Star Wars is the most significant franchise of all-time because it is one of complete originality. While Harry Potter and the Marvel Cinematic Universe were based on material that already had established fanbases, the original Star Wars was a film that no one wanted to make until George Lucas revolutionized blockbuster filmmaking forever by creating the ultimate work of science fiction escapism, which became the biggest hit of all-time.
Star Wars has weathered some controversies over the years, mostly because of an aggressive, hateful segment of the fanbase that seems to target actors for what they perceive to be problems with the characters. The unfortunate reality is that Lucasfilm (and in recent years, Disney) have not done enough to protect these actors, and they may have suffered career consequences as a result. In the galaxy far, far away, there’s always going to be a dark side.
10 Jimmy Smits as Bail Organa
Image via DisneyJimmy Smits was already a massive ‘90s television star by the time that he was cast to play Senator Bail Organa in Star Wars: Episode II- Attack of the Clones. While it was a minor role, it seemed like Organa would end up having much more to do later on, as he was the adopted father of Princess Leia.
The films and shows never got to show the birth of Organa’s friendship with Obi-Wan Kenobi, even though, in the original film, Leia (Carrie Fisher), tells Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) that they served together in the Clone Wars. Although Smits got to briefly reprise his role in Obi-Wan Kenobi, a show that was considered to be a disappointment, he was recast in Andor with Benjamin Bratt, and thus got to miss out on being part of one of the greatest Star Wars stories of all-time.
9 Rose Byrne as Dorme
Image via LucasfilmRose Byrne is one of the best actresses working today, but some people might not even remember that she had a brief role in Star Wars: Episode II- Attack of the Clones. Byrne appears as Dorme, an aide of Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman), who is a member of the Naboo representatives that journey to be part of the Galactic Senate Coruscant. She’s one of many future Oscar nominees that played Padme’s handmaidens, including Sofia Coppola and Keira Knightley in the previous film.
There is no effort to make Dorme into a real character, even though it would have been nice to have a scene between Byrne and Portman. Thankfully, Byrne ended up moving on pretty quickly after her Star Wars experience, as she was cast alongside Glenn Close in the brilliant, Emmy Award winning FX legal drama Damages, which ran for five seasons.
8 Richard E. Grant as General Enric Pryde
Image via LucasfilmRichard E. Grant is an amazing character actor who seemed like he would be a perfect fit for the Star Wars universe, especially since the franchise has a history of hiring great British actors to play members of the Empire. Unfortunately, Grant had the misfortune of being cast in the worst entry in the series, as he made his only appearance in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Grant actually gives what is probably the best performance in the film as the evil General Enric Pryde, as he has an aura of menace and seems to be having fun chewing the scenery. His character’s death is handled so unceremoniously that it’s confusing why Disney would hire an Oscar-nominated actor for the part; hopefully, there is room for some future film or show set in the past to bring back Grant so he can do more with the character.
7 Naomi Ackie as Jannah
Naomi Ackie isn’t only a great actress whose talents were wasted by the Star Wars franchise, but someone who would later prove to be a worthy addition to a science fiction property when she co-starred with Robert Pattinson in Bong Joon-ho’s adaptation of the sci-fi novel Mickey 17. Unfortunately, Ackie is completely wasted in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker because the film does nothing with the idea of former stormtroopers leading a rebellion against the First Order, even after she is introduced to Finn (John Boyega).
Ackie is involved in one of the most confusing moments in the film due to a scene at the end with Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams); the script is so incoherent that it is not clear if Lando is insinuating that Jannah is his daughter, or if he is trying to flirt with her.
6 Kelly Marie Tran as Rose Tico
Image via DisneyKelly Marie Tran gave a great performance as Rose Tico in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and has some of the most important sentiments in the film; Rose teaches Finn that it is more important to save what you love than it is to destroy what you hate, which is reflective of the ideas that Lucas had used to found the franchise.
Tran unfortunately had her role almost entirely removed from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, as Rose is forced to stay at the base while Rey (Daisy Ridley), Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), and Finn go out on an adventure to search for the Sith artifact. It felt like a cowardly move on Disney’s part in response to the toxic side of the fanbase that had trolled Star Wars: The Last Jedi by making sexist and racist comments about mant of the cast members.
5 Keri Russell as Zorii Bliss
Image via LucasfilmKeri Russell has been winning awards left and right for The Diplomat, which has somehow managed to get everyone to forget that she was briefly in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Russell appears for little more than a few scenes as the bounty hunter Zorri Bliss, who is described as being a member of the criminal underworld and a former ally of Poe.
Zorri feels like a character who might have been fleshed out more in earlier drafts, as the film barely gives her anything to do before she arrives at the end to help the Resistance in their fight against the fleet of Star Destroyers working for the First Order. The character felt awkwardly inserted as a love interest to Poe, perhaps included as a response to the popular fan theory that Poe and Finn would be romantically involved.
