Saga Rank the top acting performances in Star Wars

Here’s mine:

1) Ian McDiarmid as Sheev Palpatine / The Emperor - He’s perfect.

2) Adam Driver as Ben Solo and Kylo Ren - Also perfectly cast.

3) Frank Oz voice acting for Yoda. More nuanced and complex than James Earl Jones / Mufasa voice work for Vader.

4) Tie: Ewan McGregor and Alec Guiness as Obi-Wan Kenobi - I love them both.

5) Mark Hamill in the Last Jedi. He’d be much lower if not for it. Rian asked Mark to step up his game and channel the portrait of a fallen hero struggling with purpose and guilt and Hamill rose to the occasion.

6) Felicity Jones as Jyn Erso - Love the character but she brings her to life perfectly.

7) Ben Mendelsohn as Director Krennic - Perfect worm of a villain

8) Daisy Ridley as Rey - I like her more than Hamill out of the gate and in TLJ she explores more.

9) Harrison Ford as Han Solo - He’s charming but that’s Harrison in the 1980s in general. His own persona is what makes Han.

10) James Earl Jones voice acting for Vader - It’s really his natural voice that makes it as evidenced by other performances like Mufasa.

11) Carrie Fisher as Leia - At her best in ANH perhaps but shows some emotional range and warmth with Han later.

12) Oscar Issac as Poe Dameron - I believe his intent all the time.

13) Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jin - Simialr to Harrison he’s Liam Neeson most of the time but he’s so damn cool we don’t care.

14) Anthony Daniels voice and posture work as C3PO. The original legend in these areas.

15) Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian - Another Han but charming as charming gets.

14) Andy Serkis as Snoke - Great voice acting

16) Peter Cushing Grand Moff Tarkin - The embodiment of decades of military training.

17) Diego Luna as Cassian Andor - He used his eyes very effectively. Even when I didn’t understand him as well on my first viewing I felt his intent.

18) Kelly Marie Tran as Rose Tico - Unique blend of sweetness and toughness and loyalty.

19) Alan Tudyk voice acting as K-2SO - More nuanced than C3PO but he benefits from following the leader so I push him down a little. He did great though.

20) Mads Mikkelson as Galen Erso - The role is amazing and he’s likeable and believable and has screen presence but he seems slightly restrained and stiff in moments.

20) Christopher Lee as Count Dooku - Delightfully hammy and theatrical performance.

21) Laura Dern as Admiral Holdo - The right mix of gravitas and warmth for that role.

22) Domnhall Gleason as General Hux - Like a younger Krennic who messes up less but gets bullied more.

24) Temuera Morrison as Jango Fett - I bought his love for Boba.

25) Natalie Portman as Padme - Stiff as a board to begin and sounded like she was reading lines off a screen but had me on her side by the end of ROTS.

26) Hayden Christiansen as Anakin Skywalker - Same as Padme. Had me more on his side by the end and had to balance Lightside charm witn Darkness. Driver smokes this balance in comparison.

27) Wen Jiang as Baze Malbus - I bought his weary warrior performance.

28) Pernilla August as Shmi Skywalker - The send off needed to be sad and it was.

29) Samuel L Jackson as Mace Windu - It’s Sam Jackson not swearing but he’d still Sam Jackson.

30) Riz Ahmed as Bodhi Rook - Offbeat performance but I liked it.

 

Doing the list made me appreciate just how much the top actors in Rogue One helped elevate it. It also helped me realize some of the small performances in movies that stayed with me more than some people who had more films.

 

My TOP 10

10) Laura Dern as Holdo
9) Christopher Lee as Count Dooku
8) Daisy Ridley as Rey
7) Harrison Ford as Han Solo
6) Natalie Portman as Padme
5) Ian McDiarmid as Palpatine
4) Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jin

3) Adam Driver as Ben Solo and Kylo Ren
2) Mark Hamill (the Last Jedi)
1) James Earl Jones (Vader voice)

 

PT: Ian McDiarmid and Ewan McGregor stole the show in the prequel trilogy. I think every other major character's acting performance was lacking with the exception of Liam Neeson for one movie. Ray Park's physical acting was also great.

OT: James Earl Jones and Frank Oz. Anthony Daniels does a pretty good job too.

ST: I don't like how his character was written in TFA but Adam Driver has done a good job as Kylo Ren. Again the writing sucked but Mark Hamill nailed his role in TLJ. He's a much better actor now than he was during the OT days.

