All 100+ Queer Women of the Star Wars Universe, Ranked

A few weeks back, I thought to myself, “Hey there’s a new Star Wars movie coming out in May. It’s been like seven years since we’ve last had one of those. I should write something fun and gay to commemorate that!” Naturally, the answer was to rank every queer woman in Star Wars, a task that seemed perfectly doable until I realized just how deceptively large that list actually was. Still, unlike Luke Skywalker in the swamps of Dagobah, I’m no quitter. I’m ranking all one hundred plus canon queer women in Star Wars.

So, before we get started, I wanted to establish a few ground rules. I’m only ranking women (sorry guys and enbies, maybe you’ll get another list) who have been textually or editorially confirmed to be queer. So, I know that while quite a few people would put the likes of Ahsoka Tano or Shin Hati on this list, we’re not going to be doing any speculation. This also unfortunately rules out characters like Jecki Lon or Kley Marki, who are hinted to be queer by the texts in question but have yet to be backed by confirmation either way from in or out of universe sources. Also! I’m only including named characters. Quite a few characters have wives or ex-girlfriends who are only mentioned in passing and never properly identified.

Everyone got that? Great.

103. Boona (Star Wars The High Republic: The Eye of Darkness)

Wife of Meela. (Yes, “Boona, wife of Meela” is the kind of thing you’re going to read quite a few times before we get into the actual meat of this list. If a character barely exists beyond being a briefly glimpsed partner of another character, then I’m sorry, they’re likely not making it out of the bottom ten.)

102. Jayu (Star Wars Reign of the Empire: Mask of Fear)

Girlfriend of Erinya

101. Murra (Star Wars: Lords of the Sith)

Former wife of Moff Delian Mors

100. Kirri (Star Wars The High Republic: Defy the Storm)

Wife of Tanabi Yar

99. Erta (Star Wars The High Republic: Tales of Enlightenment)

Girlfriend of Moona (I don’t know if this is a roundabout reference to the band. I kinda hope it is though.)

98. Odelia (Star Wars The High Republic: Convergence)

Wife of Adrialla

97. Suzi (Star Wars The High Republic: Path of Vengeance)

Wife of Ric Farazi

96. Wrobie Tyce (Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker)

Wife of Larma D’Acy and one half of the infamous, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it kiss in Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker.

95. Howlrunner (Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View)

Romantic partner of Amara Kel

94. Joy Iya (Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View)

Girlfriend of Isabalia

93. Meela (Star Wars The High Republic: The Eye of Darkness)

Meela was the wife of Boona and one of the governors of a colony on the Pandril during The High Republic era.

92. Zohma (Star Wars: The Princess and the Scoundrel)

Zohma was a wealthy heiress and former acquaintance of Princess Leia Organa. She’d later get in an argument with Leia during the Leia’s honeymoon about whether the death of Emperor Palpatine was fake news or not. Zohma kinda sucks.

91. Tanabi Yar (Star Wars The High Republic: Defy the Storm)

Tanabi Yar was a pirate who abandoned her family, including her wife Kirri, to explore a life of crime. She’d eventually return home after her wife’s death. Kind of a shitty thing to do, Tanabi.

90. Teemank (Star Wars The High Republic: Trail of Shadows)

Wife of Beesar Tal-Apurna

89. Ela Radodan (Star Wars From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back)

Ela Radodan, an Imperial officer, was the girlfriend of Tal Veridian, one of the closest allies of Lando Calrissian, and would end up betraying her superiors to support the citizens of Cloud City.

88. Sorschi (Star Wars From a Certain Point of View)

Wife of Bea Arthur Ackmena

87 & 86. Eron and Rhee (Star Wars From a Certain Point of View)

Did you know that Star Trek star Wil Wheaton wrote a canon Star Wars short story? Did you know that it follows a rebel pilot who sends his daughter off to live with his gay aunts, Eron and Rhee, on Alderaan just a few days before the planet is destroyed by the Empire? Would you be shocked if I told you that it makes said rebel pilot really sad? Look, “Laina,” Wheaton’s story is far from the worst story featured in any of the From a Certain Point of View anthologies, but I don’t have to celebrate the fridgeing of two queer women for space angst either.

85. Kinni (Star Wars The High Republic: Convergence)

Kinni was a pilot who flew for the planet E’Ronoh’s fleet during The High Republic era. We honestly don’t know much about her besides the fact that she has a wife. So, she earns a spot on this list by that alone.

84. Saya Keem (Star Wars High Republic Adventures)

Saya Keem was a Force-sensitive Zabrak pirate who worked with the awesomely named group of outlaws known as the Dank Graks. She’s also one of many characters that author Daniel José Older confirmed to be queer off page.

83. Erinya (Star Wars Reign of the Empire: Mask of Fear)

Erinya was a Coruscanti socialite and member of the pro-Imperial (read: fascist) activist group, the 4040s, during the early years of the Empire. She ranks low for being an eager and early adopter of galactic fascism and for being a bit character.

82. Sola Naberrie (Star Wars: Queen’s Shadow)

Did you know Padme Amidala had an asexual sister? Well, now you do.

