< Star Wars

Star Wars/Characters


Main Protagonists and Deuteragonists

Luke Skywalker

Played by: Mark Hamill (Ep.IV-VI), Aidan Barton (as a baby, Ep.III)

I am a Jedi, like my father before me.

A Farm Boy from a desert planet, Luke discovers that his father was a Jedi and that he can be one too. This led to him becoming a major figure in the Rebel Alliance, the savior of the galaxy, leader of the reborn Jedi Order and all-around Badass.

Yoda: Luke, when gone am I... the last of the Jedi will you be.

Han Solo

Played by: Harrison Ford (Ep.IV-VI)

Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid.

A smuggler originally hired by Obi-Wan to provide him transport to Alderaan, Han (and his Cool Ship, the Millenium Falcon) became central to the fate of the galaxy. An Ace Pilot with a sarcastic streak and no particular loyalties (initially), Han was played by Harrison Ford, who improvised many of the character's best lines.


Princess Leia Organa S

Played by: Carrie Fisher (Ep.IV-VI), Aidan Barton (as a baby, Ep.III)

I am NOT a committee!

Leia was the (adopted) daughter of Bail Organa and followed his footsteps in becoming the Senator of the planet Alderaan. She also followed him into the Rebel Alliance, which led to her imprisonment on the Death Star, where two young men and a Wookiee with more heroism than sense (Luke and Han) broke her out. Then it became clear that she's an Action Girl in her own right, and things got really interesting.

Somebody's got to save our skins!

Anakin Skywalker

Played by: Jake Lloyd (as a child, Ep.I), Hayden Christensen (Ep.II-III; as a Force ghost in the 2004 rerelease of Ep.VI), Sebastian Shaw (Ep.VI)

Something's happening. I'm not the Jedi I should be. I want more, but I know I shouldn't...

The most pivotal man in the galaxy, whose decisions changed the fate of every living being. Also had a son who did the same thing. Anakin was born on a desert planet (the same one, actually) and grew up with Jedi training; unlike Luke, he was hot-tempered, brash and sometimes undisciplined. Evidently that made all the difference; Luke didn't help put the galaxy under the heel of an evil dictator. You might know him better as Darth Vader.

Obi-Wan Kenobi

Played by: Alec Guinness (Ep.IV-VI); Ewan McGregor (Ep.I-III)

If you strike me down I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.

Introduced in Episode IV as "Ben Kenobi," Obi-Wan begins Luke's Jedi training and sets him on his course as savior of the galaxy. He fought in the Clone Wars and, as Anakin's teacher, was deeply involved in Anakin's fall to The Dark Side. While Anakin is indisputably the Main Character of the series, Obi-Wan runs a close second, and is one of only four characters to appear in every Film of the series.


Yoda

Voiced by: Frank Oz (Ep.I-VI)

Try not. Do or do not. There is no try.

A diminutive Jedi Master of unknown species from whom Luke seeks training in Episode V. Originally a spiritual (and very old) character drawing on the wizened Old Master tradition, he shows his true capabilities in Episodes II and III, in which (not coincidentally) he is of the Serkis Folk variety. In all other films, he is a puppet performed by the legendary Frank Oz, who also brought us Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy and Grover.

A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense, never for attack.

Chewbacca

Played by: Peter Mayhew (suit; Ep.III-VI)

Han Solo's co-pilot aboard The Alleged Freighter Millenium Falcon, which he and Han seem to spend more time repairing than flying. Chewie is a Wookiee (read: 8-foot-tall walking carpet) who only speaks in growls and roars. According to official sources, Han rescued him from slavery at some point, leading to Chewbacca swearing him a "life debt."


C-3PO and R2-D2

3PO played by: Anthony Daniels
R2 played by: Kenny Baker (suit)
R2 "voiced" by: Ben Burtt

A pair of "droids" (short for android, even though only Threepio is man-shaped) who accompany the heroes on their various adventures. Threepio is a "protocol droid" who helps smooth negotiations and understands 6 million forms of communication; he is fussy and quick to proclaim, "We're doomed." Artoo is an "astromech droid," basically making him a co-pilot for various starfighters, and is much more gutsy. Their (one-sided) banter is one of the franchise's main sources of Comic Relief. C-3PO and R2-D2 are the last of the four characters who appear in all six movies; they are also the only characters to be portrayed by the same actors throughout all six movies.

Lando Calrissian

Played by: Billy Dee Williams (Ep.V-VI)

Yeah, I'm responsible these days. It's the price you pay for being successful.

The only black guy in the Galaxy. Well, him and Mace, that is. Though introduced as a somewhat shady former business partner of Han's, he ends up Defaulting To Good when Vader tramples all over him. He later flies the Millennium Falcon in the Battle of Endor; the ship used to be his, until Han won it off him.

"I...had...no...choice!!"

Oh we understand him, don't we Chewie? "He had no choice!!"

Padmé Amidala

Played by: Natalie Portman (Ep.I-III)

So this is how liberty dies. With thunderous applause.

A democratically-elected Queen (just roll with it) on the planet of Naboo, Amidala starts out with her planet subjected to an unprovoked invasion by the Trade Federation (under orders from Palpatine, who at the time would have been a member of her government); Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon are dispatched to do something about this. Then they escape to Tatooine and 9-year-old Anakin starts putting the moves on her, and we see where this is going. Her other major habit was disguising herself as one of her own handmaids, which is why her "servant" Padmé got so much attention in Episode I.

Mace Windu

Played by: Samuel L. Jackson (Ep.I-III)

Okay, it's Samuel L. Jackson in Jedi robes and without the swearing, but with a purple lightsaber; and if Yoda is the wise heart and soul of the Jedi Order, Mace is its invincible mailed fist. Though he bows to Yoda in matters of spirituality, he takes the lead in battle, and is the greatest warrior of his generation. Amongst the Jedi Council, he shows the greatest distrust towards Anakin, which proves ultimately well-founded, or at the very least a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy... unto his death.

