Star Warsreleased several new shows in 2024, and these characters are the best brand-new additions from the year. Among the 2024Star Warsreleases wereStar Wars: The Bad Batchseason 3,Star Wars: Tales of the Empire,The Acolyte,LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy, andStar Wars: Skeleton Crew. Although many characters in shows likeThe Bad BatchandTales of the Empirehad appeared inStar Warsmovies and TV showsalready, several characters were new.
This was especially true ofThe Acolyte, which was set in an era oftheStar Warstimelinethat hadn’t yet been shown on screen and therefore required a number of new characters, andSkeleton Crew, which focuses on a group of children lost in the galaxy. Although there wasbacklash toThe Acolyteand 2024 was a bit of a turbulent year for the franchise, many of these characters were truly brilliant.Of all theStar Warscharacters introduced in 2024, these represent the very best.
13Kelnacca
The First Live-Action Wookiee Jedi Master Was A Truly Exciting Concept
When the trailer forThe Acolytewas first released,there was significant excitement about Jedi Master Kelnacca being the very first live-action Wookiee Jedi inStar Wars. This was a major moment forStar Warsprimarily because George Lucas himself had previously said Wookiees could not be Jedi.Star Warshad already undone that rule with characters like Gungi, the Wookiee Padawan inStar Wars: The Clone Wars.
This was nevertheless a significant change for the franchise, and it promised something new and exciting. Unfortunately, there was very little of Kelnacca in action. He died off screen, killed by Qimir on the planet Khofar before he’d had the opportunity to demonstrate his full strength. However, whenThe Acolytefinally revealedwhat really happened on Brendok, viewers did get to see how formidable he could be. While it’s a shame Kelnacca wasn’t given more screen time, he was an excellent addition toStar Wars.
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12Mae
Mae’s Story Started Strong
Initially positioned as the ‘evil’ twin between Osha and Mae,Mae’s story inThe Acolyteended up being so much more than it seemed at first. In the first two episodes ofThe Acolyte, it seemed confirmed that Mae had killed Osha and Mae’s family and nearly killed Osha in the process, and her attacks on the Jedi seemed to solidify that characterization. However, it was fairly clear from the momentthe Witches of Brendokdied that Mae was not as culpable as Osha and Master Sol claimed she was.
In the end, it was revealed that Mae had not attacked the witches at all but rather had tragically watched her mother die at the hands of Master Sol and then was framed. In addition to this complex arc, which made her compelling enough, Mae proved to be a powerful, capable fighter. Sadly, her arc ended on a bit of a confusing point, with her being willing to have her memory wiped and turn herself in to the Jedi. Presumably, season 2 would have provided insight into her path forward, but withThe Acolyte’scancelation, that’s unlikely to come.
11Wim
Wim’s Love Of The Jedi Is Genuinely Charming
Originally, it seemed as though Wim was going to be the main character ofSkeleton Crew, and the first two episodes of the brand-newStar Warsshow seemed to confirm as much. However, more recent episodes ofSkeleton Crewhave seen Wim more to the side, with characters like Fern and Jod Na Nawood becoming the focus. Even so,Wim is a truly lovableStar Warscharacter, especially because of his adorable adoration for the Jedi.
Wim broughtStar Warsviewers the precious moment of children within theStar Warsgalaxy having a pretend lightsaber fight, just as kids do in real life, to the screen for the very first time. His interest in adventure and in space is also endearing. While Wim hasn’t proven to be the focal point as he originally seemed to be, he has nevertheless been a great addition toStar Wars.
10KB
There’s Something Very Intriguing About This Skeleton Crew Character
KB is yet another of the kids introduced inSkeleton Crew, and although she has easily been the quietest of all four children, making her the most difficult to read, it’s clear there’s something very interesting going on with this character. At present, KB almost feels more like a sidekick to Fern, which was depicted quite directly when she rode in the sidecar of Fern’s speeder. Yet, withSkeleton Crewcurrently being only halfway through, it seems likely there’s more to come in KB’s story.
The most interesting aspect of her character so far has been KB’s parents' fears about her being lost in space because she has an unknown ‘medical condition.’ Many have theorized that this could be Force-sensitivity that, on her strange planet of At Attin, could be seen as an illness. If that proves true, KB will become a much more thrilling character inSkeleton Crew.
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9Master Sol
Sol Was A Great Character, Even If He Was Wrong In The End
Master Sol was perhaps the most shocking aspect ofThe Acolyte, as he initially seemed like a kind, compassionate, and dedicated Jedi. Over the course ofThe Acolyte, Sol was instead revealed to be largely responsible for the fates of Osha, Mae, and the Witches of Brendok. Worse, he had clearly and intentionally framed Mae for all that he had done on Brendok, and he allowed Osha to believe her sister had tried to kill her, all to keep his name clean.
While he was obviously quite flawed, Sol was still a great character. He proved to be excellent with a lightsaber, and his duels with Qimir in particular were some of the best not only inThe Acolytebut also in all ofStar Wars. His story would also have ended whetherThe Acolytewas renewed or not, so his arc felt complete and satisfying (which wasn’t true for many otherAcolytecharacters), even if it revealed that Sol was far from perfect.
