#first appearance clone wars microseries

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General Grievous's Custom-Built Geonosian Cybernetic Frame

Source: The New Essential Guide to Droids (Del Rey, 2006)

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Is Star Wars: Visions Canon? The Anime’s Timeline Explained

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This Star Wars: Visions article contains spoilers.

Seven animation studios have come together to create Star Wars: Visions, a collection of nine anime short films that reimagines the galaxy far, far away through the lens of Japanese culture and aesthetics. It’s one of the most ambitious projects Lucasfilm has ever embarked on with the saga, and it’s an experiment that largely pays off, as it not only brings fresh perspectives to Star Wars but also new characters, from the mysterious swordsman known only as Ronin to a little droid named T0-B1 who wants nothing more than to become a real Jedi Knight.

The stories in Visions take place across several eras of the Star Wars saga, including after The Rise of Skywalker, but are these tales part of the official Disney canon? Here’s what you need to know.

Is Star Wars: Visions Canon?

First of all, who cares? Good Star Wars is good Star Wars, whether it’s part of Disney canon or Legends (the old Expanded Universe before the timeline reboot) or somewhere in between. You should be able to enjoy a Star Wars book or TV show or video game simply because it is a good story with characters you love and not because it fits into whatever the official continuity is that day. Go read Michael A. Stackpole and Aaron Allston’s X-Wing books, they’re great! Want more Clone Wars in your life? Genndy Tartakovky’s non-canon Clone Wars microseries is spectacular.

But if you must know the answer, Star Wars: Visions falls in that third category: “somewhere in between” canon and non-canon. Our own Star Wars reporter Megan Crouse said it best: “Visions sits just to the side of Disney’s Star Wars canon.” None of the stories of characters really clash with anything on the timeline, so they could all be considered Disney canon in theory. But Lucasfilm isn’t really thinking about Visions that way.

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“I think these shorts are all authentic Star Wars storytelling,” executive producer James Waugh told Digital Spy. “But some are less on the timeline than others. Some could very much fit within our timeline. But Visions, as a whole, is more of a celebration of Star Wars, through this unique perspective, this unique form, this medium and culture. And that was really the intention.”

Okay, so which stories are canon?

“Some stories like ‘Tatooine Rhapsody’ or ‘The Elder’ can very easily fit within certain canonical points,” Waugh said. “But that’s not really the point of the initiative. We needed this to be something different, and we needed it to be really from the hearts of all these creators, to not try and answer questions in Star Wars. Instead, you have Star Wars as an amazing palette to tell stories through.”

While Lucasfilm hasn’t officially labeled which anime shorts are canon and which aren’t, most of them do occupy a specific era in the Star Wars timeline if you want to map out what happens when in Visions.

Where Does Each Episode Fit in the Star Wars Timeline?

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Here is a guide to each of the stories and roughly when they take place on the timeline, according to their creators, who previewed the episodes for IGN ahead of the premiere.

The Duel

Kamikaze Douga’s “The Duel” follows Ronin, an enigmatic warrior who wanders from one part of the galaxy to the other with his trusty droid companion B5. When a village in the Outer Rim comes under attack by Sith, Ronin must choose whether to defend this place or continue on his journey.

When Does It Take Place: Described as an “alternate history pulled from Japanese lore,” the short takes place after the “Sith rebellion,” a conflict which saw a sect of Jedi break off from the rest of the clans. This sounds a lot like a period on the canon timeline known as the “Hundred-Year Darkness,” an era thousands of years before The Phantom Menace that led to the formation of the Sith.

Tatooine Rhapsody

A runaway Jedi padawan forms a rock band with a former member of the Hutt clan in this short by Studio Colorido. When they’re captured by the infamous Boba Fett and brought to Tatooine for their execution, the band hatches a plan to play to best show of their lives in the hopes that Jabba the Hutt will spare them.

When Does It Take Place: Since “Tatooine Rhapsody” begins with a padawan running for his life on Coruscant, it’s very likely the bulk of the short takes place between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, with Jabba still at the height of his power on Tatooine.

The Twins

Twins Karre and Am were raised as children of the dark side so that they could one day rule the galaxy as one. But when one of the siblings begins questioning the dark path that’s been decided for them, it splits the twins right down the middle.

