Star Wars' 10 Best Redemption Stories

Star Wars has had some incredible redemption arcs for its characters throughout the franchise’s nearly five decades, but these 10 redemptions were the very best. Redemption has been a core theme throughout Star Wars movies and TV shows, beginning when Luke Skywalker believed in his father enough to turn him back to the light side of the Force. However, long since that profound moment in The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars has redeemed a number of characters, both major and minor.

Indeed, both Star Wars’ best TV shows and the best Star Wars movies have maintained this thematic element and, with it, the underlying lesson: anyone, no matter what they’ve done, can be redeemed. While Darth Vader may have proved it first, numerous characters have reinforced that fact since. Of those many characters, these 10 had the very best Star Wars redemption arcs.

10 Reva Sevander’s Tragic Arc Ended Perfectly

First Appeared In: Obi-Wan Kenobi

Reva Sevander, introduced in Obi-Wan Kenobi, first came across as a callous, cruel Inquisitor who was willing to do whatever it took—including torturing children—to destroy the Jedi. While that was partially true, the show ultimately revealed that Reva had much more important ulterior motives. Namely, as one of few Jedi who survived Order 66, Reva became an Inquisitor after being a scarred, traumatized youngling who had come face-to-face with Anakin during the massacre. Because of that, her goal was to murder Darth Vader.

In the end, though, Reva not only failed to kill Vader but also walked away from this effort and from the life of an Inquisitor. Although she chased young Luke Skywalker down and nearly struck a death blow with her lightsaber, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Instead, she carried Luke back to the Lars’ family homestead and even sought guidance from Obi-Wan Kenobi, as she didn’t know what her future could now hold. Ultimately, this redemption arc was important because it showed the path of one youngling subjected to Order 66.

9 Agent Kallus’s Change Of Heart Was A Beautiful Star Wars Moment

First Appeared In: Star Wars Rebels

Agent Kallus of Star Wars Rebels had one of the most surprising redemption arcs in the franchise if only because he seemed firmly on the side of the Empire and didn’t have a large enough role for that sort of narrative twist to be expected. However, his redemption also became one of the most wonderful in Star Wars. After being trapped with Ghost crew member Zeb Orrelios, Kallus began to see the error of his ways and the villainy of the Empire.

Specifically, Zeb was able to convey to Agent Kallus the brutality of the Empire’s massacre of the Lasat people—Zeb’s people. After the two needed to use each other’s body heat to keep warm and stay alive and spent their time trapped together discussing their viewpoints, Kallus not only developed greater empathy for Zeb and the Lasat people but also shockingly joined the Rebellion as a spy. He even got a happy ending, with Kallus accompanying Zeb to Lira San, the home of the Lasat people, where he was warmly welcomed.

8 Galen Erso’s Bravery Changed The Fate Of The Galaxy

First Appeared In: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

At the beginning of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Galen Erso seemed to be next in the line-up of disappointing Star Wars fathers. However, the movie ultimately revealed him to be so much more than that. After hiding from the Empire and being discovered, Galen was forced to work on the Death Star. In fact, he had even seemingly grown to align himself with them after his long years in that role. This was all an act, though, as Galen was actually building a weak point into the Death Star, sabotaging the Empire and their deadly weapon.

This makes Galen Erso not only one of the best redemption stories in the franchise but also one of Star Wars’ greatest heroes. Indeed, without Galen, Luke Skywalker would have had a much more difficult or even impossible time blowing up the Death Star in A New Hope. Instead, because Galen was willing to put his life on the line to ensure that the Death Star could be destroyed, Luke’s mission was successful, and the Empire lost its greatest weapon.

7 Lando Calrissian Righted His Wrongs Quickly

First Appeared In: The Empire Strikes Back

When Lando Calrissian was introduced in The Empire Strikes Back, he came across as charming, suave, and traitorous. Because Lando turned Han Solo, Princess Leia, and Chewbacca over to the Empire, Han ended up in carbonite, and the heroes’ stories could have ended quite differently. However, by Return of the Jedi, Lando had clearly realized his actions were wrong, as he was working right alongside Luke Skywalker to save Han and ultimately free Luke, Han, Chewie, and Leia, who had all been captured in the rescue plan.

Moreover, Lando has only further proved himself in the franchise, making a cameo in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker that ultimately had massive implications for the fate of the galaxy. Partaking in yet another incredible battle, Lando showed up on Exegol with a fleet of ships ready to defend the Resistance and end the Sith. His is truly one of the best redemption arcs in Star Wars, especially as time has gone on.

6 Finn’s Story Arc Proves One Can Overcome Their Origins

First Appeared In: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

While many agree that Finn deserved better in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, his story arc was nevertheless impressive. Finn began as a stormtrooper, although it was immediately clear that he didn’t want to be there, nor did he truly support the First Order. Instead, he was horrified by what they were doing, and he put down his blaster rather than kill innocent civilians alongside his fellow troopers. It was perhaps less redemptive that he left the stormtroopers then, particularly because his time on-screen as a stormtrooper was limited.

What was incredible was Finn’s change from a coward into someone consistently willing to risk his life to save others. In Star Wars: The Last Jedi, he began by trying to flee the ship that was under attack and go find Rey, yet, by the end of the movie, he tried to sacrifice his life, flying directly toward the First Order to save the Resistance. Finn’s overall arc was in many ways a lost opportunity, but this redemption was meaningful. Hopefully, Finn will return in Rey’s upcoming Star Wars movie, but that remains to be seen.

