Summary Luke Skywalker's father issues stem from Vader's evil deeds and the discovery of his true identity. Anakin Skywalker had a series of issues with father figures, leading him to the dark side. Leia Organa never forgave Darth Vader for killing her parents or his other crimes. SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT
These 12 Star Wars characters have the very worst issues with their fathers. Star Wars movies and TV shows have long been associated with bad fathers. After all, in addition to being one of Star Wars' most powerful Sith, Darth Vader is also an infamously bad father.
However, not every negative father-and-child relationship in Star Wars is due to an evil dad. Rather, many Star Wars characters have fathers who were trying their best but, for myriad reasons, were disappointing or downright harmful to their children. Of all the characters in Star Wars, these 12 had the biggest issues with their dads.
Related The Complete Star Wars Skywalker Family Tree
The Skywalker family is one of the most iconic and powerful families in Star Wars, but what does their family tree actually look like in canon?
12 Luke Skywalker Had The Ultimate Father Trauma First Appeared In: A New Hope Luke Skywalker
Created By George Lucas Cast Mark Hamill , Grant Feely First Appearance Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope Alliance Jedi
Luke Skywalker is surely the Star Wars character with the most prominent father issues. After all, the moment Luke discovers the true identity of his father is the single most famous scene in the entire franchise. The issues with Anakin's parenthood began almost immediately, as he and Luke's mother, Padmé, were in a secret romance when Luke and his twin sister Leia were conceived. While that may have been problematic enough, Anakin then went on to murder countless Jedi, including children, and he nearly choked the twins' mother to death.
Luke Skywalker is surely the Star Wars character with the most prominent father issues.
Luckily, Anakin didn't end his Star Wars story as a bad father. In Return of the Jedi, it is actually Anakin's love for his son that remarkably turns him back to the light side of the Force after years of evil deeds that no one could stop Vader from committing. In truth, Anakin/Vader's story is one of redemption and hope, but that doesn't mean Luke simply got over the fact that his father was an evil dictator for nearly 20 years.
11 Anakin Skywalker Didn't Have A Dad... And His Father Figures Kept Failing Him First Appeared In: A New Hope Close Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader
Created By George Lucas Cast Bob Anderson , Hayden Christensen , James Earl Jones , Matt Lanter , Matt Lucas , Jake Lloyd , David Prowse , Sebastian Shaw First Appearance Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope Alliance Jedi, Sith
There is still plenty of debate in Star Wars about how Anakin was conceived and with whom, particularly as those questions pertain to the Chosen One prophecy. While many questions remain up in the air regarding Anakin's parentage and how his conception can be explained, it is clear that Anakin didn't have a father when he was growing up on Tatooine. Likely for this reason, Anakin constantly sought father figures, and it often created significant trouble for him.
Anakin constantly sought father figures, and it often created significant trouble for him.
Anakin first found a father figure in Qui-Gon Jinn, who rescued him from slavery and helped him to become a Jedi. Sadly, Qui-Gon died very soon after, which was a loss that never really left Anakin, especially because it was so closely linked to leaving his mother behind too. Anakin then became Obi-Wan's Padawan and, although he did see Obi-Wan as a father figure, the two never truly had a healthy dynamic. Unlike the support Anakin found with Qui-Gon, he felt Obi-Wan was overly critical of him.
Anakin's worst father figure was Palpatine, who used Anakin's vulnerabilities against him to turn him to the dark side of the Force. Because Anakin had lost so many parental figures and found Obi-Wan's support lacking, he turned fully to Palpatine as the mentor he could trust. Unfortunately, that was the worst possible choice he could have made.
10 Leia Organa Never Forgave Darth Vader First Appeared In: A New Hope Close Leia Organa
Created By George Lucas Cast Carrie Fisher , Ingvild Deila , Vivien Lyra Blair First Appearance Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope Alliance Rebel Alliance, New Republic, Resistance
Leia arguably had more reason to hate Darth Vader than anyone else. Not only was Vader the reason Leia's biological mother was dead, but he also blew up her adoptive parents and everyone else on her home planet Alderaan right in front of her. Not knowing she was his daughter, Vader also interrogated Princess Leia and held her hostage on his ship.
Leia arguably had more reason to hate Darth Vader than anyone else.
In light of that, it's unsurprising that Leia seemingly never forgave Vader. While Luke was able to see his father's redemption, Leia did not share that perspective. Interestingly, in Legends, Leia named one of her children Anakin, signaling true forgiveness and even a connection. Notably, that is not the case in Star Wars canon. This is truly crushing, as Anakin and Leia's similarities are clear, and, had things been different, they would have been an incredible father-and-daughter team.