Wedge Antilles

Played by: Denis Lawson (Ep.IV-VI)
Played by: Colin Higgins (briefly in Ep.IV)

A starfighter pilot, Wedge is one of the 9 characters who appears in all three Original Trilogy movies, and one of the 7 characters to live through them, despite having no particular role, importance or Plot Armor. For this reason, he is a major figure in the Star Wars Expanded Universe, where he is often referred to as the finest pilot in the galaxy, by virtue of having survived more Trench Runs than anyone living or dead. Played by Denis Lawson, except for the one scene when he isn't.

  • Badass Normal: Especially in the EU.
  • Casual Danger Dialogue: Less so in the first two, but listen to him during the Battle of Endor. His is the most glacially calm voice used.
  • Hero of Another Story
  • Mauve Shirt: To the point that a common alternative name for this trope is "Wedge-type character".
  • Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping: In the first movie Wedge has a standard "American" accent but later on slips into Dennis Lawson's natural Scottish.
  • Real Life Relative: His actor (Dennis Lawson) is the uncle of Ewan McGregor, who plays Obi-Wan. Famously he tried to talk his nephew out of the role, fearing that, like his career, he'd meet with early success and then a nosedive. He was wrong and this was actually McGregor's breakout role, and in a bit of a happy ending Lawson has had a mild resurgence himself on British TV.
  • The Other Darrin: During the Yavin briefing scene, he's played by a body double.

Qui-Gon Jinn

Played by: Liam Neeson

Your focus determines your reality.

The master of Obi-Wan and the former apprentice of Dooku. Noted for his compassion for all living things and his unorthodox ways, it is his desire to train a young Anakin that leads to the events of the rest of the series.

"You will be a Jedi. I promise."

Jar Jar Binks

Played by: Ahmed Best (Ep.I-III)

A Gungan from Naboo, whom Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan stumble upon early in Episode I. Jar Jar represents Lucas' attempt to appeal to the younger crowd, which he had successfully courted via Ewoks in Episode VI. The problem was that, even when Jar Jar was trying to be heroic, he had a tendency to just look stupid. Thankfully, Lucas toned down his presence in Episodes II and III. Played by Ahmed Best (Ink Suit Actor and Voice Actor both), who has shown a good sense of humor about the whole thing.

Stone: "Don't worry. He's smarter than he looks."

  • Proud Warrior Race Guy: Subverted. Gungans are set up as a proud warrior race, then the audience meets Jar Jar...
  • Serkis Folk
  • The Fool: Jar Jar irritatingly seems to stagger his way out of every dangerous situation safely. He also ends up becoming member of the senate despite appearing highly incompetent.
  • Took a Level in Badass: Mostly in Star Wars the Clone Wars, however in Episode II, though still (very) naive and lighthearted, he shows to be more mature and brave than in Episode I.
  • Unwitting Instigator of Doom: His one notable action in the series is to pass a motion that grants Palpatine emergency powers, thus causing the end of the Republic. In his defense, however, we're talking about Palpatine here.


Main Antagonists

Darth Vader

Played by: David Prowse (suit, Ep.IV-VI); Bob Anderson (swordplay and stunts, Ep.IV-VI), Hayden Christensen (suit, Ep.III)
Voiced by: James Earl Jones (Ep.III-VI)

I find your lack of faith disturbing.

Dark Lord of the Sith, apprentice to Senator Palpatine (also known as Darth Sidious). The central antagonist (or is he?) in the original trilogy. Killed Luke's father, Anakin Skywalker...FromACertainPointOfView. His descent into evil shaped the fate of the Galaxy.

Obi-Wan:"He is more machine than man now; twisted, and evil."

Emperor Palpatine

Played by: Ian McDiarmid (Ep.I-III; VI, and the rerelease of V)
Voiced by: Clive Revill (Ep.V, original version)

Let the hate flow through you.

Also known as Darth Sidious, Dark Lord of the Sith. The man pulling the strings from the very beginning...and working, all the same time, to subvert Anakin to The Dark Side. Originally a Senator from Naboo, he was eventually nominated Chancellor of the Republic and ruled with great popularity and acclaim. During the Clone Wars, he began to take emergency war-time powers on himself. All of this would've been pretty Winston Churchill if he hadn't secretly been Adolf Hitler; he played both the Republic and the Separatists against each other, wiped out the Jedi, and came out on top. It's interesting to note that, though Palpatine is one of the most important characters in the franchise, he doesn't appear in all six films; he missed Episode IV, just like Yoda did.

