Star Wars: The 10 Best Duos From The Original Trilogy

One of the things that has made Star Wars work so well as a franchise is the simplicity of character interactions. Sure there are grandiose space opera storylines and impressive special effects but it mostly comes down to the characters involved in whatever goes down in these movies and television shows.

That dates back to the original trilogy of films that started in the late ’70s. Some duos who shared the screen stood out from the rest, whether they be friends, lovers, or enemies, or mentors and their mentees. Regardless of the relationship, whenever these characters were together, the films were at their best.

10 Leia Organa & Chewbacca

Honestly, there’s a good chance that this is the most underrated duo in Star Wars history. When Leia first met Chewbacca, she didn’t seem to fully grasp what made him such a valuable member of the team and they didn’t even truly bond until the sequels. Things really got going for them in 1983’s Return of the Jedi though.

With Han frozen, Chewie looked after Leia and the two forged a tight bond. They worked together on Cloud City and to rescue Han in the third film. While they didn’t have a ton of screen time as a duo, whenever they appeared they were always a treat.

9 Luke Skywalker & Yoda

In terms of being important to the story, the pairing of Luke Skywalker and Master Yoda is legendary. The latter helped train Luke to become a Jedi master himself though Luke ultimately left too soon when he realized that his friends are in danger. That made it so they had less time together than fans hoped for.

Still, their time together was highly entertaining, with Luke being put off by Yoda’s eccentric personality but coming to understand that he was something of a genius. Their scene together in Return of the Jedi was short but highly emotional as Luke was with Yoda for his final moments.

8 Darth Sidious & Darth Vader

This is another duo who go hand-in-hand, yet actually aren’t on screen together all that much. Darth Vader debuted in the 1977 original Star Wars and felt like the ultimate villain. Then, 1980’s The Empire Strikes Back revealed that he was working for an emperor above him, which scared audiences.

Darth Sidious was the true puppetmaster behind everything and their relationship was crucial to the story. Both were extremely powerful but it wasn’t a good bond considering how much Sidious was using Vader and the way he manipulated him at every turn.

7 Luke Skywalker & R2-D2

After they met in the first movie, it seemed like Luke Skywalker and his droid buddy R2-D2 were basically inseparable. That’s an interesting thing to happen considering the similar relationship that Luke’s father Anakin had with R2-D2 during the Clone Wars era of the Skywalker Saga.

R2-D2 is the one who goes to Dagobah with Luke and meets Yoda. The droid is the best possible sidekick as it helped Luke whenever needed. Whether it’s with repairs or just being at Luke’s side, R2-D2 is as loyal as they come and this was a pure friendship built on trust.

6 C-3P0 & R2-D2

Of course, one of the most iconic duos in all of Star Wars is the one between these two droids. C-3P0 and R2-D2 have traveled together throughout nearly every iteration of the franchise and are even set to get their own series together on Disney+ in the future.

It all started in the original trilogy, where the two were immediately put together. R2-D2 is also the droid who helps fix C-3Po in The Empire Strikes Back when he’s damaged. The key to their relationship is the constant bickering. The two sound like a married couple who get on each other’s nerves but would likely do anything for the other.

5 Luke Skywalker & Leia Organa

When audiences watched A New Hope, many of them likely wondered who Princess Leia would end up with romantically. Both Luke and Han were handsome heroes who she had chemistry with and the kiss Luke shared with Leia in The Empire Strikes Back only added to their possibilities.

However, it was revealed in Return of the Jedi that the two were actually twin siblings. That cemented why Luke and Leia were often in tune with each other and though it made sure nothing romantic would happen, it certainly shined a different light on their bond, which was tight throughout the series.

4 Luke Skywalker & Obi-Wan Kenobi

Master Yoda served a similar purpose in Luke’s life to what Obi-Wan Kenobi did but they had less time to showcase it. In the first movie, Obi-Wan was Luke’s introduction into the world of Jedi and it also works that way for the audience watching.

Obi-Wan was one of the most iconic cases of a mentor figure in a movie who dies just before his student can reach their full potential. Luke and Obi-Wan had a relationship that was not only pivotal to the plot but also was fun to watch as the old man showed kindness while dealing with the wide-eyed kid who was going to save them all.

3 Han Solo & Chewbacca

Star Wars is home to plenty of great friendships but it’s next to impossible to top Han Solo and Chewbacca. While Han and Luke ultimately became good friends as well, Han’s best buddy was his “walking carpet,” as Leia so eloquently put it. The two showed up together and it stayed that way throughout.

Chewbacca was fiercely loyal to Han as they smuggled, traveled as a team, and even joined the rebellion together. Chewie was heartbroken when Han was frozen but kept his word to look after Leia. Together, Han and Chewbacca helped save the day and never wavered as a unit.

2 Han Solo & Leia Organa

Every epic tale like Star Wars typically has a love story at its heart and for the original trilogy, that was between Han Solo and Leia Organa. They certainly got off to a rocky start, with Leia disliking Han’s scoundrel ways and him being annoyed by most of what she said. He even called her “Your Highness” with an air of sarcasm.

The chemistry was clear though, and it furthered in The Empire Strikes Back as the two argued but often showed deep caring for one another. They proved to be the perfect couple when Han’s “I know” response to Leia’s declaration of love was thrown back at him in the same way when he told Leia he loved her in Return of the Jedi.

1 Luke Skywalker & Darth Vader

The first film simply saw Luke as the hero and Darth Vader as the villain with nothing going any deeper than that. Things changed in The Empire Strikes Back as their scenes and duel were among the best in franchise history, capped by the reveal that Vader was actually Luke’s father.

That set the tone for Return of the Jedi, where Luke and Vader’s relationship was expanded upon. Luke fought to bring his father back from the dark side and watching them battle with Sidious manipulating them made for epic viewing. Vader ultimately redeemed himself, turned to the good side, and shared a final emotional moment with Luke that fans will never forget.

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