Over the course of this series, the Star Wars franchise introduced a number of interesting characters. Since the story o so long and stretches over different generations as well as having the ability of a different perspective almost all of the characters are very developed and it is clear what they want and why that is so. This being said, it would seem like a recipe for perfect character development, but in reality, there are a plethora of characters lacking in different areas. But which characters are the worst in the entire franchise?
From characters with bad writing all the way to the characters which are completely redundant, from characters which irritate you by their very presence to the characters which make you frustrated from the amount of the wasted potential that lies with them these are the 20 worst characters of this legendary franchise.
1. Watto
The machine shop owner who owns Anakin and his mother Shmi in The Phantom Menace is despicable from the outset. He’s a slave owner who deliberately pressures the separation between Anakin and his mother in the film, refusing to let Shmi go free with Anakin.
That should be enough to put him among the worst Star Wars characters. Even if you ignore the character’s blatant racial stereotypes, he’s the wrong kind of despicable for a Star Wars antagonist.
He’s too cartoonish to be credible as a villain, but he’s not particularly amusing. He’s just a grating screen presence who is actually just a plot device, and an offensive one at that.
Watto doesn’t have any redeeming qualities and the way he was written just makes him dull and irritating. This makes it seem like he wasn’t meant to be in the story and when you consider it the story wouldn’t lose much if he wasn’t in it.
2. Cassian Andor
Rogue One was one of the most anticipated Star Wars movies ever. It had a promising cast as well as talented people working behind the scenes and most importantly it was created to fill one of the biggest plotholes in the story.
As the movie release was getting closer certain characters were released and with a quick look at a sarcastic blind monk and yet another lovable droid, it seemed like the movie would deliver everything it promised.
One of the characters who ended up being a bit underwhelming was Cassina Andor. Despite being one of the main characters in Rogue One, Cassian is a forgettable character.
At best, he’s a skeleton, and even the minor details we get along the way feel plagiarized from more interesting stories and characters. All we ever know is that he’s lost friends and made sacrifices, so we never know who or what they really are.
3. Jar Jar Binks
Gungan Jar Jar Binks, who first appeared in 1999’s The Phantom Menace, has never been a more controversial character. He was supposed to be there for comic relief, and George Lucas put him front and center alongside Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Anakin Skywalker in the film.
Jar Jar is without a doubt the worst Star Wars character ever. He’s obnoxious and juvenile, with speech patterns that would be offensive even if the stuff coming out of his mouth didn’t rank among the dumbest dialogue in the franchise. He almost always feels completely out of place and badly conceived.
Jar Jar, aside from being a general nuisance, plays an important role in Revenge of the Sith. He rises through the ranks to become a Senator, where he casts the decisive vote granting emergency powers to Chancellor Palpatine, ultimately securing the dark lord’s victory. Anything that happens to Palpatine in the following films is a direct result of Jar Jar’s deciding vote. It’s difficult to blame Boss Nass for having him exiled in retrospect.
4. Nute Gunray
Nute Gunray, a member of the Trade Federation, is introduced early in the first film of the Star Wars prequel series. He is one of the film’s villains, working for Darth Sidious, who is actually Chancellor Palpatine, and pressuring Padme Amidala into signing a treaty and ordering his war droids to stop anyone who gets in the Separatists’ way.
He is another antagonist that doesn’t fit into the Star Wars universe since he isn’t very intimidating nor does he add much to the story. The fans were used to a lot of active fight scenes between the hero and the antagonist and discussing the logistics behind the Trade federation doesn’t really fit into that already established dynamics.
5. Rose Tico
there’s no denying that her character was underwhelming during the blockbuster. The main cause is that she’s on Canto Bight with Finn at the same time as the best scenes of the movie including Supreme Leader Snoke, Rey, and Kylo Ren all sharing screen time.
There’s a difference between idealistic and preachy, and the fact that her whole subplot has little bearing on the main plot or Finn’s arc just adds to the sense that these themes are completely out of nowhere. It’s as if a snobbish classmate interrupts recess with a heartfelt speech about saving the squirrels.