  • 0% Approval Rating: Implied by a couple of scenes added to the Updated Rereleases of Return of the Jedi.
  • A God Am I: Inverted, he believes himself to be the Dark Side incarnate. Given the little amount of the story revealed for the upcoming Darth Plagueis novel (where he felt a shift in the Force shortly after murdering Plagueis and communicates with it), it's very likely that his belief is well-founded.
    • By the time of Dark Empire, however, he's pretty much become the closest thing to a Phyiscal God-Emperor that the series has due to his revival. Notable evidence of this was the fact that he could generate Force Storms (the wormhole variety) simply by his own will, without any apparent drain on his force abilities.[1]
  • A Nazi by Any Other Name: Considering how the Galactic Empire has several parallels to Nazi Germany, Palpatine is pretty much a stand-in for Adolf Hitler, among others.
  • Abusive Parents: Inverted: He actually bullies his dad and mom to get what he wants when his father bans him from racing ever again (and for good reason).
  • The Antichrist: Heavily implied to be this in various sources, including the Darth Plagueis novel. Reading his childhood background on Wookiepedia feels like reading something from Omen.
  • Aristocrats Are Evil: He was heavily implied in various sources, and confirmed in the upcoming novel Star Wars: Darth Plagueis, to have come from a noble background. The specific noble house was the "House of Palpatine." Deconstructed as its implied to be one of the less well-known noble houses.
  • Authority Equals Asskicking: Somewhat justified, although not by Asskicking Equals Authority, surprisingly.
  • Awesome McCoolname: "Darth Sidious". All Sith Lords come with this.
  • Badass: In Revenge of the Sith, we finally get a glimpse of Palpatine's surprisingly awesome fighting skills.
  • Bad Boss: Vader implies in Return of the Jedi that the Emperor is even worse of a boss than himself. The Expanded Universe confirms it, actually killing an engineer seven times, each more horrifying than the last, just because he made a mistake with the Death Star that resulted in it being blown up.
  • Big Bad: The definitive one for the movie saga, and arguably the most recognizable of all cinematic Big Bads (or second to Ernst Stavro Blofeld). He currently provides the page image.
  • Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Who would've guessed that kindly old Chancellor Palpatine was in fact the most evil Sith Lord in the galaxy?
  • Black Cloak
  • Boomerang Bigot: A Force user who builds a society that persecutes and denies the existence of Force users.
  • The Caligula: Although he was a tyrant by the original trilogy (and expanded universe materials taking place within that time period and/or in-between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope), it was subverted in that Palpatine at least was sane enough to rule his empire effectively enough to actually have a stable, tight gripped rule over the Empire even with the Rebel Alliance until his first death at Endor. However, his resurrection in the Dark Empire arc afterwards has him playing this trope very much straight from then onwards, as he has pretty much become so insane that he ends up not having his empire being successful under his reign. It is also heavily implied that the reason for his increased insanity had to do with his constant transference of his soul into clone bodies.
  • Calling the Old Man Out: Palpatine hated his father because he viewed his father as being grossly incompetent and responsible for his misfortune. Eventually, he does far more than simply "call him out" for it.
  • The Chessmaster: The way he became Emperor.
  • Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: Has betrayed everyone who placed trust in him.
  • Classic Villain: Palpatine/Sidious represents Ambition.
  • The Corrupter: To Anakin.
  • Dark Is Evil
  • The Dark Side
  • Defeat Equals Explosion: See Disney Villain Death
  • Demonic Possession: Palpatine's last resort for survival in Empire's End was to possess Anakin Solo on Onderon, and it would have worked if an already dying Empatojayos Brand didn't intercept his spirit's trajectory in a variation of Taking the Bullet.
  • Dirty Old Man: Some sources mention that, while he is Galactic Emperor, he kept concubines, and given his age, its unlikely that they'd be as old as him.
  • Disney Villain Death: Vader throws him down the shaft of the second Death Star in Episode VI. We also see him explode before he hits the bottom into dark side energy.
  • Drives Like Crazy: He ended up crashing his speeder as well as committing manslaughter against two pedestrians.
  • Drunk on the Dark Side: Oh, so much.
  • Eldritch Abomination / Humanoid Abomination: When Darth Tenebrous briefly merged with Darth Plagueis after the latter "betrayed" him had him accessing the witnessing of Plagueis' death at the hands of Palpatine, his future apprentice, and it is also strongly implied that he was genuinely horrified at how evil Palpatine was, given that his first action upon seeing it was to escape from Plagueis' body in a panic.
  • Electric Torture: He loves him some Force Lightning!
  • The Emperor
  • Enfant Terrible: He went to some of the most prestigious schools in the galaxy, but usually ended up expelled shortly after joining up for petty misdemeanors, and his crimes, regardless of whether they are minor or not, were extensive enough that, had he not been the son of a nobleman nor his father bribe the authorities, he would have spent time in a correctional facility. Then he committed manslaughter while driving his speeder recklessly. This might imply that he is a Psychopathic Manchild as an adult, albeit a high-functioning type.
  • Et Tu, Brute?: His murder of Plagueis qualifies as such, as Plagueis certainly did not intend for the Rule of Two to be followed.
  • Everyone Calls Him The Emperor: In the original trilogy anyway.
  • Evil Brit: Played by Scottish actor Ian McDiarmid.
  • Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: If he could, he wouldn't have been so enthusiastic in torturing a boy with lightning right next to his father.
  • Evil Chancellor: It takes a bit of digging since he's been around for so long, but he starts as this and is the poster boy.
  • Even Evil Has Standards: Apparently, Palpatine would have hated himself if he used illusions to break his opponent's will, going by what Mara Jade commented upon.
    • Given this is Palpatine we're discussing, he probably meant before using physical torture first.
  • Evil Gloating
  • Evil Is Hammy: In Episode III in particular.
  • Evil Laugh
  • Evil Mentor: To Anakin/Vader.
  • Evil Old Folks
  • Evil Overlord: Also a poster boy for this one.
  • Evil Plan: Galactic Conqueror variety. Everything from the Xanatos Gambit in the Clone Wars and the one in his apprentice upgrading goes toward this goal.
  • Evil Redhead: He had red hair during his youth. In addition, his fresh clone bodies also possessed red hair.
  • Evil Sorcerer
  • Fantastic Racism: Used in the Expanded Universe to explain why, in a galaxy filled with aliens, the Empire only ever hires humans. Somewhat vague on whether he himself believed this, or merely fostered it because it made the galaxy easier to control.
    • He's from Naboo, which already had Fantastic Racism. It's likely he's not a fan of aliens.
  • Fan Nickname: Has several. Was nicknamed Wankatine during the Dark Empire arc because of his Power Creep, Power Seep appearance, and Bowie-peror in the same series because of his resemblance to Goblin King Jareth (played by David Bowie) from Labyrinth. Was also given the fan real-name of Cos Palpatine, derived from a script where he was named Cos Dashit (this ends up being somewhat confirmed with the Darth Plagueis novel, where it heavily implies that Palpatine's full name was "Cosinga Palpatine II.")
  • Faux Affably Evil
  • From a Single Cell: The method in which he revived himself involved transferring his spirit into clone bodies of himself and continually doing so until his ultimate demise. This process was also heavily implied to have increased his insanity to Caligula levels.
  • Genocide Backfire: He attempted to exterminate everyone in the Jedi Order, and thus made further oppressive laws against force users to prevent the return of the Jedi. It backfired, as the Jedi did return.
  • Humanoid Abomination: Strongly hinted at in several Expanded Universe sources, most notably Dark Empire.
  • I Am the Noun/L'État, c'est moi: "I AM the senate!"
  • Immortality: Revenge of the Sith reveals this to be his ultimate goal.
    • Immortality Immorality: The specific method in which he managed to come close to accomplishing this: He has people across the galaxy (including Alderaanians shortly after their planet's destruction) transferred to Byss, which served as a darkside conduit in order to sap their life energies to strengthen himself, he has Leminisk executed and revived seven times just so he can train himself to use essence transfer into his clones in case his original body ends up dying, and he made clones and is capable of doing so even to non-clones and overwrite their original personalities just to ensure he is ensured immortality.
  • In the Hood
  • Karma Houdini: Literally gets away with every crime (or at least gets an extremely tiny in proportion punishment such as expulsion for delinquent behavior from various universities) that he committed, no doubt due to his father's paying off the right authorities. Even Hitler, the guy Palpatine was partly based on, had to do time for his part in the Beer Hall Rebellion.
  • Knight Templar: The only motivation Palpatine has besides a sociopathic lust for power and control is that he genuinely believed that a Sith-run government was in the Galaxy's best interest.
