5. Obi-Wan Kenobi

Obi-Wan Kenobi is the first Jedi Knight for many Star Wars fans who grew up with the Original Trilogy. He was Luke’s first master, only known as old Ben Kenobi, who later met his demise at the hands of his former apprentice Darth Vader. He is one of the most iconic Jedi Masters in Star Wars history.

Both versions of the character (Sir Alex Guinness and Ewan McGregor) share the same zen-like patient personality and calming wise voice.

He never gave up, despite losing Anakin Skywalker to the dark side, continuing the legacy of the fallen Jedi Order by keeping watch over Luke Skywalker.

The father figure to us all, Obi-Wan Kenobi is so legendary that he’s getting a live-action series of his own soon, with Ewan McGregor reprising the role. More of the Jedi Master is certainly welcome, in any form, time or place.

4. Master Yoda

Master Yoda is perhaps one of the most iconic non-human characters in all of Star Wars. He is the ultimate master with a level of seemingly limitless wisdom that everyone (even his enemies) respects. He is also the oldest and one of the most powerful Jedi to have ever lived, so there’s that.

His wise sayings are endlessly quotable and his voice is just as iconic, with legendary quotes like “Do or do not. There is no try,” and countless more.

Not only is he strong in the Force, but his lightsaber skills are also masterful, as evident from his duel against Count Dooku in Star Wars Episode II Attack Of The Clones.

Yoda embodies the best of Star Wars with his presence in any of the three Trilogies. His name is synonymous with wisdom even nowadays, which is a testament to the enduring legacy of the character over four decades of franchise history. All this from the brilliant puppet wizardry (back in the Original Trilogy) and voice performance of one Frank Oz.

3. Luke Skywalker

Luke Skywalker is the most obvious choice on this list, and there’s a perfectly good reason for that. He is the original hero of the Original Trilogy, and that will forever be true for all Star Wars fans. Mark Hamill is a living legend, and no disrespect to Harrison Ford, but Han Solo is not the best Original Trilogy protagonist.

Starting out as naive and a bit annoying, Luke grew to be a calm and powerful Jedi Knight in his own right by the beginning of Star Wars Episode VI Return Of The Jedi.

He embodies the very idea of hope, by believing that his father could still be redeemed, even after becoming the monster that is Darth Vader.

The childhood hero of many, Luke Skywalker will always be a hero to all Star Wars fans (let’s just forget that he essentially gave up and abandoned the galaxy in the Sequel Trilogy, shall we?). As far as I’m concerned, Luke is hope personified, just like his father in the end.

2. Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader

More than any single individual, Star Wars is the story of the rise, fall and redemption of the Chosen One, Anakin Skywalker. He was the first Skywalker to become a Jedi, and despite succumbing to the dark side for a spell, ultimately fulfilled his destiny of bringing balance to the Force.

Anakin was a man who got overwhelmed by the impossible burden and pressures of being the Chosen One thrust upon him. With the restrictive dogmas of the Jedi Order and those in the Jedi Council never really believing in him, he turned to the one man he thought did: Sheev Palpatine.

As Darth Vader, Anakin Skywalker is also one of the most iconic antagonists in pop-culture history.

His gradual leaning to the dark side in Star Wars The Clone Wars have provided more depth and context to his eventual fall from grace in Star Wars Episode III Revenge Of The Sith.

Complex and misunderstood, Anakin Skywalker is the true hero of the Star Wars franchise, and one of its best characters. He is and always will be the Chosen One. That is why I will probably always hate the Sequel Trilogy for rendering his sacrifice in Star Wars Episode VI Revenge Of The Sith meaningless.

1. Ahsoka Tano

She’s a fan-favourite Jedi for many, although casual Star Wars fans probably wouldn’t recognize her if they’ve never watched an episode of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels animated series, which are both canon.

Anakin Skywalker was given an apprentice by Yoda, and it was a young Padawan named Ahsoka Tano. She developed from being annoying as hell character that fans hated (comparable to that of Jar Jar Binks) to becoming one of the most beloved characters in the franchise.

Throughout the whopping 121 episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars (so far) and several episodes in Star Wars: Rebels, she went from being an inexperienced and naive Padawan to becoming an independent and powerful Jedi worthy of becoming a Knight. However, she was framed for murder and abandoned by the very Jedi Order she swore fealty to.

Frustrated with the hubris and corruptness of the Jedi Council, she left the Jedi Order for good. She later re-appeared in Star Wars: Rebels fighting against the Empire and even confronting her former master Darth Vader.

At the end of the series, Ahsoka is still alive (set after the events of Star Wars Episode VI: Return of The Jedi) and was about to embark on another journey to find Rebels protagonist Ezra Bridger who vanished when he sacrificed himself to close the portal to the World Between Worlds.

Disney keeps trying to create new female characters to spearhead the Star Wars franchise, with characters like Rey, Jyn Erso, and Rose Tico. However, we already have the perfect female Star Wars protagonist with Ahsoka Tano, and I’m not exaggerating when I say that she’s the best the franchise has ever had.

The chances of seeing an Ahsoka Tano movie being made is realistically low, so fans should appreciate that we’re getting more of her with Season 7 and that we heard her voice in Star Wars The Rise Of Skywalker (though she deserved her own Force Ghost appearance, at the very least).

Perhaps we’ll even witness her live-action debut in future seasons of The Mandalorian. One can only hope. Last but not least, Doctor Aphra is the worst Star Wars character ever made.