Another thing people didn’t like about the way her character was written in the scene where she stops Finn from sacrificing himself and potentially putting the entire Resistance in danger.
All in all, the hate for Rose is more down to her writing, as shown by her blatantly getting shoved to the side in The Rise Of Skywalker.
6. Vice Admiral Holdo
This character is more frustrating than anything and isn’t a bad character per se. After taking command following Leia Organa’s death, she spends the entirety of The Last Jedi belittling everyone’s favorite Resistance pilot Poe Dameron. When she should have just told him what she was planning.
She keeps her strategy for surviving The Force Order’s pursuit to herself. Blatantly withholding information in a life-or-death scenario because of personal dislike is a senselessly shortsighted move, and it makes Holdo thoroughly unlikeable as a result.
This is only furthered by her attitude, especially since her opinion regarding who much better than everyone else she is making her even more unlikable.
Her acts are bad enough on their own, but the whole situation becomes much more sinister. Despite her many errors, Holdo never receives retribution.
In fact, the script tries to assert that she was in the right all along, with Leia zapping Poe into submission and claiming that he should have simply trusted in his superior officer.
7. Rey
From the release of the first movie in the sequel trilogy, Rey seemed like an interesting character with a lot of potentials. She was set up as an inspirational character and Daisy Ridley chances that in an amazing way throughout her acting.
However, the character wasn’t safe from a practice heavily frowned upon by any fandom. Overpowered characters are not exclusive to the Star Wars universe.
There is nothing wrong with a character being powerful, however, in Rey’s case, she got all of her powers immediately without enduring any hardships, which is why many fans hold the opinion that it is simply not realistic that she could simply master the Force with little to no effort and defeat someone as talented as Kylo Ren.
The final nail in the coffin was her overtaking the Skywalker name after easily besting Luke despite the fact that Luke was one of the most influential Jedis in Univers after the events of the original trilogy.
8. Anakin Skywalker
Although Dart Vader is one of the most popular characters in the franchise, his true self, Anakin Skywalker, is a different story. When discussing the character we have to look at two different people who portrayed him.
The young version of Anakin, the one we meet in the Phantom Menance is played by actor Jake Lloyd. He was a 9-year-old boy a the time and obviously isn’t the one to blame for the way the character turned out.
He was written as a very stiff character and an actor who isn’t charismatic can’t carry the movie especially if he is written in a way young Anakin was.
The same can be said for Hayden Christensen’s portrayal of the character. The prequels were very much a George Lucas project which left the actors with little to no room for them to work with the characters which in turn causes all of them to appear extremely boring.
If you disagree with this statement the only evidence needed to back this claim up is the infamous sand line.
9. Boss Nass
Given how despised Jar Jar Binks was, nearly everything Gungan was involved in was ripped to shreds by enraged fans. Boss Nass, who was in charge of the Gungans and actually played a key role in the Republic’s victory over the Trade Federation by sending his own men into battle.
Boss Nass, like Jar Jar, had a habit of attempting to be comedic. But he, too, failed at this mission, and in the years since, he has scarcely been interested in Star Wars. That’s probably for the better, given that he was almost as unpopular as Ahmed Best’s character.
The character has the same problem as a few others on this list and that is the fact that despite how important he was in the script the story wouldn’t lose that much if he was removed from it.
10. Ahsoka Tano
This one may be the most disappointing one on this list because it is guilty of the worst crime in many different fans’ eyes and that is wasted potential. The idea behind the character is amazing.
Anakin having a padawan during the events of the Clone Wars had so much room for interesting plot lines and setting up inner conflict within both of the characters.
Even the way Ahsoka was introduced to the viewers as a brat who is actually a lot like Anakin opened the story up to so many questions and would have been perfect for a story where Anakin grows with her.
Unfortunately, non of this happened. She is not a bad character by herself but compared to what she could have been revealed just how disappointing the character is.
We hope they will redeem her once she gets her own live-action TV show.