  • Known Only By Their Nickname:
    • Inverted: He is only ever referenced by his real name, and very rarely by his Sith name.
    • Played straight with his real name in regards to his full name: Palpatine was disgusted enough by his father that he changed his name so that his only name is his family name ("Palpatine"). It's heavily implied, although not explicitly stated, that his full name prior to the name change was "Cosinga Palpatine II."
  • Lack of Empathy: So much so he's forgotten the strength that one can draw from the love for their children. Ironically, his own father had attempted to buy his love, but he rejected it, because his father apparently wasn't willing to look at his own weaknesses.
  • Large Ham: "POWAHHHH! UNLIMITED POWWAAAAHHHHH!!!!"
  • Made of Evil: Sometimes implied to be this.
  • Manipulative Bastard
  • Master Swordsman
  • Meaningful Name: Darth Sidious is rather in'sidious.' Almost all the Darths have meaningful names, actually.
    • His non-Sith name, Palpatine, also qualifies, as Word of God stated that Palpatine was derived from "Palpitare", which is Latin for "to throb" (in fear, in this case).
  • The Mole: If only the Jedi had realised that the Dark Lord of the Sith - their sworn enemy - was hiding amongst the politicians they were working for...
  • Mole in Charge: After he becomes the leader of the Republic.
  • Monster Protection Racket: On a galactic scale, and by the time he's found it it's already too late to stop him.
  • Multiple Choice Past: Although Palpatine claims that he hailed from Naboo, it has been speculated that the identity of Senator Palpatine and thus most of his past had actually been fabricated.
  • My Death Is Only the Beginning: Strongly implied to be the cause of his power increase by the time of his revival in Dark Empire.
  • My World Doth Protest Too Much: Hailing from the peaceful world of Naboo, he becomes a genocidal galactic tyrant and in the front running (if not winner of) the Galaxy's most evil person who ever lived award.
  • Mysterious Backer: Portrays himself as one in the prequel trilogy.
  • Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: If he and Darth Plagueis didn't attempt to unleash negative waves to influence the midichlorians to create the ultimate Sith weapon, the midichlorians wouldn't have essentially bit back and created Anakin to destroy the Sith.
  • Not So Omniscient After All: Palpatine's speech about how everything transpiring according to his design rings a bit hollow when you realize he's talking to the guy he earlier admitted to not actually knowing would be there. Oh and then everything goes to hell for the Imperials soon after.
  • Number of the Beast: The famous Order 66 was undoubtedly inspired by this. It also sounds similar to Order 9066, the order to arrest all Japanese-Americans during World War II.
  • Obfuscating Stupidity: He looks like a feeble old man, but he takes on four Jedi at once in a lightsaber duel and wins (sorta).
  • Obviously Evil
  • Old Master
  • Physical God: By the time of Dark Empire; the endnotes state that by the time of his final death his mere existence was causing holes in reality to open.
  • Playing Both Sides: How he arranged for the Clone Wars to begin before he became Supreme Chancellor.
  • Psychic Powers
  • Psychopathic Manchild: Implied to be what he grew up to be a high-functioning variation of the trope in Darth Plagueis, see Enfant Terrible.
  • The Purge: Palpatine's infamous Order 66.
  • Rich Bitch: His childhood was primarily his father bribing the proper authorities to prevent them from taking legal action against Palpatine whenever he committed a misdemeanor, not to mention that his gift of a speeder was also closer to a bribe.
  • Running Both Sides: After he became Supreme Chancellor before and during the Clone Wars.
  • Sanity Slippage: At first, while definitely not a good person, he at least was sane enough to both manipulate both sides into landing him with power, framing the Jedi to be exterminated, and actually having very firm grip over the Empire, and even acknowledging his mistakes. However, shortly after his first death at Endor and continuously reviving himself, he ends up losing a lot of his sanity, becoming more similar to The Caligula than to The Chessmaster.
  • Satan: Confirmed to represent this by Word of God. As if Order 66 didn't give you a clue.
  • Scars Are Forever: His face after being disfigured by his own lightning.
  • Screw the Rules, I Have Money: His father often paid off the right people to make several of his misdemeanors "disappear."
  • Screw the Rules, I Make Them: "I AM the Senate!"
  • Self-Made Orphan: Portions of Palpatine's backstory were revealed, showing that he came from a noble house called Palpatine, and that he murdered his father, his mother, and his younger siblings (although his father was no saint, being apparently violent). He also admits while murdering his father that he desired to murder at the very least his father since he was a baby.
  • Shock and Awe
  • Smug Snake: In Return of the Jedi. Luke even lampshades this by telling him, "your overconfidence is your weakness".
  • The Sociopath
  • The Starscream: Implied with respect to Darth Plagueis; notice his smile when he tells about Plagueis being killed by his apprentice. Of course, these are the Sith. It goes with the job description.
  • This Is Your Brain on Evil: Tries to kill a boy in front of his Papa Wolf father? Oops. Does this again, only this time its far worse? In the immortal words of Harry Potter, "You don't learn from your mistakes".
  • Tyrant Takes the Helm: In Revenge of the Sith he openly seizes the power that he'd been consolidating up until then.
  • Uriah Gambit: Does it to Maul and Dooku! It's also pretty clear that he had every intention of doing this to Vader, ordering Luke to kill Vader in front of him.
  • Villain Ball: The shield generators for the newly constructed Death Star are located on the Ewok planet, which turns out to be surprisingly easy to take down, as the course of the movie proves. There are ground forces on the planet itself guarding it, but not that many; definitely not enough to fight back a bunch of Ewoks, who use insanely primitive methods to wage war. You'd think Palpatine would invest greater resources than that to guard the crucial shield devices, but nope... He is awfully confident that they will remain operational.
  • Villain with Good Publicity
  • Villainous Breakdown: When he finally realizes Luke has Incorruptible Pure Pureness and is not going to turn to the Dark Side, he flies off the handle a bit.
  • Weapon of Choice: Red lightsaber in Revenge of the Sith. Relies on Force lightning afterwards.
  • What Could Have Been: He was originally conceived as a heck of an Anticlimax Boss, a power-hungry dullard manipulated into the Galaxy's top spot by Vader and Tarkin, who ran things behind his back. Notably, this detail was changed so late in the universe concept that it made it into the novelization of A New Hope.
  • Wicked Cultured: Ian McDiarmid, his actor, considers this the closest thing he has to a redeeming (or at least non-evil) feature. Makes sense, since he himself is a theater actor and director, a job which naturally implies being well-read.
  • Wounded Gazelle Gambit: After being defeated by Windu.
  • Xanatos Gambit: The Clone Wars are designed so that no matter who wins, he ends up with control of the galaxy, though it's pretty clear that a Separatist victory would be Plan B. His various gambits around his apprentices most truly represent this trope, however - by pitting his current apprentice against the potential replacement, he wins no matter the outcome. Dooku finds this out the hard way.
    • Vader, on the other hand, takes exception to the idea. Heck, if one goes by the Book of Sith, he apparently also knowingly orchestrated Plagueis' involvement and his recruiting him (something that is also strongly implied in his "The Reason You Suck" Speech to Plagueis while murdering him).
  • Xanatos Speed Chess: Likewise, even if things didn't end up going according to what he had originally planned, he manages to modify his plans to take into account the setback so he'd still come out on top regardless. This is especially apparent in Star Wars Battlefront Elite Squadron, where Renegade Squadron managed to trap Palpatine in one of the Sith tombs long enough to steal a datapad that indicated that he was to personally supervise the second Death Star's completion (he had earlier sent stormtroopers to deal with them as he didn't view them as significant, only to attack them when they not only took care of the stormtroopers, but also proceeded to destroy the artifacts in the tomb he ended up sealed in).
    • All There in the Manual and Word of God indicated that Amadala's successful arrival on Coruscant was not part of his original plan. He was originally supposed to have Maul retrieve her and kill the Jedi, and he would manipulate the events of the Trade Federation's invasion of Naboo to turn it into an full-scale conflict where he would lead the command against the Trade Federation. Her arrival had him modify the plan to both accomodate her arrival, and so his plan becomes a lot more beneficial for him in the long run.
  • You Have Failed Me...: It is heavily implied in Return of the Jedi, and confirmed in the Expanded Universe, that Palpatine was even more horrific in how he punishes those who fail their task than even the Trope Namer, Darth Vader.
  • You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: He has virtually everyone who ever helped him with his Evil Plan killed at some point, including Anakin (well, so to speak).

