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Tropes specifically applying to the canon counterparts of these characters can be found here.

For other Characters that have appeared in Legends see here

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Rebel Heroes

    Luke Skywalker 

Luke Skywalker

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/luke_skywalker_3309.jpg
"I’ve got a very bad feeling about this."
Played by: Mark Hamill (Ep.IV-VI), Aidan Barton (as a baby, Ep.III)
Dubbed by: Dominique Collignon-Maurin (European French, Ep.IV-VI)

"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. Go here for more information on his Legends counterpart.


  • Adaptational Badass: He's a great deal more wise and powerful than the current canon version, with a grander track record as a Jedi.
  • All-Loving Hero: Expanded Universe may differ, but it remains consistant that Luke saw the good in Anakin/Vader when almost no one else did, allowing him to save the latter from the Dark Side. For the Star Wars Legends, Luke was this in the early years but starting with the Legacy era he does such things as advocating torture. The mantle was passed on to his son Ben, who wants to redeem people whom his father would rather execute.
  • Beware the Nice Ones: As in the films, Luke's a nice guy who tries to get along with people, and prefers diplomacy. However, the minute his enemies make clear they cannot or will not be reasoned with, Luke will not hesitate to do what he must.
  • Best Friends-in-Law: With Han, after Han and Leia get married.
  • Big Good: Luke in Star Wars Legends, most notably the novels. According to George Lucas' Word of God, Anakin had the potential to be the most powerful Force User in the galaxy, which would have been enough to eclipse even the combined might of Yoda and Emperor Palpatine. Luke inherits and fully realizes this power, being unparalleled as a Jedi in his prime.
    • Some of his greatest feats are: Walking directly on top of a lava flow, during the Yuuzhan Vong War took on over a hundred enemy troops who individually could take on hundreds of Republic soldiers and cut them down with such alarming speed that fellow Jedi could only see Luke's after-image, manipulating the gravity of a black hole and moving it so as to prevent it from destroying the Galactic Republic's forces and sends it back to the enemies who cast it, and defeating a resurrected Emperor Palpatine in single combat. By the time Luke is in his prime it becomes easily understood why he became the Grand Master of the New Jedi Order, one even more powerful and wise than Yoda ever was.
  • Celibate Hero: Averted. Luke's Jedi Order was less strict than its predecessor, with Luke himself marrying Mara Jade and siring Ben together.
  • Chick Magnet: Much like his father, Luke was deemed "attractive" by a good number of women, in ironic defiance of the old Jedi Code.
  • Crusading Widower: Defied. After killing Lumiya in anger, Luke realized that he needed to temper his grief over Mara's death, letting Jaina challenge Jacen instead.
  • Did Not Get the Girl: Considering the girl (Leia) is later revealed to be his sister, this is a good thing. He has to wait for the Expanded Universe for his own chance at romance.
  • Embarrassing Nickname: Luke's childhood nickname was Wormie, acquired because he was the smallest in his group of friends.
  • Fantastic Recruitment Drive: In the Expanded Universe, Luke spends a lot of his time wandering around the galaxy looking for hidden Jedi as well as people with raw talent.
  • Generation Xerox: To Anakin, his father. Anakin is whisked away from his home on Tattooine by a Jedi Master. He then saves the day by flying a starfighter into battle and improbably blowing up the enemy space station, befriending R2-D2 in the process. He then receives training in the Force against Yoda's protests, leading him to overconfidently attack Palpatine's Dragon, losing an appendage for his troubles. Now, are we talking about Luke or Anakin?
    • Also, Luke seems to have gained some traits from Padmé, most noticeably nearly-ironclad morality, an amazing amount of compassion, and a seemingly endless capacity to forgive.
    • Arguably taken a step further in the Expanded Universe, in which Luke decides there's no such thing as a 'light side' and 'dark side', only the Force, henceforth using the Force entirely as he sees fit. Later, after a certain incident, he comes to the rapid conclusion that he's made a terrible mistake, and cuts himself of from the unsavory elements of the Force. In some ways, reflecting how Anakin succumbed to the Dark Side, but ultimately redeemed himself.
  • Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Idealistic, kind, humble, noble and able to see the goodness in most everyone, this personality trait is pointed out fairly often in the Expanded Universe and a lot in fanfic.
  • The Heart: Luke is the centrepiece that holds everyone together in the original trilogy.
  • Hero with Bad Publicity: During New Jedi Order, thanks to being a Jedi, and Jedi having a bad reputation with the New Republic.
  • In the Blood:
    • Sharing the same Force potential as his father made Luke another target for Palpatine's manipulations. Luckily, things turned out differently in the end.
    • It was also implied, in A New Hope, as being his aunt and uncle's reason for never discussing his father with him... or at the very least telling Blatant Lies. (Spice freighter navigator my ass!) They feared that Luke would become a Jedi, like his father before him, and go gallivanting across the galaxy to turn evil. That, or just get killed - it's never stated just how much Obi-Wan told them about Anakin. The two always told Luke he'd died off world.
    • Dark Empire has him turn to The Dark Side when the Emperor returns, in an attempt to bring him down from within. It doesn't exactly work. The parallels with Anakin are made blindingly obvious, though the comic came long before the prequel trilogy. Luke guides a ship far too large and damaged to land into a survivable landing on Coruscant. He constantly ruminates on his father's legacy, wondering why he had turned - ultimately it's the threat to his family that gets him to claim "My father's destiny is my own." The Emperor proceeds to replace his mechanical right hand with a different prosthetic, a "better" one speculated by some fans to be of a model Vader used, and dresses Luke in outfits clearly inspired by his fathers', as can be seen in the page image. Ultimately it's the love of his sister, and his refusal to hurt her or allow her to be killed, that brings Luke back.
  • Laser Blade: Luke used his father's blue-bladed lightsaber and later constructed his own green-bladed lightsaber. At some point, he also constructed a shoto with a red blade.
  • Last of His Kind: He is the said to be the last Jedi knight to be alive after Yoda's death, until his foundation of a new Jedi Order.
    Yoda: Luke, when gone am I... the last of the Jedi will you be.
    • Subverted later when Obi-Wan, in one of his last conversations before truly becoming one with the Force, tells him to pass on what he's learned. This sparks his motivation to later start a new Jedi training facility, the Jedi Praxeum.
    Obi-Wan: Not the last of the old Jedi, Luke. The first of the new.
  • Luke Nounverber: The Trope Codifier and the trope name inspiration. His surname is apparently a reference to piloting skill, which he appropriately displays, along with his father Anakin Skywalker. In the novelization of The Phantom Menace, an old spacer compliments Anakin on his piloting skill and the appropriateness of his name—saying he "walks the sky like he owns it". The official site stated that the first Jedi carried the title 'Skywalker'.
    • Luke's last name was originally going to be Starkiller. It made an appearance in Knights of the Old Republic as the name of a Mandalorian gladiator who only fought death matches. It's also the codename of Galen Marek, Darth Vader's secret apprentice who appears in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, and less impressively it's the last name of one of Luke's childhood friends. In the new Canon, it is also the name of the First Order's Death Star-esque headquarters.
  • Meaningful Name: Lampshaded in the novelization of A New Hope: With a name like Skywalker, it was inevitable that he would be a skilled pilot.
  • New Powers as the Plot Demands: Luke bears some of this, Depending on the Writer.
  • Strong as They Need to Be: Writers are notorious for subjecting Luke to this, even among all other characters. Likewise, he can go from being a victim of the Worf Effect against foes like Lumiya, Exar Kun and Abeloth, to rivaling and/or surpassing them in prowess.
  • Sweet Tooth: Luke develops a fondness for hot chocolate.
  • Took a Level in Badass: Since he technically defeated Darth Vader in Return of the Jedi, Luke was definitely no pushover in the movies. By his thirties though, Luke has far surpassed Yoda in lightsaber skill and Force abilities. Alongside Darth Krayt, Luke even defeated Abeloth, an Eldritch Abomination with powers that rival or surpass the Ones.
  • World's Strongest Man: Usually, Luke is written as unrivaled among his Jedi Order. Given how he gained his father's full potential, it's to be expected.

    Han Solo 

Han Solo

Homeworld: Corellia

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/han-1_7358.jpg
"You’ve never heard of the Millennium Falcon? … It’s the ship that made the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs."
Played by: Harrison Ford (Ep.IV-VI)
Dubbed by: Francis Lax (European French, 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 Millennium 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.


  • Bilingual Dialogue: Han apparently speaks (or at least understands) a variety of languages, including Huttese, Rodian, and Wookiee.
  • Breakout Character: He tends to be written in a lot more stories in the Expanded Universe than Luke Skywalker, which is no small feat.
  • Cain and Abel: The Abel to his Evil Cousin Thrackan Sal Solo's Cain. Even in his worst days Han was a Lovable Rogue with many standards and soft spots and genuinely view family as sacred like most corellians do, while Thrackan has always been a nasty, selfish and bigotted piece of work who abused Han when he came to live with his cousin and had no issue selling Han to a criminal and later tried to have Han and his children killed at several occasions.
  • Demoted to Extra: In the New Jedi Order: Dark Tide duology. In fairness, he's having a really bad time.
  • Four-Star Badass/Frontline General: Makes general right before Endor and holds that rank for four years before resigning. In Jedi he leads the strike team that disables the theatre shield protecting the Death Star II, and in the X-Wing Series he commands the New Republic naval task force that brings down Warlord Zsinj.
  • Heroic BSoD: He takes Chewie's death pretty dang hard, cutting himself off from his family for some time.
  • He's Back!: Agents of Chaos: Hero's Trial has Han slowly edge back to being the man he was.
  • I Have No Son!: In an uncommonly high-born move (the Solos were a high house of Corellia technically), Han disinherits Jacen after he turned to the Dark Side and became a fully-fledged Sith by murdering his own aunt, Mara Jade Skywalker. It is all the more chilling since to Corellians family is sacred – which Jacen had now trampled on. At least on some level, Han eventually comes to term with what Jacen did, thus taking in his daughter as a loving grandfather.
  • Loveable Rogue: Han seems to be so lovable that all the pretty rotten things he has done seem so justifiable that they don't seem to sink in.
    • Particularly in the Han Solo trilogy, but also in many other EU books, he has conned a number of people, smuggled what is the hardest spice (SW equivalent of drugs) available, stolen, forged government documents, entered Imperial services under a false ID, faked his own death, cheated at games of chance, betrayed several employers, led a picket ship on a chase that resulted in its complete destruction, bribed an Imperial officer, freed slaves (morally good, but technically illegal), led a raid on a former employer's base, resisted arrest a whole lot of times, kidnapped Leia, and killed numerous people (though all of them were at least directly or indirectly trying to kill him at the time). In some instances, these acts were justifiable by being morally good or because he didn't have any sort of choice, but in other cases they were purely selfish acts to get what he wanted.
    • Essentially, the only two lines he consistently has shown is an unwillingness to kill anyone in cold blood and a refusal to take part a direct part in any type of slavery operation (he would work for slavers in other matters though).
  • Old Soldier: He is still a crack shot and Ace Pilot in his sixties, with his granddaughter Allana often along for the ride.
  • Parents as People: Like Leia, Han loves his children but their jobs complicate things. Of the three, he and Jaina get along fine due to their similar personalities. He had a very strained relationship with Anakin after Chewies' death, which unfortunately ended with Anakin dying before they could fully reconcile, to Han's eternal regret. Finally, his rejection of Jacen after seeing him murder Ailyn Vel may have solidified the boy's resolve in the worst possible way.
  • Spanner in the Works: Manages to scupper a Yuuzhan Vong plot to infiltrate and kill the Jedi with a bioweapon, and an unintentional plot by the Peace Bridge that was fouling up that plan, just by being in the right place at the wrong time.

    Leia Organa 

Princess Leia Organa/Leia Skywalker

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/leia-1_9508.jpg
"Aren't you a little short for a stormtrooper?"
Played by: Carrie Fisher (Ep.IV-VI), Aidan Barton (as a baby, Ep.III)
Dubbed by: Évelyn Séléna (European French, Ep.IV-VI)

"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 tough in her own right, and things got really interesting.


  • Badass Normal: In the original trilogy. Leia has her moments, notably in her first encounter with Vader where she not only lies to his face, but talks to him like he's an idiot. She later strangles Jabba to death. (The fact that she later turns out to be Force-sensitive notwithstanding.) She became aware of her Force-sensitive condition and Luke made her a Jedi Knight.
  • Big Good: Became this after Mon Mothma appointed her to be her successor as the New Republic's head of state.
  • The Cassandra: She tried warning the New Republic about the incoming Vong threat. They ignore her, some of them out of blatant Fantastic Racism.
  • Dark Is Not Evil: Her first lightsaber was a red-bladed one, something normally associated with the Sith.
  • Happily Married: To Han, barring the occasional dark spot, such as when Chewie dies.
  • Hero with Bad Publicity: The fact her brother is a Jedi does her no favors sometimes.
  • Laser Blade: Oddly enough her initial lightsaber is described as being ruby-red, making her one of the very, very few non-Sith Force users to use a red lightsaber. After becoming a full Jedi Knight following the Swarm War Saba Sebatyne has her build a new one, which is a more solidly good-guy blue. She had a green-bladed lightsaber that was used by Mara to kill both Luuke Skywalker and Joruus C'baoth. She also had a pale-blue blade to kill the fallen Hutt Jedi Beldorion.
  • Life's Work Ruined: In Star by Star, she has a moment when she's horrified to realize the New Republic, which she spent her life trying to build up, is hopelessly inefficient and corrupt, and at this point entirely beyond saving. The death of Anakin a short time later doesn't help.
  • Lineage Comes from the Father: Played straight. Leia takes after Anakin, though she isn't happy about it. She is way more proactive, hot-headed, passionate, opinionated, aggressive, and stubborn than her brother Luke, and she isn't nearly as forgiving of Vader's sins, the same way that Anakin is not easily forgiving of those who hurt his loved ones. Anakin's way is to get revenge and Leia seems the same way. The Noghri call Leia "Lady Vader" for a reason. How much of this can be attributed to genetics versus her upbringing is debatable, but she's more like her father than her mother Padmé, despite sharing some traits with her mother.
  • Never Mess with Granny: In the later stories, she's gone grey and is getting old but is still her same awesome self.
  • Parents as People: Leia dearly loves her children but her commitment to her job leaves her absent for much of their lives. Jaina in particular is left bitter because of this.
  • The Smart Guy: Leia has far more political savvy than Luke or Han due to her upbringing, so this role is often placed in her hands.

    Chewbacca 

Chewbacca

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wookie_1910.png
"Raaaaaaaaaaawr!"
Played by: Peter Mayhew (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, is over two hundred years old, and getting meaner every year. According to official sources, Han rescued him from slavery at some point, leading to Chewbacca swearing him a "life debt."


  • Bilingual Dialogue: He speaks Shyriiwook and Han speaks Basic, and they understand each other fine. It's clarified that, although Wookiees can understand other languages perfectly well, their vocal cords make them physically unable to speak anything other than their own language and, similarly, humans can't physically pronounce Shyriiwook.
  • Cool Uncle: His nephew Lowbacca is one of the students at Luke's academy and he has great respect for his heroic uncle, even wanting to take on his life debt following his death. He also acts as an honorary one to the Solo kids.
  • Dying Moment of Awesome: His sacrifice is considered so impressive in-universe that his fellow Wookiees deify him as a warrior so great it took a moon to kill him.
  • The Fettered: According to official sources Chewbacca, like all Wookies, has retractable and very nasty claws he uses for climbing the trees of Kashyyyk. And nothing else. It is seen as a Godzilla Threshold moment if they have to use their claws for combat. Which explains why Lando was not more severely injured by the enraged and almost berserk Chewbacca.
  • Heroic Sacrifice: He dies saving Anakin Solo in Vector Prime.
  • I Owe You My Life: He has sworn a life debt to his best friend for saving him from slavery. This also extends to Han's family and Luke. He fully honors this by dying to save Han's son Anakin.
  • Killed Off for Real: He's killed off during the New Jedi Order series (by dropping a moon on him), reportedly because he was the most important character Lucasfilm would allow them to kill.
  • Really 700 Years Old: He's roughly two hundred years old, about halfway through a typical Wookiee lifespan.

    Obi-Wan Kenobi 

Obi-Wan Kenobi

Played by: Alec Guinness (Ep.IV-VI); Ewan McGregor (Ep.I-III)
Dubbed by: Philippe Dumat (European French, Ep.IV-VI), Bruno Choël (European French, Ep.I-III)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/obi-wan_AG_EM-2_7832.JPG

So uncivilized. (Ep.III)

If you strike me down I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine. (Ep.IV)

Introduced in A New Hope 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 Protagonist of the series, Obi-Wan runs a close second, and is one of only four characters to appear in every film of the series.


