The 21 Most Powerful 'Star Wars' Characters, Ranked

• First Appeared: Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (1999)
• Weapon: Lightsaber

If you are a product of the 1990s and 2000s, then Qui-Gon Jinn is one of the Star Wars characters that introduced you to the toy lightsabers that you would use in pretend battles with your siblings and cousins. The student of living force, Qui-Gon was by far one of the most powerful Jedi characters with the rare ability to live on after death, and a powerful fighter for life, with peace and understanding being his motivation.

He was also quite brilliant and ahead of the curve, with many of his teachings and observations not being grasped until much later. In short, Qui-Gon was super powerful. 

• First Appeared: Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (1999)
• Weapon: Lightsaber

I think we can all agree that any character in movie history that has ever had a head shaped similar to this, is one that has been super powerful. The incredibly skilled and versatile lightsaber expert, Mundi possessed telekinetic powers to go along with his genius level mind.

Mundi was one of the first generals of the Clone Wars, and was known for the quick reflexes which pretty much made him unbeatable.

• First Appeared: Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (2005)
• Weapon: Bladed Lightsaber

Darth Plagueis, operator of the red bladed lightsaber. Just what is the power level of Darth Plagueis? Well, when he was betrayed and murdered by Sheev Palpatine who was commanded to kill him in ordinance of the Sith’s Rule of Two, he was able to essentially able to use the force to come back as nearly immortal. So powerful, that he was able to use the force that he was in turn able to create life.

The ability to come back from death more powerful than ever and create life while at it is pretty darn powerful if you ask us.

• First Appeared: Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (1999)
• Weapon: Purple Lightsaber

Mace Windu possessed not just any lightsaber, but a purple one complete with amethyst-blade. The purple wasn’t just a rarity in the galaxy, but Windu is in fact the only one known to have it.

Champion of the Jedi Order with a slight temper and little patience for B.S. (as is the case with quite a few of Samuel L. Jackson’s characters), Windu was also a very powerful fella, with telekinesis ability that allowed him to be ahead of the game when it came to strategic attacks, and once again, that unique amethyst-bladed lightsaber.

• First Appeared: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)
• Weapon: Bilari Electro-Chain Whip

Despite not being a part of the Sith Order (which at that point was extinct), Snoke was a powerful villain despite his relatively short stint as one. A sneaky little brown noser with a hidden agenda, if you will. Snoke had unique powers as leader of the First Order, such as the ability to telepathically sift and seduce sentient beings making him incredibly manipulative.

Manipulation and power go hand-in-hand, as shown with Snoke’s tendency to choke and conjure up lighting from his fingertips. That electro-chain whip was serious business as well.

• First Appeared: Star Wars: Darth Bane: Path of Destruction (2006 Novel)
• Weapon: Bane’s Heart (Lightsaber)

If his name is Bane, then trust and believe he is a powerful mofo, and in the case of the Star Wars franchise, Darth Bane is considered to be amongst the strongest and most powerful Sith of all time. The legendary Sith possessed electric voltage levels so strong that his opponents were instantly killed upon contact. He was also able to blend together the usage of his individual lightsaber (which was given to him by Kas’im), along with traditional Sith armor, which was a major contributor to his power level.

And if that wasn’t enough, when extremely pissed off, he could channel the energy of the Dark Side to unleash force waves that would have you dead on arrival. Yeah, Darth Bane was that powerful.

• First Appeared: Star Wars: A New Hope (1977)
• Weapon: Blaster Pistol

Bold, fearless, loyal, and a commitment to ending dictatorship are among the qualities that make Leia Organa not only one of the most powerful Force-users in the Star Wars universe, but one of the most respected as she is considered among the G.O.A.T heroes in the galaxy. She had that blaster pistol firing (literally), the ability to shield and protect herself and others, and she could fire off grenades that would kill, distract, and confuse.

With Princess Leia being a Skywalker, she was indeed super powerful, with some even believing her to be more talented than Luke in that regard. It’s just that she was underrated and not given enough opportunities. See what happens when you don’t give women a fair shot?

• First Appeared: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008)
• Weapon: Regular Lightsaber and Shoto Lightsaber

Ahsoka Tano. LFG. When people say they have crushes on animated movie characters, Ahsoka tends to be one of the characters they are talking about. A Togruta female warrior, Padawan learner and Clone War hero, Ahsoka was gifted from childhood, shown by her early recruit into the Jedi Order. Combat Force was something she was very skilled at, along with her acute ability to sense danger.

Ahsoka could also Force lightning, and her agility made her able to evade capture on multiple occasions. Her two lightsaber fight scenes are among the most iconic in the franchise.

• First Appeared: Star Wars Rebels: Steps Into Shadow (2016)
• Weapon: Himself

First of all, the Bendu was ginormous, which alone made him a force to be reckoned with (pun intended).

Not only that, but he could blend in with nearby surroundings, which made him undetectable at times. Throw that in with a great connection to the Force, ancient wisdom, super strength, being able to tap into the emotion of others, and being to appear and disappear (which also prevented from being killed on more than one occasion) along with his blending ability…the Bendu has a case for one of the most powerful Force users. 

