“Twice The Pride, Double The Fall”: 10 Star Wars Characters Whose Pride Is Their Undoing

Although many of Star Wars’ main characters truly possess incredible power, these 10 let their ego get the better of them, and it often contributed to their demise. In fact, some of Star Wars’ most powerful Jedi fell victim to the damage that an inflated ego can do. Perhaps less surprising is that, throughout Star Wars’ movies and TV shows, arrogance was also the fatal flaw of Star Wars’ most powerful Sith.

While several names immediately come to mind regarding conceited Star Wars characters, some inclusions on this list are a bit more surprising. Not only are not all of them Sith but also, not all of them are Force users. Star Wars’ most egotistical characters span the Star Wars timeline, although many of them, good and evil, share the same fate.

10

Jocasta Nu Was Bizarrely Arrogant

Jocasta Nu Believed Her Jedi Archives Were Infallible

The oddest of Star Wars’ prideful characters is Jocasta Nu, the Jedi archivist in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones. In the movie, Obi-Wan is seeking information about Kamino, but he keeps coming up empty-handed. When he seeks assistance from the Jedi Order’s archivist, she is strangely curt.

When she finds no record of Kamino in the archives, she tells Obi-Wan that if the Jedi archives do not have a record of it, then it does not exist. This is such an odd, egotistical response and is certainly outside the norm for Jedi. Ultimately, Obi-Wan does find Kamino, and it leads him to uncover the thousands of clone troopers the Kaminoans have mysteriously been creating for the Jedi. This turn is the beginning of the end for the Jedi, so Jocasta Nu may have been better off having a more open-minded approach.

9

Kylo Ren Pretended To Be Conceited, But He Was Really Insecure

Kylo Ren’s Ego Disguises His Fears

Throughout the Star Wars sequel trilogy, Kylo Ren comes off as an extremely conceited character. As a Sith apprentice, in some sense, that inflated ego comes with the role, but his demanding, at times even whiny behavior is reflective of someone who thinks he should have whatever he wants. However, this prideful behavior is just a cover for the deep pain and fear he is concealing.

As early as Star Wars: The Force Awakens, it’s clear Kylo Ren’s bravado is little more than an act. In fact, Rey identifies that very early on in their encounters with one another. When strapped to Kylo Ren’s interrogation chair, she reverses Kylo Ren’s Force ability to enter someone else’s mind. In his mind, she discovers that he is afraid of not being as strong as Darth Vader. Unfortunately, this contributes to his inevitable demise.

8

Han Solo Had An Ego… But In A Charming Way

Han Solo’s Tough Guy Act Worked

In this case, like father, like son; Ben Solo/Kylo Ren may very well get his ego in part from his dad. In the original Star Wars trilogy, Han Solo plays the role of hot shot pilot and aloof bad boy. Ultimately, of course, he grows considerably to become someone who is willing to risk his safety to save others and defeat the Empire. However, even when he was acting more selfishly and reflecting more of an ego, he did so with plenty of charm.

As Leia and Han’s relationship builds throughout the original trilogy, Han Solo’s pride becomes a key factor. Oddly enough, sarcastic banter and egotistical remarks play a major role in the way Han and Leia interact with each other. Clearly, unlike some other Star Wars characters, this personality trait wasn’t deadly, although it did first land Han in carbonite after running one too many tricks in the galaxy.

7

Count Dooku Boasted Until The Very End

Dooku Trusted Too Much In A Master Who Betrayed Him

Count Dooku is surely one of Star Wars’ most prideful characters, again reflecting this weakness of the Sith. Throughout Attack of the Clones, Dooku comes across as smug, clearly believing that he can’t be beaten by the Jedi. This continues into Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith when it really becomes a problem for him.

In Revenge of the Sith, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker believe that Chancellor Palpatine has been captured by the Separatists and is in danger. This leads to the Jedi duo’s final battle with Count Dooku, in which he again reflects his confidence that he will easily defeat two Jedi at once. Instead, this becomes one of the defining moments in Anakin Skywalker’s fall. At Palpatine’s command, Anakin decapitates Count Dooku, who is visibly shocked. Despite his master being a wily Sith Lord, Dooku believed he would protect him—and it cost Dooku his life.

6

Poe Dameron Gambled Resistance Lives And Lost

Poe’s Overambitious Attack Had Devastating Consequences

One of the few heroes on this list, Poe Dameron sadly fell victim to his own ego, as did many other Resistance fighters under his command. In Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Poe attempts to take on the First Order by himself, attacking a dreadnought with a small fleet of ships. In the end, this results in the deaths of numerous Resistance fighters, one of them tragically being Rose Tico’s sister, Paige.

Poe’s ego here reflects the complicated calls that must happen in a war. He believed that he was taking a calculated risk that would result in a massive win for the Resistance, which is something that at times must be done in a war. However, Poe gambled and lost. Not only did this cost lives and Resistance resources, but it also severely dinged General Leia Organa’s respect for him.