  • Action Hero: When the lightsaber comes out, badassery ensues.
  • Ambadassador: Like many Jedi, he will negotiate first and fight second...but you should never assume that he won't fight if he needs to. He's known as "the Negotiator" for a reason.
  • Ambiguously Bi: In the novelization of Revenge of the Sith, Palpatine and Anakin have a private talk, in which the former attempts to convince the latter that Obi-Wan is having an affair with a senatornote  to sow distrust. In response, Anakin immediately assumes the senator's a man before he's corrected, even though Obi-Wan had female love interests in Legends.
  • Beware the Nice Ones: Described in the Revenge Of The Sith novelization as "the ultimate Jedi" partially because he is "modest, centered and always kind". Nonetheless, if you push him far enough (like taking part in the murder of almost his entire "family", ie. the Jedi Order, including innocent children), he is prepared to hack off your limbs and leave you alone to slowly burn to death (although he shows some remorse from doing so).
  • Big Brother Mentor: He straddled the line between being this and a Parental Substitute to Anakin.
  • British Stuffiness: Not actually British, even if both his actors are and have the appropriate accents, but Obi-Wan's just too reserved to be the necessary emotional presence Anakin always needed. Which starts to become a serious problem once Anakin becomes a teenager.
  • But Now I Must Go: Years after the defeat of the Empire, Obi-Wan tells Luke in a dream that he can no longer appear to him as a Force Ghost and must move on from the physical realm. He still contacts him after that, but much more rarely.
  • Cartwright Curse: A rather unfunny trend in the EU is if that you're set up to be Obi's love interest, you'll end up dying in his arms. Three out of the four women he has admitted to loving have died in his arms (the fourth one was already dying of terminal illness). In Star Wars: Kenobi, he cites Siri and Satine's deaths as a reason he's reluctant to start a relationship with Annileen.
  • Deadpan Snarker: One of the very best in the entire franchise.
  • Determinator: He never, ever gives up. Just one example is Clone Wars Gambit, when he endures three days of constant psychological torture on little food or water, on a planet steeped in the Dark Side.
  • Dissonant Serenity: Obi-Wan, especially from his twenties onwards, is almost always calm and collected. Any time he isn't is of major concern.
  • Foe Romance Subtext: With Ventress.
  • Humble Hero: Doesn't think of himself as all that great of a Jedi-he's just doing what he needs to do to protect others.
  • Martial Pacifist: Obi-Wan doesn't particularly like fighting, but he is very good at it, and won't hesitate to protect the innocent.
  • Master Swordsman: He's not on the same level as Yoda, Dooku, Sidious, or Mace Windu, but not too far off, either. Windu himself calls him the master of Soresu (see Stone Wall).
  • Morality Chain: For Anakin. Palpatine's final gambit resolved around Obi-Wan either being dead or absent when he turned Anakin, so that regardless he wouldn't be there to stop it.
  • Nice Job Breaking It, Hero:
    • His inexperience and rather strict teaching methods worsened Anakin's emotional struggles, not helped by Obi-Wan's occasionally Innocently Insensitive actions. Good thing he mostly learned from his mistakes when teaching Luke.
    • Though he had no choice but to stop his former comrade from killing Luke and other innocents on Tatooine at the head of the Tuskens, him maiming and unmasking A'Sharad Hett in front of his fellow Tusken, which is the worst insult and humiliation a tusken can receive and caused Hett's fellow tusken to abandon him, and then exiling him from Tatooine would have very disastrous consequences for the galaxy, as Hett would eventually fully fall to the Dark Side and become the Sith Lord Darth Krayt.
  • Secret-Keeper: Obi-Wan knew about Anakin and Padmé's relationship, he just didn't say anything because it was one of the few things that made Anakin happy.
  • Stone Wall: Obi-Wan is the definitive master of Soresu, the most defensive lightsaber style. This allows him to perform feats like (during his fight with Grievous) blocking twelve lightsaber strikes a second.
  • Vitriolic Best Buds: With Anakin, and to a lesser extent, with Dexter Jettster and Siri Tachi (the latter of which evolved into Slap-Slap-Kiss).
  • Wacky Parent, Serious Child: The teacher-student version. He was much more reserved than Qui-Gon as a Padawan.

    C-3PO and R2-D2 

C-3PO and R2-D2

Played by: Anthony Daniels (C-3PO) & Kenny Baker (R2-D2) & Ben Burtt (R2-D2 voice) (Ep. I-VI)
Dubbed by: Roger Carel (European French)

I am C-3P0, human-cyborg relations. And this is my counterpart, R2-D2.

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/3po_and_r2.png

A pair of "droids" (short for android, even though only Threepio is human-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," 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 Plucky 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.


  • Hypercompetent Sidekick: Artoo continues this trend in Legends. He's effectively saved planets and civilizations of the Galaxy numerous times thanks to saving Han, Luke, Leia, or whoever he's with repeatedly despite great personal risk to his tiny droid self. It's all the more impressive that he accomplishes this without really having any direct defenses of his own.
  • Loose Lips: The reason Bail Organa orders Threepio's memory wiped. Just after hearing Padmé's had twins, the droid starts babbling about how he'll be delighted to tell them all about their hero parents, at which point Bail realizes the protocol droid can't keep a secret like this, and so has his memory scrubbed.
  • Secret-Keeper: Artoo knew about Anakin and Padmé, but doesn't tell anyone for decades. He really could've saved Luke and Leia some frustration if he had.
  • This Looks Like a Job for Aquaman: Threepio likes to remind people that he's fluent in over six million forms of communication, but doesn't often get a chance to utilize it. That said, during Vector Prime, he helps break the language barrier around the Yuuzhan Vong.
  • Those Two Guys: Across the entire Legends continuity.
  • Underestimating Badassery: Almost everybody thinks an astromech droid can't be much of a threat to their plans. Almost everybody is wrong.
  • What Measure Is a Non-Human?: Obi-Wan never approved of Anakin's fondness for R2, not just because it was an attachment, but because he didn't like droids.

    Lando Calrissian 

Lando Calrissian

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lando_5136.jpg
"I've just made a deal that'll keep the Empire out of here forever."
Played by: Billy Dee Williams (Ep.V-VI)

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

Though introduced as a somewhat shady former business partner of Han's, Lando 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.


  • Breakout Character: Like his old buddy Han, Lando had his own series of successful spin-off novels and generally became one of the more prominent characters in the EU.
  • Demoted to Extra: After the Vong war, he started to fall off to the sidelines. He got a little more screentime during Fate.
  • Get-Rich-Quick Scheme: A lot of times Lando crosses over with the others is because of his latest attempt to make big credits. Had it not been for one of them, the Falcon would never have gone to Serpindal...
  • Happily Married: After a few years of searching for the right woman, he settled down with Tendra Risant.
  • In Harm's Way: Lando often has less to lose than the main trio and could leave at any time if he wanted. Thing is, he loves adventure too much to leave.
  • Lady Killer In Love: He fell for Tendra pretty quickly.
  • Loveable Rogue: Like Han, he's very friendly despite his criminal past.
  • Old Soldier: Even in his sixties, he will still happily help out his friends whenever they need it.

The Galactic Empire

    Darth Vader 

Darth Vader (Anakin Skywalker)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/darth_vader_sw.png

Portrayed by: David Prowse (1977-1983), Hayden Christensen (2005), James Earl Jones (voice)
Dubbed by: François Chaumette (Vader, European French, 1977), Georges Aminel (Vader, European French, 1980-2005), Emmanuel Garijo (Anakin, European French, 2002-2005 and Clone Wars)

The Sith identity of Anakin Skywalker, Jedi father of Luke Skywalker, who was seduced by the dark side of the Force and helped the Galactic Empire eradicate the Jedi Order. As the evil Emperor's top enforcer, he seeks to crush the fledgling Rebel Alliance by any means necessary.

Also has his own Self-Demonstrating Page, which, fittingly, is on the Darth Wiki.


  • Ace Pilot: As Vader, going out in sorties and shooting down whole Rebel wings in his TIE is one of the closest things to joy he's got left.
  • Accidental Murder: The first time Anakin taps into the Dark Side, it's at age twelve, against an assassin who's already gone after him before, but despite this Anakin tries doing everything he can to not let it happen, and is horrified when the guy, who he feels is Beyond Redemption, dies anyway.
  • All the Other Reindeer: Not terribly popular with other padawans as a Jedi, owing to his unique roots. The closest thing Anakin had to a friend then was Obi-Wan, and the latter's attempts at imitating Yoda's teaching style often left Anakin feeling more isolated, something Palpatine was only too happy to take advantage of.
  • Ambiguously Human: In-universe, nobody is sure of Vader's true identity, with many across the Galaxy believing him to be some sort of inhuman golem that Palpatine created himself (which could be metaphorically true). Even Tarkin, who has puzzled out the connection in Dark Lord, has no proof to back it up.
  • And I Must Scream: The Legends depiction of his surgery and the functions of his armor is much worse than in Canon. The armor served to cause more pain and be even more of an inconvenience to him.
  • Being Evil Sucks: Anakin learns just a little too late the ultimate cruelty of the Sith, after having betrayed everything he's ever worked for, broken his wife's heart, apparently killed her, and been horribly mutilated after losing a fight with his friend and mentor when he could have been saving Padmé (or just not attacked her at all). Now, because of his foolish actions, Anakin is stuck as Darth Vader, cursed with unimaginable pain and self-loathing.
  • Berserk Button: Anything getting between himself and his son in the gap between Empire and Jedi is in serious trouble. He blows Xizor out of space in Shadows of the Empire for trying to kill Luke , while the earlier-set Allegiance had him immediately try to kill Mara Jade when he suspected her of knowing about his investigation into Luke's existence (she didn't).
  • Break the Badass: His crippling by Obi-Wan, obviously. In addition to the horrific pain of losing his limbs and being set on fire, Anakin became so emotionally crippled that Palpatine showed no trouble using him as a slave.
  • Broken Ace: Even before the whole "fell to the Dark Side" things, Anakin had it rough. A very difficult childhood, little social contact, recurring nightmares, attempts on his life and even an accidental murder before hitting thirteen...
  • Broken Pedestal: To the Empire in Dark Empire, interestingly enough. Once word got out of his role in the Emperor's death, he became so despised that anyone associated with him when alive became an outcast. Solely because of this, General Veers, one of the Empire's best ground assault specialists, is demoted to captain, then was ordered on a suicidal ground assault on Balmorra by one of the reborn Palpatine's lackeys.
  • Challenge Seeker: Anakin got bored very easily, and as a Padawan would slip off into Coruscant's underbelly to engage in extreme sports. The Council started giving him and Obi-Wan assignments partly just so he'd stay out of trouble.
  • Depending on the Writer: Original Expanded Universe writers infamously tended to waver on their interpretations of Vader's character. Some media would depict him as an utterly callous sociopath willing to gratuitously cut up his own troops if they get in his way without batting an eye, while others would depict a borderline anti-villain with a compassionate streak for the men under his command. The latter interpretation became more popular in the years since his full backstory as Anakin Skywalker became known.
  • Disappeared Dad: Darth Vader was this for Luke, for awhile. We know what really happened, but Luke didn't learn the truth until The Empire Strikes Back. Also, ironically, applies to Darth Vader (Anakin) himself, as he has no father (unless you count the Force itself, or Darth Plagueis as Palpatine implies).
  • The Dreaded: Understandable, given his management policies. Everyone speaks in fear about Vader when he's not around, and brick it when he's around.
  • Et Tu, Brute?: Some pieces of work, such as the novel of "Revenge of the Sith" depict Palpatine manipulating an already troubled Anakin into believing that Padme is having an affair with Obi-Wan.
  • Even Evil Has Standards: One short story featuring Dengar had him observe that unlike Palpatine, he didn't kill people for the fun of it - if he wanted the bounty hunter dead, he'd already be dead.
  • Evil Overlord: Despite being The Dragon, Vader still maintains a position of high command (second only to his master) and has his own set of troops (the 501st Legion, AKA "Vader's Fist") and Cool Starship (the Executor).
  • Extreme Omnivore: Considering his Dark and Troubled Past, it's not surprising. In one scene of "Star Wars: Clone Wars", Anakin even happily munches on live bugs and worms as "lunch", much to Obi-Wan's displeasure.
  • Fantastic Racism: Not originally, but after they killed his mother, Anakin really came to despise Sand People. A'Sharad Hett's attempt to resolve this... did not work.
  • A Father to His Men: Many pieces of Expanded Universe media like to portray Vader as a surprisingly benevolent front-line commander to the 501st, which may seem like a surprising turn for the man who epitomised the trope You Have Failed Me—though granted there's usually a distinguish between how he treats the soldiers and how he treats the officers.
  • Faux Affably Evil: Darth Vader barely raises his voice, speaks politely but there is a real menace to his voice and you never know when he’s gonna switch up and force choke you.
  • Forgiven, but Not Forgotten: Subverted with Leia. After redeemed and fully forgiven by Luke, a dying Anakin thinks of his daughter, hoping that she learns that he came back to the light. In a chance to ensure she knows, Force Ghost Anakin appears to Leia sometime after the Battle of Endor, in her apartment. Despite his efforts, Leia is unable to reconcile the atrocities Anakin committed, and the suffering of billions over the galaxy at his hands, her torture included. While Anakin begs her to reconsider, even warning that he may never be allowed another opportunity, Leia refuses. Fortunately, while she is unable to fully forgive him, Leia does eventually come to terms that Anakin was a good man before falling to the dark side, naming her son "Anakin Solo" as a form of tribute.
  • His Own Worst Enemy: Even more than his current canon version. Several works heavily hint that had Anakin forgiven himself as Darth Vader, he would have regained his full potential while alive.
  • Informed Ability: When he joined the dark side, some sources said that he was on the same level as people like Yoda or Sidious. Considering that he lost to Obi-Wan, that's hard to believe. Though it could partially be explained as Anakin's prowess being hampered by emotional conflict and guilt.
  • Living Legend: By the time of Revenge of the Sith, Anakin and Obi-Wan are propaganda heroes across the Republic for their deeds.
  • Mood-Swinger: Depending on the writer, Anakin is depicted as this, especially during the Clone Wars. The novel version of Revenge of the Sith also has Anakin coldly berating Padme when she unwittingly upset him.
  • Mr. Fixit: As a Padawan, he got on better with droids than other kids, often finding busted up droids and bringing them back to his room, resulting in droids and droid-bits all around the temple.
  • The Needless: During the events of III, Anakin's plagued by recurring nightmares, so he decides to just use the Force to keep himself awake... which doesn't help his already very precarious mental state.
  • No Cure for Evil: One scene in Shadows of the Empire has him trying to use the Force to heal his injuries. It works for a moment, but then his sheer joy breaks his concentration, and the injuries come right back.
  • No Social Skills: Subverted while on Tatooine, but pre-teen Anakin gradually becomes this as a Jedi. Not that you can really blame him, all things considered.
  • The Power of Hate: The power of the Dark Side, but Vader also uses his own self-loathing as a fuel source.
  • Red Baron: Anakin became known as "The Hero Without Fear" during the Clone Wars; ironic, considering Anakin was plagued with an abundance of fear since childhood, with Yoda sensing it in their first meeting.
  • Redemption Equals Death: Both played straight and averted in two different appearances. It was averted when Darth Vader, when attempting to atone for his sins by trying to collapse Aloa's cathedral on himself, only ended up saved by Palpatine and given a new suit, and it is heavily implied that despite his intentions of trying to redeem himself for his past actions by doing this, the only thing he succeeded in was killing Garoche Tarkin and Lady Saro as a result of this attempt at suicide, and it is also implied that this was exactly what Palpatine intended to happen. It is played straight, however, in Return Of The Jedi.
  • Revenge: Particularly in works set shortly after Revenge of the Sith, Vader tends to be consumed by his desire for revenge against Obi-Wan. Even when hunting other Jedi down, his main focus is ripping Obi-Wan's hiding place out of them, more than actually trying to kill them.
  • Self-Made Orphan: Kind of. Palpatine was strongly implied to be one of two people indirectly responsible for his conception via the midi-chlorians (the other being his Sith Master, Darth Plagueis), so Vader/Anakin killing Palpatine late into Return Of The Jedi could qualify as such, technically speaking. Granted, it wasn't exactly intended that Anakin be created (they were attempting to create a Sith Weapon, but the Force itself retaliated).
  • The Sleepless: Pre-teen Anakin had some vicious nightmares, which often made him try and avoid sleeping.
  • The Starscream: While he appears to be a willing servant to the Emperor (which may be somewhat sincere; again, Depending on the Writer), Vader has been constantly plotting to overthrow his master for many years, as per Sith custom. Unlike most Sith, however, Vader lacks the will needed to go through with this, which Palpatine views as a weakness and regularly exploits. Vader's reasons for standing by the Emperor boil down to his fear of his master's power, his belief that he is too far gone for a betrayal to make any difference, and some twisted affection he still holds for Palpatine simply because he is the only person he has left in the Galaxy.
  • Throwing Your Sword Always Works: Because he can't use Force Lightning, he throws his lightsaber like a boomerang and spins it with the Force to turn it into a veritable plasma saw. This is his go-to ranged attack in video-games.
  • Took a Level in Badass: As a redeemed Force ghost, Anakin can draw upon his full potential as The Chosen One, with it tempered by wisdom. Notably, when mentoring his lineage, he has utilized the Dark Side on several occasion while being immune its corruptive influence.
  • You Have Failed Me: The trope namer. He was so notorious for it in the Empire, the "Death Star" novel actually has a moment of him using the Force to calm down a subordinate absolutely terrified of having to bring him some bad news. Years after his death, Pellaeon would repeatedly note how incredibly stupid it was to kill promising officers for minor mistakes.

    Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious 

Senator/Chancellor/Emperor Palpatine (Darth Sidious)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/emperor_rotj_8.png
"So be it... Jedi. If you will not be turned, you will be destroyed! Young fool. Only now, at the end, do you understand. Your feeble skills are no match for the power of the dark side."

Played by: Ian McDiarmid (Ep.I-III; VI, and the rerelease of V) Elaine Baker (Original version of V)
Voiced by: Clive Revill (Ep.V, original version), Nick Jameson (Star Wars: Clone Wars)
Dubbed by: Jean Claudio (European French, Ep.V, first dub), Henri Virlogeux (European French, Ep.VI), Georges Claisse (European French, Ep.I-III, V second dub and Clone Wars)

Good. Use your aggressive feelings, boy! 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 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. 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.


  • Abusive Offspring: 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).
  • Abusive Parents: As the closest thing Darth Vader has to a father figure in both a literal and figurative sense, Palpatine is absolutely horrendous towards his apprentice. He has actively undermined Vader's efforts and even ordered his assassination more times than anyone can reasonably count.
  • Adaptational Badass: Sidious of the canon is far from being a weakling, but in Legends his powers reach Physical God levels.
  • Adaptational Villainy: As bad as Palpatine is in canon, he's even worse here. For example, in canon, his reaction to the Death Star being blown up was essentially to complain for a few pages and then give Vader a demotion. In the EU, he actually tortures Vader with Force lightning and nearly kills him. He also had Bevel Lemelisk, the engineer responsible for the exhaust port, executed multiple times by cloning him.
  • The Antichrist: Heavily implied to be this in various sources, including the Darth Plagueis novel. Palpatine is introduced as a young son of a nobleman who exhibits prodigious intellect and a proportionately high disregard for common morality. He is also said to be a delinquent, having a history of petty crime and being directly responsible for the deaths of two individuals. Further, he is willing to murder his entire family without too much prompting. In the prologue, Palpatine admires the constellations that dot Coruscant's eastern sky just before the sun rises, i.e. the morning stars. If that's not Revelation-y enough for you, he refers to the Dark Side in his thoughts as the "beast" that will bring about the "end times". Reading his childhood background on Wookiepedia feels like reading something from The Omen.
  • Aristocrats Are Evil: He was heavily implied in various sources and confirmed in Darth Plagueis to have come from a noble background. The specific noble house was the "House of Palpatine." Deconstructed as it's implied to be one of the less well-known noble houses.
  • Ax-Crazy: He hides it well, but Palpatine is filled with murderous bloodlust, something he's had since he was a kid. Darth Plagueis even compares him to a Serial Killer.
  • 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. The novelization and deleted scenes for Return of the Jedi establish that he had ordered Moff Jerjerrod to destroy Endor if the Rebel forces succeeded in capturing the shield generator, regardless of how many of his troops died as a result.
  • Badass in Distress: Insanely powerful Sith lord or not, he is left vulnerable and helpless in no less than three different and particularly effective coup attempts (one selfish one, one well-intentioned one, and one more Ambiguously Evil one) throughout his reign.
    • He spends most of Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison barely able to walk after being injured by nerve gas during the Gentis coup.
    • In TIE Fighter, he is kidnapped by Grand Admiral Zaarin's forces, and there's no indication that he'd have escaped without Vader's intervention.
    • In the climax of Dark Empire, he finds all of his cloned bodies degenerating (due to poisoning by Carnor Jax) as his final death approaches.
  • Blood from the Mouth: In Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison, Palpatine had blood running from his mouth and nose because of his being infected with Aorth-6. Unlike most examples, he ultimately doesn't die from it.
  • Bloodbath Villain Origin: Throttles his family and their bodyguards to death, and intending to at the very least kill his father since he was born due to hatred of him, and for no reason other than his family forbidding his contact with Plagueis.
  • Body Backup Drive: He keeps a reserve of mindless clones in stasis in the event of Possession Burnout or fatal minion rebellion. When that fails...
  • Body Snatcher: Palpatine's last resort for survival in Empire's End is 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.
  • The Caligula: While not this in the main story, his resurrection in the Dark Empire arc has him playing this trope very much straight from then onwards, as he has become so insane that he ends up not having his empire being successful under his reign. It is also heavily implied in Dark Empire (and confirmed in The Essential Atlas) 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 Chosen One: He was destined to be the greatest and most powerful Sith Lord in the history of the galaxy, being the Sith'ari, the Dark Side equivalent to the Chosen One. Though this is how Palpatine sees himself as, rather than outright stated.note 
  • Con Man: Palpatine, in many ways, is one. He cons everyone (Anakin, Padmé, the Republic, the Senate, the Trade Federation, Darth Plagueis, the Rebel Alliance, even Jar Jar) in order to get what he wants: revenge on the Jedi and control of the galaxy. Then, he tries to con and corrupt Luke and it all falls apart.
  • Consummate Liar: Palpatine/Sidious is skilled enough at deception and manipulation to defeat even Plagueis' attempts at probing Palpatine via the Force, although his being strong in the Dark Side at an early age would probably be another reason for this as well.
  • The Corrupter: He serves as this to Anakin, earning his trust and leading him astray in order to turn him into Darth Vader.
  • Deader than Dead: To prevent Palpatine from ever coming back from the dead, a dying Empatojayos Brand binds his soul to Palpatine's and, with the help of all the Jedi that have died, ensures that Palpatine's soul will be forever stuck in the depths of the Force.
  • Deceptive Disciple: Palpatine/Darth Sidious is an inversion, who instead deceives and abuses his disciples. The Expanded Universe reveals that Palpatine never intended to be replaced by an apprentice at all; rather, he concocted a complex scheme to achieve practical immortality through the use of clone bodies. Taking on apprentices seems to be somewhat of an amusing diversion to him.
  • Dirty Old Man: Some sources mention that, while the Galactic Emperor, he kept concubines and given his age, it's unlikely that they'd be as old as him. Still, others say that he was completely asexual as he felt that he would be disgraced by physical contact with his inferiors.
  • Do Not Call Me "Paul": He's strongly implied to have been born Cosinga Palpatine II, after his father. However, Palpatine hated his father so much that he dropped his first name and is henceforth known only by his last name.
  • Dragged Off to Hell: After a fashion, his ultimate fate in the EU. After his death in Return of the Jedi, he's still powerful enough to body-hop for a while. After the main characters kill him a couple times, Jedi Master Empatojayos Brand (an Order 66 survior no less) pulls a Heroic Sacrifice and uses his death to drag Palpatine to the afterlife, where every Jedi who ever lived and died are able to throw Palpatine into Hell once and for all.
  • The Dreaded: As feared as Darth Vader is, it's nothing compared to the fear Darth Sidious inspires. Moff Jerjerrod who has the guts to talk to Vader becomes terrified when he learns that Palpatine is coming to the Death Star, and his sole presence made Leia, the same Leia who showed no fear of and resisted Vader and who intended to confront Palpatine on the Empire's cruelty, cower and become quiet and submissive. Even Vader himself is terrified of his master's wrath and wouldn't dare to turn on or defy Sidious without an ally powerful enough to take on the Emperor.
  • Drives Like Crazy: He ended up crashing his speeder as well as committing manslaughter against two pedestrians.
  • 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 were 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.
  • Et Tu, Brute?: His murder of Darth Plagueis qualifies as such, as Plagueis certainly didn't intend for the Rule of Two to be followed.
  • Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Loved is a stretch, but in The Hand of Thrawn books Parck speculates Palpatine valued Kinman Doriana (his assistant as both Chancellor and Sith Lord) enough that he tried to fill the void left by his death with Vader, Thrawn and Mara Jade.
  • 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.
    • The Empire developed a mutagenic plague called Emperor's Plague that could only kill humans. Palpatine was terrified of it.
    • Inverted regarding other Sith, as even Darth Tenebrous was horrified at how evil Palpatine is.
  • Evil Makes You Ugly: Palpatine experiences Rapid Aging from his use of the Dark Side, to the point that he has to regularly transfer his soul to new bodies. He first got that way from getting the crap shocked out of him when Mace Windu deflected his force lightning back at his face. Though it was also known that it was his true form and that he was hiding it all this time.
  • Evil Redhead: His natural hair color is red.
  • 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.
    • The Book of Sith, that presents his own thoughts, confirms the latter view. Bottom line, Palpatine himself may not have personally been xenophobic against aliens, given how his own master, apprentice (Maul), and even aides have included different aliens. But he's still more than willing to allow humanocentrism to flourish in order to divide the galaxy and make it easier for him to control.
  • Freudian Excuse Is No Excuse: His father was an emotionally abusive corrupt politician. During their final confrontation, Palpatine blamed him for much of his flaws only for Cosinga to counter that the only reason he treated Palpatine like garbage was because Palpatine was already a cruel and vindictive sociopath. After this, Palpatine more or less ceases any pretense of victimhood and embraces his own evil.
    Cosinga Palpatine: Murder has always been on your thoughts. You've merely been waiting for someone to grant you permission.
    Palpatine: I don't need anyone's permission.
    Cosinga Palpatine: Precisely. You're an animal at heart.
  • Fatal Flaw: Aside from Pride and Sadism, he shows others.
    • Greed and Selfishness: Palpatine can't bear the thought of sharing power with another. For example, he couldn't accept the idea of sharing control over the Galaxy with his master Darth Plagueis and so decided to kill him. He was aware that all the knowledge Plagueis had gathered in his research for immortality would die with him, but he was still willing to sacrifice this solely to rule the galaxy as an absolute ruler.
    • Pettiness: Palpatine is not above commiting petty acts, even at the direst occasions. While he was recovering on Byss after transfering his mind into a clone body, he learned that Thrawn had started a campaign against the New Republic. He not only decided not to support his greatest admiral, but even secretly undermined his campaign, mostly because he wanted to be the one that would crush the New Republic.
  • Faux Affably Evil: As the chancellor, Palpatine acts grandfatherly towards Anakin and always listens to him. But once his cover is revealed, he is a complete psychopath who views others as tools.
  • A God Am I: He believes himself to be the incarnation of the Dark Side of the Force.
    • By the time of Dark Empire, however, he's become the closest thing to a Physical God-Emperor that the series has due to his revival. Proof 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. note 
  • Humanoid Abomination: Darth Sidious was already one of the most powerful Force users of all time and is believed to have mastered all known Force abilities and invented new ones. He could do things like feed off the life essences of billions and create Force Storms, wherein he would rip open the time-space continuum with his sheer will alone and create a hyperspace wormhole capable of killing a world. He was even strong enough to cloud the vision of the entire Jedi Order. By the time of his final death in Dark Empire he had become a nexus of the Dark Side itself and was tearing holes in reality with his very existence.
    • When Darth Tenebrous briefly merged with Darth Plagueis after the latter "betrayed" him, he accessed a vision of Plagueis' death at the hands of Palpatine, his future apprentice. It's 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.
  • Hypocrite: In Darth Plagueis he is enraged that he finds out that Plagueis manipulated him. It is heavily implied that Palpatine had been using Plagueis right at the moment they first met.
  • 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 Lemelisk executed and revived seven times for practice, made clones, and is capable of doing so even to non-clones and overwrite their original personalities just to ensure he is ensured immortality.
  • Karma Houdini: 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.
  • Kinslaying Is a Special Kind of Evil: Darth Plagueis reveals that he murdered his immediate family so they couldn't stop him from being Plagueis' apprentice, in order to show how much of a psychopath he is.
  • Large Ham: As any Evil Overlord Drunk on the Dark Side needs in both Episode III and VI.
  • 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.
  • Laser-Guided Karma: Palpatine gets hit by this hard by the time of the Battle of Endor. Also Hoist by His Own Petard and a Disney Villain Death at the end of Return of the Jedi.
  • Last-Name Basis: 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."
  • Luke, I Am Your Father/Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: Variation: the novel Darth Plagueis had Palpatine/Darth Sidious participating alongside his master, Darth Plagueis, in a Sith experiment where they would attempt to forcibly manipulate the Midi-chlorians to create for them the ultimate sith weapon. The experiment failed, and the Midi-chlorians then decided to strike back and conceive Anakin Skywalker as a means to destroy the Sith once and for all. Also, early versions of Revenge of the Sith intended for Palpatine to tell Anakin that he created him from the midichlorians, but it was cut when Lucas redid the entire script.
  • Murder in the Family: Plagueis managed to successfully convince Palpatine into killing his family, which ultimately allowed the elder Sith to take him in as an apprentice and pawn for the Sith Plan to take over the Galaxy.
  • 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.
  • Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: If he and Darth Plagueis didn't attempt 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.
    • Also, had he, via Vader, not backstabbed Starkiller upon successfully capturing the Rebel leaders, they probably wouldn't have a Rebellion to deal with.
  • Offing the Offspring: His having Starkiller and Luke try to murder Vader after defeating him in two separate occasions can easily be interpreted as this after Darth Plagueis. See Luke, I Am Your Father/Nice Job Fixing It, Villain for the circumstances behind this.
  • Only One Name: Is only referred to as Palpatine, or Darth Sidious. However, the prequel novel Darth Plagueis seems to imply that his full name is Cosinga Palpatine II.
  • Pet the Dog:
    • He expresses genuine gratitude towards Darth Plagueis for being his teacher all those years. Of course it's undermined by the fact that he murders him right afterwards, but it's the thought that counts.
    • The ending of the Vader's Quest comic has him offer the spy Mala Mala (who's just bargained the information of Vader's son to him) a new cloned body to replace her current crippled one, something uncharacteristically generous of him. Then he lets her go because it amuses him to do so.
  • Physical God: By the time of Dark Empire; the endnotes state that by the time of his final death, his mere existence as a nexus of the Dark Side itself was tearing holes in the fabric of reality, requiring the combined power of every Jedi born in the last 25,000 years to overcome, and even then only barely. Even before this, Sidious' mastery of the Force was enough to shake planets and rip stars out of their orbits.
  • Pragmatic Villainy:
    • His reason for working with Thrawn to stop the Yuuzhan Vong wasn't for any moral reasons but simply because a horde of rampaging extragalatic warriors attacking the galaxy is bad for his own empire.
    • In the aftermath of Revenge of the Sith he makes genuine efforts to snap Vader out of his depressed funk and accept his destiny as a Sith. He's got zero affection for the now-crippled Vader and is already planning to rule the Empire forever without him, but he needs an effective enforcer instead of a moping ingrate - even if it inspires Vader to try and overthrow him.
  • Properly Paranoid: He feared the fact that his enemies were constantly nearby, which resulted in his unwitting creation of the Rebel Alliance. Considering what nearly happened to him very early in the Empire's history (where Gentis launched a Military Coup against him with poison gas), this paranoia was somewhat justified.
  • Psychopathic Manchild: Implied to be what he became as an adult, albeit a high-functioning variation of the trope in Darth Plagueis, see Enfant Terrible.
  • Sadist: Palpatine takes extreme pleasure in the suffering and pain of others, laughing hysterically as Vader beats Galen Marek within an inch of his life and smiling as he tortures Luke for refusing to turn. He even mocked his master Plagueis while he was murdering him, just to twist the knife even further.
  • 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 acknowledging his mistakes. However, shortly after his first death at Endor and continuously reviving himself, he ends up losing a lot of his sanity.
  • Screw the Rules, I Have Money!: His father often paid off the right people to make several of his misdemeanors "disappear."
  • The Scrooge: Was implied to be this in an article for Star Wars: Galaxies dating December 12, 2008, where he mentions "Bah, humbug!" at one point relating to the Star Wars equivalent of Christmas Day, Life Day.
  • 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.
  • Shrouded in Myth: 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. Although the novel Darth Plagueis now confirms that Palpatine was indeed born and raised in Naboo, and was a part of a lesser noble house.
  • The Sociopath: Lack of Empathy? Check. Manipulates people like chesspieces and only emitting shallow emotions? Check. Experiences extreme rage and is uplifted when hurting enemies? Check. That's just in the movies. The expanded universe has him being a sociopath even when he was a kid (including murdering his parents and siblings), and is incapable of feeling regret when committing heinous actions and various misdemeanors (including manslaughter when driving like a maniac). His cloning attempts only make his sociopathy even worse.
  • Spoiled Brat: His childhood was primarily his father bribing the proper authorities to prevent them from taking legal action against Palpatine whenever he committed a misdemeanor, and his gift of a speeder was also closer to a bribe.
  • The Starscream: To Darth Plagueis, killing him after getting him extremely drunk to the point that he fell asleep.
  • Straw Misogynist:
    • As if trying to make him as thoroughly dislikable as possible, Emperor Palpatine is revealed to be one of these in addition to being a racist, mass-murdering totalitarian maniac. This can be shown by the Galactic Empire's high degree of misogyny. This, combined with the alien persecution, resulted in the Empire often being referred to as having "Non-HuMan" policies. The sexist policies that plagued the Empire encouraged Major General Corvae to establish the Firebird Society to prove that females were effective and capable soldiers for the Imperial Military.
    • In all fairness, the Emperor considers everyone beneath him, regardless of gender or species. He also appointed Mara Jade, one of his best students, "The Emperor's Hand" - making her essentially the third most powerful person in the Empire behind Darth Vader and himself (albeit secretly).
  • Troubling Unchildhood Behavior: He was a frequent delinquent with an expulsive history that was extremely vast, and the actions he committed were even stated to be severe enough that, had he not been a nobleman's child, he would have been sent to a reform facility. He also enjoyed committing manslaughter against two pedestrians.
  • Villainous Friendship: Palpatine has shown to be capable of forming friendships, as seen in his interactions with his predecessor Vidar Kim, Pestage and others. He even seemed hesitant in ordering the assassination of Vidar Kim. However, due to his sociopathic and uncaring nature, Palpatine will not mind sacrificing even those he sees as friends if he deems them as either liabilities or obstacles for his plans.
  • Xanatos Speed Chess: Palpatine and Banking Clan big shot Hego Damask (alias Darth Plagueis) meant for Padmé to be a martyr, and had to quickly resort to this when she escaped Naboo and brought along a nine-year-old hydrospanner in the works (Anakin Skywalker), who they discovered was a side effect of Plagueis' experiments.
  • You Have Failed Me: It's 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.

    Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin 

Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tarkin_5.png
"Fear will keep the local systems in line."
Played by: Peter Cushing (Ep.IV); Wayne Pygram (5-second cameo in Ep.III).
Dubbed by: Henri Virlogeux (European French, Ep.IV)

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.

He had a bit of a different personality in the Star Wars Radio Dramas than what they would eventually settle on in subsequent materials.


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, and there are other Grand Moffs equal to his power. However, Tarkin has influence far beyond his station; he's a favorite of the Emperor, respected by Vader, an architect and commander of the Death Star and the author of the Empire's strategic doctrine.

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.
  • Big Bad Duumvirate: With Vader in A New Hope. 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 that's where Vader happens to be; in most respects they are equals.
  • Despair Event Horizon: His son being killed resulted in him becoming even more of a monster than before.
  • Even Evil Has Loved Ones: He genuinely loved his son. Unfortunately, this is a rare negative example as his son's death only led him to commit worse acts in revenge.
    • He also loved his brother Gideon and niece Rivoche, and he took the latter in after the former died. And was actually a good parental substitute, considering Rivoche was something of a Spoiled Brat but later became the one Tarkin to be an objectively good person...
  • 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 was stuff Palpatine demanded that even Tarkin did not wish to commit.
  • Evil Cannot Comprehend Good:
    • His reasoning behind the Death Star is to frighten the citizens into servitude. Tarkin didn't seem to think that would result in people joining the Rebel cause because they don't like having their planets blown up.
    • When he realized his niece Rivoche was a Spoiled Brat, his method of disciplining her was to "disappear" the servant that had become her confidant and her family. It worked... But also ended up driving her to become a Rebel agent well before her uncle's death.
  • Evil Mentor: Was the one to teach Ackbar how to lead a space fleet, not imagining he was training the admiral who'd destroy the Empire's main fleet at Endor.
  • Faux Affably Evil: Tarkin is more polite to Leia than she is to him, doesn’t stop him from destroying her planet.
  • Make an Example of Them: One particularly stupid person once said Admiral Daala only got her position because she was sleeping with Tarkin where he could hear him. Tarkin had the man incinerated by orbital decay, in a spacesuit with the comms on so everyone could hear his last words.
  • Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: His destruction of Alderaan, an planet known for its pacifism and one of the most respected in the galaxy, proved to be a disastrous move for the Empire as it revealed the full evil and tyranny of the Empire to most of the galaxy, and considerably boosted the numbers of planets and individuals that would join or support the Rebel Alliance now that they knew their planet could be destroyed for petty reasons, and it also caused many Imperials to desert the Empire for the rebels. Palpatine himself acknowledged how stupid of a move it was and was furious about it.
  • 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 manipulated Vader's actions to bring this about to get Tarkin to become a more willing (and more ruthless) servant. It worked.
  • Pet the Dog: A minor one: he was Gial Ackbar's master when the former was a slave, and it's implied that he treated him pretty decently, or at the very least better than some of his peers would.
  • The Sociopath: Grand Moff Tarkin is a ruthless Imperial officer, and one of the Emperor's top agents. While in command of the Death Star, Tarkin had Princess Leia tortured and threatened to destroy Alderaan, Leia's homeworld, if she didn't give him the location of a Rebel base. When Leia gave him the information he wanted, Tarkin destroyed Alderaan anyway, killing billions of innocent people, solely to demonstrate the Death Star's power, then ordered Leia's execution. After discovering the location of the Rebel base, Tarkin attempted to destroy that planet as well. Unfortunately for Tarkin, he put too much faith in the Death Star's defenses, and furthermore failed to realize that the head gunner for the superlaser was not a sociopath, and was so full of remorse over Alderaan that he stalled for time at Yavin.
  • The Starscream: In the radio play he was entertaining the idea of using the Death Star to seize control of the Empire.
  • 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 blow up, he'd have been utterly humiliated. And he'd probably be in deep trouble for letting the Death Star get destroyed in the first place.
  • Villainous Breakdown: According to Death Star, to the last moment he was telling himself that someone destroying the Death Star was unthinkable.

    Admiral Kendal Ozzel 

Admiral Kendal Ozzel

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/admiralozzel_3164.jpg
Played by: Michael Sheard (Ep.V)

Commanding officer of Death Squadron, Darth Vader's personal fleet. However, he is not very good at his job and brushes off the advice of his executive officer, Captain Piett. When presented with evidence of lifeforms on Hoth, Ozzel summarily dismisses it but is soon humiliated when it's presented to Vader, who orders them to attack. However, when they arrive, the fleet drops too close out of lightspeed, giving the Rebels ample time to prepare their energy shield. Upon hearing that a simple orbital bombardment is now a costly ground assault, Vader executes Ozzel on the spot and promotes Piett to admiral.


  • Blue Blood: Supplementary materials indicate that Ozzel came from a good family and was well-connected, traits that Vader came to despise.
  • Dirty Coward: His actions as a major in the Clone Wars. He opted to surrender rather than risk death in combat, and betrayed his allies under the threat of torture, even trying to justify his betrayal to himself. His actions more often than not put his own men in danger, yet he repeatedly claimed credit for several victories.
  • General Failure: In the Clone Wars, he treated the clones under his command as expendable fodder, and pursued tactics that put not only them, but even the Jedi, in harm's way. But when he felt he was in danger personally, he quickly surrendered to save his own skin. He learns the hard way that Vader isn't quite so forgiving of his ineptitude.
  • Kicked Upstairs: The reason he became an admiral in the first place was because everybody figured he wouldn't try to cross Darth Vader, whom he would directly answer to. They were wrong.
  • Obfuscating Stupidity: Some of the Imperials suspected he might be a Rebel spy, finding it impossible to believe someone of his rank could be so incompetent unless it was a cover.

    General Maximilian Veers 

General Maximilian Veers

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Star_wars_2554.gif
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.


  • Frontline General: Veers not only prepares his troops for the Hoth surface attack, he's aboard the lead AT-AT that fires the shots to destroy the Alliance's power generators. He paid a price though: in the novelization Hobbie Klivian (Rogue Two) crashed his damaged snowspeeder into Veers' cockpit a couple minutes later. Veers survived but both his legs had to be amputated.
  • Uriah Gambit: Is notable as the first film character to die in the EU. His career went downhill after Endor because of the stigma of serving alongside Vader. He hit bottom in Dark Empire II when the insane darksider Executor Sedriss QL busted him down to captain and sent him on a Suicide Mission during Second Balmorra.

    Moff Tiaan Jerjerrod 

Moff Tiaan Jerjerrod

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/moff-jerjerrod-5-282x360_6282.jpg
Played by: Michael Pennington (VI)

The commanding officer of the second Death Star, Jerjerrod receives little screentime in the film, but is a more important character in the novelization. Arrogant, and loving the exercise of power, Jerjerrod sees the Rebels in the same light that schoolyard bully sees his victims.


  • Adaptational Villainy: A lesser example than some, but still a case of this. In both film and novel he's an Imperial officer who is willing to use Death Star II against a populated moon. The difference is that in the film he's Just Following Orders while the novel makes him a sadistic sociopath who is doing it for his own satisfaction.
  • Ascended Extra: In the novel where he's given several point-of-view scenes, has a deeply nasty personality, and serves as the final threat to the Rebels after Vader and the Emperor are dead.
  • The Bully: Very much so in the novel.
  • Colonel Kilgore: In the novel, where he loves the war and doesn't want it to end.
  • Commanding Coolness: Referred to as "Commander" in both the film and the novel.
  • Dragon Ascendant: More like mook ascendant but the same notion applies. In both the film and the novel, Jerjerrod is left in command of Death Star II after Vader and Palpatine die, and in both versions, he orders the space station to obliterate Endor, making him the last villain the Rebels have to deal with.
  • Even Evil Has Standards:
    • Subverted in the novel, where he initially objects to blowing up Endor, due to the imperial troops stationed there, only to give the order to fire as soon as he gets angry. Standards he does not have.
    • Played straighter in the movie's deleted scenes: he acknowledges Palpatine's order, but briefly expresses his concern for the Imperial battalions still on the moon before Palpatine overrules him, and when the shield generator is destroyed he's still clearly reluctant to give the order.
  • Evil Is Not Pacifist: In both versions, Jerjerrod's an officer and a willing participant in war crimes; in the novel he goes a step farther, and is a Colonel Kilgore who doesn't want the war to end.
  • Kick the Dog: In the novel his reasons for trying to destroy Endor boil down to a giant version of this.
  • Punch-Clock Villain: In the film, where he doesn't get any Kick the Dog moments and just follows Vader and Palpatine's orders.
  • Sadist: Gets his kicks out of tormening those weaker than him, at least going by the novel.
  • Smug Snake: The novel makes him very full of himself.
  • Sociopathic Soldier: Novel!Jerjerrod joined the military so he could hurt people. Commanding Death Star II gives him the chance to do so on a massive scale.
  • Sore Loser: Novel!Jerjerrod aims to blow up Endor, not for any military objective, but because he is angry that the Rebels have won and it's the first living thing within reach.
  • Villainous Breakdown/Villainous BSoD: It's not clear which he's having at the end of the novel, but he's definitely having one or the other, possibly both. Stunned by the Empire's defeat, and unable to comprehend what he could have done wrong, Jerjerrod lashes out at the first thing that comes into range, planning to blast Endor out of existence in order to satisfy his anger.

Other Rebel Alliance members

    Bail Organa 

Prince Bail Prestor Organa

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bail_organa.jpg

Species: Human (Alderaanian)

Homeworld: Alderaan

Portrayed by: Jimmy Smits
Voiced by: Phil LaMarr
Voiced by (Latin American Spanish dub): Gerardo Reyero (movies)
Appearances: Attack of the Clones | The Clone Wars | Revenge of the Sith | Star Wars: The Clone Wars (novels) | The Force Unleashed

A member of Alderaan's royal family and the planet's representative in the Galactic Senate. He and a set of like-minded allies banded together to form a pocket of resistance against Chancellor Palpatine's grabs for power during the Clone Wars, which eventually grew into the Rebel Alliance. At the end of the war, Bail adopted his friend Padmé Amidala's newborn daughter Leia and raised her to join the cause against the Galactic Empire.


  • Ambadassador: Can defend himself rather adequately, and is a leader amongst the resistance against the Galactic Empire as well as a senator and a prince
  • Ascended Extra: Senator Bail Organa was notable in Attack of the Clones only due to the knowledge that the planet he represented was Alderaan and that he would become Leia's adopted father. In Revenge of the Sith, he takes on a major role in the story, also explaining how he would be one of the few people who would know Obi-Wan went to Tatooine. He also has major or supporting roles in several episodes of The Clone Wars.
  • Babies Ever After: Downplayed with Breha, as they were unable to biologically have a child, Revenge of the Sith shows how they would adopt their future daughter, Leia.
  • Badass Pacifist: He comes from the peaceful world of Alderaan, but he can put up a fight if he needs to. For instance, when two bounty hunters attempt to strong-arm him to keep him from giving a speech.
  • Benevolent Conspiracy: Along with Mon Mothma, Padmé Amidala and several other senators, he helped found the beginnings of the Rebel Alliance behind Palpatine's back in the waning days of the Republic.
  • Big Good: He was one of the driving forces behind the formation of the Rebel Alliance and started working to subvert the Empire the day Order 66 was issued. Bail remained in this role for the Rebellion until his death on Alderaan.
  • Blue Is Heroic: Many of his outfits come in varying shades of blue, underlining his status as a heroic character and Rebel Leader (or future Rebel Leader).
  • Big "NO!": As he witnesses young Padawan Zett Jukassa being gunned down by the Clone Troopers.
  • Collared by Fashion: Several of his outfits include high collars that cover most or all of his neck.
  • Distressed Dude: After Galen Marek saves Bail’s daughter, he then has to save Organa himself from the hands of a corrupted Maris Brood.
  • Dropped a Bridge on Him: Notably in that he hadn't even been introduced at the point when he was killed off.
  • The Ghost: In A New Hope. He's mentioned a few times, but doesn't make it onscreen before he's killed.
  • Good Parents: He and his wife, Breha, always wanted a little girl, and though Leia Skywalker isn't biologically their daughter, they love her all the same and don't treat her any differently.
  • Guile Hero: During the Clone Wars, he managed to outwit Trade Federation Senator Lott Dodd to get much-needed refugee supplies to Ryloth. Bail then used the incompetence of the Senate, which Dodd himself had relied on often, to avoid any consequences for his actions.
  • Happily Married: To Breha
  • La Résistance: He helps found the Rebel Alliance.
  • Law of Inverse Fertility: He and his wife had many difficulties in producing an heir, so he was very happy to adopt Leia.
  • Non-Action Guy: Compared to Padmé and his adopted daughter. However, that's not to say he hasn't seen any action at all, and he has been seen carrying a blaster.
  • One Head Taller: Non-romantically to Padmé.
  • Reasonable Authority Figure: He is a major ally of the Jedi and opposed to Palpatine's increasing power grabs. He and his men are the only people seen in the films besides the Wookiees who give the Jedi aid after Order 66 is issued. Even during the tumultuous political climate of the Clone Wars, Padmé states that he is "seen as a voice of reason."
  • Rebel Leader: He is one of the founding and leading members of the Rebel Alliance until his death.
  • Rousing Speech: Delivers quite a good one as the Rebel Alliance assembles for the first time. Darth Vader kind of steps on it, though.
    "It is settled then. My wealth will fund the Rebellion, while Garm provides our fleet, and Mon Mothma our soldiers. And with you leading us, we have the power of the Force on our side. Therefore let this be an official declaration of rebellion! Today, we all vow to change the galaxy, and one day the galaxy will indeed be free!"
  • Royals Who Actually Do Something: He refuses to just lie back and let Palpatine dominate the galaxy, jumping into action immediately to save Yoda and Obi-Wan from Order 66 and then setting up a galaxy-wide resistance movement.
  • Ruling Couple: With Breha. He represents Alderaan in the Senate and is Alderaan’s prince, while she is Alderaan's queen. The two often provide each other with counsel and make important decisions together.
  • Secret-Keeper: Of Yoda and Obi-Wan's survival and hiding places, as well as the birth of Anakin and Padmé's twins.
  • Undying Loyalty: To the Jedi Order and to the ideals that the Galactic Republic was founded upon. When he witnesses the massacre at the Jedi Temple, he immediately departs from Coruscant to try and find Jedi survivors. Even after Emperor Palpatine’s rise to power, Bail works to depose the Empire and restore democracy and freedom to the galaxy.
  • Vitriolic Best Buds: Became this with Obi-Wan (along with Fire-Forged Friends) during the Clone Wars.

