Star Wars has displayed over the years so many villains, and as many heroes. Fighting to take over the galaxy, villains use the evil force but Jedi fight back, provoking the villainous characters to go on with their malicious plans. Star Wars depicts the battle between the evil and the good, and it’s a complicated war with complicated antagonists.
The dark side of the force got at some of the Jedi, who could not resist the temptation of pursuing their motivations through the power of malevolent actions. Other Star Wars movie villains are evil at core and driven by the need of power. Whatever their reasons are, these villains play a major role in the history of Star Wars movies.
The most powerful and dangerous have already captured our attention. Here’s a list with 10 iconic Star Wars villains. If you don’t find your favorite, check to the last page!
10. KYLO REN
Kylo Ren is one of the most recent Star Wars movie villains introduced in The Force Awakens. He is leading Knights of Ren, an organization like Sith that uses the dark side of the Force.
He is an agent of the First Order and he serves his master, Supreme Leader Snoke.
For those who haven’t seen The Force Awakens yet, I don’t want to spoil it, so I let you discover this Star Wars villain yourselves, but here’s something from J.J. Abrams about the character.
"We knew we needed to do something f***ing bold. The only reason Kylo Ren has any hope of being a worthy successor is because we lose one of the most beloved characters."
"Long before we had this title, the idea of The Force Awakens was that this would become the evolution of not just a hero, but a villain," Abrams told to EW (via Yahoo Movies)
9. GRAND MOFF TARKIN
Tarkin is not a Lord Sith but he is the commander of Death Star, the most destructive weapon in the Empire. Some said that the character is “one of the most formidable villains in Star Wars history.” He was first introduced in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope where he had the mission of destroying the Rebel Alliance.
He proves his ruthlessness when he threatens Princess Leia Organa to destroy the planet Alderaan if she doesn’t reveal the location of the Rebel Alliance. Leia names a place, but Tarkin goes on destroying Alderaan anyway.He is also stubborn, and that lead to his death when Luke Skywalker destroyed Death Star.
English actor Peter Cushing portrays Tarkin in A New Hope and rumor has it that Gareth Edwards wants to bring him back in his upcoming Star Wars: Rogue One. In a CGI version of course, as the actor passed away in 1994.
8. JABBA THE HUTT
“If I told you half the things I’ve heard about this Jabba the Hutt, you’d probably short-circuit!”
"•C-3PO to R2-D2
Well, this character is special, as you won’t see him in a battle, or with a lightsaber. But he has other abilities that make him a dangerous villain. His full name is Jabba Desilijic Tiure and he runs a crime organization on Tatooine.
Jabba the Hutt is cruel and practices illegal activities like slavery for fun. We first saw him in Return of the Jedi where he attempted to take revenge on Han Solo.
Guillermo del Toro expressed this idea for a Star Wars Anthology movie that would explore the character's origins, and here’s what he came up with:
"I would do the sort of "˜Godfather"˜ saga the Jabba the Hutt had to go through to gain control. One, because it's the character that looks the most like me, and I like him. I love the idea of a
Hutt type of mafia, a very complex coup, you know? "¦ I just love the character."
7. BOBA FETT
Boba Fett is the coolest of the Star Wars movie villains. Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones presents his origins as an unaltered clone of Jango Fett, his father and a bounty hunter. Luke Skywalker saves Boba Fett, Chewbacca, C-3PO and R2-D2 from a giant monster to later learn that the one he saved was working for Darth Vader.
In Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, Boba Fett is on a mission to kill Han Solo so he can collect a bounty from Vader. In Return of the Jedi he is at Jabba the Hutt’s palace where Solo’s rescuers are kept prisoners. When they try to escape, Boba Fett intervenes but he ends up in Sarlacc’s mouth thanks to Han Solo.
Both Jabba the Hutt and Darth Vader use him against Han Solo, but his main reason to fight against Jedi is the death of his "father" Jango Fett in the Battle of Geonosis.
6. SAVAGE OPRESS
Opress is Darth Maul‘s brother and used to be a Dathomirian Nightbrother. He became a Sith after allying with Nightsister Asajj Ventress against Count Dooku. To prove his loyalty to Ventress, Opress killed his beloved brother Feral.
He was subjected to rigorous Sith training under Count Dooku‘s supervision, but he was on an undercover mission to kill the Count. However, Ventress failed to convince Opress to murder Dooku at the last moment. He remains loyal to Mother Talzin, the one who transformed him into this atrocious combatant.
