Credit: LucasfilmMany Jedi and Sith have come and gone throughout the Star Wars universe, but some have been vastly more powerful than others. While some have only appeared in video games, books, comics, and other mediums of continuity, we wanted to break down some of the most powerful.
Everyone might immediately throw their attention to Yoda and Darth Sidious (both on this list), but other names should be recognized as some of the most feared Force users in the universe. Granted, using the Dark Side of the Force might bring about more power, but that does not mean those who walk the side of the Light aren’t just as strong—and vice versa.
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These are 10 of the most powerful Jedi/Sith in the Star Wars universe. This will be a collection of those that fans are familiar with from the current canon and those who have appeared in the previously mentioned Legend’s continuity of video games, books, and so on.
Most Powerful Jedi and Sith, Ranked
10. Darth Nihilus – Sith
Another powerful Sith from the video game continuity is Darth Nihilus. Those who have played the Knights of the Old Republic game know his name. His obsession with the Dark Side of the Force, much like Palpatine, made him disfigured. However, he was also a living ghost, as he became known as a spirit form with no physical body.
Nihilus was also able to drain the life force of an entire planet, showcasing his utterly frightening Force abilities. This “mass shadow” event led to Nihilus craving Force energy, ultimately becoming a shadow of his own self. He became known as a “wound” in the Force, only existing to suck the energy from everything he encountered. He would become the Dark Lord of the Sith after the Civil War and for obvious reasons.
9. Qui-Gon Jinn – Jedi
Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) is nearly as powerful a Jedi as Obi-Wan, though he also held much fear in his heart. Qui-Gon is so strong in the Force that he rejects an invitation to sit on the Jedi Council to walk his own path. His rejection is because he held on to the old ways of the Force, dedicating his life to the Living Force.
Through his connection to the Force, he was able to sense that Anakin Skywalker would be the “chosen one” and that he would bring balance to the galaxy. Granted, his feelings did not account for Anakin becoming Darth Vader, but that could be left up to debate, as his death could have been intentional.
Qui-Gon was instrumental in teaching Obi-Wan about controlling the Force, the same being said for Anakin Skywalker. His teachings would pass from Obi-Wan to Anakin, making him an excellent teacher and practitioner of the Force. Though Qui-Gon might be low on this list, he is still a powerful Jedi who rejected a council seat to be more in touch with his Force abilities.
8. Darth Revan – Jedi/Sith
Darth Revan might be one of the more unsung Sith in Star Wars. He was initially introduced in the Knights of the Old Republic video game but became a legend afterward. Revan is one of the most powerful Force users in the entire continuity of Star Wars. His powers were so strong that he could pull a Star Destroyer out of the sky.
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Revan was brought back to the current Star Wars canon when he was briefly mentioned as the leader of a unit of Stormtroopers in The Rise of Skywalker. Hopefully, this means he will be used in a future story.
Revan is much like Mace Windu in using both the Light and Dark Side powers to his advantage. Revan would have his memory wiped during his story, severing his connection to the Force. However, his innate ability to control the Force allowed him to recover his connection.
Revan was able to cast Force Storm, the most powerful version of Force lighting, which could turn everyone to ash. He could also slow and dominate the mind, absorb Force abilities from enemies, and absorb their life. He would likely be farther up this list if there were more of him in the current continuity. Still, he is one of the most powerful Sith/Jedi ever.
7. Mace Windu – Jedi
Everyone knows that Jedi Master Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) was instrumental in locating and discovering Senator Palpatine was Darth Sidious. Though he was fooled initially, he was able to dig into his Force-sensitive abilities to find this dark truth. We also know that Windu was one of the most powerful lightsaber duelists in the galaxy simply because he could dispatch Mandalorians in the way he did.
The Mandalorians are meant to be some of the most fierce warriors in Star Wars, but Windu quickly dispatched Jango Fett. He also got close enough to deeply wound General Grievous, though that fact was not brought up again when Grievous was in the prequel trilogy.
Mace Windu is more powerful as a Jedi because he also channeled many Dark Side abilities, though he would not succumb to the Dark Side as Sidious did. Mace walked a fine line between the Dark and Light Side paths, making him one of the most powerful Jedi ever.
6. Luke Skywalker – Jedi
Though Anakin Skywalker was deemed the most powerful Force user in Star Wars, his son is also considered to be greater than that. Some also state that the prophesized “Chosen One” was always Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), not Anakin. That can be left up to debate, but Luke Skywalker is one of the most talented Jedi in Star Wars.
His Force sensitivity was as strong as Anakin’s, possibly even surpassing it sometimes. Luke also possessed the mental fortitude that allowed him not to be coaxed to the Dark Side, which accounts for a lot. During the original trilogy, Luke could sense his father’s feelings, ultimately holding out while Darth Vader redeemed himself.
Luke was also a master with the blade, much like his father. Luke also showed why he became a Grand Master Jedi in The Last Jedi when he could project a Force Ghost clear across the galaxy, fooling Kylon Ren and the First Order. Though Luke is farther down this list than most might expect, he is still one of the most skilled lightsaber duelists and extremely sensitive to the Force. He did take after Anakin Skywalker, after all.
5. Darth Plagueis – Sith
Darth Plagueis might have only been mentioned once in the prequel trilogy, but Star Wars fans know his name. He is arguably one of the most powerful Sith ever to exist simply because he knew how to use midichlorians to create life. There are rumors that he is or could be tied to Snoke, who was dispatched oddly in the sequel trilogy.
Plagueis is also stated to be able to transfer his consciousness from body to body, meaning he is essentially immortal. Though these theories have never been confirmed, there is a rumor that Plagueis is Sidious. This would explain how he was able to return during Rise of Skywalker. It would make sense for this to be the case.
