10 Most Evil Star Wars Characters Who Aren't Sith
These villains don't need the Force.
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00:00 The Star Wars universe has never been in short supply of dastardly villains. Darth Vader,
00:04 Emperor Palpatine, Count Dooku, Supreme Leader Snoke, and Darth Maul are among the most dangerous
00:09 beings the Jedi have ever faced. But sometimes the best worst people are not actually Sith
00:15 or attached to the Force at all, and that's what we're here to talk about today. As
00:18 I'm Jules, this is WhatCulture.com, and these are the 10 Most Evil Star Wars Characters
00:22 Who Aren't Sith.
00:24 10. Newt Gunray
00:26 If you ask anyone who was responsible for placing the Sith into power, many would claim
00:30 it was the Emperor and Darth Vader. But it's easy to forget how the Viceroy of the Trade
00:34 Federation, Newt Gunray, got the ball rolling. Without his aid, money, droids, ships, or
00:40 weapons, the Empire would have never come to fruition. Now, it's obvious that the
00:43 Viceroy was unaware of Darth Sidious' true intentions when he allied with him. If he
00:47 knew his benefactor was willing to commit genocide on a galactic scale, it's likely
00:51 that he wouldn't have agreed to the terms. But that doesn't change the fact that this
00:54 self-serving alien was willing to let the citizens of Naboo die, purely to ensure his
00:58 own financial stability.
01:00 After Queen Amidala put a stop to his schemes, Newt began harboring an obsessive grudge against
01:04 her, repeatedly attempting to have her assassinated. When those plans failed, he literally threw
01:09 his resources at Count Dooku, hoping that he would destroy her, once again being oblivious
01:14 of the Sith's master plan. Newt Gunray may have been manipulated to help Darth Sidious,
01:18 but it didn't change the fact that he is most definitely a monster.
01:22 9. The Pike Boss
01:23 Everybody who lives in the Star Wars universe knows the Hutts have a firm grip on the criminal
01:28 underworld across the galaxy. But when it comes to the supply of narcotics, the Pike
01:32 Syndicates reign supreme. Despite the power they wield, little is known about this aquatic-like
01:37 species. Their inner workings are so mysterious, its leader's name is actually unknown. But
01:42 one thing that is known about the Pike Boss is his ruthless and cruel methods to retain
01:46 power.
01:47 When he learned that the Tusken Raiders had settled near one of his trade routes, he could
01:50 have bribed them just to move on. But instead, he had them all killed, including the women
01:55 and children. When Boba Fett learned about the massacre on the Raiders, whom he regarded
01:59 as family, he confronted the Pike Boss. Instead of admitting to his crimes, he claimed the
02:03 Catan Striders were responsible for the culling, and encouraged Boba to wipe them all out as
02:08 well. When Boba realized that he'd been deceived, the Pike leader launched everything
02:12 he had at the bounty hunter's territory, decimating the city and killing countless
02:16 civilians.
02:17 Because the Pike Boss has a calm demeanor, it's easy to mistake him as a reasonable
02:21 person. But make no mistake, he's callous, tyrannical, and cold-blooded. And not just
02:26 because he's a fish.
02:28 8. Director Krennic
02:29 You can tell a lot about a person by what motivates them. Some people are fueled by
02:33 love, fear, hate, or anger. However, Orson Krennic was driven by respect. Or more accurately,
02:39 a lack of respect. When he was placed in charge of the Death Star, the Imperial Director believed
02:44 that he was destined for great things. But after his plans fell apart and he was humiliated
02:48 by Galen, Jyn Erso, Moff Tarkin, and Darth Vader, Krennic became increasingly erratic.
02:54 Desperate for validation, Krennic was willing to commit any act of evil.
02:58 Although most Imperials perform deplorable acts on a regular basis, they commit such
03:02 deeds out of duty. Krennic, on the other hand, thoroughly enjoys it. He smiles when he tells
03:07 Galen that he was responsible for destroying Jedha City. And there's pride in his voice
03:11 when he talks about how his soldiers slaughtered the Jedi. After his forces exterminated hundreds
03:16 of thousands of civilians, Krennic says that he admires the beauty of the fire and the
03:20 smoke, proving how sick and twisted he truly is. If he didn't meet his end when he did,
03:25 Krennic would have probably burned half the galaxy in a vain attempt to be recognized
03:29 by his superiors.
