Saga Best Characters From the Saga

I don't care if "squid face" is your favourite caracter, as long as you like SW.

 

Yes, and so am I. Besides, wouldn't this place get real boring real quick if we weren't allowed to ask why each of us made our choices? I didn't call any member a name, so I believe I had the right to ask the question.

Not at all. There was absolutely no "how dare you" going through my mind when I asked it. I was a regular Mr Spock at the time, simply asking a question about why people would chose a certain character as their favorite. Seeing how, in my mind, Christensen's Anakin is such a block of wood, it can only be his looks society sees as attactive as the heroic type, just like Boba Fett has fans simply because his outfit looks cool, I wanted to ask the question, "What exactly do you like about him? Is it as shallow a reason as just his looks?"

 

Anakin's my favorite character precisely because I find him to be the most complex of the cycle. Before Anakin's arc in Episodes I-III I can't say that Star Wars ever made me examine just how close the line can be between inner turmoil/triumph and outer circumstance. And with the thinking the character made me do also came a range of emotional notes ranging from bright hope to bitter betrayal, all generally evoked in a more down to earth, unsentimental manner than I might have originally expected from an action-driven effects blockbuster.

Honorable mention:

Yoda. From the philosophy and Muppet antics of ESB to the weird TPM puppet and onward to the CG swordplay of Clones and Sith, I like everything about this character.

 

After having seen several posters insulted for choosing Anakin Skywalker over the malformed yet Dostoevskian-in-depth Han Solo, I deem it necessary to confess: Qui-Gon Jinn is not actually my favorite character.

Here's the real list:

1. Padme-in-leather-bondage (AOTC)
2. Slave Leia (ROTJ)
3. Well-endowed Twi'lek chick ascending operahouse stairway (ROTS)
4. What's-her-name, played by Rose Byrne (AOTC)
5. The Sarlaac Pit (Don't ask)

If any of you take umbrage in the fact that three of the five characters are showcased in the PT, well...I guess I'm just superficial that way.

 

Why? I can give you an answer, but I should warn you that it's going to be a wall-of-text, before I get started. And don't blame me, you asked for it.

I like Anakin because he is a character with flaws -- and his flaws are not simply there to make him relatable to the audience or so the author can say he's a "three-dimensional character." His flaws drive his story and get him into serious trouble. And Lucas doesn't pamper the guy -- he's presented unflinchingly as he is, with all the whining, arrogance, selfishness, possessiveness, and fear that entails. You can, if you're so inclined, genuinely dislike Anakin Skywalker for legitimate reasons which, I find, is a far cry from many protagonists today. Look at Jake Sully from Avatar or Bruce Wayne from either of the two newest Batman films -- these are characters who, although they have their "flaws," it's exceedingly difficult to find anything to dislike about either. They're simply good with no great deficiencies of character that anyone could be put off by. To me, that's not good storytelling, it's pandering to the audience: giving them an ideal of human behavior, an escapist character that encapsulates what we would hope we would do if placed in the same situations.

Anakin also has, what I feel, to be the most fascinating and complex character arc in the Star Wars Saga. The Phantom Menace, which many people deride as being a "kiddy" movie, actually lays the foundation for much of Anakin's fall. Here, we're presented with a child who, although he lives a rather bleak existence, is hopeful for the future -- he dreams of bringing justice for others, being a Jedi and "freeing the slaves." Yet, there is a sense of world-weariness to Anakin's character, such as when he describes how "he wouldn't have lasted so long if he weren't so good at fixing things." He understands that, in his situation, he is only as valuable as his skills, which comes into play in adulthood as he's increasingly frustrated by the Council's refusal to recognize him, despite his great abilities. This is in stark contrast to the world he grew up in, where all that mattered was one's abilities and talents. There's also his aversion to change, as denoted when he mentions to his mother that "[he doesn't] want things to change." Change, for someone who's grown up as a slave, can often mean being separated from loved ones or being sold to an abusive master, so this aspect of his personality makes sense. His inability to let go of the past is also presented, again as he turns back to his mother when he should be leaving with Qui-Gon. Some of the tension and antagonism between Obi-Wan and Anakin is established, demonstrating that their relationship had a rocky beginning, with Obi-Wan being highly uncertain of Anakin's future as a Jedi, and Anakin looking to avoid becoming a "problem." TPM essentially delineates what Anakin's vulnerabilities are and shows aspects of his life that were out of his control that made him susceptible to Palpatine's manipulations: his background as a slave, his attachment to his mother, his fear of loss, his value as a person being measured by his skill and technical abilities, the contentious beginning with Obi-Wan, his desire to "fix" things, his need for a father figure, etc.

Attack of the Clones builds on this by showing Anakin's deficiencies of character and his flaws -- some bolstered by Palpatine's praise, others borne out of his frustration with the Jedi and his own abilities. I think many people find Anakin in this film unlikeable because it presents what are, essentially, his greatest shortcomings (some of which he's overcome b

 

Wow, this is a comprehensive list that I whole-heartedly agree with (except maybe for Dormé-- my fetishes don't include charred remains). I also enjoy the sarlaac pit for probably the same reasons as drg4.

 

Dorme doesn't get blown up, that was Corde.

 

That's not what you have done. You made baseless assumptions on other people opinions, and you seem to think all fanbase revolves around your opinion as if it was a fact.

That's right. In your mind. But your mind is not the same as other people minds. Yours is not above the rest so, next time, just ask instead of jumping into baseless assumptions which won't give any answer in return. No need to be arrogant, here.

 

My bad, sorry about that. This edit limit is not very handy.

 

OK. Then what did Dorme do? I don't remember her.

 

She ran into Padme's room right after Anakin sliced and diced those Kouhuns. (poisonous bugs)

She didn't do much, but she's played by Rose Byrne who is pretty cute.

 

Sounds like she did more than that Twi'lek operahouse patron did, but for some reason, the Twi'lek is very memorable to me.

 

I never thought Hayden was wooden. Definitely not. His looks, if anything, work against him. I actually identify with Anakin more than any other character in the saga. Well, except for Wicket.

Give me food.

Oh, btw drg4 your post was

 

Ah, yes! Dormé! I'd like to amend her constitution.

 

Her name means "slept" in French.

 

And do you know what Padme's confession to Anakin of dying "a little bit" each day (ever since he came back into her life) means in French?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_petite_mort

 

Standing "O" for PiettsHat.

Non, not the "O" you deux are talking about -

 

It certainly explains the S&M outfit.

 

As one might deduce from my username, my favourite character is Obi-Wan Kenobi. Whilst Ewan McGregor is hardly unattractive, that is not my main reason for liking him. Obi-Wan is wise, witty, deadly with a lightsaber, and compassionate. I also think he was extremely well played, by both Alec Guiness and Ewan McGregor, and is an awesome character.

I also like R2D2 (who knew droids could be cute?!), Yoda, Mace Windu and Han Solo.

 

Han Solo. No pseudo-Buddhist rubbish, no superpowers, just asskicking. Also Chewie. The only thing that would make him better is if there was a scene where Chewie ripped stormtroopers in half with his bare hands and marched through a sea of carnage.