4. Darth Maul
Now, THERE'S a badass character! The Sith Lord Darth Maul says virtually nothing. We have no idea who he is or what motivates him to do what he does. But his demonic persona definitely brings some fire and brimstone to the otherwise humdrum "Phantom Menace." First of all, there's that face, with its strikingly ingenious red-and-black color pattern. Then there are the numerous small horns sticking out of the top of his head, as if to indicate he encompasses multiple devils. But what really sets him apart is the double-bladed lightsaber. At the beginning of the movie's ultimate confrontation, Maul initially has only one of the blades lit. When he ignites the opposite side, demonstrating that he intends to fight two Jedi at the same time, the audience gasps. Uh oh. What follows is, hands down, the best scene in Episode I: an epic three-way battle, beautifully choreographed, accompanied by John Williams' stirring choral theme "Duel of the Fates." Yet despite his impressive skill and cunning, Darth Maul doesn't survive the fight. His death sliced clean in half at mid-torso is as awesome as his action. But we feel no shred of regret, because we never knew who he was anyway. There's no need to dredge up the two severed halves of Darth Maul, stitch them together and bring him back for Episode VII. He thrilled us in 1999, but the element of surprise is now gone.