Here are the most powerful Star Wars characters in canon – beings powerful enough to reshape the history of the galaxy. What does it mean for a being to claim they are “powerful?” There are so many different types of power; political power, economic power, even technological power. Imperials such as Grand Moff Tarkin and Admiral Motti believed true power lay in the hands of those who commanded a vast military and industrial complex, using superweapons to control the Star Wars galaxy.
Most viewers, of course, would disagree with these military leaders. They’d agree with Darth Vader’s assessment; “The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the Force.” That point was proven at the end of Star Wars Rebels, when one of the most powerful militiary leaders in the Empire – Grand Admiral Thrawn – was thwarted by a teenage Jedi Padawan whose last-ditch plan was prompted by the guidance of the Force. Following Darth Vader’s lead, then, who are the most powerful beings in the Star Wars galaxy?
16 Avar Kriss
Jedi Master Avar Kriss is one of the most impressive Jedi of the High Republic Era, and she became famed across the entire galaxy. She experiences the Force as music, with each Jedi sensed as a unique tone and instrument in the Force. She can draw the power of all Jedi across the entire galaxy together, achieving feats beyond any individual Force user. In Charles Soule’s Light of the Jedi, she’s able to save a star system from destruction when a canister of liquid Tibanna strikes the sun at near-lightspeed.
“Across the system, Jedi reached out to the Force. Some closed their eyes, some lifted their arms, some stood, some sat meditating on the ground while others hovered above it. Some were in starships, others on the surface. Many were alone, but others were with members of their Order, or were surrounded by small groups of people who could sense, somehow, the import of what was happening, even if they themselves could not touch the Force.
Dozens of Jedi, acting as one.”
Avar Kriss’ story is still being told
Avar Kriss’ story is far from over, of course; Lucasfiilm’s Star Wars: The High Republic transmedia initiative is still ongoing, and her adventures will continue in Tessa Gratton’s Temptation of the Force. This has teased a thrilling story in which Avar finds herself tempted towards a forbidden Jedi romance with her old lover, Elzar Mann. Everybody in Star Wars feels the call of the dark side, but the most powerful feel it the most; will Avar and Elzar fall?
Pre-order Temptation of the Force from Amazon
15 Darth Tenebrous
A mathematical genius whose power lay in predicting the future
The master of Darth Plagueis, the Sith Lord known as Darth Tenebrous is generally considered one of the most powerful. His particular skill lay with mathematics, and he developed a reputation for being able to predict the future with unerring accuracy. This no doubt came in very useful given the Sith mission to restore their Empire and overthrow the Jedi.
Darth Tenebrous appeared in James Luceno’s Legends novel Plagueis, where his Bith science made him a true force to be reckoned with. Many Sith seek immortality, but Tenebrous was one of few who actually sensed their own impending death. It’s unknown where Tenebrous is canon; he’s referenced in one obscure Build the Millennium Falcon issue, but later reprints of the magazine have edited his name out.
14 Obi-Wan Kenobi
The ultimate Jedi
Some readers may be surprised to see Obi-Wan Kenobi on this list, but the Jedi Master shouldn’t be underestimated. Obi-Wan was at the height of his powers by Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, and his phenomenal skill was the reason he was sent to defeat General Grievous. According to Matt Stover’s novelization of the movie – written in consultation with George Lucas himself – Obi-Wan was considered by many to be the definitive Jedi Master.
Obi-Wan’s midi-chlorian count may have been nowhere near as high as Anakin Skywalker’s, but he still defeated him twice – once on Mustafar, and again in the Obi-Wan Kenobi Disney+ TV show. He grew in skill and ability throughout his years on Tatooine, even ending his long rivalry against Darth Maul – with devastating ease. There can be no doubt Obi-Wan’s death in the first Star Wars movie was a conscious choice on his part because he was ready to become one with the Force.
13 Exar Kun
A being who became the Devil himself
One of the most remarkable Sith in Legends, Exar Kun was a fallen Jedi Knight who knew more about the dark side than almost any other Sith. He enslaved the Massassi of Yavin 4, and had them construct massive temples designed to amplify the power of the dark side. Exar Kun attempted to conduct a ritual that would send his spirit out into the cosmos to wreak havoc, but wound up trapped on Yavin 4.
Luke Skywalker established his Jedi Academy on Yavin 4 in Legends, and Exar Kun preyed on one of his students, Kyp Durron. To give an idea of Exar Kun’s power, Kevin J. Anderson’s Jedi Academy Trilogy essentially used him as the Devil himself, the counter to Luke Skywalker’s Messianic figure. He was eventually destroyed when Luke’s Jedi combined their light against him.
