[Top 25] Best Siths and Jedis (From Weakest To Strongest)
Who are the strongest Sith and Jedi in Star Wars?
Amongst the many warriors in the Star Wars galaxy, none are greater than the Jedi and Sith. From their mastery of the elegant lightsaber, to their use of the mysterious Force, these warriors are in an entirley different league than anyone else.
In this list you will find the twenty-five greatest Sith and Jedi from across the movies, shows, and even the Star Wars video games. Each of them have been ranked based on their combat and Force abilities, as well as how succesful they were at fighting similarly matched opponents.
25. Pong Krell (The Clone Wars - 2009-2020)
Pong Krell battles the 501st Clone Legion
Pong Krell was introduced during the Umbara arc of Star Wars The Clone Wars. He was a four-armed alien from a race called Besalisks and wielded two double-bladed lightsabers. It would eventually be revealed that Krell was a traitor, and had been deliberately getting his troops (as well as Anakin's) killed. For his crimes, he is sentenced to execution by the 501st. However, it was Krell's right-hand Clone, Dogma, that killed Krell.
Krell was ultimately not a powerful Jedi and was an even weaker Sith, but he was still a brilliant strategist. Had The Clone Wars not retconned into existence the Clone brain chips, Krell would have served as great justification for why they so easily accepted the orders to kill the Jedi.
24. Plo Koon (The Clone Wars - 2009-2020)
Some of Plo Koon's best scenes from The Clone Wars.
Jedi Master Plo Koon is a Kel Dor, a race that requires special breathing masks to survive in oxygen-based environments. Plo Koon is a calm and kind Jedi but was also an expert swordfighter and stern leader. He served in many battles, both before and during the Clone Wars, but was ultimately killed by his men during Order 66.
Plo Koon is a character we never really got to see in the shine of the spotlight. Despite his military career, most of Plo Koon's scenes were relegated to planning or socializing. Despite this, he is a fan favorite character that we would all love to see more of.
23. Saesee Tin (Clone Wars - 2003-2005)
Saesee Tin commandeers a Separatist ship.
Saesee Tin was an Iktotchi, a humanoid alien race with distinctive horns. Tin was a legendary fighter pilot, and fought on dozens of battlefields. One of his biggest accomplishments would be his capture of a Seperatist warship during the Battle of Coruscant, without using any ships himself. Ultimately Tin would be killed by Darth Sidious just before Order 66.
Like many of the Jedi in the Prequels, we never saw much of Tin. However, unlike some others, he got his spotlight in the 2003-2005 Clone Wars cartoon. It would be great if we got to see Tin in a future project, especially if he wore his unique Jedi armor again.
22. Asajj Ventress (The Clone Wars - 2009-2020)
Ventress and the Nightsisters fight General Grievous and his army.
Asajj Ventress was a half-Zabrack half-human born on the planet Dathomir. She would be sold into slavery as a child, before being rescued by the Jedi Knight Ky Narec, who would take her as his Padawan. Unfortunately, Narec was killed, causing Ventress to embrace the Dark Side of The Force. She would eventually be recruited by Count Dooku, only to later be betrayed by him. In the Legends continuity, Ventress is one of only a few Force-sensitive characters to survive both the Clone Wars and Order 66, though her ultimate fate is unknown. In Canon, Ventress is killed by Count Dooku’s Force Lightning.
Ventress is a beloved character, capturing the spotlight ever since her first appearance. From her iconic design to twin red lightsabers, Ventress’ appearance alone made her awesome. Her cold-hearted and brash persona served to make her an enjoyable villain, often going up against the kind and cool minded Obi-Wan Kenobi. It is my hope that Ventress’ death will be retconned, especially due to the outrageous circumstances of it, and that we will see her in an upcoming Disney Plus show.
21. Qui Gon Jin (The Phantom Menace - 1999)
Qui Gon Jin and Obi-Wan Kenobi fight Darth Maul.