81. Hennah (Star Wars The High Republic: Tales of Light and Life)

Hennah and her unnamed wife were residents of Stop’s End settlement during The High Republic era. Despite their initial skepticism of outsiders, they would later help Jedi Master Loden Greatstorm and his padawan Bell Zettifar negotiate peace with other nearby towns after years of conflict.

80. Audj Seedol (Star Wars: Padawan)

Audj Seedol was a reluctant friend and ally of Obi-Wan Kenobi, who visited her home world of Lenahra on one of his earliest missions as a Jedi Padawan. (Fun sidenote: The novel that Audj appears in also more or less confirms that Obi-Wan is himself queer, likely identifying as pansexual or somewhere on the ace spectrum.)

79. Ric Farazi (Star Wars The High Republic: Path of Vengeance)

Ric Farazi was a Zeltron reporter who grew obsessed with breaking the story about the villainous anti-Force cult the Path of the Open Hand following the Battle of Jedha. She’d later die from poisoning due to an unknown substance.

78. Smeemarm (Star Wars The High Republic: Midnight Horizon)

Look, you don’t need to know a lot about Smeemarm, she’s not that important. But! She does have one of the best names in all of Star Wars. Say it out loud to yourself a few times. It’s so fun to say. So that’s enough to bump her up a few spots.

77. Lee Skillen (Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge: A Crash of Fate)

What’s important about Lee Skillen is that she’s a Karkarodon, aka a giant humanoid shark alien. Yes, there’s a lesbian shark in Star Wars. Unfortunately, she doesn’t get to do anything cool.

76. Deemus Abrus (Star Wars The High Republic: The Midnight Horizon)

Deemus Arbus was an animal rights activist and conservationist working on the planet of Corellia during The High Republic era. Her role is relatively minor in her one appearance and, while she is in fact in a relationship with another woman alien character featured in the novel, her queerness is so subtle that author Daniel José Older had to come out and clarify her sexuality after publication.

75 & 74. Cassilyda “Cassie” Cryar &  Ione Marcy (Star Wars: The Clone Wars)

Cassilyda Cryar and Ione Marcy hold the honor(?) of being the first queer relationship depicted on screen in Star Wars media. It just kinda sucks that they have to be one-off characters who appear in what is arguably one of the worst episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Together, Cassilyda and Ione murder the latter’s boyfriend, Nack Movers, and attempt to steal series lead Ahsoka Tano’s lightsaber. This, of course, goes poorly. Ahsoka learns a valuable lesson on responsibility, and the two evil gays are sent off to space prison for their crimes.

73 & 72. Raidah Doon and Wesson Dove (Star Wars: Resistance Reborn)

Raidah Doon along with her wife, Wesson Dove, were cargo pilots who joined Leia’s Resistance in Rebecca Roanhorse’s novel, Resistance Reborn. Their role in the novel is relatively minor and neither has appeared since.

71. Kalandra (Star Wars: Doctor Aphra)

Poor Kalandra was one of the first women to find themselves stuck in the orbit of the romantic black hole that is Doctor Chelli Lona Aphra. Luckily, for her sake, Kalandra’s time with Aphra was brief, who quickly grew tired of her clingy and over attentive behavior.

70. Lante (Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View: Return of the Jedi)

Lante was an Imperial engineer and researcher from the planet Toprawa. Despite her initial ambivalence about galactic politics, she’d end up falling for future rebel pilot, Sila Kot. While their different views on the Galactic Civil War would eventually separate the young couple, Lante would eventually have a change of heart and sabotage Imperial efforts on her home planet, sacrificing her life in the process.

69. Fori Nagor (Star Wars The High Republic: Tales of Light and Life)

Fori Nagor was a Twi’Lek pirate during the High Republic that would end up joining forces with and becoming the romantic partner to cult leader, Marda Ro. She is implied to be one of the major forces that transformed Ro’s forces into the villainous Nihil that would plague the galaxy in the century to come.

68. Tal Veridian (Star Wars From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back)

Lando Calrissian’s second in command on Cloud City, Tal Veridian, alongside her team of friends and neighbors, would become a key part in resisting Imperial occupation following the events of The Empire Strikes Back.

67. Ilyana (Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order)

Ilyana was Nightsister Merrin’s first girlfriend who was killed during the coven’s massacre by General Grievous during The Clone Wars. Although Ilyana is never depicted on screen in the video game, Merrin wears Ilyana’s necklace throughout both Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Survivor in remembrance of her deceased partner.

66. Lanna (Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View: Return of the Jedi)

Lanna was a mechanic working for the Rebel Alliance in the lead up to the Battle of Endor. Lanna enlisted with her childhood friend and longtime crush, Karie Neth, but, to avoid potentially deadly distractions, the two held off on confessing their feelings to one another until the end of the war.

65. Irei (Star Wars Jedi: Battle Scars)

Irei was a Force sensitive Kadas’sa’Nikto who invented a device intended to hide people like herself from detection by the Empire. She also fell in love with childhood friend Chellwinark Frethylrin despite her job as an Imperial data analyst. Irei would later go on to play a major role in one of The Mantis crew’s adventures between the events of the games Jedi: Fallen Order and Jedi: Survivor.

