What you wear says a lot about who you are and what you're about, and nowhere is that more true than in the vast Star Wars galaxy. That said, the plain-Jane robes that so many Jedi and Sith don lack a certain je ne sais quoi for the more fashionable personalities out there. The preferred accessory for cool loth-cats from Maz's Castle to Cloud City is the cape. Few fashion choices can lend you more swagger, and nothing adds a dash of intrigue to an outfit like a cape.
In no particular order, here are eight of the greatest capes ever:
1. Count Dooku
Dooku's status as a Sith Lord and one of the Lost Twenty notwithstanding, the guy's also the most stylish Sith ever (sorry, Maul!). From his awesome custom lightsaber to his snazzy brown cape, you can count (ha!) on Dooku's impeccable fashion sense. Just look at his sweet cape. Gaze admiringly at the detailed stitching! The way your eyes fall to the handmade chain closure, and the two Serranoan insignias that it hooks into!
2. Captain Phasma
It's hard to stand out when you're in uniform, but Phasma's eye-catching over-the-shoulder black cape with a red stripe will command your respect. Her signature chrome armor just wasn't enough for this battle-hardened First Order officer, but her traditional command cape absolutely puts her ensemble over the top. Traitors, submit your blasters for inspection -- Phasma knows how to rock a cape.
3. Bail Organa
As a long-serving senator and a founding member of the Rebel Alliance, Bail Prestor Organa is nothing if not a man of action. That's exactly what his Alderaanian couture Episode III-era cloak shouts from the tallest rooftops of Coruscant. This is a guy who seems to have a cape for any occasion, be it making impassioned pleas to the Supreme Chancellor, or just to wear zipping around town in a speeder.
4. Boba Fett
Boba sports highly embellished armor with a rough-hewn cape that nonchalantly hangs off the shoulder. If you weren't quaking in your boots taking in his numerous dents, decals, gizmos, and -- gulp -- Wookiee pelts, then the presence of this cape completely seals the deal. (Fun fact: Boba Fett has had a cape or serape since the design was originally conceived by Joe Johnston and Ralph McQuarrie. When a white set of prototype armor was built in 1978, Boba's cape was an off-the-shelf Star Wars beach towel.)
5. General Grievous
Formidable in stature, the cyborg General Grievous demonstrates his flair for the dramatic when sporting his unique flowing mantle. On the outside, it features a subtle glyph, printed in black on the dark grey cloth. The inside of the cape is where the rubber meets the road, with a sumptuous quilted burgundy material. Since his robot body doesn't appear to have pockets of any kind, Grievous keeps his four lightsabers hidden inside pockets that are stitched into the velvety liner.
Shoutout to his magna droid bodyguards, who also have great capes of their own, with a subtle striping that echoes a motif from Grievous's armor. It's one thing to look great by yourself, but coordinating his style with that of his entourage is some next-level coolness.
6. Darth Vader
Unlike his master, Darth Vader shows off just a little bit by opting for a cape. Sure, robes are standard-issue for a Sith (sorry to deal in absolutes), but c'mon -- Vader's armor is so intimidating, the only way to compliment it is with a cape. Far from the most ostentatious cape around, it doesn't detract from the rest of Vader's look. You know not to mess with homeboy when he strides onto the bridge of the Executor lookin’ so fly in his cape.
7. Lando Calrissian
If vests and striped pants are Han Solo’s fashion domain, then the cape is clearly Lando’s trademark. He’s a charming guy on his own but what makes him a complete boss are his capes. Whether it's that instantly recognizable, ornately lined cape he sports on Cloud City or the more understated Rebellion-issued grey cape he wears to the briefing aboard Home One, Lando wouldn't be the same without it.
From the cutting room floor:
8. Biggs Darklighter
This cape isn't exactly canon since it's from a scene cut from Episode IV, but you gotta give mad props to Biggs -- he understands the power of the cape. If he was looking to make his pals back on Tatooine jealous of his time away at the Imperial Academy, he drives the point home when he shows up to Anchorhead rocking an oh-so-rad black cape. It's more than enough to make any young, impressionable farmboy want to grow a rockin’ stache and leave the homestead ASAP.
Which cape would you want to wear? Let us know in the comments below!
Brendan Nystedt was very afraid of Darth Vader hiding under his bed when he was five years old. Now, he writes reviews of consumer electronics for Reviewed.com. Please follow him on Twitter @bnystedt!