Qui Gon Jin was a human from an unknown planet. He was a legendary Jedi, offered a seat at the Jedi Council, only to turn it down. Jin put much faith in ancient prophecies, leading him to believe Anakin Skywalker was the chosen one. Jin would take the boy across the galaxy in an attempt to get the Jedi Council to accept him, though at first, this would prove unfruitful. In the end, Qui Gon would give his life protecting Anakin, and due to it being his last wish, Anakin would be recruited into the Jedi Order.
Qui Gon Jin was our first look into a Jedi Master before the rise of the Empire, and he was certainly an interesting one. Having a Jedi that actively chose to believe in his own ideas rather than what he was told made him stand out from the others.
20. Luminara Unduli (Clone Wars - 2003-2005)
Luminara and her Padawan defend against a Droid invasion.
Luminara Unduli was a Mirialan, a near-human race with distinctive green skin. Unduli was a wise Master, calm and collected at all times. She served in the war from The Battle of Geonosis, up until the very end when she met her fate during Order 66. She was a proficient lightsaber fighter, able to compete with Asajj Ventress while injured. She was also a capable hand-to-hand fighter.
Luminara always stood out from other Jedi, through a mix of her distinctive green skin and middle-eastern inspired attire. While never having much screen time in the movies, she was featured in both the original Clone Wars series and the following show, The Clone Wars, where she had considerably more screen time. Unduli’s voice would also be heard in The Rise of Skywalker, encouraging Rey in her battle against Palpatine.
19. Ezra Bridger (Rebels - 2014-2018)
Ezra proves himself as a Jedi.
Ezra Bridger was a human male and the protagonist of Star Wars Rebels. He started the show as a street urchin, stealing just to survive. Throughout the show, he would gradually be trained as a Jedi Padawan under the tutelage of Kanan Jarrus. He would also briefly be trained by former Sith Lord Darth Maul. Ezra would prove himself as a valuable member of the Rebel Alliance, actively facing down Sith Inquisitors, and even surviving multiple encounters with Darth Vader himself.
Ezra was a fun character and an innovative twist on the classic audience stand-in formula. His creativity led to the creation of one of the most unique lightsabers in the franchise, and he proved himself time and time again as someone that would do anything for his friends. Whatever the future may hold for Ezra, I cannot wait to see it.
18. Kanan Jarrus (Rebels - 2014-2018)
Kanan Jarrus faces an illusion of The Force.
Kanan Jarrus was a human male and the mentor to Ezra Bridger in Star Wars Rebels. He was once a Jedi Padawan that survived Order 66 only thanks to the interference of a Clone… twice. He would eventually meet Hera Sendula and join her rebel cell, slowly forming a romantic relationship with her. He would eventually train Ezra as his Padawan, even after being blinded by Darth Maul.
Kanan is another great character from Rebels that deserves more screen time. He was a capable Jedi despite his limited training and fought incredibly hard against enemies that should by all means have been much stronger than him. Interestingly enough, during Order 66, Kanan was saved on two separate occasions by Clones that couldn’t follow through with the order. The first is Hunter in The Bad Batch, and the second is Commander Grey in the Star Wars comics.
17. Shatele Shan (The Old Republic - 2011-present)
Shatele Shan was a human Jedi during the Old Republic. She was a descendant of Darth Revan and Bastila Shan, following in her mother’s footsteps more than her father’s. On the planet of Alderaan, she would defeat the Sith Lord Darth Malgus, but not kill him. Eventually, she would rediscover the Jedi homeworld of Tython and become Grand Master of The Jedi Order. Ultimately, Shan would put herself in exile and leave the Order.
While I personally don’t care for characters being direct descendants of previously established characters, Shatele is done well. She stands out from her mother and has few similarities with her father. Shan was a great character that took the spotlight even in an MMORPG. With the release of Old Republic content in the new Canon, I am hoping that we will see more of her.
16. Darth Malgus (The Old Republic - 2011-present)
Darth Malgus launches an attack on the Jedi Temple.
