Every Star Wars fan who’s ever opened SWordle has probably wondered: how deep does this galaxy really go? You start with “LUKE,” move on to “LEIA,” then maybe “VADER.” But after a few days of play, it hits you — there’s only so many five-letter names in the Star Wars universe. So how many canon characters could actually appear as possible SWordle answers?
That’s not an idle question. It’s a fascinating mix of linguistics, fan data, and a little bit of detective work. Measuring the number of canon names that fit SWordle’s format isn’t just trivia — it’s a window into how Star Wars canon is structured, and how fan projects like SWordle interpret that galaxy far, far away.
What Counts as a Canon Character?
Before counting anything, we have to define what canon means in Star Wars. The franchise splits into two main continuities: Canon and Legends. Canon includes everything officially recognized by Lucasfilm since 2014 — the films, TV series, select novels, comics, and games. Legends refers to the old Expanded Universe, rich but unofficial.
So, for SWordle, a “canon character” is anyone confirmed within the official timeline. Think Luke, Leia, Rey, Finn, Ezra Bridger, or Ahsoka Tano. Characters like Mara Jade or Revan? They’re Legends — great stories, but technically non-canon.
Why does that distinction matter? Because SWordle, like the original Wordle, depends on a fixed set of valid answers. Mixing canon and Legends names might make the game larger but also messier. If you’re a purist, you want to know that every solution has on-screen legitimacy.
Examples of Canon vs. Legends characters:
- Luke Skywalker — Canon
- Leia Organa — Canon
- Ahsoka Tano — Canon
- Mara Jade — Legends
- Revan — Legends
Even this simple list shows how quickly the boundaries shape what’s playable.
How SWordle Chooses Its Possible Answers
SWordle follows the same basic logic as Wordle. There’s a broad dictionary of valid guesses — any word that fits the pattern — and a smaller answer list that defines what can actually appear as the correct solution.
In SWordle, the “dictionary” is the galaxy of possible Star Wars-related words: characters, planets, droids, and ships. But the real magic lies in the curated list of canon names. Most versions of the game stick to five-letter entries — enough to keep the challenge consistent.
The process looks something like this: developers or community curators pull data from fan sources like Wookieepedia, filter out words that aren’t character names, and refine what’s left.
Here’s a simplified look at how that plays out:
| Type | Example | Canon Status | Word Length |
| Main film | LUKE | Canon | 4 |
| TV series | AHSOKA | Canon | 6 |
| Legends | THRAWN | Semi-canon | 6 |
| Droid | R2D2 | Canon | 4 |
Not every canon name fits the five-letter rule, which narrows the pool dramatically. “HAN” and “REY” are too short. “KENOBI” and “AHSOKA” are too long. That means a huge slice of Star Wars lore simply can’t make the cut.
Measuring the Total — Methods and Sources
So, how do you measure how many canon characters could appear as SWordle answers? The process isn’t as mysterious as it sounds — just a bit tedious. Here’s how fans usually do it:
1. Collect the official canon character list
Start with Wookieepedia’s “List of Star Wars Characters” filtered to Canon only. That’s thousands of names across films, TV, and books.
2. Filter by name length
Keep only names with exactly five letters. Capitalize them to match the Wordle style.
3. Normalize the spelling
Remove apostrophes, hyphens, or numbers. “Obi-Wan” becomes “OBIWA” (if you’re generous). Droid names like “R2D2” are excluded unless you replace digits, which gets messy.
4. Exclude duplicates or nicknames
Characters with multiple aliases (like “BEN” and “KENOBI”) should count once.
5. Count the results
You’ll probably end up with somewhere between 120 and 150 canon-eligible names, depending on how you handle linguistic quirks.
This method is more estimation than exact science — names in Star Wars often defy normal spelling rules. Still, it’s the best way to measure the answer pool fairly.
In short:
- Gather data
- Filter for five letters
- Clean up formatting
- Remove duplicates
- Estimate the total range
That’s how fans reverse-engineer the SWordle canon count.
Patterns and Surprises in the Data
When you start sorting through those names, some fun patterns pop up.
A surprising number of Jedi have compact names: Rey, Yoda, Ezra. Sith Lords, by contrast, love drama — Sidious, Tyranus, Maul. Unfortunately, few of these hit exactly five letters. That makes SWordle’s canon answer list unexpectedly skewed toward secondary or background characters.
Alien names often run long — Chewie or Jabba work, but Jar Jar doesn’t fit the format. Droids are inconsistent too. R2D2 and C3PO both break the “letters only” rule, while “K2SO” is just four characters.
You also start noticing linguistic quirks: Star Wars loves hard consonants and rare letters. “X,” “Z,” and “Q” show up more than in normal English. That makes some guesses wildly tough. Good luck pulling ZEBEZ out of thin air before your morning coffee.
Another oddity? Many newer characters have shorter, simpler names — possibly a reflection of modern storytelling trends. Compare Rey and Finn to older names like Qui-Gon or Palpatine. That’s great for toy branding, but not for SWordle’s five-letter rule.
Why This Matters to Players
You might ask, “Why does it matter how many canon names fit?” Because it changes the way you play.
If you know the game’s creators stick strictly to canon, you can narrow your mental list of guesses. When a puzzle gives you “UKE,” you’ll confidently type “LUKE,” not “LUKEA” or “LUKAN.”
On the other hand, SWordle’s small canon pool adds a layer of difficulty. Once you’ve burned through obvious names, you’re left with deep cuts like TERRA or NADIA (yes, both canon). It’s a test not just of vocabulary but of fandom memory.
Communities on Reddit and Discord even trade theories about which names count. Some argue for including planets and ships to keep things fresh. Others insist on a strict character-only rule. Either way, knowing how the canon boundaries work helps you play smarter — and occasionally brag louder when you nail one on the second try.
Could Future Updates Expand the Canon List?
Probably. Every new show or film adds more names to the galaxy. The Acolyte alone introduced a handful of five-letter candidates. If SWordle updates its database regularly, we might see the answer list grow by a few names each season.
There’s also the question of semi-canon crossovers — characters that exist in both Canon and Legends. Thrawn was once Legends, then reintroduced in Rebels. Does that make him fair game? Some fan versions of SWordle already say yes.
If you’re the kind of player who tracks these changes, you could even build your own dataset. It’s surprisingly easy: export the Wookieepedia list, write a small script to filter five-letter names, and voilà — your own “SWordle canon index.” It’s nerdy, but it’s also oddly satisfying.
Can AI help count canon names? Maybe. With a language model and a cleaned Wookieepedia export, you could automate the process in minutes. But there’s still a human element — deciding which spellings count, which nicknames qualify, and how to handle alien apostrophes. Some things in the galaxy can’t be automated entirely.
Conclusion
Counting canon characters in SWordle might sound like a niche obsession, but it captures something bigger — the joy of exploring Star Wars through play. Each name hides a piece of lore, a hint of nostalgia, a reminder of why fans keep returning to this universe.
So the next time you’re stuck staring at a blank grid, wondering what five-letter name could possibly fit, take comfort in knowing you’re part of an unofficial census of the galaxy’s heroes and villains. And if the word turns out to be REY — well, it’s canonically fair play.