7 Completely Overrated ‘Star Wars’ Characters

Even before Star Wars branched off into animated shows, live-action shows, video games, books, and graphic novels, it had dozens of characters at its disposal. Now, there are so many characters occupying the faraway galaxy that it’s almost impossible to keep track of them all.

But while many of them deserve all the attention fans give them, as with any franchise, there are some who are often put on a pedestal for no good reason (in our opinion, of course). So we’ve compiled a list of Star Wars characters we think get far more praise than they should.

7. Mace Windu

Samuel L Jackson is one of the most well-known actors on the planet, and has probably done as many movies as there are Star Wars characters. So, naturally, cinemagoers and Star Wars fans alike were thrilled when he appeared in Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace (1999) as Jedi Master Mace Windu.

While he doesn’t have a great deal to do in that film, he does get in on the action in Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones (2002), in which he lays waste to Jango Fett (Temuera Morrison) in style, and again in Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith (2005), where he has one of the most memorable scenes in the entire trilogy.

But while he’s a formidable Jedi, we’re not sure why he’s so popular. Perhaps it’s because Samuel L Jackson, of all people, brought the character to life, or maybe it’s because he goes up against Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid). We do love his purple lightsaber, though.

Mace Windu is also a recurring character in Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008), in which he’s voiced by TC Carson.

6. Mayfeld

With three seasons under its belt, The Mandalorian made a huge impression on fans and even gave us a whole bunch of new characters to love, like Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), Grogu, Kuiil (Nick Nolte), Cara Dune (Gina Carano), Bo-Katan (Katee Sackhoff), Greef Karga (Carl Weathers), and Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen).

But there’s one character whose popularity with fans leaves us confused. While Imperial fugitive and wanted criminal Mayfeld (Bill Burr) only appeared in a few episodes, that should have been enough time for him to make a good impression on us. But he didn’t.

Mayfeld is nowhere near as charming, charismatic, interesting, or funny as the showrunners (and many fans) think he is. Ultimately, though, he just isn’t all that likable, either, and we really hope he doesn’t show up in the upcoming film, The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026).

5. Grand Admiral Thrawn

This is where we start delving into territory that will likely annoy some fans, but Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen), a villain who appears in Star Wars: Rebels (2014) and the live-action series Ahsoka (2023), is easily among the most overrated Star Wars villains.

It’s no mystery that Thrawn is excellent at his job (if we’re talking strictly about his appearances in everything but Ahsoka, in which he’s a bumbling idiot) and his supernatural-like ability to precisely calculate the enemy’s moves is impressive.

And there’s also no denying that he quickly became an important character after disappearing with Ezra Bridger (Taylor Gray) at the end of Rebels. But we feel that there might be a case of style-over-substance with Thrawn.

Sure, he has what is probably already considered an iconic look (character designs are no accident, though), but his meditative way of speaking isn’t at all intimidating – it just feels like the creators were trying way too hard to give him his own “thing”. On the other hand, heavy breathing had already been taken.

4. Kylo Ren

Say what you will about the sequel trilogy, but it’s still responsible for many iconic Star Wars characters. Rey (Daisy Ridley), BB-8, First Order troopers, and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), are just a few examples. However, while Darth Vader’s grandson might be the most interesting character in all three films, that’s hardly much of a compliment.

There are many things to like about Kylo Ren, but it largely boils down to his awesome look – the combination of his mask, voice, and lightsaber are probably the reason he became so recognizable (although Adam Driver does give a compelling performance).

But the truth is that there’s very little else to love about this character – and let’s not forget that he kills Han Solo (Harrison Ford), his own father.

Kylo Ren might be fun to watch from time to time, but that’s probably because he’s a welcome break from some of the jaw-droppingly bad moments in those films. We also never get a proper explanation as to why he’s a mass-murdering maniac, and he definitely doesn’t deserve the redemption he gets in Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker (2019).

Related: Why Doesn’t Rosario Dawson Play Ahsoka in This Live-Action ‘Star Wars’ Movie?

3. Admiral Ackbar

Let us start by saying that we don’t feel particularly good about being mean to Admiral Ackbar (Timothy D. Rose), and having him on this list doesn’t for one minute suggest we don’t like him. But the truth is that there’s really not that much going on with the old Mon Calamari – at least not in any of the films he’s appeared in.

While Ackbar has appeared in other Star Wars media, he doesn’t get half the screen time you might think he does in the films. Maybe he became iconic because of his infamous line, “It’s a trap!” in Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi (1983), which, over the years, has become a popular Internet meme.

On the other hand, the filmmakers didn’t really help matters when they unceremoniously killed him in Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi (2017). But at least he has the honor of being our first overrated character from the original trilogy. That’s something, right?

2. Cad Bane

It’s fair to say that some characters don’t always make a good first impression on fans. Even Ahsoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein in animation/Rosario Dawson in live action) – who is now one of the most iconic and beloved Star Wars characters – was a little annoying in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars movie and the first couple of seasons of the television series of the same name, but now, fans can’t get enough of her.

The same can’t be said about Cad Bane, though, the bounty hunter who appears in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars: The Bad Batch (2021), and The Book of Boba Fett (2021). Designed with a Western gunslinger look, Cad Bane, a member of the Duros species, is a sort of futuristic alien cowboy – and for this reason, he stands out like a sore thumb.

But we don’t know why fans seem to love him so much. Not only is he a truly despicable character who gets away with everything (and there are plenty of characters like this who aren’t as annoying), his electrical-sounding voice is like a cheese-grater to the ears.

1. Boba Fett

The character of Boba Fett is as iconic as any other Star Wars character from the original trilogy – Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher), Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew), Yoda (Frank Oz), and all the others. 

He’s also an incredibly popular cosplay at comic cons all over the world, and like all the other Star Wars characters, has appeared on mugs, tee-shirts, posters – you name it. But what’s confusing about Boba’s popularity is that he isn’t even in the original trilogy all that much.

Of course, this doesn’t mean he shouldn’t qualify for being an iconic and beloved character, but even his “death” in Return of the Jedi (which was completely retconned in The Book of Boba Fett) is very uninspiring (and a little embarrassing).

But while Boba Fett made an awesome comeback in The Mandalorian Season 2, his own series turned out to be a huge dud, and for many fans, ruined the character’s mystique.

Which Star Wars characters do you think are the most overrated? Let us know in the comments below!