The Star Wars franchise has consistently brought back its most iconic characters across many projects, raising the question of which ones have appeared in the most movies and TV shows. Before Disney bought Star Wars in 2012, this would have been much easier to answer, as there were only six theatrical films, a handful of cartoons, and a few TV movies and specials. However, the saga now encompasses 12 theatrical films, six live-action TV shows, nine animated series, multiple micro-series, and countless more projects on the way.
For this list, characters will be ranked by combining the total number of Star Wars movies and TV shows they appeared in, regardless of screen time. If two characters’ totals are tied, then their average screen time and number of episodes in the TV shows will be used to estimate which one has more appearances. LEGO Star Wars stories, documentaries, TV specials, game shows, and canceled or unreleased projects like Star Wars Detours will not factor into the list. With that in mind, here are the 10 Star Wars characters who have appeared in the most movies and TV shows.
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10 Padmé Amidala
Naboo’s queen-turned-senator
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4 |
6 |
10 |
Padmé Amidala is unique because she is the only character on this list who did not first appear in the Star Wars original trilogy. While she was mentioned as Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa’s unnamed mother in Return of the Jedi, she debuted in 1999’s Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. Her journey from Queen to Senator and her relationship with Anakin Skywalker was chronicled throughout the rest of the Star Wars prequel trilogy, culminating in her tragic death after giving birth to Luke and Leia.
Between the release of the films, Padmé made her first animated appearance in the Star Wars: Clone Wars micro-series from 2003 to 2005. She then transitioned into 3D animation with the Star Wars: The Clone Wars movie and TV series, putting her slightly above other characters who had a similar number of appearances. Her roles after this are fairly scarce, appearing briefly in Star Wars Forces of Destiny, Star Wars Galaxy of Adventures, and Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi. She was also featured in flashbacks of the prequel trilogy in the Obi-Wan Kenobi limited series.
9 Chewbacca
A brave warrior and loyal Wookiee co-pilot
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8 |
3 |
11 |
Like many characters who have made the most movie and TV appearances, Chewbacca debuted in the Star Wars original trilogy from 1977 to 1983, where he was Han Solo’s first mate and later an ally of the Rebel Alliance. His backstory of defending his homeworld of Kashyyyk alongside Jedi Master Yoda was briefly fleshed out in 2005’s Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. He became a main recurring character once again in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, while his history with Han was expanded in 2018’s Solo: A Star Wars Story.
While it has not been confirmed, Chewbacca’s next likely appearance is in Rey’s New Jedi Order movie.
Chewbacca’s appearances in the Star Wars TV shows have been relatively minor compared to the movies. He appeared in Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 3, episode 22 “Wookiee Hunt,” teaming up with Ahsoka Tano and two Jedi younglings to escape from Trandoshan hunters. Chewbacca also appeared in episodes of two micro-series: Star Wars Forces of Destiny and Star Wars Galaxy of Adventures, the latter of which retold iconic Star Wars moments in an anime style. While it has not been confirmed, Chewbacca’s next likely appearance is in Rey’s New Jedi Order movie.
8 Luke Skywalker
Jedi Knight and a new hope
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13 |
As the main character of the Star Wars original trilogy, viewers may be surprised to see Luke Skywalker this low on the list. While Luke is undeniably crucial to Star Wars, his onscreen presence became much more limited following Return of the Jedi. He only appeared as a baby at the end of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, explaining how he and his sister were separated while transitioning into A New Hope. He also had a limited role in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, where he was only featured heavily in Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
Luke’s first TV appearance (not counting The Star Wars Holiday Special) was a brief cameo at the end of Star Wars Rebels season 3, episode 20 “Twin Suns.” He also appeared in Star Wars Forces of Destiny, which primarily focused on female Star Wars characters, and Star Wars Galaxy of Adventures. Luke made a grand entrance at the end of The Mandalorian season 2, played a major role in an episode of The Book of Boba Fett, and appeared as a 10-year-old boy in Obi-Wan Kenobi.
7 Princess Leia
From Princess to Senator to General
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5 |
13 |
Although Leia Organa has the same number of appearances as her brother, she most likely has an edge in screen time. Leia and Luke share the spotlight pretty evenly in the Star Wars original trilogy and Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, but Leia easily has more screen time in the sequel trilogy. She also appeared at the end of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, giving her one more film appearance than Luke.
