The Most Powerful Jedi Masters From The Lore

Summary

• Star Wars is known for its clear distinctions between heroes (Jedi) and villains (Sith), adding to its appeal.
• Some of the most powerful Jedi Masters include Yoda, Anakin Skywalker, and Mace Windu in the Star Wars galaxy.
• Characters like Mara Jade and Revan showcase unique backgrounds and abilities, contributing to the lore of the Force.

Sometimes a story is more nuanced regarding good and evil, but Star Wars is not one of those stories, which is part of its appeal. It’s easy to see who the heroes and villains are in one of the entertainment world’s most popular and endearing franchises, with the benevolent Jedi and Republic on one side and the malevolent Sith or the Empire on the other.

The Jedi Masters appear in various forms throughout the history of the Star Wars galaxy, taking roles as peacemakers, neutral negotiators, and warriors when the situation makes it a necessity. There will always be some discussion and disagreement regarding whom the most powerful Jedi is, but here are some of the leading candidates.

Updated February 13th, 2025, by Ben Painter: Star Wars is one of the most loved and explored franchises in all of media. Starting with Star Wars: Episode 4 – A New Hope and generating sequels, prequels, TV series, video games, books, and comics. There is a piece of the galaxy far, far away from everyone. A large part of the universe of Star Wars is the Jedi, and there are hundreds of them throughout the lore, which goes far beyond the movies. The latest piece of media in Star Wars, The Skeleton Crew, even featured a Jedi in the form of Jod Na Nawood. However, he proved nothing of note to be included among this elite list. This update adds five new Jedi who are considered the most powerful Jedi masters from the lore of Star Wars.

28

Vernestra Rwoh

The Youngest Jedi To Be Made A Knight

• First Appearance: The High Republic: Light of the Jedi
• Species: Miralan
• Home Planet: Unknown
• Lightsaber Color: Purple

A powerful and wise Jedi Master who lived during the High Republic era, she rose to the rank of Jedi Knight at the age of 15, making her the youngest Jedi to do so. She first appeared in The High Republic: Light of the Jedi but made her on-screen debut in the Disney+ series, The Acolyte.

She was unique as she wielded a purple lightsaber, which could be elasticated to form a lightwhip, which she proved to give her an edge during many battles. Vernestra Rwoh’s true potential was never really explored in the series, but with the potential of season 2, there is hope that fans will see her unique lightsaber reach its peak.

27

Jocasta Nu

The Librarian of The Force

• First Appearance: Star Wars: Episode 2 – Attack of the Clones
• Species: Human
• Home Planet: Coruscant
• Lightsaber Color: Blue

The power of a Jedi Master isn’t just in their skills as a warrior. As Yoda says, war does not make one great. Jocasta Nu had a reputation for skill with a lightsaber, but her real strength came from her role as the caretaker of knowledge.

Chief Librarian of the Jedi Archives was Jocasta’s official title. While she helped protect and preserve the archives, she was also part of the Jedi High Council. She was instrumental in saving most of the information that was later found by Luke Skywalker and used to rebuild the Jedi Order.

Although Jocasta survived Order 66, she was later caught and killed by Darth Vader when trying to retrieve a Holocron from the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. She was able to convince the former Jedi to destroy the Holocron rather than give it to his master, which also says something about her powers of persuasion.

26

Cal Kestis

A Survivor Of Order 66

• First Appearance: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
• Species: Human
• Home Planet: Unknown
• Lightsaber Color: Blue (canon)

Although not a Jedi Master in the traditional sense, Cal Kestis more than proved himself to earn the title thanks to his exploits against the Empire in the aftermath of Order 66.

A former padawan during the Clone Wars, Kestis survived the purge of the Jedi and went into hiding but was forced to reveal himself, which kick-started his campaign against the Empire. With the training of fellow survivor, Cere Junda, Kestis relearned his former Jedi skills and rose to become a very powerful Jedi. His force skills were unmatched and his unique lightsaber, which could act as a single blade, dual blades, double-bladed and even as a cross guard, only made him more powerful.

25

Kelleran Beq

The Legend Of The Sabered Hand

• First Appearance: Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge – “Episode 1”
• Species: Human
• Home Planet: Unknown
• Lightsaber Color: Green

While many Jedi remain aloof and distant, Kelleren Beq was a beloved teacher and an exception to the unemotional visage typical of the masters of the Force. He served under the Jedi Order for most of his career and guided countless students through their first Jedi trials. His abilities with the Force were impressive, but he’s best known for his skills with a lightsaber, which earned him the nickname The Sabered Hand.

