Across almost 50 years and lore that spans millennia, Star Wars often centers on the battle between the Jedi and the Sith. With so many stories, there are plenty of powerful Jedi, and these are the 10 strongest in all of Star Wars.
Our Criteria
It’s about more than just midichlorian count. Midichlorians indicate how in-tune with the Force someone is, meaning they matter a little bit, so we’ll consider them here. However, there are a host of other factors that determine how powerful a Jedi is.
First is the Jedi’s experience. A Jedi who has had a prominent role for centuries is likely to be on the list. Reputation also matters. Are they highly regarded inside the Jedi Order, and do most average fans know who the character is? Finally, we’re considering the character’s feats. Which specific things are they known for? With that, let’s get to the list!
10. Qui-Gon Jinn
Qui-Gon Jinn’s power comes as much from his relationship with the Force as it does from his feats as a Jedi. Despite only appearing in one film, Qui-Gon’s footprint is felt throughout the entire saga. He believed in the Living Force and, as a result, had a much more fluid understanding of the Force than other Jedi. His less rigid interpretation would have made him an ideal teacher for Anakin Skywalker, and Qui-Gon’s death changed Anakin’s destiny.
Qui-Gon was a skilled duelist, having fought Darth Maul twice — once to a draw, and the other time being defeated after an extended fight. He was also the first to discover how to communicate through the Force after death. You can find a lot of character development for Qui-Gon Jinn in the novels. If you’re interested, start with Master & Apprentice, Padawan, and The Living Force.
9. Avar Kriss
If you’ve never read the High Republic books or comics, you’re probably unfamiliar with Avar Kriss. Kriss experiences the Force as a song and feels each Force user’s power as part of that melody. As a result, she can unite the Jedi to accomplish gargantuan feats through the melody she feels. The most prominent example was combining the powers of many Jedi to move an enormous object in space before it caused a cataclysmic collision.
In Phase 3 of the High Republic, Kriss is initially trapped behind the wall in the Occlusion Zone. She struggles with the knowledge that she is unable to stand up to the Nihil on her own but learns the power of helping beings with single acts of kindness and love. That lesson only makes her more powerful as the final confrontation with Marchion Ro and the Nihil looms.
8. Plo Koon
I really appreciate Jedi who have a special and distinct relationship with the Force. Like Avar Kriss, Plo Koon was such a Jedi. In addition to being at the center of some of the greatest conflicts of the Clone Wars, Plo Koon was able to wield telekinesis in a way that other Jedi can’t.
When combined with his skills as a swordsman, Koon’s telekinesis made him a dangerous opponent. Sadly, Plo Koon fell during Order 66. Though we didn’t get much of him in the films, there is a lot more of him in other Star Wars stories. The Clone Wars TV show and the novel The Living Force by John Jackson Miller are good places to start.
7. Mace Windu
Mace Windu, played brilliantly in the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy by Samuel L. Jackson, is both a powerful and tremendously respected Jedi. He is the only Jedi in the Prequel Trilogy to wield a purple lightsaber, indicating his unique relationship with the Force and willingness to be more of an independent thinker. That included a skill set that blurred the line between light and dark more than his peers.
In battle, Mace Windu is lethal. At the Battle of Geonosis, he is the clear leader of the Jedi assault on the separatists, and he dispatches Jango Fett with relative ease. In Episode III, Windu defeats Darth Sidious in a duel before Anakin intervenes, causing Windu’s death and Anakin’s final turn to the dark side.
6. Obi-Wan Kenobi
There might not be a better embodiment of the Jedi Order than Obi-Wan Kenobi. At least, what the Jedi should be. Despite a lifetime filled with pain, loss, and betrayal, Obi-Wan is still guided by compassion and kindness. Obi-Wan’s “secret sauce” isn’t in his lightsaber form or power with the Force; instead, it’s who he is as a Jedi that makes him so revered.
