From the space dust that was once Alderaan to the deserts of Jakku, the Star Wars universe has been expanding for over 40 years with input from all manner of creative minds and storytellers. But between all the fascinating lore and history, Star Wars is best known—and will always be most known—for its amazing characters. There have been so many cool ones over the years. Our question is: who are the best, the most popular, the most iconic? Here are our picks for the coolest Star Wars characters!
10. Bastila Shan
First appearing in the video game Knights of the Old Republic, Bastila Shan was the leader of the Jedi team sent to kill Darth Revan aboard his ship. The plan failed, even though she did subdue Revan using her powerful command of the Force. Her love for the redeemed Revan is the focal point of the original game, as well as the stories that were told of them afterwards—after they reached an agreement with the Jedi Council so they could be together. Fans adore Bastila Shan and her battle meditation powers, making her one of the most fearsome warriors and strongest female presences in the entire Star Wars series.
9. Ahsoka Tano
Ahsoka Tano started as Anakin Skywalker’s headstrong apprentice, unwilling to listen but always ready for the fight ahead. While under his wing, Ahsoka learned more about patience, how to control her power, and where she belonged—which wasn’t with the Jedi. She’s a character who took time to love for many fans; however, once they understood her, she became embraced by all corners of the Star Wars fandom. Even more so when she appeared in The Mandalorian, expertly portrayed by Rosario Dawson!
8. Han Solo
The scruffy smuggler with a devil-may-care attitude whose best friend is a Wookie, Han Solo occupies a strange place within the Star Wars lore. He isn’t a person who holds great power, yet he’s key to everything that is Star Wars and much adored by most fans. Han is so endearing because when push comes to shove, he’s always ready to turn up and fight. His return to help Luke Skywalker blow up the original Death Star is everything that Han Solo represents—and he’ll will always be an important part of the great Harrison Ford.
7. Din Djarin & Grogu
When Disney bought LucasFilm and promised to make more Star Wars content, fans celebrated. Sadly, much of that promised content didn’t play well with fans when it released. But just when fans were starting to hate what Disney had done to Star Wars, Disney went ahead and gave us The Mandalorian—and along with the series came both Din Djarin (Mando) and Grogu (Baby Yoda). Din Djarin and Grogu comprise a double team: the former is a helmeted warrior/bounty hunter, the latter is the child he swore to protect. The pair is now so beloved that when Grogu was taken away to be trained by Luke Skywalker, there wasn’t a dry eye among viewers. For all of Din Djarin’s code and ethics born from the fires of Mandalore, he loved Grogu—and Grogu loved him back.
6. Yoda
Yoda wasn’t just the wisest Jedi Master who offered sage counsel for generations of warriors, but a Jedi who was incredibly strong with the Force. Yoda is the teacher of all teachers who understands that all dynasties end—and that failure is itself the greatest teacher. The whole of The Empire Strikes Back hinged on the tiny green puppet being accepted by fans—and fans took him into their hearts almost immediately. Yoda is the only Jedi who understood that balance wasn’t necessarily what the Jedi thought it ought to be.
5. Revan
Revan remains one of the few Jedi to ever see the Jedi for what they are underneath. He noted himself that he had seen the Force from both sides of the perspective… and chose neither path. Revan’s power and wisdom set him apart from most others. He was a Jedi turned Sith, turned back to Jedi, only to end up neutral. He questioned teachings and walked his own path at great risk. He disagreed with the Jedi Council on why Jedi weren’t allowed to love (as he fell in love with Bastila Shan during the events of Knights of the Old Republic), which is something fans love about Revan.
4. Luke Skywalker
Depending on which story path you follow after the events of Return of the Jedi, Luke Skywalker ends up in very different places. However, as a character on the big screen, the man who defeated Darth Sidious and redeemed Darth Vader eventually became a hermit—one who was exiled and determined to end the Jedi Order. Fans will always love Luke, given that he was the first person we ever saw become trained in the Jedi ways. His masters were the great Obi-Wan Kenobi and wise Master Yoda, but he was the original hero—and for that reason, he garners ravenous support from the fanbase.
3. Boba Fett
Boba Fett is a Star Wars character who didn’t become a fan favorite until after his death. Another way to look at him: Boba Fett is a Star Wars character who was so beloved that he was brought back from the grave by sheer fan service. Boba Fett is cool, there’s no argument about that. His new TV series is everything fans have dreamed of for decades, as was his plot resurrection in The Mandalorian. As the bounty hunter tasked by Darth Vader to capture Luke Skywalker and his friends, he’s a cinematic giant of the Star Wars universe and—more importantly—a character with a still-ongoing story.
2. Obi-Wan Kenobi
Obi-Wan may not be the most powerful Jedi or the wisest Jedi, but he’s certainly the greatest Jedi. Obi-Wan is the Jedi who failed to bring Anakin back from the Dark Side. That very student whom he trained eventually led the Jedi to ruin, and all because a promise between Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon Jinn. Obi-Wan is also the reason why Luke became the Jedi who defeated the Sith and brought balance back to the Force. His wisdom and cunning are shown in the very first film when he sacrifices himself, giving a tiny look towards Luke as he does, knowing the secret that wouldn’t be revealed until The Empire Strikes Back. Fans don’t simply adore Obi-Wan; they hold him in great esteem. Yoda may be the Jedi who stands above all others, but if you were to train in the Jedi ways, you’d want to be trained by Obi-Wan Kenobi.
1. Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker
Anakin is the chosen one. He’s the Jedi who turned on his kind and slaughtered all he could find, simply because he knew love. Unlike Revan before him, Anakin kept his bond with Padme a secret from the Jedi Order—and his fear of losing her drove him to darkness. As Darth Vader, he was ruthless and unwilling to be pulled out of his rage from causing Padme’s death—at least until the sight of his son being tortured by the Emperor caused him to throw his master down a chasm, thus redeeming him as Anakin Skywalker. Without Anakin, the Star Wars franchise doesn’t exist. He’s the focus of it all—his family, his power, his weakness. Anakin Skywalker is the Jedi who fell, only to return at the brink. He’s the coolest, the darkest, and the greatest character in Star Wars by far. Read next: The coolest Star Wars alien races and species