64. Adrialla (Star Wars The High Republic: Convergence)

Adrialla was queen of the planet Eiram during The High Republic era and helped guide her people through a renewed conflict with the neighboring planet of E’rono. Her adoptive son, Phan-tu Zenn, would go on to negotiate peace between the two worlds via a political marriage.

63 & 62. Ceeli and Kryys Durango (Star Wars Young Jedi Adventures)

Star Wars Young Jedi Adventures is an animated show meant for the series’ youngest fans that showcases the Jedi during their most peaceful and prosperous time in galactic history. Ceeli and Kryys Durango just so happen to be the moms of one of the show’s main characters, pilot Nash Durango. They don’t really have a storyline outside of being occasionally glimpsed parents, but in a time when depictions of queer families in media aimed at children has become scarce, it’s hard not to at least somewhat appreciate tiny moments of representation like this.

61 & 60. Garree and Maree (Star Wars Skeleton Crew)

More gay Star Wars moms! Unlike Ceeli and Kryys, Garee and Maree actually get a bit more to do in the young adult Disney+ adventure series, Skeleton Crew, as they ultimately end up helping other parents get a message off world to their missing children but, again, they’re pretty much just there to be the mothers of a more interesting and important character.

59. Brene (Marvel’s Star Wars comics)

Brene was one of several Ubese bounty hunters who appeared throughout the Marvel comics War of the Bounty Hunters story event and Alyssa Wong’s tenure on the Doctor Aphra ongoing series. In all honesty, there’s not a whole lot to separate Brene from her masked compatriots, but she does admit to having a weak spot for terrifying women. I’m here to support horny gay aliens with bad taste.

58. Teviy (Star Wars: Doctor Aphra)

Maybe the most regrettable of Doctor Chelli Lona Aphra’s many, many hookups, Teviy was a thief, who predictably robbed Aphra while she was sleeping. Luckily, the rogue archaeologist would catch up to her one-night stand and get her revenge, leaving Teviy to die at the hands of murderous battle droids.

57. Harli Jafan (Star Wars: Queen’s Peril)

I will have so much to say about Sabé, Padme Amidala’s best friend and handmaiden doppelganger who assumes her identity for much of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, later on in this list because she’s actually one of the best queer characters in all of Star Wars. Harli Jafan has the unfortunate pleasure of serving as a footnote in Sabé’s story. Early on in Padme’s tenor as queen, Sabé began dating Harli, the daughter of another planetary dignitary. The two maintained a relatively happy relationship until Harli kissed a disguised Padme, mistaking her for her girlfriend. None of the parties involved handled it well. Yes, it all feels like something out of a teen soap opera, but I appreciate the simple messiness of it all. Sometimes Star Wars drama just has to be about a bad kiss.

56. Klerin Chekkat (Star Wars The High Republic: The Rising Storm)

Klerin Chekkat was the inventor of an energy cancellation device that became an object of interest in The High Republic era due its capacity to depower lightsabers. Klerin is an opportunistic genius who is more than willing to play both sides of the brewing conflict between the Jedi and the villainous Nihil. Her role in the grand scheme of things is pretty minor, but I love a morally dubious gay genius.

55. Delian Mors (Star Wars: Lords of the Sith)

Not all space lesbians have a heart of gold. Delian Mors, an Imperial Moff in charge of the Twi’Lek homeworld of Ryloth during the early years of the Empire, turned to a life of hedonism following the death of her wife. Delian embodies the basic corrupt pleasures afforded by having a high standing in the Empire. She’d later go on to assist Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader in defeating a coup attempt lead by the Ryloth resistance movement.

54. Isabalia (Star Wars From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back)

Isabalia was an in-universe Boba Fett fangirl who dreamed of nothing more than to be a badass bounty hunter like her bucket-headed idol. However, her pesky girlfriend Joy Iya wanted her to care about more important things like the working conditions of Ugnaughts in Cloud City. If you want to know how Isabalia solves this truly stressful dilemma then you should check out the story “Beyond the Clouds” in The Empire Strikes Back edition of the From a Certain Point of View anthology. Spoilers: She picks the Ugnaughts. Boba Fett isn’t even that cool anyways.

53 & 52. Thandeka and Dima (Star Wars The High Republic: Into the Dark)

While Adrialla was the first lesbian queen of the planet Eiram, she  apparently started a trend because a hundred years later the world was once again ruled by two queens, Thandeka and Dima. Unlike Adrialla and Odelia, Thandeka and Dima actually get to play a bit more an active role in the events of The High Republic’s novels Into the Dark and Fallen Star, particularly in how they help the Jedi navigate the catastrophe unfolding on the space station Starlight Beacon, but they still rarely function as individual characters.

51. Kaeden Larte (Star Wars: Ahsoka)

Kaeden Larte, a farmer on the moon Raada, befriended and eventually developed an unrequited crush on Ahsoka Tano in the months following the destruction of the Jedi Order and the creation of the Republic.

50. Matthea Cathley (Star Wars The High Republic: The Battle of Jedha)

Matthea Cathley was a Twi’Lek Jedi apprentice who served on the sacred planet of Jedha during The High Republic. Cathley maintains a consistent presence throughout the second phase of The High Republic storytelling initiative, but I honestly can’t really tell you much about her despite having read and enjoyed every one of her appearances. I honestly forgot she was queer until I was reminded of an unrequited crush she has on a fellow Jedi.

