“I am a Jedi, like my father before me.” So speaks Luke Skywalker in The Return of the Jedi, the final entry in George Lucas’ classic trilogy of Star Wars films. In doing so, Luke simultaneously claims a destiny and identity, and defies the Emperor’s plan to recruit Luke to the Dark Side to become Palpatine’s new apprentice.
Yet, as moving as this moment is, when Luke finally earns the title of Jedi, I like to think this scene is not the meaning of the film’s title. The movie’s climax, after all, comes not here, where Luke proclaims his triumph, but shortly afterward when Darth Vader claims his — when Vader again becomes Anakin Skywalker, hero and Jedi Knight. It is Anakin’s return to the light, I believe, that constitutes the titular Return.
Having saved Luke and defeated the Emperor, he collapses to the ground and removes his mask, revealing a pale shadow of the man he once had been. Yet there is newfound peace, fulfillment, and happiness in his eyes. This scene conveys great mythic resonance, and ties into one of the most vital truths of the Enneagram wisdom system:
We are not our masks, however well they have worked to shield us from pain and suffering.
Vader-like, we all hide behind masks that protect us from the harsh, sometimes toxic outer world; and as with Vader, healing means learning to remove the mask. To return to and reveal our truest selves.
There are many characters in the galaxy of the Star Wars saga, in its many trilogies and spinoff films and television series. Besides being varied and colorful, they can all serve as images of the Enneagram’s nine types — nine masks, one might say, as the word personality is based on the Greek word for “mask” — revealing the different ways we all strive to hide our true selves and defend against the things we each fear the most.
(Note: Since a treatment of characters’ personalities must take into account their full stories, there will inevitably be spoilers for the movies and TV shows in which they feature, including The Rise of Skywalker. So tread carefully!)
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The Body Triad
Eight
Darth Vader. Believing himself betrayed by the Jedi order, Obi-Wan, and even his wife Padmé, Vader becomes an engine of hatred and rage, which he wields as a weapon in carrying out his plans and those of the Emperor. The sheer force of his presence and the power of his simple, often understated intimidation is a vivid illustration of Eights’ ability to get what they want through the sheer force of their intense personalities. Like Vader, Eights seldom need to make a scene in order to command those around them. Vader is also consumed by a need to exact vengeance on Obi-Wan and the shattered remnants of the Jedi, who he hunts and drives nearly to extinction, reflecting Eights’ passion for vengeance against those who they perceive have done them wrong. Vader’s redemption ultimately comes through the Eight’s more positive traits of protectiveness — for Luke — and vulnerability, finally allowing his son to see the lingering goodness that he has hidden for so long from the entire galaxy, including himself.
Leia Organa. Not all Eights feel a desire to be in control; many simply do not want to be controlled themselves, and seek to preserve their autonomy. In A New Hope, Leia does not hesitate to confront and even mock Tarkin and Vader, nor to push Han and Luke out of her way when their rescue mission on the Death Star turns out less than ideal. Typical of Eights, she takes a long time to trust and admit her feelings for Han, only speaking them at the last moment, before he is frozen in carbonite. Later, during the rescue attempt at Jabba’s palace, she shows the Eight’s protectiveness of their autonomy in killing Jabba when he tries to enslave her. By this time, though, she has shown growth in her ability to readily declare her love and vulnerability, a healthy place for Eights to be. In the sequels, it is Leia’s proactivity, and need to be against, that leads to the creation of the Resistance as the First Order rises. She also shows a great amount of healthy traits by this time: her vulnerability in not wanting to lose Holdo, her protectiveness and nurturing of Rey, and the ultimate sacrifice she makes in Rise of Skywalker, which ends up saving her son.
Maul. Given to Palpatine as a young boy, Maul was indoctrinated into the Sith’s hatred and quest for vengeance against the Jedi. In The Phantom Menace, Maul is impatient to reveal himself, showing an inability to be still and patient. He shows this crackling energy and need to always take action in his final duel with Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon on Naboo, while waiting for the ray shields that separate him from his quarry to deactivate. Instead of kneeling and meditating, as Qui-Gon does, Maul paces like an animal, eager for violence. This lust for action and confrontation is a core Eight trait, as is his thirst for vengeance, the passion of the Eight. His quest for revenge continues in The Clone Wars TV show, when he forms the Shadow Collective, an empire of criminal organizations that he forges in order to destroy his old master, Palpatine, who abandoned him and cheated him of his power and his place in the unfolding plan of the Sith. Maul ironically becomes obsessed with destroying the Sith, to the extent that in his final battle, against Obi-Wan Kenobi on Tatooine, he is ultimately able to find peace knowing that Luke is the Chosen One who will end the Sith Empire and bring balance to the Force.
Din Djarin. After losing his parents during a Separatist attack in the Clone Wars, Djarin was taken in as a foundling by a covert of Mandalorians, and eventually became one of them. As an adult he becomes a bounty hunter, surviving and thriving on the sheer strength of his presence and self-reliance. His distrust of droids in the wake of his childhood losses shows an Eight’s desire to protect themselves and to never allow themselves to become victims again. As is true for many Eights, he becomes protective when he sees innocents being exploited, as when an ex-Imperial client puts a bounty on a young child. Growth for Djarin ultimately comes in the care, sacrifice, and vulnerability he shows when he takes the child under his wing and allows him into his formerly solitary life.
Jyn Erso. Like Vader and Djarin, Jyn has suffered personal loss early in life and believes she has to take control of her fate in order to avoid being hurt ever again: the essential motivation of type Eight. Displaying the type’s typical self-reliance, Jyn is often alone early in her life, after being abandoned by Saw Gerrera, and is unused to people sticking around when things get bad. While at first she resists working for the Rebellion, since all it has brought her is pain, she eventually commits herself when her father reveals the hidden weakness he has designed in the Death Star. Eager to take revenge on her father’s behalf, she rallies others to fight against the Empire, ultimately giving up her life in the process. Her determination to take every chance she has until she wins, or the chances are all spent, display type Eight’s fiery determination and will.
