10 Most Powerful Characters In 'Star Wars' Ranked

The Star Wars universe is full of exceptionally strong and talented individuals fighting over the balance between light and dark. As Jedi, Sith, and others delve deep into the mysteries of the Force, a wealth of knowledge and power awaits. This list will examine some of the most proficient wielders of the Force, including those whose true abilities are lost to Legends.

10. The Bendu

"Jedi and Sith wield the Ashla and Bogan. The Light and the Dark. I'm the one in the middle. The Bendu." This is how Bendu describes himself to Kanan Jarrus, Jedi Knight, upon their first meeting on the remote world of Atollon. Bendu is an ancient being of immense power, capable of wielding both sides of the Force near effortlessly. When called a "coward" by Kanan during the Battle of Atollon, Bendu uses his power to transform himself into a colossal storm, raining lightning and death upon Rebellion and Imperial forces alike. Capable of looking into the future through the Force, the Bendu accurately predicts Thrawn and (in a cut scene) Ahsoka's fate in Rebels. His reclusive lifestyle as a hermit on Atollon and his refusal to participate in galactic events prevent the Bendu from ranking higher on this list.

9. Nomi Sunrider

The ancient Grand Master of the Jedi Order had an unconventional introduction to the path of the Force. Married to a Jedi Knight, Nomi is forced to take up her slain husband's lightsaber and defend their infant daughter from murderous thugs. While her husband has repeatedly told her that she is strong in the Force, this fight is the first time she touches her true potential. After defeating the murderers, she travels to the Jedi Temple to follow in her husbands footsteps. She rapidly grows into one of the most powerful beings in the universe, learning how to defend herself with the Force. Nomi's powers grow so strong that she is able to defect a blaster bolt with her barehand, as well as develop a unique ability in which she is able to "sever" an enemy's connection to the Force.

8. The Force Priestesses

These spirit beings are unlike any other species seen in Star Wars. Capable of shapeshifting, these beings choose to manifest themselves most often as balls of light. However, they would appear as humanoid beings, representing key emotions, when they take on an apprentice. Qui-Gon Jinn is the first Jedi to hear their call, as he understands the difference between the Living Force and the Cosmic Force. While Jinn's training is incomplete, he is able to direct Yoda upon a similar path. After meditating on Dagobah, a world strong in the Force, Yoda is able to contact the Priestesses in the Wellspring of the Force, the epicenter of all life in the galaxy. Here they appear as Serenity, Joy, Anger, Confusion, and Sadness. While these beings appear to be several unique individuals, Dave Filoni, showrunner on The Clone Wars and creator of these characters, has hinted that she is in fact the spirit of one ancient Force-sensitive creature who has preserved her consciousness in the Cosmic Force.

7. Darth Bane

A millennium before the events of The Phantom Menace, a deadly war rages between the Jedi and Sith with millions caught up and destroyed in the struggle. Bane is a young miner living on a harsh, brutal mining world. After a Sabaac game gone wrong results in the murder of a Republic officer, Bane flees his homeworld and joins the Sith army. It does not take long for his powers to be noticed by the Sith. Taken from his unit and sent to the Sith academy on Korriban, Bane is trained in the ways of the dark side. Here he becomes extremely powerful in the Force and one of the most gifted duelists seen in the galaxy, pairing his hook-hilted saber with the powerful and overwhelming Djem So saber form. He is also briefly encased in a suit of living parasitic armor made up of organisms called orbalisks that make him virtually invincible, even to lightsabers. This obviously makes him an intimidating foe to even the most seasoned fighter.

Disgusted with the sniveling, backstabbing, groveling nature of the Sith, Bane feels the true nature of the dark side is in direct juxtaposition to the ideals of Lord Kaan and his Brotherhood of Darkness. Bane, seeing that the Sith need to be purged, tricks Kaan into unleashing a thought bomb against the Jedi. The thought bomb destroys the entirety of the Brotherhood, leaving Bane the sole survivor of the Sith. Bane sets forth on his path to redeem the Sith, taking a talented sorceress name Zannah as his apprentice, and decrees that the Sith would never again number more than two. Bane spends the remainder of his life searching for Sith artifacts that would teach him secrets of the Force, eventually undertaking the quest for immortality.

6. Revan

The valiant and reckless Jedi known as Revan has long been a fan-favorite in the Star Wars galaxy. As the Mandalorian Wars raged across the galaxy, Revan was furious that the Jedi Council refused to act. Disobeying the will of the Council, Revan gathered an army of Jedi around him and set out to stop the Mandalorian Neo-Crusaders. Already the most promising student at the Temple, Revan's travels and combat experience forged him into one of the most dangerous beings in the galaxy. As the war slogged on, and casualties mounted on both sides at an alarming rate, Revan fell further and further from the Light. Revan eventually defeated Mandalore the Ultimate and activated the Mass Shadow Generator. This superweapon destroyed not only the Mandalorian forces, but the Jedi and Republic troops as well. After this pyrrhic victory, Revan and his friend Malak were hailed as heroes, but left for the Unknown Regions to search for any remaining enemies of the Republic. Here he was seduced to the dark side by the Sith Emperor Vitiate and returned to the Republic, not as a hero, but a conqueror. Revan was eventually defeated by Bastila Shan, with help from an ill-timed assassination attempt by Malak, and brought back before the Jedi Council who erased his memory and returned him to the path of the Jedi.

