Top 10 Acting Performances in Star Wars

As anyone who knows me would say, I am a huge huge fan of Star Wars.  I've seen every original trilogy and prequel trilogy film at least ten times, and now the sequel trilogy and spin-off films twice each at least.  One thing that does not get talked about enough is the acting in Star Wars.  There have been some really good acting performances in Star Wars and some not so good ones.  I'm going to rank my Top 10 Acting Performances, in order.  At the end, I'll list my favorite line of theirs that they delivered.  Here we go.

10. James Earl Jones/David Prowse, Darth Vader - Ep. V: The Empire Strikes Back
Hey, voice acting still counts as acting.  Even though they never met, James Earl Jones and David Prowse combined made one of cinema's greatest villains ever.  James Earl Jones especially was bone-chilling as Lord Vader, and his attempts to lure Luke to the dark side were certainly tempting.  And then at the end, Luke and Vader connecting through the force was awesome.
Favorite line delivery: "No, I am your father."

9. Harrison Ford, Han Solo - Ep. VI: Return of the Jedi
It was a toss-up between RotJ and A New Hope for me with Harrison/Han.  I went with Return of the Jedi just barely because his character had already been established and we got to see him go from being freed in carbonite to winning the Battle of Endor.  He conveyed being blinded from the carbonite freezing very well, and the way he shrugged at the Empire when he had them outnumbered was just classic Han.
Favorite line delivery: "I think my eyes are getting better. Instead of a big dark blur, I see a big light blur."

8. Ian McDiarmid, Supreme Chancellor/Emperor Palpatine - Ep. III: Revenge of the Sith
This guy has so many meme worthy lines in Episode III, it's amazing.  And they were delivered so well, too.  Ian really shined in Episode III, turning Anakin to the dark side, starting with telling him the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise.  On some of my watches of Episode III, I really only pay attention to his lines because he was just that good.
Favorite line delivery: "I am the senate!"

7. Carrie Fisher, Princess Leia Organa - Ep. V: The Empire Strikes Back
Carrie was really good in all of the OT films, but I think she was at her best in The Empire Strikes Back.  Her annoyance at Han all the way to Bespin was very relatable.  The way she fell for him was as well.  And then her dismay at Han being frozen in carbonite and then trying to tell Luke it was a trap, I just can't imagine someone acting it better.
Favorite line delivery: "Why, you stuck up... half-witted... scruffy-looking... Nerf-herder!"

6. Mark Hamill, Luke Skywalker - Ep. VIII: The Last Jedi
Thank goodness we got a decent amount of Hamill in one of the sequel films.  He was amazing in TLJ.  It's my least favorite film in the trilogy, but I can watch it through just for him alone.  Mark was fairly decent as Luke in the OT, but he clearly learned a few things since then.
Favorite line delivery: "Amazing. Every word of what you just said was wrong. The Rebellion is reborn today. The war is just beginning. And I will not be the last Jedi."

5. Felicity Jones, Jyn Erso - Rogue One
The best female acting performance in Star Wars?  In my opinion it is.  Felicity was perfect for the role of Jyn.  The way she fought for her father and inspired others was, well, inspiring.  I really felt connected to her character, partially because of the writing, but also because of her great performance.
Favorite line delivery: "We have hope!  Rebellions are built on hope!"

4. Adam Driver, Kylo Ren/Ben Solo - Ep. IX: The Rise of Skywalker
Many Star Wars fans have already stated Adam Driver's acting carried the sequel trilogy.  He was fantastic.  My favorite part is after he got the lightsaber from Rey, he shrugs at the Knights of Ren, much like his father Han Solo would have. Also, his conversation with his dad, which helped turn him back to the light side.
Favorite line delivery: "Look at yourself, you wanted to prove to my mother that you were a Jedi but you've proven something else. You can't go back to her now, like I can't."

3. Ian McDiarmid, Emperor Palpatine - Ep. VI - Return of the Jedi
Second time on the list?  Why not?  Ian McDiarmid is a terrific actor.  I'm surprised he hasn't been in more stuff.  The role of Emperor Palpatine seems to have been written around Ian McDiarmid's acting ability.  I find it amazing that George Lucas cast him while Ian was in his 30s and played the elderly Emperor at that age.  That would be like Jake Gyllenhaal or Zachary Levi playing the Emperor today.
Favorite line delivery: "Oh, I'm afraid the deflector shield will be quite operational when your friends arrive."

2. Alec Guinness, Obi-Wan Kenobi - Ep. IV: A New Hope
The only Star Wars actor to get nominated for an Oscar for their role in Star Wars is Alec Guinness.  He isn't often talked about for his performance, but he was amazing.  It's a shame he got killed off as early as he did.  Fortunately, Alec was able to continue his role as Obi-Wan as a Force Ghost in the next two films, albeit in a smaller capacity.
Favorite line delivery: "You can't win, Darth.  If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine."

