Photo: Star Wars: The Clone Wars / Cartoon Network

The 15 Most Powerful Jedi In 'Star Wars'

Over 1.5K Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The 15 Most Powerful Jedi In 'Star Wars'
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Vote up the Jedi knights who make the light side brighter.

The title of “Most Powerful Jedi” isn’t handed out lightly. Throughout the thousands of years of Star Wars canon, there have been countless Jedi who have performed incredible feats of nobility and strength. What criteria should even decide who is the most powerful Jedi ever? There are Jedi like Yoda who have had hundreds of years to train, and others like Anakin who bring with them an incredibly powerful connection to the Force. There are Jedi who have taken down extremely threatening Sith Lords, and others who use the Force in new and interesting ways.

The three Star Wars trilogies all have strong contenders for the most powerful Jedi of all time. Could it be Anakin, who brought down the Jedi Order? Or maybe Luke, who tried to bring balance to the Force? Or possibly Rey, who actually brought balance to the Force? Once and for all, here are the most powerful Jedi, ranked. 

Photo: Star Wars: The Clone Wars / Cartoon Network

  • 1
    1,026 VOTES
    Yoda
    Photo: Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge Of The Sith / 20th Century Fox

    Where Did He Come From: Yoda was one of few characters to be featured prominently in the original trilogy and the prequels. However, his story began long before the fabled Skywalker saga. Yoda was born in the year 896 BBY. For those not in the know, that means he was born about 900 years "before the Battle of Yavin" (the Battle of Yavin being, of course, the first assault on the Death Star in A New Hope). His species and homeworld are both mysterious and - surprisingly enough - have managed to go unnamed even with all the Star Wars extended media.

    His Light Side Bonafides: Yoda was the greatest teacher and trainer in Jedi history. He trained Jedi for 800 years, amounting to an estimated 20,000 Jedi trained. It was his knowledge passed down in the middle of a conflict that allowed the Jedi Order to live once again. Post-Order 66, he went into hiding until Luke came to him and sought out his knowledge. By training Luke, Yoda helped save the galaxy and keep the Jedi Order alive. 

    His Strongest Moments: Yoda may be the greatest teacher in the Order, but he's also one of the Jedi's best warriors. During the prequel trilogy, he goes head-to-head with Sith Lords on multiple occasions. His power is first on display in The Phantom Menace when he engages with Count Dooku. Yoda is able to catch a blast of Sith lightning in his hand, which - at that point - had only been seen in Return of the Jedi as some sort of unstoppable Sith ability. Later, in Revenge of the Sith, Yoda takes on the Dark Lord of the Sith, Emperor Palpatine. Although Yoda does not win this duel, his power levels are astonishing, and had he been a few hundred years younger, there's a good chance he would have been victorious. 

    1,026 votes
  • 2
    1,030 VOTES
    Obi-Wan Kenobi
    Photo: Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith / 20th Century Fox

    Where Did He Come From: Obi-Wan Kenobi's first appearance was in A New Hope, which means he was the first Jedi to ever appear on screen in a Star Wars film. Obi-Wan's life as a Jedi began so early that as an adult, he didn't really have any memories of exactly when it started. His homeworld was known as Stewjon, even though that started as a joke George Lucas told at a convention while being interviewed by Jon Stewart. 

    His Light Side Bonafides: After the fall of the Jedi Temple in Revenge of the Sith, Obi-Wan took matters into his own hands and became one of two Jedi maintaining the light side of the Force in the galaxy. He spent 15 years in almost complete isolation as he watched over Luke Skywalker to ensure his safety. 

    His Strongest Moment: Obi-Wan's strongest moment in the series has to be his final duel with Anakin Skywalker in Revenge of the Sith. The degree of mastery he displays in the film - of the Force, his acrobatics, and his swordsmanship - is basically unmatched by any other character in the series. It's a truly incredible fight in which he defeats a Sith that had just finished taking out the Jedi Temple virtually by himself. 

