Ranking Star Wars Heroes!

Alright! Today I'll be ranking what, in my opinion, are the best Star Wars heroes. The following characters will range from poorly planned defectors, sassy droids, green babies, and some of the most complex, well-developed, surprisingly awesome characters in all of cinema. 

And, side note, I did exclude Boba Fett from this list. Even though his most notable appearances have been him doing good, he still is widely regarded as a villain. Maybe this list will need an update come The Book of Boba Fett, but, until then, he stays on the villain list.

20. Finn/BB-8

Finn and BB-8 are the only Sequel Trilogy-specific characters that made the list, and they're this low because both are frustratingly sidelined. BB-8 stops being integral to the plot and just exists to sell merchandise by the second movie, and anything interesting happening with Finn is completely left to the wayside during The Rise of Skywalker. More screen time was needed for both of these once-promising heroes. 

19. Chewbacca

Chewbacca may be a big walking carpet, but he's our big walking carpet. Often serving as an underutilized side character, Chewbacca stands out not just because he's 7 feet tall (2.13 meters), but because he's the only one from A New Hope to survive the entire Saga (Not counting the droids, of course). 

18. Chirrut Îmwe

Close your eyes and think back to 2016. Aside from the always epic Vader hallway fight, the standout of the movie was easily Chirrut Îmwe, a blind warrior monk and a member of the Guardians of the Whills. He's not a Jedi per se, but he certainly is very in touch with the Force and uses his staff twice as competently as your typical lightsaber-wielder. His catchphrase, "I'm one with the Force; the Force is with me," will forever be ingrained into the Star Wars fandom. 

17. Jaina Solo

Who's ready for some legends lore? In the original plotline of the Star Wars saga via novels written in the 90s, Jaina Solo was the daughter of  Han and Leia, and twin sister to Jacen Solo. A big part of why I like this character ties into the story - While both are trained by Mara Jade Skywalker, Jacen Solo eventually falls from grace and becomes a Sith, leading Jaina to seek the guidance of Boba Fett and fight her brother. It's... incredibly interesting. 

16. Princess Leia

Other than her incredible musical theme and iconic personality, there's not much going on with Princess Leia. For most of her appearances, she's nothing more than a sassy MacGuffin. The sassy is, funny enough, what gives her her spot on this list. Carrie Fisher set the standard for what it meant to be a strong female character back in 1977 by not only running with the damsel in distress trope, but also spinning it to be fresh and exciting. 

15. Bo-Katan Kryze

While Bo-Katan may not be the most interesting or dynamic character in The Clone Wars (And let's not even talk about what happened with Rebels), the thing really selling me on her is the costume. Her Mandalorian armor is an easy standout among Star Wars' already proliferate amazing costume. And her amazingly smooth transition into live-action last year in The Mandalorian was absolutely glorious. 

14. R2-D2

R2-D2 is another iconic character, the grandfather of the sassy droid archetype that would be repeated by Chopper, BB-8, K-2S0, BB-9E, L3-37, and IG-11, because Star Wars is literally just comprised of desert planets and sassy droids. But R2 stands out above all of them by 1) Being the first, 2) Being the most important to the franchise. and 3) Having the best design out of all of them. Nothing's ever going to top the blue and white trash can. 

13. Lando Calrissian

Lando Calrissian stands out not just because he's one of five black people in the galaxy (The others being Mace Windu, Finn, Saw Gerrera, and Moff Gideon), but also because he's easily the franchise's most charismatic character. Billy Dee William's performance as the smooth-talking playboy turned Rebel general is absolutely iconic, and Donald Glover's turn in Solo was the best part of the movie. 

12. Qui-Gon Jinn

Qui-Gon Jinn is played by a Liam Neeson who's giving it his all. He's the epitome of what it means to be a true Jedi. In fact, I would wager to say that Qui-Gon is the most Jedi Jedi to ever Jedi the Jedi Order. He's calm, collected, and willing to follow the guidance of the Force, even if everyone else believes it will lead to doom (Even though it does). He's easily the best part of The Phantom Menace. 

11. Grogu

Everyone loves Grogu/"Baby Yoda." Everyone. That's because he's perfect. He's adorable. Nothing else needs to be said. 