The more likely aspect of this rumor is that Plagueis taught Sidious to use this “transfer essence” power, allowing him to return in Rise of Skywalker. Either way, Plagueis is one of the only Sith to have been able to master life and creation, making him one of the most powerful Force users.
4. Obi-Wan Kenobi – Jedi
Why, hello there. Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) is one of the most fan-favorite Jedi from the Star Wars universe and one of the most powerful. Much like Yoda and Palpatine, his mental fortitude was strong.
Obi-Wan was also the first Jedi to dispatch a Sith when he was able to cut Darth Maul in half. He was also an apprentice then, but it showcased how strong he had become in the Force. He was able to appear to be helpless, resulting in him avenging his Master. That’s not to mention that he has defeated Anakin/Vader many times.
However, those wins were also because of his downfall as a Jedi. In the same way that Anakin was arrogant, Obi-Wan was also too lenient with Anakin. Both in the prequel trilogy and the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, Obi-Wan allowed his emotions to get the best of him, and he did not finish Vader when he could.
We all know he felt responsible to Anakin, especially believing he could walk him back from the Dark Side of the Force. This foolhardy task
Obi-Wan was also a master in the Form III of lightsaber techniques. Initially, the Jedi Master used Form II before switching to Form III when Darth Maul killed Qui-Gon. Form III allows the wielder to use powerful and skilled attacks using one arm back and the other Force using the arm held parallel. Obi-Wan used this form to defeat Anakin and Vader. He was also so proficient in blaster blocking he could walk through a “hornet’s nest” of blaster fire and come out unscathed.
3. Darth Sidious/Palpatine – Sith
Darth Sidious (Ian McDiarmid), or Sheev Palpatine/Emperor Palpatine, is one of the most legendary Sith Masters in Star Wars, able to implant himself within the political system of the Galactic Republic enough to take control of the entire galaxy. Though Mace Windu and Yoda finally discovered him, it took many years for them to realize who he was.
Sidious had the innate ability to block those who could read his mind, which is how he could also supplant himself as a Master within the Sith Order. Palpatine mentions Darth Plagueis the Wise in the prequel trilogy, which is how he was able to turn Anakin to the Dark Side. Darth Plagueis was able to create life through his Force abilities, which is what he allegedly taught Palpatine. Palpatine also blocked the powerful mind-reading capabilities of Darth Plagueis, allowing him to sneak and murder Plagueis as he slept.
Though some state Mace Windu beat him, he allowed himself to be damaged beyond repair to allow Anakin to commit to the Dark Side fully. Palpatine fooled everyone by appearing to be something he was not, which proves his mental prowess in the Force was unmatched.
Sidious had one of the most powerful Force lightning attacks of the Star Wars universe, which would destroy almost anyone, excluding Darth Vader and Yoda, who are further down this list.
2. Yoda – Jedi
Jedi Master Yoda (Frank Oz) is undeniably the second strongest Force user in Star Wars. Though we only saw his wisdom through most encounters, his lightsaber skills and Force abilities were showcased in the prequel trilogy. We would like to state that it was odd to see that he could engage in such crazy moves; he didn’t technically need to do so.
Yoda could control the Force in a way that is nearly unrivaled. From pulling Luke’s X-Wing out of the swamps of Dagobah to absorbing Darth Sidious’s lightning attack, Yoda proves why he was the leader of the Jedi Council.
There is also the fact that he was 900 years old before he passed on. Yoda was said to have an unusually high midichlorian count, though that does not necessarily mean he would be a skilled Force user. However, imagine being able to hone your skills for 900 years. That is a lot of training that allowed Yoda to then pass that training on to the council. Yoda was instrumental in teaching generations of Jedi, dating back to the era of the High Republic. Without Yoda, the Jedi would have never survived.
Yoda also sensed how powerful Anakin was and what he would become. His fear was ignored, resulting in the creation of the evil Darth Vader.
1. Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker – Sith
Some would argue the power of Darth Vader (James Earl Jones) at #1, and they would have to understand why this man had become so feared in the Star Wars universe. Vader was born out of pure hatred, which led to the creation of one of the most powerful Sith in the entire galaxy. While Vader was not necessarily seen as higher ranking than Darth Sidious regarding the Master/Apprentice order, he was still stronger in the Force.
Gareth Edwards did a fantastic job finally showcasing how feared Vader is in Rogue One. Staring down an entire platoon of Rebel soldiers, Vader simply walked through them. Up to that point, fans had not been given the full treatment of this man’s strength, as he could control the Force in such a demanding way while keeping his composure with his lightsaber, delivering powerful and hate-filled attacks. Some would argue that he was defeated twice by Obi-Wan, which is true. However, he was not killed by him, only making his anger more palpable. He is also one of the only people in the entirety of the Star Wars universe who could take the brunt of Sidious’s Force Lightning and not be immediately killed.
Vader also had the most powerful lightsabers in the galaxy that used a special technique that no one else could control. His Dual-Phase lightsaber used two Kyber crystals instead of one, allowing him to alter the length of his blade at will.
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His counterpart, Anakin Skywalker, is arguably the most Force-sensitive person in Star Wars history. He is said to have more Midichlorians than Yoda and was one of the most skilled lightsaber users in the era of the Jedi Council. Though his arrogance would ultimately be his undoing, Anakin would become Vader, resulting in the most feared Sith ever to wield a lightsaber.
There you have it, a list of 10 of the most powerful Jedi and Sith through the entirety of the Star Wars universe. Are there any we missed?
Do you agree with our list of Jedi and Sith? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!