Saga Who is the most respected character in Star Wars?

This isn't so much about your favourite character, although there may well be overlap. This is about who you think is the most generally liked and respected character across the saga. The one who tends not to polarise fans and is widely highly regarded.

 

Yoda. I generally only see PT complaints about him being CGI or that his philosophies aren't the same as in the OT (even though that's the point; to show what he learned)

Obi-Wan is almost always praised in the PT, if not moreso than in the OT

Hm.... I'm trying to think of characters for whom I've seen very little complaint compared to others....

 

I kinda doubt there's any one main character who doesn't polarise fans in one way or another.

I was going to say Yoda, but I think a lot of the critics of the old Jedi Order dislike him, at least the "PT version" of him (personally I see no difference).

Maybe a supporting character like Bail or Ackbar?

Seagoat we crossposted. I think Obi-Wan does get a lot of flak actually -- for being a bad/unsympathetic/inflexible/uncaring Master in the PT, and for lying in the OT.

second edit -- I've got it: Leia. Fanboys love her in the bikini, women love her for being...well, Leia

 

I personally interpret a lot of good development from Obi-Wan in the PT. In TPM he's kind of an apathetic little brat who goes by the books and doesn't really care for other people
I see him in AOTC as a master struggling to train a particularly troublesome apprentice possible before he's ready
And by ROTS I see him as having finally become wiser and more caring, more casual. He learned well from Qui-Gon I think and even has a very similar conversation with Anakin

By the OT he's pretty much depressed and finds hope only in Luke. He doesn't really feel that Vader has a chance of redemption and just feels sour about the whole thing

I think it's overall pretty good but that's just my opinion

 

Sure. Well, Obi-Wan alternates between 1st and 2nd place as my favourite character, so I could literally write essays (see my wall-of-text posts in the Jedi recruitment thread ) about why he's a good Master and why his lies were perfectly understandable and even justified, but I saw the OP as asking what the general consensus is. I think there is a lot of acrimony over how he handles Anakin and Luke.

 

Yoda and Obiwan were two who sprung to mind when I was considering this. I think even before the PT, though, they came in for their share of criticism because of their deception regarding Luke.

Luke himself is another one who tends not to attract too much criticism. Not appearing (much) in the PT is probably an advantage for him as there weren't preconceptions to be shattered.

The character who receives next to no criticism seems to be R2D2.

 

I was considering listing the two droids but both of them seem to receive a lot of criticism because it was felt that they didn't really need to be in the PT, or at least until ROTS. Especially 3PO being built by Anakin though

 

3PO significantly more than R2 I'd say, but yeah, true.

I agree with Cael-Fenton that there are a number of minor characters who are generally well liked. Ackbar and Bail. Also Mon Monthma. I guess there are fewer opportunities for them to blight their record.

Regarding Leia, there seem to be a fair few fans here at least who aren't so keen on her relationship with Han and that's a fairly significant part of her story in the OT.

 

I was leaning toward either Yoda or Obi-Wan but decided that Qui-Gon may well be the most respected character. I don't think he lived long enough to upset the fans, and even though he was in arguably the least liked SW film, his character stood out as being one of the best things about it. I think his being somewhat of a rougue helps, as he doesn't come across as having a splinter in his finger the way the rest of the Jedi do in the PT. He's not a perfect guy, but definitely relatable and charismatic.

 

I completely agree. I'd forgotten about Qui-Gon, but he's definitely up there. There's quite often debate about how powerful he is, but he's generally spared harsh criticism.

 

Yeah, R2, of course! Can't believe I forgot about him.

Well...I'm one of those who think the love story was an unnecessary riff on a tired trope, but it doesn't affect my regard for Leia

I did think of Qui-Gon, but there is (or used to be) a sizeable contingent of Obi-Wan fans who cannot forgive how Qui-Gon treated Obi-Wan in TPM, and also blame him for having Anakin trained

 

How did Qui-Gon treat Obi-Wan in TPM that was a problem?