    1,030 votes
  • Anakin Skywalker
    Photo: Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith / 20th Century Fox

    Where Did He Come From: In many ways, Anakin Skywalker is the main character of Star Wars. His story is told through all six of the original films, and the prequels center almost entirely on him - the first of which, Phantom Menace, details Anakin's story as a slave boy on Tatooine. Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan, and Padme found him as a boy living out a life of servitude on the planet. It was later revealed that Anakin's birth was an immaculate conception. Qui-Gon noticed that the boy was unusually strong with the Force and decided to bring him back to the Jedi Temple with him. 

    His Light Side Bonafides: While darkness was always lurking around the edges of Anakin's decisions, he did square off against Sith Lords like Count Dooku and won countless skirmishes for the Republic during the Clone Wars. He was also responsible for the training of Ahsoka Tano, who grew into a great warrior with a strong moral compass, even if she did eventually leave the Order. And, at the end of the day, he did bring balance to the Force. 

    His Strongest Moment: Anakin's final display of strength as a Jedi is one of his most impressive moments. While Count Dooku is able to best him and escape in Attack of the Clones, he is no match for Anakin in Revenge of the Sith

    897 votes
  • 4
    882 VOTES
    Luke Skywalker
    Photo: Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi / 20th Century Fox

    Where Did He Come From: Luke Skywalker was the quintessential Jedi. He began his journey in A New Hope, where he met Obi-Wan Kenobi and got wrapped up in an intergalactic conflict to save the galaxy. He quickly learned that his involvement wasn't random, and he was, in fact, the son of Darth Vader, the evil emperor's right-hand man. Obi-Wan began Luke's Jedi training in A New Hope, but it wasn't until The Empire Strikes Back, where he trained with Yoda, and the beginning of Return of the Jedi that Luke could fully call himself a Jedi. Following the original trilogy, he even went on to start a Jedi Temple of his own. 

    His Light Side Bonafides: Luke brought Darth Vader back from the dark side and helped bring an end to the Empire's despicable reign in the galaxy. Like a true and noble Jedi, Luke Skywalker didn't give up just because someone had done evil things. He fought for his father, knowing there was still good in him, and brought him back to the light.

    His Strongest Moment: As a new Force user with barely any training, Luke was able to take down the first Death Star. This proved his connection to the Force early on, and it would only grow stronger from there. 

    882 votes
  • 5
    849 VOTES
    Mace Windu
    Photo: Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith / 20th Century Fox

    Where Did He Come From: Mace Windu was from a planet called Haruun Kal. However, he didn't spend much time there, as he was brought to the Jedi Order as a youngling. He was eventually trained by Jedi Master Cyslin Myr. 

    His Light Side Bonafides: Mace Windu sat on the Jedi Council, the highest honor that could be awarded to a Jedi in the Republic, and was even their elected leader for a time. 

    His Strongest Moment: Mace Windu's most impressive moment in canon is undoubtedly the attempted detainment of Chancellor Palpatine. While it's unclear whether or not the Emperor was fighting back at his full strength, the point remains that while the three other Jedi Masters accompanying Mace fell almost immediately, Mace held his own and was able to disarm the Dark Lord of the Sith. 

    849 votes
  • 6
    910 VOTES
    Ahsoka Tano
    Photo: Star Wars: The Clone Wars / Cartoon Network

    Where Did She Come From: Like so many other Force-sensitive children across the galaxy, Ahsoka Tano was discovered on her homeworld (hers being Shili) by a Jedi Master (Plo Koon in her case) to be trained. During the Clone Wars, Ahsoka was assigned by Yoda himself to be the apprentice of Anakin Skywalker. 

    Her Light Side Bonafides: In an unusual twist, Ahsoka proved her commitment to the light side by leaving the Jedi Order. Even though she was no longer part of an institution encouraging her to do the right thing, she still did it. This was most on display during the reign of the Empire. It would have been easier and safer for Ahsoka to lay low, like millions of other beings in the galaxy, but instead, she chose to help establish Rebel groups and fight alongside them. 

    Her Strongest Moment: In Rebels, Ahsoka stands up to her former master, Darth Vader. Unlike many a Jedi before her, she is able to fully hold her own in the duel

    910 votes