Let’s Face It, The Dark Side is Kinda Cool
While we all root for the heroes of Star Wars, we all really think the bad guys are cooler. Think about Vader’s scene in Rogue One. It’s a horrible massacre of men fighting for the good of the galaxy.
And we all loved it.
Before I list some of my favorite villains from the saga, let me reiterate the same rules from yesterday’s heroes piece. No characters introduced in The Force Awakens or The Last Jedi will be listed. (Update: Kylo Ren definitely seems evil. He will be on the list as soon as the sequel trilogy concludes). We don’t know their fate so they may not stay good.
Second, I only included any Star Wars I’ve seen or read. I have not read all of the EU nor have I read all of the new canons, so this list is not pretending to be definitive. Not in the slightest.
Also, this list is not in any type of order.
My List of My Favorite Star Wars Villains
- Darth Vader: Ok, this one is the top villain. He was the perfect version of evil for my young brain (I was born in late 1973). When he is evil, he is impressive, most impressive. When he turns good, he becomes our hero. And as amazing as he is in the films, he really gets some moments in the comics. If you haven’t read Vader Down, stop reading this and go read it.
- Darth Maul: Darth Maul in the Phantom Menace is a great action, bad guy. In the comics and especially in the Clone Wars, he is genuinely terrifying.
- Palpatine – Overrated: Emporer Palpatine as an evil character. Underrated: His time before becoming emperor. He outwits and outmaneuvers the entire Senate and Jedi Council. As a Sith and a politician he indeed is the personification of evil in the saga.
- Orson Krennic: Krennic is a different kind of bad guy. He is that guy in the office that you pray to god doesn’t become your boss. He can do the job, but he isn’t overly talented at it. In fact, he knows how to take credit for your work. He really wants to be in charge, and he will entirely forget the help he received to get there. In other words, he is the most real-world version of evil.
- Barriss Offee: She is almost a forgivable form of evil. Her motivation is reasonable in that the Jedi Council seems to make every wrong decision leading to what appears as an unending war.
- Thrawn: So methodical in his work. In fact, he is not necessarily evil. He just works for the bad guys, and is better at his job than practically everyone else.
- Mother Talzan: From a certain point of view, this character is not always on the wrong side. In fact, there are storylines in which you might root for her since she is going up against someone worse. While we can argue if she is pure evil or not, I think we can all agree she always interesting.
- Count Dooku: I wasn’t sure if I wanted to put him on here, but he does have great storylines in The Clone Wars and especially in Dark Disciple.
There are some that aren’t on this list that I’m going to get flack for. I don’t find Tarkin very interesting in the movies and in the animated series, but I like him more as a villain in Catalyst. (Update: Ok, Tarkin definitely belongs on the list and maybe near the top as far as evil goes. He blows up an entire planet, and there is no proof that the order comes from anyone else but him – at least in the movies). Also, for the love of all things Star Wars, I do not get the Boba Fett worship. There are a few others that I like but I don’t feel like we got enough of to put on a list (such as the Inquisitor).
So who are your favorite villains from Star Wars?
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