49. Larma D’Acy (Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker)

The other half of the groan-inducing “first gay kiss” in Star Wars, Larma D’Acy, unlike her wife, at least gets multiple lines of dialogue in both The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker. She’s not exactly an important character, but she’s still a queer woman with a speaking role in a mainline Star Wars film, which has to count for something, right?

48. Quin Carree (Star Wars The High Republic: Tempest Runner)

Quin Carree was a Nihil raider and slicer who would end up becoming the on-again-off-again romantic partner of the infamous Lourna Dee. While Quinn is a fun enough character, she mostly exists as a catalyst to help push her villain turned anti-hero girlfriend along the path to redemption.

47 and 46. Esmelle and Shirene (Star Wars: Aftermath)

Esmelle and Shirene are probably best known as the aunts and caretakers of Temmin “Snap” Wexley, a Resistance pilot who would be portrayed by Heroes’ Greg Grunberg in The Force Awakens and The Rise of Skywalker. The two were first depicted in Chuck Wendig’s Star Wars: Aftermath novel but also make an onscreen appearance in the 2024 video game Star Wars Outlaws.

45. Svi’no Atchapat (Star Wars The High Republic: The Midnight Horizon)

Svi’no Atchapat was a Taymar pop singer during the era of The High Republic, who had an on again off again relationship with private security contractor Alys Ongwa aka “Crash.” Svi’no Atchapat is far from the most important character in The High Republic era of Star Wars, but it’s not often that we get entertainer characters in a series that’s most often defined by wizards, soldiers, and scoundrels. Also, her messy relationship with “Crash” is playful and fun in a way that feels like a toned down version of the kind of dynamic you’d find in classic noir films.

44. Wini Eres (Star Wars Jedi: Survivor)

Wini Eres, Namara interior designer, is one of the many characters that players can encounter when wandering around the planet Koboh in the video game Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. While she initially serves as little more than a conveyor of fetch quests for protagonist/player character Cal Kestis, she eventually develops feelings for fellow Koboh outpost resident, Zygg Soza. Wini is hardly the most important character in the game, but Miatta Lebile’s endearing voice performance and the surprisingly tender romance between her and Zygg make her a memorable addition to a game that’s already filled with standouts.

43. Alys “Crash” Ongwa (Star Wars The High Republic Adventures)

I can’t always tell if “Crash” is genuinely a fan favorite or if she’s just a favorite of write Daniel José Older who penned most of her appearances. Regardless, this plucky teenage body guard ends up becoming a major character throughout much of the young adult and middle grade publications of The High Republic initiative. I like “Crash” fine, but her over-prevalence at times feels frustrating given that she’s frequently surrounded by more fun or interesting characters.

42 & 41. Saché and Yané (Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace)

Saché and Yané were two of Padme’s handmaidens who stayed behind on the planet of Naboo during the invasion of the Trade Federation. Saché would later be captured and tortured at the hands of the Trade Federation’s droid army,= but refused to give up her queen and her allies upon interrogation. She and Yané would later get married.

40. Eustacia Okka (Star Wars: Doctor Aphra)

Yet another former fling of Doctor Chelli Lona Aphra, Eustacia Okka studied archaeology at the same university as Aphra. While their college years fling would eventually fizzle out, fate would eventually bring Eustacia and Aphra back into each other’s lives for plenty of tomb-raiding adventures. While far from Aphra’s most memorable love interest/ex, Eustacia still makes for a solid addition to the antihero’s ensemble cast of supporting characters.

39. Amara Kel (Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back)

Amara Kel was a TIE Fighter pilot who fought during the Galactic Civil War on the side of the Empire. Determined to beat the low survival odds of the average TIE pilot, Amara Kel developed a stringent survival guide for herself that prioritized a practical, low attachment lifestyle. Kel’s only appearance, in the short story “Amara Kel’s Rules for TIE Pilot Survival (Probably)” by Django Wexler, is one of the better ones included in the From a Certain Point of View anthology series.

38. Kor Plouth (Star Wars The High Republic: Path of Deceit)

As the daughter of the Herald of the villainous cult known as the Path of the Open Hand, Kor Plouth was a major player in the early events of The High Republic’s second storytelling phase. Even if her untimely death mostly serves as motivation to further push her father and girlfriend Yana Ro down the path to radicalization, Kor’s brash and charismatic demeaner still make a strong impression for the little time we get to spend with her.

37. Losha Tarkon (Star Wars Bounty Hunters)

Losha Tarkon was a farmer and wife of bounty hunter T’onga who ended up getting drawn into her wife’s life of crime during the war between Crimson Dawn and the Galactic Empire. While Losha’s character never really becomes as compelling as that of her wife, she still ends up playing a major role throughout much of their adventures. And! She gets a pet Nexu, which is that scary cat thing from the arena in Attack of the Clones.