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Nine
Mon Mothma. During the Clone Wars, Mothma is an outspoken opponent of war, preferring peaceful solutions and serving as mentor to Amidala in the Senate. In a deleted scene from Revenge of the Sith, it is she who first suggests forming an alliance to keep Palpatine from further subverting the Republic. Often known as peacekeepers, Nines desire group harmony and put their own needs behind those of the group or of important people in their lives. They can see things from many different perspectives, a skill Mothma utilizes after the creation of the Empire when she draws together the beginnings of the Rebel Alliance, composed of many factions and interests, and of species from different systems. In Rogue One she offers Jyn a chance at a fresh start, and also expresses distaste at the broken trust caused by Saw Gerrera’s militancy, both of which reflect the Nine’s desire for group coherence and inclusivity. Her leadership eventually brings the galaxy to peace and achieves the Military Disarmament Act, and she becomes the first chancellor of the New Republic, in which she again mediates between Centrist and Populist factions in the new Senate.
Kuiil. Calm, easy-going, and valuing the quiet life he has built for himself on Arvala-7, Kuiil helps the Mandalorian Din Djarin to obtain the bounty that has brought strife to his planet of retirement, and therefore helps to restore the peace. He later helps mediate between Djarin and the Jawas, successfully resolving tensions between the two parties. Ultimately, Kuiil gives his life in an attempt to save the Child from ex-Imperial warlords on Nevarro, declaring that “None will be free until the old ways are gone forever.” In all of his words and actions, Kuiil shows the Nine’s desire for serenity and freedom from conflict and suffering, as well as the drive to make peace and to see things from all sides.
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One
Padmé Amidala. Idealistic and committed to her deep belief in democracy, we first meet Padmé as the young queen of Naboo, and later as its senator. Called to public service from a young age, she feels a strong sense of duty to society. She is astounded at the slavery she witnesses on Tatooine, and works to eradicate it as a senator. Like most Ones, she has a strong vision of how things should be and vigorously opposes anything she sees as corruption. She insists on action, refusing to wait for the Senate to ascertain the truth of the attack on Naboo, and reflects Ones’ ability to discern what is imperfect or dysfunctional, lamenting that the Republic no longer functions and lacks sanity and compassion. She feels a strong sense of morality, working against the creation of a Republic army, and objects to a romance with Anakin regardless of her feelings, on the grounds that it would be wrong for both of them and require them to live a lie. A pacifist, she works with great discipline in trying to find diplomatic solutions, and her keen sense of right and wrong allows her to see when others cannot that the Republic may be on the wrong side of the war, and has become the very evil they had wanted to destroy. With her dying words, she insists, reflecting Ones’ ability to discern and to love goodness, that “there is good in [Anakin]…still.”
Mace Windu. As a senior member of the Jedi Council, Mace is a stern adherent to the code of his order, to the point that he can be inflexible and judgmental in his attempts to uphold it. He at first refuses to let Anakin be trained because of the rule against admitting children past a certain age, regardless of the possibility that Anakin is the Chosen One spoken of in prophecy. Attuned to the corruption in the Senate, he distrusts politicians and desires to keep the Jedi out of politics, insisting they are “keepers of the peace, not soldiers.” He similarly distrusts Anakin precisely because of the latter’s close relationship with Palpatine. Tragically and ironically, Mace’s downfall comes when his desire to adhere to the letter of the law and of the Jedi code drives him to violate its spirit, and he leads the attempt to remove Palpatine from office. In doing so, he ends up getting involved in the very machinations he had striven to avoid. Mace’s personal story is a microcosm of the larger story of the Jedi, who begin as an idealistic, spiritual order that protects and upholds life, and ends as mere generals in the Clone Wars, active participants in its violence.
Qui-Gon Jinn. Nearly the opposite of Mace Windu in every way, Qui-Gon is an example of a much healthier One, able to be flexible and spontaneous in the face of life’s challenges. Attuned to the Living Force — a more personal aspect than the larger, more mystical Cosmic Force — he is often seen more as a rule-breaker than a rule-follower, but this is because he feels a higher calling than the mere minutiae of the Jedi code or the edicts of the Jedi Council. Yet a quote from the recent novel Master & Apprentice illuminates his One-like love of and desire for goodness: “I don’t turn toward the light because it means someday I’ll ‘win’ some sort of cosmic game. I turn toward it because it is the light.” He often reaches out to less fortunate, such as Jar Jar and Anakin, feeling a responsibility for those who it is in his power to help. Most striking, his idealistic vision allows him to see the goodness in Anakin. Even if he doesn’t see the tragedy that will come before that goodness ultimately brings the balance Qui-Gon holds such deep faith in, he is no less correct in hearing the will of the Force and submitting to its deeper, higher wisdom, even if that submission often looks like troublemaking to others.
Wilhuff Tarkin. One of the few examples of villainous Ones, Tarkin was raised to believe in the guiding values of discipline and obedience on his home planet of Eriadu, whose culture valued survival as a way of life, as shown in the novel Tarkin. Because of this upbringing, he essentially holds a fascist ideology, withholding respect for those who take decisive action and are willing to do what it takes to win. While the need to win may seem more of a Three trait and the need for force may seem more of an Eight trait, it is Tarkin’s belief in the rightness and propriety of these things that marks him a One; Threes can justify cutting corners, and Eights may not care if their actions are moral or not, but Ones need to be proper and right. While a villain, Tarkin does make some accurate observations: mainly that Jedi, as peacekeepers, have no business being generals in a war, as he points out in the Clone Wars. Tarkin stands resolutely by his principles, even if they are militaristic and anti-democratic. He tends to lecture, a communication style Ones are known for, and believes in a well-ordered galaxy ruled by fear and power. Convinced of the rightness of the Death Star, he ironically is destroyed aboard the very thing he believes will bring peace to the galaxy.
