5 Best Star Wars Alien Designs, Ranked

Controversial Star Wars details often dominate the online discourse about this franchise. However, despite such elements sometimes being pervasive in discussions, one shouldn't forget the many amazing parts of this franchise that ensured its fanbase would endure for decades. The five best Star Wars characters, for instance, have proven essential to guaranteeing that these films and TV shows secure devotees of all ages. The most iconic scenes from every Star Wars movie, meanwhile, reflect how even the more divisive entries in this saga still have artistic high points and defenders. That's what happens when you have such an immense breadth of material.

Part of what also makes this universe so fun to explore is its various aliens. From the very first movie in 1977, Star Wars has housed an array of vibrant otherworldly creatures that range from Jabba the Hutt to Darth Maul to Grogu, among many others. These entities are brought to life through character designs that encapsulate the wondrous visual wizardry going into anything with the Star Wars name on it. Five particularly amazing alien designs crystallize why these creatures are such an essential part of this franchise.

Some of these alien designs are cuddly. Others can convey a worldly aura. Whatever makes these designs special, the five best Star Wars alien designs (ranked below from "least best" to greatest) are a microcosm of the visual joys only this franchise can provide. No wonder Star Wars still generates so much conversation.

Sometimes it takes just one song to make a band iconic. Similarly, it only took one character to make the Ortolan species iconic in the Star Wars saga. Max Rebo in "Return of the Jedi" was more than enough to ensure that these cosmic critters would have a place on this list (though, no, the adorable Neel of "Skeleton Crew" isn't an Ortolan). Rebo and other Ortolans are basically blue elephants. They're deeply endearing with their wrinkles, floppy ears, and a trunk that has a life of its own. These physical traits are nifty just on a surface level. 

Meanwhile, Rebo's profound sense of personality despite a limited amount of screentime also reaffirms why the Ortolans are so memorable. Whether he's flapping his trunk in wicked glee with Jabba the Hutt and other alien gangsters or just jamming out on Jabba's barge, Max Rebo always captures your attention. His bright color and vibrant physical mannerisms speak so much to his inner world and reflect the visual virtues of Ortolans. To boot, Rebo left such a tremendous impression even while being surrounded by so many other aliens at Jabba's palace.

In a crowded space crawling with otherworldly creatures, this one music-focused Ortolan stood out as a legend. Few Star Wars aliens are as instantly, adorably eye-catching as the Ortolan. Even with minimal screentime, Max Rebo ensured his species' design was unforgettable. The Ortolans epitomize creatively designed aliens who are fleetingly seen but prove permanently impactful.

There's something fishy about any list of great Star Wars aliens that doesn't make room for the Mon Calamari. Admiral Ackbar, who has a touching meaning behind his character design, is the most famous example of this alien. Certainly Ackbar's enjoyable look and unforgettable delivery of lines like "It's a trap!" make him one of the great Star Wars creatures. However, there's more going on behind why the Mon Calamari are among the best aliens in the franchise than just Ackbar. For starters, there's the delightful name of these guys. It's such an enjoyably on-the-nose detail (Calamari?!) that fits right into a franchise that features names like Savage Opress and General Grievous.

For another, the Mon Calamari have proven an intriguingly versatile species across decades of Star Wars media. Beyond Ackbar, the "Rogue One" and "Andor" character General Raddus is also a Mon Calamari. This dark blue fellow with a much larger throat and heavier body type looks drastically different from Ackbar, yet still looks like they come from the same genetic tree. That's a deft balance that the character designers pulled off with aplomb. Such visual versatility makes the Mon Calamari fascinating to watch.

Similarly, these creatures can exist in so many realms, whether it's the outer space battles of "Return of the Jedi" or underwater duels in "The Clone Wars." The Mon Calamari have proven to be one of the most narratively flexible and fascinating Star Wars aliens.

Everything we know about Yoda's species still isn't very much. Secrecy shrouds the family that Yoda and Grogu belong to, right down to the exact name of these creatures. However, that doesn't mean that these organisms haven't left an impression. For one thing, Yoda's species are some of the greatest accomplishments in all of Star Wars in terms of character design. These small creatures are dominated by wrinkles, pointy ears, and frizzy hair going everywhere. Even the slightly more youthful looking Yaddle still had kooky visual characteristics associated with her, like those jagged claws.

However, Grogu and Yoda are also wise and powerful entities capable of obliterating adversaries significantly larger than they are. Not only are they just neat (and, in Grogu's case, utterly adorable) to look at, they're also a microcosm of how heroes can look like anything in the Star Wars universe. The puppetry used to realize members of Yoda's species lend an extra sense of tangibility to these alien people. Everything from their skin to their facial expressions has such a potent sense of immediacy because of that. 

Yoda in the original films, especially, is a magic trick of making the unbelievable real. He truly comes off as a living, breathing creation rather than a puppet. That's a testament to not only Frank Oz's puppetry, but also how tremendously perfect Yoda's species is in design.

One of the first alien species seen in the entire Star Wars mythology is also one of its most charming. Hovering over Han Solo in the Mos Eisley Cantina is none other than Chewbacca, a member of the Wookiee species. Right away, Chewie's endearing nature was apparent, thanks to how huggable these creatures look. Covered in fur, Wookiees look like massive shaggy dogs that can tower over their owners. Juxtaposing that cuddliness with Chewie's penchant for violence (like ripping arms out of their sockets) is an inherently enjoyable paradox — like wanting to adopt a cub after Fat Bear Week. 

Plus, keeping these creatures limited to communicating in roars allows viewers to imagine and explore their minds. This staple of the initial three Star Wars movies isn't the only reason Wookiees rock, though. Every Wookiee Jedi in the Star Wars universe, for instance, is a striking figure that shows just how versatile they can be. The boundless places and character roles that Wookiees have occupied in this franchise doesn't just reflect the artistic versatility of Star Wars.

It also speaks to a malleability to the Wookiees that other species (like the Talz, Neimoidians, or Gungans) don't have. They can go anywhere, be anything, or prove entertaining under any circumstances, including being Han Solo's best buddy. Any species that houses Chewbacca's amazing design deserves to be towards the top of this list.

The Porgs of Star Wars exist for pragmatic reasons. The real-life island that stood in for Luke's isolated home of Ach-To in "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" was covered in conserved puffins. Instead of digitally erasing them and leaving blank spaces on screen, writer/director Rian Johnson and company opted to instead replace them with alien critters. Thus, Porgs litter Ach-To, bother Chewbacca as he's trying to eat dinner, and one even follows the Wookiee to the planet Crait for that climactic "Last Jedi" battle. Their origins may be rooted in rationality, but the Porgs are delightful creations that, despite their tiny stature, stand tall among all Star Wars aliens.

For starters, the Porgs are aesthetically perfect. Those lightbulb shaped bodies with massive yet blank black eyes capture your eye whenever they stroll on-screen. Also contributing to this is how they're draped in bright colors, like vibrant orange or white. Their screeching chirps and the sound of their fluttering wings are equally impactful and ensure that this is one Star Wars alien that's as memorable sonically as it is visually. On top of all that, there's something astonishing about the saga producing a creature as masterfully designed as a Porg 40 years into its existence.

When these movies allow creatives like Rian Johnson to let their imaginations run rampant, magic is still possible in the Star Wars universe. The Porg design epitomizes that fact — adorably.