8Master Indara
Indara Was Revealed To Have More Genuine Intentions Than It Initially Seemed
Carrie-Anne Moss’s appearance as Jedi Master Indara inThe Acolytewas highly anticipated, especially because Moss’s other roles, such as Trinity inThe Matrix, suggested she was perfectly suited toStar Wars. That made it very disappointing when she died in the first scene of the show, but that luckily wasn’t the last of Indara inThe Acolyte. She returned in both episodes that revealed more about what transpired on Brendok, and, interestingly, the representation of her character changed drastically between those two episodes.
Carrie-Anne Moss’s appearance as Jedi Master Indara inThe Acolytewas highly anticipated.
At first, it seemed as though Indara was a bit cold and perhaps even antagonistic to the Witches of Brendok, butThe Acolyteultimately revealed that Indara had actually wanted to leave the Witches of Brendok alone. It was really Master Sol who believed the Witches of Brendok had ill intentions and wanted to take Osha and Mae from them.Indara was in fact a much better representation of how the Jedi were meant to interact with the larger galaxy. (Of course, that became much more complicated when she killed the Witches of Brendok, but that seemed accidental.)
7Yord Fandar
The ‘Yord Horde’ Loved Yord For A Reason
Yord Fandar was immediately popular withStar Warsaudiences, so much so that fans quickly began referring to themselves as ‘the Yord Horde.’ This was likely due in large part to actor Charlie Barnett’s charm inThe Acolyte, although Yord was also a great character in his own right. Although he often seemed a bit goofy compared to Jedi Padawan Jecki Lon’s seriousness, Yord was clearly optimistic and really believed in the way of the Jedi.
Fans quickly began referring to themselves as ‘the Yord Horde.’
Yord also proved that he was a truly brave Jedi inThe Acolyteepisode 5. Even after watching Qimir/the Stranger cut down multiple Jedi, and having no frame of reference for fighting a powerful dark side Force-user, much less a Sith, he fought against Qimir bravely. Sadly, it cost him his life, but Yord is certainly deserving of the love he received fromStar Warsviewers.
6Jecki Lon
Jecki Was An Incredible Character Who Didn’t Get Enough Time
Jecki Lon was easily one of the best characters inThe Acolyte. Despite still being a Padawan, Jecki was one of the most impressive duelists in the show, andit was Jecki who finally unmasked Qimir. In the same episode in which Yord died, Jecki went toe-to-toe with Qimir and was impressively holding her own. It was only because of Qimir’s lightsaber design, which concealed a dagger blade inside the standard blade, that he was able to stab Jecki through, killing her.
Jecki Lon was easily one of the best characters inThe Acolyte.
It was also clear that Jecki upheld the mentality of the Jedi. Rather than fearing death—something that even some ofStar Wars’most powerful Jedihave struggled with at times—Jecki commented on how beautiful it was for someone to become one with the Force. It was truly sad that she died as a Padawan and didn’t get to become the no doubt incredibly powerful Jedi she was on her way to being.
5Fern
Fern’s Bravery And Attitude Have Made Her A Hit In Skeleton Crew
Fern has surprisingly proven to be the leader of the four kids inSkeleton Crew, rather than Wim as many expected, and that began in the very first episode of the show. When Wim finds what he believes is a hidden Jedi Temple, he, Neel, KB, and Fern go to check it out. Fern tricks Neel and Wim into clearing the weeds off the mysterious door, establishing herself as quite witty.
This characterization continued when the kids encounter SM-33, a pirate droid on the ship they find. Fern convinces the droid that she is the new captain, leading to SM-33 following her orders. Many viewers have pointed out thatFern is seemingly a Leia replacement, in terms of her take-charge attitude, sassiness, and intelligence. AsSkeleton Crewreleases its final episodes, it will be interesting to see what becomes of Fern, especially with Jod Na Nawood now having such a major role in their fates.
4Osha
Osha’s Transformation Was Thrilling To Watch
Osha was the protagonist ofThe Acolyte, and her story was one of the most compelling in the show. As the opposite of Mae, Osha was seen as the ‘good’ twin, although that really only (at first) meant she wanted to become a Jedi, whereas Mae wanted to stay with the Witches of Brendok. She became so much more complicated from there, though.
Ultimately, Osha was unable to forgive Mae for the things she was accused of doing, most importantly killing their family. This anger and inability to let go led to Osha being kicked out of the Jedi Order. Even after this dismissal, Osha clearly longed to join the Jedi again and never really recovered from her removal from the Order. These complex feelings, along with learning the truth about all that had happened on Brendok, led to Osha tapping completely into her anger and hate, turning her to the dark side.
Not only did this mean that inThe Acolytefinale, Osha was thrillingly standing at Qimir’s side, ready to train with him, but also,Osha’s turn to the dark side brought about the very first time a Kyber crystal was bled on screen inStar Wars. This was a genuinely stunning moment, as the lightsaber turned from blue to red in Osha’s hand, signaling her transformation. It’s genuinely devastating that Osha’s story will likely never return to theStar Warsscreen, as it would have been fascinating to see what came next for her.
