Who Is The Best “Star Wars” Character?

Long before it became a full-blown fan holiday, May 4th started as a clever political pun. In 1979, supporters of Margaret Thatcher placed a newspaper ad that read “May the Fourth Be With You” on the day she took office. The phrase lingered in pop culture for years, popping up anytime the date rolled around. Eventually, the team behind Star Wars recognized it had legs and leaned into it, embracing the wordplay, amplifying it through promotions and fan events, and helping turn it into a permanent part of the cultural lexicon known as Star Wars Day.

Now it’s a full-on event. Marathons, debates, and plenty of strong opinions. This year, USA Today ranked the 75 best live-action characters across the galaxy, including newer entries from The Mandalorian and Andor. And yes, Jar Jar Binks didn’t make the cut.

Here’s how the Top 10 shook out:

1. Darth Vader / Anakin Skywalker
2. Han Solo
3. Princess Leia
4. Luke Skywalker
5. Yoda
6. Ahsoka Tano
7. Obi-Wan Kenobi
8. R2-D2
9. Din Djarin
10. Chewbacca

No major surprises at the top. Vader still rules the galaxy, Han still gets the best lines, and Leia still runs the room. Meanwhile, newer characters like Ahsoka and Mando prove this franchise isn’t running on nostalgia alone.

And somewhere out there, Jar Jar is still waiting by the phone.

Doug O’Brien