When Does It Take Place: “‘The Twins’ is set after Episode IX, after the Empire has been vanquished by the Resistance,” Trigger studio co-founder Hiroyuki Imaishi told IGN. “The remnants of the Imperial Army have raised a pair of twins on the Dark Side of the Force, and the story goes from there.” But where’s Rey?

The Village Bride

In Kinema Citrus’ short, a peaceful village prepares for a big wedding party, while a cruel warlord plans an attack. A fallen Jedi must decide whether to get involved or do nothing.

When Does It Take Place: While “The Village Bridge” is meant to evoke feudal Japan, the B1-series battle droid puts it squarely in the Prequel era, likely during the Clone Wars.

The Ninth Jedi

The daughter of a legendary sword smith might be the only hope for restoring the Jedi Order at a time when the Sith rule the galaxy once again.

When Does It Take Place: “The Ninth Jedi” is another story set after The Rise of Skywalker. Director Kenji Kamiyama of Production I.G told IGN: “I wondered, after Episode IX, has the galaxy settled into peace? We all love stories of the Jedi and lightsabers, but what became of the Jedi Knights after the movie series? My story is about that.”

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T0-B1

A little droid is on a mission to terraform a barren planet, all while learning the ways of the Jedi and defending this world from the Empire.

When Does It Take Place: This Science SARU short takes place at some point between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, when what remains of the Jedi Order is still being hunted down by the Empire’s cruel Inquisitors.

The Elder

A Jedi Knight and his padawan encounter great evil in the fringes of space: an aging sword master who wanders the galaxy looking for a worthy opponent.

When Does It Take Place: This story is set some time before The Phantom Menace. “For some viewers, this series might be their first Star Wars experience, so I wanted to make something that you can enjoy without any knowledge of the rest of the story,” Trigger co-founder Masahiko Otsuka told IGN. “So our story is not directly connected to any of the characters from the films, but it explores the idea of the Jedi Knights and the master and padawan dynamic in an older setting.”

Lop and Ocho

Two sisters must decide the fate of their planet. Should they join the Empire or fight to preserve the natural beauty of their home world? This short also introduces fans to Lop, a new hero inspired by a classic Marvel character.

When Does It Take Place: “The story is set between Episode III and IV of the Star Wars movie series,” said director Yuki Igarashi of Geno Studio. “The Galactic Empire is expanding throughout space.”

Akakiri

Billed as “a painful love story,” a Jedi will do anything to protect a princess when a Sith warlord threatens the peace.

When Does It Take Place: The second Science SARU short is the most difficult to place in the timeline. But Wookieepedia has done some detective work: since the installment features a B-wing starfighter, that means it must takes place at some point after the first B-wing prototype was created in Rebels (4 years before A New Hope). And since there are Jedi are around again, that must mean “Akakiri” happens after The Rise of Skywalker during an era when the Order has been restored. Unless this is an alternate history and none of those clues matter…

Star Wars: Visions is streaming now on Disney+.

The post Is Star Wars: Visions Canon? The Anime’s Timeline Explained appeared first on Den of Geek.

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Slayn & Korpil V-19 "Torrent" Starfighter

Source: The Clone Wars Visual Guide (Dorling Kindersley, 2008)

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Techno Union "Octuptarra" Combat Tri-Droid

Source: The New Essential Guide to Droids (Del Rey, 2006)

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Phlut Design Systems IG Lancer Combat Droid

Source: The New Essential Guide to Droids (Del Rey, 2006)

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L8-L9 (TaggeCo Prototype Combat Droid)

Source: The New Essential Guide to Droids (Del Rey, 2006)

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Star Wars Clone Wars: Which Parts of the Tartakovsky Series Can Still Be Canon?

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Party like it’s 2003! On April 2, Disney+ will begin streaming the Genndy Tartakovsky version of Clone Wars, which means, for certain generations of Star Wars fans, a slightly alternate version of the iconic storyline will be available to watch on the app for the first time. Along with Clone Wars, Disney+ is also dropping two of the made-for-TV Ewok movies, and the animated ‘80s TV series Ewoks. And while all of that Ewok action certainly makes us nostalgic, let’s get serious: the Tartakovsky Clone Wars is the real deal. 