RO: Felicity Jones and Ben Mendelsohn

 

1. Alec Guinness (the only SW actor to receive an Oscar nomination)
2. Mark Hamill (for TLJ)
3. Harrison Ford
4. Daisy Ridley
5. Adam Driver
6. Carrie Fisher (OT)
7. Liam Neeson
8. Ian McDiarmid
9. Ewan McGregor
10. Ben Mendelsohn

I'm not including voice actors. Jones, Oz, & Serkis were all excellent though.

 

1. Harrison Ford (minus ROTJ).
2. Adam Driver
3. Daisy Ridley
4. James Earl Jones
5. Ewan McGregor
6. Alec Guinness
7. Ian McDiarmid
8. Liam Neeson
9. Billy Dee Williams
10. Mark Hamill

 

1. Hamill
2. Christensen
3. McDiarmid
4. Oz
5. Cushing
6. August
7. Neeson
8. Williams
9. Portman
10. McGregor

 

Thread moved to Saga forum.

 

1. Harrison Ford
2. Mark Hamill
3. Carrie Fisher
4. Alec Guiness
5. Anthony Daniels
6. Billy Dee Williams
7. Ian McDiarmid
8. John Boyega
9. Daisy Ridley
10. Adam Driver

I'll give an honorable mention to James Earl Jones for his voiceacting. I've always respected him as an actor, but I don't consider voiceacting in the same category. You'd never see a voice actor getting nominated for a traditional actor's award, would you?

 

I'll do a Top Ten:

1) Frank Oz as Yoda from The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi = At no point during the movie do I think of Yoda as a puppet. To me, in that movie, he is a living and breathing creature. He's just right there, right before my eyes. I also love how he goes from goofy weirdo to serious Jedi Master at the drop of a hat and everyone, Luke included, just totally buy it. Also, his speech about The Force is one of my favorite moments in any Star Wars film, maybe even my number one. It is the best description of the Force that the franchise has ever offered and after hearing it, it just sounds so beautiful and I believe every word he says. I actually get mad at Luke for saying "You want the impossible" whenever I watch it. How can you listen to that and not be motivated! I'd be like sure thing Master Yoda! I'll keep at it till I life that X-Wing out of the water. Speaking of which, the way Yoda effortlessly lifts the X Wing out of the water is one of the most impressive displays of power in the series. Frank Oz brought so much life into the puppet that I forget I'm even looking at one, and that's amazing. Of course he had experience with this with The Muppets. I mean I watch the old Muppet Show and I think of a bear with a magenta nose as a real creature too. There is just something magical about the whole thing and Frank is one of the best at it.

2) Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher as Han Solo and Princess Leia in The Empire Strikes Back = While we all love A New Hope, it wasn't known for having the best performances from the young leads. They did fine and captured the aspects of the characters that they needed to, but things like Leia's faux-British accent are examples of inexperienced actors having some struggles. In Empire, they stepped up their games and the romantic subplot between Han and Leia worked beautifully. Their frustration, their emotion, and their connection all felt genuine and human. If you asked me what the greatest "on screen kisses" in cinema history were, the one on board the Falcon and the one in the Carbonite scene definitely rank very high up there (right up with Lady and Tramp, Spider-Man's upside down kiss, and of course North by Northwest). And Han's "I know" might be the series' greatest example of an actor making magic happen. We all know the line is perfect and it was something that Harrison came up with. They are Star Wars' greatest couple for a reason and the performances helped to make that work.

3) Ian Diarmid as The Emperor from Return of the Jedi and Revenge of the Sith = I love one dimensional, evil villains. I have no problem with it at all, but if that's the route you want to take, then go all the way with it, and they certainly did with The Emperor. He somehow manages to be both menacing and cornball all at the same time and its great. The way he speaks is fun to imitate and quote, but there is always this sense of dread surrounding him, especially in Jedi. And in the prequels, as series known for its stilted acting, he shines as a totally fun bad guy. He hams it up and its hard not to love a guy that just enjoys being evil as much as he does, but once again, he comes across as somewhat frightening when he has to (Opera House scene). Its a wonderful character and a wonderful performance. If Yoda is the purest example of the light side of the Force, then the Emperor is the purest example of the Dark Side, and both are terrific. ​

