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Credit: LucasfilmWe’ve seen countless villains appear in the Star Wars franchise over the decades.
At a time when we thought Darth Vader, The Emperor, Boba Fett, Jabba the Hutt, and Grand Moff Tarkin were more than enough, along came the prequel trilogy, animated shows like Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) and Star Wars: Rebels (2014), the sequel trilogy, and the live-action shows like The Mandalorian (2019), all of which have introduced even more iconic Star Wars villains into the mix.
Now, there are as many villains in the faraway galaxy as there are heroes – although some of them are a little more complex than you might think, while others, despite being just as iconic, not so much. Here are seven popular Star Wars villains ranked from worst to best.
7. General Grievous
General Grievous is a formidable and merciless enemy, as seen in Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith (2005) and The Clone Wars. With four arms, he can wield just as many lightsabers (despite being neither Jedi nor Sith), and with six limbs, he can go into “insect-mode” and scurry out of the line of fire, or to get the upper hand (or hands) on his opponent.
The trouble is that, while these attributes make for some unique action sequences, Grievous’ ability to duel four blades and turn into a droid bug makes him a big rotten cheat. As for his hoarse voice, it makes bounty hunter Cad Bane’s almost electrical voice sound like music to the ears. Ultimately, while Grievous looks cool, he’s nothing more than style over substance.
6. Jabba The Hutt
Jabba The Hutt is the large, slug-like crime lord who appears in both the original trilogy and the prequel trilogy, and in the animated shows, The Clone Wars, and Rebels. There’s never a moment when Jabba isn’t being grotesque and downright wicked. In fact, the same can be said of almost any Hutt, but Jabba gives all of his relatives a run for their Galactic Credits.
But is he a great Star Wars villain? Well, he’s iconic, but he’s hardly the most threatening when it comes to the likes of the Jedi. Yes, he captures Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) in Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi (1983), but the truth is that Jabba is low on our list because he’s simply vile and hard to watch (especially when he’s ogling Princess Leia).
5. Count Dooku
Played by the late Christopher Lee, Yoda’s former apprentice turned evil separatist, Count Dooku — or Darth Tyranus (no relation to the dinosaur) — appears in Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones (2002) and Revenge of the Sith. The name is inspired by Count Dracula, a character Lee was best-known for playing in the old Universal monster movies.
Dooku even sports a cloak, and his surroundings on Geonosis in Attack of the Clones are Transylvania-esque, with dark caves and bat-like creatures inhabiting them. Dooku is a highly dangerous Sith Lord, and you’ll need to check out The Clone Wars, in which he’s voiced by Corey Burton, to witness the full extent of how truly evil this former Jedi really is.
Related: Why Doesn’t Rosario Dawson Play Ahsoka in This Live-Action ‘Star Wars’ Movie?
4. Kylo Ren
While Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) can probably be considered one of many overrated Star Wars characters, that doesn’t mean he hasn’t quickly become an iconic Star Wars villain in his own right. And the fact he’s a slightly overrated character doesn’t necessarily make him unlikable or rubbish, either – in fact, we happen to think he’s among the best villains.
The corrupt Force-wielder is one of the best things about the widely-panned sequel trilogy. And while we understand that’s not much of a compliment, his obsession with Darth Vader (James Earl Jones), his incredible Force powers, inner conflict, and the fact he kills his own father Han Solo (Harrison Ford) make him one of the more interesting Star Wars villains.
3. Darth Vader
Darth Vader isn’t just the most iconic villain in Star Wars — he’s one of the most iconic villains in cinema history. From Force-choking one of his own men in Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope (1977) for his disturbing lack of faith in the Force, to the moment he literally overthrows the Emperor in Return of the Jedi, he’s a “force” to be reckoned with.
He’s also one of the most layered villains, with the prequel trilogy serving as his entire origin story. Actor Hayden Christensen, who played Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, reprised the dual role in the live-action Disney+ shows Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022) and Ahsoka (2023).
2. Emperor Palpatine
Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) AKA Darth Sidious is the most powerful Sith Lord in the galaxy. He appears in the prequel trilogy, the original trilogy, and the sequel trilogy (yes, somehow, he returns). He also has a huge role in The Clone Wars and even shows up in Rebels and The Bad Batch, making him one of the most recurring Star Wars villains of all.
Palpatine is very creepy, and not just when he’s in full Emperor mode – the scene in Revenge of the Sith where he’s manipulating Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) in a theater is deeply unsettling. And while his role in Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker (2019) was met with criticism, we think he’s one of the few things the film gets right.
1. Darth Maul
Being at the top of this list isn’t the first time Darth Maul (played by Ray Park in live action/ Sam Witwer in animation) has been crowned king, as his role in The Clone Wars sees him become the leader of terrorist cell Death Watch, before claiming the throne of Mandalore.
But the Son of Dathomir is more than just a disgraced Sith Lord or the leader of a crime syndicate – he’s an incredibly complex character who becomes enraged after been disfigured by Obi-Wan Kenobi and at the same time, disenfranchised with Palpatine for not including him in his grand plan. Strangely, he also has one of the saddest deaths in the franchise.
Maul also appears in Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace (1999), Rebels, and Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018).
How would you rank these iconic Star Wars villains? Let us know in the comments!