I’m an admitted Star Wars fan, and whenever I get bored enough to indulge my inner-Geek and browse various SW forums, there always seems to be a debate going about who the greatest Star Wars characters are. I can’t speak for other people, who are wrong, but if you are looking for a definitive top 5 list, here it is:

5. R2-D2: He never said an actual word, and yet he was often a fairly critical character throughout the entire film storyline. Although he is sometimes prone to comedic slap-stick when figuring situations out, he is always on top of things and knows exactly what to do.

4. Yoda: Is there a more loved tiny alien in science-fiction history? Not even E.T. comes close. Not only is Yoda wise and powerful, he is also a noted booster. Besides, despite being essentially a Little Person, Yoda cartwheels around in a blur and swings his lightsaber with fantastic accuracy. Even though every small boy who watched the movies wanted to be Luke Skywalker, the short ones resigned themselves to the more fitting role of Yoda.

3. Darth Vader: He’s extremely strong in the Dark Side of the Force, and until Luke screwed with his head, was well on his way to a long run of dominancy over a chunk of the universe. Plus, he has awe-inspiring armor, an intimidating helmet/mask combo and a raspy robotic voice that fills fan boys with envy – AND he’s a super-accomplished swordsman. What’s not to like? Oh yeah, if you take his helmet off, he kind of resembles a thousand-year-old pickle and he dies. That could probably be considered a drawback.

2. Luke Skywalker: Initially awkward and comically lost in a big situation, Luke Skywalker evolves into the very image of a wise, powerful Jedi Master with just a tiny bit of a tendency to showboat. But so what? If you’re not going to give people a show, what’s the point of having an R2 bot with the ability to shoot you a lightsaber from its head-dome? More teenage boys have probably wanted to be this guy than almost any other fictional character in history.

1. Han Solo: No contest as to the #1. I don’t care about Vader’s raw power or the amount of admiration that Luke received. Han Solo is the King of Cool, and that will never change. He managed to save the universe, get the girl, and embarrass his enemies when flying the Millennium Falcon – all while not having any Jedi powers or dropping his calm, sarcastic demeanor. He’s simply just that good, darlin’.

Honorable Mention:

Boba Fett: This guy is the Lord of all Badasses. While I admit that his unfortunate story arc with the Sarlacc Pitt would normally keep his name out of contention entirely, if you read the books then you know that he survived the incident using nothing but his Mandalorian armor and a fighting spirit. The only person to ever survive the Sarlacc, I’d like to point out. And that’s hardcore.

This list is not open to interpretation. It is complete and it is accurate. Do not dispute anything you’ve read.