The Star Wars universe is home to some of the best characters in pop culture. From Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader, to Yoda, Cad Bane, Boba Fett and Han Solo. However, one aspect that makes Star Wars shine above every other franchise in history, is its plethora of amazing, female characters. Princess Leia, Padmé Amidala, Mon Mothma, and of course, Ahsoka Tano, are just a handful of the incredibly inspiring female characters in Star Wars. To that end, here are the best female characters in Star Wars.
10 Fennec Shand
There are few bounty hunters as awesome as Fennec Shand. Her impressive sniper skills, unique design, and undying loyalty make her an excellent bounty hunter we would want on our side. Top that with a phenomenal performance by Ming-Na Wen, and whether she is lending her voice to Fennec Shand in an animated project, or doing her own stunts and fight choreography in the live-action Disney+ shows, Ming-Na Wen helps make Fennec Shand a fully inspiring and badass female character.
9 Mon Mothma
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Many of the coolest characters in Star Wars are warriors, however, Mon Mothma, with little combat experience, is still an incredibly inspiring character. Her role in helping the rise of the Rebellion is hugely important, as she uses her political role on Coruscant in an attempt to overthrow the Empire. Mothma has always been a great character, yet it wasn’t until the hit Disney+ Star Wars series Andor that truly delved into her character, giving her many inspiring monologues.
8 Hera Syndulla
This green Twi’lek is among the best pilots in the galaxy, and an important member of the loveable Ghost Crew from Star Wars: Rebels. After growing up on a war-torn Ryloth with her freedom-fighter father and mother, Hera has always known war, which sculpted her into the awesome character we love from Rebels.
We have been waiting on her live-action debut for years, and thankfully we finally get to see her character in live-action in the upcoming Ahsoka series, where Hera will be portrayed by the great Mary Elizabeth Winstead. The voice actor Vanessa Marshall has done a phenomenal job portraying Hera in the animated shows, but we are super excited to see what Winstead will bring to the role.
7 Rey
Rey is without a doubt one of the most hated characters in Star Wars. Does she deserve it? Absolutely not. Rey is a fantastic role model for young women, and one of the most powerful Jedi in Star Wars history. She constantly battles with her destiny and what is right and wrong, before ultimately choosing her own fate and saving the entire galaxy. Rey may have unjustifiably stolen the Skywalker name, however, that doesn’t detract from the inspiring character she is, and we can’t wait to see her again in her upcoming Jedi Order movie.
6 Asajj Ventress
The former Sith Asajj Ventress is an incredibly complex character, who has pretty much been betrayed by everyone she has ever worked with. Ventress was betrayed by Dooku, her former master, and Savage Opress, who she taught in the way of the Sith to help defeat Count Dooku. Later, Ventress was even framed for the bombing of the Jedi Temple. Ventress may not exactly be the most inspiring character due to her villainy, but her independence and deadly skills make for a deeply compelling character.
5 Sabine Wren
Sabine Wren is a deadly Mandalorian warrior and wielder of the Darksaber. She is an expert marksman, pilot, and hacker, who was trained to fight on Mandalore from a young age. We loved her character in Rebels, as she was an amazing beacon of hope for Mandalorians and the Ghost Crew.
Rebels similarly delved into her sweetness and creativity as an artist, who also formed a romantic relationship with the Jedi Ezra Bridger. Sabine also formed a compelling relationship with Ahsoka, and we can’t wait to see it explored further in Sabine’s live-action debut, in the upcoming Ahsoka series.
4 Bo-Katan Kryze
After making her debut in The Clone Wars, Bo-Katan quickly became a fan favorite, however, it wasn’t until her live-action debut in The Mandalorian that the deadly Mandalorian warrior gained the traction she has today. Bo-Katan was once a member of the extremist terrorist group, the Death Watch, before Darth Maul took rule of Mandalore. From there, Bo-Katan formed the Nite Owls, where she would go on to meet the Ghost Crew, before making her return to the Star Wars universe in the second season of The Mandalorian, seeking her revenge against Moff Gideon and her rightful claim of the Darksaber and her rule over Mandalore.
Now, after the third season of The Mandalorian, she finally got what she wanted after an epic battle against Gideon and his Beskar armor-clad forces, as Bo-Katan finally rules over Mandalore. Bo-Katan is awesome enough, yet Katee Sackhoff‘s phenomenal performance makes Bo-Katan a much more complex and awesome character.
3 Padmé Amidala
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Padmé is an incredibly inspiring Star Wars character, who possesses deadly combat skills as well as an impressive political power. Her love for Anakin and their secretive relationship layers Padmé’s character. Padmé had many great moments to shine in the prequel trilogy, but it wasn’t until The Clone Wars that really deepened her character. She is an incredible character, whose brilliant characteristics transition into her equally amazing daughter, Princess Leia.
2 Ahsoka Tano
As easily the best Jedi in Star Wars history, Ahsoka’s journey in the Star Wars universe is fully engaging. Ahsoka, along with being incredibly proficient in combat, has had possibly the best character arc and journey in all of Star Wars. Anakin’s young apprentice was shunned from the Jedi Order after being framed for a bombing, teetering her belief in the Jedi Order.
Ahsoka is not just a great female character, but also one of the best characters in the entire franchise. Ahsoka is set to return in her upcoming series, aptly titled Ahsoka, which we cannot wait to see.
1 Leia Organa
There is no female character more inspiring than the first female character ever introduced into the Star Wars universe, Leia Organa. Leia, much like her mother, is incredibly diplomatic, a formidable warrior, and a great leader. In A New Hope, audiences are led to believe that Leia is a helpless “damsel in distress”, however, that quickly changes when Leia picks up a blaster and begins wreaking havoc on the Empire and putting Han Solo, Luke, and Chewie to shame. Since, she has led the Rebellion to victory many times, leading Leia to become the General of the Resistance when the First Order rose to power.
Leia was also trained in the force by her brother, Luke Skywalker, which was briefly touched upon in The Rise of Skywalker, cementing how truly inspiring and awesome Leia Organa actually is, and we couldn’t think of anyone better to play the role than the Carrie Fisher.