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4) Alec Guinness as Obi-Wan Kenobi in A New Hope = Alec Guinness was the glue that held the original film together. I've had the benefit of growing up with Alec Guinness' stellar performances throughout his career. Bridge on the River Kwai is one of the best movies of its kind, and in large part because of his performance. That level of talent and class was instrumental in getting Star Wars established and helped to give it credibility. He's basically just playing a basic archetype of the old wizard character, but he does it with such a genuine spirit that you can't help but love him. His wise words don't feel like generic platitudes, but rather the kind words of a parental figure guiding young Luke in the right direction. One of the reasons Obi-Wan's gigantic lie about Luke's parentage is so cutting is that I just couldn't believe that Obi-Wan could lie like that. ​

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5) Peter Cushing as Grand Moff Tarkin in A New Hope = Anyone who has watched the Hammer Horror Dracula and Frankenstein films know just how brilliant Peter Cushing is. He could say the most ridiculous things completely straight and you believe every word of it. He just has that magnetic presence and commitment to a role that is almost unteachable. You just have to have it. In A New Hope, Tarkin is a perfect representation of The Empire. He is militaristic, harsh, and authoritarian, but not over the top evil in the way The Emperor is. He almost feels like he's doing all these things because its his job, and there is this cold detachment there that is just great. He can blow up a planet and not think twice about it because that's what we do. A film filled with young and inexperienced actors benefitted from having the likes of Guinness and Cushing around. They classed up the whole production in ways that special effects and movie magic couldn't quite make up for. ​

6) Adam Driver as Kylo Ren from The Last Jedi = I really liked him in Force Awakens, but he really spread his wings in The Last Jedi. He's tortured and torn between the dark and the light, until he finally says "Screw it! Burn it all down!". There is a tortured presence to this character that goes a long way to separate him from Darth Vader and any other villain in the franchise. I can't wait to see what happens with him in IX.

7) Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker in A New Hope, Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, and The Last Jedi = I know there are things to knock in Hamill's performance in the first movie and not everyone was a fan of his portrayal in TLJ, but I just love how Luke has evolved over the series. Characters like Han Solo, Chewbacca, and the droids are fairly static throughout. But Luke? There has been an evolution from day one till now, and its fascinating to watch. The Luke you see in Return of the Jedi is not the same Luke you saw in A New Hope. He grows and matures throughout the trilogy, from whiny and idealistic farm boy to battle tested and experienced Jedi Knight. The transformation of Luke also feels earned and appropriate throughout the series, like his experiences are changing him. He starts off bored and dissatisfied with his life, has this great adventure, and now he's a brave hero that's formed bonds and relationships with those around him. Then he goes through a terrible experience with Vader that scars him physically and emotionally, and that leads to him becoming a darker and more serious Jedi warrior in the next film and so on. Even the broken down and guilty curmudgeon in The Last Jedi makes sense to me. He was supposed to be the one that rebuilds The Jedi Order and one mistake combined with his knowledge of how The Jedi fell in the first place leads to him being a bitter and guilty soul, and I loved how it played out. Sarcastic Luke is also pretty great, haha. So yeah, I guess I have to give Hamill credit for giving us the most multifaceted performance across multiple films.

8) Donnie Yen as Chirrut Îmwe from Rouge One = I love this character. If there is one thing the new films have done, it is reinvigorate the mystical and spiritual side of the Force. "I'm one with the Force, and the Force is with me" is probably the greatest quote the series has produced since the original films, and it is just a delight seeing a blind man have big hero moments and maintain his inner peace and tranquility. I also love that they didn't give him a lightsaber as it allowed him to stand out more as his own character.

9) Anthony Daniels as C-3PO from The Whole Friggin' Saga = There is something to be said for Daniels' take as 3PO. Unlike Darth Vader, it isn't a combined performance. It is all one guy, suit and voice, portraying this persona. The fact that he's still doing it to this day is even more remarkable. And through it all, I know this isn't the most popular opinion, but I just love 3PO. I guess I've got a thing for the droids (I love R2, K2-SO, and BB-8 as well...heck, I even love the evil First Order BB-8). I love how polite he is to humans and such a jerk to R2, but then you have those moments where you realize he does care for his best friend. I love how nervous he gets and how he becomes the butt of the galaxy's cosmic jokes throughout the series. He gets laughs, and once in a while, he'll hit me in the feels too (His "Master Luke" in the Last Jedi kind of got me).

