10 Of The Best ‘Star Wars’ Villains, Ranked
Star Wars has had a rich cast of characters both good and bad. However, their villains were some of the best that have existed in any media past or present. They were ruthless, cruel, sinister, and downright evil. They each had their own reasons for why they do what they do, and that was what made them such great villains. Before we get into the list, I specifically stuck to canon Star Wars characters. While I debated on putting a couple Sith from Legends on the list, I really felt that the main canon had enough to fill a "Top 10," and the Legends villains really should have a list of their own. That being said, here are the greatest villains to plague the Star Wars galaxy.
10. Cad Bane
I have to be honest with this entry. Cad Bane probably could be a little higher on this list, but I really do not like him as a character. That may make me a little biased, but I am the one making the list. Either way, Cad Bane proved himself to be a major threat in the Clone Wars. While technically he was a bounty hunter and worked for whoever paid him the most, he did not seem to have a conscience about him that would have stopped other bounty hunters. He was willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done.
9. General Grievous
General Grievous occasionally acted like a mustache-twirling villain from a Saturday morning cartoon. However, the other side of him was a ruthless killer and leader of a droid army. Also, it should not be overlooked that he had murdered several Jedi and taken their lightsabers as trophies, which was a different level of twisted than a lot of people on this list. He was more machine than man, making him an incredibly efficient killing machine. He was also extremely difficult to defeat. Not to mention that he controlled a droid army that he would deploy and sacrifice as he needed. Grievous was a twisted Jedi hunter and questionable general at best.
8. Kylo Ren
While Ben Solo may not have been a Sith originally, and had redeemed himself at the end, he served as the main villain for the majority of the sequel trilogy. Obsessed with Darth Vader, he mimicked his grandfather in almost every aspect of his life. He dressed in all black with a cool helmet, hated Luke Skywalker, tried to turn someone to the Dark Side, and killed his master. Those may not be the most villainous things that appear on this list, but his most horrid atrocity was what nails his place on the list. He killed Han Solo, and that was unforgivable!
7. Moff Gideon
I will just go ahead and get it out of the way. Giancarlo Esposito played a fantastic villain in everything! However, it also does not hurt that Moff Gideon was an excellent villain to portray. Moff Gideon pretty much did everything he could to make you, the audience, hate him. He was cold and cruel, a running trait on this list. He tried to kill Mando. He wielded the Darksaber even though he was not a Mandalorian. Last but certainly not least, he tortured, and tried to kill Grogu. The last one alone should put him on this list, and I do not think we have seen the last of him either.
6. Grand Moff Tarkin
The first-ever Grand Moff, Wilhuff Tarkin was a force to be reckoned with. Though he lacked any Force abilities, he had a cold and cruel side that would rival lesser Sith. He believed the Empire should rule with fear. The Death Star was constructed under his command to scare the star systems into obedience. Not to mention he had no problem taking assets created by others for his own end as we have seen in Rogue One. He was ruthless and willing to do whatever it took to make a point. That was part of the reason he mercilessly destroyed the peaceful planet of Alderaan, the homeworld of Princess Leia.
5. Count Dooku
Count Dooku, or Darth Tyranus as some would call him, is on this list for similar reasons as Darth Vader. Dooku was once a great Jedi Master who fell to the Dark Side. He became the second apprentice of Darth Sidious and the head of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Under Darth Sidious, who could not reveal himself, Dooku practically single-handedly led the separatists against the Jedi. He had a knack for turning entire systems against the Republic, and he was a master strategist in the war. Not to mention he was an apprentice to Master Yoda. The last fact did not actually contribute to his villainous acts. I just thought it was cool.
4. Darth Maul
Darth Maul was really only in one of the main Star Wars movies. He was so cool in the The Phantom Menace that it put him on this list. The Clone Wars explored the character further, and gave us a new look at what happened to Darth Maul in the aftermath of The Phantom Menace. Surviving almost by sheer hatred alone, he overcame his defeat and terrorized the galaxy as a crime lord, and later, as the ruler of the Mandalorian homeworld. His hatred even led him to a rematch with Obi-Wan Kenobi, who defeated him in The Phantom Menace. He still failed to beat Kenobi subsequent times.
3. Grand Admiral Thrawn
Grand Admiral Thrawn was different than almost everyone else on this list. Like Grand Moff Tarkin, he lacked Force abilities. However, that did not make him any less of a threat. What Thrawn lacked in Force ability he more than made up with his knowledge, and cold calculating intellect. Ever the great strategist, he had the uncanny ability to predict his enemies’ actions. In Legends, he was the first major villain in the post-Return of the Jedi era, and in canon, he proved to be an immense threat to the Rebels. It appears he will be returning soon, so we may see even more terrible deeds from the Grand Admiral.
2. Darth Vader
One of the things that made Darth Vader such a great villain, not just in Star Wars, but in all of fiction, was that for a long time he really believed that he was doing good. He was committed to the idea that what he was doing was necessary to save someone he loved. Anakin’s fall was a tragedy that would rival a Shakespeare character. When he turned to the Dark Side he doubled down on his most brutal instincts, thus cementing his place on this list. His anger combined with his ruthlessness drove him far beyond the powers of a normal Sith. He even tortured one of his children and cut off the other's hand. He also murdered the Jedi younglings! I really do not think anything topped that in his villainy profile.
1. Darth Sidious
How could anyone else be at the top of the list of Star Wars villains? This was literally the Sith who caused the downfall of the Jedi order! He secretly manipulated both sides of a war and secretly gained power on both sides. He was cunning, crafty, manipulative, powerful, and, frankly, evil. Actor Ian McDiarmid even said the only redeeming factor he could find about the character was that he obviously had some appreciation for the arts since he went to the opera once. When you destroyed an entire order of Force-wielding warriors, became emperor of countless systems, mastered the Dark Side of the Force as a Sith Lord, controlled a planet-destroying weapon, and survived getting thrown into the center of the planet-destroying weapon survive, you knew you were a villainous force to be reckoned with.