When the setting is outer space, and the creator of the story is inspired by the dogfights of World War 2, the plot is going to include some famous pilots. The lore of Star Wars includes all kinds of heroes and villains, and the roster of famous names includes some of the best starfighters in the galaxy.
A few of the most skilled Star Wars pilots are household names along with their famous ships or call signs. All of them turned the tide of the battles they fought in, and even though they weren't always schooled or skilled in a conventional way, they'll go down in galactic history.
8 Han Solo
Perhaps one of the most famous names in the Star Wars franchise is also one of its most skilled and notorious pilots, and his ship, The Millenium Falcon, is just as well-known. Watching him at the helm of different ships in Solo gave fans some background when it came to Han's history of piloting skills.
The life of a smuggler is as much about fancy flying as it is about stealth and trickery, and Han Solo is the type of pilot who has to think beyond the concept of light speed. It's a combination of speed, deception, and guerilla warfare that makes Han such a great pilot.
7 Adi Gallia
Before the Clone Wars broke out, Adi Gallia held a prestigious role as one of the most astute political strategists in the Jedi Order. She came from Coruscant and grew up in an upper-class family with ties to local leadership along with important business connections, which served her well during her time as part of the High Council.
After the war started, she was promoted to the rank of Jedi General in the Grand Army of the Republic, and much of her time was spent in the air. Her role in the Battle of Lola Sayu included flying as one of General Saesee Tiin's Wing Commanders.
6 Luke Skywalker
When Luke first appears in the Star Wars franchise, his goal is to attend the local flight academy along with his friends. He's always been eager to escape the slow, dull life of farming on Tatooine, and gets more than he bargained for with a crash course in fighter pilot training when he gets mixed up with the Rebel Alliance.
Luke Skywalker is one of the best pilots in the lore of Star Wars, and most would say that he inherited his skills from his father. Like Anakin, Luke already had a reputation for his skills with speeders and small tactical ships before he piloted X-wings in space.
5 Poe Dameron
Poe Dameron's piloting skills are reminiscent of Han Solo's in the sense that he got them from smuggling and survival as opposed to formal training. His first ship was a distinct X-wing fighter with a dark color scheme. It was called Black One, and it appeared in The Force Awakens.
Poe has many notable accomplishments as a pilot, and a few of the most famous occurred during the Battle of Starkiller Base, in which he led the charge to destroy the planet. He's famous for knowing how to fly just about anything.
4 Wedge Antilles
One of the few pilots who served with Luke Skywalker and survived as long as he did, Wedge Antilles was one of the two lone survivors of Red Squadron. He made a few quick appearances in the original Star Wars film as part of the Rebel Alliance and a member of the attack force on the original Death Star.
He would appear again as the leader of Rogue Squadron in the Battle of Hoth, and he fought again in the Battle for Endor in the skies above the forest moon. Few other pilots in the Star Wars universe were as skilled and lucky as Wedge.
3 Hera Syndulla
Hera Syndulla grew up during the Clone Wars, so when the time came to take a side, she joined the Rebel Alliance and fought to restore the Galactic Republic. She organized her own small rebel force aboard her ship, the Ghost, and it was so effective that it drew the patronage of Senator Bail Organa.
Hera and her piloting skills, not only as a stealthy freighter pilot but also as a deadly and agile fighter, continued to be a thorn in the side of the Empire right up until their final defeat.
2 Kylo Ren
Unsurprisingly, Han Solo's son and Anakin Skywalker's grandson would be one of the best pilots in the Star Wars universe. He combines the best of both worlds with his formal training mixed with a creative technique.
His ship was a TIE-fighter silencer, a prototype that cleared the way for the First Order to upgrade their flight systems and become even more lethal in combat. The scene in The Force Awakens that features Kylo Ren attacking the Alliance fleet also features this unique TIE-fighter design.
1 Anakin Skywalker
If Ben Kenobi called him the best star pilot in the galaxy, then it must be true. It's possible that Ol' Ben was trying to warm up to young Luke by flattering his father, but Anakin did have some impressive moves, even as a kid with a glorified go-kart.
It seems that Anakin didn't lose his skills as a pilot after becoming Darth Vadar, either. When things get tense during the attack on the first Death Star, he gets into his own Tie Fighter, a decision that ultimately saves his life.