Kelleren Beq first appeared as a character on the children’s game show Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge with his droid assistant AD-3. And later appeared in a flashback in the Disney+ series The Mandalorian where it was shown he was instrumental in Grogu’s escape from the Jedi Temple during the 501st assault during Order 66.

24

Quinlan Vos

An Expert Jedi Tracker

• First Appearance: Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace
• Species: Kiffar
• Home Planet: Kiffu
• Lightsaber Color: Green

Quinlan Vos was a very different Jedi who preferred to work alone using his retrocognition skill, in which he would perceive memories when he touched objects that belonged to them, to work as a tracker for the order. Despite this, he did have an apprentice in Aayla Secura.

During the Clone Wars, he mainly focused on missions that involved the criminal underworld of the galaxy. He is briefly turned to the Dark Side by Count Dooku, only to be redeemed by his love for the former Sith, Asajj Ventress. Vos went on to survive the Jedi purge and helped other force-sensitive individuals escape the Empire through the Hidden Path.

23

Satele Shan

The Hero Who Rediscovered Tython

• First Appearance: The Old Republic, Threat of Peace Act 1: Treaty of Coruscant
• Species: Human
• Home Planet: Brentaal IV
• Lightsaber Color: Blue, green, then yellow

An important historical figure in Jedi lore, Satele Shan served as the Jedi Order’s Grand Master during the war between the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire. She was one of the Jedi studying on Korriban when the Empire retook the planet and was able to escape and warn the Republic.

Satele Shan led various forces into battle successfully as a Jedi Knight, and by the time she earned the rank of Jedi Master, she was renowned as a hero of the Republic. She’s also credited with rediscovering the Jedi homeworld of Tython. Her son, Theron, was raised and trained in secret by the Jedi Order. When he came of age, he also became a powerful Jedi.

22

Nomi Sunrider

Widow, Survivalist, Grand Master

• First Appearance: Dark Horse Comics 7
• Species: Human
• Home Planet: Unknown
• Lightsaber Color: Green

Nomi’s story as a Jedi begins as the wife of one. Her husband, Andur, was in Jedi training when he was killed by a gang connected to Bogga the Hutt. This strengthened Nomi’s resolve to become a Jedi Knight herself, and she trained under Jedi Master Thon and was an effective warrior and valuable ally in several battles.

It was not until after the Great Sith War that Nomi Sunrider became the Grand Master of the Jedi Order. It was under her leadership that the Order and its knowledge were preserved and passed down to future generations. Her legacy as a Jedi Master is one of knowledge and wisdom along with battle prowess and survival.

21

Luminara Unduli

Powerful Even In Death

• First Appearance: Star Wars: Episode 2 – Attack of the Clones
• Species: Mirialan
• Home Planet: Mirial
• Lightsaber Color: Green

A native of the planet Mirial, Master Luminara Unduli only trained her fellow Mirialans in the ways of the Force because of a special agreement her people had with the Jedi Order. This is one of the reasons that the legends of her exploits also include her apprentice, Padawan Barriss Offee.

As a team, they were almost unbeatable on any Clone Wars battlefield, but it all fell apart when Barriss betrayed the Order and bombed the Jedi Temple. Luminara Unduli was captured after the Battle of Kashyyyk and executed according to Order 66. She was such a powerful Jedi Master, and her connection to the Force was so powerful, that the Empire used her remains to lure and trap other Jedi.

20

Adi Gallia

An Enduring Legacy

• First Appearance: Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace
• Species: Tholothian
• Home Planet: Coruscant
• Lightsaber Color: Blue

Master Adi Gallia served with Anakin and Obi-wan as a leader of the Republic forces. She wasn’t only a Jedi Master, but also a member of the Jedi Council. She was Tholothian, originally from the planet of Thoth, and has been in various Star Wars properties including novels, games, and comics. Her most notable appearances were in Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones and the Star Wars: Clone Wars television series.

After many heroic exploits during the Clone Wars, some of which involved Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, Adi Gallia fell in a battle on Planet Florrum. She was spared the fate of the other Jedi Masters, who were either betrayed by their clone armies or hunted down by Emperor Palpatine. One of the Jedi voices that spoke to Rey during the Battle of Exegol was Adi Gallia.