1. Ewan McGregor, Obi-Wan Kenobi - Ep. III - Revenge of the Sith
The only way to top Obi-Wan Kenobi is with another version of Obi-Wan Kenobi.  It's a matter of my personal opinion, but I prefer Ewan's performance by a hair.  He was tremendous with the delivery of some of the most iconic lines in all of Star Wars.  How can I choose just one?
Favorite line delivery: "You were the chosen one!  It was said you would destroy the Sith, not join them!  Bring balance to the force, not leave it in darkness!"

Top Ten Star Wars Movie Ideas (with pictures!)

With Disney's acquisition of Star Wars in 2012, they finally allowed us to see non-episodic Star Wars films.  There have been two so far: Rogue One and Solo: A Star Wars Story.  Many consider Rogue One to be the best written film since the Original Trilogy, and many consider Solo to be underrated, myself included.  Solo suffered at the box office, not because it was a bad film, but because it was released less than 6 months after The Last Jedi and many were suffering from "Star Wars fatigue".  If there was a film released every 6 months, you wouldn't really look forward to them as much, would you?  It seems as though the poor box office results of Solo have scared Disney from making more spin-off films.  But we know they'll get back to it, and we'll have one 2-5 years after Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker is out.  So, here are my Top 10 Ideas (ranked) for Star Wars films they could make.  I ranked them mainly based on how likely they are to be made, but also I factored in a little bit of how much I'd want them to be made as well.  Keep in mind I did my best to come up with titles.  Also, I really had to focus on films that have at least a small shot of happening some day.  So there won't be any films with Darth Vader as the main character, unfortunately.

10. Qui-Gon Jinn: A Bigger Fish Story
Qui-Gon Jinn is a beloved Star Wars character.  If you remember in Ep. II, Count Dooku revealed to us he was Qui-Gon's master.  I would love to see their relationship and Qui-Gon's training.  We could see hints of Dooku's fall to the dark side.  Obviously, two new actors would have to play them (RIP Christopher Lee).  My ideas are Colin Farrell for Dooku and Tom Holland for Qui-Gon.  Would Star Wars fans still go for this?  Meh, but I know I would.  Also, the title is a joke (mostly), but I just could not resist.

9. Star Wars: The Formation of the Alliance
I could see a film set between Ep. III and IV revolving around the formation of the Rebel Alliance.  I mean, technically we saw the very beginnings of it in the Episode III deleted scene, but this could greatly expand upon that.  It would have another chance to feature Darth Vader (who wouldn't want that?).  And it could show the very first conflicts between the Alliance and the Empire.  One reason I want this to happen (and soon) is I think Millie Bobby Brown would make a really great young Princess Leia.  But they would have to make the movie soon before she gets too old.  Otherwise they'd have to have a casting call and audition hundreds of young actresses.  Also, if they could make this soon they could recast Jimmy Smits in the role of Senator Bail Organa.


8. Star Wars: The Rise and Fall of the New Order
Now I know I've heard after Episode IX, Star Wars will forever be done with the Skywalker saga. I don't think that's entirely true.  I mean, they'll be done with the story of the Skywalkers after IX, with Luke dead and Kylo Ren either dead or redeemed (probably).  However, I think they still could make a film between Episodes VI and VII about Luke starting the New Jedi Order and how it fell after he lost his nephew, Ben Solo.  The reason I think this COULD be possible is because there is a decent and well-known actor named Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes in the MCU) who looks SO much like Mark Hamill.  It's crazy.  Hamill and Stan are even aware of it.  And I'm pretty darn sure Mark Hamill would be happy with Stan playing Luke.  The problem being of course is if Stan wanted to do it and if he could pull it off.



7. Windu: A Star Wars Story
In order to have a film centered around a certain character, that character has to be two things: One, he has to be human (Sorry Yoda, Chewbacca, and R2/Threepio), and two, he has to be good/light side.  The audience has to be able to relate to the main character.  So with that in mind, one of the few characters that fits this that isn't a Skywalker is Mace Windu.  And Star Wars would greatly benefit from a film centered around a black character, as it could draw a lot of African-American people into the Star Wars films.  It could maybe even be the "Black Panther" of Star Wars films.  Also, I'd love to see Mace as a young Jedi, learning from his master, Cyslin Myr.  Any tough female actress could play Cyslin, perhaps Danai Gurira.  As for Mace, I'd like to see Corey Hawkins in the role (24, Straight Outta Compton, The Walking Dead).



6. Star Wars: A Jedi's Path I would love to see a Star Wars film about a new character, but with a familiar setting.  This film would follow a Jedi and her path through training and fighting in the Clone Wars.  And I think it should be a female Jedi because there aren't enough female heroines in Star Wars.  The film would have a sad ending more than likely, as nearly all of the Jedi were wiped out in the great Jedi purge of Order 66.  Maybe she could survive at the end and live as an outcast (but would obviously lose her master).  But to see parts of Episodes II and III from someone else's perspective could be really cool.  If this film is done soon enough, a lot of the same actors could be used in the roles they had (Samuel L. Jackson, Ian McDiarmid).  Honestly, if they cast a well-known or up and coming actress and they market it well enough, this could be one of the biggest Star Wars spin-off films, perhaps the "Wonder Woman" of Star Wars spin-off films.



