Who doesn’t want to be a Jedi? You get to move powers with your mind (through the Force), wield a laser sword (lightsabers), and say mysterious but cool-sounding phrases (“May the Force be with you”). But for more serious Star Wars fans, there’s a more pressing issue at hand — ranking the Jedi. Who is the most powerful Jedi?
First, some ground rules. This list takes into account Jedi who have existed from the New Republic era and before (ie, before Star Wars: The Force Awakens).
Secondly, the list only takes into account Jedi – meaning that if a Jedi falls to the Dark Side and continues growing in power, we’re only looking at his or her peak as a Jedi.
Thirdly, this takes account Jedi that have been officially declared canon (so we’re not looking at Star Wars Expanded Universe lore) (currently known as Star Wars Legends).
Fourthly, this list is accurate as of all the Star Wars media up to Ahsoka. If an incredibly powerful Jedi suddenly turns up in a Star Wars show later on… well, this poor writer can’t use the Force, so he won’t be able to use Force visions to see what future Jedi will turn up.
With that, here’s the definitive ranking of the most powerful Jedi in Star Wars!
6. Luke Skywalker
Coming in sixth place is Luke Skywalker. Look, Luke is powerful. There’s no denying that. He was also the hero of three movies, and there’s no doubting his abilities by the end of Return of the Jedi. But the thing is, he didn’t quite defeat the villains of the Original Trilogy.
It took Darth Vader’s redemption to take down Emperor Palpatine. True, he did defeat Darth Vader — but that was with some emotional manipulation. In a straight up, no-holds-barred fight — Darth Vader would cut down Luke Skywalker.
Of course, in the New Republic era, Luke is probably one of the most powerful Jedi around. But is he the most powerful though?
Watch Luke in action in Season 2 of The Mandalorian.
5. Anakin Skywalker
You might be surprised to see Anakin so low on the list. But remember, this list is about Jedi – not Sith. As a Sith Lord, there’s no doubt that his powers eclipsed those of him as a Jedi. But as a Jedi — well, he was one of the most powerful Jedi in the Republic, and he performed many amazing Force feats. Yet, there are Jedi who are more powerful than him.
It’s likely that he could beat Luke in a fight… but it’s not that plausible that he could beat Mace Windu in a lightsaber duel. However, Anakin did cheat in that Revenge of the Sith fight and ambushed Mace Windu, so…
Watch Anakin in action in Obi-Wan Kenobi.
4. Mace Windu
Mace Windu had a unique lightsaber that few other Jedi has since wielded. And given his prowess in lightsaber combat, he completely deserves his signature purple lightsaber. Virtually no other Force-user — both Jedi and Sith — have ever beaten him in a one-to-one duel. However, being a Jedi is more about wielding lightsabers — it also includes sensitivity to the Force and myriad other Force abilities.
Mace Windu couldn’t sense Anakin’s sneak attack, and was subsequently defeated by a combination of Anakin and Darth Sidious. Nevertheless, if it were a fair fight between Mace Windu and the Anakin – Darth Sidious team-up, it’s likely that Mace Windu would have won.
Watch Mace Windu in action in Revenge of the Sith.
3. Ahsoka Tano
Ahsoka? More powerful than Mace Windu and Anakin Skywalker? Are you serious? Is this some fanboy speak? But hear me out. At the time of the New Republic, Ahsoka had the most Jedi training of all the living Light side Force-users. That means that Ahsoka has had more training than Luke, and consequently, is likely more powerful than Luke.
She did lose to Darth Vader in their fight in Star Wars: Rebels, and that was after she had gained her twin white lightsabers. But in her own series, we see that Ahsoka has levelled up even more, being able to wield twin lightsabers using just the Force. And as mentioned earlier, being a Jedi is more than just lightsaber combat. Ahsoka never fell to the Dark Side the way Anakin did, nor did she ever use it (even Mace Windu had to harness the power of the Dark Side for his lightsaber prowess). For all those reasons, Ahsoka’s power doesn’t just come from physical combat, but from her heart — which is what makes her a true Jedi.
Watch Ahsoka in action in Ahsoka.
2. Obi-Wan Kenobi
Obi-Wan is truly the Jedi paragon that all Jedi look up to. He cleaved to the Jedi principles his whole life, even sacrificing love for his beliefs (in Star Wars: The Clone Wars). He’s endured so much loss — the death of his master, the death of his love, the falling of his Padawan — but still held on to the Jedi code. He may not be the powerful Force-user or lightsaber combatant, but his combined mastery of both far eclipses the achievements of many other Jedi.
Nobody would argue that Obi-Wan is one of the most powerful Jedi around. He might not be the most powerful, but he certainly comes in close.
Watch Obi-Wan in action in Obi-Wan Kenobi.
1. Yoda
Yoda is, without a doubt, the most powerful Jedi. He not only embodies great powerful within his small frame, but his humility, spirit, and courage have been on display multiple times. That’s not to say Yoda hasn’t faced any challenges before — he goes on a Force pilgrimage in the sixth season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, where he battles multiple powerful Sith Lords. He also goes toe-to-toe with Darth Sidious in Revenge of the Sith.
But more importantly, Yoda is the good and wise mentor that everyone seeks. He lives a life and sets an example that few can live up to, and while he may not be perfect, he comes pretty close.
Watch Yoda in action in Star Wars: Visions.
Will all these Jedi appear in Ahsoka? We already know that Anakin (Hayden Christensen) is likely to appear in the series — he was the mentor of Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson) after all. But Ahsoka did have a friendship with Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor), and she knows of Luke (Mark Hamill). She’s also met Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) and Yoda (Frank Oz), although they are both probably Force Ghosts by the time of the show.
You’ll know only by catching Ahsoka on Disney +.
Ahsoka is available on Disney+.
You might also want to read:
- [Television] 5 Star Wars fan-favourite characters we’d love to see in Disney+’s Andor
- [Star Wars] HasLab’s Razor Crest – this is the way all adult collectibles should be made!
This article was written for and first published on Yahoo.
About the author
Marcus Goh
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I’m an independent scriptwriter who’s written for popular shows like Lion Mums, Crimewatch, Police & Thief, and Incredible Tales. I’m also a Transformers enthusiast and avid pop culture scholar. You can find me on social media as Optimarcus and on my site.
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