Over ten years ago, Disney acquired Lucasfilm - and here are the best Star Wars characters created since then. Disney purchased Lucasfilm on October 20, 2012, and on April 25, 2014, the studio announced that it was effectively rewriting the rules of continuity. The old Expanded Universe was officially being branded "Legends," with only George Lucas' movies and TV shows remaining as canon.
Over the past decade, Disney's Lucasfilm has produced countless comics, novels, TV shows (both live-action and animated), video games, and even movies. There have been many great new characters, ranging from Jedi to Sith, from Imperial warlords to New Republic senators. One way to analyze the quality of storytelling is by assessing the quality of these characters. Here are the top ten Disney Star Wars characters.
10 Din Djarin
Din Djarin, the titular character of The Mandalorian, is undeniably one of the most iconic characters of the modern era. Played by Pedro Pascal, Din is a Mandalorian bounty hunter who found himself unexpectedly caring for a young member of Yoda's species, Grogu. This brings out an amazing wolf-and-cub dynamic that Pascal portrays so very well (in other shows, as well as The Mandalorian). Din is initially tasked with returning the Force-sensitive Youngling to the Jedi, eventually getting to Luke Skywalker after facing many trials and enemies. The quality of Din Djarin's arc seemed to suffer in the oddly detached The Mandalorian season 3, but both Din and Grogu are dearly loved parts of Disney Star Wars.
9 Ezra Bridger
Disney canceled Star Wars: The Clone Wars shortly after acquiring Lucasfilm, instead greenlighting Star Wars Rebels. A Force-sensitive teen from the Outer Rim planet Lothal, Ezra Bridger was adopted by a burgeoning Rebel cell based on the Ghost. This brought him toe-to-toe with characters like Darth Vader, Ahsoka Tano, Grand Admiral Thrawn, and even Emperor Palpatine himself. Ezra becomes a very important part of the Rebellion during its formation, and eventually deals with Thrawn in the Star Wars Rebels finale, taking him out of the picture until his return in Ahsoka. Now played by Eman Esfandi in live-action, Ezra has a unique character journey and has discovered many unusual Force powers such as the ability to communicate with animals. One of the most interesting Jedi in canon, and with his recent live-action debut, it seems Ezra Bridger has a bright future.
8 Doctor Chelli Aphra
When Star Wars became a Disney property, the comics side of the galaxy switched back to Marvel, also owned by the House of Mouse. Modern Star Wars comics have been well-received by fans, but one character reigns above the rest: Doctor Chelli Aphra. Aphra is an archaeologist like Indiana Jones, but with all the scoundrel elements of Lando Calrissian and Han Solo combined. She works with Darth Vader, and cracks jokes while doing it. She'll betray her friends, make new lovers, and look out for herself – but deep down there still is a moral code underneath, one that keeps her adventures gripping. Aphra has been the main character of two separate yet equally funny and smart comic series', and was introduced as a sidekick for Darth Vader in his 2015 series. Her current run of comics is still running, as Aphra makes her way towards the events of Return of the Jedi, with the future looking bright for the lovably-witty archaeologist.
7 Finn
Lucasfilm wasted no time launching the Star Wars sequel trilogy in 2015, and reception of these films has been mixed. There are some things most viewers agree on, however; one of them is the compelling origin of John Boyega's Finn in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Finn was originally FN-2187, a First Order stormtrooper who defected to the Resistance with pilot Poe Dameron. He went on to wield the Skywalker saber, though the weapon eventually went to his friend Rey.
Finn's story is much more controversial in Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, with even Boyega openly admitting he deserves better. There have been hints of Finn's potential future in the LEGO Star Wars specials, which have shown him as a Jedi. Hopefully Boyega will return in the upcoming Star Wars new Jedi Order movie, set 15 years after the sequels.
6 Elzar Mann
Star Wars: The High Republic is the biggest transmedia initiative ever launched by Lucasfilm Publishing. This crossover involves books, comics, audio-dramas, and videogames, and it will soon spin out into a live-action Disney+ TV show called The Acolyte. Lucasfilm Publishing has introduced many standout characters, but the Jedi highlight for many has been the complex Jedi Master Elzar Mann. A prominent Jedi who lived 200 years before the prequels, he is a Jedi who faces the darkness head-on, struggling with his own dark side and desires.
