3. Harrison Ford as Han Solo
Out of all the characters in Star Wars, no character is probably more defined by the actor portraying him than Harrison Ford as Han Solo. Ford brought a confident arrogance to the role that was demonstrated multiple times throughout the original trilogy. From his snarky and dismissive comments about the Force in A New Hope to his playful flirtation with Leia throughout the original trilogy, Ford’s performance as Han Solo made Star Wars fun. Ford also had such camaraderie with Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher that the three of them together formed the foundation of future Star Wars stories beyond the original trilogy.
Ford returned as Han Solo in The Force Awakens, exhibiting the same fun playful attitude as before, but also a weariness born of heartache over being a father unable to stop his son from selling his soul to the devil. One of Ford’s most standout performances as Han was actually his last. In The Rise of Skywalker, he has a touching scene with Ben Solo, which leads Ben back to the Light. Recalling Han and Leia’s “I love you,” ”I know” exchange in The Empire Strikes Back, Ben begins to express his love for his father, and Ford beautifully says with a smile, “I know.”