Darth Malgus was a human Sith Lord during the Old Republic. He led the attack on Korriban, successfully reclaiming the Sith homeworld from the Republic, before murdering his own master. He would frequently fight alongside his lover, a Twi’Lek slave named Eleena Daru, and a Mandalorian named Shae Vizla. He would eventually be injured by Shatele Shan during the Battle of Alderaan, leading to him wearing a breathing mask for the rest of his life. Throughout the rest of his life, Malgus would make enemies of both the Jedi and Sith, going rogue on multiple occasions.
Malgus is an interesting take on the Sith. He is powerful and of course, has an awesome unique design, but that’s not what elevates him. It is his own hatred for the Empire and their politicians that makes him stand out from the other Dark Jedi. Having a villain that opposes the very organization they belong to will always make for a fun character.
15. Ki-Adi-Mundi (Clone Wars - 2003-2005)
Ki-Adi-Mundi remains the only Jedi left standing against General Grievous.
Ki-Adi-Mundi was a Cerean, a race of mammalian humanoids with binary brains. Mundi was a member of the Jedi Council and saw many of the Clone Wars’ battles. Mundi was known as a kind-hearted Jedi, though he was seemingly ruthless in the Clone Wars, allowing Republic forces to use flamethrowers in Geonosian tunnels. He was an incredible lightsaber fighter, capable of surviving an encounter with General Grievous at the cyborg’s peak. Inevitably though, he was killed by his own men during Order 66.
Ki-Adi-Mundi never got much screen time in the movies, but that didn’t stop writers from expanding his character in supplementary materials. While we eventually found Ki-Adi-Mundi to be a more well-rounded character, many fans have a very particular idea of the Master based on a specific part of his backstory in Legends. Due to the rareness of Cereans, Ki-Ad-Mundi was allowed to marry and have children, which he did with several different women. This is why Mundi will forever be known as the suavest of Jedi.
14. Vaylin (The Old Republic - 2011-present)
Senya Tirrell attempts to save her daughter from The Eternal Empire.
Vaylin is technically not a Sith, but she is still a powerful Dark Side Force user. She was born the daughter of Valkorian, emperor of The Eternal Empire. After her powerful but chaotic use of the Force was revealed, Valkorian locked her away, which only caused her to be filled by hate for both of her parents. After her mother, Senya Tirrell failed to save her, Vaylin's descent into the Dark Side would be completed.
There is much more to Force users than just the Jedi and the Sith, and Vaylin is an expert example of this. She became an enemy of both the Jedi and the Sith, killing countless of both sides during the Eternal Empire’s expansion. Having characters that force the Jedi and Sith to work together will always make for a captivating antagonist.
13. Ahsoka Tano (Rebels - 2014-2018)
Ahsoka battles Darth Vader.
Ahsoka Tano was a Togruta, a race of aliens with distinctive head tails and a rainbow of skin colors. She was introduced in the Star Wars The Clone Wars animated movie as Anakin Skywalker’s Padawan. She would steadily grow as a person throughout the show and endure a great number of hardships. She was one of the few Jedi to survive Order 66, eventually joining the Rebel Alliance. She would face off against a number of Inquisitors, and even Darth Vader himself, and make it through the war still alive.
Ahsoka’s debut was a troubled one, but she quickly became a fan favorite character in The Clone Wars show. Her snippy dialogue gave the audience laughs, while she proved herself again and again in battle. She would eventually learn to be a talented commander and cared deeply for the Clones under her orders. I look forward to seeing her in the Ahsoka series and am curious about what new direction the character will go.
12. Darth Maul (The Clone Wars - 2009-2020)
Darth Maul destroys a Star Destroyer.
Darth Maul was a Zabrack from the planet Dathomir. He would be recruited as the first apprentice to Darth Sidious, but this would not last. He would seemingly be killed by Obi-Wan Kenobi on Naboo, only to re-emerge years later. Maul would become obsessed with Kenobi, attempting to kill him at every opportunity, only for Kenobi to eventually end Maul's life on Tatooine.
