My Top 10 Favorite Star Wars Characters (in the Franchise Thus Far)

Star Wars the Force Awakens comes out TOMORROW! …Or tonight if you decide to see it early, which, if you’re a true fan, you WILL DO!

[Insert Jedi mind-trick hand-waving here.]

And since I’m a huge fan with nothing better to do (except for editing) I’m going to provide you all with some Star Wars related content: my top 10 favorite characters of the franchise (thus far)!

I was originally going to do a video on this, but I promised that, until I got the three promised readings done and uploaded, all other channel content would be cancelled. So I decided against it…

Now remember that the following list is MY OWN PERSONAL OPINION! Which means that if you don’t agree with it, that’s okay. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

And PLEASE leave your own top 10 list in the comments below! I’m interested in what you have to say, even if I may not agree with it…

But, with all of that out of the way, let’s get counting down! Starting with…

Number 10

A tie between Boba Fett and Jango Fett

Are the Fetts pretty overrated? Maybe. But that doesn’t keep me from loving them like the rest of the fans. Like father, like son, these two are the greatest bounty hunters from each of their respective times. And they’ve got both the gear and the skills to back it up! Now, you’re all probably wondering, “Why is it a tie between both of them instead of it just being Boba? Boba’s WAY better!” While that is true, the reason I give them the same ranking is because I kinda see them as the same character. Especially when you take into account that Boba is canonically an exact clone of Jango. Only thing different is the color pallet of their suits. But the pair is still super cool and that’s why they make it onto this list.

Number 9

Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious

This deceptive, manipulative fucker right here is why this…

…turned into this!

He also gets points for being a powerful final boss—in both trilogies! Plus, who doesn’t love his voice?

Number 8

General Grievous

Four lightsabers. At the same time. And he’s a cyborg. Who can take on five Jedi at once. With ease. Frankly, anyone who doesn’t think Grievous is badass and intimidating clearly hasn’t seen the Clone Wars. The ORIGINAL Clone Wars. The GOOD Clone Wars.

Number 7

Luke Skywalker

Arguably the character with the most growth in the franchise. Luke goes from being a whiny teenage moisture farmer with no purpose in life to being one of the most powerful and wise Jedi to have ever lived. Luke’s legacy as a Jedi is greater than his father’s, and his father was “the Chosen One”! He (with no small amount of guidance from Yoda and Obi-Wan) fixes everything that was wrong with the old Jedi Order! Everything that Forced his father to the Dark Side and drove the Jedi to near extinction! (AKA the Jedi Code.) He, like Yoda and Obi-Wan before him, has a more non-traditional and progressive view of the Force. Which not only allows him to see what works and what doesn’t when he rebuilds the Jedi Order, but also helps him bring the "Dark Lord of the Sith" back to the Light Side. He also legalizes the use of Force Lightning for Jedi, which is just the coolest thing ever. On a minor note, he gets points for having Mara Jade as a love interest. Also, I might a little biased since, back when I was just a wee lad getting into the fandom, Luke was my favorite instead of Han.

Number 6

Han Solo

As you can see, that’s changed. Maybe it’s because of Firefly, maybe it’s because he’s played by Harrison Ford who also played Indiana Jones. Hell, maybe it’s because I like playing as a rogue in Dungeons and Dragons. But Han is a lovable character. There’s just something about the criminal-who-primarily-looks-out-for-number-one-but-at-heart-is-a-good-guy archetype that everybody loves. And there have been many space-cowboy-pirate-captains over the years, such as Malcolm Reynolds, Gene Starwind, and Spike Spiegel, but Han was the original that inspired all of them.

Number 5

Yoda

Whether he’s the most powerful Jedi is debatable, but there’s no question that he’s the wisest. And why wouldn’t he be? The dude’s about 900 years old, and he’s trained Jedi for over 800 years! The guy knows almost everything there is to know about the Force, and is a perfect role model for all Jedi. He’s also the second most recognizable Star Wars mascot, even to the few losers who know nothing about Star Wars.

Number 4

R2-D2

The original and the best, R2 is undeniably THE droid everyone wants and is looking for, whether it be in the films or real life. R2 is the STANDARD for all droid and robot companion kind in ANY media. He’s an icon that everyone loves and cherishes, and Star Wars would definitely not be the same without him. BB-8 can suck it! Unless he ends up actually surprising me in this film, in which case, I apologize BB-8.

Number 3

Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker

One of the most iconic villains of all time, as well as the most recognizable Star Wars mascot! Anyone who doesn’t have Vader on their top 10 list has a serious problem. As villain, he is as ruthless as he is powerful, and powerful he is. With a midichlorian count higher than Yoda, and being selected by a Jedi prophecy to be “the Chosen One,” Darth Vader is by far one of the most powerful Force-users to have ever lived. Plus, no matter how you look at it, he DID fulfill that prophecy of “bringing balance to the Force.” You could see it as he brought the Jedi and Sith count to about the same, you could say he eventually destroyed the Sith from the inside, you could even go as far as to say he had a son who would bring about the new Jedi order. No matter how you look at it, he technically fulfilled the prophecy. And I’ll be the one to say it, as whiny as he was, Hayden Christensen actually did pretty good job playing Anakin. Really, the only Anakin/Vader incarnation I don’t like in the franchise is Little Annie. [Shudders.] But to be fair, ALL kids are annoying.

Number 2

Obi-Wan Kenobi

When it comes to Revenge of the Sith, you have to pick a side, Team Anakin or Team Obi-Wan. And I’m Team Obi-Wan all the way! I LOVE Obi-Wan, just everything about him! In every incarnation! He’s as wise as Master Yoda, as powerful as Master Windu, and no matter what lightsaber he uses, it’s always the coolest design! Even as an old man, he’s still got it! Plus, gotta love the beard. Yoda aside, he’s the perfect role model for not only Jedi to follow, but all people in general.

And before we get to my top pick, here are a few honorable mentions…

Chewbacca

Because best sidekick.

Mace Windu

Because Samuel L. Jackson plays one of the most powerful Jedi of all time. Plus, he’s a master martial artist in the original Clone Wars. Need I say more?

Leia & Padme

Leia for being the more useful female lead and Padme for being the more sexy female lead.

Juno Eclipse

Both useful AND sexy!

Mara Jade Skywalker

Because sexiest Force-user. Damn Luke’s one lucky bastard!

Qui-Gon Jinn

Because Liam Neeson is one of Phantom Menace’s few perks.

Rahm Kota

Because blind Jedi military tactician is badass as fuck!

Number 1

Galen Marek/Starkiller

I DON’T CARE that he’s not canon anymore! Galen is the coolest Force-user of all time! We talk all the time about Jedi turning to the Dark Side, but no one ever talks about Sith finding the Light! Galen is the perfect middle ground. Because of his background as Darth Vader’s secret apprentice, he’s able to go to the dark places most Jedi dare not go. But because of his righteous rebelliousness toward Vader, he’ll always come back to the light. Plus, he’s even more powerful than Vader is. And he’s played by Sam Witwer, who is just the most gorgeous man in existence.

So there’s my top 10 favorite Star Wars characters thus far! I hope you enjoyed my commentary, and I hope you, like me, are excited to see The Force Awakens in theaters! Again, please leave your own top 10 in the comments section below. I will see you all next time!

Also, here’s a well done video to prove that the prequels were secretly brilliant. Take that, prequel haters!