36. Tep Tep (Star Wars The High Republic: Escape from Valo)

Tep Tep was a trans girl Jedi youngling during the High Republic who loved animals. Tep Tep holds a special place in my heart given that she’s one of like two trans femme characters in all of Star Wars. She’s also written to be endearing and sweet at almost every turn. It’s a bit overwhelming at times, but fuck it, things are so dire for trans kids right now, I’m at least glad that we get a sweet, adventurous Jedi for them to look up to.

35. Detta Yao (Star Wars: Doctor Aphra)

Detta Yao was yet another queer archaeologist pulled into Doctor Aphra’s orbit. Detta would work with the infamous doctor on multiple capers before becoming a reluctant ally. Luckily, for her sake, she avoided becoming entangled with Aphra’s disastrous love life and instead found love with the equally chaotic nonbinary occultist, Kho Phon Farrus.

34. Chellwinark Frethylrin (Star Wars Jedi: Battle Scars)

Chellwinark Frethylrin was an Imperial data analyst who fell in love with a childhood friend, Irei, who she’d later learn was Force sensitive. Chellwinark’s attempts to hide Irei from Imperial detection would eventually entangle her with the efforts of The Mantis crew, including the Nightsister Merrin. While she likely isn’t a fan favorite due to the ways that she ends up playing with a beloved character like Merrin’s heart, Chellwinark is the kind of flawed and at times self-destructive queer character I often find myself most drawn to.

33. Sila Kott (Star Wars Return of the Jedi)

Sila Kott was one of several women pilots featured in bit parts in Return of the Jedi who ended up having their scenes deleted or dubbed over by male performers. (You can watch some of the original recordings online now, in case you needed to be more pissed off about this unnecessary misogyny by post-production.) Regardless, Sila Kott has been retroactively accepted as not only a woman but, gasp, a lesbian. Her love story with Imperial engineer turned rebel informant, Lante, is featured in the Return of the Jedi edition of From a Certain Point of View.

32. Beesar Tal-Apurna (Star Wars The High Republic: Trail of Shadows)

It feels a little rude to reduce a character to how cute her design is, but, as someone who has always found bats adorable, the fact that Beesar is a Chandra-Fan definitely adds to her appeal. She does also get to avenge her deceased wife by spying on the Nihil for the Jedi Order and ends up playing a major role in uncovering the truth behind the marauders’ secret weapon.

31. Sian Holt (Star Wars The High Republic: Trail of Shadows)

Although Sian Holt is yet another character whose queerness was confirmed behind the scenes by author Daniel José Older, she’s still one of the more entertaining supporting characters in The High Republic era. I mean, she’s a private eye who dresses in floor length gowns and is also a talented musician who helps the Jedi investigate a legendary force eating monster! That’s pretty damn cool in my book.

30. Vi Moradi (Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge)

Have you ever been to Galaxy’s Edge in Disney World (or Land) and encountered a blue haired Resistance spy? That’s Vi Moradi. Yes, she’s a canonical Star Wars character and one of the few asexual women in the series. So, make sure to wish Vi a happy Pride if you bump into her during your next Disney vacation.

29. Karie Neth (Star Wars: Return of the Jedi)

Karie Neth was another woman Rebel pilot who can be seen bustling around in the   background before and after the decisive Battle of Endor in Return of the Jedi. Unlike fellow pilot, Sila Kott, Karie survives and can be seen partying it up with the Ewoks in the film’s final moments. She also hopefully managed to find the time to confess her feelings to childhood friend, Lanna, before bonfire dancing with teddy bears.

28. Zygg Soza (Star Wars Jedi: Survivor)

One of the friendliest faces you encounter while playing Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Zygg Soza was a helpful mechanic, making a living on the Outer Rim world of Koboh. She’d later fall in love with fellow Koboh resident, Wini Eres.

27. Sister (Star Wars: Queen’s Hope)

Sister is, so far, the only trans femme clone trooper (not be confused with the only woman clone of Jango Fett, but that’s a whole other story), and her armor is in fact painted in the colors of the trans pride flag. Look, Sister isn’t necessarily the best character in the world. Her whole schtick is just that she’s a clone trooper who is trans, but that simple fact is enough to send the worst kinds of Star Wars fans into a nerd rage frenzy every time they’re reminded of her existence. And that’s enough to bump her to the upper half of this list.

26. Rae Sloane (Star Wars: A New Dawn)

Rae Sloane is maybe one of the most important Star Wars characters you’ve never heard of. Originally introduced as an Imperial antagonist to Jedi-turned-smuggler, Kanan Jarrus, Rae Sloane would later be promoted to Grand Admiral following the destruction of the Empire. She’d later go on to survive the disastrous Battle of Jakku and become one of the few surviving members of Imperial leadership and one of the architects of the First Order. So yes, she’s a diehard fascist and war criminal. Not all of the important lesbians in Star Wars are good people.

25. Jordanna Sparkburn (Star Wars The High Republic: Out of the Shadows)

Jordanna Sparkburn was a deputy of the small frontier world of Tiikae during The High Republic era. She’d become a major player in the fight against the Nihil alongside her girlfriend and partner, Sylvestri Yarrow. Jordanna also had a pet vollka, which is kind of like a large cat that shoots electricity from two horns on its head. Note to future Star Wars writers, give more of your space queers cool pets.