Rose Tico. From the moment her character is introduced in The Last Jedi, Rose is a force of idealism who calls other characters to be be better than they are or believe they could be. She stops Finn from leaving the Resistance via escape pod, even though she believes he is a hero for leaving the First Order and helping to destroy Starkiller Base. Later, when their plan takes them to Canto Bight, she expresses disgust at what she calls “a terrible place filled with the worst people in the galaxy.” Unlike Finn, she sees past the casino’s luxury and beauty, seeing, as Ones often do, what is wrong with a given situation: the cruelty against fathiers, the industrialists and war profiteers who patronize it. At the end of the movie she rescues Finn from his suicide attempt, declaring that the Resistance will win not by destroying what they hate, but by saving what they love.
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The Heart Triad
Two
Bail Organa. While Bail shows a strong One wing in his idealism and belief in democracy, he shows a dominance in type Two in his service as senator and in his hardworking commitment to the Rebel Alliance. He pledges in Revenge of the Sith to do everything he can to help end the war, and when the Jedi Temple is attacked he goes there in an attempt to aid them. Though he is turned away by clone troopers, he ultimately becomes indispensable to Yoda and Obi-Wan’s investigations into the Jedi purge and to their efforts to hide the Skywalker twins. Bail enables Obi-Wan to safely return to Coruscant, facilitates his rendezvous with Yoda, and saves Yoda’s life as he escapes from the Senate building. These heroic actions mirror type Two’s need to help and serve in order to be needed by others. Bail also shows the warm, nurturing side of type Two in his decision to adopt Leia, and in the love and devotion he gives her as her father. He also displays the Two’s easy vulnerability and willingness to trust in his confidence in Leia during the Galactic Civil War, entrusting his adopted daughter with his very life.
Shmi Skywalker. Very little insight is given into Shmi’s character or motivations, but the little we do get suggests a Two typing. In The Phantom Menace we learn that Shmi sees the galaxy’s biggest problem as the fact that “nobody helps each other,” and she later tells Qui-Gon that Anakin “can help you. He was meant to help you.” Helping and serving others are key motivations of type Two, whose own need is to be needed; often at the expense of having their own desires met. Shmi ultimately lets go of Anakin, selflessly allowing him to achieve his dreams as a Jedi while staying behind on Tatooine, still enslaved.
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Three
Anakin Skywalker. As noted above, Darth Vader is a quintessential Eight; and yet Anakin, who ultimately becomes Vader, is a Three. In my opinion, this is emblematic of one of the prequels’ greatest weaknesses: the mismatch between Anakin Skywalker and the villain he ultimately becomes. Though Threes and Eights are both in the Enneagram’s assertive / aggressive stance, Threes are preoccupied with their image while Eights just want you to do what they say and get out of their way — forces of nature that Threes at most project an appearance of. From childhood, Anakin defines his pride and self worth on his accomplishments: he can fix anything, is the only human who can race pods, and resolves to become “the greatest Jedi ever.” As an adult, he promises his dying mother that he won’t fail again, and bases his worth as a husband on whether he can overcome the specter of losing Padmé. His obsession with performance and fear of failure are typical Three traits, and Anakin takes them so far that it costs him all his meaningful relationships. The Three’s need for affirmation and recognition is what ultimately endears him to Palpatine’s flattery, who hints that no one else sees Anakin’s true greatness. Threes ultimately tend to lose touch with their true selves in their efforts to embody what is valued by others. This loss of self is what Obi-Wan eventually describes as Anakin being betrayed and murdered by Vader, the embodiment of unchecked ego. As an unhealthy Three, Anakin descends into obsession, driven by the need to destroy anything that reminds him of his failures. He is ultimately only saved by reconnecting with his true self by forming a bond with Luke, mirroring Threes’ movement in integration toward Six, where they reconnect to and reinvest in others regardless of how they are perceived.
Han Solo. One of Han’s most notable traits is his ability to talk himself out of almost any situation, even if only for long enough to get in the right blaster shot. He puts on a show of toughness, but those who know him best know he’s not a criminal at heart, but a “good guy,” as Qi’ra puts it in Solo. A key Three trait is the ability to embody qualities most admired by those around one’s self, and Han has been surrounded by cutthroats and criminals all his life, which is where the facade of toughness comes from. His softer, more heart-driven side is shown in his choices to go back for Lando during the Kessel Run and for Luke at Hoth, and ultimately his willingness to do anything for the sake of his son, Ben. Han also shows type Three’s ambition; he tells the Imperial enlistment agent he will be the best pilot in the galaxy, has no doubt of his ability to win the Falcon from Lando, and brags to Luke about the Falcon‘s speed. The fact that “12 parsecs” is only true if you round down, as Chewbacca points out, reflects Threes’ tendency to be self-salesmen. When Han loses his son to the dark side, he goes back to the only thing he was ever good at, pouring himself into work at the expense of his family, a common danger for Threes. When he tells Rey he “used to be” Han Solo, this suggests he has almost lost a sense of his former self, as Threes have a tendency to lose connection with the true self behind all of the personas they project. Just before he dies, though, he shows a willingness to reinvest not only in those who are important to him — Leia, Ben, the Resistance — but also in new people in his life like Rey, showing movement toward growth for a Three.
Lando Calrissian. With an entire closet full of capes at his disposal, Lando fits comfortably as a Three, the type most concerned with appearances and perception. He is fastidious about his own and the Falcon‘s appearance, and is known for charisma and impeccable taste. Always one for cultivating his own legend, he tells Han that “Everything you’ve heard about me is true.” Threes believe they must win in order to demonstrate their self worth (to themselves as much as to others), so they are sometimes known to cut corners in order to achieve their goals, seen in Lando’s repeated use of a hidden green sylop card in the game of sabacc; it is only by pick-pocketing this hidden card that Han is able to finally (and fairly) win the Falcon at the end of Solo. By the time we see him again in The Empire Strikes Back, Lando shows the Three’s capacity for success: he is a businessman and leader and now wears a respectable face to the galaxy. Though put between a rock and a hard place by the Empire’s arrival at Cloud City, Lando still tries to deal his way out of the situation and help his friends, and ultimately becomes a respectable leader in the Rebellion, as well as fighting in the final battle of the Resistance.
