With Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker just days away, what better time than now to celebrate our favorite Star Wars heroes.
Throughout its forty-year life span, Star Wars has had plenty of heroic characters that have become iconic in the cultural lexicon. Based on archetypes themselves, they’ve come to define what those archetypes mean for many people. The heroes and protagonists of the Star Wars universe are what make it live and breathe as much as it does. Sure, the villains are iconic and memorable, but the reason you keep coming back is because of the heroes that are being followed. They’re why there’s so much love for this franchise.
Now, here comes the impossible task — ranking them. Characters that people love will be left off, sadly, and everyone will have their own different rankings. And while this list will focus on characters introduced within “The Skywalker Saga”, there are a few exceptions to that rule. This list will also not fully represent personal favorites either and will be a more objective view. And I guarantee there will be a character not featured on this list that will annoy people, and there will be a different one for every person.
10. R2-D2
Where would every other main character in Star Wars be without R2-D2? Six feet under, that’s where. Artoo was one of the first characters we meet in the franchise, and he’s been a mainstay ever since. Because of him, Luke, Han, Leia, Padme, Anakin, Obi-Wan, and so many others have been saved. With this, Artoo is pretty much the most important droid in the entire galaxy.
Beyond that, he’s as brave as any other character on this list. He’s willing to sacrifice himself and put himself in harm’s way, which almost got him killed in A New Hope. He’s also the only one to bring out the farm boy in Luke in The Last Jedi, bringing out a side of him long thought dead. It’s a quick moment, but it’s incredibly sweet.
Droids are rarely considered to be heroes amongst the galaxy at large, but Artoo has shown time and time again why he deserves that title. He’s survived the Clone Wars, the Empire, and is now around during the reign of the First Order; there’s no other droid that you would want at your side. Plus, his personality is top-notch amongst every other droid, as it seems he’s evolved past his programming for.
9. Jyn Erso
As the woman who managed to rally the Rebellion to truly fight against the Empire, she deserves to be here. Without her, Luke Skywalker would be a stormtrooper, the Rebellion would’ve died, and the Empire would still reign. Jyn Erso embodies what it means to be a member of the Rebellion and dies in the process.
Carrying on the legacy of her mother and father, Lyra and Galen Erso, Jyn overcomes everything in her path in order to win the fight in front of her. Reluctant and angry at first, she transforms into the symbol of hope the Rebellion is known for, which allows the rest of the galaxy to push forward. Her bravery, sacrifice, and hopefulness are palpable, and they make her one of the most important characters in the Star Wars canon.
She’s only in one film, but her impact is felt throughout everything in the Star Wars universe. The Force moves in mysterious ways, and those ways brought Jyn Erso back to her father, which lit the embers that would eventually burn the Empire to ash. Her hard life, from the death of her parents to her life with the Partisans, to her time in jail, it all led to her becoming the hero that paved the way to saving the galaxy.
8. Chewbacca
The big furball. The lovable giant. Chewbacca may never be the star (#givechewiehismedal), but his impact is never lost. Han would never be able to fly the Millennium Falcon without his co-pilot and best friend. Rey wouldn’t have her companion by her side either if Chewbacca didn’t exist. Of anyone, Chewbacca is the most loyal hero in the galaxy and there whenever you need him.
Not only that though, but Chewbacca puts aside his pain and needs for those that need him more. A member of the enslaved Wookiee race during the time of the Empire, he’s willing to forgo attempts to save his brethren to be with Han and eventually help the Rebellion. But when it’s time to save the Wookiees, everyone follows him into battle, as loyal to him as he is to them.
Whether he’s running with smugglers, the Rebellion, or the Resistance, Chewbacca has a heart of gold that has helped carry his companions forward. He cares deeply for those he has in his life and refuses to let any harm come to them if he can. And if someone does hurt them, they’ll be sorry, especially once he rips their arms straight out of their shoulder sockets.
7. Rey
Anybody can be a hero, and that’s something that Rey epitomizes. She’s someone who doesn’t view herself as anything but a nobody from nowhere and tries to pass on the mantle of “hero” to anybody who will take it. When push comes to shove though, she rises to the occasion. Whether she knows it or not, she stands for hope in the galaxy and is willing to fight to protect those who can’t.
From the first moment she was introduced to the larger galaxy when she meets BB-8, it’s easy to tell that Rey is a hero. She saves him from another scavenger and refuses to sell him for food she desperately needs. Those humble beginnings organically lead her path to her attempts to offer Kylo Ren redemption that he doesn’t deserve or want. Only a hero would be willing to put themselves through the pain she goes through to help someone who doesn’t want it and probably never will.
As of the publishing of this article, we don’t know where Rey’s story will end up, so it’s hard to define where she would truly fall on this list. However, as of now, this is a great place for her.
6. Kanan Jarrus
A Padawan in hiding turned into a Jedi Knight, Kanan’s story is one of the most powerful ones in Star Wars. As one of the few survivors of Order 66, he found a new family in the crew of The Ghost. As his story progresses though, he transforms from the reluctant teacher to the true Jedi Master. It’s a brilliant story that Kanan carries on his shoulders, and it ends in a heartbreaking fashion.
Just wanting to live out the rest of his life basically forgetting who he was, once Kanan meets Ezra, he no longer can. He takes on the title of master and shapes two incredibly powerful characters along the way: Ezra and Sabine. Without him, the Rebellion may not have had the leadership and victories that it did and parts of Mandalore may never had been free from conflict.
