12 of the Most Powerful Jedi and Sith in the Star Wars Universe

Star Wars is maybe one of the most recognisable and most beloved franchises of all time. With the newest films bringing in a younger fanbase to the series that fascinated me as a kid, there has recently been a spike in novels and also books discussing the background and the lore of the Star Wars Universe. One of the aspects of Star Wars that still intrigues me is the Jedi Order and as I kid I often played in the local woods pretending I was the stuff of legends. So, here are arguably some of the most powerful Jedi of the Star Wars universe.

I have also included Sith Lords, because who doesn’t want to the power to shoot lightning from their hands?

 

LUKE SKYWALKER

We start off the list with one of the main characters from the original trilogy. Even though he starts off pretty pathetically and loses his hand to Darth Vader, after some tutelage from Yoda, he eventually becomes one of the most powerful Jedi to have ever existed.

Luke has the ability to do things with the Force that nobody had ever seen before. He is able to see events before they happened and also able to manipulate massive objects using the power of his mind alone. He was also a key player in the alliance and not only blew up the Death Star once, but had a hand in destroying it a second time and was a shit-hot X-Wing Pilot.

He eventually went on to found the New Jedi Order and began training the new generation of Jedi before disappearing.

 

EMPEROR PALPATINE

A powerful Sith Lord who managed to hide his presence right under the Jedi’s nose by disguising himself as a senator for the Republic, Palpatine seized power for himself and wiped out the Jedi after he put Order 66 into effect.

Palpatine was responsible for training not only Darth Vader but also Darth Maul before he tried to corrupt Luke Skywalker to join his cause. Although Mace Windu nearly killed him, he managed to hold Yoda to a draw and was also the head of The Empire; possibly the biggest army that the Star Wars galaxy had ever seen.

Emperor Palpatine was also able to shoot blue arcs of lighting from his hands and was proficient in the use of a lightsaber before Darth Vader finished him off. He earned a place on this list because he was just pure evil made manifest.

 

NOMI SUNRIDER

Nomi Sunrider was the most powerful female Jedi Knight of all-time and began her training after she witnessed the brutal assassination of her husband. She was pivotal in the Sith War and aided the Jedi Knights in severing the Sith from their contact of the Force, ultimately leading to the end of the war shortly afterwards.

She climbed the ranks of the order and eventually became the Jedi Grand Master, where she began to rebuild the ruined order from the ground up. Although she was around thousands of years before the events of Star Wars, her legacy has been preserved throughout the Jedi history books and she is still spoken highly of.

 

REVAN

Revan was possibly the most powerful Sith Lord to have ever lived but was captured by the Jedi and had his mind wiped and became one of them. He was also known as the Champion of the Jedi and had a ridiculous amount of influence within the Order.

Revan made this list because he could never really be classed as a Jedi or a Sith, instead just doing what he thought was right. He was responsible for the death of Darth Malak, who had imprisoned many Jedi Knights and was using the Star Forge to sap their power and use it for himself.

He disappeared when he felt the approach of the true Sith and was never seen again, but even in the days of Anakin Skywalker, he was deemed as possibly one of the most powerful Jedi to have ever lived and is unique because he has towed both sides of the Force.

 

KI-ADI MUNDI

Also known as The General, he was one of the only Jedi to have a place on the Council before he was made a Jedi Master. Due to the low birth rate of his species, he was also allowed to marry, which is something most Jedi are forbidden from doing.

Ki-Adi Mundi was a Shock Jedi and he was always seen fighting on the front lines during the Clone Wars and where the fighting was thickest, spurring his men onwards to victory. During the Clone Wars, he almost lost his life when he tried to duel General Grievous alone.

Ki-Adi Mundi earned a place on this list because he is the only Jedi to have earned a place on the Council before becoming a master, and what is even more astounding is he did not start his training in till he was an adult. Mundi was eventually killed along with the majority of the other Jedi after the execution of Order 66.

 

PLO KOON

Plo Koon was a close friend of Qui-Gon Jinn (who just missed out on a place on this list) and was also respected as being an amazing pilot, much like Luke Skywalker.

Plo Koon was a key general during the Clone Wars and was always deployed to missions where the combat was to be intense or it looked as if it was going to be a war of attrition. Plo Koon was also a respected member of the Jedi Council, however he turned down the first offer as he believed Qui-Gon had the stronger mind and he was not worthy.