Sheev Palpatine. While power and revenge — typical concerns of Eights — are Palpatine’s primary goals, he is motivated less by the Eight’s desire to protect and extend his autonomy and control over those around him, and more by a desire to achieve and triumph where other Sith lords have failed, and to demonstrate his superiority over others. The fact that the Sith desire power and revenge are the reason Palpatine puts stock in these things; and the tendency to to pursue the things that are valued by those they see as most important is a hallmark trait of type Three. As is Palpatine’s marked ability to dissemble; he wears a false face to the entire galaxy for most of his political career, able to effortlessly slip into and out of his various masks of Senator, Chancellor, and Sith lord Darth Sidious. He also shows a core Three trait in his magnetic, charismatic personality, able to get the votes he needs to be elected Supreme Chancellor in the first place, then be given emergency powers during the Clone Wars, and finally the support needed to convince an entire galaxy to accept him as Emperor.
Orson Krennic. As head of weapons research and leader of the Death Star project, Krennic is guided in all he does by the need to demonstrate his worth through his accomplishments, the primary motivation of type Three. As is common with Threes, Krennic is more concerned with his ultimate goal than with how it is achieved, apparent in his willingness to use terror in order to bring peace, and in his use of Galen Erso, a much more brilliant scientist than he, in order to win himself accolades. Krennic is disappointed when the Emperor and Vader do not come to witness the Death Star’s power for themselves, desiring to win praise from them directly. When Tarkin later seizes control of the project, Krennic angrily insists that it is “my achievement, not yours!”
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Four
Luke Skywalker. In The Empire Strikes Back, Yoda complains that Luke’s mind is always “to the future, to the horizon. Never his mind on where he was. Hmm? What he was doing.” This daydreaming stance toward the world, epitomized in the famous shot of Luke gazing at the binary sunset on Tatooine, yearning for a more meaningful life elsewhere, is a hallmark trait of type Four. As is true for every Enneagram type, one’s greatest weakness is also one’s greatest strength, and vice versa. For Luke, his starry-eyed idealism keeps him open to possibilities beyond what pragmatic people like his uncle or Han Solo consider possible or practical. It also gives him vision and insight, allowing him to perceive goodness in Vader when no one else can — not even Leia, Obi-Wan, or Yoda. Yet his inability to stay present in the moment, and his overreliance on his feelings, also make it easy for him to be drawn into Vader’s trap on Bespin, and to sink into envy when the rest of his friends leave home before him. Like many Fours, he believes he is limited by a basic deficiency — he thinks he can’t go with Obi-Wan to become a Jedi, then later that he can’t lift the X-wing from the swamp on Dagobah. In the sequels, Luke is deeply marked by shame, the biggest limitation Fours face. He feels responsible for Ben Solo’s fall and goes into hiding until Rey finds him. This marks a shift from a Three wing (seen in his earlier desire to prove himself as a Jedi) to a Five wing, as he takes refuge from the world, believing he has lost the capability to do and be what the galaxy needs. Like all Fours, Luke’s path of growth is to overcome the pull of shame, regret, and his sense of incompleteness, and return to the world around him, becoming a force of idealistic involvement as he does in The Last Jedi. Though he dies with his eyes still literally on the horizon, his inner eye is no longer turned to his shortcomings, or even his fantasies, but to the needs of the wider world.
Qi’ra. A core trait of type Four is their belief that something in them is missing or essentially damaged or defective, a belief that seems to guide Qi’ra all throughout Solo. When Han is forced to leave Corellia without her, she is rescued by the Crimson Dawn figurehead, Dryden Vos, and is haunted by the terrible things she does for him. Her shame (one of Fours’ most powerful emotions) is so strong that she will not tell Han what she has been through when they meet again years later, believing that if he knew the truth about her he wouldn’t look at her the same way. The feeling of being damaged goods, and her conviction that a lasting relationship with Han is impossible, leads her to betray and abandon him on Savareen, instead taking control of Crimson Dawn. This closely mirrors a common Four relationship dynamic: afraid of rejection or dysfunction, they can often withdraw from relationships themselves so that if heartbreak occurs it is on their terms. Qi’ra likes to imagine Han away on some adventure, and herself with him, and wishes it could be true. Dissatisfied with their mundane or disappointing lives, many Fours will take refuge in imaginary alternate fantasy lives, dreaming of connection and belonging they fear they can never attain.
Rey Skywalker. Left alone on Jakku as a child, Rey’s deepest wound is abandonment and feeling unwanted — the greatest fear of type Four. As Kylo Ren says, her greatest weakness is that she can’t stop needing her parents, who she looks for in Han, Luke, and Leia, yearning for belonging. Rey is in search of her place in the wider story of the galaxy, mirroring type Four’s quest for significance and special meaning in their lives. Rey fears what dwells inside her, telling Luke she doesn’t know “what it is, or what to do with it.” In Rise of Skywalker, this Four-like fear of what is inside of her culminates with the knowledge that she is Palpatine’s granddaughter, provoking shame and existential questioning. She feels cut off from and misunderstood by the others, and believes she is ultimately alone. Rey’s inward focus, another key Four trait, is symbolized in her scavenging the empty insides of Imperial ships and by making her home in the ruins of an old walker, drawing her living from the past. As is true of many Fours, she is drawn to dark, inner places, like the cave on Ahch-To, which offers her something she needs. Her yellow lightsaber blade, and her choice to claim a new identity in adopting the name Skywalker, reflect the Four’s need to be special. Desiring to be seen and known, Rey is deeply emotional and empathetic, seeing value in the most unlikely people and things, steadfastly believing in Ben Solo’s capacity to return to the light.
