The 58 best Star Wars characters

Who is he?
As platoons of Imperial stormtroopers pursue our heroes around the first Death Star, one particularly inelegant footsoldier manages to give himself a mighty good crack on the noggin with a partially-descended blast door.

Why do we love him?
Because we always root for the underdog. And also because imperfection is something to be treasured, particularly in these times of CGI-up-the-wazoo blockbusters.

Key line: ‘Ow!’

Who is he?
A Rebel Alliance officer during the short stay on the ice planet of Hoth who bears a striking resemblance to a certain Boston barfly…

Why do we love him?
Because he’s played by the legendary John Ratzenberger, aka Cliff from Cheers, in an enormous pair of lime-green snow goggles and a pretty dashing ’tache. But it’s a tiny part, which is why almost nobody knows his name (sorry).

Key line: ‘Your Highness, there's nothing more we can do tonight. The shield doors must be closed. Now, who fancies a beer?’ (Okay, we added the last bit.)

Who is he?
Chewbacca’s dad, as seen in the Star Wars Holiday Special. Just an ordinary hairy-collared guy trying to scratch out a living in this crazy universe.

Why do we love him?
Because he’s the only regular dude in the entire Star Wars canon: his interests include drinking, snoozing, hanging out with his boys and interacting with pervy holograms while the wife cooks Bantha rump in the background. Imagine a hirsute Homer Simpson and you’re pretty much there.

Key line: ‘Erotically charged howl!’

Who is he?
As his job title suggests, Malakili (his name, apparently) is the burly, leather-hatted slob hired by Jabba the Hutt to tend his captive man-eating monster, the infamous Rancor.

Why do we love him?
Because his weepy distress at the death of his beloved pet provides a moment of unexpected pathos in the midst of all the yelling and gunfire, reminding us that even the most mindless killing machine needs someone to love him/her/it.

Key line: ‘Sobs!’

Who is he?
Jabba the Hutt’s pet-cum-sidekick, a diseased little rodent with big ears, a ravenous black beak and one of the coolest names in the series. Imagine the psychotic, half-starved offspring of The Great Gonzo and Rizzo the Rat.

Why do we love him?
Because he’s got a bad attitude, and he doesn’t care who knows it. None of Jabba’s ill-tempered pronouncements would be complete without a vicious little cackle from stage right, as Salacious gleefully rubs salt into the wound.

Key line: ‘Ee-hee-hee-hee!’

Who is she?
The wrinkly old Yoda-alike who runs the galaxy’s funkiest reggae party and fancies the pants off Chewbacca (or she would if he wore any).

Why do we love her? 
Because she’s cheeky but mystical in the proudest Star Wars tradition, making saucy Wookiee jokes one minute and imparting the secrets of the universe the next. Her role may have been somewhat hacked to bits in The Force Awakens – she was supposed to stick around to the end, but JJ Abrams changed his mind – but what remains is enough to make her a firm favourite. 

Key line: ‘The Force, it's calling to you. Just let it in.’

Who is he?
A big, chunky ’70s TV set with Michelin-man feet who hangs out in the darkened nether regions of the Jawa sandcrawler saying ‘gonk’ a lot.

Why do we love him?
Because he’s clearly just a small man with a cardboard box on his head, with legholes cut in it – perfect for the lazy Halloween partygoer.

Key line: ‘Gonk.’

Who is he?
The medicine man of the Ewok tribe who ensnare, kidnap and threaten to eat our heroes in Return of the Jedi.

Why do we love him?
Because he’s got a bird skull on his head, he’s got snazzy stripy fur, he dances like a demon and we have to believe his position as tribal shaman involves necking a pouch-load of the local wacky herbs and getting jiggy with his spirit animal.

Key line: ‘Squeaky squeaky squeak!’

