In Star Wars, women rule the galaxy. Sometimes literally, like when Grand Admiral Sloane assumed control of the Empire after the death of Palpatine. Other times women rule more figuratively, as when Aphra played both the Rebels and Empire off each other in her long trail of backstabbery.
Regardless, no Star Wars story is complete without its women. And when it comes to the universe’s biggest heroes and villains, most of them are actually heroines and villainesses.
Below are some of the best and brightest on all sides of the conflict in the galaxy far, far away, selected from comics, books, animated shows, live-action TV series, and more.
Doctor Aphra
“You know, you can trust me, but you shouldn’t.”
Chelli Lona Aphra made her debut in Marvel’s 2016 Darth Vader series to such acclaim that, after the Dark Lord thought he had killed her off, she returned for her own series.
Aphra is a cyber-archaeologist, often compared to Indiana Jones. Unlike the academic, however, Aphra is guided by a moral compass that points only to what she wants — notably credits, weapons, and girls.
Why is the rogue archaeologist at the top of our list? Aphra outplayed Vader, strode right up to the Emperor, and revealed the Dark Lord’s treachery. And when that got her sentenced to a personal execution, she lived. Later, she’d get her own payback, besting Vader one on one, disabling him and hijacking his computer parts. She even saves the rebellion as they escape to Hoth — but mostly as a favor to an ex.
Hera Syndulla
“Whether we fail or succeed, at least our actions will show the Empire and the galaxy that we will not stand down.”
The ultimate mom in Star Wars, Hera Syndulla is one of the most caring female characters to cross the screen. Child of Cham Syndulla, the legendary Twi’lek guerilla fighter, Hera has been embroiled in conflict her whole life. Despite fighting off Separatist invaders as a child and running Empire blockades as a Rebel Cell leader, Hera never lost her sense of compassion – to the point of butting heads with her father over their differing opinions. Hera quickly became one of Bail Organa’s right-hand women and grew her five-man phoenix cell into a world-class Empire busting machine, and lead her cell to victory over Grand Admiral Thrawn.
Karyn Faro
“We persuade them to let us take them on one at a time.”
Commodore Faro is a main character in Timothy Zahn’s new, canonical Star Wars: Thrawn trilogy. Never far from the Grand Admiral’s ascendant stations in the Imperial Navy, Faro is Grand Admiral Thrawn’s hand-picked protégé. Though she didn’t realize it, Thrawn deftly maneuvered both of their ways up Imperial command before imparting her with her own station leading the Eleventh Fleet. Taking up her new post shortly before the events depicted in the series finale of Rebels, the potential for a future story centered on the Commodore herself is irresistible.
Sabine Wren
“Never get between a Mandalorian and a weapons package.”
Sabine does everything with a bang — literally. The expert weapons-maker and graffiti artist leaves a trail of smoke and color on her missions to sabotage Imperial forces, inspiring revolutionary spirit with her art on Lothal. An outcast Mandalorian, she was taken in by the nascent rebellion and would eventually return to Mandalore to wrest control of the planet away from proxy Imperial rule by reclaiming the legendary Darksaber. Though the rightful ruler of Mandalore through law, Sabine willing turned power over to Bo-Katan Kryze.
Sana Starros
“Move once, you won’t be moving again.”
Sana is a fiery fighter and close interlocutor to the galaxy’s most important heroes. Exes with Doctor Aphra and possibly Han Solo (though that sounds like it was more of a set up), the bounty hunter worked closely with the Rebels in the aftermath of the Battle of Yavin. She’s saved Luke, Han, Leia, and even Hera numerous times, earning the trust of the Alliance.
As Sana continues to get roped into Aphra’s messes, her presence on the galactic stage will almost certainly grow across Star Wars’ various comic series.
Asaj Ventress
“Kenobi, don’t tell me someone’s finally knocked the fight out of you.”
Back stories don’t come much more heartbreaking than this. Once a slave turned Jedi Padawan, Ventress learned many ways to dispatch her enemies, ultimately impressing Count Dooku so much he took her on as a Dark Acolyte — an apprentice in training. Renowned for her skill and cruelty, Ventress led armies into battle for the Separatists, and locked sabers with Obi-Wan Kenobi repeatedly before her powers grew too great and Palpatine ordered her death. After Dooku destroyed her home world of Dathomir, Ventress left the Darkside behind her and turned to a life of county hunting. The reformed hero has even rescued Ahsoka Tano from incarceration.
Ciena Ree
“Everything I fought for is a lie.”
We’ve seen Imperial indoctrination play out multiple times throughout Star Wars films, TV series, and comics. But Ciena’s life growing up in the shadow of the Empire is the canon’s most compelling characterizations of the experience.
Known as LP888, Ciena was a top cadet on her lowly outer-rim home planet, and then at the Royal Imperial Academy on Coruscant. She loved piloting, but as a natural leader she quickly advanced up Imperial ranks in the aftermath of both Death Stars’ destructions. Thought dead after the Empire’s defeat at Jakku, she is remembered as a paragon of the Empire’s virtue — though the women living in the New Republic would certainly balk at the status.
Sabé
“The queen is long dead, Tonra. And I was but her shadow, anyway.”