Kylo Ren / Ben Solo. Seduced by Snoke at a young age while training under Luke, Ben has been guided for much of his life by the fear of insignificance, and of being irredeemably flawed and damaged, a central fear and belief of type Four. He sees his grandfather, Darth Vader, as a special symbol of what he wishes he could be, yet fears he never will. As Kylo Ren, Ben performs the central Four quest to craft a unique identity, taking pride in his unique lightsaber, his new name, and a new mask. Snoke’s later taunt about the mask results in explosions of shame and anger, a clear exhibit of Fours’ tendency to be dramatic and emotional. He feels “torn apart” by temptation to the light, and he punches his own wound to give himself more pain and energy to fight on Starkiller Base. Later, when he repairs the broken mask, he ensures that it clearly exhibits the breaks and fragmentations in striking red, highlighting its flaws and imperfections — a very Four aesthetic. Ben shows a Four’s tendency toward empathy in his keen understanding of Rey’s fears and desires, which mirror his own. He is ultimately redeemed when his mother gives up her life to appear before him, allowing him to realize it isn’t too late, that he isn’t irredeemably damaged by his past choices. He throws away his cross-bladed lightsaber, no longer needing a new name or weapon to make himself special.
Chirrut Îmwe. Representing type Four’s tendency to mysticism, Chirrut embodies a visionary ability to see the true heart and value of things in spite of their outer appearances. Far from being a limitation, his blindness gives him insight into the depths of people around him, allowing him to detect the kyber crystal worn by Jyn when they first meet on the holy moon of Jedha, and the darkness in Cassian before he attempts to kill Jyn’s father on Eadu. Chirrut thus demonstrates a key truth for type Four: that their perceptions of being limited and deficient are ultimately untrue, and in reality are strengths that enable them as they engage more fully with the world around them. Chirrut also represents Fours’ disinterest in superficial things, yearning instead to dive deeper and form more meaningful connections with those who are important to them.
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The Mind Triad
Five
Yoda. The most iconic Five in Star Wars, and maybe in any pop-culture franchise, Yoda exhibits almost all of the type’s traits and tendencies, from its desire to hide from the world, to its low energy levels, to its unending quest for wisdom and understanding. Yoda retreats from the galaxy in the prequels (preferring to stay ensconced in the Jedi Temple) as well as in the classic trilogy (going into exile on Dagobah). His recurring sighs are evidence of energy budgeting — they are not merely the sighs of a tired, elderly creature, but of a world-weary master who feels powerless to stem the tides he observes gathering in the galaxy around him. For all his wisdom, Yoda seems continually overwhelmed. His observation, perception, and understanding are apparent from the moment he first senses Anakin’s fear in The Phantom Menace, and in his insight that the Republic’s win at Geonosis is no true victory for the light, and in sensing impatience in Luke, who he has watched for many long years with the Five’s typical studiousness. Most of Yoda’s memorable quotes are Five-like dispensing of deep facts and truths about the Force. He shows a healthy measure of type Five’s virtue of healthy non-attachment, telling Anakin to “train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose,” and not fearing his own death when it comes. He is also healthy enough to realize that the best teacher is not research or observation, but “weakness, folly, failure most of all.” In other words, that wisdom is life lived, not words on the pages of sacred texts.
Count Dooku. With a dry, sarcastic, sometimes arch personality, Dooku prefers to work behind the scenes rather than be directly involved in action, mirroring the detached reserve seen in type Five. Once a Jedi himself, Dooku becomes jaded and cynical, as Fives are sometimes known to be. As a result, he retires from the wider world and leaves the Jedi behind, preferring to act alone. Stoical and detached in mannerism, he uses knowledge as a weapon against Obi-Wan on Geonosis, revealing that the Senate is in control of a Sith Lord — knowing that Obi-Wan will not believe it coming from him, and therefore ensuring that he and the Jedi are blinded to the Sith’s movements. Typical of Fives, who budget their energy and seek to stay on the sidelines in an observational role, Dooku notably does not participate in the arena battle on Geonosis at all, instead standing by and watching as the droid army and the Geonosians fight for him. When finally confronted directly by Anakin and Obi-Wan, he does defeat them in combat, but looks exhausted after doing so. When Yoda confronts him, he attempts to win not by attacking physically, but by using more cerebral, indirect Force powers, casting lightning and then hurling objects at him, only resorting to physical activity when absolutely necessary.
Galen Erso. A scientist in crystallography and energy enhancement, Galen singlemindedly delves into his studies of kyber crystals, as detailed in the novel Catalyst. His search for knowledge wins him a place in the Futures Program where he meets Krennic, his friendship with whom ultimately leads to his reluctant involvement in the Death Star project. A typical Five, Galen prefers a peaceful life where he is left alone to study. When pressed into Imperial service, he plays the part of a beaten man resigned to the sanctuary of his work, an image that rings true for type Five, who often find security in the areas of their expertise. Showing typical Five insight and intelligence, Galen hides a weakness in the Death Star designs, enabling the Rebels to destroy it. His dying words are that he has so much to tell his daughter Jyn, a fitting envoi for a Five, known for their love of sharing knowledge.
K-2SO. Perhaps the greatest mark of this droid’s typing is his dry wit, a shade of humor for which Fives, often understated and ironic, are particularly known. Humor for this type is often so sardonic that others have trouble telling whether they are joking or serious, a phenomenon which happens with K-2SO more than once, to hilarious effect. His area of specialty is strategic analysis, fitting for Fives who are analytic, detached, and insightful. The droid’s tendency toward pessimism and his tendency to calculate gloomy odds also hints at a Six wing, as does his loyalty to Cassian.