5

Mace Windu Refused To Believe The Sith Could Ever Return

The Jedi Council Refused To Read The Signs

As Luke Skywalker later pointed out several times in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, the Jedi Order of the prequel era suffered significantly because of their hubris. While Jedi Master Mace Windu certainly wasn’t the only Jedi contributing to that issue, he was a member of the Council who was very vocal about his beliefs. Unfortunately, many of his beliefs turned out to be wrong.

This begins in Attack of the Clones when Padmé Amidala brings her concerns that Count Dooku may be behind her assassination attempt to the Jedi. Rather than hearing her out, Mace Windu insists that this cannot be, as Count Dooku was once a Jedi. Of course, it turns out that Padmé was absolutely correct. Worse still, there are clear signs that something is not right within the Senate and with Palpatine’s increasing grabs for power. Unfortunately, the Jedi fail to act, fully believing that the Sith have been eradicated, and it leads to their downfall.

4

Jabba The Hutt Didn’t Believe His Behavior Would Ever Backfire

Jabba Enslaved And Killed Countless People Without Fear

Jabba the Hutt is undoubtedly one of the most disturbing and egotistical among the Star Wars characters. In the original trilogy, it is revealed that Jabba has essentially a rotating roster of slaves who are forced to dance for him while chained to his throne and wearing next to nothing. Moreover, Jabba murders with impunity, believing that he cannot and will not be stopped. As a very prominent crime lord, he no doubt believes no one would dare make an attempt on his life.

Thankfully, Return of the Jedi sees him proven wrong. Not only does Luke Skywalker infiltrate his palace, but Leia also ultimately uses those very chains to kill Jabba. It’s clear that Jabba never imagined either thing was possible. Even with multiple warnings from Luke that this would lead to his end, Jabba keeps the Star Wars heroes in captivity and attempts to execute Luke.

3

Snoke Was Positive Kylo Ren Would Never Betray Him

Even In His Final Moments, Snoke’s Ego Clouded His Judgment

Like many Sith, Snoke’s inflated sense of ego contributes significantly to his demise. Beginning in The Force Awakens, Snoke is a cruel, at times downright abusive Sith master to Kylo Ren, constantly berating him and cutting him down. This worsens in The Last Jedi when Snoke uses Force lightning on Kylo Ren to get him to fall back in line. Despite this behavior and the long history of Sith apprentices seeking to overthrow their Sith master, Snoke still does not see Kylo’s betrayal coming.

In Snoke’s throne room in The Last Jedi, Snoke boasts about the fact that he cannot be beaten and that Kylo Ren would never turn on him. In the end, he ends up being wrong on both points. While pretending to lift his lightsaber to execute Rey, Kylo Ren simultaneously uses the Force to ignite Anakin’s lightsaber, which Rey has been using, and kill Snoke.

2

Anakin Skywalker Let The Chosen One Prophecy Go To His Head

Anakin’s Belief In His Destiny Made Him Vulnerable

Tragically, ego is also a key element of Anakin Skywalker’s turn to the dark side of the Force, and the Chosen One prophecy may have played a big role in that. From the moment Anakin arrives on Coruscant in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, the Jedi discuss the possibility that he is the Chosen One, meant to bring balance to the Force. At just 9 years old, this discourse no doubt affected Anakin, both by burdening him with expectations and singling him out as special.

References to Anakin being the Chosen One were then persistent throughout Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. Even in the wake of Anakin’s brutal massacre of the Tusken Raiders in Attack of the Clones, Anakin continued to see himself this way. Perhaps, had he not had it in his head that he was destined to be this incredible prophesied Jedi who would destroy the Sith, these garish warning signs may have led him to seek help or question his own behavior.

1

Emperor Palpatine Truly Believed He Should Rule Everything Forever

Even In Death, Palpatine Couldn’t Let Anyone Else Rule

Undoubtedly the most egotistical character in Star Wars, however, is Emperor Palpatine. Not only does Palpatine think he is the one being who should rule the entire galaxy, but he also believes that he is the only one who should ever do it. Rather than see Vader as his heir or create a system that could outlive him, Palpatine very intentionally only wanted to see himself as ruler, to the point that he created Operation: Cinder, a plan meant to wipe out other Imperial leaders in the event of his death so that they could not claim power.

Of course, Palpatine’s pride results in his demise twice in Star Wars, once at the hands of his own Sith apprentice Darth Vader and once in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, when his granddaughter seemingly finishes him once and for all. This inflated ego, again, is in many ways the Achilles’ heel of the Sith; they simply cannot believe that anyone could defeat them, yet someone always does. Ultimately, while there are many overly proud characters in Star Wars, this makes Palpatine the most conceited of all.

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