03:30 7. Dryden Vos
03:32 In the Star Wars universe, most villains make no attempt to hide their immoral side. But
03:36 the Crimson Dawn's supposed leader, Dryden Vos, is a different kind of baddie. This crime
03:41 boss is charming, witty, charismatic, and manly. He's the kind of guy that you could
03:45 have a drink with, as well as a laugh. And instead of hiding in a dank lair or on a lava-filled
03:49 planet, you can find him partying with his subjects, surrounded by opulence. But because
03:54 of his outward persona, many don't realize what a psychopath Dryden is when they first
03:58 meet him. Although he acts nice to his lackeys, they are not his friends. In his eyes, they
04:03 are cattle.
04:04 The demented leader highlights this fact by branding his employees with the Crimson Dawn
04:08 logo to prove their unwavering loyalty to him. He may be all smiles when he hears what
04:12 he wants, but the instant somebody questions him, his relaxed demeanor dissolves and his
04:16 ruthless side erupts. When you have something to offer, he is your bosom buddy. But the
04:20 moment you've served your purpose, he will dispose of you in a heartbeat.
04:25 6. General Hess
04:26 In The Mandalorian, Din and Migs make their way to a mining hub on Morak to locate Moff
04:31 Gideon's cruiser. Although the pair try to stay undercover, their mission is jeopardized
04:35 when they bump into Mayfield's former employer, General Hess. Mayfield does his best to keep
04:40 his cool, but finds it impossible when Hess gloats about the triumph of Operation Cinder,
04:45 a genocide committed by the Empire that killed off many of their own men, including Mayfield's
04:49 friends. Unable to control his anger, Mayfield shoots Hess dead, exposing him and Din to
04:54 the troops.
04:55 Hess may have only appeared in Star Wars for around three minutes, but boy, this piece
04:59 of scum knows how to leave an imprint. He speaks with such relish while recounting the
05:03 Empire's atrocities that you can tell that he's proud of the part he played in them.
05:08 His utter devotion makes him sound less like a loyal officer and more like a cult member.
05:12 His appearance may have been brief, but Hess proved to be among the most despicable people
05:16 in the entire franchise.
05:18 5. Moff Gideon
05:20 When the Empire collapsed, it created a power vacuum, allowing minor criminals to rise to
05:24 a position of authority overnight, including an Imperial called Gideon. Originally, this
05:29 soldier played a crucial role in the Great Purge, which led to the extermination of many
05:33 Mandalorians. Shortly after the Empire was destroyed, he seized control over the remnants
05:37 of the Imperial forces, becoming the new face of terror to the galaxy.
05:41 But what makes Gideon so different to most Imperials is that he's not driven by wealth
05:45 or destroying worlds, but by knowledge. Many people, including Din, believe that Gideon
05:49 has a gift for knowing everything about everyone. Sadly, this skill makes Gideon a more efficient
05:54 hunter and killer, since he knows how his enemies think, how to get under their skin,
05:59 and how to make them do as he desires.
06:01 Even though he likes to come across as a composed and meditative person, Gideon's emotions
06:05 do often get the better of him. When he was unable to capture Din, he shot his own men
06:10 out of frustration. When his people revealed the presence to the Mandalorian tribe on Nevarro,
06:14 he doesn't hesitate to eliminate those soldiers. Basically, he's a bad egg, and he knows
06:19 it. But Gideon loves what he does so much, the insidious Imperial doesn't care who
06:23 he hurts, so long as he gets what he wants.
06:26 4. Jabba the Hutt
06:28 Although the Hutts are the most feared crime family in the galaxy, no one is more terrifying
06:32 than Jabba. The self-proclaimed 'Eminence of Tatooine' controls nearly every illegal
06:36 operation on the planet, including trafficking, slavery, and piracy. As reprehensible as his
06:42 actions are, Jabba believes that his work is necessary since it generates most of Tatooine's
06:47 wealth. Despite seeing his business as necessary for the economy, Jabba is ruthless, hedonistic,
06:52 and cruel. In Return of the Jedi, we see him enslaving prisoners, killing his workers on
06:57 a whim, and feeding his own people to the Sarlacc pit monster. But if you knew half
07:01 the stuff that Jabba has committed throughout his 600-year life, you'd realize that he's
07:05 worse than you originally thought. In Jabba the Hutt, the 'Dynastic Trap' comic, it's
07:10 revealed that the nefarious slug gorges on human prisoners while they're still alive.
07:14 According to the Star Wars character encyclopedia, he also instructed one of his dancers to dress
07:18 like his mother, which is, uh, yeah, pretty messed up. Considering that he spends his
07:22 spare time torturing droids, abusing animals, including his rancor, and profiting off war,
07:28 Jabba doesn't seem to have a single redeeming quality.
