30 iconic heroes and villains from the epic space opera

Star wars30 iconic heroes and villains from the epic space opera

On 25th may 1977 an obscure sci-fi film from a young director and with few big stars opened in the United States and the movie

industry changed forever. Now, 40 years after its debut, Star Wars is as much a part of global culture as Shakespeare, football,

and the Beatles.

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of this much loved phenomenon, the country’s most innovative portrait artist Zinsky has created a

stunning tribute to 30 key characters. From the fearless heroes and heroines of the Rebel Alliance to the arch villains of the Empire;

humans and droids, wookies and huts, Jedi and Sith – all the iconic faces we love (or love to hate) are represented in his inimitable style.

The Force is neither light nor dark,

master nor slave,

but a balance

OBI-WAN KENOBI

The Force is neither light nor dark,

master nor slave,

but a balance

Portrayed by English actress Daisy Ridley. First appearing as the main character in ‘The Force Awakens’.Rey is a scavenger who was left behind on the planet Jakku

when she was a child, and later becomes involved with the Resistance’s conflict with the First Order.

Rey

Rey’s speeder is an ungainly but powerful repulsorlift vehicle built by the young scavenger from salvaged parts. The speeder is fast and can carry considerable cargo, making it ideal for use scavenging in Jakku’s Graveyard of Ships. Rey’s speeder is top-heavy and would be difficult for any other pilot to control – but fortunately Rey is a skilled pilot as well as an ingenious mechanic.

Portrayed by Oscar Isaac, featured in ‘The Force Awakens’. Poe is an X-wing fighter pilot for the Resistance who brings renegade stormtrooper Finn and Jakku scavenger Rey into the fight against and

victory over the sinister First Order.

Poe Dameron

The stormtrooper soldiers were created by George Lucas and introduced in Star Wars (1977), they are the main ground force of the Galactic Empire, under the leadership of Emperor Palpatine and his commanders,

most notably Darth Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin. In The Force Awakens (2015), the upgraded stormtroopers serve the First Order, under the leadership of Supreme Leader Snoke and his commanders.

Storntrooper IMPERIAL HANDHELD BLASTER WEAPONRY

411 Hold-Out Blaster Pistol

DC-15A Blaster Rifle

DC-15S Blaster Carbine

DC-17m Interchangeable Weapon System

DH-17 Blaster CarbineDH-17 Blaster Pistol

DL-44 Heavy Blaster Pistol

DLT-20A Blaster RifleE-11 Blaster Rifle

E-Web Heavy Repeating Blaster

SE-14r Light Repeating Blaster

T-21 Light Repeating Blaster

T-21C Light Repeating Blaster

The stormtrooper soldiers were created by George Lucas and introduced in Star Wars (1977), they are the main ground force of the Galactic Empire, under the leadership of Emperor Palpatine and his commanders,

most notably Darth Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin. In The Force Awakens (2015), the upgraded stormtroopers serve the First Order, under the leadership of Supreme Leader Snoke and his commanders.

Mace Windu, a character portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson in the prequel films and voiced by voice-actor Terrence C. Carson in other projects.

He appears as Master of the Jedi High Council.

Mace Windu

Mace Windu: If they do, you must realize there aren’t enough Jedi to protect the Republic. We’re keepers of the peace, not soldiers.

Han SoloHan and his co-pilot, Chewbacca, became involved in the

Rebel Alliance’s struggle against the Galactic Empire. Han is portrayed by Harrison Ford.

In the earliest version of the initial draft for Star Wars, Solo was a Ureallian with green skin, no nose and enormous gills, also being a member of the Jedi Bendu and being acquainted with General

Skywalker. The following draft saw Solo as a pirate with a beard and flamboyancy, It was later then set on making him a human to better

develop the relationship between the three central characters (Luke, Leia and Han) and Chewbacca instead being used for the part of

the alien sidekick.

Admiral Gial Ackbar is a member of the amphibious Mon Calamari species.

Ackbar was the foremost military commander of the Rebel Alliance who led major combat operations against the

Galactic Empire.

With his distinctive salmon-colored skin, high-domed head, and large fish-like eyes, Admiral Ackbar was realized in the use of a half-body

puppet and slip-on mask, depending on the camera angles used. He was portrayed in the film by puppeteer Timothy D. Rose, who asked to play the part after he was impressed with a sculpt of the puppet. Ackbar was voiced by Erik Bauersfeld, who made up the voice he believed matched

the character after looking at a photo of Ackbar.

