Star Wars: Battlefront II was deemed incredibly disappointing to fans and critics when it was first released in 2017. However, a plethora of awesome updates have since turned the game from a blundering failure into a shining example of success. The game recently experienced its biggest popularity surge ever, thanks to Epic Games releasing the title for free, which added tens of thousands of new players into the mix.

RELATED: 10 Best Moments In Bioware Games

The game's aforementioned updates brought a lot of new content for players to enjoy, including new maps, game modes, and of course, new Heroes and Villains. As such, this existing list has been revised to add a few more entries, while re-ranking the characters based on the balance tweaks DICE applied to the game over time. This represents quite possibly the final official character rankings, unless DICE decides to surprise everyone with brand new content down the road.

Updated on January 25th, 2021 by Derek Draven: It's no secret that Battlefront II has defied the odds and turned a messy launch (complete with horrendous loot box controversy) into a chance for success. What started out as a dud is now an excellent chapter in the Star Wars video game history book. Many players are rightfully upset that some much-desired content never made it into the final title, and that includes missed character opportunities. Yet, Battlefront II has it where it counts - the gameplay. Part of its charm will always be the ability to fill the shoes of the franchise's most iconic and prolific characters, and this ranking represents the best of the best, ordered by their effectiveness in battle.

15 Rey

Rey's primary strength does not lie in her abilities, but rather in her skill with a lightsaber. In terms of melee combat, she's a character that can clear a room if one remembers to strike-and-dash, and repeat the process. When it comes to powers, however, she's a bit on the light side (no pun intended).

Her Dash Strike ability may be enough to break an enemy line or cause a villain to stumble, but her Insight and Mind Trick leave much to be desired. The former is essentially a glorified enemy tracker, while the latter is only good for enemies directly in her path, and only for a short time.

14 Yoda

First introduced in the original Star Wars trilogy, Yoda is one of the most powerful characters in the entire franchise, even if he falls slightly short in Battlefront II. He's still a great hero to use, thanks to his small hit-box, breakneck speed, and diminutive size which makes him incredibly difficult to target.

The character is best used as support alongside teammates. Not only can he weave between friend and foe to take out specific targets, but his Presence ability provides a health and wellness boost for any friendly within its range. He has no block to speak of, instead preferring to absorb enemy blaster fire and eject the energy buildup outwards in a massive Force blast, which is great for taking on a hallway full of enemies.

13 Finn

Don't count out Finn when it comes to Heroes. He's easily one of the best of the newcomers, thanks largely to his blaster-centric attack style. His Undercover Team ability masks the location of himself and his teammates from enemy sensors, allowing them to move up and engage in a surprise attack.

From there, Finn can utilize his Deadeye attack which offers pinpoint firing precision on one enemy at a time, before targeting another. He can also give his teammates a boost with his Big Deal ability, which grants increased health, durability, weapon cooldown, and ability recharge, making him a perfect balance between offensive soldier and support team member.

12 Bossk

Thankfully, Bossk has received a few nerfs through the course of the last year, re-balancing him in accordance with other characters. Before the updates, he was far too deadly a foe for many players to contend with. In his latest form, Bossk has lost some of his teeth, but he's still a dangerous adversary that should not be underestimated.

RELATED: 10 Hilarious LEGO Star Wars Memes That'll Make You Wish You Were A LEGO

Bossk's strength lies in his abilities, as opposed to his blaster file. Bossk's Predator Instincts gives him infra-red vision and the ability to pummel foes with micro-grenades that can rack up kills at an insanely high rate. He can also quadruple the damage quotient by hurling a Dioxis Grenade, which is great for clearing out chokepoints or killing foes in confined spaces. And finally, his Proximity Mines are excellent for defending target areas from enemy incursion, making Bossk a painful threat to contend with.

11 Darth Maul

Battlefront II does a great job of making one feel like they're actually a part of the Star Wars universe. Part of its charm is how the game nails the personalities of key heroes and villains from the franchise. Darth Maul is one of the best examples. This athletic Sith Lord is best used as a strike-and-retreat character who rushes in, decimates foes, and retreats to gather strength.

Maul's Force choke does a great job of hurling opponents away and widening the gap necessary for an effective counterattack. His lightsaber throw takes some practice to perfect, but it's lightning-fast and capable of catching skilled opponents completely off guard. If that weren't enough, his Spin attack is an acrobatic death technique that can get Maul in behind opponents and throw them off guard.

10 Lando Calrissian

Intergalactic smoothie Lando Calrissian might be more of a businessman than a fighter, but he's got it where it counts. He requires practice on the part of the player in order to master, but he can be extremely effective in a pitched battle. He's one of the few characters to strike a good balance between blaster fire rate and cooldown, but that's not all.

Lando's Sharp Shot ability is one of the coolest skills in the game, allowing the player to line up five perfect enemy shots and take them out with the press of a button, which is great for thinning chokepoint ranks. He can also use smoke grenades to confuse enemies or render their scanners useless with a Disabler device that can also be detonated to stun them.

9 Obi-Wan Kenobi

Obi-Wan Kenobi is oft-overlooked by new Battlefront II players who might feel put off by his techniques. Nothing could be further from the truth. In order to truly appreciate what this hero has to offer, players need to practice and get a feel for how he handles himself on the field of battle.

