Belfast's favourite Star Wars characters for fancy dress

Darth Vader is Belfast's favourite Star Wars character for fancy dress, with 670 yearly searches related to his outfit in Belfast. Padmé Amidala follows in second place, with 600 yearly outfit searches, and Anakin Skywalker is third, with 550 outfit searches over the past year.

This is according to a study by image editing experts Remove Background. They analysed Google search data from the past year for 67 Star Wars characters alongside the terms “cosplay”, “costume”, “clothes”, and “outfit” to determine the Star Wars characters people most want to dress up as. Characters who dramatically changed their appearance over the saga, such as Anakin Skywalker, who later became Darth Vader, were treated as separate characters.

1. Darth Vader

Darth Vader is one of the most iconic villains in fiction and ranks as Belfast's most popular Star Wars character for fancy dress, with 670 searches related to his outfit in Belfast over the past year.

First appearing in Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope in 1977, he immediately cemented his place as one of the most imposing antagonists in film. Darth Vader is instantly recognisable for his signature black mask and iconic red lightsaber, with a black cape and life support suit to complete the outfit. 

2. Padmé Amidala

Padmé Amidala is the second-most popular Star Wars character for fancy dress, with 600 searches related to her outfit in the past year.

Padmé made her first appearance in Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999) and wore several outfits across her appearances. However, one of her most spectacular outfits is her throne room gown and accompanying attire. The gown is a floor-length red dress with brown fur trim and gold embroidery, finished with six large, orange, oval-shaped gemstones near its base. This is worn with an ornate red and gold headdress, along with stark white makeup to finish the look.

3. Anakin Skywalker

The man who would become Darth Vader, Anakin Skywalker, is the third-most popular Star Wars character for fancy dress, with 550 searches related to his outfit over the past 12 months.

Anakin made his first appearance in the prequel trilogy in Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999). His most iconic outfit is from his appearance in Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005), where he wears loose-fitting brown Jedi robes over a dark blue and brown tunic, brown pants, and black boots. His blue lightsaber completes the look.

4. Princess Leia and Han Solo (Tie)

Princess Leia and Han Solo are tied for fourth place among Belfast's most popular Star Wars characters for fancy dress, each with 360 yearly searches related to their outfits.

Leia first appeared in A New Hope wearing a flowing white robe, with a white belt around the hips, and her hair in side buns. However, some fans may argue her most iconic outfit is her gold bikini and loincloth worn during the events in Jabba the Hutt’s palace in Episode VI – Return of the Jedi.

As for Han Solo, he also first graced the silver screen in A New Hope, and his most well-known outfit comprises a loose, low-cut cream long-sleeved shirt, blue pants, black boots, and a black gilet. 

6. Luke Skywalker

The hero of the original trilogy, Luke Skywalker, is sixth among the most popular Star Wars characters for fancy dress, with 350 outfit-related searches.

He first appeared in A New Hope, which also featured his most iconic outfit. In A New Hope, he wears a loose white tunic, black belt, white pants, and khaki boots with leg wraps, along with a blue lightsaber to complete the outfit.

7. Obi-Wan Kenobi

Obi-Wan Kenobi is the seventh-most popular Star Wars character for fancy dress, with 310 outfit-related searches in the past year.

His most recognisable appearance is in the prequel trilogy. In the later prequels, he wears a large and flowing brown Jedi robe over a loose-fitting khaki tunic, itself worn over a white shirt and white pants, with a brown belt and brown boots. His blue lightsaber completes the look.

8. Darth Maul

Darth Maul ranks as the eighth-most popular Star Wars character for fancy dress, with 260 yearly outfit-related searches.

Darth Maul made his only movie appearance in the main Star Wars trilogies in The Phantom Menace, where he wowed moviegoers with his iconic dual-bladed red lightsaber. The rest of his outfit is made up of loose-fitting black robes, black boots, and black gloves. Most important of all are his black and red facial markings and a ring of small horns protruding from the top of his head.

9. Boba Fett and Emperor Palpatine (Tie)

Boba Fett and Emperor Palpatine are tied in ninth place for Belfast's favourite Star Wars characters for fancy dress, each with 240 yearly outfit searches.

Despite Boba Fett's brief appearances in the original trilogy, he became a fan favourite for his icy demeanour and cool outfit. He made his original trilogy debut in The Empire Strikes Back, where his outfit comprised green, yellow, and grey armour plates with red trim worn over grey fatigues, black boots, and a small khaki cape, capped off with his iconic green and red helmet with a T-shaped visor.

Emperor Palpatine, also known as Darth Sidious or simply “The Emperor”, first appeared in The Empire Strikes Back and featured prominently in Return of the Jedi and throughout the prequel trilogy. His most iconic outfit from Return of the Jedi features a large, flowing, hooded robe made of heavy black cloth, which is always worn with the hood up.

The UK's most popular Star Wars characters for fancy dress

Across the UK, Darth Vader is the most popular Star Wars character for fancy dress, with 113,790 searches related to his outfit in the UK over the past year.

Padmé Amidala is second, with 111,290 yearly outfit-related searches, and Anakin Skywalker follows in third, with 81,670 yearly searches.

Princess Leia and Han Solo complete the top five, with 53,800 and 36,680 yearly searches related to their outfits, respectively.

Marc Porcar, CEO of Remove Background, commented on the findings:

“Perhaps the most surprising finding is Padmé ranking second above characters like Han Solo or Luke Skywalker and just behind Darth Vader. This may be because of the surge in popularity the prequel trilogy has enjoyed in the past few years, and how varied her appearances have been since her first appearance in The Phantom Menace. People looking to dress up as Padmé have the choice of relatively low-effort looks all the way up to very extravagant costumes when replicating her throne room outfit.”