Alright! Today I'll be ranking what, in my opinion, are the best Star Wars villains. The following characters will range from cyborgs with tuberculosis, thinly developed sketches of cartoonish evil, and some of the most complex, well-developed, most iconic villains in all of cinema. It's... a lot of variation.
And, side note, I did exclude Agent Kallus from this list, due to his surprisingly excellent redemption arc (Which also applies to Revan).
15. General Grievous
General Grievous is, for the majority of his appearances, nerfed. Any interesting Jedi kills he makes are either in deleted scenes or in the 2003 Clone Wars show. Even during the 2008 Clone Wars he doesn't do a lot. Sure, his backstory is interesting (War general that was blown up, given cybernetic replacements, and then tricked into joining the Separatists), but in terms of onscreen presence, he's a humanoid helicopter that spins lightsabers around.
14. Count Dooku
Count Dooku is about as basic as a villain can be. He's dropped in out of nowhere for Attack of the Clones and dies as soon as Revenge of the Sith begins. Any interesting motivation, moments, or personality is left entirely to the two Clone Wars television shows. While both do take steps at making him a more believable villain and fleshing out his backstory, neither can completely overcome how bland he was in the movies.
13. Jabba the Hutt
Jabba the Hutt is a giant gangster slug. That's what he's got going for him. In the films, he's... there... wait, is Jabba's biggest contribution putting Leia in her iconic golden bikini? It may very well be. One of the best things about Jabba is actually the design, though. There's definitely never been a character before or after that represents the gluttony of the Hutt. And did you know that there was a planned anthology film for him? Like Boba Fett and Obi-Wan? Give me my Jabba Disney+ show already!
12. Moff Gideon
Moff Gideon is the most recent entry into the franchise but already deserves a place on the list - as the flagship villain of The Mandalorian, owner of the Darksaber, and being portrayed by renowned villain actor Giancarlo Esposito, Moff Gideon has a lot of intrigue about him. Unfortunately, that's what's holding him back. I'm assuming that as The Mandalorian continues we'll learn more, but right now he's got a cool costume, the Darksaber, and a fantastic actor. In turns of motivation, he's just evil.
11. Grand Moff Tarkin
A lot of people really, really like Grand Moff Tarkin. I don't. Sure, he's cool, sure, he's portrayed by Peter Cushing, but he's basically a generic old evil white guy. Not exactly interesting. But once again, expanded media. The Clone Wars depicts his early days and Rebels had him in the show... but he mostly gets this high up on the list due to ordering the execution of Alderaan with no hesitation or remorse. That's pretty cold.
10. Boba Fett
Once again, I've gotta be different. Boba Fett was kind of lame in the OT, guys. He just looks cool and then goes out like a punk in Return of the Jedi. The best thing that can be said about him is that his costume design was so good it inspired an entire planet whose lore makes up heavy portions of The Clone Wars, Rebels, and The Mandalorian. He's also a flagship character of the Star Wars franchise despite having 7 minutes of being a background character and, like, three lines. But his role has expanded and he's slowly becoming a better character through his screentime in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. There's hope for a fantastic arc in here somewhere. A New Hope, if you will.
9. Orson Krennic
Director Krennic is probably lower on a lot of people's lists. I'm not most people. I really liked his character in Rogue One. While it is admittedly mostly due to him being portrayed by Ben Mendelsohn, a great costume, and Rogue One's beautiful cinematography, I still loved it. While he wasn't the most effective villain, his power-hungry grab for accreditation was certainly different than the normally cool-headed Star Wars villains.
8. Kylo Ren
Kylo Ren really, really, really should've been the bright spot of the sequels - out of everything, the Sith son of Han Solo and Leia should be easy to make good. While the mystery and intrigue of the character are strong in The Force Awakens, and The Last Jedi's positioning of him as the end villain was great (As well as him killing Snoke), the character's reduced presence and butchered redemption arc in The Rise of Skywalker fail the character. Adam Driver delivers an excellent performance, but it's not enough to save shoddy planning.
