Top 10 Star Wars Characters Who Most Deserve Therapy

Ah, Star Wars. The tale of drama queens and kings screwing with an entire galaxy. A lot of the problems could probably be solved if characters just took better care of their mental health.

Who do you think most needed professional help?

The Top Ten

Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader

When it comes to characters who need or deserve therapy, not just Star Wars characters, Anakin "Hot Mess" Skywalker is one of the first that comes to mind. He was treated like property up until the age of nine, which was sure to be damaging to his mental health. Then, he was separated from his mother and not taught how to process his emotions in a healthy way. This led him down a path of manslaughter.
Obi-Wan did the best that a grieving young man could do to help Anakin, and the council did what they thought was right. But ultimately, it would have taken serious mental health professionals to stop Sheev Palpatine from grooming that kid into Darth Vader.
Speaking of Darth Vader, he too needs help as he is quite the tragic character. Born into slavery, he was finally given hope only to be rejected by the council. The only person who believed in him for quite some time was Obi-Wan, a 25-year-old with his own grief to process. Then, he saw his mom die in his arms. He had to fight in the Clone Wars, losing many friends. Then, he lost Ashoka. Then, he lost Padmé.
He lost himself, his brother, and all of his real friends from the Republic, leaving him with no one but Palpatine. This tragedy is partially his own making, but some of it is not. Regardless, this guy needed some serious intervention from a trained mental health professional, or several professionals.
Even though other characters on this list are more messed-up than Anakin/Vader, I decided that he deserved first place. If Anakin had received therapy, then a lot of the other issues discussed on this list would have been solved or never existed in the first place.
Kylo Ren

Kylo Ren, also known as Ben Solo, is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise. He commands the First Order with a temper as fiery as his unconventional lightsaber. Kylo Ren first appeared in the 2015 film Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens. Ben Solo, the son of Han Solo and Princess Leia... read more

He's over 30 years old and throws temper tantrums. I think that should speak for itself, but I'm going to continue to speak anyway. The only thing that kept him from getting the #1 spot is the fact that if Anakin had gotten therapy (and never become Darth Vader), then it is unlikely that Kylo Ren would have ever existed.
In fact, I would argue that Kylo Ren is actually more terrible and/or mentally unstable than Anakin (and that is saying something).
Anakin is a product of Palpatine, his trauma, Obi-Wan's (and even the other Jedi's) difficulties with helping with that trauma, and situations/institutions that led Anakin to feel trapped and unable to reach out. Anakin is still responsible for his actions, but those actions have fair explanations.
Meanwhile, Kylo Ren had every opportunity to be good. He was raised by heroes, and despite what many might attempt to argue about Han and Leia's "bad parenting" (some have even gone so far as to call them neglectful or abusive), the fact of the matter is that Han and Leia are good people. Characterizing them as the kind of people who would cause their son to endure even a fraction of what Anakin did is a serious mischaracterization.
Kylo was born into power and privilege. Anakin was born into slavery and then forced to fight in a war. Anakin managed to remain a kind person for years despite having to go through all that, and yet Kylo turned into a terrible person with only the influence of Snoke. Most importantly, Kylo had the benefit of hindsight. He had history to tell him that he was doomed to fail, that the dark side would only lead to his own destruction, not to mention the tragedy of countless others. Yet, he still decided to say: "Yes. Not only were all of those atrocities justified, we should do them again, but this time MORE."
Darth Maul

Darth Maul is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise. Trained as Darth Sidious's first apprentice, he serves as a Sith Lord and wields a distinctive double-bladed lightsaber. Darth Maul first appeared in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace and later featured in Star Wars: The Clone Wars... read more

If you've seen the Clone Wars, you know what I'm talking about. If you've seen the Clone Wars as well as Rebels, you'll really know what I'm talking about. He may have become powerful (and almost too cool to hate - almost), but his mind and soul were lost in the process.
Crosshair

Even if you put aside the war trauma, Crosshair is a character with serious troubles. He took "good soldiers follow orders" and ran with it, losing much of his humanity along the way. Even after he defected from the Empire, he still had a lot to cope with.
Asajj Ventress

Asajj Ventress is a fictional character from the Star Wars franchise who was active during the Clone Wars. She appears in the Clone Wars micro-series, the Star Wars: The Clone Wars film and television series, Star Wars: The Bad Batch, and Tales of the Underworld. Ventress, a former Jedi Padawan and Sith... read more

The episode in which you see her backstory is one of the most riveting. Up until that point, she was just the "cool assassin who is almost too cool to hate." Then, suddenly, Dooku is throwing her away, and you find out that her darkness came from a place of bitterness at the world that had hurt her.
While this does not excuse her actions, she certainly could have used a mental health professional. This is a much healthier alternative to war crimes.
Fives

I shiver just thinking about what happened to Fives. He deserved so much better. Not only did he have to cope with the trauma of being born to fight and die, trained to see himself as expendable, but he also experienced the Clone Wars. He lost his brothers. Then he found out that everything he once believed in was a lie. When he tried to speak up, almost no one believed him. Just thinking about his fate makes my heart break.
Let's pay respect to Fives, not only a great soldier but a good person. A person who deserved professionals there to tell him he was worth more than what he could do for others, and there to listen to him when others said he was crazy.
Tup

You know, the one who accidentally killed one of his friends and wasn't able to find out it wasn't all his fault until he tragically died? Tup deserved better. Well, all the clones did, but this guy especially. Press F to pay respects.
Boba Fett

Boba Fett is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise. He is a bounty hunter who appears in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, working for Darth Vader and Jabba the Hutt. Boba Fett also stars in his own series, The Book of Boba Fett, which premiered in 2021.