Essentially the antithesis to Anakin Skywalker, Kanan displayed that love is not a detriment to the Jedi but an asset in his love for Captain, later General, Hera Syndulla. In sacrificing his life to save hers and his Padawan’s, he exemplifies the ideology of the Jedi. And after being blinded, he once again can see Hera right before he dies, it will make you cry.
5. Ahsoka Tano
How can a character who was once hated become universally beloved? Be Ahsoka Tano, that’s how. Starting off as a quite annoying new Padawan to Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka quickly began to transform into the beloved hero she is today. No matter what was asked of her, she was willing to sacrifice herself for whomever she could. And once she was even expelled from the Jedi Order on false pretenses but, instead of joining again, she decides to go her own way, fighting for Mandalore and going on to save younglings from the Inquisitors.
Eventually joining up with the Ghost crew, she takes on Darth Vader, her former master, to allow Ezra and Kanan to escape with their lives. It was a fitting end but, as she was saved by Ezra, she still is around to protect those who need it.
In the entirety of the Star Wars canon, Ahsoka is consistently shown to be the most morally sound out of anyone. In a franchise that focuses on “good vs. evil”, there are very few characters that actually fall fully on the “good” side. Ahsoka is one of those characters. She never falters in her beliefs, even when she makes mistakes. At times selfish when she was younger, she grew into one of the wisest characters in the franchise, fully understanding who she was and what she needed to do.
4. Leia Organa
Princess, Senator, General, Leia Organa of Alderaan has worn many hats through the years and has served the galaxy well in all of them. Originally seeming to be the damsel in distress, she turns out to be anything but. She’s strong, sassy, and is willing to take the weight of the world on her shoulders so others don’t. For instance, she lost her entire planet and immediately was back to leading the Rebellion.
A natural leader, she inspires everyone around her to be better and pushes them to do so, whether it’s Luke or Han or Poe Dameron. She makes them all better and makes the Rebellion and the Resistance better simply with her presence allowed. It also helps that she doesn’t take guff from anyone.
Even at her lowest moments, Leia shows strength that others simply don’t comprehend or aren’t able to. Her entire planet has just been destroyed, but she comforts look sorrow over Ben’s death. She’s just barely survived dying and explains why Poe has been in the wrong for his mutiny. She should be the one comforted by everyone else, but instead, she’s the one comforting and teaching. There’s no other character in Star Wars like her.
3. Obi-Wan Kenobi
A hero of the Clone Wars yes, but he’s also the master of the man who would become Darth Vader, how exactly is Obi-Wan a great hero? Well first, he’s not, that’s what makes him great. Unlike many characters in Star Wars, Obi-Wan is a tragic figure who has failed many times, but he keeps pushing on. That’s what makes him a hero. No matter what happens, he continues to push forward, which is what a true hero does.
Without Obi-Wan protecting Luke Skywalker as Ben Kenobi, who knows what would’ve transpired with the galaxy. It’s entirely possible that Luke never would’ve joined the Rebellion and/or might be dead before the time of A New Hope. His failures led to the legend of Luke Skywalker and, even if he’s doomed to never be in the spotlight in the eyes of the galaxy, his work will live on.
Obi-Wan is probably the most flawed hero in Star Wars. His attempts to train Anakin were partially what led to him joining the Dark Side. He lied to Luke about information Luke should probably know. He has faults, but this doesn’t make him a bad hero; it simply makes him one that makes mistakes. It makes him more interesting as a character and gives him more motivation than most.
2. Luke Skywalker
The man who destroys the Death Star, redeem Darth Vader, and save the Resistance from utter destruction, Luke Skywalker is the definition of legend in the Star Wars universe. Starting off as a humble farm boy looking to join the Imperial academy, Luke is thrust into the galactic conflict on a level that could never comprehend before. Thankfully, he’s up to the challenge, despite failures along the way.
After decades of being heralded as a legend though, his hubris and fear, the things he once fought so hard against takes over his mind for a split second leading to his greatest failure. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes though, Luke gives his life to save the Resistance from that failure, ensuring his legend will live on forever.
For so long, Luke has been the focal point of this franchise, so much so that the entire nine-film saga is named after him. Many people have many differing interpretations of the character, but there’s one thing that’s sure about him — he’s a hero. He’s saved the galaxy, destroyed superweapons, and turned one of the most powerful Sith ever back from the Dark Side. He’s a hero through and through, and that legend lives on, even after his death.
1. Han Solo
The one, the only, Han Solo. The lovable scoundrel who tries so hard to act like he’s not a hero when that’s all he is. His return to the Death Star facilitates Luke’s ability to destroy the massive space station by taking Darth Vader out of the picture. His carbonite sacrifice allows Leia, Chewbacca, and Lando Calrissian to escape from Cloud City. And his bravery on the forest moon of Endor allowed for the destruction of the second Death Star.
Even after all that though, he does one extremely unheroic thing, not being a good father to Ben Solo, aka Kylo Ren. He attempts to rectify that but to no avail. His return to heroic form before he dies, however, allows for Rey, Finn, and the rest of the Resistance to blow up Starkiller Base, taking out the greatest weapon of the First Order. So even in his dying moments, just like the rest of his life Han is a hero. He’s the greatest hero because he doesn’t necessarily even want to be a part of the galactic war.
The definition of “lovable scoundrel”, Han works his way into your heart from the first moment the audience meets him in Mos Eisley Cantina. His charm and wit are unlike any other in Star Wars and will probably continue to be until the franchise ends.