10) James Earl Jones, David Prowse, Sebastian Shaw, Spencer Wilding and Daniel Naprous
as Darth Vader from A New Hope, Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, and Rogue One = I kept Vader low on the list since it wasn't just one performance. It took several performances to make the magic happen, but that combined effort definitely left a mark. Prowse had to give Vader his imposing physical presence and did that beautifully. Jones had to supply the voice, and gave Vader the menace and commanding authority that his voice should, and Shaw had to be the human being underneath the façade and did that extremely well, even if for just the one unmasking scene. And for the brief amount of time he's on screen, that menace behind Vader was recaptured in Rogue One (even with the dad joke, lol). As a kid, it was amazing to me that two different people performed one character, but it was part of the magic of Star Wars that a combination of different elements could come together and create one of the most iconic characters in cinematic history.

Runner Ups:
- Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissean in The Empire Strikes Back
- Tim Rose and Erik Bauersfeld as Admiral Ackbar in Return of the Jedi
- Pernilla August as Shmi Skywalker from The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones

- Ewan McGreggor as Obi-Wan Kenobi in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith​

- Alan Tyduk as K2-SO in Rogue One​

- Ben Mendelsohn as Director Krennic in Rogue One​

- Daisy Ridley as Rey from The Last Jedi​

 

1 Iain McDiarmid
2 Ewan McGregor/Alec Guiness (really couldn't decide between them as I love both performances of Obi-Wan)
3 Harrison Ford
4 Daisy Ridley
5 Mark Hamil
6 Carrie Fisher
7 Peter Cushing
8 Felicity Jones
9 Christopher Lee
10 Liam Neeson

Honourable mentions to Ben Mendelshon, John Boyega and Billy Dee Williams.

 

1) Mark Hamill - Over 4 movies now and he's great and perfect as Luke in each one.

2) Hayden Christensen - Outstanding work doing what is blindingly difficult playing the most emotional character ever seen in Star Wars who has to play a character who is all over the place.

After those top then really it's a cornucopia of great actors doing their parts so well.

3) Ian McDiarmid
4) Alec Guiness
5) Ewan McGregor
6) Liam Neeson
7) Natalie Portman
8) Harrison Ford
9) Frank Oz
10) Jake Lloyd

and so many others.

The new era is really good as well but I'm going to let things play out for a while and at at least let the ST end before I give them really serious consideration for any top spots.

 

There's Mark Hamill, and then there's everyone else.

 

1. Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker- While arguably the most polarizing performance of the saga, Christensen interjects so much in two movies. From the angry, hot tempered teen of AOTC to the mature, yet impatient young man of ROTS, to the brutal and intimidating figure of a pre-suit Darth Vader, Christensen made Anakin more than a Luke clone who makes the wrong decision. Anakin is a walking contradiction of beliefs and emotions, and that's what makes him fascinating. Christensen kills it in ROTS especially, giving us different shades of Anakin's personality. You may not like him, but it's hard to deny, this is a performance that is hard not to talk about and analyze to oblivion.

2. Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker- Hamill plays the hero's journey really well from the young farmboy to the jaded Jedi Master. Despite some meh moments in ANH and ROTJ, Hamill brings his best performance in TLJ, the rollercoaster of following his journey is bittersweet but impactful.

3. Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi- While a relatively enjoyable if unfocused performance in TPM, McGregor makes Obi-Wan his own in AOTC and ROTS. Injecting charisma, snark, flaws and compassion, McGregor made Obi-Wan an action hero to be in awe at. Plus the incredible "You were the Chosen One" monologue is one of the most emotionally powerful scenes in all of SW.

4. Ian McDiarmid as Palpatine- McDiarmid especially shines in the PT as the sneaky and intimidating Palpatine. Beautifully manipulative and vile, Palpatine has become a memorable and iconic villain thanks to this wonderfully over the top performance.

5. Natalie Portman as Padme- While her Queen Amidala performance was great, we didn't see much of her Padme performance in TPM. Luckily, Portman exceeds in AOTC and ROTS, combining both action hero, political, feminine and emotional traits that keep her from becoming a clone of Leia.

6. Christopher Lee as Count Dooku/Darth Tyranus- Short role but memorable. May look less intimidating than Maul, but his charisma and philosophy make him interesting. Lee shines when talking to Obi-Wan about the Sith and Qui-Gon. A SW villain who is more than he appears.