Maul was an epic villain, from his incredible design to his iconic double-bladed lightsaber. He served as the perfect obstacle for Obi-Wan to overcome in his journey, and his death would be one of the most memorable in the franchise. While the decision, and reason for Maul returning in The Clone Wars was ludicrous, the show added impressive depth to him. He graduated from a cool one-off villain to a loveable, horrible person that sought to crush his enemies underfoot. His eventual death at the hands of Obi-Wan was also a fitting end for him, after his return.
11. Shaak Ti (Clone Wars - 2003-2005)
Shaak Ti fights a horde of MagnaGuard by herself.
Like Ahsoka, Shaak Ti was a Togruta. She was regarded as one of the wisest Jedi Masters. While a capable combatant, Shaak Ti spent most of the war overseeing Kamino and strategizing rather than fighting herself. At one point she came dangerously close to discovering that the Clone Troopers would eventually be forced to kill their Jedi allies, but the Kaminoans were successfully able to cover it up. Ultimately, Shaak Ti would be killed by Anakin Skywalker in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.
Shaak Ti is an awesome character, with one of the most impressive fights in the franchise when she faced down an entire horde of Magnaguard by herself. However, she also continuously gets killed. In a deleted scene in Revenge of The Sith, Shaak Ti is stabbed through the back by Grievous. In another deleted scene, Anakin stabs her through the back in a security recording at the Jedi Temple. In The Force Unleashed, Starkiller electrocutes her to death, which for a time would be her canonical fate. After Legends was removed from canon, Shaak Ti’s official fate would eventually be that Anakin stabbed her in the back, as seen in The Clone Wars and the Star Wars comics.
10. Mace Windu (Clone Wars - 2003-2005)
Mace Windu crushes General Grievous' ribcage.
Mace Windu was a human Jedi during the Clone Wars. He was a brilliant lightsaber fighter and strategist. He served the Republic and Jedi loyally, even during the decline of the Republic. When he discovered the true identity of Darth Sidious, Windu gathered several other Jedi Masters to confront Sheev Palpatine. Ultimately the Sith Lord would kill the others, while Anakin Skywalker severed Windu’s arm and allowed Palpatine to finish him off.
Windu was instantly made cooler by his unique lightsaber color, a nice amethyst. The fact that he used this saber to quickly dispatch legions of enemies only made him cooler. He was incredibly powerful but arrogant. In Legends, his one attachment was to the Republic, which blinded him to Palpatine’s machinations and influence over Anakin. This proved his most fatal mistake.
9. Rey Skywalker (The Rise of Skywalker - 2019)
Rey fights Kylo Ren for the final time.
Rey Skywalker was a human of unknown origin. She met the former Stormtrooper, Finn, and BB-8 on the planet of Jakku, leading to her grand adventure. She would battle Kylo Ren, meet legendary Jedi Luke Skywalker, and witness the death of the First Order’s Supreme Leader, Snoke. It would eventually be revealed that Rey was the granddaughter of Darth Sidious, whose powers were beginning to manifest in her. However, Rey would kill Sidious once and for all, and choose the name Skywalker instead.
Rey started out as a fairly strong character if certain liberties were given to her to make the film more exciting. By The Rise of Skywalker though, all pretenses of her being her own character were dropped. She inexplicably gained the powers Sidious spent his entire life cultivating, leading to the not-so-subtle reveal that she was his granddaughter. Quickly after, this was retconned to say that she was actually the daughter of a Clone that looked nothing like Sidious, and inexplicably escaped from the Sith Lord for several years. While in terms of pure power, Rey is one of the strongest characters in the movies, her character arc was completely butchered and she never actually learns to use most of her powers.
8. Count Dooku (Attack of The Clones - 2002)
Count Dooku shows why he was one of the greatest Jedi of his day.
Count Dooku was born to a wealthy family in Sereno. His family, upon realizing he was Force-sensitive, abandoned him and left him for dead. Instead a Jedi Seeker found him and brought him to Coruscant, where he would become one of the greatest Jedi to ever live. Dooku would then leave the Order, viewing them as corrupt and immoral, to lead the Confederacy of Independent Systems under the tutelage of Darth Sidious. He would eventually be betrayed by his master and was executed by Anakin Skywalker.
