Doctor Aphra is the hottest new character in Star Wars and for good reason. She’s a rogue archaeologist whose allegiance lies not with the Empire or the Rebellion but with herself. Aphra is the ultimate anti-hero. The character’s snark and charm instantly won fans over when she first appeared in Marvel’s Star Wars: Darth Vader in 2015. She’s since been featured in her very own comic — the first original comics character to get a dedicated series. And she’s the star of the epic Screaming Citadel crossover, which combines Doctor Aphra with the main Star Wars series.
Let’s take a closer look at everyone’s favorite space archaeologist and why she’s awesome.
Doctor Aphra fearlessly worked alongside Darth Vader.
A brilliant droid engineer and archaeologist, Aphra sold her services to criminal groups by providing them with reconditioned and reprogrammed droids. Impressed with Aphra’s work, Darth Vader sought her out, looking to cultivate his own private resources.
Vader had a task for her – he wanted his own private army. And she worked fearlessly alongside the Dark Lord of the Sith to get the job done, keeping it casual and cracking jokes all the while.
Aphra initially believed that Vader would kill her following this mission, and implored him to use his lightsaber to give her a clean death. She’s legitimately more frightened of dying in the vacuum of space than she is of Darth Vader. Fortunately, Vader surprised Aphra by not killing her.
Aphra may have had a past relationship with Sana Starros.
In Star Wars #19, we first see that Doctor Aphra may have had a past relationship with Sana Starros, another original comic book character who notably claimed to be married to Han Solo.
Yes, it’s implied that Aphra may be gay or bisexual. Aphra and Sana have a heated conversation which seems to carry a jilted lovers vibe. This is followed up later as the pair say their goodbyes. And although the comic stops short of outright confirmed the nature of their relationship, there’s enough there to have fan-advocates for inclusivity rallying around Aphra.
She has two really awesome spaceships.
To be a truly iconic Star Wars character you have to have a great spaceship. Aphra has two. Her craft, the Ark Angel is described as a “heavy-duty lifter,” and whatever that is it’s beautiful.
Unfortunately, it was destroyed in the battle of Vrogas Vas, and replaced with the Ark Angel II, which was built from all the scrap that she could scrounge together. It’s a little junkier than the first ship, but like that classic “hunk of junk,” it’s also really cool.
Doctor Aphra looks so tough because of her badass wardrobe.
The way Aphra’s written is a huge part of her growing appeal, and the character’s design is what makes her instantly fascinating and fun. Like all iconic Star Wars characters, she frequently rocks stylish galactic outerwear — a jacket or vest. And she’s known to top off her roguish look with a leather aviator-style cap with goggles.
There are certainly visual callbacks to Han Solo in her styling, particularly the belt often worn loosely around her waist. However, Aphra makes the look her own. It’s a style that lets you know at a glance that she’s fierce, flashy, and funny all at once. It’s a Star Wars cosplayer’s dream.