7. Pong Krell
While Pong Krell might not have his own Wikipedia page, he does have his own LEGO figure, which cannot be said for some of the other characters on this list. He's a minor antagonist during The Clone Wars' 4th season Umbara arc. Pong Krell is a Jedi who really, really hates the clones, to the point where he manipulates their battles so that different legions fight and kill each other - their brothers, unwitting fratricide. This heinous crime, combined with his jerkish disposition and apparent happiness with his actions, leaves him at the bottom of the contempt bucket.
6. Darth Plagueis
In all honesty, I don't know much about Darth Plaguies. My knowledge more or less caps out with Palpatine's excellently evil monologue in Revenge of the Sith. Here's the rundown: Darth Plagueis was a Dark Lord of the Sith, so powerful and so wise that he could use the Force to influence the midichlorians to create life. He had such a knowledge of the Dark Side, he could even keep the ones he cared about from dying. He became so powerful that the only thing he was afraid of was losing his power, which eventually, of course, he did. Unfortunately, he taught his apprentice everything he knew, then his apprentice killed him in his sleep (More on that later).
5. Darth Nihilus
While my knowledge of Star Wars Legends is admittedly limited, Darth Nihilus is one of the characters who has caught my eye - a Sith Lord who literally feeds on Force energy. This being wipes out entire planets just because he's hungry. His entire spirit is encased in his iconic mask, and he started a Jedi purge. He's basically a more nuanced Galactus. What's not to like?
4. Darth Maul
Darth Maul is best-case scenario Boba Fett - a character who gained traction from an iconic design (In this case face tattoos and his lightsaber) and died with minimal screentime and development. Luckily, The Clone Wars and Rebels are once again here to save him. Darth Maul's poetic and strategic desire to destroy Obi-Wan Kenobi is an epic tale that spans decades of hatred. He murders Duchess Satine, takes over Mandalore, and eventually comes toe to toe with Kenobi. While their final fight may not be perfect, the story behind it is extraordinary and nuanced.
3. Grand Admiral Thrawn
Taking influence from both his appearance in Rebels and Legends, Grand Admiral Thrawn is, to the casual Star Wars fan, probably someone you've never heard of before. In the no longer canon continuity, he was the main antagonist of the New Republic after Return of the Jedi, the last and most brilliant of the Grand Admirals. A brilliant strategist, he plots the framing of Admiral Ackbar, nearly destroys the heroes, introduces Luke to Mara Jade, and has a trademark calmness. To put it simply, being Thrawn just makes you better than most people. In Star Wars Rebels, he's more or less the same, but poorly animated. He's definitely a character to watch out for, and you'll definitely hear more about him in the upcoming Ahsoka.
2. Palpatine
Perhaps the greatest weakness of Palpatine is his predictability - every generation he resurfaces, finds the newest Skywalker, and gives them the "Kill me and join the Dark Side" shtick. And if that fails, hit 'em with the good ol' zappy hands. At a glance, Sheev Palpatine appears to be yet another generic evil man - but we must remember that Palpatine was the original generic evil man. This is the face of evil, superseded only by Sauron in his desires and means. Palpatine's political maneuvering during the Clone Wars, execution of the Jedi, and unprecedented grip on the galaxy are above and beyond the requirements for "iconic villain" status.
1. Darth Vader
Is literally anyone surprised by this? It almost feels derivative to explain my reasoning. Darth Vader is the face of evil, one of the most iconic fictional characters of all time. His arc from peaceful Jedi Knight, Master of Ahsoka Tano, and secret father to the betrayer of the Jedi and Sith Lord, while clunky, is absolutely tragic. Nothing stands out like a corrupted hero, a hero that's been so corrupted not a shred of his original personality remains until the very end. Darth Vader brutally slaughters rebels, hunts down the remaining Jedi, and is one of the strongest Force wielders of all time. He's both a terrifying villain and a fallen hero, and, while he may not always hit that balance perfectly, there's much more to Darth Vader than a mask.
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