Besides being the first animated series set during the Clone Wars, the 2003 microseries is best known for introducing fan-favorite characters such as Asajj Ventress, General Grievous, and Durge. Most importantly, in the first few years following the end of the Prequel Trilogy, Tartakovsky’s series was the definitive story of what happened during the Clone Wars.

That’s until the arrival of The Clone Wars (differentiated by a “The” in the title). This second animated series ran from 2008 to 2020 and featured huge moments of its own: it introduced Anakin Skywalker’s Jedi padawan Ahsoka Tano, brought Darth Maul back from the dead, and fleshed out the history of the Mandalorians.

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The 2003 microseries and 2008 series were both considered canon early on, but when Disney bought Lucasfilm in 2012 and retconned the Star Wars timeline, the studio erased the classic Legends continuity and established The Clone Wars as the true, canon version of events. That means the stories in Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars never happened in the current Disney canon.

But that may be about to change. Along with Clone Wars‘ arrival on Disney+, Disney has also announced the return of shape-shifting bounty hunter Durge to Star Wars canon. His appearance in the upcoming Marvel Comics crossover event War of the Bounty Hunters could pave the way for the return of other parts of Tartakovsky’s classic Clone Wars series. Here’s how all of this can work:

Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars Mostly Still Fits into the Star Wars Timeline

Up until very recently, you could have reconciled the first Clone Wars with The Clone Wars fairly easily. In a hypothetical headcanon, you could have decided that seasons 1 and 2 of Clone Wars happened before the 2008 The Clone Wars movie and the introduction of Ahsoka.

After Anakin gets Ahsoka as his new apprentice/partner, you’d then watch The Clone Wars seasons 1 through 6. Ahsoka leaves the Jedi Order in season 5, which would explain in your headcanon why she’s not in Tartakovsky’s series at all. After the events of season 6 of The Clone Wars, you could then insert Clone Wars season 3 into the timeline, since those 2005 episodes end directly before the events of Revenge of the Sith. (In Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars, we even saw Palpatine get kidnapped by General Grievous on Coruscant.)

So, to recap, before the belated season 7 of The Clone Wars in 2020, you could have just assumed the Clone Wars timeline looked something like this:

Attack of the Clones 

Clone Wars (Tartakovsky) Seasons 1-2

The Clone Wars Movie and Main Series Seasons 1-6

Clone Wars (Tartakovsky) Season 3

Revenge of the Sith

There’s just one problem: the events of Clone Wars “Chapter 25,” which were meant to lead right into Revenge, are directly contradicted by The Clone Wars season 7 episode “Old Friends, Not Forgotten.” In the Tartakovsky version, Obi-Wan and Anakin get the call to defend Coruscant after a dangerous mission on the planet Nelvaan, but in The Clone Wars, Anakin is with Ahsoka, planning to go to Mandalore, when he and Obi-Wan are diverted to save Palpatine. That means, if you’re particularly stringent about events lining up perfectly in your headcanon, at least some of Clone Wars couldn’t really exist in the same timeline as The Clone Wars.

Obviously, there are many other little inconsistencies between Clone Wars and The Clone Wars, but this one very specific plot point from the final season of The Clone Wars is the smoking blaster that kills any hope of the Tartakovksy series as a whole being canon. But that doesn’t mean all is lost…

Durge Is Back, So Does His Clone Wars Story Count?

Durge’s upcoming canon debut in June’s Doctor Aphra #11 opens the door for at least some of the events of Clone Wars to return to Star Wars canon.

In Clone Wars “Chapters 2-4,” Obi-Wan (partially clad in clone trooper armor for the first time) battles Separatists on the banking planet of Muunilinst. Obi-Wan’s biggest antagonist in this battle is Durge, a centuries-old bounty hunter, encased in a suit of armor, who has rowdy regenerative powers that make him kind of like the Star Wars version of Wolverine combined with Apocalypse.

Long story short, he’s very hard to kill and this leads to one of the best duels in Tartakovsky’s series. Best of all, since the fight takes places in season 1 of Clone Wars, it could still easily fit back into the canon timeline. Creators wouldn’t even really need to create a new backstory for the character. Since he’s centuries-old, even his Legends history with the ancient Mandalorians and Sith still works within Disney’s framework. You could really just sprinkle all of those details back into the timeline without much puzzle-solving.