 

There's always been a feeling among some that Qui-Gon was unnecessary and that Obiwan should've discovered Anakin. Some also think he was somewhat responsible for the dark times for defying the Jedi Council and insisting that Anakin be trained. The character as he is on screen though, seems generally well liked. He's not often criticised on personality grounds and Neeson's performance was well received.

 

I'd have to go with Artoo.

There's other supporting characters who tend to be almost universally liked - Admiral Ackbar has his cult following and never cops any flak, but he's not in the PT at all, Chewbacca's only appearance in the PT was an utterly gratuitous cameo, which somewhat cheapened his brand (as did a certain 1978 TV special...).

Qui-Gon's a bit of a dark horse (being PT only), but well worth a mention - great performance from Liam Neeson, I get the impression that he's a very solid favourite among those who prefer the PT. He's easily the standout in TPM, maybe the whole PT.
And yeah, the only real criticism tends to be with the development of the character, having been merged with Obi-Wan's original role. Given the very wacky idea that was once floated - Qui-Gon was Obi-Wan's apprentice, then secretly took on his identity after Obi-Wan died - I don't have a problem with what we got.

 

It was thought that it was supremely unfair to toss Obi-Wan aside in favour of a shiny new wunderkind he'd just met, on the flimsy excuse that he was ready to be knighted when he'd just told him in the immediately preceding scene that he still had much to learn. It was also thought to be unfair to emotionally arm-twist him into training Anakin -- a long-term task which would have put Obi-Wan at odds with the Council. (This is not my view, I'm just reporting it.)

Yeah, there is that. (I do think splitting them was necessary, so that Obi-Wan can have a character-development arc.)

I'd still go with Leia as "most respected" though. Luke's close, but being the main character of the OT, he has his unflattering moments to give him character development. Leia doesn't really have those.

 

I concur, Master Kenobi is a good choice.

His selflessness and wry wit coupled with his compassion for everyone, even during the intensest of moments. Heck, he even consoles a distraught C-3PO with a pat on the shoulder before they leave Mustafar.

 

Cael-Fenton , As much as I like and respect the lovely Princess Leia, I must disagree about her lack of unflattering moments. In fact, she spends a decent chunk of ANH being ... well ...a bit of a cow! Not only does she dis Luke's height, but she racially abuses Chewie ! And these are the people rescuing her from certain death! As with Luke, as you say, these things allow for her character to develop, particularly regarding Han, whose arc is somewhat similar, though coming from a completely different place.

 

We never see Bail Organa being unpleasant in ROTS as far as I recall. And he's the guy who rescues Yoda, and agrees to look after Leia, and give her a caring upbringing.

 

Ahsoka.

 

Lmaaoo seriously though, Yoda.

Racial abuse? I never thought of it that way But now that you mention it she really got at Chewie about his...species.

 

Yeah, Leia was a bit haughty with Luke, Han, and Chewie. The Luke thing I think can be overlooked since she thought she was making fun of one of her captors. She was a bit abrasive with Han ("Looks like you managed to cut off our only escape route," "From now on you do as I tell you). And the Chewie thing... yeah, that could be interpreted as speceist. Han did sort of provoke her before the "do as I tell you" and "walking carpet" things though, indicating they shouldn't follow female advice. But still.

 

I think Yoda, R2, and Wedge are very highly respected among most.

 

I think it's safe to say that Qui-Gon, along with the whole Jedi Council - if not the whole Jedi Order - are partially to blame for the purge. He may have played a bigger part for having blind faith in an ancient prophecy, but you can't blame him anymore than Yoda and Mace for not seeing through Palpatine and the war, or Anakin himself for betraying the Jedi for his own selfish purposes.

 

Yoda - as others have said he is generally well loved except maybe same PT parts.

Obi-Wan - even haters of PT really like Obi-Wan and i found that he is one of the more liked characters.

Han Solo - seems to be everybody's favorite character and is often on top of top star wars characters lists.

 

Luke has his whiny moments early in the story, but after he grows up a little, he's nearly beyond reproach.