Boba Fett

Played by: Played by: Jeremy Bulloch (suit, Ep.V-VI); Daniel Logan (child, Ep.II)
Voiced by: Temuera Morrison (Special Edition, Ep.V-VI); Jason Wingreen (original voice, Ep.V-VI)

He's no good to me dead.

One of the poster children of Too Cool to Live, Fett is a Mandalorian. He was introduced in The Star Wars Holiday Special but was too cool to stay there, which is saying something considering that the Holiday Special is practically the incarnation of Dork Age. Once entrenched in canon, he played a minor role in Episode V as the man who succeeds in capturing Han Solo for Vader and/or Jabba the Hutt; while he's later unvoluntarily defeated by Solo and eaten by a grue Sarlacc, his awesome armor and inscrutable demeanor Popularity Power makes him manly enough to fight his way out, allowing him to (again) play a major role in the EU. He also appears in Episode II as a child, specifically a clone of Jango Fett being raised by the man as his son; Jango's death in that film is basically Boba's Start of Darkness.

"Vader always said that, after that one time..."

Darth Maul

Played by: Ray Park (Ep.I)
Voiced by: Peter Serafinowicz (Ep.I)

Ray Park, wearing horns, wielding a double-bladed lightsaber. The fact that all his lines were overdubbed does not in any way diminish his coolness rating.

Jango Fett

Played by: Temuera Morrison

A top-notch bounty hunter who was hired by the Republic to be the template for an army of clones, from which the Clone Wars took their name. Secretly working for the Separatists. Gets on Mace Windu's bad side, so, that's the end of him.