4 Lee Jung-jae as Jedi Master Sol
Image via LucasfilmLee Jung-jae became an international star with his performance on the Netflix drama series Squid Game, which won him a Primetime Emmy Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series. While he seemed like a natural fit to play a wise Jedi Master, he was cast to play Master Sol in The Acolyte, a character that made no sense.
Sol withholds information for no reason and seems to overlook simple solutions when talking with Mae (Amandla Stenberg), which seem included to take off the burden from the bad writing. Sol ended up becoming a detestable character because he slows down the story and creates unnecessary conclusions, but Lee can’t be blamed because he did his best to give a good performance when the material wasn’t there. None of the acting in The Acolyte is bad, but the writing is almost entirely reliant on illogical character decisions.
3 Eman Esfandi as Ezra Bridger
image via Disney+Eman Esfandi was cast to play the fan-favorite character Ezra Bridger in Ahsoka, a role that was highly anticipated because the character had famously gone missing at the end of Star Wars: Rebels. Although the entire plot revolves around Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson) trying to find Ezra, Esfandi doesn’t appear until the end of the show, and barely seems to feel like the same character from the animated series.
Ezra’s story arc in Rebels was reliant on him learning to become a Jedi under Kanan Jarrus (Freddie Prinze Jr.), but Ahsoka made the unusual decision to reveal that Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) is also force-sensitive, and is going to be Ahsoka’s new apprentice. This retroactively makes everything that Ezra accomplished feel less special, making Esfandi’s version of the character less interesting as Ahsoka moves forward into its second season, which still has not been dated.
2 Guy Henry as Grand Moff Tarkin
Image via LucasfilmGuy Henry’s face isn’t actually seen in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, but he played the likeness of Grand Moff Tarkin that was used to digitally add the face of the late Peter Cushing onto. The decision to use Cushing’s CGI-generated face for the character was disastrous; not only did the visual effects look terrible, but it raised serious ethical concerns about the use of deceased’s actors, which is only growing more intense due to the recent controversies regarding Val Kilmer.
There’s no reason that Disney couldn’t have just let Henry play Tarkin, as the Star Wars franchise has had success with recasting characters like Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi or Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian. It’s a shame that Henry missed an opportunity to showcase his acting skills so that Disney and Lucasfilm could bet on a creepy CGI effect that has negative repercussions on the industry.
1 Jake Lloyd as Anakin Skywalker
Image via LucasfilmJake Lloyd has had an incredibly rough experience as a result of his experiences in the Star Wars franchise that no one should have to deal with. Lloyd was cast to play a young Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode I- The Phantom Menace, and received horrifically negative reviews that crossed the line into actual harassment; there’s a difference between being critical and being mean, and it was unfair to target Lloyd, who did his best with the material that Lucas gave to him.
Lloyd was essentially abandoned by Star Wars and dealt with bullies at his school in the aftermath of the film’s release, and eventually retired from acting altogether. Although Lloyd appears to be doing better now after experiencing some health concerns, his situation should be remembered by Star Wars fans who need to think about the person that they are bullying online.
Collider Exclusive · Sci-Fi Personality Quiz Which Sci-Fi Hero Are You Most Like? Paul Atreides · Captain Kirk · Princess Leia · Ellen Ripley · Max Rockatansky
Five iconic heroes. Five completely different ways of facing an impossible universe. One of them shares your instincts, your values, and your particular way of refusing to back down. Eight questions will tell you which one.
🏜️Paul Atreides
🖖Capt. Kirk
✊Princess Leia
🔦Ellen Ripley
🔥Max Rockatansky
FIND YOUR HERO →
01
How do you lead when the stakes couldn't be higher? The way you lead under pressure is the most honest thing about you.
AI absorb everything — every variable, every pattern — and move only when I know the path forward. BI read the room, make the call, and own the consequences. Hesitation costs more than mistakes. CI rally people. A cause needs a voice, and I refuse to let fear be louder than conviction. DI assess the threat, establish what needs doing, and get it done without waiting for permission. EI don't lead. I act. Others can follow or not — I'm already moving.
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02
What is your greatest strength in a crisis? The quality that keeps you alive when everything else fails.
APrescience — the ability to see further ahead than anyone else and plan accordingly. BImprovisation — I'm at my best when the plan falls apart and I have to invent a new one. CConviction — I know what I'm fighting for, and that certainty doesn't waver under fire. DComposure — I stay functional when everyone around me is falling apart. Panic is a luxury. EEndurance — I outlast things. I take the hit and keep moving long after others have stopped.
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03
What is the thing you'd sacrifice everything else for? Your deepest motivation is your truest compass.
AThe survival and dignity of my people — even if I have to become something frightening to ensure it. BThe safety of my crew — every single one of them. No one gets left behind. CFreedom — for my people, for every world still crushed under the weight of an empire. DThe truth — what actually happened, what's actually out there, whether anyone believes me or not. EThe one person — or the one memory — that still makes any of this worth surviving for.