Who is he?
The Supreme Martial Commander of the Separatist Droid Armies, and a Dark Lord of the Sith to boot. In appearance, he’s a big skeletal robot with four arms and a pulsating heart. Not that he seems to use it much…

Why do we love him?
Because he can fight with four lightsabers at once! Plus, he pre-empts Darth Vader by having a serious lung infection which causes him to cough and splutter like an 88-year-old asthmatic, which is actually scarier than it sounds.

Key line: ‘I’ll enjoy crushing you!’

Who is he?
The young freedom fighter whose revolutionary manifesto will – we assume - go on to inspire the Rebellion.

Why do we love him?
Because he’s a true rebel: a believer in justice, freedom, and all that woke-warrior stuff. His death during the escape from Aldhani was a tragic loss – but his words will live on, thanks to his cohort Cassian Andor and the rest of the Rebel Alliance.

Key line: ‘Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that.’

Who are they?
Jabba the Hutt’s house band, consisting of flop-eared keyboard legend Rebo, shaved-mole clarinettist Droopy McCool and female-testicle-on-legs Sy Snootles.

Why do we love him?
To be fair, it was a close call between this combo and equally smokin’ Star Wars egg-heads Figrin D’an and the Modal Nodes. In the end, Rebo’s outfit won the battle of the bands because they were so egregiously ‘updated’ for the Special Edition, transformed from giants of interstellar funk to a hideously CG-mogrified soul-blues outfit. According to online sources, their original name was Evar Orbus and his Galactic Jizz-Wailers (honestly!), so lucky escape there.

Key line: ‘Lapti nek, rat a ran wim joct co jappi qaff!’

Who are they?
Luke Skywalker’s long-suffering relatives (though not, as it turns out, by blood). Owen is basically a grumpy Ken Loach character removed to the far reaches of space, while Beru is his loyal partner and drudge whose only reward is to be unceremoniously burned by stormtroopers and left out in the sun to smoulder.

Why do we love them?
In Revenge of the Sith and the Obi-Wan Kenobi series they seem like a fairly contented young couple, happy to take little Luke under their protective wing. But, by the time of Star Wars, they’re weatherbeaten, world-weary and have managed to age about six decades in less than two. There’s a story there.

Key line: ‘Luke’s just not a farmer, Owen. He has too much of his father in him.’

Who is he?
A desert warrior with an appearance modelled on the lovechild of an Egyptian mummy and a 16mm camera.

Why do we love him?
We had to have a Tusken Raider on this list, simply because these Bantha-riding bruisers are the baddest Bedouins in Beggar’s Canyon. This particularly narky specimen is the pick of the bunch, dealing Luke Skywalker a bloody good smack over the head before letting out a genuinely blood-curdling war cry.

Key line: ‘Arrrrrgh-ack-ack-ack!’

Who is he?
The hottest pilot in the rebel fleet, though his fellow flyboy Luke Skywalker does tend to hog the credit.

Why do we love him?
Because he’s a survivor. While his fellow X-wing, Y-wing, A-wing, B-wing and snowspeeder pilots are blowing up, failing to eject and generally crashing into stuff, Wedge keeps his cool and just keeps on flying, surviving three major battles with barely a scratch. Plus, he’s called Wedge Antilles, which is just great.

Key line: ‘Cut to the left. I’ll take the leader.’

Who is he?
The lanky, cranky ex-Imperial security droid who helps the Rebels break into the Imperial compound in ‘Rogue One’. Think C-3PO with a bad attitude and verbal diarrhoea (though with the same clipped British accent).

Why do we love him?
Because he’s the first Star Wars sidekick who’s genuinely funny – K-2’s way with a dry, often unintentional putdown is sardonically hilarious. The design is great, too – he’s all hulking and ungainly, like an overgrown metal teenager.

Key line: ‘I find that argument vague and unconvincing.’

Who is she?
The plucky, slightly grating orange-skinned teenage Padawan from the Clone Wars animated series, now all grown up and starring in her own live-action show.