19

Ben Solo

Better Known As Kylo Ren

• First Appearance: Star Wars: Episode 7 – The Force Awakens
• Species: Human
• Home Planet: Chandrila
• Lightsaber Color: Blue, then Red

Ben Solo was the son of Han Solo and Princess Leia, as well as the nephew of Luke Skywalker. He inherited his bloodline’s raw strength in the force and was trained in the ways of the Jedi by his uncle. Upon finding out his grandfather was the Sith lord Darth Vader, he began to be disillusioned with his teachings and fell to the Dark Side, eventually becoming Supreme Leader of the First Order as Kylo Ren.

Just like his Grandfather before him, he had an act of redemption, turning back to the light side and aiding in taking down the Emperor once and for all. Solo had a unique bond with Rey, as the two shared a dyad in the Force; it was this that led him on his path to redemption.

18

Ahsoka Tano

A Former Jedi Turned Rebel

• First Appearance: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (movie)
• Species: Tortuga
• Home Planet: Shili
• Lightsaber Color: White (formerly green)

Ahsoka Tano was the padawan of Anakin Skywalker before she left the Jedi Order after she was wrongly accused of committing an attack on the Jedi Temple. After the order collapsed, she became a rebel informant and survived long after the reign of the Empire.

In her younger days, she was cocky and reckless but became a wise and strong leader as she matured and was regarded as one of the most powerful force users and a master to Sabine Wren, a Mandalorian member of the Rebellion. She was proficient with her dual lightsabers, using the reversed style of combat known as Jar’Kai.

17

Saesee Tiin

A Talented Pilot And Tactical Leader

• First Appearance: Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace
• Species: Iktochi
• Home Planet: Iktoch
• Lightsaber Color: Green

Saesee Tiin was a Jedi Master and his official title was with the Jedi Council, but his talents with a lightsaber and as a fighter pilot often put him on the front line. His home world was the moon of Iktotch, and as one of the Iktotchi people, his height and horns made him an imposing figure among the Jedi.

As one of the Generals during the Clone Wars, Saesee Tiin saw plenty of action in space, piloting a starfighter as he led troops on the ground. He was killed while trying to arrest Senator Palpatine, and at least was spared the horrors of Order 66.

16

Count Dooku

A Former Master And Teacher

• First Appearance: Star Wars: Episode 2 – Attack of the Clones
• Species: Human
• Home Planet: Serenno
• Lightsaber Color: Red (formerly blue)

Yoda taught this former Jedi Master, and the Count would later go on to be Master Qui-Gon Jinn’s teacher. This should give fans an idea of how powerful the Duke was, and why even experienced Jedi were in danger should they face him in battle.

Dooku lost his faith in the Order after the Battle of Naboo. For a while, he maintained a level of neutrality as the Head of State of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, but secretly he had embraced the dark side and had become a Sith, Lord Tyranus. His weakness was forgetting that the way of the Dark Side was treachery. When his master discovered a younger, more powerful Jedi to coerce to the Dark Side, he was cast aside.

15

Shaak Ti

Clever Planning And Quick Thinking

• First Appearance: Star Wars: Episode 2 – Attack of the Clones
• Species: Togruta
• Home Planet: Shili
• Lightsaber Color: Blue

Master Shaak Ti had a career very similar to that of Mace Windu. She also served as a successful general for the Republic during the same tumultuous period, surviving a fight with General Grievous and taking charge of the Jedi Temple during the final days of the Clone Wars. She had a reputation as a clever tactician with a unique ability for quick thinking, unique abilities that made her one of the galaxy’s most powerful Jedi.

After the rise of the Galactic Empire, she fled Coruscant with a Padawan learner, Maris Brood. They found refuge on the planet of Felucia, where Shaak Ti trained Maris and other force-sensitive locals. Eventually, Darth Vader tracked her down and sent his apprentice, Starkiller, to end her life.

14

Kanan Jarrus

A Survivor Of Order 66 And An Important Rebel Figure

• First Appearance: Star Wars Rebels
• Species: Human
• Home Planet: Coruscant
• Lightsaber Color: Blue

Kanan Jarrus was a Jedi padawan during Order 66, and thanks to the sacrifice of his master, Depa Billaba, he survived and went into hiding. Years later, he met Twi’lek rebel operative Hera Syndulla and joined the rebellion against the Empire.

