The only actors who appeared in all three ‘Star Wars’ trilogies
With 11 feature films spanning three trilogies and two spinoffs, five live-action streaming shows, and a myriad of animated episodic offshoots, Star Wars has no intention of coming down from its perch as one of the most enduringly popular and widely beloved multimedia franchises of all time.
The movies have become landmarks in the world of cinema. They are beacons of nostalgic brilliance that have managed to span multiple decades, and perhaps most importantly, multiple generations, too.
That’s not even mentioning the litany of video games, novels, comic books, theme park attractions, and other associated content – never mind the raft of big and small screen projects currently in various stages of development – ensuring that George Lucas’ creation remains at the forefront of pop culture despite having been noticeably absent from cinemas since 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker.
Lucas had always planned for his sprawling space saga to unfold across three separate trilogies, and while he wasn’t actively involved in the third and final triptych, having sold Lucasfilm to Disney in 2012, several actors he’d initially cast for the original secured the rare distinction of being involved in each one. There aren’t many of them, but it nonetheless offers a testament to their staying power as pivotal figures in a galaxy far, far away.
The most notable is Anthony Daniels, who not only played C-3PO in all nine instalments of what would eventually become known as the Skywalker Saga but has appeared in every single Star Wars movie ever made after briefly reprising his signature role in Rogue One and lending his voice to Tak in Solo.
Wherever C-3PO goes, R2-D2 can’t be too far behind, with Kenny Baker inside the droid costume in the first six chapters of the Star Wars series. Sadly, The Force Awakens would mark his final time in the role, with the actor passing away in August 2016, just eight months after the first entry in the sequel trilogy hit cinemas.
Peter Mayhew was less involved than his metallic counterparts but still appeared in all three trilogies. His contributions dwindled following Return of the Jedi, though, with the actor’s failing health reducing him to a cameo appearance in 2005’s Revenge of the Sith before he ended up sharing the part of Chewbacca with eventual permanent replacement Joonas Suotamo in The Force Awakens before his death in April 2019.
Ian McDiarmid was a late addition to the rarefied club of those to have shown up in every Star Wars trilogy, with his Palpatine somehow returning in The Rise of Skywalker to establish Darth Sidious as the primary antagonist of each stage of the saga, in a comeback that proved to be wildly divisive among the fandom.
After making his feature film debut in Return of the Jedi as the Ewok Wicket W. Warrick, Warwick Davis would reprise the role in television specials Caravan of Courage and Battle for Endor before taking on three different roles in The Phantom Menace. After filling in for shots of Yoda in motion in addition to inhabiting Weazel and Wald, he’d go on to receive no less than ten credits over the course of The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker as various creatures and droids, while also making a cameo as Wicket.
Last, on a technicality but by no means least, Frank Oz may not have appeared on-screen, but he did act as the puppeteer and voice actor for Yoda in the original trilogy and The Phantom Menace before being restricted to the recording booth when the wizened old sage of the Jedi Order became a fully-digital creation in his later appearances.
In a galaxy teeming with heroes, villains, and endless reinvention, the continuity offered by a handful of actors across all three Star Wars trilogies is more than just trivia; it’s a quiet thread binding generations. These performers didn’t just play roles; they became icons, bridging eras, directors, and shifting tones, their faces ageing alongside the franchise itself.
As Star Wars continues to expand into series, spin-offs, and streaming sagas, it’s comforting to remember that beneath the spectacle, it’s the human presence — the familiar voice, the recognisable gaze — that anchors us to its core. Legacy, after all, isn’t just written in the stars; sometimes, it’s etched in the eyes of those who’ve seen it all unfold from the very beginning.