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Six
Obi-Wan Kenobi. Many assume, as Obi-Wan is the quintessential, ideal Jedi, that he must be a One, but this idea falls apart quickly on close inspection. Obi-Wan’s loyalty to the Jedi order, his identification with and deep commitment to the group, are hallmarks of type Six, often called “Loyalists.” Dependent on authority, he urges Qui-Gon to go along with the Jedi Council’s wishes, forbids Anakin from doing anything without consulting him or the Council, and waxes romantically to Luke about his memories of the order. Despite their bickering and Obi-Wan’s complaining and worrying, he is a good and loyal friend to Anakin, truly heartbroken when his friend betrays him and the Jedi to become Vader. Chronologically, Obi-Wan is the first to speak the iconic line, “I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” appropriate for a Six given their tendency toward worry, anxiety, and threat-forecasting. At one point he asks Anakin, “Why do I get the feeling you’re going to be the death of me?” — a question that not only marks his nervous disposition but his strong sense of humor, something Sixes are well known for. His tendency to look out for potential danger is also seen in his cautioning Luke as they approach Mos Eisley, and in his warning that Luke will be tempted by the Dark Side if he goes to Cloud City. He fears losing Luke the way he lost Vader, and the lens of fear through which he views the galaxy keeps him unable to imagine a good ending to a confrontation with his father if the boy cannot ultimately kill him. Sixes often have a hard time imagining positive outcomes, tending to remember failures rather than successes. Like all Sixes, Obi-Wan primarily wants to create a safe world not only for himself but for others, seen in his desire to set up a warning signal after the Jedi purge in Revenge of the Sith, and in his insistence to Han that there alternatives to fighting. He ultimately sacrifices his life to allow Luke and his friends to escape the Death Star, but more importantly, helps Luke to destroy it, eliminating a massive danger to peace and safety across the galaxy.
C-3PO. Sixes are sometimes further classified as either phobic or counterphobic, based on how they respond to their guiding passion, which is fear. See-Threepio is a classic example of a phobic Six, running away from the source of his fears. Typical of Sixes, he is keenly aware of possible risks, paying more attention to the way that things could go wrong than all the different ways they could go right. Many of his most famous lines are expressions of this basic anxiety that Sixes face, even though they spend far more time worrying than actually experiencing the things they worry about. Among the Six’s more positive traits is their value of groups and relationships, symbolized in Threepio’s specialization in protocol and etiquette, which are basically the study of group dynamics and socialization. Consistently loyal, a mark of a true Six, he will stick by his friends even as he is berating and insulting them, as he often is with Artoo. In fact, the ricocheting between insulting and praising his friend is another typical Six trait, as Sixes are often bundles of polar opposites.
R2-D2. Though his bravery is a far cry from the comical cowardice of Threepio, Artoo-Detoo is surprisingly the same type. The difference is that he displays the counterphobic side of Sixes, running toward the sources of their fears rather than away from them in an attempt to confront and overcome anxiety. He is feisty, spirited, and full of nerve, eager to stand by his friends even when told to remain behind with the ship, as on Geonosis in Attack of the Clones. Like Threepio, he shows a marked loyalty, a key Six trait. He continually worries about Anakin in the prequels, then shows stark dedication to Leia’s mission to find Obi-Wan in A New Hope. For all his courage, he does show the Six’s tendency to worry in his initial distrust of Luke, his fear of the approaching Tuskens, his wondering if Dagobah is safe for droids, and his concern that Luke is not regrouping with the rest of the Rebellion. Willing to do anything for his friends, Artoo is an embodiment of the truth that the core weakness of any type is potentially that type’s greatest strength. Sixes, whose passion is fear, have the greatest potential for courage of all the other nine types.
Chewbacca. Perhaps the most loyal character in the Star Wars galaxy, Chewie’s prime motivation is to make the galaxy a safer place for people he loves and lives with — his family on Kashyyyk, and the humans and other aliens chooses as extended family while traveling the stars. In Solo, we learn his reason for joining Beckett’s crew is to gain money and freedom to return to his tribe. He shows loyalty to Han even when he doesn’t have to, entering a criminal life in order to help his new friend get a new start. He worries about Threepio’s disappearance in Cloud City, goes back to look for him, and doesn’t give up until he has the droid at least somewhat repaired again. His mournful wails in the Cloud City prison, like an anxious dog, are testimony to the depth of feeling and loyalty he bears to his partner when Han is tortured. As brave as he is, Chewie also shows type Six’s weakness of fear. He is reluctant to go into the garbage chute in A New Hope, cries out in desperation at the door, and is called by Han a big coward once they get out. Yet he also shows a Six’s growth toward courage in the face of fear in his mission to save Han from Jabba’s palace, his willingness to join the Endor mission, his firing at Kylo Ren after Han is killed, and his forceful insistence that Luke return to the Resistance when he and Rey arrive at Ahch-To.
Finn. Displaying both phobic and counterphobic traits, Finn is probably a social subtype of Six. The first action he takes in the story, to leave the First Order where he had been raised as a stormtrooper, is driven by fear and revulsion of them, a fear that continues to guide his motivations until after he witnesses Rey being kidnapped and brought to Starkiller Base. This fear continues to influence him in The Last Jedi, when he tries to leave the Resistance in order to save Rey. His loyalty to friends is a key Six trait, and is what ultimately convinces him to risk everything for the Resistance, rejecting DJ’s claim that there is ultimately no difference between them and the First Order, and that all is “just business.” His counterphobic moments are memorable in that they are usually set against Captain Phasma, who represents his past, and who he confronts with obvious relish and passion. Like Artoo, Finn is another case in point of Sixes’ potential, despite fear being their passion, to be the most courageous type in their highest levels, seen in his willingness to give his life in taking down the battering ram cannon on Crait, and later the navigation signal at the battle of Exegol.
Cassian Andor. A member of the Rebel Alliance since age six, Cassian is firmly identified with the group he fights for, displaying a central characteristic of type Six. Indeed, he often shows unquestioning loyalty to the Rebellion, admitting that he has done terrible things in the service of the cause he believes in. Yet Cassian also shows a measure of health when he is commanded to kill Galen Erso, trusting his own judgment and deciding to spare the scientist even at the cost of defying orders from a Rebel authority figure. Though typically suspicious, Cassian also shows a healthy level of trust in allowing Jyn to keep a blaster during the mission to Jedha. Attuned to risk as all Sixes are, he is sensitive to the tension in Jedha City and is able to tell when the city is about to blow. He ultimately shows loyalty to Jyn, who has proven herself trustworthy on Jedha and Eadu, when he further defies Rebel leadership and follows her into the battle of Scarif as part of Rogue One.