What else could the Lucasfilm Story Group easily reincorporate into canon? Again, the entire microseries can’t be reincorporated because of that pesky Clone Wars Season 7 scene but what about that epic moment when Anakin is knighted and his braid is snipped off by Yoda’s lightsaber? That can be canon again, right? What about Asajj Ventress’s duel with Anakin in “Chapter 19?” That should totally count!

Okay, real talk. Durge returning to canon Marvel Comics, and Disney+ streaming Clone Wars, doesn’t suddenly mean more of the microseries is being retconned back into the timeline. Durge is back, sure, but it doesn’t mean Disney will bring any of his Legends storylines with him.

Just look at the way Rebels retconned Grand Admiral Thrawn. In that animated series, Thrawn is 100 percent the same character we remember from the ‘90s Timothy Zahn novels, but he’s in a totally different part of the timeline. The events of Rebels take place up to five years before the Original Trilogy, while the now non-canon, original Thrawn novels took place five years after the OT. That means Disney still has the breathing room to decide whether a new version of the events of the classic Zahn novels ever happened in the current timeline.

The same goes for Durge in the Marvel comics. War of the Bounty Hunters, which is set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, is nowhere close to the time period of Clone Wars. Same character, totally different decade. Disney could just decide this is a new version of Durge with no connection to the Clone Wars at all.

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Then again, because The Mandalorian name-checked Thrawn in season 2, it’s possible that a revised version of “The Thrawn Trilogy” could still happen in the post-Return of the Jedi (and pre-Force Awakens) timeline in which the Disney+ live-action series is set. This doesn’t mean this is going to happen, but like the headcanon Clone Wars/The Clone Wars timeline, you could easily make it all fit in your mind.

Durge is canon again. That much is certain. The first Clone Wars is streaming on Disney+. That’s happening, too. But will Durge admit to having been at the Battle of Muunilinst in Doctor Aphra #11? Even if he doesn’t, for many of us, it still happened. After all, some canon, especially where Durge is concerned, depends greatly on a certain point of view.

Star Wars: Clone Wars is streaming now on Disney+.

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Could Durge’s Star Wars Return Lead to a Role in The Mandalorian or Book of Boba Fett?

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One of Star Wars’ most revered villains from its pre-Disney days of prequel-era stories is poised for a comeback. Durge, the fearsome bounty hunter best known from Genndy Tartakovsky’s 2003-2005 Star Wars: Clone Wars microseries, is set to make his Disney canon debut in the pages of Marvel’s Doctor Aphra #11. And with the upcoming arrival of Tartakovsky’s non-canon Clone Wars series on Disney+, it’s enough to make one speculate that bigger—live-action—plans might be in store for the character.

Durge was indeed immensely popular in the defunct Legends continuity of Star Wars in the early 2000s to the point that Matthew Stover’s 2005 novelization of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith makes direct reference to the character among other notable shout-outs to the events of Tartakovsky’s series. He was one of the most visible characters during Lucasfilm’s onslaught of merchandising during the mid-prequel era, and even inspired multiple action figures made in Hasbro’s sacred 3 ¾” action figure line. Indeed, Durge was kind of a big deal, which makes him the perfect character to manifest in glorious live-action form on either The Mandalorian or The Book of Boba Fett.

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But first, check him out in all his classic splendor, thanks to a cover by artist Sara Pichelli, just below…

Marvel Comics

It may seem surreal to see Durge back in action after the post-Disney deluge of live-action and animated Star Wars offerings, but he was a crucial Expanded Universe villain during the brief era between the release of 2002 Prequel Trilogy middle act Attack of the Clones and 2005 closer Revenge of the Sith. Besides episodes showcasing the superlative abilities of the various Jedi we saw in the films, season 1 of the microseries also popularized Durge and fellow villain Asajj Ventress. However, while the latter—Count Dooku’s apprentice—became a prominent presence in the subsequent canonical The Clone Wars series, Durge got left behind.

