Because the Skywalker story is the core of the Star Wars universe to this point, occupying the central plot throughout all nine movies, people often simply think they're all heroes. However, the family is far more complex than that, with a great mix of good and evil within the family.
The characters often make crucial decisions that impact the grand scheme of the galaxy, and while some of those acts can be incredibly heroic, others can be selfish, or not in the interest of the greater good. Even some of the best heroes make mistakes within this franchise, and that includes of the Skywalker family themselves.
Shmi Skywalker-Lars
Out of all the Skywalker family , Shmi is certainly the least heroic, but that is mainly down to her circumstances. Living a life of slavery doesn't exactly open things up for her to be overly heroic, even if she wanted to be.
However, Shmi does do her very best by Anakin in order to try to give him the best life possible, and she encourages him to leave and become a Jedi, knowing she likely won't see him again in order for him to have a nicer life, which is certainly a heroic act.
Pé Amidala
Pé Amidala isn't really known for her massive heroic acts within the franchise, but she does have great glimpses of that. She happily fights for herself during the Clone Wars and is always ready to stand up for herself when needed, but unlike many of the Skywalker family, she's not someone who is spending her time getting into fights against evil.
Pé Amidala's best work comes politically, from standing up for Naboo, helping the people of the planet above focusing on herself. Her political stance certainly is a very heroic one, but it doesn't quite hold up to some other characters in this family.
Ben Solo
Ben Solo is certainly a very complex character who suffers a lot of anguish within his own mind. He goes down the wrong path, choosing the dark side, which leads to some very evil moments, most famously by killing his own father, Han Solo.
However, while he does a lot that isn't heroic, eventually Ben Solo fights against the darkness inside him. He spares the fleet with his mother inside it, Ben helps Rey learn her path and literally saves her life against Palpatine, not to mention the fact that he kills Snoke. He actually does a lot of good.
Anakin Skywalker
Sure, Anakin Skywalker does a lot of evil things during his lifespan, especially during his Darth Vader years, as he is literally the second evilest man in the galaxy. However, this Sith Lord has a lot of redeeming factors, such as saving his son and killing Emperor Palpatine.
Even during his younger years, Anakin does a lot of work as a true Jedi as well. Whether it's his help in the Clone Wars or how he often saves Obi-Wan Kenobi during their many adventures, Anakin does have enough heroic moments to make his character a great one.
Rey Skywalker
Unlike Anakin and Ben, Rey Skywalker doesn't dabble into the dark side during her journey. While Kylo Ren does try to convince her, and she does show some anger, Rey is ultimately a kind person. That's shown from the very beginning when she helps BB-8, which is a heroic decision within itself.
She then gets sucked into a war she wasn't even aware of, but she takes on the responsibility happily. She seeks out Luke and pushes him to train her, and she ultimately saves The Resistance, which is a huge heroic act.
Han Solo
There are certainly times when Han Solo can be a little bit self-centered, but that's simply part of his personality. However, there are also tons of times when he is very heroic, which is why he's one of the three core heroes.
Han helps Luke out plenty of times throughout the original trilogy, he helps save Princess Leia, rescues Chewbacca, and tries to reconnect with his son, which does lead to his death. Overall, he's a very heroic character, even if there are some selfish moments thrown in the mix.
Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker is the lead character within the Star Wars franchise, and he is someone who is incredibly heroic, which is why he's so beloved. From rescuing Princess Leia and freeing rebels to his work on Hoth or his fights against Darth Vader, Luke is constantly fighting for the greater good.
He is initially a little hesitant to get involved again in the sequel trilogy, which is unlike him. However, after some persuasion, he ends up training Rey to become the next great Jedi, ing on everything he knows as he makes one final heroic move to help them in his last moments.
Leia Organa-Skywalker
While Luke might be the major name that is pushed within this franchise, Princess Leia is actually the most heroic. Unlike her brother, Leia never questions anything and is happy to get involved in fighting for the greater good at all points, and that is what truly makes her the most heroic character.
Leia always thinks about others before herself, and her intelligence really does stand her in good stead. From hiding the Death Star plans to killing Jabba, she really is a heroic character. But Leia's best work comes when she's able to perform as a leader, helping create plans to help others and take down the dark side, without ever having to pick up a lightsaber.
