In the sprawling Star Wars universe, there are dozens of memorable, iconic, and beloved individual characters. But arguably, it’s just as important for those characters to form significant bonds with one another.
Every good franchise needs a handful of lovable duos; characters who share such palpable chemistry with one another --whether it’s a lovable rogue and their sidekick, a couple of childhood best friends or a morally complex hero/villain dynamic-- that they endear fans. The Star Wars saga has plenty of these kinds of double acts. Let's take a look at some of the most enduring, endearing and iconic double acts and duos in all of Star Wars.
Luke Skywalker and R2-D2
Luke Skywalker’s trusty astro droid R2-D2 is the only company he has for a lot of the original trilogy, especially in The Empire Strikes Back. While the other Rebels were fleeing from Imperial forces, Luke went to the Dagobah system in search of Yoda. The only character who went with him was Artoo.
Despite the fact that Artoo only speaks in beeps and whirs, his hilarious disrespect for Luke was made abundantly clear, purely through attitude. This is the result of groundbreaking sound design by the great Ben Burtt, as well as Mark Hamill’s ability to act against a tin can.
Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn
Despite only appearing in one movie, Qui-Gon Jinn, the Jedi Master who trained Obi-Wan Kenobi, left quite an impression on Star Wars fans. Mostly due to the on-screen chemistry shared by actors Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan managed to become one of the most memorable duos in Star Wars history after just The Phantom Menace.
Obi-Wan was the only one who shared Qui-Gon’s belief in Anakin, and the moment when young Kenobi watches his Master get struck down by Darth Maul was heartbreaking. We spent the rest of the prequel trilogy watching Obi-Wan fulfill Qui-Gon’s dying wish.
Rey and Kylo Ren
Disney’s Star Wars sequel trilogy has rubbed a number of fans the wrong way, and it’s easy to see why. However, there’s no denying that Rey and Kylo Ren have been developed into a very interesting partnership. Rey is the protagonist questioning her allegiance to the light side of the Force and Kylo Ren is the antagonist questioning his allegiance to the dark side, so they’ve sort of met in the middle.
They’ve had a couple of lightsaber duels with each other, but they’ve also fought alongside each other when they took on Supreme Leader Snoke’s army of Praetorian guards. There’s a mutual respect between them that’s quite fascinating.
Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine
One of the most shocking plot twists in the Star Wars saga that doesn’t get discussed a lot is the revelation that Darth Vader is being controlled by an even more powerful puppet-master. Vader had been introduced as the big bad in charge of the Galactic Empire. If any of his generals questioned him, he Force-choked them.
So, to find out that there was another villain above Vader was quite perplexing. This relationship was thoroughly developed in the prequel trilogy, in which we meet Anakin Skywalker as a wayward young Jedi Padawan and Palpatine as a slimy politician who’s secretly a Sith Lord.
Luke Skywalker and Yoda
Luke Skywalker had three mentor figures over the course of the original trilogy – Ben Kenobi, Yoda, and a redeemed Anakin Skywalker – and all three of them appeared to him as Force ghosts at the victory party on Endor at the end of Return of the Jedi.
It’s arguably Yoda that he created the strongest bond with, however. In The Empire Strikes Back, Luke heads to Dagobah to be trained as a Jedi by Yoda. At first, Yoda just messes with him, but they later develop a fun student-teacher relationship as Luke picks and chooses the lessons to take on board and Yoda sees the good in his heart, despite his lack of discipline.
Han Solo and Lando Calrissian
Some gaps in Han and Lando’s history were filled in last year in Solo: A Star Wars Story. They have sort of a love-hate relationship, but by the end of Return of the Jedi, it’s fair to say that it’s all love.
When they reunite in Cloud City in the third act of The Empire Strikes Back, Lando is mad at Han for cheating him out of the Millennium Falcon with his own trick. By the end of Empire, Han is mad at Lando for selling him out to Darth Vader. However, in Jedi, Lando saves Han and then they work together to lead the Rebel Alliance to victory, so they’re all square.
Poe Dameron and BB-8
In the greatest human/droid pairing since Luke Skywalker and R2-D2, Poe Dameron and BB-8 have built an adorable friendship over the course of the Star Wars sequel trilogy.
Whenever they’ve been split up, like when their TIE fighter crashed on Jakku and Poe was flung from the wreckage or when Finn and Rose took BB-8 on a mission to Canto Bight, they always have a delightful reunion. At one point, Poe even got down on BB-8’s level and scratched his belly like a puppy. It’ll be fun to see how their joint arc shakes out in The Rise of Skywalker.
Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker
“You were my brother, Anakin!” Throughout the prequel trilogy, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker’s relationship grew into one of the most complex in the Star Wars saga. Anakin was convinced by Palpatine, who was determined to poison his mind and turn him to the Dark Side, that Obi-Wan didn’t respect him and treated him like a son.
However, by the time it was too late and Anakin had slaughtered the younglings and turned to the Dark Side, Obi-Wan tragically told him that this wasn’t true; he saw him as a brother instead. The prequels aren't well regarded, but this element works really well.
R2-D2 and C-3PO
These bickering droids are the only two characters to appear in every movie in the Skywalker saga. They’re the ones who have carried us through this entire story. A New Hope kicked off with them being sent to Tatooine to find Ben Kenobi, who would be the key to saving Princess Leia from the Empire’s grasp.
Threepio’s overly-articulate speaking style grown from a fluency in dozens of languages and Artoo’s insulting use of indecipherable beeps and boops have combined to make R2-D2 and C-3PO an unforgettable pair, with an intriguing comic dynamic that has yet to run out of steam.
Han Solo and Chewbacca
These guys are easily the greatest duo in the Star Wars saga. No Star Wars fan can deny getting all giddy in the final moments of The Force Awakens trailer when Han Solo and Chewbacca stepped aboard the Millennium Falcon and Han said, “Chewie...we’re home.”
When we first met Han in the Mos Eisley Cantina, he was a selfish space pirate who didn’t care about anybody but himself... and his Wookiee sidekick. Until he got on board the Rebel cause, Chewie was the only object of Han’s affections. They didn’t have anyone besides each other in the galaxy, and their bond was so strong that they were perfectly happy with just that.