Yoda once said, "my ally is the Force and a powerful ally it is." That begs the question, just how powerful of an ally is the Force? Who are the most powerful Jedi to roam the stars in Star Wars history? It's a difficult question to answer, but we're going to do our best to answer it.
Let's go over some ground rules. First, this list covers the movies, TV shows, books, and Star Wars Legends. Secondly, this is a list of the most powerful Jedi rather than the greatest Jedi. Some of the people who make this list might not be great Jedi or even great characters. In regards to this list, we're judging them solely by how much butt they kick. Finally, this list is limited only to characters who, at some point during their careers, considered themselves followers of the Jedi teachings and we'll limit our focus to the time periods in which they considered themselves to be Jedi.
So sit back and enjoy our list of the 16 Most Powerful Jedi In The Star Wars Universe.
16. Corran Horn
As a member of the famed Rogue Squadron and veteran of two galaxy-spanning wars, Corran Horn had a knack for staying alive. What was, at first, dismissed as luck or instinct was later revealed to be something far greater - a strong affinity for the Force.
During his training at Luke’s Jedi academy, it was discovered that Horn was gifted in precognition allowing him to see glimpses of the future and dodge blows that would kill other men. The same skills that made him an ace fighter pilot would serve him just as well with a lightsaber and Corn quickly became one of the most skilled duelists of the New Jedi Order.
Of course, no matter your skill with a blade, someone is eventually going to slip through your defences. Luckily, Horn displayed a natural talent for energy absorbing, allowing him to endure blows that would take anyone else out of the fight.
15. Ganner Rhysode
Every hero has that defining event that makes them who they are. For Bruce Wayne, it was his parents’ death; for Luke Skywalker, it was discovering a cry for help hidden in a beat up astromech droid; and for Ganner Rhysode, it was the invasion of the Yuuzhan Vong, a race of alien conquerors from beyond the galaxy.
Just as the Vong conquerors used their alien technology to transform their conquered worlds, so did their invasion change Ganner. The man who began the war as an arrogant gloryhound grew to become one of the galaxy’s greatest champions, but it was the manner of his death that would earn Rhysode a place on this list.
In order to ensure the success of Jacen Solo’s mission, Rhysode stood alone against a horde of Vong warriors. At first, they answered his call to meet him one-on-one in honorable combat, but eventually they resorted to raw numbers finally taking him down after he slew thousands of their own. Rhysode’s sacrifice even earned him a place in the Vong pantheon where he would become the guardian of the realms of the dead.
14. Kyp Durron
Kyp Durron did not have an easy childhood. At the age of eight, as a result of his parents’ open criticism of the Galactic Empire, Kyp was put to work in the infamous spice mines of Kessel. While working in the mines, he formed a friendship with an old woman named Vima-Da-Boda who told him that he was strong in the Force. The imperials eventually separated the two, but her lessons taught Kyp enough to survive.
His true teachers, however, would be Luke Skywalker and an ancient Sith Lord known as Exar-Kun. While training at Luke’s Jedi Academy, Kyp’s anger was easily exploited by the long-dead Sith Lord. Thanks to the efforts of Luke and the other Jedi, Kyp was eventually freed from Kun’s control.
Even under the shaky tutelage of Vima-Da-Boda, Kyp displayed a natural talent for precognition which enabled him to navigate a starship through the black hole cluster of the Maw. His skill at telekinesis came in handy during the war with the Yuuzhan Vong, where Kyp made devastating use of the Jedi Shadow Bombs. During the Vong invasion of Coruscant, Kyp hurled a destroyed freighter at the invading army.
In what might be a bit of a dubious honor, Kyp was also the only person not of the Skywalker line that Lumiya considered tapping as Darth Vader’s successor.
13. Mara Jade
When it comes to the Force, raw power is important, but Mara Jade is proof that skill and training can make you just as deadly. Found to be strong in the Force, Mara Jade was taken in by the Empire where she was trained as the Emperor’s Hand, one of Palpatine's personal assassins.
After the Empire’s fall, she remained bound to carry out her master’s final command and kill Luke Skywalker. However, as fate would have it, Luke managed to redeem Mara and the two fell in love and married.
Though she eventually became a Jedi, she never forgot her training as the Emperor’s Hand and those skills served her well throughout her life. Her ability to sense danger sured even that of her husband’s and she was one of the order’s most skilled duelists. Sadly, not even her training was enough to save her from her fallen nephew, Darth Cadeus.
12. Mace Windu
A member of the Jedi Council during the Order’s final years and veteran of the Clone Wars, Mace Windu was one of the most powerful Jedi of his era.
Windu was well known for his skill with a blade and, famously, invented a new form of a lightsaber combat. A variant of form VII, Windu described Vaapad as an aggressive style that brought the to the edge of dark side allowing him to channel his inner darkness into a tool of the light. His mastery of this deadly fighting style even allowed him to defeat the powerful Darth Sidious, who is often considered the most powerful Sith Lord to have ever lived.
