Summary
Ever since theStar Warsuniverse branched into long-form storytelling via its television and streaming series, fans have been introduced to a plethora of original characters. They range from Jedi knights to the deadliest bounty hunters in the galaxy, all of whom have become beloved parts of the lore after being introduced.
Whether someone has been followingStar Warssince it changed pop culture forever in 1977 to a newcomer, there are characters, both heroic and villainous alike, that can appeal to anyone. Each one contributes something to the overallStar Warsuniverse, from expanding on the massive lore to creating stories that stick with viewers.
15The Stranger
The Sith That Feels Like A Horror Villain
From the beginning of marketing forThe Acolyte, fans were curious aboutThe Stranger. A masked warrior with a red blade whom nobody had seen before, but he was an ominous presence in just the trailers. In the show itself, he lived up to the hype by becoming something out of a horror movie for force-wielders, as he was able to slaughter an entire group of fully trained Jedi.
The Stranger’s helmet and lightsaber are both constructed from cortosis, an ore that shorts out the Kyber crystal inside a lightsaber.This made his lightsaber duelswith the Jedi not only visually stunning but also unique from any otherStar Warsbattle. Additionally, audiences got to see a different side of the Sith via The Stranger, which set up more to come beforeThe Acolytewas, unfortunately, canceled.
14Fennec Shand
Boba Fett Wouldn’t Be A Daimyo Without Her
Ming-Na Wen is one of the few actors who can claim to be a real-life Disney princess, as she was Disney’s Mulan, Marvel’s Agent Melinda May, and now she isFennec ShandinStar Wars. She beganas a special guest outlawin an episode ofThe Mandalorian, but she became a regular onThe Book of Boba Fettand has continued to make appearances inThe MandalorianandThe Bad Batch.
The criminal underworld inStar Warsis shown to be a vile place, and Fennec Shand began as another example of that, willing to do any job for the right price with little care for who gets hurt. However, thanks to Boba Fett, audiences got to see her become a more honorable character, but one who will still fearlessly assassinate characters, mixing blasters, blades, and brawling.
13Din Grogu
A character whose story is ever-evolving isDinGrogu, an infant of Yoda’s still-unnamed species who immediately won over the hearts of all viewers in the first episode ofThe Mandalorian. It was hard for anyone not to fall in love, as he rivaled the likes of Baby Groot or Dumbo in terms of cuteness, but many were fascinated to see another character like Yoda and Yaddle.
ThroughoutThe MandalorianandThe Book of Boba Fett, Grogu is shownto be powerful with the Force, which continues to have fans theorizing if he is related to Yoda in any way. The father/son relationship between Grogu and Din Djarin has become a defining story of theStar Warsuniverse, to the point that the two have their own movie in 2026,The Mandalorian & Grogu.
A Bounty Hunter Even The Jedi Worried About
Sometimes it’s hard to resist the charm of a villain, and while hemay be a heartless bounty hunterwho kidnaps children, kills Jedi, and commits many other atrocities,Cad Baneis simply an entertaining villain to watch. From Corey Burton’s voice to his Lee Van Cleef-inspired design straight out of a classic Western, Dave Filoni and his team helped turn Cad Bane into an iconic villain inStar Wars: The Clone Wars.
There is never a time when Cad Bane will do good; he’s a cold and uncaring individual who was shaped by the underworld, only caring about the money that his employers give him. Since he is always portrayed as a competent villain who can overpower even the most trained Jedi like Obi-Wan Kenobi, fans grew to love him. This resulted in Cad Bane stealing the spotlight when he became the main villain inThe Book of Boba Fett, with fans cheering on his live-action debut.
11Bo-Katan Kryze
Katee Sackhoff Has Become A Queen Of Star Wars
So much of the Mandalorians being expanded upon can be attested to Duchess Satine and her sister,Bo-Katan Kryze,inStar Wars: The Clone Wars. Bo-Katan began as a terrorist and extremist in the Deathwatch, believing her sister to be unfit torule the planet of Mandalore, and she helped Pre Viszla in his rampage against her, which led to the unfortunate murder of her sister at the hands of Darth Maul.
