8 Classic Star Wars Characters Who Appear in Rogue One

His real name might be Jon "Dutch" Vander, but we all know him as the guy who says, "Gold Leader, standing by." The former Imperial pilot defects to the Rebel Alliance after refusing to bomb his homeland. In Return of the Jedi, we see him flying his Y-wing fighter jet as a leader of the Gold Squadron. Unfortunately, he's shot down by Darth Vader. He reprises his role for a brief appearance in Rogue One.

When we first meet him in A New Hope, he's the leader of the rebel base on Yavin 4 who plans the first attack on the Death Star. He's also the first character to utter the phrase, "May the Force be with you." Because Yavin 4 is an integral location for the rebellion, it's not surprising that Jyn Erso would end up there and even less so that Dodonna would reprise his role in Rogue One. You can briefly see him during a briefing in which the likes of Jyn, Mon Mothma, and Captain Cassian Andor all attend.

He's the guy you love to hate because there really is no redemption for him. As the commander of the Death Star in A New Hope, he threatens to destroy Princess Leia's home planet Alderaan if she doesn't tell him the location of the Rebel main base of operations. She names the planet Dantooine (which is false) and he uses the Death Star to destroy the planet anyway, in order to make an example out of her.

But, as it always turns out for the bad guys, he is ultimately killed when the Death Star blows up the first time. A younger version of the character appears in Revenge of the Sith standing next to Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine as they watch the Death Star being built.

With the help of CGI, since original actor Peter Cushing passed away in 1994, he pops up in Rogue One as a constant thorn in Orson Krennic's side.

One of the most crucial people in the Rebellion, Organa is a member of Alderaan's royal family and a member of the Imperial Senate. First appearing in Attack of the Clones, he forms a close friendship with Padme Amidala while serving on Chancellor Palpatine's Loyalist Committee. Sharing similar values, the two begin organizing like-minded people when they become suspicious of Palpatine's growing power. In Revenge of the Sith, Amidala entrusts him with raising Leia as his own, thus giving her the title of princess. In Rogue One, we see him secretly working with Mon Mothma to unite the rebels, but, unfortunately, he doesn't get to see how it all plays out. He dies in A New Hope when Grand Moff Tarkin destroys his planet.

She's a familiar face to the Star Wars universe. Having served in both the Galactic and Imperial Senate, she had also been a member of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine's Loyalist Committee before speaking out against his sudden increase of power. In A New Hope, she delivers an update on the Imperial forces to her fellow rebels, which include Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Lando Calrissian. While her screen time is brief, she plays an integral role as one of the founders of the Alliance alongside Bail Organa. After the empire falls, she becomes the first chancellor of the New Republic.

In Rogue One, she's a rebel leader urging Jyn Erso to stand down while they figure out their next move.

Perhaps the most badass princess in the galaxy, Princess Leia grows up not knowing that Darth Vader is her birth father. We first meet the Imperial Senator and rebel spy in A New Hope as a captive aboard the Tantive IV, where Vader tortures her for information. She then teams up with Luke, who we later find out is her twin, to take down the Galactic Empire.

Along the way, she falls in love with Han Solo, and by the time of the events in The Force Awakens, they've had a son named Ben who grows up. Unfortunately, he rebrands himself as the galaxy's next big bad, Kylo Ren, and becomes a general in the Resistance in order to stop him. In Rogue One, she briefly appears (via CGI and a body double) to receive the plans to the Death Star, which she would then hide inside R2-D2.

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As the biggest baddie in a galaxy far, far away, he's technically appeared in every movie in the main Star Wars universe except for The Force Awakens. In The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones, he's known as Anakin Skywalker — an ambitious young Jedi destined for greatness. However, in Revenge of the Sith, he earns the new name Darth Vader after turning to the dark side and becoming Emperor Palpatine's latest apprentice. By the time we reach A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi, he's established himself as the most fearsome guy in the galaxy, and it's up to his children, Luke and Leia, to take down his evil empire.

When we see him in Rogue One, he's fully settled into his new bad-guy suit and only pops up occasionally to threaten someone. Still, his name alone invokes terror in those who hear it.

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