The 20th anniversary theatrical re-release of Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith has led many to re-examine the final film in George Lucas’ prequel trilogy. For me, that meant realizing how many of the background Jedi look like lesbians.

Like any Star Wars movie, Revenge of the Sith contains aliens who exist only for a few seconds of screentime, yet tantalize the imagination with their eye-catching designs. Much like Boba Fett and various Mos Eisley Cantina critters, cult favorite Sith characters didn’t need discernible personalities or even dialogue to cultivate fanbases. While the only prominent woman in the cast, Padme Amidala, exists to give birth and die, gaze into the background of any scene set at the Jedi Temple and you’ll spy an assortment of lady Jedi.

None of them have on-screen names or dialogue, granted. However, for many Star Wars fans, just these characters existing with their evocative costumes and auras cemented them as legends. Despite all the hooting and hollering about “lesbian space witches” ruining modern Star Wars media, queer women vibes run deep in Star Wars. Just look at the BDE (big dyke energy) exuded by these Revenge of the Sith Jedi warriors.

One hates to pit bad bitches against each other. However, in honor of May the 4th and Sith returning to the silver screen, let’s rank these Jedi by their lesbian vibes. Some are mildly lesbian, while others are as gay as Chappell Roan doing a Tracy Chapman cover. May the Force and queer women vibes be with you.

5. Jocasta Nu

Jocasta Nu doesn’t technically appear on-screen in Revenge of the Sith. However, this Attack of the Clones character was alive and well during the events of Sith (and even canonically survived after Anakin turned to Darth Vader). This Jedi master-turned-archivist’s resilience merits her a place on this list, especially since her whole occupation couldn’t be gayer. What screams “lesbian” more than taking care of books? Even in a galaxy far, far away, lesbian librarians clearly endure. Plus, her no-nonsense attitude towards Obi-Wan exudes the exact same energy as an experienced lesbian who’s seen so much that she has no more patience for cishet foolishness. She must exist at the bottom of this list since she didn’t make it on-screen in Sith, but Nu still flourishes as another lady Jedi wielding obvious lesbian-coded tendencies.

4. Stass Allie

Poor Stass Allie. Her Revenge of the Sith screen time largely concerns her loyal clone troopers dispatching Allie while she’s riding a speeder. Order 66 truly spared nobody. There’s not much to go on with this character, whose appearances in canonical Star Wars media are so limited that she didn’t even appear in the Clone Wars cartoon (which somehow found time for a Greedo cameo). However, it’s worth mentioning her lightsaber is green. That hue’s queer community importance dates back to the days of Oscar Wilde.

Plus, lesbians so often vanish in pop culture and the real world. Maybe Stass Allie’s absence from so much non-movie Star Wars media compared to other Jedi like Quinlan Vos or Kit Fisto actually makes her gayer. If only she were explicitly heterosexual, maybe Stass Allie would’ve had her own Disney+ program!

3. Luminara Unduli

Speaking of the gayest color, Luminara Unduli, much like Kermit the Frog and Elphaba, is a green-skinned icon. But even more noteworthy is how much black colors define Unduli’s wardrobe. Her green lightsaber is clutched within fingers dotted in black nail polish and black makeup lingers around her eyes. This can indicate only one thing…Luminara Unduli is a gay goth icon. One wonders why George Lucas cut out inevitable sequences of Unduli slicing up battle droids while listening to The Black Belles and My Chemical Romance.

Luminara Unduli’s aura also screams of what the LOTL blog once dubbed “The Alpha.” Like Shane McCutcheon, Unduli is “unnervingly confident, impossible to talk to and can make a grown woman stutter just by looking through you.” Do not mess with her. She has both The Force and Evanescence by her side.

2. Shaak Ti

Shaak Ti’s Revenge of the Sith screen time only exists in one brief shot. However, that’s primarily because she was supposed to die in not one but TWO different deleted scenes. In the first of these sequences, poor Ti would perish at the hands of General Grievous. Another scene had Anakin Skywalker slaughter her during his Jedi Temple massacre. In the tradition of the “bury your gays” trope, Shaak Ti must be really gay if she was almost killed TWICE.

The Star Wars saga just hates to see a bad bitch succeed, clearly. It isn’t just dying that renders this Togruta an obvious queer icon. There’s also her personality that should resonate as incredibly familiar to any lesbian. Various Star Wars media defined Ti as exuding kindness to all creatures. This included Clone Troopers she was instructed to see as disposable cannon fodder. In other words, Shaak Ti was the “mother figure” that inevitably crops up in any lesbian friend group. Shaak Ti is that one dyke who is always the best at organizing things or has some aspirin in her purse when you need it. Constantly dying sent off some gay-coded signals, but exuding unity for all aliens and species, that’s what really gives her lesbian energy.

1. Aayla Secura

Let’s face it: Aayla Secura’s default midriff baring outfit 100% existed for the cishet male gaze. For the longest time in “nerd” properties, the default outfit designs for women tended to be on the busty, revealing side (see also: Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn’s Arkham Asylum outfits versus all the male villain attire in that video game). But just because that was the starting inspiration for Secura’s costume doesn’t mean that has to solely define this character. My far, far away galaxy-brained explanation for Secura’s appearance: She’s a lesbian and she’s a trans woman.

Is this canon in Star Wars media? Absolutely not. However, do you know how many eye-roll-worthy fan speculations were made about Boba Fett or Darth Maul’s backstories back in the day? Why can’t Secura be a trans lesbian in our minds? After all, Secura wears revealing outfits to flaunt a body deemed “improper” and “grotesque” by the state. Wearing her scantily clad costume while leading the final battles of the Clone Wars is a proud embracing of her physical form, not to mention a daring subversion of what “proper” Jedi warriors “should” look like. The Force materializes in aliens and creatures of all kinds across the galaxy. Why can’t Jedi outfits and gender identity have similar dexterity?

She’s basically the Laverne Cox of the Jedi Council circa. 19 BBY (Before Battle of Yavin), a glorious, gorgeous beacon of light reaffirming the beauty of trans/Twi’lek women. Also Secura’s Clone Wars appearances confirmed that this Jedi warrior spoke in a French accent which, bonjooooour, do you know how often lesbian movies are French? A lot. Perhaps on the surface, Aayla Secura just looks like yet another example of Twi’lek women wearing as few clothes as possible in Star Wars media. But look a little closer and it becomes clear that this iconic warrior is a blue-skinned trans lesbian ready to slay. (Literally.)

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