Interestingly, Durge first entered the Expanded Universe when he—along with Ventress—graced the cover of Dark Horse Comics’ Star Wars: Republic #52, which was published on April 9, 2003, seven whole months before his debut in the fourth episode of Clone Wars aired on Cartoon Network. The guns-and-gadgets-toting, jet-pack-carrying bounty hunter character may look like a humanoid when covered head-to-toe in his intimidating grey armor, but he’s actually a 2000-year-old Gen’Dai, an invertebrate alien species that resembles exposed muscular and vascular tissue. He’s notably blessed with the formidable ability to manipulate his body to do just about anything, and can regenerate from any form of physical injury (even being blown to bits), save for being vaporized, which was a fate delivered to him in now-non-canon comic Obsession by Anakin, who had to force-push him into a star to get the job done.

Durge’s appearances on Star Wars: Clone Wars.

Durge’s motivation in the initial lore was a deep hatred—fueled over a millennium—for the Mandalorian race, attributed to (as we’d later learn) his capture during the New Sith Wars, a galactic conflict from over a thousand years ago that saw the Jedi and Mandalorians fight against the Sith. Serving as a warrior for the Sith, he was captured and tortured by the Mandalorians, an ordeal that left the Gen’Dai so ravaged it took nearly a century to reconstitute his body, leaving him permanently insane. However, with the population of the Mandalorians having been practically wiped out by the time of the Clone Wars, Durge became drawn to the idea of taking his bitterness out on the closest available thing: the Republic’s Grand Army, which, of course, consisted of clones of Mandalorian Jango Fett. Thus, he took up a contract with Separatist leader and Sith Lord Count Dooku to do just that, and, as famously seen in his Clone Wars episodes, led the Separatist forces in the Battle of Muunilinst, notably in an assault on speeder bikes, after which his odd arsenal and regenerative abilities gave Jedi general Obi-Wan Kenobi an infamously frustrating fight.

So, where would a forgotten early-2000s Legends lore relic like Durge fit in the modern era? After all, A LOT has happened since he last manifested, with the subsequent The Clone Wars series trampling over everything that happened in Tartakovsky’s series. However, with Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars poised for streaming consumption for an entirely new generation of fans on Disney+, the series—and the undeniable badassery of Durge—might not be left forgotten for much longer. Thus, the answer to the initial question is actually quite obvious: Durge can fit anywhere he chooses.

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How Star Wars: The Clone Wars Forgot About Durge

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Durge’s canon debut in Doctor Aphra #11 is rife with unknown variables, including whether this version of the character even fought in the Clone Wars, but that is not to say that the crucial elements of his classic backstory won’t still manifest in some way—he still has to be a bounty hunter, he still has to be a freaky regenerative alien hermit crab, and he most definitely still has to hate Mandalorians. There lies the potential crucial link for Durge in the Disney+ live-action world, which, of course, is rife with Mandalorians. While the task of translating all the weird abilities Durge displayed on the Tartakovsky series would be intimidatingly exorbitant, it could nevertheless become intriguing fodder for a phenomenal climactic onscreen battle—be it against Din Djarin or Boba Fett.

A Durge appearance on The Mandalorian would certainly represent a radical departure from the show’s initial arc, which seemingly came to an end in season 2 when Luke Skywalker arrived to take custody of Baby Yoda. While Din will inevitably reunite with the Force-powered green tyke at some point, the teased arc for season 3 seems to center on his accidental ascension to Mandalorian leadership after wresting the sacred Darksaber from Moff Gideon. While that scenario presents potential problems, since Bo-Katan Kryze initially coveted the Darksaber (and can only legally attain it by taking it from Din in combat), one would think that Din being leader (even temporarily) of a resurgent Mandalorian people would also make him a prime target for a mind-warped, vengeance-seeking Durge.

On another note, Boba Fett’s teased new status as de facto king of the Outer Rim criminal underworld could also attract Durge’s attention, facilitating a similarly-motivated conflict with the eponymous cloned Mandalorian on The Book of Boba Fett. However, this scenario is far more speculative since we still don’t have official details on the show’s plot. Moreover, if that show ends up focusing on the galaxy’s seedier, “scum and villainy” side (which was how The Mandalorian started), then a villain as fantastical as Durge might not be the right thematic fit, at least initially.

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For now, fans (who don’t want to track down the DVDs) can get their fill of Durge’s classic exploits when Star Wars: Clone Wars—along with classic series Star Wars: Ewoks and Star Wars: Droids—joins the Disney+ streaming library on April 2. Meanwhile, Doctor Aphra #11 arrives June 30.

