My Top 10 Favorite Star Wars Girls

The Star Wars saga is one of the largest franchises of all time, and with a saga this big, you’re going to have a lot of characters. I’ve often considered the Star Wars series to have some of the most memorable characters of all time, and with its expanded universe in all the different movies and TV shows, there’s lots of great characters to choose from. So, for this special 3 part post, I’ll be counting down my Top 30 favorite Star Wars characters. That’s obviously a lot to cover in one list, so I’ll break the characters down into three categories ... the girls, the villains and the other hero’s. For part 1, I’ll be covering my 10 favorite female characters, weather their hero's or villains. 

#10 Fennec Shand

First on my countdown, we take a walk on the wild side with one of my favorite bounty hunters. Debuting in the live-action series "The Mandalorian", and making further appearances in animated shows like "The Bad Batch", Fennec Shand is that wild-card who adds a little spice to all the action. Sometimes she'll be a close ally, while other times she'll have you locked on sight as a target. She certainly has her own interests at heart, yet displays loyalty to those she feels earned her respect. Actress Ming Na Wen, memorable for her roles in "Agents of Shield", "Street Fighter", "The Batman" animated series, and Disney's "Mulan" carves another iconic role for her filmography, and another welcome addition to the "Star Wars" family.    

 #9 Hera 

Much like the crew of the Millennium Falcon from the original trilogy, the "Ghost Crew" of the TV series "Star Wars Rebels" think of themselves as a tight family. The titular mother of the group comes in the form of a green alien pilot named Hera. She’s the voice of reason, and it’s a real treat to finally have a Twi’lek alien as a main character. 

As a child, Hera had one burning desire, to break free from the shackles of war. Her freedom takes shape as a pilot fighting for a greater cause. When the character transitioned to live-action shows, Hera was played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who brough her to live with equal conviction. As a side note, she is married to Ewan McGregor, the same talent who famously played Obi-Wan Kenobi ... they really keep the franchise in the family (Ewan's uncle Denis Lawson also played Wedge in the original movie trilogy).   

 #8 Jyn Erso 

Jyn Erso is the second female character of the Star Wars universe who's the main star of a movie, that being the 2016 film "Rouge One: A Star Wars Story". She's played by Felicity Jones, who is a welcome newcomer to the cast of noteworthy "Star Wars" performers, and while the character of Jyn isn't the absolute best, she at least stands out as a memorable character in her own right. She has a layered back story, I cheered for her, and she looked cool, despite coming-off like someone who came out of "The Hunger Games" franchise.  

   

#7 Qi’ra 

Supplying all the meaningful seeds of heart in the story of a young Han Solo is love interest Qi’ra, who’s brought to life with an equal amount of charisma by Emilia Clarke. Being completely transparent for a moment, I’ve had a crush on Emilia Clarke ever sense I fell in love with her breakout character from “Game of Thrones”, so I can’t help but feel like I was already conditioned to like her on some level, regardless of what her character in the film was going to be like. As it turned out, Qi’ra has now landed with me as one of my new favorite Star Wars girls. This is a woman who shows affection for those around her, yet still has a shady side. 

Her love for Han is genuine, yet her current place in life is forced to serve an evil crime lord, and in order to keep the ones she loves safe, she has to commit to doing some awful things in his name. When she goes on her journey with Han, you can see her open up, genuinely enjoy herself for who she knows she is, and convey her feelings toward Han, yet you can still see the person behind her eyes who knows that she just can’t fully escape the life she’s trapped in. That’s the kind of character worthy of Shakespeare status, but as of now, the franchise has only given us a taste of what she’s capable of, and I look forward to discovering more.     

#6 Padme Amidala 

Of all the iconic Star Wars girls, Padme took the longest for me to connect with. While I have nothing but love for actress Natalie Portman, the character in of herself always felt “so so” to me. 

Yet, over time, I’ve come to respect her position as … not only an iconic female figure in the Star Wars cannon, but a genuinely strong character in her own right. She really shines in the animated CGI TV series “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”, as someone who fights for peace in a different kind of battle arena, and is all around a dignified portrayal of a strong woman who doesn't use weapons. Even her short portrayal in the 2003 micro series “Star Wars: Clone Wars” puts her in the spot-light as someone who’s both resourceful, and quick to think on their feet. Weather live-action, or animated, Padme has her place in the hall of honored Star Wars girls, and earns a spot on my countdown.  

#5 Rey 

This is the first female character of the Star Wars universe to be the main hero of a movie, which is already a nice touch. In "The Force Awakens", we’re introduced to Rey as a lone scavenger on a desert planet. In the film, her character unfolds like a map, as she discovers what kind of life exists outside her small planet but she also struggles with her attachment to the hope that her family will come back again. I liked Rey well enough at first, but as these curve balls kept hitting her left and right, I really got involved in her story, and was excited to see the direction this character was going to take. 