9 Jyn Erso Didn't Know Her Dad Was On Her Side First Appeared In: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Close Jyn Erso
Created By John Knoll Cast Felicity Jones First Appearance Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Alliance Rebel Alliance
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is truly one of Star Wars' saddest stories, and not only because almost all the heroes die at the end. The movie opens in flashback, with a much younger Jyn Erso hiding as her father is taken in by Imperials who, devastatingly, also shoot and kill her mother. Despite seeing her father taken by the Empire, she comes to believe that her father, Galen, may have truly aligned himself with the Empire, particularly because the adult Rebels around her insist this is so.
She grows up with resentment towards Galen, not only for that reason but also because she feels abandoned by him. In fact, Jyn really has two father figures whom she feels failed her: Galen Erso and Saw Gerrera. Although Saw technically raised her after Galen was taken by the Empire, he also abandoned her at 16, leaving her with no one. In the end, Jyn was proven wrong about Galen, as he had actually built a weakness in the Death Star to help the Rebels and had never given up on Jyn. Sadly, that revelation only came just before her death.
8 Kylo Ren Felt Abandoned By Han Solo First Appeared In: Star Wars: The Force Awakens Ben Solo/Kylo Ren
Created By J.J. Abrams , Michael Arndt , Lawrence Kasdan Cast Adam Driver , Matthew Wood First Appearance Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens Alliance Jedi, First Order
Kylo Ren's hatred for Han Solo was confusing in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, as it wasn't clear what Han had done for his son to hate him so much. This also seemed largely incongruent with the Han Solo depicted in the original Star Wars trilogy. Yes, Han had been cocky, sarcastic, and a little aloof, but it didn't seem as though he would have been that terrible a father. However, Ben's gripes with Han weren't so much about Han being an actively terrible father.
Rather, Ben felt neglected by his parents because they were so busy (Leia was helping build the New Republic, and Han never gave up smuggling) and because they sent him to train at his Uncle Luke's Jedi Temple. Although neither Leia nor Han meant to reject or abandon Ben, he perceived it that way, and it built up a resentment that -- in combination with Snoke and Palpatine's manipulations -- drove him to the dark. Thankfully, before Ben died in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Ben and Han did get a final touching moment, even if Han was only a memory.
7 Boba Fett Found His Father's Head First Appeared In: The Star Wars Holiday Special Close Boba Fett
Created By George Lucas Cast Jeremy Bulloch , Temuera Morrison First Appearance The Star Wars Holiday Special Alliance Bounty Hunters, Crime Syndicates
It's easy to overlook Boba Fett's tragic backstory because he is such a hardened bounty hunter in the original trilogy, but Boba Fett has one of the saddest father stories in the franchise. Prior to Omega's introduction in Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Boba Fett was thought to be the only unaltered clone of Jango Fett, meaning he was not made more docile nor did he age quicker than a typical human. This was a curious request from Jango Fett, who had asked for such a clone as a condition of his agreement to serve as the clone sample.
Evidently, Jango Fett wanted a son, as he raised Boba Fett with a traditional father-and-son dynamic, which certainly no other clone experienced. Sadly, this made Jango Fett's demise all the more tragic. During the Battle of Geonosis in Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, Jedi Master Mace Windu cut Jango Fett's head clean off. Disturbingly, Boba Fett later found and held it. This also sent Boba Fett on a warpath in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, during which he sought to kill Mace Windu.
6 Han Solo Didn't Even Have A Surname First Appeared In: A New Hope Han Solo
Created By George Lucas Cast Harrison Ford , Alden Ehrenreich First Appearance Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope Alliance Rebel Alliance
Han Solo is one of many Star Wars characters who grew up without parents, and Solo: A Star Wars Story revealed that this history is in fact how he ended up with his name. In the movie, Han Solo had no family name to give, telling an Imperial officer that he didn't have any "people." In response, the officer assigned him the last name 'Solo' because he was alone.
Interestingly, although absent, Han Solo's father is in fact known in Star Wars. Han's father, Ovan, was an engineer on Corellia, who raised Han in his early years. However, like many characters on this list, Han's father eventually abandoned him. This is a compelling aspect of Han's character not only because it means he had father issues of his own but also because it adds even sadder context to his relationship with Ben. Undoubtedly, Han wanted to avoid repeating those patterns with his own son, but Ben felt as though he did perpetuate them.
5 Rey's Status As An Orphan Defined Her For More Than A Decade First Appeared In: Star Wars: The Force Awakens Close Rey Skywalker
Created By J.J. Abrams , Lawrence Kasdan , Michael Arndt Cast Daisy Ridley First Appearance Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens Alliance Jedi
The mystery of Rey's parentage dominated the Star Wars sequel trilogy, and it wasn't until The Rise of Skywalker that the truth was finally revealed. In Star Wars: The Last Jedi, it seemed as though Rey's plotline was going to be entirely unique and rather brutal. Kylo Ren told Rey that he had uncovered the identity of Rey's parents, and they were just junk traders who had sold her for drinking money.
