They may not be the most beloved Star Wars character, but they definitely had their moments.
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00:00Sure, these wonderful scenes still didn't completely save these characters from being
00:04classed as some of the least admired in the galaxy, but the next time you throw shade
00:09at these goofy aliens, arrogant Jedi or ridiculous soldiers, just remember that even the most
00:14awful Star Wars characters have their moments.
00:17Because I am Gareth, this is What Culture Star Wars, and here are 10 Terrible Star Wars
00:22Characters With One Incredible Scene.
00:2510.
00:26The Party Is Over – Mace Windu Unfortunately, Samuel L. Jackson's time
00:32as powerful but supremely arrogant Jedi Master Mace Windu is largely just spent sitting on
00:37a chair ordering other Jedi about and being about as interesting as a glass of water,
00:42not even sparkling.
00:43But there was one moment there when Jackson was finally given the chance to be the unquestionable
00:48badass he's always been.
00:50While he did at least enjoy a rather dramatic death at the hands of Darth Sidious and Anakin
00:54Skywalker in Episode 3, Revenge of the Sith, Mace Windu's arrival on Geonosis in Episode
00:592, Attack of the Clones, is his one properly incredible moment.
01:03After Chancellor Palpatine had created his Grand Army of the Republic, the Jedi Master
01:07brilliantly arrived on the planet by sneaking up on Count Dooku and Jango Fett, and pulling
01:12out his purple lightsaber before noting how this party was over.
01:16The perfectly delivered follow-up of I Don't Think So, when told the Jedi were outnumbered,
01:21along with his spectacular force jump as he evaded the bounty hunter's flamethrower
01:25attack, both acted as tremendous appetisers before that jaw-dropping visual of a wave
01:30of lightsabers colliding with the droid army, and Windu's eventual decapitating of Jango
01:36too.
01:37This is the Jackson fans paid to see in a Star Wars movie, not the one sat twiddling
01:41his thumbs on the Jedi Council.
01:42I've got a quick question for you now, who is your favourite Jedi of all time?
01:47It might be Mace Windu, and if that's the case, well, good for you.
01:50But if it's not, you let me know who is in the comments section below.
01:539.
01:54The Belonging You Seek Is Not Behind You – Maz Kanata
01:58Lupita Nyong'o's pirate queen, Maz Kanata, felt like a figure who would go on to be a
02:02rather compelling side character after her debut in Episode 7, The Force Awakens.
02:07In the end, though, it turned out that this 1,000-year-old alien peaked during her first
02:12few minutes of screen time in the galaxy far, far away, which was a bit disappointing.
02:16Moving on from a pretty engaging introduction which saw her reunite with old pals Han Solo
02:21and Chewbacca, along with meeting new heroes Finn and Rey, Kanata pops up not long after
02:26Rey's fascinating forceback.
02:28Here, the wise being not only explains that the lightsaber which triggered this bizarre
02:32moment belonged to Luke and Anakin Skywalker at various points, but heartbreakingly tells
02:37Rey that the scavenger already knows the people she's waiting for on Jakku are never actually
02:42going to return.
02:43It's a seriously powerful exchange, and one that is only made more moving after Maz states
02:48how The Belonging You Seek Is Not Behind You – It Is Ahead, and begins nudging Rey closer
02:53towards the Force.
02:54Outside of that memorable interaction with a freaked-out Rey, though, the Force-sensitive
02:58Kanata's time in the sequels is largely spent doing very little of note, with the character
03:03soon going from intriguing new addition to forgettable background figure.
03:07What a shame.
03:088.
03:09Here Arrives on Mustafar – Newt Gunray
03:13The Star Wars prequel trilogy certainly wasn't lacking in the offensive antagonist department,
03:18but one of the most infamously bad villains to pop up in George Lucas' flicks was the
03:22racial stereotype that was Newt Gunray.
03:25Throughout the flicks, the Neimoidian trade federation Viceroy could often be found cowering
03:29in front of Darth Sidious' hologram, rivetingly trying to convince Queen Amidala to sign a
03:34treaty and just generally being a bit of a bland annoyance.
03:38But there was one quite satisfying moment that consistently dulled Gunray ultimately
03:42found himself in the middle of.
03:43His own demise!
03:44Lovely.
03:45As and now Darth Vader arrives on Mustafar to take care of the remaining Separatist leaders
03:50in Revenge of the Sith, the former Anakin Skywalker proceeds to brutally wipe out everyone
03:55in his path.
03:56It's in this quite harrowing moment when the new Sith Lord comes face-to-face with
03:59the snivelling Gunray.
04:01Despite trying to reason with the relentless Force user, his desperate words were sliced
04:05through by a devastating lightsaber backhand, as the whiny, deceitful villain was finally
04:10made to pay for his many crimes.
04:137.
