The Big Debate: Who is the best Star Wars character of all time?

It has to be Darth Vader, says Dan

The galaxy far, far away is packed to the brim with great characters, but only two can claim the top spots. It's time to turn to the dark side...

He had the best baritone this side of Sallust, and there wasn't a lozenge in the land that could heal the sore throat he might bestow. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, of course the greatest character in the Star Wars universe is Darth Vader.

It comes as no surprise - the saga is essentially the story of his life, after all. Yet, were this not the case he would still be its greatest creation. When we first meet him he is an exceptionally clichéd bad guy - dressed entirely in black and just rotten to the core. Yet, as the story moves on (particularly with the most famous paternity reveal in history), the development of his character is just sublime. This was a villain who once had a soul, and who - far from being pure evil - was, like Dr Faustus, simply a troubled man tempted by its gifts.

In the end, Darth Vader was neither a good, bad, black or white character. Rather, he was complex and grey, and it is these characters that Star Wars does particularly well.

Another who was initially pegged in the baddie camp and stands as one of the most beloved fan favourites in the entire franchise, is bad boy bounty hunter Boba Fett, and with the Darth at number one, he is firmly my number two. Simply put, Boba Fett was just cool. With barely any lines or screen time in the original trilogy, his eerie and menacing presence captivated fans, and he quickly became a cult favourite. Now having had his own TV show and his younger self brought to life in the prequels, we've seen the more humane side to Boba, and another great grey character he has become. Yes, that last line was written in 'Yoda-speak' - another fine choice, but no Fett, and definitely no Darth.

You've got to love Han Solo, says Matt

Ah Han Solo, you stuck-up, half-witted, scruffy looking nerf-herder.

I can say, without any shadow of a doubt, ‘I love you’. What do you mean, ‘you know?’

Yep, for me, Harrison Ford’s smuggler Han, with a good blaster at his side, is the cream of the crop, the coolest of all when it comes to Star Wars characters.

Everyone loves a rogue, a scoundrel, right? And the fact Han pilots the Millennium Falcon – the best Christmas present I ever had – makes him all the more perfect. Plus he has great bonds with the other heroes of the original trilogy, whether it’s through his long-standing friendship with Chewbacca, his brotherly relationship with Luke or his romance with Leia.

And his presence, with Chewy, is what makes the Force Awakens such a good sequel to the originals – I’m still not over his demise and the fact he never got to share screen time with Luke or Lando again.

I get where my esteemed colleague is coming from with Darth Vader – there’s no greater voice than James Earl Jones. If we were basing this solely on the original three films, I would doff my cap but the character is tainted for me by the prequels, which just didn’t deal with Anakin Skywalker’s move to the dark side well enough. I shake my head every time I see Hayden Christensen’s Anakin Skywalker as a force spirit in the remastered Return of the Jedi, in place of Sebastian Shaw. The force is not strong with me, where that’s concerned.