7 Popular ‘Star Wars’ Villains Ranked Worst to Best

Cylo enhanced himself as well, seemingly becoming immortal by cybernetically fusing himself with a system capable of assuming a different body upon the previous one’s death. He also grafted parts from other alien species onto his own body, which explains why one of his eyes belonged to a Rodian. Cylo is a very unique Star Wars villain, using weird science in his attempt to become the Emperor’s right hand man. Granted, there’s still plenty to explore when it comes to Kylo’s turn to the Dark Side, but it’s impossible to deny that the character is already one of the most complex, relatable and downright terrifying villains.

Originally Played by Larry Ward

An underappreciated pilot by far, Nien Nunb (portrayed by Richard Bonehill and performed by Mike Quinn; voiced mostly by Kipsang Rotich) did pretty well for himself within the Star Wars fictional world. He’s likely best known for co-piloting the Millennium Falcon with Lando Calrissian during the Battle of Endor in Return of the Jedi and helping destroy the second version of the Death Star. He’s the blue-skinned, kind-of baby elephant-looking leader of the renowned Max Rebo Band. Max — who plays some sci-fi version of the organ — and his group of underappreciated creature-like musicians, can be found playing in and around Jabba the Hutt in Return of the Jedi.

Disguised as science fiction, Star Wars has continued to resonate across ages, cultures, and generations because at its heart Star Wars is truly a classic epic fantasy set in space. Never one to do anything half-heartedly, Kun decided to fully embrace the dark practices of the Force. His intelligence and natural abilities made him an inherently dangerous foe, but it was Kun’s fondness for falling deeper and deeper into the dark side so that he could learn all the Sith’s secrets which made him a great evil. The Jedi and civilians that Kun did not kill brutally often fell victim to the insanity his web of lies created.

Some people call him “emo,” referring to his dark, overly emotional attitude, but we have a feeling he’s more ruthless than introspective. But Ren is also immature, which was shown in a scene where he lightsabered an instrument panel to bits after something didn’t go to plan. He isn’t the strongest fighter, as he was badly wounded in a fight with Rey at the end of the movie. Darth Maul is one of the coolest looking bad guys of all time, and he had a potential that was almost indescribable.

Before the release of the sequels, Luke was a universally beloved character who resisted the urges of the dark side that saw his father succumb to stand against the tyranny of the Galactic Empire. Palpatine paved the way for Anakin Skywalker’s redemption, providing an intense emotional climax for the trilogy by being so evil that it pushed Anakin back to the light side of the Force. Ian McDiarmid has always played the Emperor brilliantly, and his deceptively camp performance, frightful grin, and snarling line delivery created an icon. Veers was played by Julian Glover, who also played the villainous role of Walter Donovan in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. As far as Imperial officers go, he’s pretty cool-headed and to-the-point, but that doesn’t make him particularly interesting. And he certainly wasn’t intimidating or menacing in the way his superiors were.

Moff Gideon

Similar to Asajj Ventress, Cad Bane also recently reappeared in The Bad Batch season 3. However, he comes to an abrupt and gruesome end at the hands of an old rival in The Book of Star Wars bad guys Boba Fett finale. Early in her life, the Nightsister Asajj Ventress was, interestingly enough, a Jedi Padawan. She trained under Ky Narec in her early years, and together, they protected the realm of Rattatak from pirates – the very same ones who ultimately claimed her master’s life.

Deadly, precise, and a criminal mastermind, Darth Maul has one of the most recognizable faces in the Star Wars universe. His iconic weapon, a double-bladed lightsaber, enables him to attack multiple targets at once. Trained to be a living weapon of the Sith, Maul is considered one of the deadliest, most efficiently trained Sith in the Order’s history. Maul himself is a natural acrobat, and he will tirelessly pursue enemies until they simply cannot run anymore. Supreme Leader Snoke is shown to have incredible mastery over the Dark Side, throwing individuals across the room with a mere wave of his hand.

Plagueis did eventually unearth that secret, and the method consisted of transferring his consciousness to another body and using it like a vessel (maybe even an important vessel like Emperor Palpatine). Darth Sidious would eventually use this tactic to survive his first death, though the method itself was imperfect. Plagueis was also rumored to be a prophet, using the Force to see the future, but apparently, he couldn’t see his own apprentice betraying him in the cards. A long-lost brother to Darth Maul, Savage Opress is a brutal warrior in touch with Nightsister magick. Nightsister witches employed dark magick to give Opress the ability to better serve Ventress, allowing him to tap into the Force in a raw way rarely seen.

Leader of the Separatists during the Clone Wars, Count Dooku was a Sith apprentice who was skilled in all the Force powers his master had taught him. He was cunning enough to conceal his dark side nature from the Jedi for a decade after becoming a Sith – a decade in which he remained welcome to the Temple, quietly working to undermine the Council. Dooku was a tremendous tactician, demonstrated both in large-scale combat strategies and his use of the lightsaber form known as Makashi, one perfect for such a Machiavellian mind. Viewed by the Republic as the leader of the Separatist Army, in reality General Grievous was nothing but a pawn. That doesn’t mean he’s lacking in power, though, as proven by Grievous’ collection of lightsabers – each taken from the corpse of a Jedi he had killed.

Ventress Served Count Dooku Loyally During the Clone Wars

He also has the distinction of being the first major villain of the post-Return of the Jedi era. The “Thrawn Trilogy” in the 1990s remain the most famous books of the lot for rejuvenating the franchise and introducing this tactical genius. To the contrary, his actions were always with his family in mind whether as a Jedi or Sith. Darth Vader was a villain so iconic that even those who’ve never seen Star Wars would be able to identify him.

In the original trilogy, Jabba’s time to shine comes in the opening act of Return of the Jedi. There, the Rebels infiltrate the gangster’s palace, one by one, to save Han from his carbonite freezing. They get captured by Jabba’s goons, one by one, culminating in an epic showdown over the Sarlacc Pit. Unlike Boba Fett, Jabba’s death is spectacular, as Leia strangles him with the chains he put her in. Guillermo del Toro has proposed a Jabba the Hutt trilogy charting his rise to power, a la The Godfather, and Lucasfilm should just write him a blank check and let him get to work because that sounds incredible.