12 Yoda
In the end, he just didn’t have it
Some may be surprised to see Yoda appear so far down on this list; after all, his midi-chlorian count was second only to Anakin Skywalker’s, after all. But Yoda understood that feats and wisdom are not the same thing, and in truth he sought the latter. Heartbreakingly, even this wasn’t enough to prevent the destruction of the Jedi Order he had built, and Yoda was forced to flee from Darth Sidious in battle. Matt Stover’s novelization of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith puts this so well:
Finally, he saw the truth.
This truth that he, the avatar of light, Supreme Master of the Jedi Order, the fiercest, most implacable, most devastatingly powerful foe the darkness had ever known…
just –
didn’t –
have it.
He’d never had it. He had lost before he started.
He had lost before he was born.
Yoda’s greatest feat is so easy to overlook
It’s so easy to overlook Yoda’s greatest feat; he is one of the few Jedi to learn how to become a Force ghost, an abiliity only attainable to those who surrender themselves to the light side of the Force. What’s more, Star Wars: The Last Jedi revealed just how powerful Yoda’s Force ghost really was – when he was able to summon lightning from the heavens even after all those years. Yoda has well-earned his place on this list.
11 Bendu
His true nature is a mystery
Discovered slumbering on the planet Atollon in Star Wars Rebels, Bendu is different to most other Force-users on this list. “Jedi and Sith wield Ashla and Bogan,” he claimed, “The light and the dark. I’m the one in the middle.” Bendu was immensely powerful, able to appear and disappear at will – possibly teleporting. His true power was unleashed when Grand Admiral Thrawn attacked Atollon, and he summoned devastating storms that drove back the Empire. Bendu proved the Force should never be underestimated.
The nemesis of Grand Admiral Thrawn
Grand Admiral Thrawn learned the hard way not to underestimate the Force when he crossed paths with Bendu. The Force storms wreaked havoc with Thrawn’s forces, but he was able to launch an orbital bombardment that seemed to injure his enemy. Thrawn attempted to kill Bendu – only for the mysterious alien to simply vanish. He has’t been seen since.
10 Darth Plagueis
Considered one of the most powerful Sith of all time
Mentor to Palpatine himself, Darth Plagueis was first mentioned in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. There, Darth Sidious revealed his master was powerful enough to have discovered the secret of conquering death. When he told Anakin Skywalker about Darth Plagueis, he subtly hinted that he killed him – in accordance with the Rule of Two – before doing so became impossible. That alone suggests Palpatine wasn’t exaggerating.
In Legends, Darth Plagueis’ tale is told in Plagueis, an excellent novel by James Luceno. His story is still a mystery in canon, and likely to remain so; he appeared at the end of The Acolyte, setting up a return, but that show has been canceled. It can only be hoped Darth Plagueis’ tale will be told elsewhere.
9 Darth Nihilus
A consuming power that threatened the Force itself
Subtly canonized via Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Darth Nihilus is easily one of the most terrifying villains in KOTOR. In Legends, Darth Nihilus was on the outskirts of the Battle of Malachor, a survivor of an ancient Sith superweapon that transformed him into a void in the Force itself. He was left craving Force energy, essentially a vampire who drew the Force out of his victims.
Darth Nihilus led one of history’s greatest Jedi Purges, claiming the title Lord of Hunger because of his desire to consume the Force. He was responsible for many horrific acts of genocide, before ultimately dying when three powerful enemies teamed up against him at last. Even then, Darth Nihilus’ spirit survived, and it was entombed on the Sith homeworld.
8 Anakin Skywalker / Darth Vader
The Chosen One never fulfilled his potential
Born by the will of the Force itself, Anakin Skywalker was the Chosen One destined to bring balance to the Force. A living Force vergence, Anakin had the potential to be the most powerful being in the entire Star Wars galaxy, but he never fulfiled that potential. This can be seen in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, when – in the middle of a duel with his mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi – the amped-up dark side Anakin can only match Obi-Wan telekinetically, not overwhelm him.
Darth Vader was a fearsome warrior, and he can boast some truly staggering feats. But he was never able to match his master Palpatine, as the Emperor proved on so many occasions over the years. As powerful as Darth Vader may have been, there’s no way he comes top in this ranking.
7 Luke Skywalker
The son of the Chosen One should not be underestimated
According to George Lucas, Luke Skywalker inherited all of Anakin’s potential – but he didn’t share his father’s weakness, and never fell to the dark side. Star Wars canon has offered only the faintest glimpse of Luke’s powers, with the Jedi Master effortlessly defeating a droid army in The Mandalorian season 2’s finale. His greatest feat was unquestionably in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, though, when Luke sacrificed himself by projecting his image across the galaxy to save the Resistance from Kylo Ren.
A beacon of hope in the New Republic Era
The Mandalorian and Ahsoka are set during the New Republic Era, when Luke Skywalker was at the height of his powers. This means it’s entirely possible Mark Hamill will return to play the part once again, demonstrating just how powerful Luke really is. One thing is certain; this is a man Palpatine came to fear, which means further feats may see him ascend on this ranking.