The post Could Durge’s Star Wars Return Lead to a Role in The Mandalorian or Book of Boba Fett? appeared first on Den of Geek.

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10 Best Star Wars Villains Ranked

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Star Wars is a story about good triumphing over evil, the heroes overcoming all challenges before them and defeating the villains. But we love to watch the antagonists, too! What would the saga be without its iconic, larger-than-life villains?

The hum of a lightsaber echoes in a hallway filled with smoke. A mastermind works behind gilded walls against his enemies. A bounty hunter zips through the sky with his jet pack. A dark lord awaits her prey from the core of a dying planet. These are moments that stay with us long after the credits have rolled, and they’re the reason why a few of the villains on this list are considered some of the best ever created regardless of the medium.

We’ve ranked our top 10 favorite Star Wars villains below:

10. General Grievous

Like many characters and concepts in the Prequels, Grievous is perhaps most notable for his visual design and powerful presence. A spindly four-armed droid, he looks like a mix between a robot, a spider, and a dinosaur. This non-human form wields four lightsabers at the same time, all of which he stole from Jedi he killed.

While Grievous’ personality isn’t really the draw here (he has a brief backstory and a tendency toward the dramatic), you can see some of his history in the excellent The Clone Wars episode “Lair of Grievous.” But we’d especially recommend you check out his first on-screen appearance in Genndy Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars microseries. Scary stuff!

9. Grand Admiral Thrawn

Inspired by Sherlock Holmes and legendary military strategists like Alexander the Great, Grand Admiral Thrawn is the first character on this list to originate in tie-in books. He also has the distinction of being the first major villain of the post-Return of the Jedi era. The “Thrawn Trilogy” in the 1990s remain the most famous books of the lot for rejuvenating the franchise and introducing this tactical genius.

The epitome of working smarter, not harder, Thrawn is a no-nonsense thinker who can tell what a culture’s war strategy will be like based solely on their art. His clashes with characters from the Original Trilogy to the Rebels crew to his own Chiss Ascendancy are beloved as tactical puzzles and a showcase for his intimidating personality.

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Fans love Thrawn so much that he was one of the first non-canon Legends characters to be retconned back into the Disney continuity after the House of Mouse bought Lucasfilm in 2012. The Mandalorian season 2 has even set up the Grand Admiral to make his first live-action appearance at a later date.

8. Kylo Ren

While there’s some debate among fans about whether Kylo Ren should still be considered a true villain after The Rise of Skywalker, his appearance in The Force Awakens is our favorite, and he’s firmly in bad guy territory there. From the intimidating crossguard lightsaber to his chaotic nature that makes the audience feel like even he doesn’t quite know what he’s going to do next, Ren’s vivid characterization and volatile personality (not to mention Adam Driver’s performance) helped sell The Force Awakens as a worthy successor to the Original Trilogy.

He sometimes borrows too much from Darth Vader in that first installment to be truly unique, but that’s the point: Kylo is a fan of the villains who have come before, a member of a new generation of characters who inherit the saga and choose which role they want to play. Ren joins the dark side knowing exactly where it will lead.

7. Asajj Ventress

Ventress has been many things. A witch, a bounty hunter, a Jedi, and a Sith disciple, but her different roles are all in service of finding what she really wants: A home.

Introduced as the acrobatic and creepy antagonist in the first and second seasons of the Clone Wars miniseries, she goes toe-to-toe with Anakin Skywalker on several occasions during the galactic conflict. Throughout The Clone Wars, we also see how her part in the war changes, all while she tries to fill the hole in her heart created by her separation from her parents and death of her mentor when she was just a child. Ultimately, she’s both a tragic and sympathetic figure but also a frighteningly unpredictable villain.

6. Kreia/Darth Traya

Knights of the Old Republic II features one of the most inventive and critical explorations of what it means to wield the Force. The game’s Jedi and Sith are conflicted, use their powers in unique ways, and hold personal philosophies about the light and dark sides beyond the beliefs of their respective orders.

Into the life of the game’s Jedi exile protagonist comes the mysterious Kreia, a Sith lord disguised as the hero’s mentor in the ways of the Force. And her teachings about the ancient energy are unlike anything else we’ve seen or read to date.