Kenobi’s skill with a lightsaber isn’t to be underestimated, though. Aside from the quick defeats at the hands of Count Dooku on Geonosis and The Invisible Hand, Kenobi has several notable victories. He defeated Darth Maul twice — on Naboo and again on Tatooine. He also has two victories over Darth Vader. The first was on Mustafar in Revenge of the Sith right after Anakin’s turn. The second was in a highly emotional clash on a barren moon in the final episode of Obi-Wan Kenobi.
5. Ben Solo
One half of a dyad in the Force, Ben Solo is extremely powerful. The dyad is one reason; being part of the Skywalker lineage doesn’t hurt, either. The son of Leia Organa and Han Solo, Ben was a powerful padawan at Luke Skywalker’s Jedi Academy.
He fell to the Dark Side as a teenager, becoming part of the First Order. Later, he would discover the connection he has in the Force to Rey, and the two would realize how powerful the connection could make them both. In true Skywalker fashion, Ben Solo embraces the Light Side once again at the end, helping to defeat Palpatine in The Rise of Skywalker.
4. Rey Skywalker
Some Star Wars references place Rey’s midichlorian count at 16,000-18,000, a range that would have her on par with some of the strongest Jedi like Mace Windu or even Yoda. Others place her midichlorian count as high as 27,000, which is equal to that of Anakin Skywalker. There is no denying her strong relationship with the Force. After all, she is the other half of the dyad with Ben Solo. But her lack of experience in the Sequel Trilogy keeps her below some of the elite Jedi with similar midichlorian counts.
Still, Rey accomplished a lot in a short time. Her first lightsaber duel saw her fight to a draw against a trained (and powerful) Dark Side user. Some weeks later, in The Last Jedi, she is already clearly a power Force user. In The Rise of Skywalker, she has the power to not only defeat Ben Solo but also channel generations of Jedi to defeat Palpatine on Exegol.
3. Luke Skywalker
During the Original Trilogy, Luke Skywalker isn’t a supremely powerful Jedi. His connection with the Force, though, is immense. By the final confrontation in Return of the Jedi, Luke has managed to harness enough of the power his father held combined with the compassion of Obi-Wan to defeat Darth Vader.
After the Original Trilogy is where Luke Skywalker finds his Force-using prime. We see it on screen at the end of Season 2 of The Mandalorian. If you’re a fan of the novels, Shadow of the Sith is a great example of Luke Skywalker at the height of his powers — and it’s canon. Luke’s sacrifice in The Last Jedi demonstrated his power. He was not only able to project himself across the galaxy but also showed one last time that compassion and hope will always win.
2. Yoda
Master Yoda is the most revered member of the Jedi Council and has been for centuries. If you thought the Prequel Trilogy was the peak of Yoda’s influence, you should read the High Republic. Scattered throughout the novels and comics are some of Yoda’s best moments as a Jedi Master, and the respect and admiration the Jedi have for him 200 years before The Phantom Menace solidifies his legacy in the canon.
Yoda’s only blemish is that we don’t see him score any decisive victories in lightsaber duels on-screen. He duels to a draw with Count Dooku, his former Padawan, in Attack of the Clones. Then, he fights to another draw with Sidious in Revenge of the Sith. Despite these moments, Yoda has tremendous power and influence — even in the afterlife.
1. Anakin Skywalker
It’s hard to go against the Chosen One. Anakin is not only a very powerful Jedi, but his footprint is on almost every Star Wars movie. Even the ones he’s not in. It’s established in The Phantom Menace that Anakin’s midichlorian count is off the charts (it’s 27,000), but what’s more impressive is what he can do, even in childhood. As a newly minted Padawan, Anakin takes down the Trade Federation ship, breaking the blockade of Naboo.
Anakin Skywalker was a legend during the Clone Wars, and his power as a Jedi is almost folklore. A master swordsman with a strong connection to the Force, Anakin had almost no weaknesses — except for his emotions. Skywalker’s greatest feat came at the end, when he saved his own son from death at the hands of Darth Sidious. In that moment, he left Darth Vader behind and become Anakin again.
Published: Aug 28, 2024 07:39 pm