24. Zeen Mrala-Talisola (Star Wars The High Republic Adventures)

Zeen was a Force-sensitive Mikkian woman who grew up in the remnants of the Path of the Open Hand during the High Republic era. She’d eventually end up joining the Jedi Padawan Lula Talisola and a team of other young Jedi on adventures following the crisis brought on by the Nihil. Zeen is one of the most fun characters in the all-ages High Republic Adventures comic series for a variety of reasons (one of the main antagonists is her former best friend, she’s a Force-sensitive character who decides not to become a Jedi, etc.), but she also has a whole comic issue dedicated to her gay wedding to Lula. Yes, doing “very-special-episode” style comics about gay marriage feels a little 2014, but hey as far as I can tell, it’s the first gay wedding depicted in the Galaxy Far, Far Away and that’s still pretty neat.

23. Domina Tagge (Star Wars: Doctor Aphra)

Okay imagine if Shiv Roy from Succession was a deadly space lesbian and you have Domina Tagge. Actually, Domina is even more of an amoral schemer than Shiv. Corporate intrigue doesn’t always make for the most exciting of space opera storylines, but Alyssa Wong turns Domina into one of the most compelling antagonists in Marvel’s Star Wars comics and an enjoyable foil for the perpetually aggrieved Doctor Aphra. And yes, if you were wondering, Domina and Aphra do in fact hook up.

22. Lula Mrala-Talisola (Star Wars The High Republic Adventures)

There are plenty of stories about Jedi leaving the Order for love, but very few of them are about lesbians. Lula Mrala-Talisola, the protagonist of the all ages comic series High Republic Adventures, begins the series as an eager Padawan thrust into a time of galactic crisis, but when her working partnership with rescued former cultist Zeen ends up becoming something more, she has to reconsider her loyalties. And then of course, there’s that whole time she got amnesia and became a warlord. Tthe point is, Lula and Zeen end up getting together and marrying in the aforementioned very-special-gay-wedding comic. Love wins!

21. Sylvestri Yarrow (Star Wars The High Republic: Out of the Shadows)

Sylvestri Yarrow was a human pilot and smuggler during The High Republic era who found herself drawn into the extended conflict between the Nihil and the Jedi. Turns out it’s kinda hard to avoid wartime when your mother faked her own death to do secret experiments for the marauders currently terrorizing the galaxy. Sylvestri would become one of the central protagonists in The High Republic’s young adult series of novels and one of its most compelling characters.

20. Ackmena (From a Certain Point of View / The Star Wars Holiday Special)

Did you know that Bea Arthur is a space lesbian? Yes, Bea Arthur not only starred in the much maligned Star Wars Holiday Special, but almost four decades after the infamous television variety show aired, the short story anthology From a Certain Point of View revealed she is queer and happily married to another woman. There’s not a whole lot going on with Ackmena as a character outside of the whole Bea Arthur thing, but having a Golden Girl play a lesbian bar owner in space is just kind of amazing.

19. Magna Tolvan (Star Wars: Doctor Aphra)

One of Doctor Aphra’s great loves, Magna Tolvan, was a cyborg Imperial officer who eventually defected to join the rebellion after falling for the chaotic scoundrel during their many times crossing paths. Writers Kieron Gillen, Si Spurrier, and Alyssa Wong portray Tolvan’s frustration and eventually devoted affection for Aphra with the right balance of comedy and moments of genuine romance. I mean, their first few kisses are some of the most iconically gay images in the series.

18. Yana Ro (Star Wars The High Republic: Path of Deceit)

The Ro sisters are two of the most compelling characters in The High Republic’s second storytelling phase, and while Yana may not be quite as fascinating as her younger sister, her own character arc is still a standout. Yana Ro began her role in the Path of the Open Hand cult working as a “liberator” of Force artifacts, which typically meant stealing sacred items from places of worship. While Yana was never quite a true believer in the Path’s doctrine that using the Force was akin to abusing the fabric of the universe, her dedication to the cult grew following the death of her partner Kor Plouth but she ultimately remained clear eyed enough to step away once the Path embraced its darkest instincts.

17. Koril (Star Wars: The Acolyte)

Koril was the biological mother of the twins Osha and Mae and one of the highest ranking members of the Brendok cult of witches depicted in the controversial but actually pretty great streaming series, The Acolyte. While showrunner Leslye Headland insists it would be reductive to call the witches of Brendok lesbians, Koril is still clearly depicted as a queer individual in an intimate partnership with coven leader Aniseya. While Aniseya displays a more gentle and at times spiritual parenting style, Koril comes across as more protective and strict, an instinct that proves tragically correct given the events of the series. Koril would become the only surviving member of the Brendok coven and even if The Acolyte’s premature cancellation means we are unlikely to see her on the screen anytime soon, I hope that we will eventually have the chance to check in on her again in the future.

16. T’onga (Star Wars Bounty Hunters)

T’onga spent years working as a bounty hunter alongside her brother, T’ongor, (her parents were uncreative, I guess), before an apparent act of treachery left her the sole surviving sibling. After a brief retirement where she married local farmer and bartender, Losha Tarkon, T’onga returned to the world of galactic scum and villainy to get revenge for her brother’s death. While originally a side character in writer Ethan Sacks’s Bounty Hunters comic, T’onga would arguably become the series’ lead by its end, becoming the leader of a gang of guns for hire that included some of the galaxy’s most iconic criminals and mercenaries such as Bossk and even Boba Fett.

