Kelly Marie Tran as Rose Tico – Star Wars Episode VII: The Last Jedi (2017)

Now this might be the least popular selection in this gallery, but I will argue that Kelly Marie Tran has unjustly been the victim of unwarranted and at times malicious hate and vitriol. First, it's important to note that Kelly Marie Tran is the first Asian woman to have a major role in a main line Star Wars film (Donnie Yen, Wen Jiang & Riz Ahmed hold a different distinction which I'll get into later). Secondly, her importance and role in the film is wholly misunderstood in my opinion. She is entirely key to Finn's (John Boyega) character arc in the movie, while also being a capable character in her own right with her own sense of agency. I could go further into it, but her character's defense is worth an essay. However, there is one more important aspect to her casting that should be highlighted, which is Kelly Marie Tran herself. Too often Asian actresses have been a certain type physically, which makes Tran's casting so incredibly important to aspiring Asian actresses. If she can be cast in a major production it gives hope to many others, which makes the vitriolic hate she received that much more detestable.