Due to his insane skills as a fighter pilot, he was revered as the Jedi of the Skies and during the Clone Wars, he was responsible for the numerous Jedi Fleets, whilst Ki-Adi Mundi and Kit Fisto controlled the ground war.

Plo Koon lost his life when his ship was shot down after Emperor Palpatine executed Order 66 during the Clone Wars.

 

MACE WINDU

Mace Windu was the Jedi Master during the Clone Wars and was the most proficient Jedi in the use of a lightsaber as he still holds the record for the most duels won in the history of the Jedi Order. He was a practitioner of the seventh style of lightsaber combat and was the only practitioner of this style that did not fall to the dark side.

Mace Windu was the general who lead the attack on Genesis where he killed the infamous bounty hunter, Jango Fett, in combat before relinquishing his title and is one of the few Jedi to have beaten Count Dooku in a duel before he fled.

The Jedi Master met his fate when he was betrayed by Anakin Skywalker as he went to arrest Senator Palpatine, who threw him through a window using the dark powers of the Sith.

 

DARTH VADER

Darth Vader is one of the most recognisable villains of all-time and everyone knows the signature mask and the breathing sounds made by his respirator. Before he became Darth Vader, Anakin Skywalker was trained by Obi-Wan Kenobi against the ruling of the Jedi Council. Yoda sensed the darkness inside him, but Qui-Gon was insistent that he was the Jedi that was prophesied to bring balance to the force.

After a forbidden love that produced Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia, he was convinced by Emperor Palpatine to embrace the dark side and as a result was responsible for the death of the younglings in the Jedi Temple and the death if Mace Windu.

After his unfortunate duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi, he was afflicted with severe burns and encase in the suit we are so familiar with to this day. He was a thorn in the Rebellion’s side and was also a proficient TIE Fighter pilot. He was able to use the Force to choke people and basically bully his way into getting what he wanted and was also one of the most powerful Force users in recent history.

Darth Vader did redeem himself to a certain extent as he was the one who killed the Emperor after witnessing him torturing his son, but is it really enough?

 

YODA

The little green hobbit was the longest reigning Jedi Council member and was respected for both his prowess with the Force and his ultimate wisdom. He was the Jedi Grand Master during the final days of the Jedi Order.

Yoda has been responsible for having a hand in the teaching of every Jedi you can think of and dedicated many of years to bringing the new Jedi through the ranks and passing his wisdom onto them. He was well respected and feared in equal measures.

Whilst fighting the Emperor, he had a vision that he was losing the battle and fled so that he could train Luke Skywalker much later on. He was a close friend of the Wookies and sought refuge with them when Order 66 was going down.

He later passed away after he had trained Luke Skywalker, as if he had completed everything he was meant to do.

 

OBI-WAN KENOBI

Obi-Wan Kenobi is a legend in the Jedi Order and rightly so. His list of accomplishments is amazing and seconded only by Yoda himself.

Originally training under Qui-Gon Jinn, he eventually went on to rescue the Queen of Naboo, defeat Darth Maul, train Anakin Skywalker, defeat Anakin Skywalker and it can be argued that he is responsible for starting the new generation of Jedi after training Luke Skywalker.

Obi-Wan was also the best statesman that the Jedi Order had and his decisions are responsible for shaping much of the galaxy. As a general during the Clone Wars, he defeated General Grievous and went on to defeat Anakin Skywalker, becoming one of the only Jedi in history to defeat two Sith Lords.

Obi-Wan eventually watched over Luke and was finally defeated by Darth Vader when the Sith Lord was in his prime. But what he left behind is a legacy that nobody can argue.

 

KIT FISTO

Kit Fisto was a Jedi Master who was a general during the Clone Wars and helped lead the ground war effort. He was revered for his skill whilst duelling underwater and was a charismatic and brilliant strategist. Kit Fisto met his end whilst trying to protect Mace Windu, giving the ultimate sacrifice to the Jedi Order.

 

DARTH MAUL

Not only does this guy look cool, but he was one of the only Force users in history to be able to wield a double-sided lightsaber. Although eventually defeated by Obi-Wan Kenobi, he managed to take out Qui-Gon and hold off both Jedi in the process. Just watch the fight scene at the end of Episode I. It’s breathtaking.