Top 10 Star Wars Characters: Happy Star Wars Day

May the Fourth be with You! Yes, today is May 4th; Star Wars day! And to celebrate Star Wars day, let's rank the Top 10 Star Wars characters from the movies, TV shows, video games, and novels!

Honorable Mention: Darth Revan

A central aspect of the Knights of the Old Republic video game, Darth Revan is a fixture of the Old Republic era. Revan's storyline showed me how powerful the Star Wars Expanded Universe could be, and if there is one EU story that should be adapted into a film, it should be Revan's story, or even better, a Netflix original series.

10: Rey

Introduced in The Force Awakens with a mysterious past, Rey stood out the most among the stellar new cast, largely thanks to Daisy Ridley's stunning performance. By the time the new trilogy concludes, I have a feeling that Rey will rank even higher on this list. At this point, we know very little about Rey's past, so we will have to wait and see what happens in the next film!

9: Boba Fett

How does a character with only 6 minutes 32 seconds, 4 lines, 5 complete sentences, and 27 words of dialogue become an iconic villain? Well, having one of the most bad*ss character designs ever and an insanely cool spaceship certainly helps. After the Original Trilogy, Boba Fett's backstory has been fleshed out, and honestly, a Boba Fett movie would be such a better idea than a Young Han Solo film, so here's to hoping!

8: R2-D2

Come on, who doesn't love this plucky little guy? Thanks to the audio editors, Kenny Baker, and the effects team, R2-D2 might not speak a word of English, but he has more personality than many main characters. 

7: Chewbacca

Everyone's favorite laughing fuzzball, Chewbacca is yet another iconic character, who never speaks a word of intelligible dialogue. With his return in The Force Awakens, Chewbacca will hopefully continue to be a lovable supporting character for our heroes.

6: Princess Leia

Revolutionary in many ways at the time for subverting the "Damsel in Distress" cliche by having the "Damsel" actually fight, Princess Leia is a landmark character in science fiction. 

5: Yoda

“Do, or do not. There is no try.” With his role in The Empire Strikes Back being especially noteworthy, Yoda is the exact opposite of the stereotypical "legendary warrior." He is the Jedi Master, the character that embodies everything that a Jedi is. 

4: Obi-Wan Kenobi

Obi-Wan Kenobi stands as one of the few characters to be well represented in the Prequel trilogy, largely thanks to Ewan McGregor. Of course, Alec Guinness brilliantly played the character in Original trilogy, enough so to land an Oscar nomination. Is Obi-Wan Rey's father? Who knows, but we will find out soon.

3: Luke Skywalker

Often considered a "whiny" protagonist, unjustly so, Luke Skywalker is the quintessential example of the Hero's Journey. Each film, Luke progresses as a character, as a hero. He faces trials and tribulations on his journey, conflicted between dark and light, if only briefly. Now, in the new Trilogy, we will soon discover his new role.

2: Darth Vader

A few years ago, Darth Vader would have easily topped this list, and while he is certainly the greatest villain ever in fiction, he is edged out by my top pick. With that said, Vader is such a fascinating character. In Star Wars (1977), Vader's entrance is unforgettable, and arguably one of the best villain introductions ever. At first, Vader served as the imposing antagonist against our lovable heroes. While his past is hinted at the first film, little is uncovered until the ultimate plot twist is revealed. Darth Vader is Luke's father, and the entire dynamic of the character changes, which all comes together with his ultimate redemption in Return of the Jedi. Darth Vader is not just my favorite villain; he is always vying for number one spot as my favorite character of all-time. 

1: Han Solo

Was there ever a question that Han Solo would be number one? Heck, just look at my profile picture, post signature, or any number things and Han Solo is obviously my favorite Star Wars character of all-time. He is witty, bad*ss, a smart-mouth, and just plain cool. Throughout the Original Trilogy and The Force Awakens, Han progresses and develops from the heartless scoundrel that gunned down Greedo in the cantina to actually caring for someone other than himself by Return of the Jedi. However, *Force Awakens Spoilers* ultimately Han returns to the only thing he knows after personal tragedy. And finally, Han's character came full circle with his death by the hand of his son; a poetic end for a beloved character. *End Spoilers* And of course, Han shot first. Was there ever a question?

Who are your favorite Star Wars characters? Please comment below and May the Fourth be with You.

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