15. Vukorah (Star Wars Bounty Hunters)

Look, I may have a soft spot for Vukorah because she’s the closest thing Star Wars has to a trans lesbian. I say this because although writer Ethan Sacks spent years dropping loud ass hints about Vukorah’s transness, the pirate queen has yet to disclose on page, even if it’s pretty damn obvious. I mean, there’s whole a scene in which she demands that her pirate lord father finally acknowledge her as his daughter. Regardless, Vukorah is one of the most entertaining antagonists of Marvel’s Star Wars comics due to her badass costume design and flexible moral character. Also she loves cats which is just another cute and very trans-coded detail.

14. Vernestra Rwoh (Star Wars: The Acolyte)

One of the series’ few canon asexual characters, Vernestra Rwoh is a great character whose most important stories may never be told. Originally depicted as the youngest knighted Jedi in the Order’s history in The High Republic books and comics, Vernestra would later appear in a supporting role in The Acolyte where she would both help discover and cover up the return of the Sith. We still don’t know what transformed the wunderkind Jedi of The High Republic into the jaded and corrupt Jedi we’d seen on screen, but it was clearly something traumatic and painful. The blank spots in Vernestra’s life are some of the most intriguing questions raised in the current Star Wars canon and who knows when or if we’ll ever get answers.

13. Ty Yorrick (Star Wars The High Republic: The Rising Storm)

I can justify Ty Yorrick’s position on this list by pointing out that she’s a former Jedi turned monster hunter, which is just as rad as it sounds. Ty Yorrick is fun for the many ways in which she gets to work alongside the Jedi of the High Republic era while also embodying many of the characteristics they never can. She’s allowed to be brash, materialistic, and a flirt while still being a lightsaber-wielding badass.

12. Chass na Chadic (Star Wars: Alphabet Squadron)

Alexander Freed’s Alphabet Squadron trilogy are some of the best novels ever written for the Star Wars universe particularly in how they explore what exactly happens to the pilots of the Rebel Alliance in the final days of wartime. The rank and file of the rebellion weren’t all true believers in galactic liberation. Some were Imperial defectors. Some were criminals. And some, like Chass na Chadic, joined because they wanted a sense of purpose in the galaxy. Chass’s time during the war proved traumatic as she lost dozens of squadmates before being recruited to the working group of misfit pilots known as Alphabet Squadron. All of Freed’s characters are written with the kind of psychological complexity you don’t always find in Star Wars literature, but Chass is immediately a standout due in no small part to her awkward, antisocial demeanor that is also capable of moments of intense vulnerability.

11. Holdo (Star Wars: The Last Jedi)

While she may not have ever been in a relationship with Princess Leia, Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo is still one of the highest profile queer characters in the series. It’s been almost a decade and I’m still kinda shocked that we actually got Laura Dern to play a purple hair pansexual in a Star Wars movie. Sure, she’s one of the characters that the worst kind of Last Jedi haters tend to get the most pissed off at, but, as I’ve said before, pissing off shitty nerds is always a bonus in my book. Also, Holdo is still the cause of one of the coolest fucking moments in the history of Star Wars. She’s rad.

10. Aniseya (Star Wars: The Acolyte)

Jodie Turner-Smith’s performance as Mother Aniseya, the leader of the Brendok witch cult, is one of the best parts of The Acolyte. In her only two episodes on screen, Aniseya was shown to be a warm and loving mother and a powerful witch who dared to play with the fabric of the Force. Aniseya is mysterious and charismatic and an essential part to both The Acolyte’s mythology and what the show wishes to say about the nature of the Jedi and the colonial power of organized religion. I just wish we got to see more of her.

9. Cinta Kaz (Star Wars Andor)

Cinta Kaz was an early member of the rebellion against the Empire and a devoted revolutionary who placed the fight against fascism above all other priorities. Through her appearances in Andor, she and her long term partner, Vel Sartha, remain the most visible and prominent queer couple in Star Wars. While I will likely never stop mourning her tragic end, Cinta’s story portrays the deep personal cost of unflinching commitment to wartime with nuance and stark honesty.

8. Marda Ro (Star Wars The High Republic: Path of Deceit)

A young member and true believer of The Path of the Open Hand’s anti-Force user message, Marda Ro’s story of radicalization beautifully and disturbingly depicts the psychological harm that cults and high control religions can have on the minds of young people. Authors Justina Ireland, Tessa Gratton, and Cavan Scott write Marda’s path from naively misguided teenager to violent zealot as a coming-of-age tragedy that feel somehow manages to feel unique in a franchise that literally coined the phrase “turning to the Dark Side.”