Admiral Ackbar

Qui-Gon Jinn portrayed by Liam Neeson.One of the main protagonists of the 1999 film

‘The Phantom Menace’.He is a Jedi Master and mentor of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Jinn is among the wisest and most powerful of the Jedi.

By using the living and cosmic Force in tandem, he was able to unlock the secrets of eternal life. He shared his knowledge with Yoda

saying, “I am a manifestation of the Force, a Force that consists of two parts. Living beings generate the living Force, which in turn

powers the wellspring that is the cosmic Force.”

Qui Gon Jinn

BB-8 is a spherical robot with a free-moving domed head. He is white, with orange and silver accents and a black optical lens on his headpiece. BB-8 also

possesses multiple panels containing various tools or ports. The voice of BB-8 was supplied by comedians

Bill Hader and Ben Schwartz, both credited as “BB-8 vocal consultants”. The voice was created by Abrams manipulating their voices through a talkbox

attached to an iPad running a sound effects.

Scanlan said of the robot’s personality,

“We always imagined BB-8 as being quite manipulative. I think he knows he’s cute.”

BB_-8

English actor Kenny Baker played R2-D2 in all three original Star Wars films, R2-D2’s sounds and vocal effects were created by Ben Burtt. R2-D2 was designed in artwork by Ralph McQuarrie,

co-developed by John Stears and built by Tony Dyson.

R2-D2 stands for Second Generation Robotic Droid Series-2.

R2 D2

Darth Vader, also known by his birth name Anakin Skywalker. Vader appears in the original film trilogy as a pivotal antagonist whose actions drive the plot, while his past as Anakin Skywalker and the story

of his corruption are central to the narrative of the prequel trilogy.He is also the father of Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia Organa, secret husband of Padmé Amidala and grandfather of Kylo Ren.

The original design of Darth Vader’s costume did not include a helmet. The idea that Vader should wear a breathing apparatus was first

proposed by concept artist Ralph McQuarrie during preproduction discussions for Star Wars with George Lucas in 1975.

Darth Vader

Finn, designation number FN-2187, is played by British actor John Boyega. He first appeared in the 2015 film ‘The Force Awakens’ in which he is a stormtrooper for the First Order who flees and turns against

it after being shocked by their cruelty in his first combat mission.

Finn

Princess Leia portrayed in films by Carrie Fisher. Introduced in the original Star Wars film in 1977. Leia is princess of

the planet Alderaan, a member of the Imperial Senate and an agent of the Rebel Alliance. She thwarts the sinister Sith Lord Darth Vader and helps bring about the destruction of the Empire’s cataclysmic

superweapon, the Death Star.

One of the more popular Star Wars characters, Leia has been called a 1980s icon, a feminist hero and model for other

adventure heroines.

Princess Leia

With his customized Mandalorian armor, deadly weaponry, and silent demeanor, Boba Fett was one of the most feared bounty hunters in the

galaxy hired by Darth Vader. A genetic clone of his “father,” bounty hunter Jango Fett, Boba learned combat and martial skills from a young age.

Boba Fett

Yoda was a legendary Jedi Master and stronger than most in his connection with the Force. Small in size but wise and powerful, he trained Jedi for over 800 years, Frank Oz provided Yoda’s voice in each film and used his skills as a puppeteer in the original trilogy

and Star Wars: Episode I – ‘The Phantom Menace’. For some walking scenes in Episodes V and I, dwarf actors Deep Roy and

Warwick Davis appeared in costume as Yoda (though neither was credited). He serves as the Grand Master of the Jedi Order and as a

high-ranking general of Clone Troopers in the Clone Wars. Following his death in Return of the Jedi at the age of 900, Yoda was the oldest

living character in the Star Wars franchise.

Yoda

“Judge me by my size,

do you?”

“Judge me by my size,

do you?”

Chewbacca, a 200-year-old Wookiee, becomes Han Solo’s companion after Han, an Imperial officer at the time, refused an order to kill him, for which Han was dismissed from the Imperial Navy and became a smuggler. To repay this debt, Chewbacca

protected Han for the rest of his life, and served as his co-pilot on the Millennium Falcon. Standing at 8 feet tall, Chewbacca is covered with long hair, and wears only a bandolier. His weapon of choice is

the Wookiee bowcaster. Known for his short temper Chewie also has a big heart and is unwavering in his loyalty to his friends.

Chewbacca

Chewie

Scout troopers, also known as biker scouts, were specially trained soldiers of the Imperial Stormtrooper Corps. As light-armored variants of the Imperial

stormtroopers, scout troopers were specifically trained for activities too complicated for regular infantry troopers.