Katee Sackhoff would continue to portray the character inStar Wars: RebelsandThe Mandalorian, being one of the few actors to play their character in all forms. To coincide with her many years in the franchise, fans have gotten to see her pay and make up for her mistakes, leading to her becoming the true ruler of Mandalore like her sister.
10Hunter
Hunteris the leader of Clone Force Unit 99, better known as the Bad Batch, in bothThe Clone Warsand their spin-off series, which tackled the fate of the clones post-Order 66. Like the rest of his team, he is gifted with a unique ability to sense things such as electromagnetic changes in the environment, which suggests that he is a Force-sensitive clone.
Being a deadly clone akin to John Rambo is nice, but what really makes Hunter shine is going from a leader of a spec ops team to being the eldest brother trying to take care of a family. He looks like someone who would be constantly edgy, but he’s one of the most wholesome characters, especially when raising Omega.
9Crosshair
From A Hated Villain To A Redeemed Hero
CT-9904, also known asCrosshair,is the perfect example of how much characters can change in a galaxy far, far away. At the beginning ofThe Bad Batch, it is easy to despise Crosshair for betraying his brothers to blindly serve the Empire, and even as the show progresses, he still shows nothing but care for being a cog in the machine.
However, Crosshair is both a victim and a villain, as he had the same genetic chip implanted that many clones had, removing his free will. Fortunately, Crosshair gradually pays for betraying his brothers and, as a result, regains his conscience. He did everything in his being to make up for his poor choices, regaining his brothers' trust, saving Omega, and stopping Dr. Hemlock and his twisted experiments, all while keeping his signature gravely voice,many memorable quotes, and delightfully sour attitude.
8Asajj Ventress
She Is Proof That Anybody Can Come Back From The Dark Side
From giving Anakin Skywalker his signature scar to slaughtering thousands of clone troopers on the battlefield,Asajj Ventresswas as evil as she was deadly during the Clone Wars. WhenStar Wars: The Clone Warsstarted, most would assume that she would amount to nothing more than being Count Dooku’s personal assassin.
Like many characters inStar Wars: The Clone Wars, Ventress was far from the same by the end of her journey than at the start. After being left for dead by Dooku, she began a slow but sure character arc that would transform her into more of an anti-hero by the end ofThe Clone Wars. InThe Bad Batch, Ventress isshown to be more Jedi-likethan ever, despite being a mercenary.
7Omega
The Most Wholesome Character In The Galaxy
While the show is named after Hunter and the other members of Unit 99,The Bad Batch, from beginning to end, is the story ofOmegaas a young and special clone. Across three seasons, Omega grows as a soldier and a person; she can be seen as naive, but in a dark time, as the Empire’s first years, a wholesome character is welcome.
Despite all the evil she witnessed inThe Bad Batch, Omega never lost her kindness or compassion, making her sisterly relationship with the other Batchers endearing. Even when she made mistakes or had downsides to her character, she always improved, making her journey a delight. Now, fans eagerly await to see what is next for Omega after the ending of The Bad Batch confirmed that she joined the rebellion as an adult.
6Ezra Bridger
All Sides Of A Jedi’s Journey In One Character
Star Wars Rebelsfeatures a diverse cast of characters within the Ghost crew, each adding a unique element that enhances the feeling of family as they embark on space adventures together. A key member of this crew isEzra Bridger, a child who was raised during the era of the Empire. Born on the planet Lothal, Ezra is also a powerful Force-sensitive individual.
Ezra proved to be an interesting character because of his many parallels to Anakin Skywalker: losing his parents at a young age, becoming the unlikely apprentice to a Jedi who had to learn early to be a master, and even succumbing to the Dark Side. Unlike Anakin, Ezra was able to redeem himself before becoming a Sith, which, combined with his snarky humor and unfaltering love for his found-family, results in a memorable Jedi who is a nice mix of familiarity and new.