    Mon Mothma 

Mon Mothma

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mothma_mon_5962.jpg
" The Emperor's made a critical error, and the time for our attack has come."
Played by: Caroline Blakiston (Ep. VI) & Genevieve O'Reilly (Ep. III)

A senator during the Clone Wars who helped found and lead the Rebel Alliance. Later becomes Chief of State of the New Republic after the downfall of the Empire.


  • Ambadassador: She served as both a senator and as a leader of the resistance against the Galactic Empire.
  • Ascended Extra: She plays a large role in Legends fiction that takes place before, during, and after the Galactic Civil War, after her sole brief appearance in Return of the Jedi.
  • Dropped a Bridge on Him: She vanishes from the narrative after Union, being a no-show for New Jedi Order. Eventually in 2005, an article came out stating she never fully recovered from the assassination attempt in her last major appearance, and passed away quietly in her sleep shortly before the Vong invasion.
  • Rebel Leader: One of the founding members and leaders of the Rebel Alliance.

    Gial Ackbar 

Admiral Gial Ackbar

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ackbar_gial_1164.jpg
"It's a trap!"
Played by: Timothy M. Rose (Ep.VI) & Erik Bauersfield (voice)

A fish-person from a species called the Mon Calamari, Ackbar appears in the last hour of Return of the Jedi 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!".


  • All There in the Manual: His given name, Gial, was first mentioned in The Essential Guide To Warfare.
  • Ascended Extra: From a minor character in the films to one of the more recurring characters until his death.
  • Big Good: Frequently shares this role with Mon Mothma, with him frequently being in control of the military.
  • Boring, but Practical: Often comes across as this, as it's other characters who come up with spectacular, innovative strategies rather than himself, but he is very good at conventional tactics, fleet management, and adapting to the situation at hand. Plus, he is able to learn from his enemies such as Thrawn, and most importantly, knows when to allow his subordinates to go through with their own unconventional solutions.
  • Character Death: Dies of old age near the end of the Yuuzhan Vong War.
  • Fatal Flaw: A military genius, but politically... terrible. He was fine when Mon Mothma was around, since she could handle the politics side for him, and mostly importantly was in his corner. When she retired, however, all bets were off, and Ackbar was given his walking papers.
  • Feeling Their Age: By the time of Destiny's Way, he's so old he can barely be out of water for long without it being a serious physical danger for him, forcing him to concede that Borsk may have been right in making him resign, but his mind is every bit as sharp as ever.
  • Four-Star Badass: One of the Alliance's most esteemed generals.
  • Reasonable Authority Figure: He's practically devoid of any ego, rarely loses his calm, treats all his subordinates fairly, and listens to their suggestions with an open mind.
  • The Last Dance: Led the Republic to a major victory at the Battle of Ebaq very shortly before dying peacefully of old age.
  • The Strategist: A master tactician, who led the Rebellion and New Republic to countless victories, and even invented some maneuvers.

    Wedge Antilles 

Wedge Antilles

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/antilles_wedge_4030.jpg
"Cut to the left, I'll take the leader."
Played by: Denis Lawson (Ep.IV-VI) & Colin Higgins (briefly in Ep.IV) & David Ankrum (voice in IV)

A starfighter pilot, Wedge appears in all three Original Trilogy movies, despite having no particular role, importance or Plot Armor. For this reason, he is a major figure in Star Wars Legends, where he is often referred to as the finest pilot in the galaxy, by virtue of having survived more Death Stars than anyone living or dead. Traditionally leader of the elite Rogue Squadron, he later was promoted to general and led the New Republic/Galactic Alliance fleet against the Yuuzhan Vong. Wedge is currently retired, but his daughter Syal continues the family tradition. Go here for more details.


  • Ace Pilot: Almost to the point of Improbable Piloting Skills.
  • Ascended Extra: While not an extra, he wasn't very important to the overall story in the movies. In the EU, he is elevated to a similar level of importance as the heroes.
  • Asskicking Leads to Leadership: There's a reason he was promoted to general.
  • Badass Normal: Though the normality is sometimes questioned. By Starfighters of Adumar, his nearly-inhuman reflexes, situation awareness, and experience add up to a level of skill that some regard as supernatural. In the narration he once mentions precognitive warnings - in the sense of pattern recognition serving that way, but still. At the end of the book he actually ignores his targeting computer and feels his awareness flow from his X-Wing into his opponent, knows what the other will do ahead of time, fires without looking, and disables the enemy craft. Wedge is explicitly not Force-sensitive, though; he was tested in two different ways in the Jedi Academy Trilogy and came up as a normal human both times.
    Wedge shoved aside the targeting computer. He didn't have the Force, as Luke did, but he had something else, something just as important. Faith in his own abilities.
  • The Chains of Commanding: Oh, so very much.
  • Colonel Badass: Of the Commander variety.
  • Day in the Limelight: The X-Wing Rogue Squadron, but specifically the arc The Phantom Affair and X-Wing Series novels, but specifically the entire novel Starfighters Of Adumar.
  • Embarrassing Nickname: In The Phantom Affair, we learn that as a child and teenager, he was called "Veggies" by his parents and friend Mirax Terrik.
  • Four-Star Badass/Frontline General: When he becomes a General. The reason he refused promotion to general for so long was because he didn't want to be taken off the front lines. And he ends up not having to be, commanding New Republic forces in the field in several books and series, including an incident in the New Jedi Order series where he destroys a whole wing of coralskippers by himself, in an X-Wing that doesn't have an astromech.
  • Hero of Another Story: In the Legends storylines, "another story" ends up being told quite often.
  • Hidden Heart of Gold: To new recruits who are rude or overconfident or mess up, he can be incredibly cruel, and to the rest he's generally a bit distant and not particularly friendly. But he cares deeply and honestly about his people, and when they prove themselves trustworthy, he'll back them to the end of the galaxy.
  • It Never Gets Any Easier: And he doesn't want it to.
  • Limited Advancement Opportunities: Subverted. For a while, people kept trying to promote him and he kept refusing (mostly because being promoted would deprive him of the ability to fly starfighters). He eventually accepted when Ackbar pointed out to him that his pilots were also refusing promotions in order to not outrank him and that with all their experience they should have much higher ranks than what they currently had. Ackbar assured Wedge that the promotions of his people would sail through, esepcially since General Wedge Antilles was the one making the promotion recommendations.
  • Military Maverick: Policy and procedure are good things... but occasionally they can get in the way.
  • Neck Lift: To Sate Pestage.
  • Reasonable Authority Figure: Willing to listen to his pilots and take suggestions from them.
  • Sixth Ranger: He frequently acts as this to the main characters' group.
  • Springtime for Hitler: During the Yuuzhan Vong war, he tried stringing along a Vong leader for a while, tying up their resources. Things went a little wrong and the commander got killed, forcing the Vong to call in an even better commander who give the battered New Republic forces a harder time. Much sarcasm is thrown at Wedge for the fact he's so good he could fail even when he wanted to.
  • Technically a Smile/Slasher Smile: He's fond of flashing smiles with no warmth or humor to them, giving them to his enemies and various politicians.
  • Xanatos Speed Chess: Gets forced into this sometimes, and usually does pretty well.

    Crix Madine 

General Crix Madine

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/3911-15886_7643.jpg
Played by: Dermot Crowley (Ep. VI)

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


  • Action Hero: Leads his men and women on missions from the front.
  • Defiant to the End: He faces his end without fear in Darksaber.
    Durga: Any last words?
    Madine: Not to you.
  • Heel–Face Turn: The circumstances of his defection from the Empire are depicted in the first Rogue Squadron video game (and to some extent in Dark Forces, which depicts him as an Imperial who's chosen to defect but is still operating as The Mole for the Alliance, until his true allegiance is revealed).
  • Shoot the Shaggy Dog: Courtesy of the much-maligned Darksaber. He's murdered by Durga the Hutt in the course of trying to sabotage a superweapon that, about ten minutes later, proves to be of such shoddy construction it can't even fire and gets smashed between two asteroids.

    Biggs Darklighter 

Biggs Darklighter

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Biggs_7966.jpg
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.


  • Forgotten Fallen Friend: Never mentioned in the films after his untimely demise in A New Hope. Sadly, this also applies to most Legends stories.

Jedi Council Members

    Yoda 

Yoda

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/yoda_sw.png
Played by: Frank Oz (Ep.I-VI)

"Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter."


  • Already Met Everyone: Revenge of the Sith reveals that he was already friends with Chewbacca during the Clone Wars. Later in the timeline, other EU media has shown that several other characters had already encountered Yoda on Dagobah before Luke arrived there, most notably Qu Rahn and Starkiller (or, more accurately, his identical clone).
  • Eccentric Mentor: Stories like Dark Rendezvous indicate that Yoda's eccentricities shown in Empire Strikes Back were not entirely a performance to mess with Luke, but a genuine part of his personality when he can afford to be less serious. His whimsical side tends to show through in his interactions with Jedi younglings and other kids.
  • Heroic BSoD: The Revenge of the Sith novelization expounds on his loss to Sidious, realizing that the Sith had had a thousand years to plan, adapt and grow, while the Jedi had long stagnated. This is why he decided to go into exile.
  • No Name Given: No official source in the entire Legends continuity has ever given Yoda's species a name. This is a hard-and-fast rule put in place by George Lucas himself in order to preserve Yoda's sense of mystique, one that the current Disney canon still honours. The EU has introduced surprisingly few other members of Yoda's unnamed species.
  • Physical God: Yoda's mastery of the Force was unrivalled. Telekinetically lifting an X-Wing out of a bog in his debut film appearance is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to his list of incredible feats.

    Mace Windu 

Mace Windu

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mace_windu.png
Played by: Samuel L. Jackson (Ep.I-III)

"This party's over."

One of the key members of the Jedi Council seen throughout the Prequel Trilogy, Mace Windu is renowned as one of the greatest warriors in the Order. He's instantly recognisable for his distinctive purple-bladed lightsaber which only he has the privilege of wielding in the live-action movies, all thanks to George Lucas granting Sam L. Jackson's request to have Windu stand out the most in large battle sequences.


  • Adaptational Badass: In the movies, Mace is one of the only non-protagonist Jedi Masters who... accomplishes anything, really. While that's nothing to scoff at, the Expanded Universe portrays him as a truly terrifying force on the battlefield, with more extreme feats than any other Jedi we've seen onscreen. Even without a lightsaber, he can easily dismantle entire Droid Armies with his bare fists.
  • Bare-Fisted Monk: Some memorable sequences in the 2003 Clone Wars miniseries portray him as a formidable hand-to-hand combatant who uses precise martial arts augmented by his mastery of the Force. With a single blow, he can reduce a Super Battle Droid to a pile of nuts and bolts.
  • Dark Is Not Evil: Mace Windu uses the rare Form VII sword-fighting style Vaapad, a highly aggressive style that involves drawing on one's own inner darkness and redirecting an opponent's unbalanced emotions against them. As such, it is more heavily associated with Sith teachings, making it somewhat taboo among Jedi. Impressively, Windu is the only known Jedi to completely master the technique without falling to the Dark Side.
  • Early Instalment Weirdness: Before Attack of the Clones established that Mace wielded a striking amethyst-bladed lightsaber, EU works defaulted to giving him a plain old blue lightsaber. His possession of a blue lightsaber before he acquired his purple one is still considered canon within the Legends continuity.
  • Informed Attribute: Some character biographies for Mace tend to claim that he had a prominent sense of humour, presumably derived from a single (and not particularly witty) quip he made towards Dooku in Attack of the Clones. Suffice to say, this is not at all reflected in his intensely stoic and foreboding demeanour seen throughout the movies and most EU works. It's best shown in his feature novel Shatterpoint, where his banter with Nick Rostu provides some much needed levity in an otherwise grim story.
  • My Greatest Failure: The novel Shatterpoint reveals that Mace deeply regrets his missed opportunity to kill Dooku on Geonosis, as doing so could have prevented the Clone War, to the point that he has recurring nightmares about it.
  • Rapid-Fire Fisticuffs: When deprived of a lightsaber, Mace Windu utilises a Wing Chun-like fighting style with techniques that can be described as rapid flurries of punches.
  • The Rival: The EU established that he and Count Dooku were the strongest claimants for the title of best duellist-that-isn't-Yoda in the entire Jedi Order. Dooku always had a slight edge over Windu, though Dooku's self-imposed exile from the Order left Windu as the second-best Jedi after Grand Master Yoda.
  • Saved for the Sequel: An extremely belated example. A character known as "Mace Windy" was featured in George Lucas's very earliest story drafts for what would become Star Wars as one of the main protagonists. Upon revisiting these rough draft pages while in the process of writing the plot for the Prequel Trilogy, Lucas was inspired to reuse the name several decades later.
  • Uniqueness Decay: While it certainly makes him stand out more in the movies, Mace's purple lightsaber isn't remotely unique in the wider context of the Expanded Universe and he wasn't even the first character to own one. Among others, Mara Jade Skywalker had a magenta lightsaber, and countless others have been given similarly unusual colours since.

    Ki-Adi-Mundi 

Master Ki-Adi-Mundi

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ki_adi_mundi.png
"There is no such thing as luck."

Species: Cerean

Homeworld: Cerea

Portrayed by: Silas Carson
Voiced by: Brian George (The Clone Wars)

"Our predicament is dire, but do not despair, focus! We are Jedi!"

Ki-Adi-Mundi was a Cerean Jedi Master and a leading member of the Jedi High Council during the last years of the Galactic Republic. By the time of the Clone Wars, Mundi became a Jedi General of the Grand Army of the Republic. Like his Jedi colleagues, he led the Republic clone troopers against the Separatist Alliance forces in several battles across the galaxy, including the first and second Battles of Geonosis and the Outer Rim Sieges. During the final year of the Clone Wars, Mundi oversaw the Republic invasion of Mygeeto with the Galactic Marines under his command. During the campaign, Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine instructed the Grand Army soldiers to execute their Jedi leaders in accordance with Order 66, an act which resulted in the death of Mundi along with the majority of the Jedi Order.


