Welcome to Star Wars Saturdays! Our Star Wars Fan Panel – a group of big time Star Wars fans – has gathered to talk all things from a Galaxy Far Far Away!
On Saturdays we share our thoughts on ranking anything and everything in the Star Wars galaxy! What makes us different? We vote with our hearts. Our lists are our top FAVORITE things about each Star Wars category. We believe there are already too many critical lists, artistry lists, film making lists… yadda yadda… we are simply talking about our FAVORITES – as all fans do.
Our merry band of rebel fans are:
Brer Brooke (@brer.burke)
Chris B (@thedisneynationtm)
Chris R
Evan (@homeawayfromdisney)
Gina
Jason (@fency53)
Jay
Jeremy (@disneyfamilytime)
Joe N (@joseph.nicholas35)
Jon Gus (thejonnygus)
Kevin (@thekevinawakens)
Meaghan (@homeawayfromdisney)
Steph (@saylikeyay)
And yours truly, Keith – founder of @mindofmodernman and @dadventuredisney
You can follow the Star Wars Panel on Instagram for all our updates!
Happy Father’s Day weekend to everyone- Dads, Granddads, Uncles, Fur Dads, and the other Father Figures in our lives. This week – 13 of us take on the task of ranking our favorite Star Wars Father Figures.
We’re celebrating the characters who had a fatherly feel about them across the Star Wars universe, even if they weren’t fathers themselves. These are characters who took someone under their wings and supported and guided them. This list also proves that villains can be quite fatherly, too.
We came up with over 20 characters and whittled it down to our Top 10.
After you check out our list, hit the comments and share your thoughts too.
On to the list… Punch it!
Kanan Jarrus
Star Wars Rebels
Top 10 Score: 3.15. Nominated on 7 ballots.
Kanan was there for Ezra Bridger, looking after him, even when he couldn’t see, himself.A strong bond of more than Master and Padawan. This was Kanan taking on the role of father to the young Jedi.
Mando
The Mandalorian
Top 10 Score: 3.31. Nominated on 9 ballots. 1 first place vote.
The mighty, faceless, bounty hunter instantly became a step-in protector for the youngling suddenly in his care – The Child, or as we all love to call him – Baby Yoda. He protected his new asset like a father would a son…. and The Child saved him right back on more than a few occassions.
Jango Fett
Attack of the Clones
Top 10 Score: 3.54. Nominated on 11 ballots.
We all loved Boba Fett and when the prequels came around, we finally met his father – Jango Fett who was one of the most feared bounty hunters of his time. Just so happens that he is also the ‘father’ of every Clone Trooper, in a way.
Of course watching your Dad get killed by Mace Windu on Geonosis isn’t the best way to spend a day – leading Boba to be come a ruthless bounty hunter in his own right.
Galen Erso
Rogue One
Top 10 Score: 4.15. Nominated on 11 ballots.
He gave himself over to the Empire in order to protect his young daughter, Jyn Erso, and in the process designed the Death Star… putting in a small opening that could lead to its destruction – you could say he was the father of the Rebel cause in this way!
Owen Lars
A New Hope
Top 10 Score: 4.23. Nominated on 10 ballots.
We all know him as Uncle Owen. He was gruff and full of rules, but he had an amazing task asked of him… to keep Luke Skywalker from turning into his father.
Oh, and he was a moisture farmer in the desert – that will make anyone a grouch.
Han Solo
A New Hope
Top 10 Score: 4.69. UNANIMOUS NOMINEE.
Ok, maybe the Han Solo we knew in the Original Trilogy wouldn’t make this list, but older Han, in The Force Awakens and The Rise of Skywalker belongs here.
We was, admittedly, a bad father for Ben Solo and blamed himself for losing Ben to the Dark Side as Kylo Ren. However, he truly loved his son, enough to be taken off guard and killed by the man his son had become.
However, me made his mark and in Ben’s memory, Han ultimately helped save his son and brought him back to the light.
Darth Vader / Anakin Skywalker
A New Hope
Top 10 Score: 5.08. Nominated on 12 ballots. 3 first place votes.
Sure, he spent the first 90% of the Original Trilogy hunting down Luke Skywalker and trying to turn him to the Dark Side, but in the end, when Luke really needed his father, Darth Vader once again became Anakin and saved his son from The Emperor.
Luke sensed good in his father, and turns out he was right…. and he could tell his sister he was right.
Yoda
Empire Strikes Back
Top 10 Score: 5.77. Nominated on 11 ballots.
He trained Luke. He had a hand in helping pretty much everyone in the Clone Wars and the prequel trilogy. He even showed up to help out Kanan and Ezra in Star Wars Rebels.
He’s the funny uncle we all get excited to have tell us stories at the family dinner table.
Qui-Gon Jinn
The Phantom Menace
Top 10 Score: 6.00. Nominated on 12 ballots. 1 first place vote.
Qui-Gon was a mentor and was like a brother to Obi-Wan Kenobi. But it was his relationship with young Anakin Skywalker that showed how caring of a father figure he could be.
He gave everything to protect the boy, including his life. Also, his Dad Beard was ON POINT!
Obi-Wan Kenobi
A New Hope
Top 10 Score: 8.77. Nominated on 13 ballots. 8 first place votes.
When you’re the #1 vote on 8 of 13 ballots – there’s a really strong case for you to be Best Father in the Galaxy!
When we first met “Ben” Kenobi, he was there, hiding on Tatooine, keeping watch over young Luke. When the time was right, he became a mentor for Luke – showing him the ways of The Force.
He was soft-spoken, even tempered, full of knowledge and help – even after being struck down by Darth Vader.
In the Prequels and Clone Wars he was there watching over Anakin, more as a brother, but still family.
Obi-Wan is our #1 Star Wars Father Figure!
Who missed the Top 10?
Bail Organa had 2.69 points and the following had under one point: Senator Palpatine, Chewbacca, Poe, Jerek Yeager, Rex, Cham Syndulla, Kuiil (I have spoken), “Old” Luke Skywalker, C-3PO and Clegg Lars.
It was quite a sample across the Universe! 7 nominees from The Original Trilogy, 7 from Star Wars TV, 4 from the Prequels, 2 from Disney Trilogy and 1 from a Star Wars Story.
So… who would you have voted your #1 Star Wars Father Figure? Any you’re surprised made our list, or surprised DIDN’T make it? Should Bail Organa have made the Top 10? How’s your Dad Beard going – is it any match for Qui-Gon’s?
Hit the comments and let us know. Or head over to our Instagram Page and hit us up there, too!
On behalf of the Star Wars Fan Panel, thank you for reading and we’ll see you next time for another Star Wars Saturday.
Cheers!
Keith