It was there he met force-sensitive Ezra Bridger and trained him as a Jedi, despite not having full training himself. It was during this teaching and as part of the rebel cell that he became a true Jedi and a proper reflection of what the order stands for. Just like his master before him, he sacrificed himself to allow his fellow rebels to escape, returning as part of the Cosmic Force to continue to guide his apprentice even after death.

13

Qui-Gon Jinn

Sought To Bring Balance to The Force

• First Appearance: Star Wars: Episode 1 The Phantom Menace
• Species: Human
• Home Planet: Coruscant
• Lightsaber Color: Green

The prequels really should have been about Qui-Gon alone, given his experience and skills, by the time the story gets started. Even when he’s just a disembodied voice, he still makes an impression. He might not be the most popular among his peers, but his courage and diverse abilities make him one of the strongest Jedi ever.

Qui-Gon Jinn was one of the most powerful Jedi Masters, but he was often subversive, and his ideas and methods were controversial among the Jedi elite. However, his knowledge has stood the test of time, with more recent stories revealing that he learned how to become a Force spirit and passed the knowledge on to Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

12

Rey Skywalker

Rebuilding The Jedi Order

• First Appearance: Star Wars: Episode 7 – The Force Awakens
• Species: Human
• Home Planet: Jaku
• Lightsaber Color: Blue (Anakin’s lightsaber, Yellow (her own)

Rey is part of a new generation of Jedi Masters that can use their intuitive skills as well as combat abilities. She already had some decent survivalist and defense skills from a rough childhood on Jakku, and as the trilogy progresses, she evolves into a strong fighter with a profound connection to the Force.

Her training included instructions from Jedi Masters Leia Organa and Luke Skywalker, and her fallen adversaries include Kylo Ren and the resurrected version of Emporer Palpatine, her grandfather.

Some fans didn’t like the revelation of her lineage, preferring the idea of a Force-sensitive person who doesn’t need to come from a famous bloodline. However, the twist of a Palpatine rebuilding the Jedi Order is what Qui-Gon Jinn would refer to as “balance.”

11

Eeth Koth

Jedi Master Turned Priest

• First Appearance: Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace
• Species: Zabrak
• Home Planet: Iridonia
• Lightsaber Color: Green

Eeth Koth was a high-regarded member of the Jedi Council who served during the final years of the Galactic Republic and throughout the Clone Wars. At some point before the events of Star Wars: Episode 3 – Revenge of the Sith, he left the order and became a priest of the Church of the Ganthic Enlightenment.

It was during his time there that Darth Vader hunted him down and killed him, continuing his eradication of the Jedi. Eeth Koth was powerful in the Force and preferred to use it instead of his Lightsaber in combat.

10

Kit Fisto

One Of The Finest Duelists In The Order

• First Appearance: Star Wars: Episode 2 – Attack Of The Clones
• Species: Nautolan
• Home Planet: Glee Anselm
• Lightsaber Color: Green

Noted among his peers as one of the greatest lightsaber duelists in the order’s history, Kit Fisto was a Jedi Master who served during the Galactic Republic. Unlike the stoic nature that most Jedi possessed, Fisto was laid-back and enjoyed seeing the humor in things.

However, his approach takes nothing away from how great a Jedi he was. His speciality was his skill with a lightsaber. It has been shown across various media that he is very proficient in combat, even going toe-to-toe with General Grievous wielding all four of his lightsabers. Despite his skills, he was still no match for the dark lord Darth Sidious, who killed Fisto in the later stages of the Galactic War.

9

Plo Koon

A Skilled Pilot And Battle Veteran

• First Appearance: Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace
• Species: Kel Dor
• Home Planet: Dorin
• Lightsaber Color: Blue

This Jedi Master deserves more screen time and maybe even his own series. Plo Kloon was a deadly fighter pilot along with being a master of the Force. He has appeared on the big screen as one of the Jedi Council in the first two prequels and has extensive roles in several comics, books, and the 2008 version of Clone Wars.

In addition to planning and leading many successful missions and surviving some of the most notorious battles in the history of the galaxy, Plo Koon instructed Bultar Swan as a Padawan learner and discovered Ahsoka Tano. His story ends with the massacre of Order 66 when he is shot down by his troops at the Battle of Cato Neimoidia.