Star Wars Characters That Have Appeared in Most Movies

Kylo Ren is the son of Han Solo and Princess Leia and the nephew of Luke Skywalker. Ren’s personality and aspirations are more in line with that of his grandfather, Darth Vader. Kylo Ren was Supreme Leader Snoke’s apprentice after turning to the Dark Side. Throughout the Star Wars sequels, Kylo Ren falls in love with Rey. He kills the Supreme Leader and saves Rey in “The Last Jedi.”

Rey is the first female lead in the Star Wars franchise. A human Jedi master and a former scavenger, she fights for the Resistance against the First Order. She finds Jedi master Luke Skywalker and asks him to train her. She dies killing her grandfather, Darth Sidious. Kylo Ren (Ben Solo) brings her back to life.

Though he barely has any lines in the original trilogy, Boba Fett became one of its most popular characters, thanks to his slick armor, intimidating demeanor, and array of futuristic gadgets. Boba Fett is a clone of Jango Fett, a famed Mandalorian bounty hunter.

Like several other characters on this list, Boba Fett was thought to be dead — having been eaten by a carnivorous, sand-dwelling sarlacc in “Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi.” But he survives and returns to the franchise in the more recent movies. Boba Fett appears in season two of “The Mandalorian.”

Padmé Amidala is the elected queen of Naboo, who eventually becomes a member of the Galactic Senate. She was beloved by her people for fighting to liberate them after being invaded.

As the secret wife of Anakin Skywalker, Padmé Amidala dies giving birth to Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa. Following her term as Queen of Naboo, Padmé becomes Senator in the Galactic Republic and is one of the original opponents to the founding of the Galactic Empire.

Though Jar Jar Binks is one of the most researched and noteworthy Star Wars characters, it is fair to say that the Gungan falls more into the “least popular” category of Star Wars characters. Designed as comic relief for the prequel trilogy, Jar Jar was despised by fans. Many said Binks was cartoonishly silly, while others criticized the character as a racist trope. Actor Ahmed Best, who played Jar Jar, said the reaction was so bad it had a huge negative effect on his mental health.

Jabba the Hutt is the leader of his own criminal gang, which controls most of the illegal trade in the galaxy, including piracy and human trafficking. He employed Han Solo, and put a large bounty on his head when Solo lost a load of goods he was supposed to be smuggling. Princess Leia strangles him to death after he had her imprisoned.

Poe Dameron, portrayed by actor Oscar Isaac, is an ace fighter pilot from Yavin 4 that eventually became a general in the Resistance fighting against the First Order. Throughout the most recent Star Wars trilogy, Dameron forms an unlikely friendship with former stormtrooper Finn, helping him transition into being a Resistance member. Dameron has a reputation for being a hothead, sometimes disobeying orders when he disagrees with his superior officers, but his heart is always in the right place.

Admiral Ackbar is one of the main leaders and central figures in the Resistance, and eventually the New Republic. The character was first developed for “Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi,” the final film in the original trilogy. Ackbar became a fan favorite, best known for exclaiming “it’s a trap!” The phrase eventually became a commonly-used meme, especially among Star Wars fans.

The character was brought back for the third Star Wars trilogy, again commanding troops against the Dark Side of the Force. Ackbar was killed in “Star Wars: Episode VIII –The Last Jedi” when his ship was attacked as the Resistance attempted to take out the Starkiller Base. Fans, and even the puppeteer that portrayed Ackbar, were disappointed that the iconic character was killed in the background without much of a sendoff.

Maz Kanata was introduced in the 2015 movie “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” She is known as the “pirate queen” because she lets smugglers stay in her home if they stay out of politics and war. She had Skywalker’s lightsaber, passing it to Finn in order to help them fight The First Order.

A stormtrooper turned Resistance fighter, Finn is one of several new characters introduced in “The Force Awakens.” Finn helps the Resistance by providing them with crucial information about Starkiller Base, the First Order’s superweapon. He fights Kylo Ren early on and is almost killed but is rescued by Rey and Chewbacca. He becomes a general after Princess Leia’s passing.

Thanks to director J.J Abrams’ conviction that “The Force Awakens” be shot without using much CGI to maintain the authenticity of the original Star Wars films, the droid BB-8 is portrayed by a rod puppet and a remote-controlled robotic unit. BB-8 was Poe Dameron’s droid.

Mace Windu, played by Samuel L. Jackson, is a human Jedi master and a Jedi High Council member in the declining days of the Galactic Republic. He is among the first characters to suspect that Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine is plotting to turn the Republic into an empire under his control and to sense the Dark Side of the Force in the galaxy. Windu fights Palpatine but loses and dies after Anakin Skywalker intervenes.

Introduced in “The Force Awakens,” General Hux is a ruthless officer of the First Order, competing for rank with Kylo Ren.

A senator from the planet Alderaan and agent of the Rebel Alliance, Bail Organa adopts Leia and raises her as a princess.

Despite having just nine minutes of screen time and 127 words of dialogue in the original Star Wars films, Mon Mothma has become relatively popular among the franchise fan base. Mon Mothma is a human politician and the leader of the Alliance to Restore the Republic. She was one of the founders of the rebellion against the Imperial regime.

Kaydel Ko Connix is a Resistance fighter, serving under Princess Leia, the leader of the Resistance. Connix was one of few characters who joined Poe Dameron’s mutiny against Admiral Amilyn Holdo, who was in charge while Princess Leia was unconscious. She eventually regains Leia’s trust and stays with the Resistance. Connix is played by Billie Lourd, the daughter of Carrie Fisher.