11. Mace Windu
Mace Windu is a fascinating character. He’s not only a powerful Jedi, but he’s also one of a kind, thanks to his prized Vaapad lightsaber fighting style.
As such he is one of the most popular characters in the prequel trilogy. Although he doesn’t have a lot of screen time he had an aura that made him appear intimidating and wise.
Still, many people point out that the character was completely ruined during the Clone Wars series, where Mace Windu was shown as someone who blindly followed the Jedi Code and the Jedi Council.
One thing that made him even more hated is the way he treated Ahsoka, who was a fan-favorite character at the beginning of the animated series.
12. Colonel Gascon
The Clone Wars created a slew of memorable characters who went on to become fan favorites, but Gascon isn’t one of them.
On a secret Republic mission, this tiny twerp commands a squad of droids. Unfortunately, they are soon trapped in a lonely world, and you, the listener, are forced to listen to their unfunny chatter for four episodes.
His character is stuck in a cycle where he goes on and on about how he’s the most experienced and capable member of the team after which the droids accidentally damage his ego and he gets mad while lamenting being stuck in the middle of nowhere with them.
Suffice it to say, the humor in this scenario wears thin real fast. At times, it feels like the creators are attempting to mix screwball comedy with the minimalist charm of WALL-E, but nothing about Gascon or his team works on either a comedic or dramatic level.
13. Governor Pryce
One of the best characters in the Star Wars universe is Admiral Thrawn. He is a true villain in every sense of the word villain in the Star Wars universe.
Unfortunately, when he was brought back for Star Wars Rebels he was accompanied by his sidekick, Governor Pryce who happens to be one of the most unlikable characters in the universe.
This woman gleefully basks in her enemies’ misery while doing none of the effort to overcome them, riding on Thrawn’s triumph at every level. When she does get her hands dirty, she fails spectacularly, allowing the heroes to gain an advantage over the Empire.
Despite this, she seems to become more narcissistic with each visit, talking down to others and flaunting her dominance like a superficial adolescent.
She has about the same amount of depth as one of the haughty Imperial officers we see in the background all the time. Pryce, on the other hand, doesn’t go away. Good news!
14. Ziro the Hut
Part of Ziro’s dislike stems from the same source as Gunray’s, as they both exhibit pettiness, cowardice, and a victim mentality. However, everything is amplified in Ziro’s case.
When he doesn’t get his way, he screams like a kid, making you wonder how he ever rose to power or how anyone can bear being in the same room as him.
As a character that was built to resemble Jabba the Hut, he fails to cause any similar emotions in the viewer once he is on the screen. While Jabba seems like someone in control of his own fate since he holds so much power, Ziro is the complete opposite.
It’s made even worse by the fact that his voice sounds like nails on a chalkboard. Not only can his faux-Southern accent, high-pitched speech, and Capote lisp take you totally out of the Star Wars universe, but he also stretches out his sentences in self-indulgence, prolonging the pain of both the characters and the viewer.
15. Kazuda Xiono
The idea of Star Wars Resistance, which chronicled the rise of the First Order through the eyes of a Resistance spy, was intriguing. Unfortunately, the film’s lead character is such a scumbag and a moronic waste of room that it’s difficult to feel sorry for him or care for something he does.
We’re told he’s a pilot, but given his lack of hand-eye coordination and general knowledge, you have to wonder how he found out where the “on” turn is.
Despite his obvious incompetence, Kaz is continuously entrusted with confidential information and high-stakes tasks, and he manages to come out on top despite his obvious incompetence. When confronted with a fighting situation, however, he lets out a high-pitched shriek, flails his arms, and flees.
To put it another way, when the writers do try to add some drama, it is completely unearned. Why would we ever take this guy seriously as a hero if he’s just here to do funny pratfalls for the kids watching? You’ll be ashamed to watch this cretin if you’re over the age of four. All you can do is hope for his painful death.
16. Young Boba Fett
Boba Fett is one of the most beloved characters from the original trilogy. He is a bounty hunter who succeeded at what most others couldn’t, capturing Han Solo.