General Grievous

Voiced by: Matthew Wood (Ep. III)

Don't call him a droid: he's still got biological components. He just happens to live in a mechanical body. Essentially a cyborg, Grievous received lightsaber training from Count Dooku and is able to hold his own against Jedi. Like Boba Fett, he was first introduced in a cartoon, though this was actually deliberate (whereas Fett was carried into Canon more by Popularity Power than anything else). Voiced by Skywalker Sound editor Matthew Wood, who submitted his audition under a pseudonym to guarantee he'd get a fair hearing.

Count Dooku/Darth Tyrannus

Played by: Christopher Lee (Ep.II-III)

A fallen Jedi who left the Order over philosophical issues, Dooku turned up on the side of the Separatists. What nobody knew, at least for a while, was that he was also the other member of the Sith, apprenticed to Darth Sidious. He gives Yoda a run for his money in a lightsaber duel, which makes his Anticlimax Boss appearance in Episode III somewhat disappointing. Played by the legendary Christopher Lee.

  • Actor Allusion: What do you think "Count" stands for?
  • Aristocrats Are Evil
  • Awesome McCoolname: "Darth Tyranus". All Sith Lords come with this.
  • Badass Grandpa
  • Beard of Evil
  • Big Bad: Subverted. Similar to Vader, he's the most prominent villain in Episode II, but is subservient to Darth Sidious. Inverted in that he is generally perceived to be this by the Jedi and the galaxy at large, and on a smaller scale he does occasionally act without consulting Sidious, sometimes in plots to betray him.
  • Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: Betrayed the Jedi Order for the Sith, and proceeded to wage a campaign of murder and assassination against them all, despite many of them being his close friends. In the EU, regardless of the version, he ultimately betrays his apprentice Asajj Ventress, and as per Sith tradition is conspiring against his master Sidious (which doesn't work out). The entire Separatist movement itself is basically one giant con too.
  • Cool Sword: The curved-hilt lightsaber allows for a more fencing-like fighting style and is designed to have an advantage in saberfights (due to the unique angles) at the expense of being harder to use to block blaster bolts.
  • The Dark Side
  • Depending on the Writer: His death. In ROTS, although he does have some fear when he learns of Palpatine's betrayal, he nonetheless remained Defiant to the End right up until Anakin beheads him. In the novelization, however, he panics are realizing Sidious is going to let him die and starts pleading for mercy.
    • According to Christopher Lee, the novelization's take was actually originally going to be in the film, but he had convinced Lucas to change it, as he felt that Dooku would not have begged for his life like a coward.
  • The Dragon
  • Evil Brit: Well, he's played by a Brit.
  • Evil Sounds Deep: It's Christopher Lee, what did you expect?
  • Fallen Hero
  • Hero-Killer: As shown by the Curb Stomp Battle he dishes out in the second film.
  • Interim Villain: Mostly as part of Sidious' Xanatos Gambit. Details can be found on the page itself.
  • Master Swordsman: Is able to take down both Obi-Wan and Anakin, and holds his own against Yoda.
    • Not to mention being able to train General Grievous into such a powerful swordsman that he was able to slay Jedi in single combat without the Force.
  • Meaningful Name: Christopher Lee points out in an interview with the Star Wars monthly magazine that "Dooku" is a homonym for the Japanese word doku, which literally means "venom."
  • Off with His Head: After defeating him, Anakin decapitates him scissors-style at Palpatine's urging.
  • The Paragon Always Rebels: Used to be one of the Order's finest Knights.
  • Shock and Awe
  • Unwitting Pawn: To Palpatine.
  • Uriah Gambit: Falls hard in the early part of Revenge of the Sith'.
  • Weapon of Choice: A curved-hilt red lightsaber.
  • We Hardly Knew Ye: For being such an important figure in the Clone Wars, he gets, at most, 30 minutes of total screen time in a saga exceeding 13 hours in length, and none of the "political idealist" persona is elaborated upon. Averted in the EU where, in stories set in this era, he is a fully fleshed out character with the appropriate number of scenes.
  • Well-Intentioned Extremist: In the EU, its clearer. In AOTC, none of this is actually shown, as he spends his choice few scenes plotting how to best extort the Republic for...something, presiding over a flashy execution, and fighting Jedi. His political beliefs, his ultimate goals, etc. are given zero elaboration. Even his reasons for joining the Sith are never actually explained within the films themselves.
  • Villainous Breakdown: Has a brief one after Anakin chops off his hands and he realizes that Sidious wants him dead. Then he gets beheaded.
  • Villain with Good Publicity: In the EU at least, and briefly in Attack of the Clone as far as his former fellow Jedi are concerned; in the eyes of many, on both sides of the conflict, Dooku is a charismatic idealist crusading against the very real corruption endemic in the Republic, and all the more overtly villainous characters in the Separatist movement are simply the allies he's stuck with, and the atrocities they commit are done without his approval. Neither is true, of course; although its implied he is against the corruption his idea to weed it out is to set up a sprawling galactic dictatorship, and far from disapproving of those atrocities he usually instigates them, and is more than happy to blame them on the Republic.
  • We Could Have Avoided All This: Implied by his reaction shortly after defeating Obi-Wan and Anakin, but before facing Yoda. Upon their defeat, he sighs in a somewhat disappointed manner.
  • You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: In Revenge of the Sith.

Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin

Played by: Peter Cushing (Ep.IV); Wayne Pygram (5-second cameo in Ep.III).

In the movies, Wilhuff Tarkin is mostly known as the Smug Snake running the Death Star; it was he who ordered the destruction of Alderaan, forcing Leia to watch. EU materials have elaborated on his villainy; particularly, it was his idea to rule through fear, which is probably why the Death Star's outrageous Power Levels appealed to him.