The Nightsisters leader gives Opress a new mission, to find his brother Maul who had survived after Obi-Wan cut him in half. Then, his sole purpose is to destroy Obi-Wan Kenobi.
His appearance is as terrifying as his character, and he is not easily destructible, features that also apply to his brother Maul.
5. GENERAL GRIEVOUS
General Grievous is a dangerous walking weapon with a creepy asthmatic cough reminding us of his organic nature inside the cyborg shell. Part human and part machine, Grievous can use his body as a weapon, striking devastating blows, but this is not his only skill. He is dangerous because he is ruthless and driven by the need of power. Not mentioning he masters the art of lightsaber.
His mentor was Dooku, but he doesn’t admit that he is a servant of Darth Tyranus’ interests. In Clone Wars, he is the Kaleesh cyborg Supreme Commander. Revenge of the Sith presents the cybernetic General as the second main antagonist.
” I’m no errand boy, and I’m not in this war for Dooku’s politics. I am the leader of the most powerfull droid army the galaxy has ever seen!”
"•Grievous to Obi Wan Kenobi
4. COUNT DOOKU
The dark side seduced this former Jedi and Darth Sidious made sure to manipulated him into it. He goes by the name Count Dooku, also known as Darth Tyranus.
“Powerful you have become, Dooku. The dark side I sense in you.”
“I’ve become more powerful than any Jedi. Even you.”
"•Yoda and Dooku
Just as his master, Darth Sidious, Dooku masters the art of manipulation and the ways of the terror. He is a traitor and a murderer. He kills his old friend Sifo-Dyas so he can take over the army of clones, and he programs General Grievous, the cyborg, to follow his orders.
“General, the ongoing stalemate in the war has become unacceptable. There is concern you have lost your focus. Lord Sidious demands more dramatic results: more dead Jedi.”
“You expect victory over Jedi, but all you give me to fight them is battle droids. Bah!”
"•Dooku (via hologram), speaking with Grievous
3. DARTH MAUL
Darth Maul was a male Dathomirian Zabrak Sith Lordborn born to Mother Talzin and raised as a Nightbrother on Dathomir, until Darth Sidious took it under his umbrella. Savage Opress and Feral were his blood brothers. Talzin gave Maul and Opress their first tattoos from a very early age.
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace introduced Darth Maul as the first major Star Wars movie villain, and he did not disappoint. His looks match his character perfectly.
Darth Sidious initiated him until he became a skilled practitioner of the dark side of the Force and a smart assassin. The battle scene between him and Jedi Knights Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Ginn is the highlight of The Phantom Menace. He doesn’t quit easily, and even after being cut in half he comes back in The Clone Wars series.
To show his raw evilness, Maul killed children, just to draw the attention of the man he wanted to murder.
2. DARTH VADER
Darth Vader is the most popular of the Star Wars movie villains and probably the greatest movie villain of all times. Darth Vader is not an ordinary antagonist, mainly because his motivations reside in his past. He is complex, twisted and hurt.
He once was Anakin Skywalker, a young Jedi who felt in love with Padame, and that love transformed him into Darth Vader. Qui-Gon Jinn recruited Anakin Skywalker when he was nine years old, believing that the Force was strong with the boy. Qui-Gon Jinn thought that Anakin could bring balance to the Force, sensing something special about him.
The Jedi became vulnerable at the thought that he could lose Padame (as that appeared in his dream) and became an easy prey for Palpatine. What could be more dangerous than someone driven by pain and despair?
His mother, Shmi Skywalker confesses to Qui-Gon Jinn that Darth Vader has no father, suggesting that he was conceived by the Force, or by midi-chlorians. This is probably the legend behind his special skills as Anakin Skywalker. What a pity!
1. EMPEROR PALPATINE
Emperor Sheev Palpatine a.k.a. Darth Sidious is actually the main antagonist in Star Wars and the one who makes sure all goes in the favor of the Dark Force. He was the one that convinced Anakin Skywalker to join the dark side. His evilness comes naturally and resides at his core. He is the kind of tyrant that chases power and gain it through manipulation and destruction.
He destroyed the Jedi Order and reinforced the Sith. But to do so, Palpatine posed as a well-intentioned public servant and defender of democracy while he was a practitioner of the dark side of the Force.
Palpatine represents corruption, evilness and malicious use of power. He lived a double life, a Naboo Senator and phantom menace who has manipulated the political system in the favor of fear and tyranny. He is definitely the best of Star Wars movie villains.