Because of this most fans were extremely excited to see a young version of him in the prequel trilogy. Everyone wanted to see the quiet but lethal assassin as a youngster.
Then came Attack of the Clones, which depicted him as a young child. Once again, Lucasfilm has provided us with a whiny, obnoxious little punk. His whoops and hollers as his father fought off an Obi-Wan Kenobi assault in the rain were as painful to watch as Jake Lloyd destroying the Federation ship in Phantom Menace.
It is clear that George Lucas was trying to show the fans that everyone’s favorite assassin started out as a normal, regular kid (although after taking the storyline into consideration he is far from regular).
Unfortunately, this great idea actually fell a bit flat and the beloved character was almost completely destroyed in the eyes of the fans due to this boring at best portrayal.
17. Dexter Jettser
One important thing to consider is that this character is not bad at all, however, the character is the perfect example of what happens when only one person has control over the creative project and no one else has a say in it.
We all know how much George Lucas enjoyed the creative freedom he had with the prequel trilogy, but the problem with complete creative freedom and power is that there’s no one to warn you when you’ve come up with an insanely bad idea.
For starters, the character is actually extremely forgettable and the story wouldn’t lose much if he was removed from it.
The other, worst reason is the fact that his existence doesn’t really make any sense. There were other ways through which Obi-Wan could have figured out where the weapon came from.
The fact that he gets the information from a greasy cook in a space diner doesn’t really make sense in the space setting of Star Wars.
18. Dash Rendar
When George Lucas first started working on the prequel trilogy, he wanted to create a new plot to fill the time gap between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi in order to increase fan interest in the franchise.
It was a novel, video game, comic book, and even a soundtrack. Shadows of the Empire was the worst kind of connect-the-dots storytelling, describing stuff like where Leia got the Boushh attire she wore to Jabba’s Palace, and how Luke mastered the Force (though not shown in the best way)
Dash Rendar is another heinous crime birthed by Shadow of the Empire. You can almost hear the creation by a committee brainstorming session with Han Solo frozen in carbonate during this time period.
He basically served as a stand-in for Han Solo to fill the role of the character. However, he ended up pretty much as Han Solo with a different name.
Don’t believe me’ Let me introduce you to our Dash here: a Corellian smuggler who follows his own set of laws, despises the Empire, and owns a ship that definitely doesn’t look like the Millennium Falcon.
19. Kylo Ren
Kylo Ren was set up as the main villain of the sequel trilogy. Following Darth Vader’s step would be a daunting task even for the best-written characters.
At first, it seemed like Kylo Ren would be a great villain since he had a lot of things in common with Darth Vader. The way the first movie introduced him as the commander of the First Order made him seem like he was extremely powerful.
However, that would be the reason for his downfall in the sequels. To be completely fair this has more to do with the way Rey was written than Kylo’s character itself, but it is a major flaw nonetheless.
This extremely powerful Sith Lord who defeated the entire Jedi Order got severely injured by an inexperienced junk collector the first time she held a lightsaber in her hands.
Although it was clear from the beginning of the movie that Rey is extremely Force-sensitive, however at that point in the story it would be realistically impossible for her to defeat him so easily.
This goes hand to hand with the criticism that the fight between the two was mostly fought using lightsabers and not using the Force. Considering that Kylo Ren trained for years and Rey defeated him the first time she fought using a lightsaber makes him look extremely weak.
The fact that this fight happens in the first movie, he loses all the intimidation factors he had before that which weakens his overall presence as the antagonist.
20. Fode and Beed
The tonal change from 1983’s Return of the Jedi to 1999’s The Phantom Menace is still amazing after all these years. It’s almost as if George Lucas wanted to try his hand at something completely new rather than continuing with what fans had enjoyed. And, once again, it’s the comedy that falls short.
Fode and Beed are supposed to be funny Pod Racing commentators, but they aren’t. Even children don’t find them amusing, and despite the fact that they’re only in the movie for a few minutes, they’re known as notorious among the fan base’s hardcore members. They’d gotten their five minutes of fame, and that was more than enough for them.