10. Yoda

Yoda is a questionable force. On one hand, he's always been a pretty chill green frogman. On the other, he kind of sucks. For most of the Prequels, he spends his time sitting on a pillow and thinking about how the Dark Side of the Force is being clouded (By the Dark Side of the Force). During the OT, he's a crazy old muppet, and let's not even talk about what happened in Rebels. I guess peak Yoda is in The Clone Wars TV show, either one. That's probably the best balance of wise/crazy pinball we've gotten. 

9. The Mandalorian

The Mandalorian, real name Din Djarin, is the titular protagonist of, well, The Mandalorian. Not only do the show's surprising caliber and excellent production design lend credence to the character, but Pedro Pascal's performance is off the charts. We must consider here that this man has his face obscured the entire time, meaning his performance rests nearly entirely on line readings and physicality. And he rocks it! And the scenes when he does show his face are... powerfully acted and emotionally relevant. Excellent character. 

Excellently written as well! His character development is definitely a slow burn, and we can't wait to see what happens next in season 3. 

8. Kanan Jarrus

Kanan Jarrus and Qui-Gon Jinn are both my go-to definition of Jedi. Kanan gets the step up because I got to spend more time with him - especially as he's the lone bright spot of Rebels. Kanan Jarrus is endearing because of his flaws. His distrust of Captain Rex and the other clones (While underdeveloped), is an excellent concept and occasionally well-executed. His worry and doubt over teaching Ezra Bridger were also incredibly interesting. Very rarely do we get to see the side of a Jedi Master burdened by self-doubt. 

7. Mara Jade

Mara Jade is one of (If not the) most popular Star Wars Legends characters. Originally introduced as a servant of Emperor Palpatine instructed to kill Luke Skywalker, she eventually is released from Palpatine's hold and turns against the Empire. After being trained by and marrying Luke Skywalker, she even becomes a Jedi Master.  Mara Jade also possesses one of the coolest lightsabers in Star Wars - it's pink. 

6. Captain Rex

Captain Rex is one of my all-time favorite fictional characters. His reassuring Australian voice, courtesy Dee Bradley Baker, is certainly a part of that. His excellent costume design is another. His even being in The Siege of Mandalore instantly lends credibility. But I really love Captain Rex, I do. One of his best traits, in my opinion, is just how much he cares about his fellow clones and Ahsoka Tano. Rex earns his place by being a brilliant Captain and loyal friend. 

5. Anakin Skywalker

Is Anakin Skywalker a good guy? Since he progresses into Darth Vader? Depends on who you ask (Obi-Wan would say yes). But Anakin, as we know him, is equal parts angsty teen, annoying child, and overdramatic Jedi Knight, all of whom hate sand. Anakin, like several other characters, is best represented in The Clone Wars, where his romantic banter is reasonable and his darkness bleeds through the good he does. 

4. Han Solo

Everyone loves a devil-may-care smuggler, and Han Solo fits that description. Han Solo helps ground the altruistic values of Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi by being in it for the money - after all, saving the galaxy is nice, but what's it worth to you if you're frozen in carbonite? Han Solo's gradual character development from a self-centered scruffy-looking nerf herder into a rebel hero is one of the most iconic in film history. And he was the best part of The Force Awakens. Just saying. 

3. Ahsoka Tano

Actually intended to be annoying in her first few appearances, Ahsoka was literally intended to be a reflection of excellent character development. And, wow. Dave Filoni really knows how to do his character development, because this is... insane. Like, she was honestly one of the more annoying characters when she first showed up - she suffered from "main character" syndrome, where her opinions are given equal or greater merit than established and more knowledgeable characters. 

But then she grew. She grew and matured and developed and had life slap the absolute crap out of her and, by the time it happens, you're cheering for her return in The Siege of Mandalore. She easily has some of the best moments in the Star Wars universe, she's great. 

2. Luke Skywalker

Luke Skywalker is the literal definition of a hero. He's altruistic, earnest, and never gives up hope. He sets the archetype for what it means to be a hero, the same as Superman for superheroes. He's the guy. He's just the best. He exemplifies heroism. And to some that makes him boring and flat, but I personally love it. I love that aspect of the character (And, no, I'm not going to bring up The Last Jedi).

1. Obi-Wan Kenobi

Was there anyone else who could do this? Obi-Wan easily has the most tragic story in the entire sage. His master, his lady love, his padawan, they all die! And yet he holds on! He continues because he has to! And that's what makes him great. That and his amazing performances. Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi is the largest saving grace of the Prequel trilogy. I can't wait for the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi show, that's going to be amazing.