Their helmets were equipped with enhanced macrobinocular viewplates for target acquisition, and had options of energy emission detection, night vision, and designated target magnification. The helmets also contained

terrain-following tactical readouts.

Scout Trooper

Portrayed by Ian McDiarmid. In the original trilogy, he is depicted as the aged, pale-faced and cloaked Emperor of the Galactic Empire

and the master of Darth Vader.In Star Wars fiction, Palpatine is a cunning politician, a ruthless

emperor, and an evil Sith Lord. The Star Wars Databank describes him as “the supreme ruler of the most powerful tyrannical regime the

galaxy had ever witnessed”.

Emperor Palpatine

Anakin Skywalker portrayed by Hayden Christensen had the potential to become one of the most powerful Jedi ever, and was believed by some to be the prophesied Chosen One who would bring balance to the Force. A hero of the Clone Wars, Anakin was caring and compassionate, but also had a fear of loss that would

prove to be his downfall.

Anakin Skywalker

Portrayed by Adam Driver. Kylo Ren is the chosen name of Ben Solo, the son of original Star Wars trilogy characters Han Solo and

Leia Organa. Though trained by his uncle Luke Skywalker as a Jedi, he has been seduced to the dark side of the Force by Supreme Leader Snoke, and aspires to be as powerful as his grandfather, Darth Vader.

Kylo Ren

Paul Blake played Greedo during the main shooting, while an articulated head was built afterward and used by Maria De Aragon

for pick-up shots. Linguist Larry Ward performed the voice. Greedo is a Rodian bounty hunter working for Jabba the Hutt.

Greedo

Sir Alec Guinness’s portrayal of Obi-Wan in the original Star Wars (1977) remains the only time an actor has received an Oscar nomination (Best Supporting Actor) for acting in a Star Wars film.

Obi_ - Wan Kenobi

George Lucas, Rick McCallum, and casting director Robin Gurland auditioned over 200 actresses for the part of Padmé Amidala. They

chose 16-year-old actress Natalie Portman to play the role. According to The Phantom Menace production notes, “The role required a

young woman who could be believable as the ruler of that planet, but at the same time be vulnerable and open.”

Padm_e Amidala

I was not elected to watch my people suffer and

die while you discuss this invasion in a committee!

-

First portrayed by Peter Cushing in the 1977 film Star Wars. He is the commander of the Death Star, the Galactic Empire’s dwarf planet-sized super weapon. The character has been called “one of

the most formidable villains in Star Wars history.”

Grand Moff Tarkin

Portrayed by Mark Hamill, is an important figure in the Rebel Alliance’s struggle against the Galactic Empire.

Luke Skywalker was initially called “Luke Starkiller”, and went through multiple design changes. The character was at one point

designed as a 60-year-old grizzled war hero, later as a Jedi Master, and as a woman. The last name “Starkiller” remained for the first few

months of production.

“I am a Jedi, like my father before me.”

Luke Skywalker

“Tell me. . . i s it the Chosen One?”“He is .”“He will avenge us .”

Jawas are meter-tall humanoids completely hidden behind rough, hand-woven robes. Their faces are concealed within the dark folds of

a cowl, from which peer their sickly glowing yellow eyes. They comb the deserts of Tatooine in search of discarded scrap and

wayward mechanicals.

Jawa

C3PO is a humanoid robot character who appears in the original trilogy, the prequel trilogy and the sequel trilogy.

Built by Anakin Skywalker, C-3PO was designed as a protocol droid intended to assist in etiquette, customs, and translation, boasting

that he is “fluent in over six million forms of communication”.

C3PO

Portrayed by Ray Park and voiced by Peter Serafinowicz, a deadly, agile Sith Lord trained by the evil Darth Sidious, Darth Maul was a

formidable warrior and scheming mastermind. He wielded an intimidating double-bladed lightsaber and fought

with a menacing ferocity.

Darth Maul

(KAY-TUESSO)A reprogrammed Imperial security droid now loyal to the Alliance.

K-2SO is an alarming sight standing within a secret Rebel base. The pragmatic droid is an effective insertion agent, as he can blend

in perfectly at Imperial installations and outposts.

K-2SO

Jabba the Hutt was one of the galaxy’s most powerful gangsters, with far-reaching influence in both politics and the criminal

underworld. There were no second chances with Jabba. He is depicted as a large, slug-like alien. His appearance has been described by film critic Roger Ebert as a cross between a toad and

the Cheshire Cat.

Jabba The Hutt

He is portrayed by Billy Dee Williams in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

Once a smooth-talking smuggler, Lando Calrissian changed from a get-rich-quick schemer to a selfless leader in the fight

against the Empire.

Lando Calrissian