Leia appeared in many of the same TV shows as Luke but had a larger role in her episodes. She has a special guest appearance in Star Wars Rebels season 2, episode 12 “A Princess on Lothol,” where she had to team up with the Ghost crew without revealing her rebel ties to the Empire. Star Wars Forces of Destiny being a primarily female-centric show guaranteed Leia more screen time than Luke, and she also appeared in Star Wars Galaxy of Adventures and Star Wars Resistance. Her most recent appearance was as a main character in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series.
6 Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious
Dark Lord of the Sith and ruler of the Empire
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7 |
7 |
14 |
It’s no surprise that Emperor Palpatine, the main villain of the Skywalker Saga, would be among the Star Wars characters with the most film and TV appearances. He first appeared in one scene in The Empire Strikes Back before making a full debut in Return of the Jedi. Palpatine’s backstory was fleshed out in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, which revealed that he was a Sith Lord called Darth Sidious who manipulated both sides of the Clone Wars. In a shocking twist, Palpatine returned in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, cheating death to plague the galaxy one last time.
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Palpatine also has impressive appearances in Star Wars animation, beginning with the Star Wars: Clone Wars 2D micro-series in 2003. His machinations throughout the Clone Wars were explored in greater detail in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars movie and TV series, which included a fight where he wielded two lightsabers. Palpatine’s other animated appearances include Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars Galaxy of Adventures, Star Wars: The Bad Batch, and Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi. He also made one more live-action appearance at the end of the Obi-Wan Kenobi series.
5 Yoda
The oldest and wisest of the Jedi
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8 |
8 |
16 |
Yoda assured Luke Skywalker that the dark side was not stronger than the light, reflected by having more appearances than his dark side counterpart. First appearing in The Empire Strikes Back, Yoda trained Luke and taught him the true meaning of the Force before dying peacefully in Return of the Jedi. He received a larger role as the Jedi Grand Master in the Star Wars prequel trilogy and appeared briefly as a Force ghost in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Alongside several other Jedi, his voice was heard by Rey on Exegol in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Yoda’s first TV appearance was in the Star Wars: Clone Wars 2D micro-series, providing the opening narration that set the stage for the coming battles. He also appeared in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars movie and TV series, where he was the main character of the series premiere and the original series finale before the show returned for a seventh season. Other appearances include Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars Forces of Destiny, Star Wars Galaxy of Adventures, Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi, Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures, and a cameo at the end of The Acolyte.
4 Obi-Wan Kenobi
A great Jedi Knight and strange old hermit
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Originally known as “Old Ben,” Obi-Wan Kenobi was the first Jedi to appear in Star Wars. He guided Luke Skywalker in life and as a Force ghost throughout the original trilogy before his backstory was shown in the Star Wars prequel trilogy. He also had voice cameos in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, telling Rey of her first and final steps in becoming a Jedi. Obi-Wan’s most recent live-action appearance saw him finally receive his own spinoff, Obi-Wan Kenobi, chronicling his time between the prequel and the original trilogies.
Obi-Wan’s first animated appearance was in the Star Wars: Clone Wars 2D micro-series, followed by the Star Wars: The Clone Wars movie and TV show. The latter gave more depth to Obi-Wan’s story, from expanding on his history before the prequels to developing his rivalry with Darth Maul. Obi-Wan helped kick off Star Wars Rebels by appearing as a hologram before showing up in season 3, episode 20 “Twin Suns.” His other appearances include Star Wars Forces of Destiny, Star Wars Galaxy of Adventures, Star Wars Tales of the Jedi, and a flashback in Star Wars: The Bad Batch.
3 C-3PO
A protocol droid fluent in millions of languages
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11 |
8 |
19 |
It’s unsurprising that C-3PO would have so many appearances, as he is one of the few characters to appear in every episodic Star Wars film. He had a consistent role in the Star Wars original trilogy, had his origin revealed in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, and had a more significant role in the Resistance for the Star Wars sequel trilogy. He also had a brief cameo in the third act of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, making Solo: A Star Wars Story the only film he hasn’t appeared in.