Instead of following the light or the dark side, Kreia feels the Force itself is a malevolent barrier between people and free will. Although her philosophy technically leads her to the dark, her ideas about going beyond that dichotomy entirely make her one of the most thought-provoking characters in the series. It’d be interesting to hear what she thought about the Force dyad from The Rise of Skywalker.

5. Boba Fett

Boba Fett began his Star Wars career as a mysterious cartoon character in The Star Wars Holiday Special and as a faceless villain in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, before making the jump to the classic Legends tie-in books and comics. Now, he’s back for the first time in the Disney canon, thanks to The Mandalorian, which gives a new generation of fans plenty of reasons to love the iconic bounty hunter.

Although he isn’t the first actor to portray Boba Fett, Prequel Trilogy veteran Temuera Morrison brings newfound charm and power to the legendary bounty hunter, whose armor, jetpack, and laconic personality made him a breakout star despite his relatively minor screen time in the Original Trilogy. On The Mandalorian, we finally get to see his legendary prowess as he single-handedly breaks stormtroopers with his bare hands before even regaining his armor.

Boba Fett’s history is almost as long as Star Wars‘ itself, debuting in 1978, and he’s been a fan-favorite ever since, living many other lives on the page beyond the movies. He’s worked for the Empire, teamed up with other bounty hunters, and even become the leader of the Mandalorian people. With his return to Disney canon, he gets a whole new future full of adventures for fans to look forward to, including The Book of Boba Fett.

4. Darth Maul

Maul just keeps coming back. While he was easily one of the best parts of The Phantom Menace, it’s his development in The Clone Wars that really puts him near the top of the list. A perpetual student always looking for a master, Maul’s tutelage under Sidious means he never really learned how to live outside the structure of the Sith order. That mentality clashes with the Jedi in one of the most dramatic confrontations in The Clone Wars, where Maul reveals he knows the Empire is coming and the Jedi are too late to stop it.

From a martial arts expert to the galaxy’s Cassandra, he’s played many different roles, including the secret leader of a galaxy-spanning criminal organization in Solo. In Rebels, his death serves as a moving capstone to what began in the Prequels, when Obi-Wan Kenobi finally ends his life in a battle not of martial skill but of the kind of mercy and solace only a Jedi at their best can offer.

3. Moff Gideon

While the villain of The Mandalorian hasn’t had nearly as much time on screen as many of the others on this list, he’s climbed to the top through force of personality. Giancarlo Esposito gives even Moff Gideon‘s expository dialogue a sinister life.

As an ISB agent, he differentiates himself from most Star Wars villains by not being a Force-wielding warrior first and foremost. He’s cool because he thrives on information, and frightening because of the lengths he’s willing to go to get it. And don’t forget, he’s willing to handcuff Grogu. You get in the Villain Hall of Fame for that.

2. Emperor Palpatine

The mastermind of many falls (Anakin’s, the Republic’s, Ben Solo’s), Emperor Palpatine, aka Darth Sidious, is the shadow looming over the entire saga. He has a hand in everything, from the inability of the Jedi to hold on to even their own Force powers (as they discover in the Prequels) to the rise of the First Order. He’s the ultimate example of ambition gone wrong, the desire to rule the galaxy for the sake of ultimate control in human form. And the performance by Ian McDiarmid through the decades has become a staple of pop culture.

1. Darth Vader

From the first part of A New Hope to the finale of Rogue One and beyond, Vader’s intimidating visage is synonymous with Star Wars. Designed by Ralph McQuarrie in part after the shape of a samurai armor, the apparatus that keeps Vader alive was made to look dark, intimidating, and “spooky.” He doesn’t have to run or use flashy lightsaber moves to kill you: instead it’s his inexorable approach and brutal moves that are so fearsome. And he has no problem Force choking his own men to get what he wants.

While part of what makes Vader number one is how frightening he is, that’s not the whole story. As Anakin Skywalker, he also brings pathos to the saga and inspires endless debate. His choice to turn to evil is the event on which the rest of the saga turns. Decades later, he’ll inspire Kylo Ren to start down a similar path.

Let us know your own ranking in the comments below!

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