Since its theatrical release in 1977, Star Wars has given fans movies, books, and now television shows filled with interesting, complex characters that they've come to know and love. But, unfortunately, even characters as skilled as Obi-Wan Kenobi or Chewbacca are not without their shortcomings.
While plot armor often sees fan-favorite characters through to the end of every movie, they are often far from flawless. From characters suffering from surprising physical anomalies to those unable to sustain so much as a bruised ego, there are plenty of characters with perplexing weaknesses in the Star Wars universe.
10 Chewbacca's Trap
Luke Skywalker may be considered one of the best pilots in the galaxy, but one could make a solid argument for Han Solo's right-hand Wookie, Chewbacca. His cockpit combat abilities have been highlighted in multiple films, so it's safe to say that Chewbacca is a capable co-pilot.
So, Return of the Jedi viewers scratched their heads when Chewbacca fell for a painfully obvious trap set in the woods set by the Ewoks. Seeing the carcass of a dead animal hanging from a rope immediately draws the Wookie in, making the viewer question whether or not Chewbacca was as intelligent as he originally seemed to be.
9 Jabba's Chain
In both the films and the television series The Clone Wars, it's established that the Hutts are large in both numbers and physical size. Jabba the Hutt is no exception to this; the giant alien slug is a force to be reckoned with. With the prequel trilogy establishing that he's been in power on Tattooine for decades, it seems like Jabba would be relatively hard to kill.
However, Princess Leia disproved that notion in Return of the Jedi, strangling him with what looked to be a relatively thin chain. Though an epic moment for the Princess of Alderaan, it was an odd end for the massive crimelord.
8 Padmé's Love Goggles
Padmé Amidala is supposed to be as strong-willed and noble as her daughter, Princess Leia. Introduced in The Phantom Menace, Padmé is shown to be a child queen who is smart, level-headed, and resourceful enough to take back her home planet from the Trade Federation. In both Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, Padmé is shown to be a savvy and powerful senator, representing her homeworld within the galactic senate.
As smart and as powerful as she is, Padmé's behavior in Star Wars is often nonsensical. She is unphased by Anakin's depraved actions in the second film, and it calls into question her ability to correctly judge the character of her husband-to-be.
7 The Stormtroopers' Blaster Accuracy
With a force as massive and powerful as the Galactic Empire, one would expect that their soldiers would be some of the most fearsome in the known galaxy. Unfortunately, the stormtroopers are notoriously inaccurate with their blasters.
Their aim is so bad that it is almost shocking that the Empire was able to maintain control of the galaxy for as long as it did. Their inability to hit a target was even turned into a canonical joke in the season 1 finale of The Mandalorian.
6 The Diminished Power of the Jedi
A weakness that pertains to several characters in the prequel trilogy, the Jedi are somehow cut off from the Force and cannot figure out that the Sith Lord is none other than Chancellor Palpatine until it's too late.
Not a single Jedi Master—not even Obi-Wan Kenobi—suspects the Chancellor until the end of Revenge Of The Sith. It just seems to be a rather strange weakness for a group of beings that are supposedly some of the most powerful in the universe.
5 Anakin's Need For Validation
Fans could speculate and theorize endlessly about why Anakin Skywalker truly turned to the dark side, but no matter how many what-ifs concerning Anakin's character are thrown around, it's hard to argue against the fact that his need for validation is what drove him toward the dark side.
Since his first days as a Padawan, Anakin had struggled with the Jedi Order and felt that he was never given enough respect. Qui-Gon believed him to be the prophesized Chosen One, but the Jedi Council disagreed. Then, Emperor Palpatine, who was more than willing to tell Anakin he deserved more, gave him all the validation he could desire. Letting Palpatine get into his head is what allowed Anakin to take that last step he needed to become Darth Vader.
4 Obi-Wan's Strict Teachings
A noble Jedi, Obi-Wan spoke some of the wisest quotes heard throughout the Star Wars saga, but his inability to properly tutor Anakin could be considered a strange weakness. His Master, Qui-Gon Jinn, was considered to have been a maverick, but Obi-Wan follows the code almost to the letter, teaching Anakin as if he were reciting Jedi law out of a training manual.
Obi-Wan's devotion to the order is what allowed him to miss what was happening to Anakin until it was too late. In Obi-Wan's mind, there was no way Anakin would betray him, even telling Mace Windu that Anakin had never let him down. When he is finally confronted with proof of Anakin's turn, Obi-Wan's complete disbelief proves how naive he was concerning the entire ordeal.
3 Luke Skywalker's Emotions
Mirroring his father's own emotional weaknesses, Luke Skywalker's inability to control his anger was his greatest downfall—especially in The Empire Strikes Back. He's nearly sent away by Yoda when he displays his impatience and anger about not being able to raise the X-Wing out of the swamp on Dagobah. Additionally, in a panicked rage, Luke leaves his training to try and save Han and Leia, and his unrepressed anger meant that his relationships with other characters in Star Wars were often weird as well.
Also, when facing Vader in Cloud City, he lets his anger take over during the fight, which ultimately costs him his hand. Considering that his father had the same issues, one would want to know why Obi-Wan decided he needed to be trained when he very nearly went down the same path as his father.
2 Plo Koon's Breathing
Jedi Master Plo Koon is a member of the species known as the Kel Dor, and he's as powerful as any other Jedi Master on the council, though he is inhibited by the fact that he can't breathe oxygen. To compensate for this inability, Plo Koon has to wear a breathing apparatus at all times.
Though he's taken down during Order 66 while piloting a spacecraft, his dependence on his breath apparatus could have easily been used against him. Much like Vader, he would have had to pick and choose his battles carefully lest he be left unable to breathe.
1 Han Solo's Pride
Everyone's favorite smuggler, Han Solo, has an ego that could fill the Millenium Falcon, though it has served him well at times. However, in The Force Awakens, Han's ego ultimately leads to his death.
In one last attempt to try and redeem his son, Han approaches Ben Solo to try and get him to come home when it's obvious to the audience that he's too far gone. But Han has smooth-talked his way through all sorts of issues, and he believes his charms can solve any issue. Sadly, Kylo takes advantage of this moment by killing his father.
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June 29, 2021 at 12:00AM