07:30 3. General Hux
07:32 More often than not, people become wicked because they had a bad life. But since Armitage
07:36 Hux orchestrated his own father's death while he was barely an adult, it looks like
07:40 he was a bad seed from the get-go. Because of his callous actions, Supreme Leader Snoke
07:44 saw promise in Hux, and so brought him under his wing. After he was promoted to general,
07:49 Hux trained and indoctrinated a new wave of stormtroopers with astounding swiftness and
07:54 efficiency. Within a few years, he transformed the First Order into a more dangerous force
07:58 than the Empire, surpassing all of Snoke's expectations. But it's not his diligence
08:02 that makes him dangerous, it's actually his insecurities.
08:06 Feeling like he's at the heel of Kylo Ren and Snoke, Hux feels like he must prove himself
08:10 by committing more and more atrocities, including destroying entire star systems. Although many
08:15 Imperials such as Tarkin and Pride are loyal to the cause, Hux actually isn't. And that's
08:20 because he's considered killing Kylo Ren the first chance that he got, and ultimately
08:24 he betrayed the First Order when things weren't going his way. So it's clear that Hux doesn't
08:28 care about anyone but himself.
08:31 2. Moff Tarkin
08:32 Being a Grand Moff and the overseer of the Death Star, Governor Tarkin has seen the Empire
08:37 commit more evil than most. On top of that, he's one of the few who obeys Darth Vader
08:41 out of duty rather than fear. Despite the fact that he believes the Empire's actions
08:45 are for the greater good, there's no question that Tarkin is a bad one to the bone. He fully
08:50 embraced the Great Jedi Purge despite serving under Jedi Master Even Peel during the Clone
08:54 Wars. Even though the Death Star was director Krennic's idea, Tarkin took full credit
08:59 for it the moment that it was operational.
09:01 Which brings us to why Tarkin is so infamous. To discover the location of the Death Star
09:05 battle plans from Princess Leia, Tarkin threatened to blow up her homeworld Alderaan. As drastic
09:10 as this action is, you could argue it's a necessary countermeasure since the battle
09:14 plans could indeed lead to the destruction of Tarkin's base. But when he learned where
09:19 the battle plans resided, he blew it up anyway. Despite having nothing to gain, Tarkin killed
09:24 billions of innocent people purely to fulfill his own sick satisfaction.
09:29 1. Grand Admiral Thrawn
09:31 At first, Grand Admiral Thrawn started off as a Star Wars Legends character, debuting
09:36 in the novel 'Heir to the Empire'. But he was so popular that he was incorporated
09:40 into Star Wars canon, becoming an overarching villain in Star Wars Rebels and is set to
09:44 appear in the Disney+ series 'Ashoka'.
09:47 Thrawn instantly made an impression with viewers and readers, not just because of how thoroughly
09:50 his character is written, but also for how boundlessly evil he is. If even a single rebel
09:55 escapes him, he will unleash a torrent of devastation upon an entire world in the hopes
09:59 of killing them. He has crippled planets, annihilated civilizations, and disassembled
10:04 entire sections of the galaxy purely to further his agenda.
10:08 Although many villains have committed similar atrocities, what makes Thrawn more horrifying
10:12 is how effective his methods are. Unlike Tarkin, he isn't afraid to get his hands dirty.
10:16 Unlike Hux, his loyalty to the cause never wavers. Unlike Vader, emotions never cloud
10:21 his judgement. And unlike the Emperor, he does not hide. Because he has eroded away
10:26 such weakness, it has allowed him to become the most efficient members of the entire Empire,
10:31 and also easily the most evil.
10:33 And there we go my friends, those were the 10 most evil Star Wars characters who aren't
10:37 Sith. I hope that you enjoyed that and let me know what you thought about it down in
10:40 the comments section below. As always I've been Jules, you can go follow me over on Twitter
10:43 at RetroJ but the O is a zero, or you can swing by Instagram where it's the same handle.
10:48 But before I go I just want to say one thing, I want to end this on a bit more of a positive
10:52 note considering all of the evil characters that we've covered here, and remind you my
10:55 friend that you are a massive ledge, you deserve all the best things in life like love, happiness
11:00 and success and do not let anything or anyone else tell you otherwise alright? I want you
11:04 to go out there and smash your life goals today because I believe in you and you need
11:07 to believe in yourself as well. Big love to you. As always I've been Jules, you have
11:11 been awesome, never forget that, and I'll speak to you soon. Bye.