Top Twenty Favorite Star Wars Characters

Top Twenty Favorite Star Wars Characters.

Not ranked from 20 to 1. Instead I'll just be going in chronological order, picking one or two from each film. For my personal preference I'm sticking to the 6 Lucas movies. Sequels not included because I don't like them and Animation not included because I've not seen any of them.
There are too many characters to like and love in Star Wars to narrow it down to 10. I could probably even do more than twenty, but I'll just do a pair of favorites to match one in my least favorite list. When it's a main character, I'll put them in at the point that I think they were at their best.
First picks: Qui Gon Jin and Padme Amidala. Specifically Padme from Phandom Menace and Attack of the Clones. I loved her in Revenge of the Sith as well, but her character didn't have as much impact in that one. I loved young Padme in PM because she was a secret. The Queen in disguise. That's great stuff. And in AOTC she was just plain badass like Leia after her. And Qui Gon... Does it get much cooler than Qui Gon? He didn't need more than one movie to make you totally believe him and become invested in him. He was the best mentor character in the series next to older Obi Wann in the original trilogy.

 

Next up, it's Watto and R2D2. I can't help but love the smarmy, unscrupulous junk dealer, Watto. Such a used car salesman who can't even be put off his game by Jedi mind tricks. I also love the creativity of his design, his beard in particular. You don't see a lot of aliens that are created with face hair and Watto has a beard that varies in length throughout the first two prequels. It just a nice touch of a fine detail that stands out to me. And then R2.. dear R2, the real hero of the entire franchise. I've written about that before. The glue that held all six movies together was right out in front in the first movie taking care of everyone and adorable as ever. If you don't love R2D2 I just don't understand how. He belongs on every favorite character list, I believe.

Next we have Mace Windu and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Windu didn't have a huge part, but he made and impression. Mace Windu and his bling-saber. Which was cooler? We may never know. But it was a different kind of part for Samuel L. Jackson. Even more different than his part in the MCU. It's the last place anyone would've expected him to turn up back in the Pulp Fiction days. A wise, sagely Jedi master is a refreshing break from his pigeonholed personality as a loud, gritty, and brash kind of hero/anti-hero without taking away from his formidablility. Much respect.

Obi-Wan Kenobi. Whether Ewan McGregor or Alec Guinness, he has the heart of a lot of fans. Alec Guinness portrayed the subtle pain and regret of a story that hadn't been told yet at the time. Ewan McGregor played out that story to perfection. He really held the prequels together as the best actor in the group, hands down with the character perspective that made the most sense. With the six movies combined, he's probably the best character of the franchise. 

Next up,  Yoda and Princess Leia. Bridging the gap between the two trilogies, I chose Yoda from the prequels because he got to demonstrate why he was the very best for all the lifting of space ships in his swamp. Teacher, fighter, strategist. I don't know anyone who doesn't love Yoda. Princess Leia, also a teacher, fighter and strategist. She picked up in giving some guidance to the boys after Obi-Wan was killed in A New Hope and continued to guide a rebellion, showing limitless versatility while not overshadowing and suffocatingthe other characters. Two of the very best characters ever created.

 Next...
The heart of the series... Luke and Han. Mostly A New Hope Luke because he was so wide-eyed and fresh. He didn't have the weight of the galaxy on his shoulders yet and his energy was unstoppable. I liked his hair longer and blonder too. Let's face it, there's nothing like the first movie or the first book or the first part of any series. A New Hope will always be the first in my mind and young, eager Luke, along with Han and Leia are the coolest team in the trilogy.
Han... Han at any point in the trilogy. Han was equally as cool as the Jedi without having any mystic or magic qualities. Sometimes cooler. Without even trying it would seem. Always an adorable smile and a cheeky one-liner. He's one of the best characters ever made.

Okay, Darth Maul is out of order... this is why I'm not actually ranking them, lol. This is also why the idea of favorite and least favorite characters doesn't really apply in Star Wars. Neither Maul or Vader should be a favorite since they were antagonists. But I was and still am intrigued by Darth Maul. His make up was so unique and different. And his brief time in The Phantom Menace had a stunning impact. I liked Count Dooku, but I'm kind of disappointed that Maul wasn't in at least 2 of the prequels. He's a frightening, silent predator that could really give everyone a bad day. I like the creativity put into this character.
And of course, Darth Vader is the king. The reason why I say Anakin is the most important character in all of Star Wars is because of Vader. They've resurrected him in almost every incarnation, book, and video game connected to the franchise. The tragic character seeking redemption while making force-choking everyone totally cool. There hasn't been many screen personas made that can match Darth Vader.

 

So, Han, are there any more like you at home? Why yes... yes there are.. Sigh... *heartthrob* Thing great thing about the original trilogy is that the writers and actors took what was assumed to be years of background and condense them into a few scenes. Lando has a dubious character, but Lando is no more of a bad guy than Han. Even though he's willing to cover his own skin... he can only be pushed so far. Loved Lando.
Chewbacca.. Proof that you don't even need real dialogue (along with R2) to fashion a strong, believable character. A sidekick, but no less important than any of the actual speaking characters. Chewbacca is just a tall guy in a costume but he's as real as any regular person in the movies. I don't think it's as easy as people think it is... I don't know if it could be done without the help of CGI today.

Also out of order is Kitt Fisto. I know nothing about this character. I think he had more experiences and a more thorough biography in other Star Wars shows, but that didn't stop that smile from capturing my heart in the second movie. Great alien character. Great makeup. And of course I can't leave C3PO out of this list. Poor 3PO is the fool who was swept along for the wild ride. Not entirely useless, he unwittingly played a big role in Han's rescue from Jabba. But for the most part he's just there for comic relief and he does a superb job

Next...

Bobba Fett. He was clever and deadly. And he wasn't really bad he was neutral. Just another day at the office. He was the best choice for the job. I think Vader knew that too, having had dealings with his progenitor. I wasn't sorry to see Jango go, but I was almost a little sorry to see Bobba go. Respect, my friend. The last three of my "favorites" are mostly insignificant characters (in the 6 Lucas movies anyway). They simply stand out and have left a lasting impression over the years like Admiral Ackbar. More than just pointing out the trap, he seemed to be a genuinely expressive character under that giant prosthetic alien head gear. I like it when a person can emote without being able to use their own face. We don't need animation to remember the honorable Admiral Ackbar and that makes him cool. 

Lastly, I picked these two for their looks mainly. Bib Fortuna is another great makeup job that made a lasting impression on me. And he's my favorite dupe of a Jedi mind trick. It's not my favorite mind trick per say, but I did enjoy Bib getting all the way to Jabba confident in his introduction of Luke. Funny stuff. And finally, the Imperial Guard. They were about as useless as Stormtroopers but they had a great look. One of my very favorite costumes of the franchise.