Clearly, Rey was gutted, but this ended up not being true in light of The Rise of Skywalker's Palpatine twist. Rather than the child of 'nobodies,' Rey was really related to Emperor Palpatine; Rey's father had been a failed Palpatine clone, and he and Rey's mother had died on the run when Palpatine was trying to get ahold of Rey. While nice for Rey to know that her parents had loved her, this discovery opened up an entirely new can of worms. Moreover, knowing the truth couldn't exactly undo nearly two decades of waiting for parents who never returned.
4 Dathan Had The Galaxy's Worst Dad First Appeared In: Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker Close Emperor Palpatine / Darth Sidious
Created By George Lucas Cast Ian McDiarmid , Sam Witwer , ian abercrombie First Appearance Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back Alliance Sith, Empire
It isn't exactly true that Rey is Palpatine's granddaughter, although that description is frequently used. Dathan wasn't Palpatine's biological son but rather a clone of him. However, using that logic, given how pervasive the notion is, Dathan had the single worst dad in all of Star Wars. Luke Skywalker may have been devastated to learn that the evil Sith Lord Darth Vader was his true father, but it can't get much worse than having a father who was the 'big bad' for multiple eras in the Star Wars timeline.
Even outside of Palpatine being evil, he was also absolutely terrible to Dathan. Because Dathan didn't have the Force, which was the intention of Palpatine creating such clones, he was seen as a failed experiment (not a child of Palpatine or even really a human being), and Palpatine treated him as such. Dathan's father also had him killed and tried to kidnap his daughter, so he truly does hold the title of worst Star Wars dad.
3 Sabine's Parents Viewed Her As A Traitor First Appeared In: Star Wars Rebels Close Sabine Wren
Created By Dave Filoni Cast Natasha Liu Bordizzo , Tiya Sircar First Appearance Star Wars Rebels Alliance Mandalorians, Rebel Alliance, Jedi
Star Wars Rebels was truly a show about found family, as the members of the Ghost crew made clear. Kanan, Hera, Zeb, Chopper, Ezra, and Sabine really did form a family unit together, which was certainly what Sabine needed in light of her complicated history with family. Sabine had essentially been cast out by her parents and by her people, as she had spoken out against the Empire.
Disappointingly, Sabine's brother and her parents sided with the Empire over her, which led to her running away and joining the Rebels family. This became more complicated over time, as Sabine was also a Mandalorian, and she had suffered a severe disconnect from her culture. In the end, Sabine's family did ameliorate some of the damage done and reach a better place with one another, although their brutal rejection of her when she tried to stand up for what was right had a lasting impact.
2 Ezra Bridger's Parents Were Revealed To Be Alive... Then Died First Appeared In: Star Wars Rebels Close Ezra Bridger
Created By Dave Filoni Cast Taylor Gray , Eman Esfandi First Appearance Star Wars Rebels Alliance Rebel Alliance, Jedi
Ezra Bridger also joined the Ghost crew and found a brand-new family with its members. Ezra's story was quite a bit more tragic than Sabine's, as his family had been taken by the Empire and, Ezra assumed, killed. To make this story all the worse, eventually, Ezra found out that his parents had actually survived and were being held in an Imperial prison. However, not long after that incredible revelation, his parents truly were killed.
In addition to losing his biological father (twice, technically), Ezra had identified his Jedi Master, Kanan Jarrus, as a father figure, and it was clear they both cared deeply about one another. Sadly, Kanan ended up sacrificing his own life to save the Ghost crew's other members, and Ezra could do nothing to stop it even as he saw it happen. In that sense, Ezra has multiple father issues.
1 Jacen Syndulla Will Never Know His Father First Appeared In: Star Wars Rebels Close
Jacen Syndulla, the son of Kanan Jarrus and Hera Syndulla, tragically lost his father before he was even born. In fact, Rebels never confirmed whether Kanan even knew Hera was pregnant when he died. At first, Jacen was just shown briefly at the end of Rebels, and little was known about him. Now, Ahsoka season 1 has brought him back and revealed that, like his father, he is Force sensitive. This makes it all the more devastating that Kanan died, as Jacen could have trained with his father.
Of course, Star Wars could lessen the blow a bit by having Ezra Bridger train Jacen in the ways of the Force, but that remains to be seen. For now, Jacen is one of many Star Wars characters who was left without a father figure, and the ramifications of that have yet to be revealed. Ultimately, this list does not reflect every Star Wars character who grew up without a father or had their father tragically die, but these 12 characters are the ones with the biggest father issues in the franchise.
