren, Fennec Shand, Omega, Rey, Finn, Po Dameron, and yes, forget Grogu, too (sorry, Grogu). Here are 13 main characters from the original trilogy ranked from worst to best.
All 13 Characters From the Original Star Wars Trilogy
13. Jabba the Hutt
Jabba the Hutt made his first appearance in Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi (1983) as the grotesque crime lord who rules over Tatooine’s criminal underworld.
But with a freshly carbonized Han Solo (Harrison Ford) in his possession, fans had even more reason not to like him.
Jabba is pretty tough to stomach when he’s on screen, largely because he’s enough to put you off eating for a while. But he remains an iconic character nonetheless.
12. Boba Fett
Boba Fett (Jeremy Bulloch) was a fan-favorite for 40 years — until The Book of Boba Fett turned him into a friendly neighborhood bounty hunter.
Perhaps he was a bit overrated to start with, though.
The stoic bad guy sure looks worthy of being slapped onto merchandise, but there are two points to consider when ranking him: a) his screentime, and b) that scream.
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11. Obi-Wan Kenobi
Before Ewan McGregor became synonymous with the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi after playing him in the prequel trilogy, Alec Guinness was the first to don the robes and pick up the lightsaber in Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope (1977).
However, while the original Obi-Wan Kenobi is still revered by fans, Guinness’ overall performance in the original films is hardly Oscar-worthy.
10. The Emperor
Darth Vader’s master is simply known as “The Emperor” in the original trilogy, long before the prequel trilogy gave him the names Emperor Palpatine and Darth Sidious.
While The Emperor is a terrifying, ahem, “force” of nature, his appearances in the original trilogy aren’t his most memorable moments in the saga.
We think it’s Ian McDiarmid’s performances in Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace (1999), Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones (2002), Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith (2005), and Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker (2019) that the character iconic.
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9. Lando Calrissian
There probably isn’t a fan alive who doesn’t love Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams).
While Donald Glover did a fine job as a younger version of the character in the anthology film, Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018), it’s Billy Dee Williams who really knows how to turn on the charm and the charisma as the suave and sophisticated roguish smuggler-turned-administrator, who first appears in Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back (1980).
8. C-3PO
C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) is one of the two most iconic droids in Star Wars.
He might often be as irritating to the audiences as he is to his comrades, but his value as a protocol droid that can speak over six million forms of communication cannot be overstated, and his back and forth with R2-D2 (Kenny Baker) is nothing short of pure chemistry.
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7. Chewbacca
Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) is one of the most lovable Star Wars characters.
Anyone who’s had the pleasure of meeting him in Walt Disney World or Disneyland can back this up. In the films, however, he’s also a formidable warrior.
Han Solo’s trusted Wookiee sidekick hails from Kashyyyk, and though he speaks only in Shyriiwook, we can read Chewie like a book.
Chewbacca is played by Joonas Suotamo in the sequel trilogy films, Star Wars: Episode VII — The Last Jedi (2017) and Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker (2019).
6. Princess Leia
The late Carrie Fisher has left behind quite the legacy with Princess Leia Organa, and it’s a shame that she still hasn’t been officially crowned a Disney Princess.
Leia is the franchise’s first strong female character, long before the likes of Ahsoka Tano and Rey Skywalker came along.
Related: 7 Completely Overrated ‘Star Wars’ Characters
5. Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) is the most iconic Jedi in the Star Wars franchise, and the most iconic character in general (though it’s a tough competition with Jedi Master Yoda).
Despite how Luke is portrayed in The Last Jedi, fans will always remember him as the true symbol of hope in the original trilogy, whose concluding chapter sees him taking on two Sith Lords (there are always two): master and apprentice, The Emperor (Ian McDiarmid) and Darth Vader (James Earl Jones).
The fact that Luke is able to turn his father from the dark side also makes him one of the best-written characters in Star Wars.
4. Han Solo
Han Solo is, without contest, the most charismatic Star Wars character (yes, he gives even Lando Calrissian a run for his Galactic Credits).
Harrison Ford brings a ton of wit, charm, and snark to the role of the space smuggler in the original trilogy, and watching his back and forth with Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) is a love story in its own right.
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3. R2-D2
Much like Chewbacca, R2-D2 is a character who can’t speak English (he speaks Binary), yet the audience almost always knows what he’s saying or how he’s feeling (which one can also gauge from other characters’ reactions or responses).
While the sequel trilogy’s BB-8 is a worthy successor to R2-D2, the original is always the best. BB-8 might be just as adorable, but it’s R2’s hilarious screams and his scuffle with Yoda on Dagobah in The Empire Strikes Back that earns him the title.
Kenny Baker plays R2-D2 in Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope (1977), The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith, while Jimmy Vee plays him in Star Wars: Episode VII —The Force Awakens (2015) and The Last Jedi, and Hassan Taj and Lee Towersey in The Rise of Skywalker.
2. Darth Vader
Just when you think you’ve settled on the one you consider to be the most iconic Star Wars character, along comes someone who throws the entire competition out the window.
Yes, Darth Vader is just as iconic as the likes of Yoda, Luke, and Chewbacca, to name a few.
Darth Vader isn’t just one of the most iconic Star Wars villains, though — he’s also one of the franchise’s most dynamic characters. Even before his backstory was fleshed out by Jake Lloyd and Hayden Christensen, in the prequel trilogy, Vader was already an interesting character with a deep inner conflict.
James Earl Jones appears as Darth Vader in A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, Revenge of the Sith, The Rise of Skywalker, and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016). Jake Lloyd plays Anakin Skywalker in The Phantom Menace, and Hayden Christensen portrays him in Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith, and the Disney+ series Ahsoka.
Related: 5 ‘Star Wars’ Characters Who Don’t Deserve All the Hate
1. Yoda
It was a tough ranking, but Jedi Master Yoda (Frank Oz) has made the top of the list.
Yoda is a character who goes through many changes throughout the Star Wars franchise. In the prequel trilogy, he’s a wise and seasoned Jedi with more wisdom than any other character (although he is almost a thousand years old).
In the original trilogy, however, the Clone Wars, old age, and exile have taken their toll. Regardless, Yoda is still bursting with wisdom on Dagobah, and isn’t without a dose of good humor and whimsy.
Is there any other franchise out there that has this many iconic characters? Even Harry Potter would struggle to put forward as many as Star Wars has on its roster, and we’re limiting ourselves to the original trilogy and nothing more with this ranking.
Who’s your favorite character from the original trilogy? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!
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