Why do we love her?
As an adult, Ahsoka embodies the grace and power of the Force: she’s fluid and dynamic in battle, wise and thoughtful in repose. It really helps that she’s played by the mighty Rosario Dawson, who we’d happily watch reading the phone book.

Key line: ‘Surrender, or face the consequences.’

Who is he? 
The first character to transfer from a Star Wars TV franchise (The Clone Wars) to the big screen, Saw is a Rebel extremist who takes no prisoners (or takes prisoners, then does horrible things to them) in his efforts to fight the Empire.

Why do we love him?
In Rogue One and Andor, Saw and his breakaway Rebel crew are basically al-Qaeda in space, dedicated to battling the darkness by any means necessary. His cyborg suit (designed by the same folks who did Darth Vader, apparently) and wheezy, twitchy vibe may seem sinister, but Saw is on the side of the angels – just about.

Key line: ‘Save the Rebellion! Save the dream!’

Who is he?
Darth Tyranus, a Dark Lord of the Sith who takes centre stage in Palpatine’s evil efforts to topple the Galactic Senate.

Why do we love him?
Because he’s played by horror legend, pagan priest and death-metal pioneer Christopher Lee, and there’s no greater reason than that. Also because he engages in a thrilling, intermittently hilarious lightsaber battle against Yoda, who is approximately a quarter of his size. We were slightly disappointed when he got knocked off right at the start of Revenge of the Sith, though.

Key line: ‘It is obvious that this contest cannot be decided by our knowledge of the Force... but by our skills with a lightsaber.’

Who is she?
Lando Calrissian’s robot sidekick (with benefits)? In ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’, L3 is the co-pilot of the Millennium Falcon – and she’s a brassy, opinionated droid-rights activist who makes no secret of her affections for her human boss.

Why do we love her?
Because she brings a bizarre, completely unexpected edge of non-traditional sexuality to the Star Wars saga, implying that in this universe, the relationship between man and machine might not be as innocent and functional as we’d always assumed. Oh, and she’s voiced by Phoebe Waller-Bridge from Fleabag.

Key line: ‘You don’t want to press that button with me.’

Who is she?
The noble ice maiden of the saga, a Galactic Senator turned leader of the Rebel Alliance. Imagine Margaret Thatcher if she hadn’t turned to the dark side.

Why do we love her?
Because her chilly, aristocratic exterior masks a heart of pure revolutionary fire. From making enormous personal sacrifices to kickstart the Rebellion to masterminding the final victory at Endor, Mon is unflinching in her commitment to the cause of Galactic justice.

Key line: ‘I show you the stone in my hand, you miss the knife at your throat.’

Who is he?
The phlegmatic Rodian bounty hunter whom Han Solo abruptly, unceremoniously executes in the Tatooine bar Mos Eisley Cantina – and don’t let anyone tell you different.

Why do we love him?
Partly because of all the controversy surrounding his death, after George Lucas added a premature laser blast in order to soften Han Solo’s prickly character. But also because he’s got huge, glassy green eyes, a fantastically otherworldly, insectoid voice and is one of the more convincingly realised patrons of that most wretched hive of scum and villainy.

Key line: ‘I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time.’ Famous last words.

Who is he?
Luke Skywalker’s childhood buddy, a red-hot pilot with an absolutely cracking ’tache and the insouciant manner of an old-Hollywood matinee idol.

Why do we love him?
Because the bond between Biggs and Luke represents the link between George Lucas’s own California childhood and his galaxy far, far away. Luke and Biggs are essentially American Graffiti characters gone awol, and the decision to cut most of their scenes together, while justifiable in pacing terms, slices some of the heart out of the first movie. We urge readers to check out these deleted scenes and discover the hero who got left on the cutting room floor. See also: Deak, Windy, Camie and Fixer.

Key line: ‘The rebellion is spreading, and I wanna be on the side I believe in.’