Windu’s skill with a blade was further augmented by his possession of the Shatterpoint ability. This rare skill allows a Force to perceive moments where fate may be drastically altered. He used this ability to exploit the hidden weaknesses of his opponents.
11. Kyle Katarn
Seeing as how he began his career as an imperial operative, Kyle Katarn is an unlikely hero, but he eventually left the Empire and threw his lot in with the Rebellion. His time in the war, and freelance work as a bounty hunter, taught him how to wield a wide variety of weapons, but it was his strength in the Force that would allow him to reshape galactic history.
Unlike many within the Jedi Order, Katarn did not fear to call upon the dark side when necessary and, while dealing with the Cult of Ragnos, he displayed the ability to wield both the light and the dark side of the Force with equal measure. His lightsaber style was equally unorthodox, combining several different techniques to create a form all his own.
While Karan was naturally strong in the Force, he’s also a bit of a cheater. After turning away from the Jedi, Katarn’s affinity for the Force slowly diminished. Upon encountering the dark Jedi Dessan, Katarn realized a blaster wouldn’t cut it. Unable to wait for his powers to return on their own, Katarn absorbed the latent energy of the Valley of the Jedi increasing his power.
10. Qui-Gon Jinn
Apprentice to the famed Count Dooku and master to the legendary Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon Jinn would have a profound impact on the galaxy and the Jedi as a whole. As a student of the “Living Force,” Qui-Gon believed in focusing on the here now which was an attribute that led him to become of the order’s greatest duelists. His mastery of Form IV, Ataru, made him a deadly combatant, though his real strength was his skill mental manipulation. His use of the always awesome Jedi Mind Trick even allowed him to manipulate Hutts who, as a rule, are generally immune to such techniques.
Of course, there are some people that can’t be reasoned with and Darth Maul is one of those people. Exploiting the natural weaknesses of Form IV, Maul was able to kill the Jedi Master, but Qui-Gon was not gone. His connection to the Force allowed him to achieve a form of immortality by becoming a Force ghost. It was he who, from beyond the grave, taught Yoda and Obi-Wan the secrets of this technique.
Besides, how many Jedi are played by Liam Neeson? That alone makes him worthy of the top 10.
9. Galen Marek
While on a mission to the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk, Darth Vader came across a hidden Jedi by the name of Kento Marek. After defeating the Jedi, Vader found his lightsaber ripped out of his hands. To the dark lord’s surprise, he found a child holding the blade. Impressed with the boy’s strength in the Force, Vader took him prisoner and trained the young man as his secret apprentice.
Galen Marek, better known as Starkiller, grew to become of Vader’s greatest weapons and hunted down several Jedi. However, one of his targets, a Jedi by the name of Rahm Kota, managed to survive. Feigning a change of heart, Starkiller pledged himself to the Jedi’s teachings. Over time, however, he began to truly believe in the Jedi Order’s teaching and turned his back on his master.
Upon throwing his behind the recently-formed Rebel Alliance, Starkiller battled his former master and even managed to overcome the Sith Apprentice. Resisting Palpatine's demands that he slay Vader and take his place, Starkiller turned his fury on Darth Sidious momentarily managing to drive back the Sith Lord. It’s possible that Starkiller would have been able to defeat Sidious, but a moment’s distraction cost him his life as Sidious blasted him with a bolt of lightning.
8. Obi-Wan Kenobi
When we first meet Obi-Wan Kenobi, he is an old hermit living in the desert, but, from the moment we see him onscreen, it’s clear there’s a lot more to him than meets the eye. It was Kenobi who watched over and trained Luke Skywalker and who, ultimately, gave his life so that Luke could escape the Death Star. At the moment of his death, he warned his fallen apprentice that “If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.” Which is pretty impressive considering Obi-Wan was already pretty powerful.
After seeing his master killed by the Sith Lord Darth Maul, Obi-Wan, briefly giving into his anger, struck down the Sith Lord, cutting him in off, and, seemingly, leaving him for dead. His mastery of form II, Soresu, allowed him to kill the Jedi-hunting cyborg known as General Grievous. He even managed to defeat the fallen Anakin Skywalker in single combat despite the young man’s incredible power.
7. Anakin Solo
Arguably the most powerful of the now non-canon Solo children, Anakin Solo had a lot to live up to. Like his namesake, Anakin was found to be strong in the Force at a young age. He was so powerful, in fact, that the spirit of Darth Sidious sought to possess him as an infant as the Sith Lord needed a host strong enough to maintain his own immense power. Thankfully, that plan ended in Sidious’s ultimate destruction as Anakin would have a vital role to play in the coming Yuuzhan Vong War.
His natural affinity for the Force allowed the young Jedi to uncover several long forgotten techniques such as the art of Battle Meditation and the Force Meld. Abilities which the Jedi used to great effect during their battles with the Vong. He also managed to discover a means of sensing the Vong through the Force which was a feat previously thought to be impossible.