  • The Ace: One of the most naturally gifted Jedi in the Order. Even as a child, he could sense danger and levitate objects at will, though sometimes his raw untrained power would make them explode. Such was his potential that he was accepted into the Jedi Order even though he was 4 years too old to begin the traditional training. His career as a Jedi would see him develop into one of the most skilled and respected Jedi, even earning a seat in the Jedi Council while he was still only a Knight, and his bravery would inspire people even decades after his untimely demise.
  • A Father to His Men: Ki-Adi Mundi felt a lot of compassion for his Clone Troopers because none of them had ever had a full and normal life, and grieved when any one of them fell in battle. He was also well-regarded by his troops because he was always leading them on the field, rather than commanding them from safety
  • Agent Scully: He has a history of this. He was extremely skeptical of Qui-Gon Jinn's assertion that the Sith had returned and dismissed Padmé Amidala's claim that Count Dooku was behind the assassination attempt against her. He was also the most vocal in denying the possibility of Yoda's claim about making contact with the dead Qui-Gon, insisting it is impossible to maintain ones identity in the Force after death.
  • Ascended Extra: He receives a fleshed out expanded role in Star Wars: Republic after being featured in the Prequel Trilogy as a peripheral member of the Jedi Council with small screen time and few lines (although far more than most exotic background Jedi). He continues to be a significant presence in other Expanded Universe media.
  • Asskicking Leads to Leadership: Though he was only a Jedi Knight at the time, Mundi's wisdom and skill earned him a personal recommendation to sit in the Jedi Council by Mace Windu, who cited his exceptional judgement and valour in battle. Answering Anakin's question, this is how you can be on the Council and not be a Master, though Ki-Adi would earn that rank later on.
  • Cool Old Guy: When he heard Anakin denying to acknowledge Ahsoka's victory in the Body-Count Competition mentioned above, Mundi told Anakin that he out-scored both of them. He's overall one of the warmest and friendliest Jedi Council members.
  • Demoted to Extra: While to say so would be a slight exaggeration, Ki-Adi-Mundi was the original main protagonist of Dark Horse Comics' Star Wars: Republic (back when it was simply titled Star Wars), but then Quinlan Vos was introduced and, well, the rest is history.
  • Exotic Extended Marriage: Due to his species, the Cereans, having an extreme gender disparity due to low birth-rate of males, they practice polygamy, and Ki-Adi-Mundu was even granted a exemption to the rule forbidding Jedi to marry, on the basis that him not marrying was a legitimate threat towards the survival of his species. As such, he had five wives (one primary, four secondary). It's made clear that the Jedi code still required him to not view them as attachments, and he found that quite difficult.
  • Hollywood Tactics: Although a courageous and compassionate Jedi, Ki-Adi-Mundi was an inept tactician during the Clone Wars, ill-suited to the harsh realities of warfare. His insistence on taking moralistic but resource-consuming approaches led to him frequently butting heads with his wilful second-in-command Bacara.
  • Laser Blade: He wields a blue-bladed lightsaber. Prior to his appointment to the Jedi Council, Ki-Adi-Mundi wielded a lightsaber with a purple blade, as shown in his comic book appearances. This blade was also featured in the Jedi Power Battles video game and in his action figure.
  • Master Swordsman: Considered one of the greatest lightsaber duellists in the Jedi Order, with only Yoda, Windu, Obi-Wan and Anakin being his equals or surpassing him. His style was a unique mixture of Makashi skill, Ataru aggressiveness and Soresu defense, all styles which he had mastered. It allowed him to survive the Geonosis arena, to be the Last man standing at Hypori against Grievous, and to out-duel Asajj Ventress badly enough that she had to extricate from the fight.
  • Mauve Shirt: In the Prequel Trilogy, he is the only member of the Jedi Council besides Yoda, Windu, Obi-Wan, or Anakin to have any lines. His slightly greater significance led to him being one of the first tertiary Jedi characters to be fleshed out in Expanded Universe media.
  • My Brain Is Big: He's a Cerean, a species with very large, elongated cranium that holds a binary brain.
  • The Obi-Wan: Stories that focus on him emphasise his wise, masterly manner. His design was intended to evoke a distortion of the Trope Namer as played by Sir Alec Guinness.
  • Oh, Crap!: He is one of the few Jedi who had a prescient moment about the Jedi Purge. Alas, it was not enough to save him, but he went down fighting instead of being shot in the back like so many of his comrades.
  • The Only One: Yoda put it best when the Council assigned Mundi to seek out Sharad Hett:
    Yoda: If a follower of the dark side he has become, to the Force you should free him! Of all living Jedi, have you only the skills to defeat Sharad Hett!"
  • Polyamory: Because the Cerean species is so disproportionately matriarchal and therefore suffers from low male birth rates, Ki-Adi-Mundi is one of the only members of the Jedi Order allowed to marry and mate (Jedi are not explicitly forbidden from sex, but it's definitely frowned upon as an inherent form of attachment). Mundi has several "bond-wives" but even though he married for purely practical purposes, he finds it hard to maintain his contradictory Jedi discipline simultaneously.
  • Properly Paranoid: He is among the Jedi who advice against training Anakin, who would eventually chase them all to extinction. He is also wary of the voices that Master Yoda hears.
    • He was the only member of the Jedi Council to loudly admit that Dooku was not the Big Bad as they believed but The Dragon instead and that someone even more powerful was lurking in the shadows.
    • While he was wrong to suspect the Sith were behind the voices Yoda had been hearing, he correctly guessed that the Master-Apprentice link between Yoda and Dooku could be exploited by the Sith, which is indeed what Sidious and Dooku ended up doing.
  • The Paladin: Ki-Adi is one of the most stalwart Jedi Masters. In particular, he behaves like this while stationed in his home planet of Cerea, where he is renowned as a force for good and a hero. Like a good Jedi he roamed the Galaxy righting wrongs and had no issue telling Jabba the Hutt himself what a disgusting and evil creature he was, to his face.
  • The Paragon: Ki-Adi was this to his fellow Jedi. At Hypori, his Jedi Task Force's morale is non-existent, having being routed, all their clones slaughtered and facing total defeat and certain death at the hands of the newly arrived General Grievous. Ki-Adi Mundi steps up and reminds them not to despair, for they are Jedi. Decades later, into the future, his Lightsaber survives into the days of the New Order, and people remember him as a great warrior, inspiring them to resist.
  • Psychic Powers: Expected from a Jedi. His telekinetic blasts can create craters in the ground, and he was able to lift and levitate a huge Tatooine barge from under several tons of sand, even though he was badly injured at the time. His mental powers are also formidable. Not only was he able to recognize young Anakin's fear, but also his main concern, namely, his mother.
  • Right for the Wrong Reasons: His aforementioned suspicions about the Master-Apprentice link are correct. However, he was wrong about the Sith being behind the voices Yoda was hearing.
  • Rubber-Forehead Alien: He's a Cerean, a humanoid with a large conical head.
  • Safety in Indifference: All of Ki-Adi-Mundi's family died during the Clone Wars. However, rather than outwardly despair, Ki-Adi-Mundi followed the Jedi Code and refused to let his attachments consume him, perhaps to a rather extreme and unhealthy degree. This leads to him giving particularly poor advice to Anakin when the younger Jedi was distraught about potentially losing Padmé, as Mundi's response was to give him a new perspective on his troubles and basically tell him to suck it up.
  • Sanity Slippage: Experienced some during the long Hypori campaign, which ended with the deaths of many Jedi at the hands of General Grievous. After barely surviving by the skin of his teeth against the cyborg, Ki-Adi madly insists on pursuing Grievous to the detriment of the other comatose survivors' lives and has to be physically restrained by an ARC Captain.
  • Snow Means Death: Mundi is killed while he and his clone troopers are fighting a battle in the middle of a snowstorm.
  • Space Amish: His people, the Cereans, were a low-technology society despite regular contact with the outside world. He himself was proud of this, even after joining the Jedi Council, to the point that he made a speech to his species government urging them to reject a proposal to join the Republic.
  • Strong and Skilled: Despite his age, underneath those robes he is ripped and has bulging biceps, although his natural physical strength is nothing to the strength he wields when augmenting himself with the Force. In his comics, he's shown as a skilled hand to hand fighter, but also happens to be one of the most skilled and refined swordsmen and Force wielders in the entire Jedi Order.

Confederacy of Independent Systems / The Separatist Alliance

    Count Dooku/Darth Tyranus 

Count Dooku/Darth Tyranus

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/darth_tyranus_2463.jpg
Played by: Christopher Lee (Ep.II-III)

A former Jedi who left the order due to philosophical differences, Count Dooku became Darth Sidious' second apprentice, taking on the name Darth Tyranus. Bringing together the Trade Federation, the Intergalactic Banking Clan, the Corporate Alliance, the weaponeers of Genosis and sundry others, Dooku forged the Confederacy of Independent Systems, with himself as their public face. Determined to build a new order on the remnants of the Republic, Dooku is the one thing that keeps the Separatists together.


  • Adaptational Villainy: He’s worse in Legends than anything shown in the films or Canon. Canon Dooku is a Well-Intentioned Extremist who joined the dark side due to disillusionment with the Jedi’s complacency. Legends Dooku is a racist space fascist who hoped to rule a human-centric empire alongside Sidious.
  • Big Bad: Subverted. Similar to Vader, he's the most prominent villain in Episode II, but is subservient to Darth Sidious.
  • 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. The Separatist movement itself is one giant con, too; at the end of the war, Dooku planned to defect to the Republic and pin all of the Separatists' atrocities on General Grievous.
  • Deadpan Snarker: He gets in several zingers, usually against Obi-Wan, Anakin, or his subordinates.
  • Death by Irony: Gets killed by his successor, the same man Dooku completely disregarded as an unworthy Jedi. The real kicker is despite his disrespect towards Anakin, Dooku's master was conditioning Anakin to take his place the entire time.
    • The novelization has him planning to betray the Separatists and thinking "Deceit is the way of the Sith." Those became his last thoughts once he realized what Sidious really had planned.
  • 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 upon realizing that 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.
  • Fantastic Racism: Deep down, he hates all non-humans and thinks that aliens are inferior to humans and near-humans. So, why team up with so many aliens to form the Separatist Council? His true goal was to convince the people of the Republic that aliens were a threat, so that when the Republic reformed as the overtly human-supremacist Empire, the human population would unconsciously become more biased against non-humans. His actions lead to the racist "utopia" he always dreamt of, but he doesn’t live to be a part of it.
  • Faux Affably Evil: Dooku is very polite and flattering towards his alien allies but he is a humancentric racist and plots against them.
  • Heel–Face Door-Slam: In the novel Dark Rendezvous, Yoda almost convinces Dooku to make a Heel–Face Turn...and then Anakin, the Jedi's new poster boy and prodigal child, shows up. Guess who arranged that?
  • Master Swordsman: He was regarded as one of the very best in the galaxy, with only Mace, Yoda, or Sidious able to fight him on even ground.
  • Politically Incorrect Villain: The novelization has him happy that the Separatists are largely alien in membership, for it was his (and he thought Sidious') plan to be 'captured' by the Republic, then be reformed and turn against the 'alien menace'. He fully expected a human-dominated Empire to rise from it. He also holds ableist views towards Anakin's prosthetic arm, seeing it as being undignified and that Anakin should just have learned to fight one-handed, nevermind that he's the one who cut off Anakin's arm in the first place.
  • Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: With General Grievous, due to his Fantastic Racism.
  • Villain with Good Publicity: In the EU at least, and for the first part of Attack of the Clones 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; 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.
  • Well-Intentioned Extremist: Made clearer in the EU. In Attack of the Clones, 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.
  • Wicked Cultured: Dooku always considered himself to be a gentleman of style and taste.

    General Grievous 

Qymaen jai Sheelal/General Grievous

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/grievous3_4804.jpg
Voiced by: Matthew Wood (Ep. III)

Once a Kaleeshi general named Qymaen jai Sheelal, Grievous was rebuilt as a cyborg following an a shuttle "accident" suffered while in service to the Intergalactic Banking Clan. Presented to Dooku as a gift by San Hill and Poggle the Lesser, Grievous was granted the title of Supreme Commander of the Droid Armies, and launched a galaxy wide reign of terror that would make him one of the most infamous war criminals in recorded history. Trained in lightsaber combat by Dooku himself, and far stronger and faster than any human, Grievous would also become one of the war's most prolific and effective Jedi hunters, outstripping even the likes of Asajj Ventress and Durge in number of kills.


  • Ambiguous Situation: It is strongly implied, though never confirmed, that he was force sensitive. He had prophetic dreams, and was able to share his senses with Ronderu lij Kuumar when they were near each other. Regardless, her death and his becoming a cyborg meant that by the time of the Clone Wars he had no connection to the force.
  • Bad Boss: He has punched and killed his fair share of battle droids and neimodian officers for incompetence or annoying him, and has no issues sacrifying his droid soldiers in masse to get victory. On the other hand he does genuinely respects and treats far better the subordinates that show real competence and calmness, such as Lushros Dofine, and he was a Benevolent Boss to his people that he loved and cared for.
  • Berserk Button: In the Expanded Universe, he goes nuts whenever someone mistakes him for another mindless droid.
  • Bond Villain Stupidity: While generally a Combat Pragmatist in the original Clone Wars, he did stop to indulge himself in a dramatic speech when he had the heroes cornered. This allowed Shaak Ti to use the Force to tie his cape to a nearby train that promptly left the station, yanking Grievous away and allowing them to flee.
  • Brainwashed and Crazy: Somewhat. Grievous was never the nicest person, but the Geonosians tampered with his brain chemistry in order to make him into the sociopathic killer we all know and love.
  • Canon Immigrant: Of a sort. He was developed for Revenge of the Sith, but Lucas wanted to see him introduced in Clone Wars. However, this led to the animated series and film having drastically different presentations of the character.
  • Combat Pragmatist: During the first animated series he appeared in, Dooku explicitly trains Grievous to fight like this: he's supposed to use surprise, fear, intimidation, and power to overwhelm his opponents, and to flee when that doesn't work. He's also willing to use any weapon and strategy, no matter how terrible it is for his foes, to get a military victory.
  • The Dragon: To Dooku, following the deaths of Jango Fett and Sev'Rance Tann's, Durge's defeat, and Ventress' exit.
  • The Dreaded: Is by far the most feared of the separatists, inspiring even more fear than even Dooku, due to his scary and intimidating appearance, his great brutality and savagery both as a warrior and a general, having killed many Jedi and countless clones, and ravaged many planets to the point that many planets have surrendered to him just with the appearance of his ship. This was done on purpose and fully exploited by Darth Sidious and Dooku to inspire fear to the Republic and even to the Jedi and justify the war and transformation of the Republic into the Empire.
  • Enraged by Idiocy: One of the reasons why he hates and despises his droid minions so much, aside from his trusted Magnaguards, is because of their incompetence and stupidity, and often destroys B1 when they do something stupid and annoy him.
  • Even Evil Has Standards: Matt Stover’s Revenge of the Sith novelization reveals that he considers Nute Gunray a cowardly, whiny wretch he wants to boot into the stratosphere.
  • Evil Debt Collector: Grievous worked as a debt collector for the Intergalactic Banking Clan to raise money for the reparations his planet had to pay to the Yam'rii prior to his conversion into a cyborg, though he hated it and only did it for his people's sake.
  • Fall Guy: Unknown to him, and though he committed countless atrocities by himself, Grievous was this to Darth Sidious and Dooku who made him the face of the Separatists and had him caused much destruction and terror on the Republic in order to justify the increase of Palpatine's extraordinary powers which helped him turn the Republic into the Empire and better Palpatine's image of a savior, while painting the Separatists and non-human species as evil to help grow the humanocentrism and anti-alien views that would characterize the Empire. Dooku himself hoped to be absolved of any responsability for the CIS war crimes by presenting himself as a victim of manipulation and laying the blame on Grievous.
  • Fallen Hero: Grievous was a hero on his homeworld, at least, prior to the accident that ruined him. Downplayed, though; he was still a genocidal conqueror back then, but it's hard to blame him for that considering that he fought against an entire race of imperialistic slavers that was oppressing his people.
  • Fantastic Racism: He hates the Yam'rii and Jedi with a passion, though given his backstory it's totally understandable. He also strongly dislikes Mon Calamari, Wookies, and also Neimodians for their cowardice and greed, only making an exception for Lushros Dofine who he respects for his leadership and military qualities.
  • Freudian Excuse: Qymaen jai Sheelal grew up in a worlds ravaged by a savage war due to his people being invaded by the insectoid invaders and slavers that were the Yam'rii, that his people call the Huk (Soulless Ones). During his war against them, he met and fell in love with a female Kaleesh warrior named Ronderu lij Kuumar with who he became an unstoppable battle couple, but she was eventually killed and her body was dragged into the sea by the Yam'riis with Qymaen being unable of retrieving her. Ronderu's death left Qymaen inconsolable and with a void in his heart that he never managed to fill, marrying ten wives and having thirty children without managing to ease the pain, and causing him to rename himself Grievous and become consummed by hatred and vengeance against the Huks. To make things worse, when he turned the tables on the Yam'ri they turned to the Republic in despair, causing the Republic and Jedi to inflict a blocade and heavy war indemnities on the Kaleesh, causing poverty and the death by starvation of millions of his people, leading him to develop a burning hatred for the Republic and the Jedi. Finally after his shuttle crash,arranged by Dooku but blamed on the Jedi, he was turned into a cyborg with the Geonosians modifying his brain to remove most of his memories and enhancing his already great rage, making him the more machine-than-alive revenge-hungry Jedi killer cyborg he would be remembered as.
  • Hero Killer: He even used to provide the trope page quote! In the novelization Anakin calls him "the most prolific slaughterer of Jedi since Durge", which nicely sums it up.
  • Incurable Cough of Death: This was mostly due to both the result of his cybernetics, as well as Mace Windu Force Gripping his chest. However, this was Retconned in Star Wars: The Clone Wars to always have it.
  • Interservice Rivalry: He strongly dislikes Asajj Ventress and Durge, having fought and beaten them to become the Supreme Commander of Droid armies, and the feeling is very mutual. It's telling that when Boba Fett tried to fool him in Xagobah by using a hologram projector to take Durge's appearance, Grievous ordered his droids to shoot at him instead.
  • Meaningful Name: "Grievous" means "causing grief or great sorrow," somewhat fitting for the slaughterer of millions. A case of Names to Run Away from Really Fast
  • The Mourning After: The loss of hus partner and love of his life, Ronderu lij Kuumar was a blow that Qymaen jai Sheelal never recovered from. He married ten wives and had thirty children in an attempt to fullfill the void in his heart but nothing could ease the pain of her absence. Realizing that he would never be able of moving on from her death and that he would mourn her all of his life, Qymaen renamed himself Grievous.
  • Samurai Cowboy: He's an expert marksman and swordsman who turned into a thematic ronin between his tragedy and becoming Dooku's servant. Star Wars: Clone Wars makes his metallic feet ring like cowboy spurs.
  • Surrounded by Idiots: He makes no effort to hide his disdain for his droid minions, finding them to be very inferior to the Kolkpravis, the elite Kaleesh warriors he led in war before his accident and transformation into a cyborg. He only respects his Magnaguards for their prowess in battle, and even they are still inferior to his Kolkpravis iaccording to him.
  • Tragic Villain: In a sense. The Expanded Universe reveals Grievous was an honorable warrior fighting to save his people until an accident left him crippled. He sold himself to Dooku to save his planet, but Dooku had no use for an honorable, noble warrior and had his brain tampered with, replacing the honor and nobility he once had with sadism and savagery.
  • The Worf Effect: Depending on the Writer. In The Clone Wars this happens constantly. In the original Clone Wars and various books, it never happens.
    • In one Clone Wars Adventures comic story, he inflicts this on both Asajj Ventress and Durge, both of whom were once introduced as Dooku's new golden girl/boy; Grievous demolishes them with relative ease, establishing himself as Dooku's superior right-hand man.
  • Worf Had the Flu: Implied that the reason for why he did poorly against Obi-Wan in Episode III was because of Mace Windu using Force Crush to try and stop him from escaping when he captured Palpatine. Having his organs nearly destoryed, he developed his infamous cough, and didn't get the chance to recover from it before fighting Obi-Wan.
  • Villain Decay: Sort of a time-reversed case. Revenge has him failing at everything he tries to do, and running away from the good guys, which makes his fearsome reputation look like an Informed Attribute. The various TV series managed to do him justice as a real threat.
  • Villainous Respect: Despite his burning hatred for Jedi, he did show respect for a female jedi named B'ink Utrila, allowing her to to land a few minor hits on him before killing her, and took care to nnot mutilate her body. He also was impressed by and had genuine respect for Lushros Dofine, the neimodian captain of the Invisible Hand, for his genuine competences and his capacity to keep his cool in battle and when dealing with Grievous' angry moments, in great contrast to Nute Gunray and other neimodians' cowardice. He also greatly respects Count Dooku and Darth Sidious.
    Nute Gunray 

Viceroy Nute Gunray

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nute_gunray.png
"Ah, Victory!"