5 Bo-Katan Kryze Went From Terrorist To Leader

First Appeared In: Star Wars: The Clone Wars

When Bo-Katan Kryze was introduced in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, she was a member of the Mandalorian terrorist group the Death Watch. Bo-Katan’s character came even further into question when the show revealed that this meant she was acting against her own sister, Duchess Satine Kryze. Her other interactions on the show didn’t make her seem much warmer, either, as she was at first very cold towards Ahsoka Tano when they met and bizarrely and unceremoniously smacked the young Padawan’s backside.

However, The Mandalorian has seen a complete shift in Bo-Katan’s character, with not only her bravery and wisdom coming to light but also her subtle kindness and sense of humor. More importantly, Bo-Katan has presumably taken on the role of the new leader of Mandalore, signaling a massive update to this character’s already impressive redemption arc. It seems likely that her story will continue to be fleshed out in the upcoming The Mandalorian & Grogu movie.

4 Asajj Ventress’ Reappearnce Means Great Things For Star Wars’ Future

First Appeared In: Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Asajj Ventress is a truly iconic character, and Star Wars: The Bad Batch surprised viewers by bringing her back and making her story even more impressive. Introduced in The Clone Wars, Asajj Ventress was a Nightsister of Dathomir and Count Dooku’s dark side assassin. She frequently created problems for the Jedi, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker in particular, and was known for being ruthless. While The Clone Wars saw Ventress dropped by Dooku and taking on the role of a bounty hunter, that didn’t exactly mean a redemption arc.

The Bad Batch season 3 excitingly changed that when Ventress appeared on the scene sporting two yellow lightsabers, marking a turn away from the dark side of the Force. Ventress then also helped test whether Omega was Force-sensitive and even took a bit of a mentor role for the young clone. Although her stint in The Bad Batch was brief, Star Wars has thrillingly confirmed that her story isn’t over yet. The exact project remains to be identified, but Ventress will be returning to the franchise, no doubt furthering this redemption arc.

First Appeared In: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Although the Star Wars sequels were met with mixed reviews to say the least, Kylo Ren/Ben Solo was nearly universally liked. As the son of Princess Leia and Han Solo, Kylo Ren already had a leg up; as a member of the Skywalker family tree, Kylo Ren was almost certainly going to be a well-liked character. However, his character arc made him all the more interesting. Following in his grandfather’s footsteps, Kylo Ren had joined the dark side, found a Sith Master, and begun building a dictatorship eerily similar to the Empire.

Like his grandfather, too, Kylo Ren’s story ended with a redemption arc, with Kylo turning back to the light side of the Force as Ben Solo and rushing to help Rey defeat Palpatine on Exegol. While many have argued that the sequel trilogy repeated the original trilogy’s arc too closely, Kylo Ren’s redemption was still a profound one. In fact, while he may have followed a path very similar to Darth Vader, he ultimately did what Anakin could not; he saved the woman he loved.

2 Jar Jar Binks Is Finally Getting The Perfect Story Update

First Appeared In: Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace

One of Star Wars’ most exciting recent updates includes a very familiar face. Star Wars announced that LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy, a four-part animated special to be released in September 2024, will finally bring Darth Jar Jar to the Star Wars galaxy. Although the special will not be canon, this is nevertheless an incredible update to Star Wars and a redemption for the controversial character. When Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace was released, audiences did not take kindly to Jar Jar. Likely for that reason, the character’s role was seriously diminished.

However, in recent years, audiences have loved the theory that Jar Jar was secretly a Sith Lord. Excitingly, Star Wars is giving audiences what they have been looking for. Most thrillingly, Jar Jar will once again be voiced by Ahmed Best, who voiced Jar Jar in the prequel movies and received unfair, at times even cruel backlash. While it will be wonderful to hear Best reprise this role, though, it must be noted that Star Wars has already been redeemed for Best, who appeared in The Mandalorian as Jedi Master Kelleran Beq, the person who saved Grogu from Order 66.

1 Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker’s Redemption Can’t Be Beat

First Appeared In: A New Hope

Unsurprisingly, the best redemption in Star Wars is Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader’s. Although Vader was introduced in A New Hope, the prequel trilogy took his story further back, showing that he was once an innocent, adorable little boy with no inclination of the darkness to come. This made his inevitable fall all the more tragic, as did the incremental changes to Anakin over the course of the prequels that foreshadowed his fall to the dark side and transformation into Darth Vader, the ruthless Sith Lord. However, this in turn meant that his redemption story was made all the more meaningful.

When Luke Skywalker saved his father in Return of the Jedi, it changed Star Wars forever, showing that even the most evil characters weren’t irredeemable. It also showed what an incredible impact love can have, which has had interesting implications in a franchise that has often reflected the issues attachments and even familial bonds can cause. Even so, this redemption—the very first major one in the franchise—simply can’t be beat. With Darth Vader’s redemption and return to Anakin Skywalker, Star Wars truly laid out the path for all the redeemed characters to follow.

ALL STAR WARS MOVIES AND TV SHOWS ARE AVAILABLE TO STREAM ON DISNEY+