Who is she?
The plucky Resistance technician who convinces Finn not to jump ship and ends up joining him on a wild ride from the casino city of Canto Bight to the heart of a First Order star destroyer.

Why do we love her?
Because she’s the beating heart of the Resistance: a former slave who has dedicated herself to liberating the galaxy from the clutches of the First Order. Because Kelly Marie Tran’s performance is just lovely. And because she was so cruelly sidelined in The Rise of Skywalker, seemingly in order to placate the very worst fans in the universe (though, of course, this has been hotly denied). 

Key line: ‘We’re going to win this war not by fighting what we hate but saving what we love.’

Who is he?
The dashing matinee-idol flyboy in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, General Leia’s trusted emissary who flees the First Order, miraculously escapes death and returns to lead the X-Wing charge against Starkiller Base.

Why do we love him?
Because he’s an old-school charmer, the rightful heir to Biggs Darklighter and Lando Calrissian. Because he winds up the Empire no end at the start of The Last Jedi, with a comedy routine straight out of Abbott and Costello. Oh, and let’s not forget his smoking-hot runway run-in with Finn.

Key line: ‘I can fly anything.’

Who is she?
The scariest Star Wars villain since the Emperor: a fascist functionary with a great line in withering scowls.   

Why do we love her?
Who really makes the Empire work? Is it powerful Sith warriors like Palpatine and Vader – or is it an army of devious little sadists like Dedra? With her crisp uniform and clipped, (inevitably) British accent, it’s Dedra’s unswerving commitment to the Imperial principles of law and order that make her an all-too-recognisable villain.

Key line: ‘The very worst thing you can do right now is bore me.’

Who is she?
Doomed Queen of Naboo, member of the Galactic Senate, wife of the traitor Anakin Skywalker, mother of two kids she’ll never get to see and owner of the weirdest make-up box in the known universe.

Why do we love her?
Okay, so Amidala’s not the snap-talking, blaster-wielding hardass that her daughter turns out to be, but she’s still a fascinating character, bred in tradition but not tied to it, and in love with a man she must suspect is destined to go badly off the rails. Natalie Portman’s performance is hamstrung by some fist-chewing dialogue, but there are moments where Amidala’s strength shines through.

Key line: ‘I was not elected to watch my people suffer and die while you discuss this invasion in a committee!’

Who is he?
The commander of the Rebel armada during the Battle of Endor, piscine member of the absurdly named Mon Calamari species and deliverer of one of the series’ truly great lines.

Why do we love him?
Because he looks like an enormous goggle-eyed trout, stands in a slightly camp hands-on-hips fashion and talks like he’s just swallowed a mouthful of Coke. Plus he has a funky extendable chair that allows him to zip about the command centre like that old sci-fi puppet Joe 90.

Key line: All together now: ‘It’s a trap!’

Who is he?
The doomed, rotund X-wing pilot who refuses to eject (where would he eject to, exactly?) and gets splattered all over the Death Star.

Why do we love him?
Let us count the ways. Firstly, because he’s the only non-evil fat guy in the Star Wars universe, which counts for something when you’re 12. Secondly, because he covers Biggs at great risk to his own safety. And thirdly, because he’s played by the eternally underrated William Hootkins, a remarkable and much-missed character actor whose career spanned everything from Blackadder to Batman.

Key line: ‘No, I’m all r-aaaaagh!

Who is he?
Top dog on the Death Star, holder of Darth Vader’s leash and a man perfectly willing to destroy an entire planet just to make a point.

Why do we love him?
Well, the fact that he’s played by the legendary Peter Cushing does not hurt a bit (let's just forget about that uncanny-valley Rogue One recreation, shall we?). But leaving his immaculate thespian heritage aside, Tarkin is still pretty nails: he looks like he smokes about 50 a day, he’s got a whole chest full of medals and that little cock-of-the-head just before his beloved battle station goes kaboom is simply priceless. Plus, he’s a Grand Moff. Who else do you know who’s a Grand Moff?