  • Big Bad: In A New Hope.
    • Big Bad Duumvirate: With Vader. He orders him around a couple of times, but lets him take the initiative more often than not. His authority is probably based on the fact that he is in charge of the Death Star, and thats where Vader happens to be; in most respects they are pretty much equals.
      • Interestingly enough, supplementary materials specify that his position is only the sixth highest in the empire, behind the Emperor, the Supreme Commander of the military (that's Vader), the Grand Vizier, the Ruling Council chief, and Grand Admirals/Generals.
      • It's mentioned, especially in the Expanded Universe, that he was not only one of Palpatine's strongest and most competent supporters but became one of the main architects behind the Empire itself (which also led to the Emperor giving him the Death Star post). The repercussions of his actions, including the "Tarkin Doctrine" would cast a long shadow extending well into Star Wars Legacy.
  • Despair Event Horizon: His son being killed resulted in him becoming even more of a monster than before.
  • Even Evil Has Standards: The reason why Palpatine orchestrated his son's "defection" and later death was because he wanted Tarkin to become a more willing servant, implying that there were stuff Palpatine demanded that even Tarkin did not wish to commit.
  • Evil Brit: Well, the actor is British, at least.
  • Evil Genius
  • Evil Old Folks
  • Faux Affably Evil
  • Hannibal Lecture: To Leia.
  • Jerkass: In his appearance in the Clone Wars series, he had to be saved by Anakin from the Separatists. However, instead of being gracious enough to express gratitude to Anakin, he is a complete jerk about it, causing Anakin to tell him that he'll only respect those who know gratitude.
  • Karmic Death
  • Lack of Empathy: He destroyed Alderaan. If that wasn't enough, the Expanded Universe makes him worse.
  • Mean Character, Nice Actor: Carrie Fisher once said he "smelled of Lavender."
  • A Nazi by Any Other Name
  • Non-Action Big Bad
  • Papa Wolf: In "Darth Vader and the Lost Command 5", the results of Darth Vader's mission resulted in Tarkin wanting to commit genocide against the natives of Altoa because he thought they murdered his son, and it is also heavily implied in the ending that Palpatine maniplated Vader's actions to bring this about to get Tarkin to become a more willing servant.
  • Pet the Dog: A minor one: He was Gial Ackbar's master when the former was a slave, and its implied that he treated him pretty decently.
  • Sadistic Choice: Between betraying the Rebellion or Leia's home planet. Leia betrays the Rebellion. Tarkin blows up her planet anyway.
  • Screw the Rules, I Have a Nuke
  • Smug Snake
  • Tempting Fate:"Evacuate? In our moment of triumph? I think you overestimate their chances!"
    • The radio play had him be a bit concerned, but he wasn't going to show weakness because if he ran and the place didn't get blown to hell, he'd have been utterly humiliated.
  • Too Funny to Be Evil: Real Life on-set example - when filming, Peter Cushing's Nazi-style jackboots didn't fit him. Alternative footwear had to be found. Which meant that all the other actors had to pretend to be terrified of a man wearing the instantly recognizable Imperial uniform...and a pair of bath slippers for women.

Jabba the Hutt

Voiced by: Larry Ward (Ep. VI)

A very, very large slug-creature (it took something like 6 puppeteers to control him), leader of a major criminal organization, and the one to whom Han is deeply in debt to after a botched spice run. He was in the script for Episode IV, but it wasn't until VI that technology progressed enough to make him look like anything more than a half-inflated balloon; the Special Edition Ep.IV restores the deleted scenes graced by a completely CGI Jabba. Also had a cameo in Episode I.

Viceroy Nute Gunray

Played by: Silas Carson (Ep.I-III)

The Corrupt Corporate Executive leader of the Trade Federation and an Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain during the prequel trilogy. Most prominently featured in Episode I, in which he makes a Deal with the Devil only to unsurprisingly be used and betrayed by Darth Sidious. Gunray joins the Separatists in Episode II, by which time he seems to have developed a grudge against Padmé. How dare she liberate her planet from his illegal invasion! In Episode III, Darth Vader kills him in cold blood as he begs for mercy.

  • Aristocrats Are Evil: Kind of. "Viceroy" is apparently just the title given to the leader of the Trade Federation. However, said organization apparently controls whole planets. So, whatever.
  • Asshole Victim
  • Corrupt Corporate Executive
  • Dirty Coward: Qui-Gon notes that "these Federation types are cowards".
  • Evil Genius
  • Even Evil Has Standards: Sort of. When Sidious tells them to prepare their invasion of Naboo, Gunray implies that he's not willing to invade Naboo if such an invasion is illegal, resulting in Sidious telling them that he'll make the invasion legal. Though it may be more Pragmatic Villainy due to not wanting the inevitable backlash and sanctions for illegal actions.
  • The Fundamentalist
  • Greed: His apparent motivation. EU material (not to mention his attempt to have Padme assassinated in Episode 2) gives it as Revenge instead.
  • Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain: Mostly due to being generally bullied around by the real bad guys. He's not actually a very pleasant individual and in another story might even be a Complete Monster, but all we see is a man out of his depth, and fully aware of it.
  • It's Personal: How he feels about Padmé after The Phantom Menace (and how he felt about then-Senator Palpatine in EU materials explaining why he blockaded Naboo). You'd think she'd be the one entitled to feel that way, but nope.
  • Killed Mid-Sentence
  • Lizard Folk: Along with apparently everyone who works for the Trade Federation.
    • That's because the Neimodians were the only ones who were spared (unsurprisingly due to Palpatine's influence) in an assassination against the other leader races of the Trade Federation.
  • Rubber Forehead Aliens
  • Unwitting Pawn: Twice: First time was the aftermath of the invasion of Naboo, second time was during the Separatist wars, and at least until the near end of the conflict, he didn't even know that Darth Sidious was the true leader, or that it was even a Sith orchestrated group.
  • You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: In Revenge of the Sith.