Elzar is heroic while being very nuanced. He is similar to Anakin Skywalker, but lives in an era where the Jedi Order is much more understanding than they were with Skywalker. This makes him an incredibly interesting case, as he struggles with many things internally and externally during a time that Star Wars media has never explored before in any form.
5 Cal Kestis
Videogames have been a part of Star Wars since the very early days of commercial gaming, and many fan-favorite characters have come from them like Kyle Katarn and Galen Marek. New Star Wars canon has only released a few videogames so far, but the star is undeniably Order 66 survivor Cal Kestis. Players have experienced Cal's story in Jedi: Fallen Order and Jedi: Survivor, plus Sam Maggs' Jedi: Battle Scars. Cal's journey is incredibly compelling, and he struggles both with his guilt as a survivor, and his fear of his own darker side. His allies are fun, his combat skills are unique, and his story in the new Survivor cements him as a nuanced yet fun character for gamers to control and experience.
4 Marchion Ro
Returning to Star Wars: The High Republic, a story is only as strong as its villain, and Marchion Ro is one of the best. The leader of the High Republic's villainous Nihil, Marchion Ro comes from a long family dynasty of Jedi-hating Evereni. He will do everything in his power to destroy the Jedi, and readers will have to see how he eventually meets defeat. But in the meantime, Ro has appeared in many books and comics, and is a devilishly fun yet very scary force to experience. Ro is particularly dangerous for his control of creatures called the Nameless, ancient beasts that suck the life out of Force-sensitives, leaving them as a dusty stone husk. Ro's control over the Nihil is firm, and he is cunning, evil, and smart enough to stand alongside the best villains Star Wars creators have ever imagined.
3 Rey Skywalker
The Star Wars sequel trilogy is certainly controversial, and Daisy Ridley's Rey is one of the most divisive elements. Rey makes her debut in Star Wars: The Force Awakens as a lowly scavenger who gets caught up in the search for Luke Skywalker. Over the course of the trilogy, Rey discovers her own connection to the Force, her secret past, and her future as a part of the Resistance. She eventually finds Luke Skywalker, allies (for a time) with Kylo Ren, and discovers her secret heritage as Emperor Palpatine's granddaughter.
Rey is heavily criticized by many, but has been a beloved inspiration for many others. She is the main point-of-view character in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, and she has become the future of the Skywalkers, destined to return in an upcoming blockbuster movie. Rey has always longed to find her place in the galaxy, and she eventually defeated her grandfather and redeemed Kylo Ren, proving herself a champion of the light.
2 Cassian Andor
Played by Diego Luna, Cassian Andor is a rebel spy who made his debut in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Cassian's character was somewhat lacking in his initial appearance in Rogue One, and only became such a well-developed character - earning second place in this list - in his own Disney+ TV show. Andor follows Cassian's bleak journey as he goes from being just a petty thief to fully joining the Rebel Alliance as a dedicated part of the cause. Cassian hails from the planet Ferrix, and he has an incredibly complicated yet heartfelt web of friends and family that connect to his character. Cassian is a genuine, realistic human being with loves and cares, and his character arc in Andor is one for the ages and Star Wars history books.
1 Ben Solo
The bast character in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, Adam Driver's Ben Solo is the son of Han and Leia. Ben carries that swagger into his unconventional and unexpected role as one of the main Star Wars villains, known as Kylo Ren, apprenticed to the mysterious Supreme Leader Snoke. Once a student of Luke Skywalker, Ben fell to the dark side but was never able to resist the pull of the light. The Force Dyad Ben shares with Rey became somewhat romantic, in spite of his many sins. .
Kylo Ren originally thought he was fulfilling his grandfather's mission, but it wasn't clear what he thought that was. In the end, he accomplished what his grandfather could not, by saving the woman he loved, a poignant end to the Skywalker line. All this, on top of Adam Driver's impeccable performance, cements Ben Solo as the best character in the new Star Wars canon.