5. Darth Sidious

The evil ruler of the Galactic Empire, Sidious is a powerful Sith Sorcerer who uses his power to oppress and rule. Besides being cunning and manipulative, Palpatine was capable of pairing the Dark Side with occult practices into sinister rituals. These unholy ceremonies enable him to wield a plethora of unnatural abilities. Alongside his master, Darth Plagueis the Wise, Sidious relentlessly searches for the secret to immortality. While his master believes that the answer lies in the fields of science and technology, Sidious searches in ancient tomes and meditates to discover long lost secrets of the Force. Much like Darth Bane, Sidious believes that only the Force would reveal the path to eternal life. In the end, a combination of the two schools of thought unlocks the secrets Palpatine so desires. Through the sciences of cloning and the dark rituals of the Sith, Palpatine is able to resurrect himself man years after his original body was destroyed by his apprentice.

4. Yoda

The wise old master has trained Jedi for over 800 years, guiding the Order through multiple challenges and tribulations, including the Clone Wars. While his species and homeworld are unknown, what is known about Yoda is his wisdom, kindness, and understanding of the Force. Able to see into the future with the Force, Yoda is able to use this knowledge for the good of the Republic. However, as the Senate becomes more and more corrupt and the Sith gain power, Yoda's ability to see the future is diminished. A gifted swordsmen as well, Yoda fights with a Shoto saber to account for his small stature. However, as Yoda is fond of saying, "size matters not," and he proves this in duels against Count Dooku and Darth Sidious. The only Jedi known to be able to catch Sith Lightning and reflect it upon its user, Dooku is stunned that Yoda is able to do this and muses that his former Master may have dabbled with the dark side. As one of the most ancient and powerful teachers in the Jedi Temple, Yoda has a hand in the training of virtually every member of the Order.

3. The Mortis Gods

The realm of Mortis is unlike any other planet, moon, or ecosystem in the galaxy. It can only be reached if the three residents of the world wish it to be so. Uncharted and always changing, Mortis is home to three of the most ancient beings in the galaxy; the Father, the Son, and the Daughter. These three represent the key aspects of the Force with the Son being of the dark side, the Daughter the embodiment of the light. The Father maintains the balance between the two and thus the balance of the galaxy. The land of Mortis itself manifests as a metal monolith, appearing out of the infinite darkness of space. Others have reported reaching this strange place by walking through a door or having their ship inexplicably land their. Many regard this place and the three gods within as myth or legend, while others believe they are the fulcrum of the Force. These powerful beings are nearly immortal and impervious, with an unequaled command of the Force.

2. Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader

Created by the Force itself, Anakin Skywalker has an extremely high midichlorian count, allowing him to have a unique connection with the Force. Able to see and react to events a split second before they occur, Anakin is highly proficient in combat and an extremely gifted pilot. The only human to be able to podrace, Anakin is the winner of the Boonta Eve Classic, one of the biggest races on the Tatooine circuit. After he is taken to the Jedi Temple by Qui-Gon Jinn, Skywalker masters several different lightsaber forms during his Jedi training, altering them to fit his personal style of combat.

Unconventional and creative on the battlefield, Skywalker valiantly leads the 501st Legion into combat during the Clone Wars. Tasked with some of the most uniquely dangerous assignments, Skywalker sees unparalleled success during the war. After he succumbs to the dark side and becomes Darth Vader, he continues his ruthless and effective military strategies against enemies of the Empire. He undergoes several quests to resurrect his dead wife, searching the galaxy for ancient artifacts and hidden knowledge of the Force. While he is unable to return the one he loves to his side, Vader does become even more powerful and is arguably the most powerful Force user to ever exist.

1. Luke Skywalker

As the son of the Chosen One, Luke Skywalker carries all the potential to be the most powerful being in the galaxy. Apart from being one of the few Jedi to master all forms of saber combat, Luke is naturally gifted with the Force. Trained by Masters Yoda and Kenobi, Luke is able to see visions of the future as well as reach out to those closest to him with fairly little training. After the fall of the Empire, Luke is hailed as a hero of the Rebellion, and legend of the New Republic. Luke spends years studying the ways of the Jedi and adapting them so that they would not be destroyed once again by their own dogma, arrogance, and delusion. These studies take him across the galaxy, often with his friends at his side, searching out the legends and secrets of the ancient Jedi before their corruption alongside the Old Republic.

Written By Weston Erickson

Source(s): Wookieepedia

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