Key line: ‘Terminate her! Immediately!’

Who is he?
Obi-Wan Kenobi’s tutor, and the only sap on the Jedi Council who believes that Anakin Skywalker is anything more than a whole heap of trouble in a bowlcut.

Why do we love him?
Principally, because of his matchless lightsaber skills, classy way with a mystical one-liner and facial resemblance to that fine actor, Liam Neeson. But also because it was here that folks first began to notice the phenomenon of the Jedi beard – well trimmed, very presentable and just like the one George Lucas happens to have. We’re still not convinced by all that guff about midi-chlorians (some sort of microscopic microbe), but we’ll let it go for now.

Key line: ‘Remember: your focus determines your reality.’ Eh?

Who is he?
The ultimate bounty hunter and ruthless outlaw who roamed the Galactic wastes taking on dirty jobs for healthy rewards, until he was almost consumed by the monstrous Sarlacc – since when he’s gone (sort of) straight.

Why do we love him?
Boba Fett exemplifies the battle between OG Star Wars and the expansion beyond the original trilogy. Initially, the appeal of this battered, taciturn mystery man was ineffable, but inescapable: perhaps it was his dented costume or the fact that he’s one of the few characters who backchats Darth Vader, but the fans adored him. But the disappointing Disney+ series The Book of Boba Fett softened his image, turning this gun-for-hire with a heart of steel into something of a misunderstood hero. 

Key line: ‘He’s no good to me dead.’

Who is she?
Leader of the Resistance following the disastrous retreat from D’Qar, and old comrade-in-arms of General Leia Organa.

Why do we love her?
She’s got purple hair and she’s played by the mighty Laura Dern with a perfect blend of warmth, bite and self-assurance. She sees through Poe Dameron’s macho bullshit in a heartbeat – and sacrifices her life to save her friends.

Key line: ‘We are the spark that will light the fire that will restore the Republic.’

Who is he? 
The almost unbearably delightful pint-sized force-wielde better known to his legions of fans (and toy retailers) as Baby Yoda.

Why do we love him? 
The entire world went crazy for this tiny green cockle-warming machine, and rightly so. There have been cute critters in Star Wars before – porgs, ewoks, Jake Lloyd – but they’re just so much bantha poodoo next to this little bundle of joy.

Key line: No lines, just adorable little squeaks, grunts, blinks, nose-wrinkles, ear-twitches, and, oh God, we can’t even handle it.

Who is he?
The wayward son of Han Solo and Princess Leia, who turned to the Dark Side during his Jedi training and went on to get in an almighty teenage piss about everything in the universe.

Why do we love him?
Because he’s just a big stroppy kid, albeit one with 1,000 armoured legions and a planet-shattering death laser at his disposal. The scenes between Kylo and Rey are the most dramatic and convincing in the sequel trilogy, from their first encounter in the torture chamber to their final, tragic farewell. 

Key line: ‘Wait! I can show you the power of the Dark Side!’

Who is he?
This dark lord of the Sith was by far the most exciting new character in The Phantom Menace, thanks to his crazy Cirque du Soleil facepaint, acid-yellow eyes and double-ended lightsaber.

Why do we love him?
It’s not just about the look, though that is spectacularly cool. As played by martial artist Ray Park – and not overlooking some sterling, skin-crawling voice work from the mighty Peter Serafinowicz – Darth Maul is a sinuous sadist, and we can’t help thinking the prequel series would’ve been improved by keeping him alive a bit longer.

Key line: ‘Die, Jedi, die!’

Who is he?
The Mandalorian, of course – or just ‘Mando’ to his friends, which probably isn’t you. The steely-helmeted, icy-voiced hero of Disney+’s most popular Star Wars series, and the guy with the most adorable sidekick in the universe (see No. 17)

Why do we love him?
Because he’s just so effortlessly cool. Starting out as a (figuratively) bare-faced Clint Eastwood clone, Din has developed over three series to become not just a surrogate Dad to cute little Grogu, but the deliverer of his people from years spent in exile.