Sabé is best known as the nameless double of Princess Amidala in The Phantom Menace. Joining the handmaidens as a young girl, Sabé’s life was dedicated to the queen. After Padmé’s death, she pieced together the incomplete puzzle of what happened on Mustafar. Sabé helped form a rebel sect known as the Amidalans, leading Vader into several traps that nearly killed him. Haunted by her resemblance to Padmé, Vader ultimately spared her.
Steela Gerrera
“They’re afraid we aren’t strong enough to win. We need to earn their trust.”
Saw Gerrera is one of the most well-known Rebel commanders, but long before he was busting Empire skulls, he and his sister were fighting off Separatist invaders. An excellent sniper, Steela worked in near-perfect tandem with her brother. A brilliant orator, she was able to keep her people’s hope strong, even after their king and leader were sent to certain death at their occupiers’ hands. Using her cunning and patience, Steela rescued her brother and helped convince her people that their king had not betrayed them. She died a martyr after an explosion tossed her from a cliffside, though plenty of bystanders rushed to her aide. Saw never fully recovered from her death, and carried her legacy throughout his battles.
Jude Edivon
“Think of the billions who perished in the Clone Wars.”
Jude was born on Bespin and attended the Royal Imperial Academy on Coruscant. As her innocent love for science was pulled into the corrupt orbit of the Empire, she became an engineer on the Death Star. She’s the person who, in A New Hope, discovers the station’s vulnerability and the Rebel’s plan to destroy it. Hers is but a part of the Expanded Universe’s attempt to patch up the superweapon’s narratively convenient weakness. Though Galyn Erso never suspected an Imperial could discover his sabotage, Jude’s superiors did not act on her report, insisting on the superiority of the station.
Ahsoka Tano
“I am no Jedi.”
Ahsoka’s debut in Clone Wars once felt like a risk, reshaping a major part of the prequel trilogy’s main cast. But Ahsoka found her stride in Star Wars’ new canon. At times both a foil to and distillation of Anakin, she has taken on a life entirely of her own in the galaxy far, far away. As the original Fulcrum, alluring glimpses of Ahsoka during the Galactic Civil War draw excitement, speculation, and art as we continue to witness her life’s journey across the galaxy.
Most recently, Ahsoka appeared in The Madalorian, where she was played by Rosario Dawson. A new live-action TV series, Star Wars: Ahsoka, looks to expand further on her life after the fall of the Empire.
Barriss Offee
“I’ve come to realize what many people in the Republic have come to realize. That the Jedi are the ones responsible for this war.”
As much as we love a bad guy going straight, there is something so much more compelling about a good guy going bad. Barriss Offee was the apprentice of Jedi Master Luminara Unduli, one of the most patient and devoted Masters of her time. Just like her dear friend Ahsoka, Offee was a padawan at the beginning of the war and fought through some of the darkest days, nearly dying several times. She also served in the med bay in the Jedi temple, nursing injured Jedi back to health. Through her experiences, she grew disillusioned with the Jedi order and began sowing distrust between the people and their protectors. Her attacks culminated in the bombing of the high temple of Coruscant, which she framed her former friend Tano for. Though Bariss never managed to destroy the order herself, her attack did push the Jedi out of public favor and drove Ahsoka to leave the order for good.
Rae Sloane
“I don’t serve the Emperor. I serve the Empire.”
Grand Admiral Sloane is the preeminent Imperial figure of the new canon. First appearing in A New Dawn, the debut novel for the new timeline, Sloane moved up Imperial ranks from cadet to captain to vice admiral at the battle of Endor. After the destruction of the second Death Star, Sloane was given the distinguished title of Grand Admiral and took on the public face of the Empire. Sloane took great strides to reform the empire, foiled by Palpatine’s secret Contingency Plan. Loyal to the Empire to the last, she fled to the Unknown Regions after the Battle of Jakku and helped establish the incipient First Order that would, eventually, topple the New Republic.
Lady Bo-Katan Kryze
“I had my chance to rule, and I failed. I am not my sister. I am not the leader you seek.“
Bo-Katan has one of the best redemption arcs of all time. A Mandalorian princess turned fanatical cult member, Bo-Katan worked with the Death Watch to bring down her own sister’s rule. Throughout her life, the warrior came to blows with Jedi, Separatists, the Empire, and even Darth Maul. In a vicious cycle of betrayal and violence, Bo-Katan warred with half the galaxy to claim the throne and rule as Mandalore, a position she was given twice. After years of battle, Kryze gave up on her pursuit of the throne just in time for the Mandalorian Din Djarin to appear and help her reunite her people. From a petulant child to a seasoned veteran, Bo-Katan’s growth over several series makes her a G.O.A.T. in our eyes.
Leia Organa
“I feel like because I can fight, I have to, for those who cannot.”
I’m pretty sure you’re not allowed to make this list without Leia. The princess, senator, rebel, and general is among the most iconic strong female protagonists in American film. Engaging in political intrigue as a teenager and forming two paramilitary forces that she fought on the front lines of, Leia is quite simply a badass. Her impact on the Star Wars universe is one of the most important across both the series’ canon and its Expanded Universe, with her numerous tales worth a dedicated TV adaptation in their own right.