The Most Impressive Non-Force Users In 'Star Wars' Canon
Much of the Star Wars story is centered around this mystical energy field created by all living things that surrounds us, penetrates us, and binds the galaxy together. After all, the main characters of the saga, the Skywalkers, are prominent Force users. As we all know, not everyone in the Star Wars galaxy is a Force user. The balance of powers would not be the same if anyone could just Force pull weapons from their enemies.
With the depth of lore available, we will limit the current discussion to non-Force users in Star Wars canon. We will also focus on those who exhibit fighting abilities in the Star Wars canon.
Wedge Antilles
Luke: "I used to bull's-eye womp rats in my T-16 back home, and they're not much bigger than two meters!"
Wedge: "Yeah, and were the womp rats shooting at you with turbolaser cannon?"
While his most exciting missions are detailed in Legends book series Star Wars: X-Wing, his canon accomplishments are still noteworthy. He is the only Rebel pilot (apart from Luke Skywalker) who can boast that he survived both Death Stars. His flying abilities are not as celebrated when compared to the stars like Luke Skywalker and Poe Dameron. However, every pilot in the Rebel Alliance and the New Republic would trust his abilities and experience to help them accomplish the mission, and survive the battle at the end of the day. As commander of the famed Rogue Squadron, and later head flight instructor of New Republic flight academy on Hosnian Prime, Antilles leaves behind a legacy of skilled pilots like Temmin Wexley and Poe Dameron.
Poe Dameron
“Permission to jump in an X-Wing and jump in an X-Wing and blow something up.” - Poe Dameron
Poe Dameron is no doubt the star pilot of the sequel trilogy era. He learns to fly an A-wing at the age of six, sitting on his mother’s lap. Being able to manage its high speed and finicky controls spoke much of his innate talent. He is also renowned for his ability to fly pretty much anything. In one incident, he is able to figure out a TIE fighter’s controls as it is crashing to the ground. We see his bravery when he covers for BB-8’s escape, firing at the incoming stormtroopers and the volatile Kylo Ren. His strong will allows him to resist interrogation by the First Order until Kylo Ren’s raw power forcefully extracts the information from his mind.
Cad Bane
“Not so impressive without your lightsaber are you, Jedi?” - Cad Bane
The scene that comes to mind is one where he is fighting toe to toe with Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Knowing that he cannot match Skywalker’s Force-enhanced abilities, he utilizes other tactics to tip the scale in his favor. From catching him by surprise from his blind side in the fog, to making him choose between saving his clone allies or coming after Bane. In his fight against lightsaber-toting Obi-Wan Kenobi, he is able to disarm the Jedi using electrical shocks delivered from his modified gauntlets. In his most daring job yet, Bane succeeds in infiltrating the heavily fortified Jedi temple full of Jedi. His resourcefulness and his boldness allow him to accomplish the impossible against the strongest warriors in the galaxy at the time.
Grand Admiral Thrawn
“One is born with a unique set of talents and abilities. One must choose which of those talents to nurture, which to ignore completely.” - Thrawn
Mitth'raw'nuruodo, better known as Thrawn, is probably one of the most infamous non-Force users in the Star Wars saga. His talents and abilities allow him to rise through the ranks of the xenophobic Imperial military to become their highest ranking officer. Like Antilles, mentioned above, much of his military acumen is demonstrated in Legends. A small glimpse of his abilities in canon reveal Thrawn as a master tactician who is able to deduce his opponent’s next step. While other commanders would study battle plans, he chooses to study their art and culture. He develops such an intimate knowledge of his enemy that he can predict their action in any situation, and thus prepare an appropriate response.
Han Solo
“Never tell me the odds!” - Han Solo
Probably the most impressive non-Force user here, although some might argue that he is Force-sensitive to a certain degree. Han Solo is able to shine despite being surrounded by Force users. His daring bravado is perhaps his most important quality, taking risks despite all odds, and succeeding in the end. He swoops in among Death Star cannon fires to fire at Darth Vader’s TIE Advanced, creating the opening for Luke to destroy the first Death Star. He brings his ship hobbling into an unfamiliar asteroid field to shake Imperial pursuers off his tail. On Bespin, he fires multiple shots at Darth Vader, knowing full well that blaster bolts are probably useless against the dark lord. He still chooses to go down fighting with what he knows best, with his blaster. Even his infamous Kessel run that takes only 12 parsecs is a less than calculated risk. Most would take a wider breadth of the gravity well in close proximity to Kessel. In order to save precious time, he scrapes by as close as he can without being sucked into the Maw. If Luck is a talent, this man has plenty of it indeed.