George Lucas really nailed the casting of Luke Skywalker way back in 1976. In Mark Hamill, the filmmaker not only found the ideal young person to portray a hero wannabe, but an actual dreamer IRL who would enjoy playing an ambassador for Star Wars for 50-plus years. Speaking to him at the age of 74, Hamill is just as entranced by the magic of Star Wars as ever.
So Mark, if you’re reading this, look away: you have been snubbed by the so-called fans!!
In an announcement timed to May the 4th, the unofficial day of all things Star Wars, Fandom has issued what it believes are the top 10 Star Wars characters “according to fans.” The results were not collated by a poll, but rather “by examining fan engagement this past year across its Wookieepedia community.” Based on the list, the methodology is suspect, to say the least. There’s no Luke, no Han, no Leia, and no Yaddle.
The top 10 Star Wars characters “according to fans”
- Anakin Skywalker
- Darth Sidious
- Maul
- Darth Plagueis
- Ahsoka Tano
- Dooku
- Marrok
- The Stranger
- Grievous
- Tenebrae
If Fandom’s list reveals anything, it’s that the metrics of the internet have warped the concept of popularity and legacy. An impression on a wiki has very little to do with our feelings deep down and everything to do with casual fans watching, say, the finale of The Acolyte and rushing to understand who that creepy alien guy is in the shadows.
Anakin Skywalker hitting number one feels like a given on a few fronts — his page rolls up all of “Darth Vader” as well speaks — but unlike the OT heroes, Lucasfilm has been able to achieve so much more with its prequel characters outside the movies rather within them. The sheer amount of animation, novelized EU, comics, and other micro-content focused on era-spanning characters means Anakin’s Wookieepedia page is a rich tapestry of “he did what now?” moments.
The tech-minded belief that search interest equates to human interest also manifests in Fandom’s list of the top Star Wars series and films “according to fans.” The “fans” have declared Maul – Shadow Lord, Disney’s current animated that has yet to wrap its first season, is the greatest creation in the entire 50-year legacy of the franchise. OK! And The Mandalorian and Grogu, which opens in theaters in 22 days, is number 3, a few spots above A New Hope.
The top 10 Star Wars series and movies “according to fans”
- Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord
- Star Wars: Andor
- Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu
- Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld
- Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace
- Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope
- Star Wars: The Acolyte
- Star Wars: Ahsoka
- Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith
- Star Wars Rebels
In the age of inflated video metrics, review-bombing, and dudes on X.com bragging about their RTs, the power of a view on the internet has been greatly diminished. In this day and age, you can’t attribute engagement to vibrant (lowercase f) fandom —that’s just not how the tides of navigating the splintered internet works, despite everyone begging us to believe it does. So a list of the best Star Wars characters without Luke Skywalker doesn’t feel like a generational gap… it’s just obtuse. I want to believe there is no smattering of Star Wars fans, young or old, who would not find room for the moisture farmer from Tatooine on this list.
What the list does reveal is that I have personally failed in my mission to click on the Wookieepedia page for Yaddle enough times in the last year. I promise to do better.
About the Author