Key line: ‘This is the way.’

Who is he?
A gleaming golden god to some, a deeply annoying buzz-kill to others, protocol droid Threepio is fluent in over 6,000,000 forms of communication, and boy does he love to go on about it.

Why do we love him?
If Threepio had restricted himself to the original Star Wars trilogy he’d be higher on this list: his appearances in those movies, whether it’s berating R2-D2 for his obstinacy, interrupting Han Solo mid-snog or awkwardly buddying up to Jabba the Hutt, are consistently funny. But the prequel trilogy tended to use him as an automatic gag generator, punctuating the action with inappropriate asides (‘this is such a drag!’), while the sequel films didn’t find much for him to do at all. Also, how did a slave boy on a remote desert world manage to build a droid that knows 6,000,000 languages?

Key line: ‘We’re doomed.’

Who is she?
A classic Star Wars character: the young orphan with a hidden past who dreams of escape from her drab, backwater existence.  

Why do we love her?
Because she’s like something out of an old-fashioned British kids adventure novel: plucky, proud and a bit posh, with nerves of steel and a whip-smart mouth. The way she ‘handles’ John Boyega’s Finn is hilarious, while her unravelling, star-crossed relationship with Kylo Ren is just heartbreaking. Just try and ignore all that nonsense about her parentage.

Key line: ‘Something inside me has always been there. But now it's awake. And I'm afraid.’

Who is he?
The ultimate charmer, a ramblin’, gamblin’ man who turns his back on his crooked, card-sharping ways to pursue a respectable career as a mining administrator and, ultimately, a Rebel Alliance hero.

Why do we love him?
Yes, Lando was written into the series after complaints about the absence of black characters in ‘Star Wars’. And yes, accusations of tokenism are hard to refute (his initial characterisation as a treacherous, womanising sleazebag didn’t help). But look deeper and Calrissian’s matinee-idol charm and un-Star Wars-like moral ambiguity make him one of the most intriguing figures in the series.

Key line: ‘Here goes nothing!’

Who is she?
The daughter of the man who made the Death Star possible, and a street-smart tough cookie in her own right. When she’s recruited by the Rebel Alliance to find her Pops and steal the plans, she signs up even though it could mean her life.

Why do we love her?
Jyn might be the first ‘Star Wars’ heroine for whom gender simply isn’t an issue: there’s no romantic subplot, no gold bikini and no ‘isn’t she bossy?’ jokes. She’s just hard as nails: a tight-lipped, no-nonsense ass-kicker who refuses to let her Daddy issues get in the way of seeing the mission through. 

Key line: ‘Let's just get this over with, shall we?’

Who is he?
The rootless, nameless First Order stormtrooper and part-time plumbing technician who has a crisis of conscience on manoeuvres on Jakku, rescues Resistance maverick Poe Dameron and sets out to find his way in this big ol’ universe. 

Why do we love him?
Because he’s our wide-eyed guide to the eye-frazzling wonders of the sequel trilogy, desperately trying to come across as cool and collected while permanently panicking on the inside. And also because he’s played by John Boyega, an actor who muscled his way to the top through a combination of goofy charm and steely toughness – perfect for the character of a child soldier who smashed his chains and went rogue. However, like his pal Rose Tico, Finn’s sidelining in the last movie wasn’t just lazy, it was downright insulting.

Key quote: ‘The name’s Finn. And I’m in charge.’

Who is he?
The hero, of course! Luke is the clean-livin’, hard-workin’, elders-respectin’, sister-kissin’, all-American boy from Tatooine whose adventures form the backbone of the original Star Wars trilogy. Yes, his return in The Last Jedi was rather more downbeat, but he did manage to rally his strength and face evil one last time…

Why do we love him?
C’mon! He’s the ultimate family-friendly adventure hero: kind to animals and droids, good at fighting, flying spaceships, swinging across chasms and doing the right thing. Mark Hamill’s performance is consistently intelligent, heartfelt and witty, and Luke never comes close to crossing that line between upstanding hero and annoying goody-goody.

