The Star Wars universe boasts hundreds of original characters over the course of several live-action projects, including eleven films and three Disney+ series. Over the course of this classic space-faring franchise, audiences come to love several of these characters as they witness their adventures.
While audiences spend plenty of time with characters from all corners of the galaxy, there are certain major personalities that seem to recur more often than others. In fact, there are several iconic Star Wars characters that prove to be far more commonly featured in live-action content than others are.
Han Solo
Han Solo is one of the protagonists of the original Star Wars trilogy as well as the sequel films. Solo is most prominently portrayed by Harrison Ford, though Alden Ehrenreich played a younger version of the character in the spinoff film, Solo: A Star Wars Story.
Han has made six live-action appearances throughout the Star Wars franchise, a remarkably small amount for such a major character. Given his relatively limited appearances, Han has actually interacted with remarkably few iconic characters from the franchise, keeping mostly to his closest friends.
Yoda
Yoda is one of the most powerful Jedi Masters depicted in the Star Wars franchise and was a member of the Jedi High Council during the execution of Order 66, becoming one of the very few to survive the tragic event. He was voiced by Frank Oz in each of his cinematic appearances.
Master Yoda has appeared in seven live-action films throughout the Skywalker Saga, including a vocal cameo in The Rise of Skywalker. He is one of the few Jedi to feature in a film that chronologically takes place after his demise, having obtained the power to manifest his body through the Force.
Sheev Palpatine
The evil Sith Lord, Sheev Palpatine, also known as Darth Sidious, is the primary antagonist of the Skywalker Saga. Portrayed by Ian McDiarmid, the character is responsible for the fall of the Jedi and the Republic, as well as the rise of the First Galactic Empire.
Palpatine made his first appearance as a hologram in The Empire Strikes Back, originally portrayed by Clive Revill, though this scene would eventually be replaced with one including McDiarmid in the role. McDiarmid would go on to reprise this role for a total of seven live-action appearances, including his most recent cameo in Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Chewbacca
Chewbacca is the lovable Wookie companion of Han Solo who becomes a Rebel and Resistance hero over the course of his time in the franchise. Chewie was portrayed by the late British actor Peter Mayhew until his retirement following The Force Awakens, at which point Finnish actor, Joonas Suotamo, took over for all subsequent appearances.
Chewbacca has appeared in eight live-action projects over the last forty-five years of Star Wars history, including seven of the nine films in the Skywalker Saga. He is one of the few original trilogy characters that has not yet been included in any of the Disney+ streaming series, though such an occurrence is an inevitability.
Leia Organa
Leia Organa is one of the most important characters in the entire Skywalker Saga. After losing her home planet of Alderaan, Leia serves as a leader in both the Rebel Alliance and the Resistance, making her contributions integral to maintaining the freedom of the galaxy.
Originally portrayed by the late Carrie Fischer and, more recently, by Vivien Lyra Blair in the Disney+ series Rogue One). While Carrie Fischer's death in 2016 implies that audiences may not see many more appearances from Leia in the future, Vivien Lyra Blair's portrayal of a young Leia could portend quite the opposite.
Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader
Anakin Skywalker is arguably the protagonist of the entire Star Wars saga, with his journey into becoming Darth Vader and eventual redemption acting as the true main plot of the franchise. Anakin has been portrayed by a number of actors over the years, with Jake Lloyd and Hayden Christensen portraying a younger version of the character for the prequels. The original trilogy featured David Prowse as the stand-in for Vader, with his voice provided by James Earl Jones. Sebastian Shaw would play the unmasked Vader in Return of the Jedi.
Anakin Skywalker and his alter-ego of Darth Vader have appeared in nine live-action Star Wars projects over the years, including vocal cameos by both Christensen and Jones in The Rise of Skywalker. The character appears to continue to be a major part of the franchise's future, with Christensen confirmed to be returning in the forthcoming Ahsoka Disney+ series.
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Obi-Wan is one of the most tragic characters in all of Star Wars. After his Padawan betrayed and slaughtered the Jedi Order, Obi-Wan was forced into exile on the planet of Tatooine, where he looked after a young Luke Skywalker for nearly two decades. Obi-Wan was portrayed by Sir Alec Guinness in the original films, with Ewan McGregor taking over the role for the prequel trilogy and all subsequent appearances.
Despite dying in his first on-screen appearance in A New Hope, Obi-Wan Kenobi has gone on to be featured in a total of nine live-action projects, including two voice-only cameos in the sequel trilogy. The character's contributions to the franchise may yet continue, as fans continue to hope for a second season of the Obi-Wan Kenobi Disney+ series.
Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker is the hero of the original trilogy of Star Wars films, whose efforts bring about a new era of peace in the galaxy. Mark Hamill portrays the character for both the original and sequel trilogies and even provides his voice for Luke's more recent appearances on Disney+'s Star Wars series, with Grant Feely portraying a younger version of the character.
Luke has appeared in one form or another in every Star Wars film with the exceptions of The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Solo. With a total of ten onscreen appearances, Luke's time in the franchise is far from complete, as future Disney+ series seem likely to expand on his story in the years between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens.
C-3PO
C-3PO is a timid but loyal protocol droid that serves as a major character in each trilogy of the Star Wars franchise. Voiced and operated by Anthony Daniels, the droid often finds himself caught up in various adventures that he himself wants nothing to do with.
C-3PO has managed to feature in almost all of the franchise's fourteen live-action entries and is thus far only absent from Solo, The Mandalorian, and The Book of Boba Fett. The protocol droid has otherwise appeared in every film and series produced within the Star Wars universe.
R2-D2
R2-D2 is a feisty astromech droid that serves as a loyal companion to several major Star Wars characters over the years, including both Anakin and Luke Skywalker. The droid is operated by the late Kenny Baker in the original films, with various puppeteers taking over for the character's later appearances.
R2-D2 has the rare honor of being featured in almost every single live-action Star Wars project to date. The character has appeared in every film thus far with the exception of Solo and has shown up at least once in each Disney+ series, most recently making a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo in Obi-Wan Kenobi alongside his best friend C-3PO. Over the span of forty-five years, R2-D2 has garnered a whopping thirteen live-action appearances in the Star Wars universe.