Species: Neimoidian

Homeworld: Neimoidia

Portrayed by: Silas Carson (films)
Voiced by: Tom Kenny (The Clone Wars)
Dubbed by: Thierry Desroses (French, Prequel Trilogy)

Nute Gunray was a Neimoidian who served as the Viceroy of the Trade Federation and a high-ranking member of the Separatist Confederacy of Independent Systems and chairman of the Separatist Council. Gunray led the Trade Federation through its invasion of the planet Naboo, at the behest of the Sith Lord Darth Sidious — who was secretly Sheev Palpatine, the Senator of Naboo, and who had engineered the conflict to be elected Supreme Chancellor. When his plans were thwarted by Queen Padmé Amidala, he joins the Separatist Alliance to take his revenge.


  • Admiring the Abomination: He had great admiration for the Hutt species, respecting their business skills, power and success, and was particularly fond of their artwork.
  • Alas, Poor Villain: Despite being a corrupt and greedy asshole, Gunray was in the end just another one of Darth Sidious' victims, having been corrupted and manipulated by Sidious from the moment he was contacted by the Sith lord only to be discarded once Sidious had no use for him anymore. By the end of the Clone Wars he had become full of doubts, and deeply regretted ever associating himself with Sidious, realizing that the Sith had only brought him ruin and misery though it was too late by that point. He comes as particularly pathetic when he's killed by Darth Vader.
  • Dirty Coward: Like most of his kin he's very easy to frighten and is preoccupied mainly by his safety.
  • Everyone Has Standards: While he was fine with blocading Naboo, he shows doubts when Sidious orders him to invade the planet, though it's more because of his fear about the juridic consequences that could happen to him and the Trade Federation as a result. He was also uneasy with biological weapons, though it was in part because of the stereotype of his species using this kind of weapon that he did not want to see enforced. By the end of the Clone Wars he has also become full of doubts and regret, realizing that had he should have never associated himself with the Sith.
  • Greed: Typical of neimoidians, his main motivation when it's not his safety is his obsession to get more riches and power.
  • Wicked Cultured: He is very fond of precious art, and has a very large collection of precious clothing, splendid jewerly and other priceless works of art, including Hutt artwork. He also has a fondness for Neimoidian pylat birds, which are a symbol of power and wealth in neimodian culture, something Darth Sidious and Darth Plagueis used to their advantage by gifting him a rare red-spotted pylat which greatly pleased Gunray, who was unaware that it was actually a clone coming from Kamino, with Sidious using it to convince Gunray to ally himself with the Sith.

Assassins and Bounty Hunters

    Jango Fett 

Jango Fett

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jango_fett.png
Played by: Temuera Morrison

"I'm just a simple man trying to make my way in the universe.''

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 as an assassin and mercenary soldier, Jango makes several attempts on the life of Padmé Amidala, bringing him into direct conflict with Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker. He is the genetic father of Boba Fett, whose creation was one of the conditions of his deal with the Kaminoan cloners.


  • Adaptational Badass: Downplayed. Jango in the film is a highly capable soldier and contract murderer, but nowhere near the unstoppable Jedi-killing machine that the EU makes him out to be. Possibly justified as the film has him facing down Obi-Wan Kenobi and Mace Windu, two of the best fighters the Jedi Order has to offer, while his EU reputation as "the galaxy's most dangerous man" was earned facing down lesser foes.
  • Affably Evil: Side materials paint him as a relatively pleasant guy if you aren't a target or in his way.
  • Badass Crew: He assembled the Cuy'val Dar, a group of one-hundred highly skilled individuals with some fellow Mandalorian warriors in their ranks, in order to help in the personal training of the clone army on Kamino.
  • Bounty Hunter: Though we never actually see him pursue any bounties in the film, and in the EU he's just as likely to work for criminals as he is to pursue them (in particular, he and Boba both have a longstanding relationship with Jabba the Hutt).
  • Belligerent Sexual Tension: With Zam Wessell ever since he first encountered her on Oovo IV.
  • Dual Wielding: He brandishes twin blaster pistols that both make a distinctly beautiful sound when fired together. "OW-OW-OW-OW-OW."
  • Exact Words: After capturing a corrupt senator on Coruscant, he throttles the slimeball over a ledge.
  • He Knows Too Much: Kills his friend and subcontractor Zam Wessel when she is captured, on the chance that she might talk.
  • Hero Killer: Downplayed when compared to Grievous or Durge, but still in effect. Jango comes with an earthshaking reputation and largely lives up to it, fighting Obi-Wan to a draw, killing Jedi Master and Council member Coleman Trebor during the arena battle, and actually getting off a few shots at Mace Windu before being slain. The various comics, video games, and novels have played up this status, adding additional Jedi kills to his bodycount.
  • Hero of Another Story: Jango is the protagonist of the PS2/GC game Star Wars: Bounty Hunter, which explains how he became the template for the clone army.
  • Hidden Depths: His decision to request an unmodified clone to keep for himself was motivated by a promise he made for his old Toydarian friend, Rozatta, who always urged Jango to find something more valuable to live for than his pursuit of money. His loving treatment of Boba as his legitimate son puzzles both the Kaminoans and Count Dooku, who naturally presume Jango to be nothing more than an emotionless killing machine.
  • Humble Hero: Zig-Zagged. Jango is under no illusions about how much of a badass he is, but the proposition of having an entire army of clones at his disposal is not nearly as appealing to him as the prospect of simply having a son to call his own. Off the clock, he lives a fairly modest lifestyle and humbly introduces himself to Obi-Wan as a simple man trying to make his way in the universe (albeit, with some sarcasm).
  • I Gave My Word: Always honors his deals.
  • It's Personal:
    • Jango's rivalry with Montross escalates dramatically when he finds out that Montross killed Jango's best friend Rozatta.
    • He had an extremely personal feud with Tor Vizsla, the founder of the Death Watch, and his personal nemesis who caused the deaths of nearly everyone Jango loved including his parents, his mentor and Parental Substitute Jaster Mereel, and most of his comrades by manipulating the Jedi into destroying the True Mandalorians.
  • Lock-and-Load Montage: Gets one of the coolest examples in the franchise when he prepares to fight Komari Vosa.
  • Married to the Job: He's so entrenched in the bounty hunter lifestyle that he has no time for romance or settling down. He eventually gives in to his secret desire to have a son of his own when he finds out that he is to be cloned on Kamino, however.
  • Mentor Occupational Hazard: A villainous example, to his son.
  • Noble Demon: The EU tries to go this route with him. It's not really present in the film, where he's a hired gun who kills one of his subcontractors and has no qualms about helping to trigger a galaxy-wide civil war.
  • Punch-Clock Villain: Jango lives a fairly modest, ascetic lifestyle when he isn't hunting bounties. If he wasn't so damned skilled at his job, he probably would've settled down with Zam and Boba to enjoy the vast wealth he has accumulated years ago.
  • The Rival: Star Wars: Bounty Hunter introduces Jango's lifelong nemesis, Montross, a fellow ex-Mandalorian who also works as a bounty hunter and has a nasty tendency to bring none of his contracts back alive. Montross wears red Mandalorian armour to contrast Jango's blue set. However, Jango puts less stock in their rivalry than Montross and spitefully refuses to acknowledge the man as worthy competition.
  • Spanner in the Works: According to Shatterpoint it was Jango's presence in Dooku's box that prevented Mace Windu from killing the ex-Jedi on the spot, as he had originally been intending to. Instead Mace ended up battling Jango and Dooku got away, allowing the Clone Wars to kick off.
  • Tragic Keepsake: Jango's original ship before he picked up Slave I was a rusty hunk of junk named Jaster's Legacy as it was previously owned by Jango's beloved Mandalorian mentor, Jaster Mereel.
  • Villainous Friendship: With Zam, who got closer to him than anyone except his son. When he was forced to kill her, Jango was left visibly shaken and upset.

    Zam Wesell 

Zam Wesell

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Zam_Wesell_7588.jpg
Played by: Leanna Walsman (Ep. II)

A Clawdite bounty hunter and killer-for-hire, and frequent associate of Jango Fett, Zam was brought in as a subcontractor when Jango was hired to assassinate Senator Amidala. Failing in the attempt, she was captured by Obi-Wan Kenobi, and killed by Jango.


    Boba Fett 

Boba Fett

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/boba_fett_9.png
"What if he doesn't survive? He's worth a lot to me."
Played by: Jeremy Bulloch (suit, Ep.V-VI); Daniel Logan (child, Ep.II), Temuera Morrison (Special Edition, Ep.V-VI); Jason Wingreen (original voice, Ep.V-VI)

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 quintessential example of Old Shame. Once entrenched in canon, he played a minor role in Episode V as the man who succeeds in tracking Han Solo for Vader and/or Jabba the Hutt; while he's later defeated by Solo and eaten by the 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 Boba's Start of Darkness.


  • Adaptational Badass: Fett's role in V & VI consists of missing every shot, and getting knocked into the Sarlacc pit by a blind man. The EU has gone on to make him the best bounty hunter in the galaxy, and a guy who can supposedly throw down with the likes of Darth Vader.
  • Anti-Hero: Depending on the story, he can be this. It depends on how much his target deserves a blast to the head.
  • Anti-Villain: Type I in the EU. In the original movies, not so much.
  • Bounty Hunter: According to the EU, Fett got his two best bounties ever by capturing Solo once. Vader paid him for the capture in Cloud City, and released the body to Fett, who took it to Jabba and got paid again for "art, made out of Solo, crafted by the hand of Lord Vader".
  • Characterisation Marches On: In Episodes V and VI and their respective novelisations, Fett is portrayed as an amoral Psycho for Hire who gets off on disintegrating or scalping his victims. The later EU tends to portray him as a Knight Templar or even a full-on Noble Demon.
  • Clint Squint: His helmet's thin visor, his scratchy American voice (originally provided by Jason Wingreen) and his swaggerific body language were intended to evoke Clint Eastwood.
  • The Determinator: In the Expanded Universe. He fought out the Sarlacc's belly through sheer force and iron will. The Sarlacc itself admits that he's hardcore some years later.
  • Disappeared Dad: Star Wars Tales has him revealed as having had a wife and child whom he was separated from in the past. This was later expanded upon, showing he was exiled for murdering his wife's rapist and their marriage then fell apart, with Fett estranged from her along with their daughter (who hated him). Fett later revealed he'd always felt guilty for abandoning his daughter, and tried to make up for it by bonding with his granddaughter (after his daughter died).
  • Even Evil Has Standards:
    • He deliberately gave up on a chance to kill Starkiller at a moment when he was vulnerable because he was having a romantic reunion with Juno Eclipse, because he felt doing that would "not have felt right." He even follows a strict code of honor in regards to his missions.
    • While Leia was a slave in Jabba's palace, Jabba rewarded Boba Fett for his good work by allowing him to have Leia for a night. Boba was disgusted by the thought of taking a woman against her will, and allowed Leia to spend the night in his room without touching her.
    • He's also not a fan of needlessly making his bounties suffer, even if he is out to kill them. When Han Solo draws back from strangling his cousin Thrackan, Boba mistakes it for sadistically drawing it out and tells Han it's not sport.
  • Hero of Another Story: He serves as the protagonist of his own book series.
  • Hypocrite: He bashes Han for being a drug smuggler, but openly works for/takes commissions from the guy Han was smuggling drugs for.
  • Informed Ability: Boba's status as the best bounty hunter in the galaxy is pretty iffy in the films (either that, or the galaxy's bounty hunters all suck). The EU does a better job of justifying his title.
  • Knight Templar: Later materials have him believing the Empire is a lawful government and believing that he is bringing justice to criminals. Which begs the question of "why does Jabba have you on retainer?"
  • Legacy Character: In two ways.
  • The Mentor: Served as one for Jaina Solo so she could take down Darth Caedus.
  • Noble Demon: Whether he's a villain or Anti-Hero, a general constant is that he'll have some form of morality.
  • Noodle Incident: "No disintegrations." The reason for Vader specifying this to Fett has yet to be explained, though it is mentioned in the Daniel Keys Moran short story "The Last One Standing: The Tale of Boba Fett".
    "Vader always said that, after that one time..."
  • Not So Above It All: In "The Bounty Hunter Code", Greedo's comments are mostly met with mockery and taunts from the other bounty hunters (and Solo), including Fett. Except for when Greedo questions why Boba has a disintegrator, when the book advices against it. Boba actually lowers himself to childishly correct Greedo on what model of disintegrator he uses, and calls the guild armorer stupid.
  • Papa Wolf: Gets very upset when Thrackan Sal-Solo sells out his daughter, despite said daughter just wanting him dead because she blamed him for her mother's death. Probably would have killed the guy himself if his granddaughter, Mirta, hadn't gotten to Solo and killed him first.
  • Protagonist Journey to Villain: The series of short novels taking place during the Clone Wars is this, showing how Boba changed from a nice kid whose biggest flaw was his respect for his father, to a cold-blooded murderer.
  • Proud Warrior Race Guy: In the EU, Depending on the Writer.
  • Psycho for Hire: In the novelisations of Episodes V and VI he's depicted this way, as an unsavoury, vicious SOB who likes his job a little too much.
  • Straw Character: The way Tales of the Bounty Hunters tells it, Boba Fett is one of the extremely conservative variety. He doesn't have a single vice, because he considers them an insult to the flesh. He considers sex between those not married to be immoral - that includes rape, too. When Leia tried offering to pay him to get her and her friends out, he flat out refused, saying that the rebels were morally wrong. Apparently, he supports the Empire because it permits civilization to exist, never mind that it's an empire that commits genocide. He hates Han's guts because Han breaks laws, and Fett finds the idea of breaking laws to be offensive. Never mind that Fett murders people, and takes bounties set by the notorious gangster Jabba (who Han began as a smuggler for). He laughs off the Dark Side as Jedi superstition, which becomes hilarious in hindsight, because for all his hatred of Jedi, his lifestyle is much the kind that the Jedi Order would have considered ideal (not to mention making him a Flat-Earth Atheist type given other material shows Vader once Force choked him—or can be a Continuity Snarl).
  • You Killed My Father: He goes after Mace in the preteen novel series. Given that Mace is only slightly less powerful than Yoda and Boba's only in his middle teens, you'd expect it to end badly for him. You'd be wrong.

    IG-88 

IG-88

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ig-88_1381.jpg
Appears in Ep. V.

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.


  • Always Someone Better: IG-88 might be a machine that is the perfectly ruthless assassin… but Boba Fett gets the drop on it in Cloud City, hits it with an EMP gun, and then took it apart piece by piece and left it for scrap metal.
  • Bounty Hunter: A ruthless droid bounty hunter with megalomaniac ambitions.
  • Death by Irony: In his EU origin story he uploads himself into the Death Star II, with the obvious result.
  • Killer Robot: He's an assassin droid but he takes it above and beyond, particularly when he takes over the Second Death Star.
  • Me's a Crowd: The original IG-88 uploaded its personality into three other identical assassin droids shortly after it was first activated. They all refer to themselves as IG-88A, B, C, and D respectively.
  • Turned Against Their Masters: In its Expanded Universe origin story, it was created by Holowan Laboratories. It achieved full sentience immediately after activation, accessed the facility's databases and found what it was and who made it, and decided immediately that it was superior in every way to biologicals. When the lab personnel saw how their creation had Gone Horribly Right, they decided to shut it off and start over. IG-88 disagreed. The four IG-88s go out of their way to find and kill anyone connected to the project that created them, as they think that the less the galaxy knows about their inner workings, the better.
  • Walking Armoury: IG-88 has built in blaster cannons in its arms, a concussion grenade launcher in its hip, flechette launcher, needle dart gun, flamethrower, poison gas canisters and an assortment of other grisly attachments on its body.