C-3PO was also one of the first Star Wars characters to return in an animated series when Star Wars: Droids premiered in 1985. He later had significant appearances in the Star Wars: Clone Wars 2D micro-series and the Star Wars: The Clone Wars movie and TV series. Star Wars Rebels and Ahsoka gave C-3PO notable guest appearances, aiding the Rebellion and the New Republic in each show. C-3PO’s other minor appearances include Star Wars Resistance, Star Wars Galaxy of Adventures, and Obi-Wan Kenobi.
2 Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader
The Chosen One turned Sith Lord
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The runner-up for the most Star Wars movie and TV appearances is Anakin Skywalker, when combined with his Darth Vader persona, of course. When Vader first appeared in the original Star Wars film, audiences believed that he and Luke Skywalker’s father were two different characters, until The Empire Strikes Back made them one and the same. Vader became Anakin again when he redeemed himself in Return of the Jedi, followed by the Star Wars prequel trilogy showing how he became Vader. Anakin was among the many Jedi voices who stood behind Rey in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Anakin’s most notable TV appearances as a Jedi include the Star Wars: Clone Wars 2D micro-series, the Star Wars: The Clone Wars movie and TV show, and Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi. His most notable appearances as a Sith include Star Wars Rebels and Obi-Wan Kenobi, while Ahsoka showed Anakin’s Force ghost embodying the light and dark sides within the World Between Worlds. Anakin and Vader’s other appearances were throughout Star Wars Forces of Destiny, Star Wars Galaxy of Adventures, a flashback in Star Wars: The Bad Batch, and Star Wars: Tales of the Empire.
1 R2-D2
A consistently loyal astromech droid
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20 |
The character who has undoubtedly appeared in the most Star Wars movies and TV shows is R2-D2. Alongside C-3PO, R2-D2 was the first character to appear in the original Star Wars film, and he was often a witness to the saga’s most important events. George Lucas believed that the Star Wars saga was recorded in the Journal of the Whills 100 years after Return of the Jedi, made possible after an interview with R2-D2 himself. This is fitting if true, as R2-D2 has appeared in all nine Skywalker Saga films plus a cameo in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
As with C-3PO, R2-D2 was one of the first characters to star in an animated show, Star Wars: Droids. Among his many animated appearances are the Star Wars: Clone Wars 2D micro-series, the Star Wars: The Clone Wars movie and TV series, Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars Forces of Destiny, and Star Wars Galaxy of Adventures. R2-D2 also appeared alongside Luke Skywalker in The Mandalorian season 2, The Book of Boba Fett, and a cameo in Obi-Wan Kenobi. With 20 total projects under his belt, there’s no other Star Wars character who has appeared in the most movies and shows.
Star Wars
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise that started in 1977 by creator George Lucas. After the release of Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope (originally just titled Star Wars), the franchise quickly exploded, spawning multiple sequels, prequels, TV shows, video games, comics, and much more. After Disney acquired the rights to the franchise, they quickly expanded the universe on Disney+, starting with The Mandalorian.
Created by George Lucas First Film Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope Cast Mark Hamill , James Earl Jones , David Prowse , Carrie Fisher , Harrison Ford , Daisy Ridley , Adam Driver , Ian McDiarmid , Ewan McGregor , Rosario Dawson , Lars Mikkelsen , Rupert Friend , Moses Ingram , Frank Oz , Pedro Pascal TV Show(s) The Mandalorian , Andor , Obi-Wan Kenobi , The Book of Boba Fett , Ahsoka , The Acolyte , Star Wars: Skeleton Crew , Lando , Star Wars: The Clone Wars , Star Wars Rebels , Star Wars: The Bad Batch , Star Wars: Resistance , Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures , Star Wars: Visions Character(s) Luke Skywalker , Han Solo , Rey Skywalker , Emperor Palpatine / Darth Sidious , Obi-Wan Kenobi , Ahsoka Tano , Grand Admiral Thrawn , Grand Inquisitor , Reva (The Third Sister) , The Fifth Brother , The Seventh Sister , The Eighth Brother , Yoda , Din Djarin , Grogu , Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader , Leia Organa , Ben Solo/Kylo Ren Video Game(s) Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic , Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords , Star Wars Battlefront (2015) , Star Wars: Battlefront 2 (2005) , Star Wars: The Force Unleashed , Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II , Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order , Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Expand
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