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04
How do you relate to the people around you? Who you are to others under pressure is who you really are.
AWith intensity and distance — I care deeply, but the weight I carry makes closeness complicated. BWith warmth and irreverence — I take the mission seriously, not myself. CWith directness and trust — I say what I mean, and I expect the people I work with to rise to it. DWith professional care but clear limits — I'll protect you, but I won't pretend we're family. EWith wariness that slowly becomes loyalty — I don't trust easily, but when I do, it holds.
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05
You're facing a threat that no one else believes is real. What do you do? How you respond when you're the only one who sees it defines everything.
APrepare in silence. If they won't listen, I'll be ready when they finally have to. BKeep pushing until someone listens — and if no one does, handle it myself. CBuild the case, find the allies, and make the threat impossible to ignore. DDocument everything. The truth matters even if no one believes it yet. EStop trying to convince anyone. Survive it. That's the only argument that counts.
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06
What has your heroism cost you personally? Every hero pays. The question is what — and whether they'd pay it again.
AMy innocence — I've seen what I'm capable of, and I can't unsee it. BPeople I loved — the command chair has a view, but it's a lonely one. CA normal life — I gave up everything ordinary the moment I chose the cause. DMy sense of safety — I know exactly what's out there now, and I can't pretend otherwise. EAlmost everything — and I'm still not sure what I'm carrying it all for. But I keep going.
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07
How do you feel about the rules of the world you're in? Every hero has a relationship with the system. What's yours?
AI understand them deeply — and I know exactly which ones must be broken, and why. BI respect the spirit of them and bend the letter when the situation demands it. CThe system is the problem. I'm not here to work within it — I'm here to dismantle it. DI follow protocol until protocol stops being useful. Then I make the call myself. EThe rules collapsed a long time ago. What's left is instinct, and mine are reliable.
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08
When everything is on the line, what keeps you going? The answer is the most honest thing about you.
ADestiny — or something that feels so much like it that the difference no longer matters. BThe people on my ship — their faces, their trust, the fact that they're counting on me. CThe belief that what we're fighting for is worth every sacrifice, including this one. DSheer refusal to let it win — whatever it is. I don't stop. That's just who I am. EI'm not sure anymore. But the road is still there, and I'm still on it.
REVEAL MY HERO →
Your Hero Has Been Identified Your Sci-Fi Hero Is…
Your answers point to the iconic sci-fi hero who shares your instincts, your values, and your particular way of facing the impossible.
Paul Atreides
You carry a weight most people would crumble under — the knowledge of what you're capable of, and the burden of what you might have to become.
- You see further ahead than others and you plan accordingly, even when the vision frightens you.
- You are driven by loyalty to your people and a sense of destiny you didn't ask for but can't escape.
- Paul Atreides is not simply a hero — he is someone who understands the cost of power and chooses to bear it anyway.
- That gravity, that willingness to carry what others won't, is exactly you.
Captain Kirk
You lead with instinct, warmth, and an absolute refusal to accept a no-win scenario — because you've always believed there's a third option nobody else has thought of yet.
- You take the mission seriously without ever taking yourself too seriously.
- Your crew would follow you anywhere, not because you demand it, but because you've earned it.
- Kirk's genius isn't tactical — it's human. He reads people, bends rules with purpose, and wills outcomes into existence through sheer conviction.
- That combination of warmth, audacity, and relentless optimism is unmistakably yours.
Princess Leia
You are the kind of person who holds the line when everyone else is losing faith — not because you're fearless, but because giving up simply isn't something you're capable of.
- You lead through conviction. Your voice carries because your belief is unshakeable.
- You gave up everything ordinary the moment you chose the cause, and you've never looked back.
- Leia is not a supporting character in her own story — she is the moral centre of the entire rebellion.
- That same fierce, principled, unbreakable core is what defines you.
Ellen Ripley
You are not reckless, not grandiose, and not particularly interested in being anyone's hero — you just refuse to stop when it matters.
- You see threats clearly, you document the truth even when no one listens, and when the time comes you handle it yourself.
- Ripley's heroism is earned, not performed. She doesn't have a speech — she has a flamethrower and a plan.
- You share her composure under the worst possible pressure, and her refusal to pretend the monster isn't there.
- When it counts, you don't flinch. That's everything.
Max Rockatansky
You have been through fire that would break most people — and what came out the other side is something the world underestimates at its peril.
- You don't ask for help, don't need validation, and don't wait for anyone to tell you the rules no longer apply.
- Your loyalty, when it finally arrives, is absolute — but it's earned in silence and tested in action, not in words.
- Max is not a nihilist. He is someone who lost everything and found, against his will, that he still has something worth protecting.
- That bruised, stubborn, ultimately human core is exactly yours.
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