Then the sequels happened ... mmm ... she was unfortunately never quiet as enduring after that first movie. Thankfully, actress Daisy Ridley consistently shined in this role, bringing a lot of passion, and energy to the character. In fact, it’s one of those cases where I don’t even see an actress, I just see that character alive on screen. While the character has developed mixed feelings among fans, I can't help but love Rey ... although, it's really thanks to Daisy Ridley, as she adds more layers and depth to the character then the movie scripts did. 

#4 Sabine 

Now here's a special character that deserves more attention. Just like the previously mentioned Qi'ra, Sabine's life was a journey with complicated twists and turns, but that only made her all the more interesting. Premiering in the "Star Wars Rebels" TV show, Sabine was the feisty weapons technician of the group, and has a talent for turning destruction into an art form. She's brimming with personality, and just enough compelling humanity to balance out. Her armor has a striking resemblance to the bounty hunter Boba Fett, just with a pink makeover, and it really helps give Sabine her own identity. Her journey is also rich with layers, to the point where I fond her more compelling then the shows actual lead.     

#3 Asajj Ventress 

Hand's down, one of the greatest villains of the entire Star Wars universe, and subsequently one of the best female characters. She is one of the first female dark Jedi's, and when Asajj Ventress made her grand appearance as one of the main antagonists in the Clone Wars saga, fans were very satisfied. She has everything you’d want from a cool villain ... a feeling of shadow menace ... check, a sad back story ... check, a menacing design ... check, a sinister voice that will make your skin crawl ... check, a personal journey of her going from evil villain to anti hero that just wants to find her place in the world ... check and double check. I don’t think I need to list any more reasons as to why she belongs on my list, but I will say that she’s one of the few villains from the expanded Star Wars universe who can really hold their own as a memorable character in the saga.   

#2 Princess Leia   

 

Well, here she is, the most classic of all the "Star Wars" girls. I love how despite being a princess character that often needs to be rescued, she can still hold her own very well. She’s never entirely helpless, she thinks fast, helps her friends get out of tight situations, and when it’s time to fight, she gives it her all. 

She’s even one of the first Princesses in a big franchise who proved she can rescue herself before the main hero’s get that privilege. The scene in Return of the Jedi, where she kills Jabba the Hutt is just the perfect example of that. Of cores, she sponsored two of the most famous "Star Wars" costumes ever, the first being the "Cinnamon Bun Hairstyle" from the first film, and the second one being the "Metal Bikini" from Return of the Jedi. Overall, Princess Leia is a classic character that has a sharp edge, good character development, and has insanely good looks to match. However, even though she's the most famous, there is still one more that I like most. 

Before I reveal my #1 favorite, here are some Honorable Mentions ... 

Duchess Satine 

Katooni

Barriss Offee

Bo Katan 

Aurra Sing 

#1 Ahsoka Tano

Kicking butt at #1 on my list is Anakin’s young apprentice Ahsoka Tano. Love her or hate her, I think that she's earned the status as a classic character in the expanded Star Wars universe, and personally ... she's my girl! Ahsoka is the apprentice of Anakin Skywalker, and their relationship of master and Padawan is one of the franchises most enduring. Admittedly, I didn’t get a good first impression of her at all when she debuted in “The Clone Wars” movie, but then I really grew to like her a lot in the TV series of the same title. 

After watching all seven seasons of the show, as well as the "Star Wars Rebels" TV series, she’s become my personal favorite. She was later re-introduced in the live-action series "The Mandalorian", with one of my favorite actresses Rosario Dawson in the role ... and doing an excellent job recapturing the spirit or original voice actress Ashley Eckstein. With her big blue eyes, unique alien design, enthusiasm and personal struggles, she’s every bit as cute as she is enduring. Of all the female characters from this series, I felt that I went on a journey with Ahsoka. It’s honestly been a real joy watching this once shallow character grow and mature over the cores of the series. Not only did Ahsoka grow and change, but her individual arc's, ranging from her departure with the Jedi order, to her climactic confrontation with Darth Vader, are some of the best moments of the whole saga. She’s a skilled fighter, strong, brash and has a really fun, spunky personality. She can also be wise and patient at times too, which helps give her more character depth. All in all, Ahsoka may have started a little rough around the edges, but she grew a respectable place among all the different Star Wars characters, and is personally my favorite of all the Star Wars girls.  

Thanks for reading my countdown, and join me next time as I count down my favorite villains ... 

To Be Continued ...