23. Jyn Erso
In the movies, we don’t get to spend a lot of time with Jyn Erso. We meet her in Rogue One, which is where we also say goodbye to her. There are other stories out there that provide context to the character, but not many. That means, most of my impression of her and her fighting style come from quick moments throughout Rogue One.
There’s no doubt that what Jyn did was honorable and brave. Her fighting style isn’t as fluid as those who are Force-sensitive. She’s gritty and even Cassian Andor is impressed with her moves during the Battle on Jedha. They’re up against a group of stormtroopers and when Cassian turns to help out Jyn, he just ends up standing there and letting her do her thing. I gave Jyn the edge over Cassian, who deserves an honorable mention, because of that one scene. It said a lot without either character needed to say anything at all.
I don’t know if we’ll see more of the character on the screen at any point, but she went on one of the most crucial missions in Star Wars history and was able to deliver despite the odds being against her. She gave everything up so that the Rebellion could continue fighting the good fight. She made quite a good impression doing so.