The official Star Wars canon, which was reevaluated when Disney bought Lucasfilm in 2012, is bursting with powerful characters. Although the interpersonal relationships are, and have always been, the most important storytelling elements of the Star Wars franchise, the power these figures possess is also vital to the space opera’s worldbuilding efforts. In the majority of cases, the word “powerful” refers to a Force-wielder’s mystical abilities and their finesse in combat. However, there are a few rare exceptions.
It should be noted that, although they were incredibly powerful, the Mortis gods known as the Father, the Daughter, and the Son haven’t been included in this ranking. Introduced in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the enigmatic trio are physical embodiments of the Force itself. That said, they’re given very few opportunities to prove their power, so it’s tough to place them in a list such as this. Similarly, Cameron Monaghan’s Cal Kestis from the Star Wars: Jedi video games gets an honorary mention. While he has a very wide range of Force powers and combat styles, he’s only really as good as the player makes him. His lack of official training beyond his time as a Padawan also means it would be disingenuous to place him among the upper echelon of powerful Star Wars characters.
Kylo Ren
Adam Driver’s Star Wars character, admittedly, didn’t have a great deal of competition when it came to powerful peers. Still, Disney’s sequel trilogy established him as the most fearsome of the franchise’s newcomers when The Force Awakens premiered in 2015. His anger-fueled combat style is strangely effective, although the lack of control over said emotion can also be one of his biggest downsides. Still, as part of the immensely powerful Skywalker family tree, it’s tough to deny that some of the innate Force ability that began with Anakin has trickled down to reach Kylo Ren – AKA Ben Solo.
Grand Admiral Thrawn
Lars Mikkelson’s Thrawn is one of the rare Star Wars characters who belong on this list despite not being Force-sensitive. It’s unquestionable that he has the finest tactical mind in the entire canon, and this talent is made even more fearsome when he’s given an army to command. Still, even when left with nothing but scraps and little more than a whiff of how he can gain the upper hand, Thrawn always finds a way to come out on top. Granted, in a resourceless face-to-face encounter with a Jedi or Sith, he wouldn’t stand a chance, which is why he’s ranked here.
Darth Maul
Known only as Maul after his defeat at the hands of Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi in 1999’s The Phantom Menace, the tattooed former Sith Lord kept himself alive via sheer force of will and his hatred for the man who sliced him in half. Despite his legs being replaced with cybernetic implants, his skills with a lightsaber don’t diminish in the slightest. In fact, he probably gets even more dangerous. Being freed from the service of his former master gives him nothing to lose and allows him to rise to the top of an underworld criminal syndicate. Even when that all eventually goes wrong, he finds the inner strength to keep going on his search for Obi-Wan.
Mace Windu
Mace Windu is one of the greatest fighters of all time in Star Wars canon. With a lightsaber in his hand, there are few circumstances that can stop him. Even his loss to Ian McDiarmid’s Emperor Palpatine in 2005’s Revenge of the Sith only happened because Anakin (Hayden Christensen) showed up and distracted his fellow Jedi Council member. Focusing more on Mace Windu’s connection to the Force, his signature Vaapad fighting style proves his level of self-control. Vaapad runs the risk of corrupting those who adopt it, as it taps into the Dark Side of the Force. Thankfully, Windu has the fortitude necessary to resist the Dark Side’s pull, staying anchored to the Light.
Avar Kriss
Avar may be unknown to casual Star Wars fans, as she’s a little bit of a deep cut. Only featuring in the High Republic novel and comic book series, Avar Kriss is officially part of the main canon, but she does only exist centuries before the events of the prequel trilogy. The High Republic very quickly makes it clear that she is her era’s most powerful Force user. Master Kriss would even hold her own against Jedi Masters and Sith Lords from the various Star Wars movies and TV shows. She becomes a legend throughout the Republic in her time, and a tale of dark folklore to those who oppose her.
Luke Skywalker
Luke’s (Mark Hamill) power is often underplayed in the original trilogy, but a big part of that is the slow, old-fashioned way that the lightsaber battles are portrayed. As the son of Anakin Skywalker, Luke has inherited his father’s immense Force-sensitivity, and he’s a natural at fighting with the Jedi’s signature weapon. Even though many fans dislike how Luke is written in 2017’s The Last Jedi, the divisive movie does at least prove how his powers continued to grow after the original trilogy. Projecting an image of himself across the galaxy to the surface of another planet, fooling everyone into thinking he was really there, was an outstanding feat. No wonder he became one with the Force shortly after.
Yoda
There is a good reason why Yoda is one of the most iconic Star Wars mascots, and it’s not just his strange syntax. The diminutive green Jedi Master is a rare combination of high Force-sensitivity, a talent for lightsaber duels, and centuries of experience and wisdom to help it all come together. He is the absolute embodiment of what a Jedi should be. He never fights unless necessary, and champions diplomacy whenever possible. Even during his final years on Dagobah, where he becomes one with the Force in the original trilogy, I remain convinced that Yoda had at least a few more victories in him.
Emperor Sheev Palpatine
If anyone was ever going to better Master Yoda in battle, it was the Emperor. Also known as Darth Sidious, Ian McDiarmid’s Star Wars icon has proven near-impossible to kill on more than one occasion. While his reliance on the Dark Side of the Force has resulted in his grotesque appearance, this is also the source of his fearsome power. His rise to emperor was certainly aided by his political connections and underhanded tactics, but it was his raw ability to deal with those who opposed him that kept him at the top for so long.
Darth Vader
Even as Anakin Skywalker, there were few who could defeat Darth Vader. As a Sith Lord who believed he had nothing left to lose, Vader was truly terrifying. He was the right hand of the Emperor for years, cutting down anyone of note who could believably prevent total Imperial dominance. He didn’t even need to lay a hand on them to end their lives. When he reverted to being Anakin again at the end of the original trilogy, his defeat of Emperor Palpatine finally proved that he’d surpassed his former master. Still, there is one Star Wars character who is even more powerful than Darth Vader.
Darth Plagueis
Plagueis loomed large over the Star Wars timeline, even before his brief 2024 on-screen debut in Star Wars: The Acolyte‘s finale. He was a much more fleshed-out figure before Disney retconned most of his storyline from the official canon, but most of what was already established about him is still assumed to be true. Even ignoring the books, Palpatine confirms that Plagueis was killed in his sleep by his apprentice, who just so happened to be Palpatine himself. Still, despite this oversight on Plagueis’ behalf, he was the one who discovered how to manipulate life itself by using the Force. It was an ability that went on to be vital to Star Wars‘ larger storyline, and the fact that Palpatine waited until his master was asleep before making his move proves that he knew he stood no chance against the conscious Sith Lord.
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