Key line: ‘I care!’

Who is he?
A cheeky, level-headed dustbin on legs who comes complete with an Inspector Gadget-like array of convenient little nozzles and appendages. Think Henry the Hoover meets a Swiss army knife, only with personality.

Why do we love him?
Because he’s the real hero of the Star Wars movies, consistently getting the others out of trouble just when things look their bleakest. From juggling turbolifts on an enemy battleship to fixing Luke’s X-Wing stabilisers during the first Death Star run, from mending the hyperdrive on the Millennium Falcon to cutting his way out of an Ewok trap, Artoo does all the hard galaxy-saving work and gets precious little credit. Without him, the Imperial forces would be ruling the galaxy and Luke, Leia, Han and Chewie would be little more than glutinous splodges on the inside wall of a trash compactor. 

Key line: Concerned uh-oh type beep, as if to say, ‘here we go again’.

Who is he?
The evil mastermind behind the Imperial takeover of the galaxy. Initially, Palpatine is a seemingly trustworthy senator who guards a terrible secret: he’s actually a Sith Lord, master of evil. Later, he’s a wizened little wizard with the wickedest cackle this side of the Yellow Brick Road.

Why do we love him?
Because he’s one of the few characters who actually gets deeper and more interesting in the prequel trilogy. Palpatine’s transition from avuncular politician to devious power-grabber to lightning-fingered madman to all-powerful galactic dictator is deliriously enjoyable, and actor Ian McDiarmid works tirelessly to squeeze every ounce of lunatic glee from each successive, excessive incarnation (though the less said about his unasked-for reappearance in The Rise of Skywalker, the better). By the climactic battle in Return of the Jedi, Palpatine has become something genuinely creepy: a nightmarish man-crone whose seemingly bottomless capacity for hate makes him the most memorable bad guy in the series – bar one. 

Key line: ‘I am defenceless. Take your weapon. Strike me down with all of your hatred and your journey towards the Dark Side will be complete!’

Who is he?
The diminutive backwards-talking mystical muppet whose knowledge of the Force is second to none. In the original trilogy he’s a marvel of creature design: tactile, sympathetic and loveable. His CGI incarnation in The Phantom Menace looks like a rubber troll sprung unnervingly to life, though this does improve somewhat over the next two movies.

Why do we love him?
He’s Yoda! Eight hundred years old and still going strong, master of telekinesis and mystical philosophy, a whizz with a lightsaber who also has a wicked sense of humour and an odd fascination for pocket torches.

Everything about him is iconic: that idiosyncratic manner of speech, that unique raspy voice (supplied by Frank Oz, so the similarity to Miss Piggy is understandable), the peerless puppet work. Even the way he bounces off the walls during his ridiculous lightsaber battle is kind of amazing.

Key line: ‘Do, or do not. There is no try.’

Who is he?
A seven-foot walking carpet with natural furry flares, a resistance-chic bandolier and a vocal repertoire consisting of barks, rumbles and surprisingly-hard-to-imitate growls. Co-pilot of the Millennium Falcon, Chewie is another of those ‘Star Wars’ characters who inspires a deep devotion despite his inability to speak – in English, at least.

Why do we love him?
Because he’s the perfect man: tall, hirsute, fashionable, tough, endlessly loyal, a bit of a joker, a crack shot with a crossbow, an expert driver, great at spaceship DIY and we reckon he probably gives the best hugs in the universe. What woman wouldn’t want a partner this hardworking, affectionate and dashing? Sure, those heart-to-heart chats might be slightly hard work, but perhaps this is what they mean by ‘sweet nothings’. 