Dooku was an awesome villain, played by the impressive Christopher Lee. His foreboding voice and regal attire served to make him a charismatic delight on screen. His curved lightsaber also made him stand out from other Sith, while his lightsaber skills were enough to rival some of the greatest living Jedi at the time.
7. Anakin Skywalker (The Clone Wars - 2009-2020)
Anakin's greatest moments from the final season of The Clone Wars.
Anakin Skywalker was born a slave on the planet of Tatooine. He would be rescued by Jedi Master Qui Gon Jinn, and eventually trained as a Jedi himself. Anakin would be manipulated by Darth Sidious, leading him on a path down the Dark Side. Inevitably, he betrayed the Jedi Order and led the 501st to slaughter all the Jedi still at the temple on Coruscant. Soon after, he would be slain by Obi-Wan Kenobi, only to be resurrected as Darth Vader.
Anakin was doomed from the start to become Darth Vader, but this is what made him so much more interesting. Seeing his descent into the Dark Side made Anakin a much more captivating character, while his personality was expanded upon heavily in supplementary materials and The Clone Wars. His quick thinking and sarcastic attitude also helped to make him a memorable and fun character.
6. Obi-Wan Kenobi (Revenge of The Sith - 2005)
Obi-Wan stands his ground against the legendary General Grievous.
Obi-Wan Kenobi was a human born on the planet of Stewjon. He was quickly taken in by the Jedi Order, and would eventually come to be the Padawan of Qui Gon Jinn. Kenobi would avenge his master’s death by defeating Darth Maul and go on to train Anakin Skywalker as his own Padawan. Eventually, Obi-Wan would have to cut down his own friend and student, leaving Anakin for dead on Mustafar. Darth Vader would have his revenge though, killing Obi-Wan aboard the Death Star. However, Kenobi was not done and would become a Force ghost to guide Anakin’s son, Luke Skywalker.
Ewan McGregor brought incredible charisma to the role of Obi-Wan. He was perhaps the best character in the prequels, and of course, would be critical to Luke Skywalker’s journey. His lightsaber skills were unmatched, leading him to be able to defeat both General Grievous and Anakin Skywalker without being injured himself. Still, Kenobi was not a perfect warrior, and could often be defeated by enemies that relied upon the Force or trickery.
5. Yoda (Revenge of The Sith - 2005)
Yoda battles Darth Sidious.
Yoda was an unknown species born on an unknown planet. He would eventually become one of the most powerful Jedi to ever live. His long age allowed him to train for centuries, and eventually become Grand Master of the Jedi Order. Yoda would be one of few Jedi to survive Order 66, even after battling Darth Sidious. He would then live the rest of his life in exile, eventually training Luke Skywalker, before peacefully passing away. Even in death though, he would continue to be a teacher to Jedi and Force Ghosts alike.
Yoda is a delightfully fun character. Originally he was a puppet that very surprisingly turned out to be a powerful Jedi, but the prequels took this even further. He was an incredibly powerful combatant, and a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. However, I view Yoda as a failure of the Jedi. Despite his power and position, he instead acted as a passive observer to many events, and even refused to tell the Order of his vision of their deaths. When he initially failed to defeat Darth Sidious in the Senate building, he fled instead of continuing the fight. This ensured that Palpatine kept control of the newly established Empire.
4. Darth Vader (Rogue One - 2016)
Darth Vader slaughters Rebel soldiers.
Darth Vader was a cyborg born on the planet of Coruscant. While Anakin Skywalker had gone by the name shortly before his death, the being that was Vader would only truly be created after Darth Sidious repaired Skywalker’s destroyed body. Vader would then go on to easily defeat almost any enemy he faced, be they Rebel or Jedi. In all of his exploits, only a few were ever able to defeat him, and none would be able to kill him. In the end, Vader would choose to sacrifice himself, killing Sidious to save Anakin Skywalker’s son. In those last moments, Vader would die, and Anakin would live again just long enough to see Luke’s face.