• First Appeared: Star Wars: A New Hope (1977)
• Weapon: Revolving Door of Lightsabers

A.K.A that dude. A.K.A. The Jedi Master. The first Jedi to defeat a Sith in years. Obi-Wan had extreme Force capabilities where he could use telekinesis to push, pull, and crush, he could play mind tricks, jump at great distances, and move at very fast speeds for short periods.

While Obi-Wan is very much physically powerful, he is a prime example of your “mind being the strongest thing in the body.” His lightsaber combat is ranked super high as well. He's so awesome, that there has been a number of equally awesome LEGO sets in his honor and you can check out the best ones here.

• First Appeared: Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (1999)
• Weapon: Double-Bladed Lightsaber

One of the deadliest and maniacal Sith Lords to ever exist, Darth Maul was connected to the Force, and a brilliant mastermind who chose to use his gifts for evil. Before being taken out by Obi-Wan, Darth Maul was considered unkillable, possessing the skill to unleash powerful throws and chokeholds, along with his vicious spin attacks.

He was also tactically trained with his lightsaber and acrobatics, and able to engage in telekinesis. While not the most powerful in the galaxy, Darth Maul is certainly up there on the list.

• First Appeared: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)
• Weapon: Crossguard Lightsaber

Kylo Ren aka Ben Solo, the headstrong dark warrior with an unstable lightsaber that at times can’t get out of his own way. Despite his imperfections, Kylo Ren remains a powerful entity. The instability of his lightsaber has actually helped him to become more powerful and proficient than anyone else in the galaxy, and that is possibly his greatest attribute.

He too has telekinesis, and because he is connected to the dark side as opposed to the Force, Kylo Ren's force is far more violent and destructive than the rest.

• First Appeared: Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
• Weapon: Palpatine’s Lightsaber

That lying, scheming, no good, Darth Sidious was indeed very powerful. Let’s take note of a couple of things he did. One, the character born Sheev Palpatine was living a double life. Two, he restored the Sith. And three, he destroyed the Jedi Order.

Darth Sidious possessed great connection to the Force, the ability to levitate, and telepathy. Being a natural prodigy of the Force also meant that he could use every Sith capability ever known, which was complete with super strength, agility, fast reflexes, and speed. 

• First Appeared: Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)
• Weapon: Lightsaber

The former Jedi Master who fell to the dark side, Count Dooku was an evil Sith figure whose thirst for more power overtook him. Similar to his counterparts, Count Dooku had telekinesis capabilities, Force deflection, Force lightning, and was quite powerful considering he was initially trained by Yoda.

If only he had used his talents and strengths for good as opposed to evil.

• First Appeared: Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003 Animated Series)
• Weapon: Lightsaber, Blaster, Electropole

A feared Jedi Hunter and military strategist, General Grievous was a brilliant technically-skilled lightsaber entity that could hold his own against the best of the best, which made him the ultimate threat to the Jedi Universe.

In addition to unparalleled accuracy with lightsabers, General Grievous could also use his body as a weapon, allowing him quick lightning strikes and forceful throws and punches. 

• First Appeared: Attack of the Clones (2002)
• Weapon: Lightsaber

Kit Fisto, the renowned Nautolan Jedi Master who could pull from the Force to create water currents. Seeing as though he was a versatile swimmer, Fisto could also use his amphibious heritage in underwater combat making him the only one in the galaxy that could do so.

Fisto’s power was self-created and trained, making him one of a kind. And when there is only one of you…well that makes you a problem.

• First Appeared: Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003 Microseries)
• Weapon: Green-Bladed Lightsaber

The assassin trained to be able to use multiple lightsabers, Asajj Ventress was many things through the course of her life: Jedi Padawan, assassin of the Sith, Nightsister, etc. But the thing that never really changed was her skill and power abilities. Her assassin background gave her extreme maneuverability, flexibility and power, while skills like telekinesis allowed her the ability to mind control a bit.

Quite simply, Asajj was not to be played with.

• First Appeared: Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope 1977
• Weapon: Darth Vader’s Lightsaber

A.K.A. Anakin Skywalker. One of the most classic cases of “good to evil” known to entertainment, and quite possibly the strongest Star Wars character ever.

A Sith Lord with an unparalleled power, Darth Vader is incredibly strong with sudden bursts of force power, has a fast reaction speed time, telekinesis capabilities, has the ability to create force shields and send out force waves, and plenty more including levitation.

• First Appearance: Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope 1977
• Weapon: Luke Skywalker Lightsaber

There’s often the debate of who’s stronger between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. We have Luke Skywalker just slightly over Darth Vader because he is simply the greatest and most powerful Jedi in our eyes.

In fact, Luke has indeed proven to be stronger than Darth Vader, particularly in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. Luke Skywalker possesses all of the same traits as the other Jedi’s, but to the tenth power.

• First Appearance: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
• Weapon: Yoda’s Lightsaber

The legendary Jedi master with an infinite amount of wisdom and mental strength. While small in size, Yoda has over 800 years of training with the ability to defend, use his lightsaber in many different ways, and incorporate many protection defenses, making him one of the strongest of all time, and a serious case for being the strongest in his prime. Yoda the GOAT.