Baze Malbus. Once among the most devoted of the Guardians of the Whills, protectors of the Kyber Temple on the moon of Jedha, Baze has all but lost his faith in the Force entirely when we first meet him. Having witnessed firsthand the temple’s rape and pillage at the hands of the Empire, Baze is no longer able to believe that the Force enables goodness and freedom to prevail. This is a reflection of Sixes’ central struggle: to believe in a world in which they can feel safe, stable, and secure. Ultimately, Baze regains his faith when his best friend, Chirrut, sacrifices himself at Scarif, having demonstrated his own belief in the Force’s goodness and providence. Baze’s loyalty to Chirrut is also a testimony to type Six’s faithfulness to family, friends, and group.
Saw Gerrera. Guided by fear and often noted for a suspicion of strangers, Sixes tend to be on the lookout for threats or risks on the horizon, a tendency vividly illustrated by Saw in Rogue One. He refuses to believe the Imperial defector when he brings news of the Death Star to Saw, only trusting him when Jyn Erso, the young woman he helped raised, shows him the truth of the defector’s message. His fear and suspicion are perhaps most vividly seen in his fear, even if momentary, that Jyn, who he cares for, has come to kill him. Saw displays the counterphobic side of Sixes in his fight against the Empire, urging his Partisans that one fighter with a sharp stick and nothing left to lose can take the day. Another notable Six trait is their awareness of and need to trust leadership and authority. If they believe a leader is untrustworthy, they will do anything it takes to replace them with a safer leader, even if not themselves. This is seen in Saw’s decision to break away from the main Rebellion, which he doesn’t believe is extreme enough to do what must be done.
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Seven
Poe Dameron. One of the few Sevens to be found in the Star Wars galaxy, Poe’s type is marked by its unquenchable optimism, positivity, and appetite for new experiences, all traits he displays in the sequel trilogy. Sevens are known for their sense of humor, which Poe exhibits in his first encounter with the glowering Kylo Ren (“So who talks first? You talk first? I talk first?”). He tells Finn he has always wanted to fly a TIE fighter even though he fights for the Resistance, reflecting the Seven’s desire to try everything at least once. Poe is upbeat and filled with hope, reminding his squadron that “As long as there’s light, we’ve got a chance,” and only partially bragging to Finn that “I can fly anything.” He also displays many of type Seven’s weaknesses: their inability to be present in the moment or to stay put in one place very long, seen in Poe’s need to solve every problem by getting in a cockpit and blowing things up. He craves excitement and can be impulsive and reckless, risking everything on a gambit, as he does to disastrous effect in The Last Jedi. Yet he also shows the path of growth for type Seven: toward sobriety, seriousness, and rootedness, which he proves when he chooses to save the Resistance rather than continue the fight on Crait.
Jar Jar Binks. The most striking example of his type in the prequels, Jar Jar is extroverted, optimistic, spontaneous, playful, and impulsive, all core traits of Sevens. He is marked by an inability to stay still, and is curious about everything he sees, especially if it is food. On Tatooine, his need to taste everything gets him in trouble more than once. Yet, though others are easily annoyed at him, Jar Jar’s positivity and sunny attitude never flag, as is typical of Sevens. He has a childlike personality, often looking at the world as Sevens do with wide-eyed wonder, anticipating all the good things life has to offer with a joy that Jar Jar quite decidedly embodies.
Ahsoka Tano. Bright, vivacious, and reckless, Anakin’s apprentice during the Clone Wars at first shows a tendency to rush into battle without thinking things through, and refuses to retreat even when so ordered. As with Poe, this sometimes has tragic consequences, such as the Battle of Ryloth where her bravado ends up losing pilots, and at Felucia, where it almost costs her own life. Typical of type Seven, she always wants to rush toward the next thing, unwilling to remain focused in her training or dwell on a lesson for long enough. In the final months of the war she is framed for a bombing and expelled from the Order. Though her name is cleared and she is invited back by Yoda and the Council, Ahsoka prefers to leave the Temple and forge a new life, reflecting Sevens’ preference for the future at the expense of the past, and even of the present moment. In the days of the Empire she confronts her old master in battle, now the evil Darth Vader, who claims that she abandoned him: “Where were you when I needed you?” “I made a choice. I couldn’t stay.” “You were selfish.” “No!” “You abandoned me! You failed me! Do you know what I’ve become?” Though of course she can’t really be blamed in any way for Anakin’s choices, the vision does point to her inability to stay in one place for long, a key Seven weakness. Ultimately Ahsoka does grow, even during the scope of the Clone Wars, becoming more measured, thoughtful, and finding a healthy place of non-attachment, a key place of health for type Seven.
Jabba the Hutt. Perhaps more a caricature than a character, Jabba is nonetheless an image (if a distorted one) of a Seven at the most unhealthy level. The traditional passion of type Seven is gluttony, a trait that Jabba exhibits to the extreme. He is obsessed with pleasure to the extent that it’s hedonistic, and constantly need to be entertained, whether by music, fighting monsters, or rides on his sail barge. He even takes pleasure in the suffering and death of others. The need for novelty and pleasure — two of type Seven’s watchwords — is ultimately his downfall, as his lust for Leia results in his death, and his need for spectacle results in his prisoners escaping and wiping out most if not all of his staff.
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There is room, of course, for disagreement in some of these typings, and while I’m fairly confident in all of them, I recognize nonetheless that some are less clearly evident than others. As is always the case with the Enneagram, it is motivation that matters far more than behavior, which can sometimes be misleading in determining type; and motivations are not always clear in Star Wars. Though I love this saga, I have no problem admitting that things can often be muddled, sometimes contradictory.