Fans fell in love with Vader the moment he stepped on screen in A New Hope. His design was incredible, vaguely reminiscent of samurai armor. We would eventually learn that in the universe, his armor is based on an ancient Sith War Droid. In Legends, Vader’s body is designed as a punishment, his fingers too thick to properly hold his lightsaber, his ears unable to distinguish background noise from something right next to him, his skin constantly itching, his lungs constantly pumping, and the control panel on his chest randomly beeping for no reason at all. On top of this, Vader’s connection to the Force was permanently damaged, significantly reducing his power. Despite this, he was still stronger than almost any other character alive at the same time as him.
3. Starkiller (The Force Unleashed II - 2008)
Starkiller rampages through Timira City on Kamino.
Galen Marek was Darth Vader’s apprentice between Revenge of The Sith and A New Hope. Codenamed Starkiller, he would be dispatched to kill several powerful Jedi, before going undercover in the Rebel Alliance. Despite being used to destroy the Rebels, Starkiller instead joined them and defeated Darth Vader in battle. He then gave his own life to allow the leaders of the Rebellion to escape. However, this would not be the end of Starkiller. Six months later, a Clone would be created that went on to slaughter thousands of Stormtroopers and join the Rebellion.
While Starkiller did receive Jedi training, I still consider him one of few good-aligned Sith, due to him still using Sith training and powers, as well as openly expressing intense emotions, including anger. He was one of the most powerful characters in Legends, able to pull a descending Star Destroyer from the atmosphere of a planet, and completely disintegrate humans with the Force. He was also able to defeat Darth Vader on two separate occasions, his Force lightning giving him a huge advantage over the Sith Lord.
2. Darth Sidious (The Clone Wars - 2009-2020)
Darth Sidious teaches Yoda a lesson.
Sheev Palpatine was born on the peaceful planet of Naboo. Despite the paradise-like world he lived in, Palpatine would be recruited by the Sith Lord Darth Plagueis. Their time together was not to last, as eventually, Palpatine would murder Plagueis to train Darth Maul. Soon, the existence of Anakin Skywalker would be discovered, and Palpatine hatched plans for a new apprentice. He orchestrated the downfall of The Republic and the Jedi Order, became responsible for the deaths of billions of people, and became emperor of the galaxy. Palpatine’s reign would be short-lived, as only two decades later, his own apprentice would kill him to save Luke Skywalker.
Palpatine was an amazing villain because he focused almost entirely on planning and manipulation. Despite this, he was obscenely powerful, without letting almost anyone know this. When Luke Skywalker defeated Darth Vader, he believed Palpatine to be a feeble old man who could easily be arrested. Instead, he revealed himself as Darth Sidious and nearly killed Luke. In Revenge of The Sith, we saw that Sidious was also an incredible warrior. This is nothing compared to The Clone Wars, where he never even needs to put in the effort to defeat his enemies. I only wish we had more animated fight scenes with him.
1. Luke Skywalker (Return of The Jedi - 1983)
Luke proves himself as a true Jedi Knight.
Luke Skywalker was raised on the planet of Tatooine by his aunt Beru and Uncle Owen. After their murders, Luke would travel with Ben Kenobi, Han Solo, and Chewbacca to Alderaan, only to be captured by The Empire. From there he would free Princess Leia, witness Ben’s death, and destroy the Death Star. His journey was only beginning, as he would receive Jedi training from Yoda, lose his hand to Darth Vader, and learn what it means to be a Jedi Knight. Eventually, he would defeat Vader and witness the death of the Emperor, before creating a new Jedi Order for the next generation.
Luke was created as a self-insert for George Lucas, but he quickly became more than that. Luke was a simple farm kid, but he would learn to suffer, learn to overcome, and commit himself to the Light Side of The Force. In Legends, he would become the greatest Jedi to ever live. In Canon, Luke would give in to the Dark Side and inadvertently cause the downfall of the Jedi once again, and see his own nephew join the Dark Side. So he put himself into exile, a sad fate for a once-beloved character.
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