5) Grand Moff Tarkin
There aren’t many people who can give Darth Vader orders, but Grand Moff Tarkin is one of them. The Death Star’s commander outranks Vader and is actually a much deadlier force when you think about it. Has Vader ever destroyed an entire planet? No, no he hasn’t.
Hammer horror star Peter Cushing offers one of the franchise’s most unfairly overlooked performances as Tarkin – he’s full of old-school icy menace, constantly wearing an expression even steelier than Vader’s helmet. It’s hilarious to think that Cushing was really wearing cozy slippers during his scenes, as he found his Imperial boots too uncomfortable.
The decision to recreate the late actor with state-of-the-art CGI and a new voice actor (Harry Potter star Guy Henry) in Rogue One was a very controversial one, but it has to be commended for allowing us a fuller look at Tarkin’s character and the depth of his villainy. Thanks to Rogue One, we know that Tarkin isn’t just ruthless and cold-hearted, he’s also selfish and a total glory hound.