    Greedo 

Greedo

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Greedo_8592.jpg
Played by: Paul Blake (Ep. IV) & Maria De Aragon (double) & Larry Ward (voice)

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.


  • Butt-Monkey: Poor guy rarely gets any sort of respect. Throughout the "Bounty Hunter Code", his comments almost all demonstrate how naive and inexperienced he is, and most of the other hunters ruthlessly mock him for it.
  • Continuity Snarl: The identity of the child Rodian named Greedo in a deleted scene in The Phantom Menace. Originally, it was simple: that was the same Greedo as in A New Hope. But then it was found that this didn't allow his age to sync up with Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina, so a retcon was introduced that the young Rodian was actually Greedo's father with the same name. And that worked, until The Clone Wars introduced a young adult Rodian named Greedo who Word of God says is the same as both film Greedos. So either Greedo's segment of Tales has been implicitly consigned to Canon Discontinuity, or Greedo is somehow now older than his own father.

Other characters

    Tusken Raiders 

Tusken Raiders

Appear in Ep. I-II-IV.
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/TRaider_5787.jpg

Also known as Sand People. Nomadic, primitive humanoid sentients indigenous to Tatooine, where they are often hostile to local settlers. For tropes pertaining to them, see Star Wars Legends: Races.

    Jabba the Hutt 

Jabba Desijiric Tiure the Elder

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jabba_rotj.png
"This bounty hunter is my kind of scum: fearless and inventive."
Puppeteers: Toby Philpott, Mike Edmonds & David Alan Barclay
Voiced by: Larry Ward (Ep. VI) & Ben Burtt (Ep. IV re-release) & Scott Schumann (Ep. 1)

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.


  • Bilingual Dialogue: According to the novelization, Jabba understands many languages, but he only speaks Huttese as a sign of greatness. Shadows of the Empire confirms that he can even speak Galactic Basic if he wants to, not just understand it.
  • Depending on the Writer: His habit of keeping skimpily clad humanoids around his palace varies in how it's portrayed. It bounces between being a common feature of all hutts, a particular fetish of his that other hutts find distasteful, to it being common among hutts as a way to display their wealth and power, with Jabba actually being attracted to them being a distasteful fetish.
  • Depraved Bisexual: He had male pleasure slaves too, according to the Expanded Universe.
  • Early-Installment Weirdness: The original Marvel Comics Star Wars series took the liberty to depict Jabba as a yellow-skinned, humanoid, walrus-like creature as no other reference for what the character was supposed to look like existed at the time. Unused footage from the first film featured a completely human Jabba portrayed by Irish actor Declan Mulholland. As the film series' budget increased, Lucas was finally able to realise his true vision for Jabba in Return of the Jedi which of course usurped both as the definitive appearance.
  • Even Evil Has Standards: In Star Wars: Bounty Hunter, despite being a ruthless crime lord, when Jango inquired about the Bando Gora, Jabba says he doesn’t work with such scum.
  • The Ghost: For the first two pre-1997 releases of the Original Trilogy, Jabba is completely unseen but his far-reaching influence looms over Han Solo's character arc. The 1997 Special Editions reinserted a bug-eyed CGI Jabba into the unused Declan Mulholland footage, somewhat lessening the impact of his full reveal in Return of the Jedi.
  • Hermaphrodite: According to the EU, this is true of all Hutts. You're welcome. Disney's new Canon instead indicates that they reproduce sexually, which better explains Jabba's biologically confounding lust for humanoid women.
  • I'm a Humanitarian: Jabba has straight-up devoured several people in various Expanded Universe comics.
  • Mars Needs Women: Despite being a hermaphroditic gastropod, humanoid females seem to be his primary lust objects. (Though, according to A.C. Crispin's Han Solo trilogy, other Hutts who know Jabba consider this to be an unusual and rather distasteful fetish.)
  • Non-Action Big Bad: In Return of the Jedi, though the EU rectifies that somewhat, showing that when no other options are left, Jabba can move.
  • The Worf Effect: A non-combat example. In Shadows of the Empire, Jabba acts very submissive and servile to Xizor to establish the Black Sun as a much higher criminal organization.

    Podracer Pilots 

Podracer Pilots

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/podracers_negtc_8560.jpg
Left to right: Ben Quadinaros, Gasgano, and Clegg Holdfast.

Along with Anakin Skywalker and Sebulba, sixteen other pilots participated in the Boonta Eve Classic of The Phantom Menace. Placing second was Gasgano, with Aldar Beedo, Ebe Endocott, Elan Mak, and Boles Roor also finishing the race, in that order. Competitors who failed to finish included Ben Quadinaros, Mawhonic, Ratts Tyerell, Ody Mandrell, Clegg Holdfast, Mars Guo, Teemto Pagalies, Neva Kee, Dud Bolt, Ark "Bumpy" Roose, and Wan Sandage.


  • Academic Athlete: According to The New Essential Guide to Characters, Gasgano cultivates a reputation as an intellectual, though his behavior after a few drinks can paint a rougher picture.
  • Badass Driver: Some more than others (hi, Ben), but as a whole, these pilots are presented as the galaxy's best.
  • Beast Man: Neva Kee looks like a grotesque little mutant rabbit (buck teeth included), although his species, Xamster, is actually reptillian. Meanwhile, Aldar Beedo's reedy snout, frilled neck, and tapering body structure are strongly reminiscent of a seahorse. Then there's Dud Bolt, whose broad, flat, toothy snout recalls the proto-mammalian therapsids.
  • Big Badass Rig: Carried over to Podracer design mentality, Mars Guo, Ratts Tyerell, Aldar Beedo, and Teemto Pagalies are reining in vehicles which definitely qualify.
  • Bodyguarding a Badass: Dud Bolt acts as Sebulba's bodyguard on the track, as if the most feared and celebrated pilot in the galaxy needed the help. Hopefully Bolt's seen better days than the Boonta Eve Classic, where he really drops the ball: he spends almost no time near Sebulba, fails to keep Anakin off the Dug's heels, and crashes in the third lap.
  • Cool Car: Again, to varying degrees, but some of these Podracers are cool enough to rival Sebulba's. Aldar Beedo's is a standout for its distinctive patterning and blocky yet sleek shape.
  • The Ditz: To say Ark "Bumpy" Roose is profoundly dim-witted would be putting it mildly. The only reason anyone would be likely to favor him as a contender in the Boonta Eve Classic is given by the announcer in Episode I Racer: "He really wants to win!"
  • Double Knockout: Dud Bolt and Ark "Bumpy" Roose appear to have had a mutually destructive clash, offscreen, in the third lap. Either that, or Bolt unilaterally brought "Bumpy" down but fumbled the KO, leading to his own crash as well.
  • The Dragon: Dud Bolt to Sebulba.
  • Every Car Is a Pinto: Even though Teemto Pagalies' racer boasts long, sturdy chasses wrapping over the engines, it doesn't seem to be protection enough: one well-aimed shot from a Tusken Raider's rifle and the struck engine goes down in flames.
  • Every Scar Has a Story: When he appears as an old man in Tatooine Ghost, Teemto is happy to reminisce about all of the pod races he received various injuries in.
  • Glory Seeker: Ody Mandrell's not in it to take the gold, he flies purely for the thrill of the sport and the attention he gets as a reckless crowd-pleaser.
  • The Hunter Becomes the Hunted: The aptly named "Hitman" Beedo spends years being stalked by Elan Mak, the son of one of his victims. After repeated failures, Mak eventually hires a bounty hunter to capture Beedo for him. Beedo's ultimate fate is unconfirmed, but it's doubtful Mak wanted to capture Beedo just to give him a scolding.
  • Identical Grandson: The character billed as Wan Sandage in Racer Revenge is in fact Wan Sandage Jr., the son of the original pilot; Devlikks' naturally short lifespans mean the original Sandage had died peacefully by then. You wouldn't notice the difference if you didn't know it, though: he races the same vehicle, flies the same flag, looks identical, and is voiced again by Gregg Berger with the exact same vocal timbre and attitude of self-satisfied churlishness.
  • Informed Ability: As an Aleena, Ratts Tyerell is touted as possessing incredibly quick reflexes. One wonders why he chooses to wave his arms and scream for a good two or three seconds before crashing into a stalagmite.
  • Informed Attractiveness: Both Teemto Pagalies and Wan Sandage are alleged to be quite handsome by their species' standards (Veknoids and Devlikks, respectively). We’ll have to take the writers' word for it on that one.
  • Intrepid Reporter: Clegg Holdfast doesn't just cover the sport in his profession as journalist for Podracing Quarterly: he's right out there in his own Podracer for a piece of the action.
  • Jerk Jock: The racer equivalent – several pilots besides Sebulba make bids for this trope, but the loudmouthed, boorish Mars Guo takes the cake.
  • Killed Off for Real: Only Ratts Tyerell out of all eighteen contestants, despite the Boonta Eve Classic's much-stated lethality. Some sources report Neva Kee as a casualty as well, though, since he disappeared completely midrace.
    • Also, years later, Clegg Holdfast in the storyline for the podracing segment of Star Wars Kinect. Sebulba hires Aldar Beedo to eliminate Holdfast during a race. Beedo gets his man. This seems to be dubious canon, though, since it posits the return of fifteen of the eighteen Boonta Eve Classic competitors, all in their exact same vehicles.
  • Lethal Joke Character: One YouTuber pulled off seven KOs on each track of Racer Revenge using Ben Quadinaros, of all people. note 
  • Long Bus Trip: Neva Kee swerved off-course and vanished without a trace during the second lap. While some Expanded Universe material has caught up with other pilots, there's never been any hint as to Kee’s fate.
  • Love Triangle: There's a love triangle between Teemto Pagalies, Mars Guo, and Ann Gella, one of Sebulba's Twi'lek masseuses. Just bad luck, it seems, that they both took an interest in Ann and neither one noticed her twin sister Tann. Not that anything comes of it either way, except bad blood between the pilots: Ann's oblivious to both.
  • Made of Iron: With the sport being as dangerous as it is, some participating species who don't have heightened senses or reflexes can instead claim this — even if they crash, they can usually scrape through with their tough hides. The Nosaurian pilot Clegg Holdfast is an example.
  • Muppet: Dud Bolt and Mars Guo in the movie.
  • Nobody Calls Me "Chicken"!: Boles Roor wagers five million wupiupi that the harmless-looking Ben Quadinaros won't enter the Boonta Eve Classic. Ben takes the bet, to his immediate regret, but it ends up paying off handsomely for him: that humiliating breakdown at the starting grid didn't invalidate his victory in the bet, and he walks away a richer Toong.
  • Offscreen Moment of Awesome: Wan Sandage crashed his racer into a Jawa sandcrawler. Come on, George, we couldn't even get a deleted scene for that?
  • People in Rubber Suits: Mawhonic alone in the movie. Not incidentally, he's the only pilot belonging to a species familiar from the original trilogy (apart from Anakin). As a Gran, he was realized in much the same way as Ree-Yees from Jabba's palace.
  • Professional Killer: Apart from his career as a racer, Aldar Beedo works as a hitman – in fact, he seems fine with the two roles intersecting, as Wan Sandage hired him to bring down Sebulba mid-race. One wonders why Sandage didn't just ask him to take Sebulba out from a rooftop prior to the race.
  • Retcon: In-universe. Clegg Holdfast used his influence as a journalist for Podracing Quarterly to change the official records, showing that he had finished the race in seventh place (with a time of nearly thirty minutes!). Actually, he'd taken a blast from Sebulba's flamethrower and slammed into the wall in the second lap.
  • Rice Burner: Boles Roor drives a long-outdated and badly-maintained model which he only externally modifies to give the appearance of flair. Somehow, it does hold together well enough to net him a finish, albeit in sixth place (last among the successful racers).
  • Sacrificial Lamb: Mawhonic's exact narrative purpose is for Sebulba to bring his Podracer down in a spectacularly messy (though actually not fatal) crash within the first twenty seconds or so of the race, in order to demonstrate Sebulba's penchant for nasty play on the track.
  • Sadistic Choice: Teemto gets just enough prize money from one race to buy a slave's freedom. He's left torn between freeing Ann Gella, the woman he loves (although she seems oblivious to his feelings), or the beloved brother of his loyal mechanic. Ultimately, he chooses the latter.
  • Sdrawkcab Alias: Unless Fluggrians are a much more common species than the movies suggest, Kam Nale really should've come up with a better alias for his grand revenge quest against Aldar Beedo than "Elan Mak".
  • Second Place Is for Losers: According to the tie-in comic Podracing Tales, Gasgano isn't exactly bursting with pride about having placed second.
  • Second Place Is for Winners: Conversely, Ebe Endocott (who placed fourth) considers his dream of besting Sebulba to have been solidly achieved.
  • Shrinking Violet: Several sources emphasize that Toongs are by no means cowards, just incredibly shy and retiring in social interaction. In this, Ben Quadinaros represents his species well.
  • Signature Headgear: Gasgano is simply not complete without that vaguely pith helmet-like racing cap, plus the goggles.
  • Small Name, Big Ego: The now-defunct SW.com databank declares perpetually-overlooked Ebe Endocott to be "almost as good as he thinks he is". He seems to be a pretty successful up-and-comer in the sport, but his stature is leagues behind his self-assessed talent.
  • Spit Take: After Sebulba assaults a waiter in one of the comics, "Bumpy" Roose picks up a thermos from the waiter's tray and starts drinking from it. He quickly spits it out when the waiter returns and asks why he's drinking cleaning fluid. Adding insult to injury, Bumpy had been complaining about how people insulted his intelligence right before that.
  • Time Dissonance: Of Wan Sandage in the game Episode I Racer, the announcer admiringly declares "He's been Podracing since he was two!" That’s true… but suggests a pretty misleading comparison, since the average Devlikk lifespan is ten years (see We Are as Mayflies below). Sandage wouldn’t have been a mumbling infant when he first stepped into a pod. Still, it's impressive that he got into the sport after only two years of life experience.
  • Vehicular Sabotage: Sebulba's not the only one to think of tampering with his enemies’ racers. A tie-in comic on the SW website revealed that Ark "Bumpy" Roose was hired by Gardulla the Hutt to sabotage Anakin's engines, but unwittingly targeted Ben Quadinaros' vehicle instead, explaining why Ben got hung up at the starting grid.
  • Vertebrate with Extra Limbs: This is Gasgano's calling card: as a four-armed Xexto, he can maintain the controls of his pod with superb finesse.
  • We Are as Mayflies: Inverted with Wan Sandage, whose species, Devlikks, are much shorter-lived than humanoids. At six years in the movie, he’s considered to be heading into old age.
  • You Killed My Father: Intended by Elan Mak, whose crime lord father was murdered by Aldar Beedo as a professional hit. Mak vows to bring down Beedo during the Boonta Eve Classic, but nothing doing: apparently Mak could never get past Ebe Endocott and close with Beedo as he was hoping. All three finish the race.

    Lobot 

Lobot

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lobot.png
Played by: John Hollis (Ep. V)

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


  • Heel–Face Turn: In his backstory, he is a convict who is sentenced to serve as Cloud City's computer-liason officer.
  • Lobotomy: According to Word of God, and it's where his name derives from, as he was lobotomized to install his cyborg implant.
  • The Speechless: A side effect of the computer gear implanted in his head is that his speech centers atrophied and he speaks very little.

    Beru and Owen Lars 
Played by: Shelagh Fraser (Beru) & Phil Brown (Owen) (Ep. IV), Bonnie Piesse (Beru) & Joel Edgerton (Owen) (Ep. II-III)
  • Defiant to the End: Owen.
    "I never did care much for the Rebel movement, but now I hope they find every one of you bantha slime and grill your carcasses!"
  • Fantastic Racism: They did not think too badly of Anakin going postal in the Tusken camp, much to Obi-Wan's chagrin. Then again, they did suffer bereavement at the Sand People's hands.
  • Related in the Adaptation: Subverted. In the Return of the Jedi novelisation, Obi-Wan states that he left Luke with his brother Owen. This apparent continuity error was cleared up in later Expanded Universe media as Obi-Wan clarifies that he felt a strong brotherly bond with Owen through the Force, compelling him to trust Owen to take care of Luke. In typical Obi-Wan fashion, his consideration of Owen as his brother was true, from a certain point of view.
  • The Resenter: Owen is vocally distrustful of Obi-Wan, believing that he lead Anakin to his death. During one emotionally-charged encounter in the comics, Owen spitefully declares that Obi-Wan has more than enough Skywalker blood on his hands and orders him to stay away from Luke.
  • Spiteful Spit: Owen spat at the commanding officer of the Stormtroopers looking for the two droids, which led to him and Beru being burned alive.

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