First, Kenobi's lightsaber strikes are clean, deadly, and very efficient. Restrictive Mind Trick can be used on organics and droids alike to scramble their targeting and leave them wide open for his Defensive Rush, which deflects blaster fire as he charges headfirst into the fray. His best ability, however, is his All-Out Push, a narrow but precise Force push attack that can be controlled by holding down the button to build up range.

8 Anakin Skywalker

Anakin Skywalker has been nerfed a few times in recent years, most notably early in 2020 when it became apparent that he was just too unbalanced compared to many characters. As such, he now takes damage far more easily, forcing players to adopt a defensive strategy to keep from whittling their health down to nothing.

RELATED: 10 Best Dark Side Characters in Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes

Nevertheless, Anakin is one of the most powerful characters in the game, thanks not three, but four individual powers. Retribution can be charged up to create a massive Force wave that crushes anything in the immediate vicinity, making Anakin a must-have for rushing and cleaning out enemy checkpoints.

7 Kylo Ren

He may not have been the villain Star Wars fans were expecting on the big screen, but Kylo Ren is quite a threat in Battlefront II. His Pull ability can draw enemies close to him for a killing strike, while his Freeze ability stops enemies dead in their tracks, leaving them wide open to be cut down, or targeted by team members.

However, what truly sets him apart from other villains is his Frenzy attack. This lightning-fast technique allows Ren to leap from foe to foe, slicing them down and leaving the rest scrambling for a target. Ren should be played cautiously, however. He may be tough, but he's less able to withstand a barrage than others on this list.

6 Leia Organa

What Leia lacks in stopping power, she makes up for with versatility. Her Defender Pistol can fire for prolonged periods before requiring a cooldown, allowing her to fixate on enemy targets and deal enough shots to score a kill. When things get heavy, she can utilize Rapid Fire to whip out a blaster rifle and mow down scores of enemies for a short period of time.

Couple that with her ability to throw several grenades at foes to sow confusion, plus a Squad Shield to protect allies from blaster fire, and Leia becomes quite possibly the most balanced fighter in the game. She's definitely one that green-bellies can fall back on while they learn the ropes of Battlefront II.

5 Han Solo

Han lives up to his reputation as a fierce fighter with a collection of techniques that might seem unorthodox but actually complement each other quite nicely. In addition to being a crack shot with his heavy-damage blaster, Han can also charge it up using the Sharpshooter ability to spray and pray.

One of his best abilities is the shoulder charge, which can knock any enemy on their back and open them up for a critical kill shot. And finally, there's no beating a Detonite Charge that can be used as a trap inside chokepoints, then set off with a simple press of the button.

4 Captain Phasma

Phasma's presence in the Disney sequel trilogy was anemic, to say the very least. Like most of the newly introduced characters, she checked out before audiences knew anything about her, besides the color of her armor. Yet, Phasma gets the royal treatment in Battlefront II as one of the game's most effective and dangerous characters.

RELATED: 10 Best Robots in Video Games, Ranked

Players can utilize her Sonn-Blas F-11D rifle at medium or distanced range, thanks to her night vision scope. This makes her effective not only for frontline attacks but distanced support as well. When things get too hot up close, Phasma can utilize her Staff Strikes to crush regular soldiers or deal damage to enemy Heroes. This can be used in conjunction with her Sentry Droid which blasts enemies with pulverizing electrical damage. To top it all off, Phasma can hang in a firefight for prolonged periods thanks to her Survivor ability which boosts her health pool.

3 Luke Skywalker

Luke Skywalker's triumphant reappearance at the end of The Mandalorian season 2 was every bit the dream many Star Wars wanted to see turned into a reality. Luke got to showcase just how powerful he really was, which is something that could never be said for his lackluster return in the Disney sequel trilogy.

Battlefront II took the same approach by giving Luke a much-needed boost, turning him into a wrecking ball in the process. Repulse and Push can shatter foes and send them flying, which is handy when surrounded. For closing the gap and dealing with dangerous villains, his Rush technique is the perfect surprise strike.

2 Darth Vader

Despite a series of nerfs over the years, Darth Vader remains one of the most frightening faces in Battlefront II. He's built like a tank and absorbs just as much damage. His defensive capabilities against multiple opponents is incredible, but that goes double for his multi-target Force choke ability and hurled lightsaber attack.

If that weren't bad enough, players can amp up Vader's destructive power with Focused Rage, a technique that allows him to absorb even more damage, while dishing out maximum punishment. Vader is an offensive powerhouse, particularly if players take things at a medium pace and fall back on his deflective lightsaber defense.

1 Emperor Palpatine

Emperor Palpatine is one of the strongest villains in Battlefront II, and his proficiency in the dark side makes him irresistible to many players. He may not be fast, or particularly agile, but his Force lighting attack more than makes up for it. This devastating ability is the only thing going for him, but it's enough to freak out enemy players and deal scores of damage in short order.

Upgrading this lighting attack is important because it can make the lighting more devastating with each person it hits. This goes double for his Chain Lightning attack that can wipe out several opponents in a split second. Follow it up with Electrocute to paralyze and damage survivors. Palpatine's only real weakness is his low defensive ability. Rushing into a hailstorm of blaster fire is folly, so it's important to strike and keep moving.

NEXT: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order: The 10 Biggest Fixes The Game Needs