Owen Lars is a moisture farmer and the son of Cliegg Lars, Anakin Skywalker’s stepfather. He becomes the adoptive father of Luke Skywalker after Padmé Amidala dies in childbirth. After Luke purchases R2-D2, who contains stolen plans for the Death Star, Owen is killed by Imperial stormtroopers during their search for the droid.

Shaak Ti is a Togruta female Jedi master and a member of the Jedi High Council towards the end of the Republic. Ti was in charge of training clones in the Republic of Kamino. She was killed after Order 66, which named Jedi as traitors to the Republic, was given. The order resulted in the killing of all but a few Jedi.

Plo Koon is known as a wise and calm Jedi master, devoted to protecting the clones under his command. He is the one who finds Ahsoka Tano and trains her. Koon is one of the most recognizable Star Wars characters because of his distinct look — the unique masks he wears all the time.

A Cerean alien with a binary brain, Ki-Adi-Mundi is a Jedi Master and member of the Jedi High Council. Ki-Adi-Mundi fights in the Clone Wars and is killed by his own troops during the execution of Order 66.

Kit Fisto is a Nautolan Jedi master, known for being one of the best swordsmen in the galaxy. He was a general during the Clone Wars, a three-year war between the Republic and Separatist Alliance. When Mace Windu goes to arrest the Dark Lord, he takes a few Jedi with him, including Fisto. The Dark Lord kills Fisto nearly instantly.

Sio Bibble is the Governor of Naboo. During the Trade Federation invasion of the planet he is taken captive by the Droid Army.

Gregar Typho is the head of Padme Amidala’s security detail. Loyal to her, he plays a key role in saving her during several assissaination attempts.

Like Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi is one of few Jedi to survive Order 66, which named Jedi as traitors to the Republic. He is Anakin and Luke Skywalker’s mentor. The character, played by Alec Guinness in the original trilogy and by Ewan McGregor in the prequel trilogy, is so popular that a new Disney series about him, starring McGregor, recently began shooting.

Lando Calrissian is perhaps one of the coolest characters in Star Wars history, if not cinema history overall. Calrissian is a suave, classy character, who has worked as a gambler, hustler, and smuggler in his early life, often alongside Han Solo.

He eventually becomes the administrator of Cloud City, where he double crosses Han Solo to save his citizens, before redeeming himself by helping the Rebellion in “Return of the Jedi” and later the Resistance in “The Rise of Skywalker.” Calrissian is played by Billy Dee Williams in Episodes V, VI, IX, and by Donald Glover in “Solo: A Star Wars Story.”

Believed to be the prophesied Chosen One, Anakin Skywalker is discovered by Qui-Gon Jinn and trained in the ways of the Force by Obi-Wan Kenobi. While his fear of loss and love leads him to the Dark Side, becoming Darth Vader, Skywalker may ultimately fulfill the Jedi prophecy in his final moments as he kills Emperor Palpatine to save his son.

A fallen Jedi, Darth Vader is by far the most popular Star Wars character. The primary antagonist of the series, Darth Vader is seduced to the Dark Side of the Force by Darth Sidious and serves under the Dark Lord of the Sith for decades as they rule the Galactic Empire.

While Vader is unsuccessful in his attempts to seduce Luke Skywalker to the Dark Side, the two unite as father and son as they defeat Emperor Palpatine. Darth Vader dies as Anakin Skywalker and reunites with Obi-Wan and Yoda as a Force spirit.

Luke Skywalker is Princess Leia’s twin brother. He becomes a Jedi master after training in the ways of the Force under Yoda himself. He fights against the Galactic Empire with Princess Leia, Han Solo, and the Rebel Alliance. Luke Skywalker trains his nephew Ben Solo (Kylo Ren) but loses him to the Dark Side, and this haunts him for decades. He lives in solitude until Rey finds him and she convinces him to train her.

Captain of the Millennium Falcon, Han Solo comes to believe in the cause of the Rebel Alliance as he takes on the Galactic Empire with friends Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Chewbacca in the original trilogy. Solo is one of the most prominent examples of the antihero archetype. He dies at the hand of his son, Kylo Ren.

Princess Leia, or Leia Skywalker Organa Solo, is the leader of the Rebel Alliance. A political and military leader, she fights to restore the Republic. As the daughter of Jedi Anakin Skywalker and Senator Padmé Amidala, Princess Leia, though not a Jedi, can sense the Force. Towards the end of her life she focuses on bringing back her son, Kylo Ren (Ben Solo) back from the Dark Side of the Force.

Source: Courtesy of Lucasfilm

When Yoda is first seen, he is introduced as the most powerful Jedi in the Star Wars universe and one of the wisest. He is the Grand Master of the Jedi Council and the one of very few who survived Order 66, the command to kill all Jedi. Yoda lives in exile after confronting Darth Sidious, the Dark Lord of the Sith, whose goal is to restore the Sith to power. He eventually serves as Luke Skywalker’s master, helping him learn the truth about his background and bring balance to The Force.

Chewbacca, or Chewie, is a legendary Wookiee warrior and is known as Han Solo’s best friend. He travels with him everywhere and co-pilots the Millenium Falcon. Chewy only speaks in his native language, which sounds like animal sounds, but he understands English. Initially, they are only hired to help Luke Skywalker and company with a mission to restore the Republic, but they end up fighting for the Rebellion throughout the series.

R2-D2 is an astromech droid that has served Padmé Amidala, Anakin Skywalker, and Luke Skywalker, among others. Unlike C-3PO, R2-D2’s memory was never fully wiped, which means he is the only character who knows exactly what happens in each Star Wars movie.

C-3PO is a protocol droid built by Anakin Skywalker. He can communicate in more than 6 million languages. He is often a central character when saving the galaxy. He usually appears as part of the droids duo — with R2-D2 — both of whom once saved Princess Leia from the Empire’s Death Star.