As probably the greatest space fantasy franchise of all time, Star Wars has accumulated a wide catalog of iconography over its forty-plus-year existence, and so much of that has to do with the characters. Whether it be the characters themselves, their designs, their outfits, or something else, there is a plethora of memorable and recognizable characters in Star Wars, a lot of whom don helmets and masks.
These are a staple in Star Wars, introduced as a big part of the Galaxy as early as A New Hope's opening moments. A lot of them are insanely cool, but even those with a significant level of badassery can have an edge about them, a scary one. Whether it be to the audiences themselves or the characters in the Galaxy, some masks in Star Wars are terrifying.
Sidon Ithano
Sidon Ithano is a minor character introduced in The Force Awakens, who later cameos in The Rise Of Skywalker and has a surprising amount of background in the current canon.
The pirate dons a red Kaleesh mask. The most famous example of a Kaleesh in Star Wars is General Grievous, who is pretty terrifying but does not don a mask. Ithano's mask gives of serious Devaronian/devil vibes, and if he were leading a crew of pirates near a citizen's ship, they would most likely surrender in fear immediately.
The Knights Of Ren
There is a serious case to be made that the Knights of Ren are the most underwhelming characters in the Disney-era of Star Wars. They had so much potential but weren't really featured at all.
Nevertheless, Cardo, Vicrul, Kuruk, Trudgen, Ushar, and Ap'lek were all pretty terrifying looking. While much of this aura was removed by how wasted the characters were, their masks could easily strike fear in anyone opposing them. Their anonymity and battle helmets only served to help them defeat any opponent psychologically, inducing terror in them.
Enfys Nest
Enfys Nest is one of the most interesting characters introduced in the last few years of on-screen canon, but one who has not made many appearances at all outside of Solo: A Star Wars Story and its adaptations.
As the Cloud-Riders leader, Nest was an incredibly intimidating presence, leading a band of Resistance fighters/pirates in the early early days of the rebellion, attempting to do good. Nest keeps her surprisingly youthful face hidden behind a pretty wild pirate mask that far exceeds Ithano's likes in detail, and combined with the rest of her outfit, is far more intimidating.
Imperial/First Order Stormtroopers
It is easy to forget how much fear and intimidation stormtroopers, both Imperial and those of the First Order, incited in the Galaxy, though to audiences they do not seem that powerful.
In the Galaxy, though, they were the face of the Empire and the First Order, respectively. Their anonymous faces are hidden behind an expressionless, ghost-esque face. They are the embodiment of the fear the Empire and First Order sought to unleash on the Galaxy.
Tusken Raiders
The true faces of the Tusken Raiders are the stuff of Tatooine legend. Nobody has ever seen a Tusken Raider unmasked and lived, and as their culture has grown over the generations, they do not even take their masks off in front of each other.
Out in the harsh deserts of Tatooine, their masks with mouth grilles and eye coverings protect them from the sand and retain moisture. As practical as they are, though, they are also frightening. A part of their fear factor is the mystery of what is behind them; another part is just how wild they act towards outsiders, with their masked faces only ever having one striking look.
Imperial Royal Guard
Jumping back to the Imperial side of things, the Imperial Royal Guards who act as personal bodyguards to the Emperor, as if he really needs them, wear perhaps the plainest mask and overall outfit on this list, but one of the scariest.
There is absolutely nothing to their masks but the overwhelming red and the black visor. But that is enough. They epitomize the idea of anonymity and sheer lack of expression being a tool of terror. The guards inspire many questions and have such an overwhelming presence that should a regular citizen of the Galaxy be faced with one for some reason; they would quiver with fear.
Kylo Ren
Many sequel trilogy detractors needlessly rag on Kylo Ren for the wrong reasons, the main two being his whininess and his similarity to Vader, calling him some sort of copy. While there are definite similarities, Kylo is his own character.
His mask combined with the cloak and hood he wears, basically his Force Awakens outfit, is incredibly scary. Those opening minutes of the movie where he slaughters Lor San Tekka, stares down Finn, speaks with Poe, and orders the massacre of the Jakku village make his character introduction one of the scariest in Star Wars, and his mask plays a role in that.
Death Troopers
There are a few stormtrooper variants that have their own fear factor unique to the regular white mask. The Sith Trooper and Captain Phasma, for example, have their own level of fear factor stemming from their helmets. However, the best variant is the Death Trooper.
Even ignoring their apparent height difference and their skill level which adds to their overall picture of horror, their masks alone are some of the scariest in the movies. All black, with an edge that the standard stormtroopers do not have, their voices may let them down, but their initial presence is pretty petrifying.
Mandalorian Helmets
The Mandalorians may well be the most iconic species in Star Wars at this point. The Mandalorian and the stories told in The Clone Wars, and Rebels make them such unbelievably fascinating and engaging people.
They are also legends in the Galaxy, and while no Mandalorians are technically seen in the movies, Jango and Boba Fett are, and they don Mandalorian armor. The armor's reputation alone incites terror in the Galaxy, with their skill and penchant for killing known beyond the Outer Rim. With Jango and Boba's masks, you know behind that black visor, behind their helmets' badass design, there is a killer and a skilled one at that.
Darth Vader
When you talk about Star Wars helmets and masks, the conversation will always come back to Darth Vader. Whether it be a debate over the best designed, the most iconic, or the most terrifying, Vader's will likely win out every time.
The mask alone is the picture of certification. The all-black helmet, mask, and suit are the stuff of nightmares in the Star Wars Galaxy, and when the story behind it all comes into play, of this tragic, insanely powerful fallen Jedi, Vader induces fear and goosebumps in audiences and characters alike.