04:14Starkiller Base Destroys the Republic – General Hooks
04:18Regularly unleashing some of the hammiest moments in Star Wars history, and being anything
04:22but an intimidating member of the First Order, General Armitage Hooks ultimately became one
04:27of the galaxy far, far away's biggest disappointments.
04:31Whenever he wasn't being mercilessly bullied by Kylo Ren or Supreme Leader Snoke, the villain
04:35often had folks cringing in their seats, thanks to the usually outstanding Donal Gleeson's
04:41strange pantomime performance.
04:42But that still doesn't change the fact that Gleeson's Hooks was very much at the centre
04:46of one of the most eye-catching moments of the entire sequel trilogy, that being the
04:51jaw-dropping destruction of the New Republic.
04:53After delivering a rather passionate speech about this being the last day of the Republic,
04:59but with eyes bulging and bright red face, Hooks released the full power of Starkiller
05:03Base, as its superweapons shockingly ripped through the planet within the Hosnian system.
05:08The world-breaking red laser cutting through space and exploding multiple planets at the
05:13same time, with John Williams' affecting score only adding to the impactful moment,
05:17certainly sold the First Order as a force to be reckoned with.
05:21Sure, the destruction of the Republic may have been even more heartbreaking had fans
05:25spent a little more time on those Hosnian system planets beforehand, but it was still
05:29an utterly incredible display of power, and one of the few times when Hooks genuinely
05:33seemed like a cold-hearted figure not to be messed with.
05:42Before becoming one of the many force-users who were shockingly taken out by their former
05:46clone allies on the battlefield, Jedi Master Ki-Adi-Mundi hadn't really done much to
05:51endear himself to audiences, had he?
05:53His most memorable contributions to the Skywalker saga flicks came in the form of such arrogant
05:58statements as, impossible, the Sith have been extinct for a millennium, and Count Dooku
06:02apparently just being a political idealist, not a murderer.
06:06He definitely came across as a slightly less arrogant and heartless figure in the Clone
06:10Wars animated series, but the only real moment that forced folks to give a damn about the
06:14unsympathetic Jedi Master in the films came during the aforementioned Order 66 massacre.
06:20As the clones began picking off various force-sensitive generals all over the galaxy, Ki-Adi-Mundi
06:25is the first to drop.
06:27The Jedi Council member was seen leading a collection of troops on the planet Mygeeto,
06:32only for that back-up to shockingly turn on him and officially kick off a galaxy-changing
06:36event.
06:37Again, John Williams' emotional score made Mundi's last stand more heartbreaking than
06:41it had any right to be, and gave the generally unlikable Jedi a surprisingly upsetting end.
06:48Cheers for checking out this video today, and if you're enjoying this slice of Star
06:51Wars fun, then tap on the subscribe button down below.
06:545.
06:55You're Just a Child in a Mask – Supreme Leader Snoke
07:00Before being shockingly split in two towards the end of Episode 8, The Last Jedi, and revealed
07:04as little more than a Palpatine puppet, fans had high hopes for Andy Serkis' unsettling
07:09Supreme Leader, Snoke.
07:11The Planet of the Apes and Lord of the Rings motion capture king appeared to be onto a
07:15winner with his few brief, chilling appearances in Episode 7, The Force Awakens, and his first
07:20big moment in the next entry into the sequel trilogy further sold Snoke as a properly intimidating
07:25big bad.
07:26Kylo Ren found himself being summoned to Snoke's throne room on the Supremacy, and it's here
07:31when his master began coldly dissecting his powerful padawan, seemingly motivating the
07:36impulsive former Ben Solo into relentlessly hunting down Luke Skywalker.
07:41The swatting away of Ren like an irritating fly via force lightning was already impressive
07:46enough, but his scathing closing statement of You're Just a Child in a Mask fully established
07:51Snoke as a manipulative soul who could completely tear someone apart from within too.
07:56It's just a shame it was all downhill from here though.
08:00Snoke was soon easily dispatched by Ren after attempting to force the son of Han Solo to
08:04execute Rey, with it then being frustratingly explained in Episode 9, The Rise of Skywalker,
08:09that this once-intimidating villain was just a silly Strancast being manipulated by a returning
08:14Darth Sidious from afar.
08:164.
08:17The Jakku Opening – Captain Phasma While on the subject of the sequel trilogy's
08:23many wasted characters slash actors, the marvellous Gwendoline Christie also finds herself in
08:28that frustrating category, after bringing to life a stormtrooper captain who was barely
08:32given a chance to properly shine.
08:34Figuratively, that is.
08:36Despite a strong enough introduction, Captain Phasma was ultimately severely underutilised.
08:41She may have looked like a chrome badass capable of whooping just about any Resistance member
08:45who stood before her, but Phasma spent much of her time on screen being outsmarted by
08:49our heroes, and eventually gets bested in her only real showdown in the sequels.
08:55Before she became the disappointing villain who will forever be synonymous with the horrendous
08:59Chrome Dome nickname though, those first steps on Jakku back in Episode 7, The Force Awakens'
09:04opening scene, suggested another iconic side villain was about to be born.
