The Star Wars franchise is a franchise full of beloved characters, whether from the original, prequel, or sequel trilogy. But no matter how beloved the galaxy's heroes and villains may be by so many, not all of these characters are treated equally, especially when it comes to their final storylines.
Some characters get the happy endings they've deserved, while others are lost along the way. But even some of those happy endings ring hollow in the grand scheme of things, while some of those losses are poetically fitting. Here, take a look at which characters deserved better, and those who got what they deserved in the end.
Most Satisfying: Obi-Wan Kenobi
In his youth, Obi-Wan Kenobi was responsible for the training and development of the Jedi Anakin Skywalker, who was to be the Chosen One. But in his youth, Obi-Wan failed, unaware that Anakin had strayed and fallen to the dark side to become Darth Vader.
It is fitting, then, that in his older years, Obi-Wan comes face to face with the student who had fallen, sacrificing himself at Vader's hand and going on to train Vader's son, Luke, in the Force as a Force ghost.
Least Satisfying: Padme Amidala
The notion of fridging - to kill off a female character for the sake of a man's pain and development - is appallingly prevalent in fiction, even to this day. Padme Amidala, the fierce queen of Naboo and senator that she was, deserved far more than to be reduced to yet another example of that disturbing trend.
Though the prequel trilogy had its hands tied when it came to revealing how Luke and Leia entered the world, it nevertheless still upsets fans to this day that this was how they did it. Padme, and the Skywalkers, deserved better.
Most Satisfying: Han Solo
Once upon a time, Han Solo was a selfish smuggler who cared about money, his prized possession the Millennium Falcon, and... not much more than that. Well, perhaps Chewbacca. But that was about it.
In his final moments, Han Solo had developed to become a loving father and husband, willing to risk his own life and future for the sake of trying to save his own son. If that's not the definition of strong character development, then what is?
Least Satisfying: Emperor Palpatine
For some reason, the sequel trilogy felt the need to bring Emperor Palpatine quite literally back from the dead, just to prop him up on a baffling mechanical apparatus and even more baffling storylines.
In the end, what purpose did Palpatine's return serve? What did he actually accomplish in The Rise of Skywalker, other than dying once again... allegedly? Fans are still confused all these months later.
Most Satisfying: Yoda
As Luke Skywalker's steadfast teacher in the original trilogy, Yoda was the wise and warm Jedi master that all padawans would have been lucky to have. He served a complete storyline purpose, delivered the lessons and messages and information that Luke Skywalker needed, and then moved on.
But the sequel trilogy found a way to bring him back, and provide a new, ever more meaningful ending to his story. "We are what they grow beyond," Yoda tells a now-aged Luke, who finds himself in Yoda's previous position. "That is the true burden of all masters."
Least Satisfying: Leia Organa
Without question, Leia Organa is one of the most iconic characters to come out of the entire Star Wars saga. And also without question, the original trilogy treated her far better than the sequel trilogy ever did.
Though the sequels were forced to make some difficult choices due to Carrie Fisher's tragic passing, the storyline that ends Leia's character's journey - including a disappointing reveal of a secret Jedi past, and an off-screen death - is far less than this galactic hero ever deserved.
Most Satisfying: Darth Vader
Darth Vader was a monster. Calculating and cruel, he committed unspeakable acts of villainy, killed an impossible to count number of innocents, and destroyed planets in the blink of an eye.
But long before he was Darth Vader, he was just a man, Anakin Skywalker, capable of love and kindness. That, of course, is what makes his ultimate ending - sacrificing himself to save his long lost son, Luke, before succumbing to his wounds - one of the saga's most satisfying decisions.
Least Satisfying: Kylo Ren
When the sequel trilogy began, it seemed as though Kylo Ren would be the trilogy's answer to the masked menace of Darth Vader that the original trilogy wielded so well. Over time, however, Kylo was revealed to be a far more nuanced character, one deserving of development and, eventually, redemption.
In the end, Kylo Ren got to redeem himself and once again become Ben Solo, doing so through an ultimately selfless act of heroism. But in this case, unlike his grandfather's, to have him redeemed by death feels cruel, and cuts his story much shorter than it should have been.
Most Satisfying: Luke Skywalker
After the events of the original trilogy, Luke Skywalker became more than a mythic figure, coming to represent the epitome of heroism both within the world of Star Wars and the fans who so passionately loved it.
That's what made his storyline in The Last Jedi so fundamentally bold, and such a fitting end in turn. By deconstructing the myth of Luke Skywalker, this film allowed Luke to become something more than mythic: a real man with flaws and hopes, whose selflessness in the end was just as heroic as it was human.
Least Satisfying: Rey
As should be quite clear by now, Star Wars has a troubling history of failing its female characters, whether main characters or supporting ones. Unfortunately for fans of the sequel trilogy, this held true for Rey, too.
A character who was once defined by her desire to find a place in the world, only to realize she would have to make her own place, is reduced to nothing more than a stand in for misplaced nostalgia in the end. Rey Skywalker isn't just a disappointment: it's an insult.