7. Yrica Quell (Star Wars: Alphabet Squadron)

Yrica Quell begins Alexander Freed’s Alphabet Squadron trilogy as a newly defected Imperial pilot. After she became an accessory to an act of planetary genocide during Imperial Operation Cinder, Yrica began the long, complicated work towards finding redemption. Part of what makes Freed’s novels so special is that Yrica’s actions as a soldier of the Empire are given the proper emotional and moral weight they should. Freed rightfully questions whether redemption or acceptance, two core themes in Star Wars, are even possible or deserved for someone like Yrica, who may not have been in a position of power in a fascist regime but did willingly go along in committing atrocities. The character arc that Yrica undergoes across the three novels is one of the best written in the entirety of Star Wars and is part of why Alphabet Squadron are the Star Wars novels I recommend to even the most casual of fans.

6. Lourna Dee (Star Wars The High Republic: Tempest Runner)

I’m not sure if anyone expected a redemption story from Lourna Dee following her initial appearances. One of the highest ranking members of the Nihil marauders, Lourna Dee was a Twi’Lek who sharpened her teeth into sharklike points and was fond of butchering Jedi and galactic politicians alike. And still, The High Republic, particularly through the writing of Cavan Scott, manage to turn this imposing woman into an emotionally complex character who makes the jump from Chaotic Evil to Chaotic Neutral (and arguably even Chaotic Good) believable and compelling in equal measure.

5. Merrin (Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order)

It’s hard to think of a character who was as instantly beloved as Nightsister Merrin when she first debuted in video game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. As the survivor of a genocide against her coven of Force witches, Merrin carries with her a weight and sadness that is often belayed by her soft spoken, sometimes playful demeanor. Her expanded role in the game’s sequel, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, is indicative of just how easily Merrin won over fans. Even most queer fans I know have been more than happy to buy into Merrin’s budding romance with the game’s cishet white guy protagonist, Cal Kestis.

4. Sana Starros (Marvel’s Star Wars comics)

First introduced as a Han Solo’s “wife” (a con that seemed mostly designed for clickbait articles), Sana Starros would go on to be one of the most prominent and successful characters introduced in Marvel’s comics. Like her fake ex-husband, Sana Starros is a criminal and a smuggler who frequently finds herself working with the Rebel Alliance in their war against the Empire. More importantly though, Sana may be the closest thing Doctor Chelli Lona Aphra has to life partner. While no partnership with the infamous archaeologist is easy, Sana and Aphra have an undeniable spark regardless of what their current relationship status is. They’re two women who challenge one another while also bringing out the best and worst aspects of themselves. Alyssa Wong in particular writes their relationship with an emotional complexity that feels honest and fulfilling and in the process makes their pairing one of the most compelling romances in Star Wars.

3. Vel Sartha (Star Wars Andor)

Vel Sartha may be the most high-profile lesbian Star Wars character to the average viewer. As of this moment, she’s the only queer character to have a recurring role in an on-screen Star Wars project. I’ve already written at length about Vel and her doomed love affair with fellow revolutionary, Cinta Kaz, but it’s a testament to her characterization  (and Andor as a whole) that there’s genuinely so much to say. Whether it’s her status as a wealthy heiress in the conservative (and casually homophobic) Chandrilan social scene or the stress that living in the shadows brings to her love life, Vel is allowed to be a complex, multifaceted woman whose queerness that is a major part of characterization while not defining her entirely. She’s also one of the few characters, queer or not, who get to fuck on screen in Star Wars. I really hope we get to see her again someday. Vel’s too special to leave alone forever.

2. Sabé (Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace)

Sabé, first depicted by Keira Knightley in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, has evolved from a galactic footnote into one of the most complicated queer characters in the series. It’s probably not surprising to learn that Sabé eventually fell in love with the woman whom she spent years serving and protecting. After all, whom among us hasn’t fallen in love with our straight best friend, at least once? What makes Sabé such an incredible character is how author EK Johnston and comics writer Greg Pak have evolved and challenged her devotion to Padme and her memory. Pak’s decision to turn Sabé into a reluctant sidekick of Darth Vader’s is one of the more inspired choices made in Marvel’s Star Wars comics. Vader sees his deceased wife reflected in Sabé while she desperately tries to understand if anything remains of the man whom the woman she loved with married. It’s emotionally complicated and twisty and I can’t stop thinking about it.

1. Doctor Chelli Lona Aphra (Marvel’s Star Wars comics)

Doctor Chelli Lona Aphra isn’t just the best queer character in Star Wars; she’s arguably one of the best additions to the franchise ever. A gay disaster of intergalactic proportions, Aphra is a rogue archaeologist with questionable morals and ever-shifting loyalties who has allied with and later pissed off almost every major player in the galaxy including the likes of Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker. Blending the tomb raiding adventures of Lara Croft with the fast-talking schemes of Saul Goodman, Aphra is a scene stealer whose misadventures make for some of the most unique and inspired storytelling that Star Wars has seen in decades. It’s no surprise Aphra has been the title character of three separate ongoing series over the last decade and has been written by all-star comic talent like Kieron Gillen, Si Spurrier, and Alyssa Wong. Queer anti-heroes, particularly when they are depicted as women of color, are still a rarity in media, particularly in mega-franchises like Star Wars, which makes Aphra’s continued prominence and popularity so welcome. While the current future of Star Wars comics under Marvel seems uncertain, I genuinely hope that we continue to see much more of Aphra in the years to come, whether that’s on the page or even screen.