5. Dash Rendar: A Smuggler's Story 

The debate rages on about what is considered Star Wars canon and what is not.  I think ultimately Disney will need to decide if they want to "borrow" characters and character traits from what they call "Legends".  As I was thinking of EU/Legend characters, Dash Rendar came to me.  He is actually considered canon now because he was mentioned in a canonized Star Wars book (Solo: A Star Wars Story: Tales from Vandor).  Does that mean they'll make a film about him?  No.  But imagine if they did, and borrowed from "Shadows of the Empire".  If they could recreate anything from that, it would bring so many of us right back to our childhoods.  And Dash could be played by any actor deserving of the part as his appearance has not been canonized in any way.  Personally, I'd like Charlie Cox (Daredevil) for the role, as he screen tested for Han Solo in "Solo: A Star Wars Story" but didn't get the part.




4. The Adventures of Poe Dameron
Poe Dameron is a fan favorite character. We know Disney will be fond of the Sequel Trilogy after "Rise of Skywalker" has been out and might want to spin off from it with one of the sequel trilogy characters.  It comes down to Finn and Poe, and I pick Poe.  We could hopefully see him as a teen growing up and learning how to pilot, and see him right before the events of "The Force Awakens" and see what lead to him being on Jakku and how well he knew Lor San Tekka.  And we could see him after "Rise of Skywalker" and see if he has a partner and/or kids.  He might be leading the Resistance at this point, but could still have some action.  We'd have to have BB-8 of course.  And this is the first film on here that wouldn't have to be recast as Oscar Isaac could still play the role.  The only additional casting for Poe they might do is for a younger version of him.  I don't see this as a huge box office hit, and may end up being a TV show instead (Poe is featured on Star Wars Resistance).

3. FETT
I think a movie about Boba Fett is possible, despite what I said earlier in the Mace Windu movie about the protagonist having to be good and light-sided.  Boba is a very complex character, more morally gray than anything.  It could even be set after the events of Episodes IV or V (or between III and IV).  And I would love them to show Fett escaping from the sarlaac pit; maybe even show him fighting it.  In order to draw in fans, they'd have to cast a bigger name than Daniel Logan.  The problem is that Boba is an unaltered clone of Jango Fett, meaning as an adult he would look just like Temuera Morrison.  However, the writers could come up with a clever tactic as to why he doesn't look exactly like him; something like the cloning process wasn't perfect.  Therefore, my choice for Boba would be Toby Sebastian (Game of Thrones).  He looks the part and has a leading man kind of appearance.



2. Star Wars: The Old Republic
Ever since the Knights of the Old Republic video game, I've wanted a movie set around the era of the Old Republic.  Specifically, I would want it centered around Darth Revan, Bastila, and Carth.  With Disney's acquisition of Star Wars that story lost it's canonization, but they could still make a film with a lot of the same elements (and could borrow some characters, too).  It would be very cool to see some characters here and there from KOTOR that us players of the game could pick up on in the film.  The biggest downside to this is that it would be the first film (unless one comes out before it) that isn't set anywhere close to the lives of likable characters such as Yoda, C-3PO and R2D2.  It would feel a lot different and not having a single recognizable character could hurt the film at the box office by dissuading a lot of the casual fans from seeing it.

1. Star Wars: Obi-Wan
Fans have been clamoring for an Obi-Wan film for years.  It would be set between episodes III and IV, and we'd see Obi-Wan on Tattooine looking after Luke.  Ewan McGregor is more than ready and willing to reprise his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi.  His character is beloved throughout the Star Wars fandom.  One problem with this I see is writing out a plot that is worthy of a solo film but also doesn't contradict Episode IV.  Remember, the Empire was still unaware of his presence in Ep. IV.  So who would he fight?  We know he fights and kills Maul for good thanks to Star Wars Rebels, but who else?  My only thought is the criminal organization revealed in Solo called "Crimson Dawn".  Could be a way to tie up Solo to this.  Also, there's only so much you can do on a desert planet, he'd almost have to leave Tatooine so that the entire film is not set there.  He could meet up with Yoda on Dagobah and get some advice, and we could see part of how you become a Force ghost and become one with the Force.


There is my list of the Top Ten Star Wars Movie Ideas.  I'd be willing to bet money at least one of these (if not more) becomes a film some day.  If indeed that does happen, I will probably come back here and add my comments to the film that actually got made.  Honestly, I'd love it if ANY of these got made.  It's really a shame Disney handicapped itself by declaring Expanded Universe material as non-canon, but as I said earlier, that doesn't mean those characters can not or did not exist.  Also, if on the very off chance that any Disney/Lucasfilm executive happens to be reading this, please consider making the films on this list, especially the ones towards the end!  Also name me lead screenwriter (lol just kidding... or am I?)