6 Tenebrae, the Sith Emperor
KOTOR’s most powerful Sith Lord
Name-dropped in Star Wars canon, Tenebrae – sometimes known as Vitiate – was personally responsible for the resurgence of the Sith. Tenebrae’s power dwarfed that of Sith of his time, and he was able to tear the spirit from his own father and imprison him. The Sith Emperor was able to draw life-energy from the population of entire worlds to sustain his own life.
Like most SIth, Tenebrae’s lust for immortality proved his undoing. He learned a ritual that would allow him to feed on the galaxy’s life-force, but was thankfully foiled. This most powerful of all Sith Emperors was ultimately only defeated by a combination of heroic Jedi and Sith in-fighting. Had the Sith remained united under his leadership – an impossibility given the nature of the dark side – he would have achieved his goal.
5 Emperor Palpatine
The Dark Lord of the Sith himself
Emperor Palpatine easily comes near the top of this list. The Dark Lord of the Sith has mastered so many dark side powers, even learning how to overcome death itself. What’s more, throughout most of the Skywalker Saga the man who would be Emperor benefited from the balance of the Force. Palpatine tipped the balance of the galaxy towards darkness, and his own abilities grew due to the dark side’s dominance. He did have a blind spot, though; his inability to understand love meant he didn’t see Darth Vader’s redemption coming.
Not all Palpatiine’s schemes worked out
Palpatine loved to claim that everything was working out as he had foreseen, but that’s an exaggeration; in reality, he was simply adept at spotting the currents of the Force. Even the clone troopers were initially commissioned by Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas as a weapon to be used against the Sith, but Palpatine turned this army to his advantage. Palpatine’s ego meant he had to see every successful plan as evidence of his foresight, rather than his adaptability.
4 Rey & Kylo Ren
The power of the Force Dyad
It’s impossible to differentiate between Rey and Kylo Ren, because there’s a sense in which they are yin and yang – two parts of a greater whole, the Force Dyad. Foretold by the Sith, the Dyad is a power beyond time and space, which means these two are together part of a vergence greater than anything seen before in Star Wars. Palpatine drained the power of the Dyad to rejuvenate himself, and then launched a lightning storm of unprecedented scale, proving the point.
It’s unclear whether Rey will operate at this kind of power level after Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, given Ben Solo died by the end of the movie. Whether she does so or not, though, she will surely always have a trace of the power that was hers by the will of the Force. That means she’ll always number among Star Wars‘ most powerful beings.
3 The Force Priestesses
Mysterious beings tied to the Whills
Little is known of the Force Priestesses, enigmatic beings who exist within a Force vergence known as the Wellspring of Life. They are shapeshifters who mutate into forms that appear to represent different emotions: Serenity, Joy, Anger, Confusion, and Sadness. They knew the secret of how to become a Force Ghost, and they gave Yoda some important tips.
In one interview, Lucasfilm’s Dave Filoni teased that they may be a single being who somehow separated into five over time. “It’s one ancient being separated over a time that for our perception to be able to see her,” he explained. “She is these many different iconic things presented to us. But she died a long, long, long time ago, she is conscious in the Force, and she has a limited ability to manifest.“
2 The Mortis Gods
Avatars of the Force itself
Introduced in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the Mortis Gods are avatars and personifications of the Force itself. Again, it’s impossible to differentiate these, because there’s a sense in which these powerful beings live in harmony with one another – or, rather, they’re supposed to. The Daughter represents the light side, the Son stands for the dark side, and the Father holds the other two in perfect balance. Unfortunately, that balance was unable to last – not when the Son became driven to domination and killed his sister.
It’s possible the true nature of the Mortis Gods will finally be revealed in Ahsoka season 2. Ahsoka Tano and Sabine Wren are stranded on the distant, extragalactic planet of Peridea, a world that bears some mysterious connection to the Mortis Gods. That means one of the greatest mysteries of Star Wars canon – their true nature and power – will potentially be revealed.
1 Abeloth
A being so powerful the Mortis gods feared her
The most powerful being in Star Wars Legends, Abeloth is tied to the Mortis gods. She was their Servant, and she became their Mother; fearing she would grow old while those she loved did not, she sought immortality but found only corruption. She became twisted and monstrous, embodying all that is evil in the galaxy, and for millennia she was trapped within a black hole cluster. Whenever Abeloth stirred, the Son and the Daughter would be forced to unite against her.
The Mortis Gods died during the Clone Wars, and Abeloth eventually freed her. She was so powerful that Luke Skywalker’s Jedi and Darth Krayt’s Sith were forced to unite against her. Many speculate that Abeloth will ultimately become canon in Ahsoka season 2, and if so, the heroes of the galaxy will face a truly terrifying threat.