7. Temuera Morrison as Jango Fett- Nails the bounty hunter role beautifully. Makes Jango Fett way more intimidating than his son and is one of the coolest minor villains of the PT. Love the tension between him and Kenobi during the questioning scene.

8. Adam Driver as Kylo Ren- It's likely more the writing than the actual actor, but Driver helps bring the "pathetic villain rising to the top" an interesting story.

9. Harrison Ford as Han Solo- Not a particulary complex character, but he totally owns the cool guy archetype. A fun and amusing character that gives the OT a lot of personality.

10. Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon- Nailed the wise mentor role without being the old man trope and established a meaningful relationship with Anakin. Just a cool attitude.

 

Killer list!

Why HC over MH if I might ask?

I struggle with that one but after TLJ I had to give it to Mark over Hayden for the top spot because that's 4 movies to HC's 2. Not so much that it's about quantity but quantity and quality. I mean after not playing Luke for 30+ years and he totally nails it again?

That is most impressive.

 

Thank you! You too!

Good question. Mark is fantastic, and yes, to come back 30 years and deliver another strong performance is highly commendable, but Hayden's performance for me is just a preference.

I find Anakin as a character more interesting than Luke, and, like you said, Hayden had a hard part within two movies to balance a young, relatively good hearted man to a evil warlord that supports a tyrannical dictatorship. Something about that juxtaposition engrasps me more. I find Hayden's performance just a lot more interesting to discuss tbh.

 

Yes. Anakin IS Vader and constantly changing based on circumstances while Luke is basically straight and true.

Both difficult things to do.

Ford is great but being the wiseacre is being Costello to Abbott. Abbott never gets the credit he deserves.

The sincere and innocent Dark side lunacy that HC portrays with Padme on Mustafar always gets me.

It's totally bonkers but totally right.

 

Top 10, best to worst:

James Earl Jones
Alec Guinness
Harrison Ford
Carrie Fisher
Mark Hamill
Adam Driver
Daisy Ridley
Ben Mendelsohn
Domhnall Gleeson
Ewan McGregor

 

Kinda hard to compare. Mark Hamilton’s acting honestly isn’t so incredibly different. It’s straightfoward for the most part and e doesn’t get nearly enough time in TLJ compared to ROTS Hayden. Mark Hamilton is “better” but nothing that I take so much away from until the last act.

But I guess it depends. Hamill wasn’t wasn’t called to be nuanced or complex. Simplicity seemded to fit him best.

 

1. James Earl Jones
2. Ian MacDiarmid
3. Alec Guiness
4. Frank Oz
5. Ewan McGregor
6. Mark Hamil
7. Harrison Ford
8. Carrie Fisher
9. Liam Neeson
10. Peter Cushing

 

1. Alec Guinness
2. Harrison Ford
3. Adam Driver
4. Frank Oz
5. James Earl Jones
6. Daisy Ridley
7. Anthony Daniels
8. Christopher Lee
9. Peter Cushing
10. Ben Mendlesohn

I really enjoy Ian McDiarmid as Palpatine. Subtle, nuanced and effortlessly disconcerting. As Sidious/ The Emperor, though, I find him to be a bit ... hammy.

I thought Mark Hamill was excellent in TLJ but although I like him, and Luke as a character, I wouldn't consider his performances in the OT to be among the best in that trilogy.

 

1. Ian McDiarmid as Senator/Chancellor/Emperor Sheev Palpatine / Darth Sidious
2. Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi
3. Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn
4. Harrison Ford as Han Solo
5. Peter Cushing as Grand Moff Tarkin
6. Christopher Lee as Count Dooku / Darth Tyranus
7. Natalie Portman as Queen/Senator Padme Amidala
8. Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian
9. Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker / Darth Vader
10. Anthony Daniels as C-3PO

 

1. Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi
2. Ian McDiarmid as Emperor Palpatine
3. Felicity Jones as Stardust
4. Alec Guinness as Obi-Wan Kenobi
5. Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker
6. James Earl Jones as Darth Vader
7. Ben Mendlesohn as Director Krennic
8. Adam Driver as Kylo Ren
9. Frank Oz as Yoda
10. Diego Luna as Cassian Andor

 

Best - Peter Cushing or Ian McDiarmid (specifically the OT though)