Key line: His dismayed howl when the Echo Base doors slam shut against the Hoth night is heartbreaking.

Who is he?
From thrusting young Jedi hero to desert-wandering retainer to shimmering blue apparition, Obi-Wan is either the selfless, beating heart of the entire ‘Star Wars’ saga, or a  a one-man walking support network for the accident-prone Skywalker family. Still, like the man said, many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view.

Why do we love him?
Because he’s absolutely ruthless with a lightsaber. Because his shades-of-beige wardrobe is both functional and stylish. Because he wears a trimmed beard with boundless elan. And because he’s played by two very fine actors, including perhaps the greatest thespian ever to emerge from this sceptred isle: Sir Alec Guinness.

Key line: ‘If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine.’

Who is she?
The proud face of the Rebel Alliance: a beautiful, sarcastic, blaster-packing, man-juggling, no-bullshit-taking, Danish-pastry-haircut wearing icon of womanhood.

Why do we love her?
Token female she may initially have been, but Leia is actually the most shaded, complex character in the original trilogy – or at least, the first two movies. As a very public figure working for an outlawed cause, she’s got a lot more at stake than either of her flyboy toyboys. And as a woman in a man’s universe she stands her ground at every turn – see how she faces down both Tarkin and Vader without breaking a sweat. 

Key line: ‘I am not a committee!’

Who is he?
Captain of the Millennium Falcon and cockiest space pilot in the galaxy. Han Solo is every boy’s hero, cruising from star system to star system with his hairy BFF, getting into scrapes, shooting the place up, performing occasional acts of random heroism and being rude to women until they fall madly in love with him.

Why do we love him?
It’s damn near impossible not to. His hair is great, his Bogart-cowboy-hipster outfit is legendary, his wisecracks are second to none and his lop-sided grin has broken a million hearts on a thousand worlds. But there’s more to it, somehow: in The Empire Strikes Back, Lawrence Kasdan’s crackling, old-Hollywood dialogue combines with Harrison Ford’s insouciance as a performer to elevate Han to a place few other movie heroes ever reach, creating a vital bond between character and audience.

Ford’s importance to the enigma that is Han was thrown into sharp relief by the arrival of spin-off story Solo, in which Alden Ehrenreich tried to make the character his own and failed spectacularly, despite being a perfectly serviceable actor. To many of us, Han’s ultimate end in The Force Awakens came as a real body blow: losing him was like losing an old friend. A friend with a really, really cool spaceship.

Key line: ‘I know.’

Who is he?
We don’t think it’s going too far to suggest that here is the single most iconic screen villain of all time: his appearance is terrifying, his voice bone-chilling, his words pure, dripping evil. But what really turns Darth into the stuff of our childhood nightmares are his actions: from snapping necks left and right – both in person and remotely – to cutting off his own son’s hand (let’s just let that one sink in for a moment), this is a guy who really, really shouldn’t be trifled with.

Why do we love him?
Because movies are full of sarcastic space pilots, pistol-packing princesses, upstanding blonde heroes, robot sidekicks and wise old wizards, but there will only ever be one Darth Vader. His backstory is slightly challenging – young Anakin can be pretty hard work, though his descent into evil is convincingly handled and the fiery battle between Anakin and Obi-Wan Kenobi is operatically magnificent.

But it’s nothing next to Darth’s greatest hits: lightsabering a platoon of Rebel soldiers without so much as a shrug; tuning up his TIE-fighter controls like a snooker player chalking his cue; throttling his commanders one by one like the expendable flies they are; revealing the truth to Luke on that rickety gantry; turning on his former master as unearthly electricity howls in the bones of his face; and finally, heartbreakingly, lying stretched out on that medieval pyre as black smoke wreathes around his broken corpse. He is a perfect creation, never to be improved upon. Darth, we tremblingly salute you.

Key line: ‘If you only knew the power of the Dark Side.’