09:09On the back of the First Order stormtroopers being initially shown as a terrifying military
09:13force that could actually hit the target, Kylo Ren ordered his shiny ally to have the
09:18troops murder the innocent villagers nearby.
09:20It's a small moment, but it swiftly made Phasma seem like the sort of bloodthirsty
09:25and disturbing captain who wouldn't think twice about taking many innocent lives.
09:29If only the character had been handled this well for the remainder of her time in the
09:33sequels, eh?
09:343.
09:35There's Always a Bigger Fish – Jar Jar Binks
09:39Even arguably the most derided and rejected character in Star Wars history bumbled his
09:43way through one awesome moment during the Skywalker Saga.
09:46That's right, through no real fault of the hugely committed Ahmed Best, Jar Jar Binks'
09:51silly antics – and the character being seen by many as a clear and rather offensive racial
09:56stereotype – resulted in the Gungan being classed as one of the least enjoyable parts
10:00of the hit-and-miss prequels.
10:02However, there's still no denying that Jar Jar was actually very much present during
10:06one of Episode 1's finest sequences.
10:09When Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi are guided through the Naboo Waters by the slapstick
10:13figure, the trio are soon met by a number of frightening underwater beasties.
10:18Not long after being yanked back by a CGI gooberfish, a monumental and impressively
10:22crafted digital monster – a Sando Aqua Monster, to be more precise – stopped by to have
10:28that creature for dinner too.
10:30It was that unpredictable series of events that eventually gave birth to Jinn's instantly
10:34iconic, there's always a bigger fish statement, as George Lucas fantastically established
10:39that these fictional oceans were just as deadly as the rest of this galaxy far, far away.
10:45Jar Jar may not have done all that much in the pulsating sequence, admittedly, but he
10:49was still there, understandably losing his mind in the passenger seat, while Naboo's
10:53insane wildlife looked to eat the trio alive.
10:572. The Battle of Naboo – B1 Series Battle Droids
11:02Sticking with Episode 1, The Phantom Menace, for this next entry, you know those silly
11:06little mechanical annoyances found cracking jokes, and generally being swept aside with
11:10ease for much of the prequels?
11:12Well before the B1 Series Battle Droids became one of the biggest jokes in the entire galaxy,
11:17these droids looked like they meant business during the Battle of Naboo.
11:21Honestly, after first unleashing a few waves of Trade Federation fire from their tanks,
11:25the tension George Lucas was able to build in the slow and slightly horrifying deployment
11:30of the thousands of cold droid soldiers is still palpable today.
11:34As the Gungan army anxiously awaited the incoming assault, the many multi-troop transports began
11:39gradually unfolding, dropping wave after wave of creepy little Gungan killers.
11:44The combination of John Williams' terrific Trade Federation march, and a visual of countless
11:49droids standing up like robotic zombies rising from the dead, made for some seriously unsettling
11:55stuff.
11:56The droids certainly had the odd cool moment after this epic arrival, giving the Jedi and
12:00clones a hell of a fight on Geonosis, for example.
12:02But as far as individual scenes go, the B1 Battle Droids peaked on the fields of Naboo.
12:081.
12:09The finale, the Ewoks When it comes to the brave little teddy bears
12:13found taking down the Empire during Episode 6's return of the Jedi, it tends to be a
12:18case of loving or loathing said Endor natives.
12:21Those who adore the Ewoks and all they bring to the Star Wars franchise will point to everything
12:25from the comical scenes involving C-3PO being worshipped like a god by the small creatures,
12:31to the heroic aliens using rope swings, rocks and log traps to get the better of Imperial
12:35forces, a move inspired by the Vietnam War, as Unquestionable Original Trilogy highlights.
12:41But Ewok haters would be just as quick to roll their eyes at the silly idea of these
12:46tiny attempts to sell more Star Wars merchandise, conquering massive walkers and numerous blaster
12:51wielding stormtroopers.
12:52However, there is at least one scene each side can agree is a wonderful addition to
12:56the Skywalker saga, and that's the very last one of the entire OG trilogy.
13:01The non-yubnub version, that is, I'm sorry.
13:04With the Death Star II destroyed and the Emperor seemingly dead, Luke, Leia, Han and the rest
13:09of the gang celebrate alongside their Ewok pals, dancing into the night as fireworks
13:14light up the sky.
13:16John Williams' victory celebration, Banger, the playing of many a defeated stormtrooper's
13:20helmet, Rebel pilot boogieing with Ewoks.
13:23It's just the right combination of silly and heartwarming needed at the end of such
13:27an epic trilogy.
13:28Then after our heroes embrace and Skywalker takes in a few legendary force ghosts, the
13:33entire thing concludes with a joyful closing ensemble shot for the ages.
13:37They may divide the fanbase, but these Ewoks threw one hell of a victory party.