At every point in the franchise (but particularly the Clone Wars), this guy is going through a huge mess. He may have risen up, but his grieving skills needed serious work.
Captain Rex

Captain Rex, designation number CT‑7567, is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe created by George Lucas. He plays a major role in the 2008 animated film The Clone Wars and the television series that followed. The character is voiced by Dee Bradley Baker and has become one of the most popular... read more

Captain Rex is a survivor who was able to remain kind and sane even after years of being a clone. He was tricked into killing his own brothers, he held them in his arms as they died on more than one occasion, he watched them kill each other, and he watched his brothers turn against his Jedi friends.
Perhaps most traumatic of all, he had to continue to lead. This guy deserves so much better than the card he was dealt, and some good professional help. Captains need someone to rely on too.
Obi-Wan Kenobi

Obi-Wan Kenobi is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe, portrayed by Sir Alec Guinness in the original trilogy and by Ewan McGregor in the prequel trilogy. The character is a Jedi Master who plays a pivotal role in the training of both Anakin and Luke Skywalker. Obi-Wan also appears in the... read more

I can only think of a few characters that have suffered more than Obi-Wan Kenobi, without going on killing sprees or becoming maniacs. Kenny McCormick? The guy in the movie Groundhog Day?
The only reason that I have him at #10 instead of much higher (feel free to challenge this) is that Obi-Wan was able to maintain on the light side and meditate, a healthy coping mechanism, instead of turning to murder. He may have had his issues, but he was able to be self-aware of those issues and remain rational even in his moments of greatest anguish.

The Newcomers

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Chancellor Palpatine / Darth Sidious

Sheev Palpatine, also known by his Sith identity Darth Sidious, is a fictional character and one of the primary antagonists of the Star Wars franchise. Publicly, he appears as Senator Palpatine, then Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, and later as Emperor Palpatine. He is mainly portrayed by Ian McDiarmid... read more
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Mace Windu

Mace Windu is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe, portrayed by actor Samuel L. Jackson in the prequel films. He is a high-ranking Jedi Master and member of the Jedi High Council. Windu is known for his purple lightsaber and his role in leading Jedi missions during the Clone Wars.

The Contenders

Cassian Andor
Luke Skywalker

Luke Skywalker is a fictional character appearing as the central protagonist of the original Star Wars film trilogy and as a supporting character in the sequel trilogy of the Star Wars universe created by George Lucas. He is portrayed by Mark Hamill. Luke is a Jedi Knight who plays a crucial role in... read more

Luke liked his own sister, and his father is Darth Vader. What else can I say?

He should be number 2, like the other comment said. Dang, you need therapy.
Princess Leia

Princess Leia Organa, later known as General Leia Organa, is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise. She was portrayed in the films by actress Carrie Fisher. Leia is one of the central characters in the original Star Wars trilogy and plays a prominent leadership role in the Resistance in the... read more
Arc Trooper Echo
Yoda

Yoda is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise created by George Lucas. He first appeared in the 1980 film The Empire Strikes Back and serves as a wise and powerful Jedi Master with deep knowledge of the Force. Yoda was originally performed by Frank Oz, who provided the character's voice and... read more
Grand Moff Tarkin

Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise. He was the Governor of the Outer Rim territories and rose to the high rank of Grand Moff.
Tarkin oversaw the construction of the Death Star and played a pivotal role in enforcing the Empire's rule. He was portrayed... read more
Chewbacca

Chewbacca, nicknamed "Chewie," is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise. He is a Wookiee from the planet Kashyyyk and serves as the co-pilot of the Millennium Falcon. Chewbacca was portrayed by Peter Mayhew in the original trilogy and is known for his loyalty to Han Solo.
General Grievous

General Grievous is a fictional character and antagonist in the Star Wars franchise. He served as the supreme commander of the Confederacy of Independent Systems' droid armies during the Clone Wars. Grievous first appeared in the 2003 animated series Star Wars: Clone Wars, where he was voiced by John... read more
Grand Admiral Thrawn

Grand Admiral Thrawn is a Chiss male from the Star Wars universe and was created by author Timothy Zahn. He made his first appearance in the novel Star Wars: Heir to the Empire and served as the main antagonist of the Thrawn trilogy. Thrawn later appeared in Star Wars Rebels and is the central figure... read more
Darth Bane

Darth Bane is a legendary Sith Lord from the Star Wars universe. He is best known for creating the Rule of Two, which established that there should only be one Sith Master and one apprentice at any given time. This system was designed to ensure that the Sith would grow stronger through constant challenge... read more
Darth Nihilus

Darth Nihilus is a fictional Sith Lord who appears as a primary antagonist in the video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II - The Sith Lords. He is known for his ability to consume the life force of entire planets, making him one of the most feared Sith in the game's lore. Throughout the... read more