Supporting Characters, Troops and Alien Races

Admiral Firmus Piett

Played by: Kenneth Colley (Ep.V-VI)

"You Have Failed Me... for the last time, Admiral Ozzel. Captain Piett?... Make way to land our troops beyond the energy shield, and deploy the fleet so that nothing gets off the system. You Are in Command Now, Admiral Piett." Yep, that's the character's entire claim to fame (that,and he was the first person to see the back of Vader's head without the helmet). Did you even notice him in Episode VI? 'Cuz he was there.

General Maximilian Veers

Played by: Julian Glover (Ep.V)

Commanding officer of the ground forces assigned to Darth Vader's personal squadron. He personally leads the Imperial assault on Echo Base, firing the last shots which destroys the shield generator. The Expanded Universe further expands his career, detailing how he was one of the few officers assigned to the Death Star who escaped and survived on his own on Yavin 4.

Ki-Adi-Mundi

Played by: Silas Carson (Ep. I-II-III)

Cerean Jedi Master who served on the Jedi High Council in last years of the Galactic Republic and played a major role in several battles during the Clone Wars. He was shot to death by his own clone troopers.


Bail Prestor Organa

Played by: Jimmy Smits (Ep.II-III)

Prince Consort, head of the royal house of Alderaan, ruler and senator of Alderaan. He is Leia's adoptive father and one of the main founders of the Rebel Alliance.

Mon Mothma

Played by: Caroline Blakiston (Ep. VI), Genevieve O'Reilly (Ep. III)

An important political figure who founded and led the Rebel Alliance. Later becomes Chief of State of the New Republic after the downfall of the Empire.

Admiral Gial Ackbar

Played by: Timothy M. Rose (Ep.VI)

A squid-person from a species called the Mon Calamari, Ackbar is something of a One-Scene Wonder, appearing only in the last hour of the entire franchise but, like Wedge, has gone on to be a pivotal member of the Expanded Universe. He commands the Rebel fleet during the Battle of Endor, during which he famously pronounced, "It's a trap!"

General Crix Madine

Played by: Dermot Crowley(Ep. VI)

A former Imperial officer who defected to the Rebels, supplying valuable knowledge and information crucial to their success in the battle of Endor.

Biggs Darklighter

Played by: Garrick Hagon(Ep. IV)

Luke's Big Brother Mentor from Tatooine. He left to join the Rebel Alliance prior to the events of A New Hope. He and Luke meet again upon finding out that they're both set to take on the Death Star in the battle of Yavin together. Sadly, Biggs is shot down by Imperial fighters. Though gone, Biggs still has his fans (and a plethora of Final Fantasy characters who share his name).

Lobot

Played by: John Hollis (Ep. V)

Lando's chief aide on Cloud City. His brain is linked to Cloud City's computer network.

Stormtroopers

Elite soldiers of the Galactic Empire. These faceless enforcers are considered an extension of the Emperor's will, and thus they will often use brutal tactics as a way to keep thousands of star systems throughout the galaxy in line.

IG-88

A ruthless assassin droid, and one of the bounty hunters sent by the Empire to track Han Solo in Episode V. It started placing trackers on all of the bounty hunters' ships that were present and used them to find Solo. Boba Fett was not fooled; he allowed IG-88 to follow him to Bespin, where the droid met its end. IG-88B was left as scrap in the bowels of Cloud City.

Jawas

Short rodent-like natives of Tatooine. They are passionate scavengers, seeking out or even stealing technology for trade in the deep deserts in their huge sandcrawler transports.

Tusken Raiders

Also known as Sand People. Nomadic, primitive sentients indigenous to Tatooine, where they are often hostile to local settlers.

Ewoks

Sentient primitive furry bipeds native to the forest moon of Endor.

The Clone Troopers

Played by: Temuera Morrison (Ep.II-III). All of them.

An army of identical, genetically-modified clones, created to serve in the Grand Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars. Grown and raised in the laboratories and facilities of Kamino, they fought under Jedi command to defend Republic sovereignty against the Separatist rebellion. Due to their inability to disobey any order, the clone troopers carried out Palpatine's commands without question and destroyed the Jedi Order. They were later re-designated as the first generation of Imperial stormtroopers.

The Battle Droids

Boss Nass

Played by: Brian Blessed

Ruler of the Gungans.

The Wookiees

Species of hairy bipedal humanoids that are inhabitants of the planet Kashyyyk.

Greedo

A Rodian bounty hunter in the employ of Jabba the Hutt. He confronts Han Solo in the Mos Eisley cantina because of the price on Solo's head. It doesn't end well for him.

Owen and Beru Lars

Owen played by: Phil Brown (Ep.IV); Joel Edgerton (Ep.II-III)
Beru played by: Shelagh Fraser (Ep.IV); Bonnie Piesse (Ep.II-III)

Moisture farmers from Tatooine. They're Luke's stepuncle and stepaunt, they adopted and raised him.

Shmi Skywalker Lars

Played by: Pernilla August (Ep.I-II)

Mother of Anakin Skywalker, stepmother to Owen Lars and the paternal grandmother of Luke and Leia.

Cliegg Lars

Played by: Jack Thompson (Ep.II)

A hardworking moisture farmer from Tatooine, he is Shmi's husband, Owen's father and Luke's grand-stepfather.

Watto

Voiced by: Andrew Secombe (Ep.I-II)

Toydarian junk dealer who owns a shop in Mos Espa, Tatooine, and two slaves, Shmi and Anakin Skywalker. Immune to Jedi Mind Trick.

Sebulba

Voiced by : Lewis Mac Leod (Ep.I)

High-speed podracer pilot of the Dug species, and the arch-rival of a young Anakin Skywalker.

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  1. ↑ To put it in perspective, only one Sith Lord before him, Darth Rivan, had ever utilized this sort of power, and even then, it was only with the aid of the darkstaff, it required all of his force power to even utilize the ability, it decimated his entire army with him at the "eye" of the storm, and he ended up being travelled to the Light and Darkness War in the future where he ended up dying somewhat ironically (ie, he was killed easily by a force user, whether it was a Jedi or a Sith is never specified).
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