For more information on the Enneagram in general, or about the nine types, there are several amazing books on the subject; I personally recommend those by Beatrice Chestnut, Ian Morgan Cron, Chris Heuertz, and Richard Rohr. For a quick Internet reference, the Enneagram Institute’s website is the most in-depth and reliable, and the podcast Typology is fun, accessible, and full of wisdom and insight.
Thanks to Hope Mullinax, for clarifying certain aspects of the Clone Wars timeline!
I believe that Anakin is a 2 with a strong 3 wing. He would disintegrate to a type 8 in stress which is exactly what happens when he goes to the dark side as Vader. They should be typed together and this link counters your thoughts on the poor character transition to Vader.
Rey is more likely a 9w8. 9s fear of separation can look a lot like a 4s fear of abandonment. The difference is that as a 9, she lines up perfectly with her growth and stress points. Going to a 6 (clinging to her past) under stress and to a 3 (action) in growth.
Hans Solo is more of a 7. 7s can be boastful like 3s, but their drive is different. I believe he seeks adventure and pleasure more than the desire to be the best like a 3 would.
I agree with these assessments! Rey’s tendency to attach to parent figures mirrors a 9’s tendency to define themselves by other people. The 8 wing also exemplifies her lack of allowing people in, due to her past betrayal. She’s got armor now.
I think what needs to be recognized is that Anakin and Vader are not two different people with different Enneatypes. Vader seems 8ish but he’s not an 8. He does resemble an 8 because Anakin is a sexual 4 (which are known to resemble 8s). Anakin’s vice is envy and his insecurity is belief in his inner deficiency. Like 4s he believes that he is missing something. Palpatine turns him to the darkside by preying on this trait. He constantly isolates anakin from others by emphasizing his “uniqueness” – for example, “ever since I’ve known you, you’ve long for a life greater than that of the ordinary Jedi.” Like a 4 Anakin struggles with the ordinary because he believes that he is missing something internally that everyone else has. Anakin is marked by his emotional self-absorption (4s), and struggles as a jedi because his feelings are too intense. Most 3s aren’t very aware of their own feelings, and 2s are other-referencing (meaning that they focus on other people first). Anakin like a 4 is self-referencing and like 4s his primary defense is introjection. He is constantly internalizing his own fears of rejection and he is quick to believe what is said about him espiif it validates his own fears. Vader/Anakin later seems more 8ish and domineering because sexual 4s can be more volatile, dramatic and can align more with anger than shame (like social 4s do). Unlike an 8 however Vader isn’t driven by instinct but by feeling. The sexual subtype is primarily about the desire to merge with another. Anakin Skywalker does this constantly. Trying to merge with an idealized/romanticized other is both 4ish and sexual/one-to-one. In ep 1 he attaches to Qui-Gon quickly and Padme, by ep 3 he is merged to Obi-Wan and Padme. Over the course of the prequels Palpatine works to turn Anakin not only by emphasizing his “uniqueness” and right to separate himself from the ordinary but by also trying to become Anakin’s primary attachment figure. In the prequels we mostly watch Anakin decompensating to a less healthy 4 over time. We also see anakin embody traits of the 4 lines to 1 and to type 2. At his healthiest (like a 2) he can be less self absorped and even appear selfless, in very unhealthy moments he can become rigid (likes 1s), “if you’re not with me you’re my enemy” or “from my point of view the jedi are evil.” Like an unhealthy one, he only sees the world in dichotomies when he first becomes Vader, there is only one right way. By the time we see Vader in the original films he is a very unhealthy sexual 4 and like an unhealthy sexual 4 he lashes out at others in anger, trying to punish everyone because of what has happened to him, while taking no responsibility for his role in his own life.
Hey, Steven! Thanks for the comment!
I think if Anakin were a real human being then your point about him having only one type would be an excellent one. But, as amazing as the Star Wars saga is, it definitely has its share of flaws, and I think one of them is inconsistent character writing for Anakin/Vader. As a type Four myself, it’s hard for me to see much of anything in common with Anakin except for his emotional intensity, which, while it definitely is a central quality of Fours, is far from the only one. I do not see any hint in Anakin of a feeling of missing something or of being defective, which I think is a much more quintessential Four trait. If anything, the opposite is true. He sees and appreciates his power and ability and resents others for not acknowledging it and promoting him for it (his obsession with becoming a master in Revenge), which feels like more of a Three need for recognition. While Threes aren’t typically in touch with their true feelings, it doesn’t mean they don’t have any or don’t feel them. Especially if you watch The Clone Wars, Anakin consistently shows a concern for proving himself, both to his friends and allies as well as to his enemies, which Fours, being more withdrawn, aren’t typically as interested in doing. While it’s true that Palpatine plays on Anakin’s uniqueness, he doesn’t just say Anakin is unique—he says Anakin is the most powerful, the best. This would play more into a Three’s vanity than it would into a Four’s desire for uniqueness. I think a Four would see through that kind of flattery; they would know very well that they’re too defective (so they believe) to be the best at anything, even if it were actually true.
As for the type One qualities you point to, I think those are much more in line with type Eight than One. Eights tend to be very black and white, so Vader’s “with me or against me” quote fits very well with an Eight typing. Even more telling, I think, is the “Jedi are evil” part. Eights tend to be amoral (not immoral) while Ones are hyper-moral.
Lastly, while many teachers now say that all types have access to both the high levels and low levels of both their stress and growth points, it’s much more likely that we reach for the low levels of our stress points and vice versa. For Fours, Two is the stress point and One is the growth point. If Anakin were a Four, wouldn’t he be more likely to resemble Twos in disintegration and Ones in his integration? This typically looks like being clingy, needy, and insecure in their connections (Two), while becoming less self-absorbed, more invested in the plight of others, and more social justice minded (One). It’s hard to imagine Vader being clingy and insecure!
Of course, there’s room for disagreement and multiple interpretations here. That’s what’s so fun about stories. I appreciate the comment and the careful thought that went into it!