Top 9 New Characters in the Star Wars Sequels Ranked

Possibly the most exciting element of the debut of The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi was the opportunity to witness what beloved characters from the original Star Wars trilogy had been up to in the 30 years since we last saw them. Surprisingly, after witnessing the two new films, some fans became far more interested in the exploits of new characters to the saga, looking forward to their futures instead of hoping to recapture the spirit of the past.

The new series of films offer some similarities to the previous films, with the Resistance standing in for the Rebel Alliance and the First Order standing in for the Galactic Empire, and while these similarities help make the galaxy feel familiar to devout fans, it’s the new characters and distinct personalities that have made the new films so exciting.

Scroll down to see our picks for the best new characters in the Skywalker Saga!

9) General Hux

The Empire had its fair share of villainous Imperials, yet, other than Grand Moff Tarkin in Star Wars, none of the officers had much personality or anything that made them distinct. With Hux, audiences have seen the most extreme example of a classic villain archetype, with the character’s journey helping give the First Order more of a personality.

Fans first saw Hux as an equal to Kylo Ren, as they both served the Supreme Leader Snoke. Seemingly a more tactical mastermind, the character has appeared as both all-powerful in his delivery of a maniacal monologue on Starkiller Base while then appearing to be a groveling lemming in The Last Jedi.

Hux has given the First Order far more personality than what we had seen depicted within the Galactic Empire.

8) Supreme Leader Snoke

Fans never got to learn much about Snoke, but it was his mysterious backstory that made him so fascinating.

Debuting as a massive hologram, audiences had already seen Kylo Ren’s ruthlessness, so any character that could order around such a villainous character must have been quite treacherous himself. In the two years between The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, the lack of information about Snoke caused countless rumors to emerge about the horrifying character, with all rumors eventually being for naught.

Even without audiences knowing his backstory, the villain’s ferocious interrogation of Rey in The Last Jedi was one of the more frightening sequences in the entire Star Wars saga, giving Emperor Palpatine a run for his money in pure intimidation.

7) Vice Admiral Holdo

Much like Snoke’s mysteriousness added to his character, the intrigue surrounding Holdo and her motivations are what ultimately made her role in The Last Jedi so fulfilling.

After Leia became injured due to her stint in outer space, Holdo immediately stepped in and took charge to help determine the best course of action for the Resistance. Poe Dameron clashed with Holdo, as he felt he knew the better course of action in the situation, but his reckless disregard for the safety of the Resistance’s fleet caused a demotion that meant he ranked too low to learn valuable information.

Not only through her leadership of the Resistance did Holdo prove a powerful figure, but also through her actions of jumping into hyperspace in order to eviscerate the First Order’s fleet, giving what remained of the Resistance the opportunity to get to Crait.

6) Finn

Heading into The Force Awakens, many people had pegged Finn as the hero of the story, due to the way the marketing team had portrayed the character in promotional materials. Instead, Finn ended up being an audience surrogate who was constantly wondering how he got into these dangerous situations.

While Finn might not be the hero audiences expected, he still aims to be heroic, even if he’s been conflicted over his motivations. For a majority of the two films, Finn has made “protecting” Rey his top priority, avoiding the decision of siding with the Resistance or the First Order.

After his encounters with Han Solo, DJ, and Rose Tico, Finn finally began to realize his own strengths and the best way to utilize them in hopes of protecting what he cares about most.

5) Rose Tico

While Finn’s devotions wavered throughout most of his journey on film, Rose proved her devotions early on in The Last Jedi, with her resolve only growing more strongly throughout her adventures alongside the newfound ally.

Rose’s sister Paige was a pilot for the Resistance, and while it might not have been as glamorous, Rose did her part by serving as a mechanic. When Finn attempted to flee the Resistance for selfish reasons, she attempted to turn him over as a deserter. They instead developed a plan that would help further both the Resistance and Finn’s personal crusade, with the two ultimately developing a powerful bond.

In contrast with Finn, Rose debuted as a character with powerful convictions, having made her decisions and accepting the potential risks and sacrifices. By the end of The Last Jedi, audiences saw a softer side of the character while also delivering one of the film’s most important themes, “That’s how we’re gonna win. Not fighting what we hate, saving what we love.”

4) BB-8

The Star Wars saga has given audiences two of the most memorable automatons in history with R2-D2 and C-3PO, making it seem nearly impossible for any new droid to be as exciting as the duo. Nobody seemed to relay this message to BB-8, however, as the droid rolled its way into our hearts and proved to be as entertaining and adorable as Artoo and Threepio.

Whether it be helping make repairs to a ship in the middle of a battle, hiding coordinates that would lead to Luke Skywalker, or merely trying to avoid flying around the Millennium Falcon by attaching various cables throughout its interior, it appears as though there’s nothing the droid can’t do, all while making adorable beeps and chirps.

The cast and crew of the film seem to be so enamored with BB-8 that they can’t agree on its gender, as if projecting the incorrect gender onto a fictional robot could somehow offend it.

3) Poe Dameron

Actor Oscar Isaac brings with him a seemingly effortless charm to any role he approaches, making him one of the most charismatic actors working today. Take that swagger and put it in the Resistance’s best pilot and you get a character whose biggest flaw is his own ego.

Dameron has the distinction of setting the tone for both The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, which includes staring down Kylo Ren and wondering who has to talk first and also taunting Hux in order to buy time to enact his master plan in the respective films’ opening scenes.

Throughout the course of The Last Jedi, Dameron eventually learned some humility, thanks to Holdo and Leia, and understood he played a much more important role in the Resistance than as a pilot, as he could use his passionate belief in taking down the First Order to inspire others to do the same. We can’t wait to see how his character evolves even further in Episode IX.

2) Rey

Over the course of two films, audiences have seen many characters evolve and solidify their outlooks on life, but the joy of watching Rey’s journey is seeing how she was more competent than many of the characters she first met, allowing her character to evolve in fascinating ways.

Abandoned on Jakku by her parents, Rey was forced to find a way to survive the harsh terrain and stand up for herself, all while knowing she was destined for more. After coming face to mask with Kylo Ren, something deep inside her awakened, presenting a future to her that she had never even considered.

Despite facing opposition at virtually every turn, Rey’s devotion to discovering herself has resulted in many powerful moments, reminding audiences, and herself, that everyone defines who they are as a person and doesn’t need to rely on their past to determine their future.

1) Kylo Ren

Throughout much of The Force Awakens, Kylo Ren appeared to be nothing more than Darth Vader-lite, a powerful Force user who thought they knew it all, only for something as simple as the discovery of Rey to shake the foundations of what he believed in. The events of that film awakened something inside Rey, but also ignited Kylo’s determination to shatter the things he believed in most to forge a new path.

In a world of Jedi vs. Sith, Light vs. Dark, the Star Wars saga has always been about balance and duality. Kylo’s journey, however, has destroyed those preconceived notions, attempting to dismantle the repetitive and cyclical conflicts present throughout the galaxy for decades, possibly centuries.

Prior to becoming Kylo, the character was Ben Solo, a confused kid who hoped to make sense of his powers with Luke Skywalker, only for the mentor to witness his inner conflict and reflexively draw his weapon. As Kylo, he faced ridicule at the hands of Snoke, eventually turning on his true tormentor to break free of his supposed masters once and for all.

Whatever the future holds for Kylo, he is regularly the most compelling element of any sequence he’s involved in, something we’re sure will continue into Episode IX.