Across the entire Star Wars canon, there are so many characters possessing tremendous amounts of power that it's difficult to figure out who is stronger than whom. From Jedi who have mastered the Light Side of the Force, to Sith Lords who have given in to the full might of the Dark Side, to cosmic beings that transcend the good vs. evil debate, the galaxy far, far away is full of tremendously powerful characters.
Power scaling can be a messy thing in Star Wars, but nevertheless, it's possible to look at the franchise and find which characters are the strongest. Strength here is understood not only as power, but also endurance, agility, physical strength, and psychological resilience. That leaves us with the characters (exclusively from the current Star Wars canon) who are truly forces to be reckoned with.
10 Bendu
Image via Disney XDStar Wars: Rebels has kept gaining more and more recognition from Star Wars fans as the years have passed, but it's somehow still one of the most awfully underappreciated pieces of media from the franchise. It introduced many fascinating new characters and re-visited familiar faces, and among that ocean of compelling names, Bendu (Tom Baker) stands out as the strongest of all.
This Force-sensitive entity from the planet Atollion identifies as neutral; neither aligned with the Light Side of the Force, nor the Dark. This lack of conviction makes him a coward in the eyes of Kanan Jarrus (Freddie Prinze Jr.), who he mentored after the Jedi was blinded by Darth Maul (Sam Witwer) on Malachor. But regardless of moral alignment, there's no denying that Bendu has strength almost unparalleled in the Star Wars universe. We never actually see him engage in physical combat, but we do get treated to the spectacle of his quasi-mythical strength in the Force. He can see the future, create storms, and disappear at will, making him a mighty opponent against anyone unlucky enough to get on his bad side.
9 Mace Windu
One would be hard-pressed to find any Star Wars fan who would disagree with the statement that Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson and Terrence C. Carson) is one of the strongest Jedi in Star Wars. Across George Lucas' prequel trilogy and Star Wars: The Clone Wars, as well as expanded universe content in books and comics, Windu has been shown as the galaxy's only true master of the Vaapad form of lightsaber combat, which allows users to channel their inner darkness and the opponent's dark side energy back at them.
This lightsaber form is precisely what allowed Windu to go all the way to defeating Darth Sidious (Ian McDiarmid) himself, a feat that automatically puts him in contention as one of the strongest characters in Star Wars. He was the Jedi Order's top duelist during the Clone Wars, and as if that weren't enough of a display of strength, he also has the coolest lightsaber color in the Jedi Order. Talk about aura.
8 Luke Skywalker
Image via 20th Century StudiosLuke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) is the one that started it all, the old-school-type hero that turned Star Wars into the pop-cultural juggernaut that we know it as today. Though the Legends version of this character may as well be the single most powerful mortal character in all of Star Wars, the canon version of Luke should not be underestimated by any stretch.
Luke started his Jedi training before he even turned 20. And yet, seeing his progression from farm boy into the immensely powerful Jedi Knight audiences saw in Return of the Jedi, and then the wise and mighty version of the character we got in The Last Jedi, shows just how strong Luke was. Agile, resilient, and perfectly in-tune with the Force, he was undoubtedly one of Star Wars' most powerful Jedi.
7 Yoda
Image via 20th Century StudiosIt's characters like Yoda that make these some of the most universally-beloved sci-fi movies ever. What started as a Frank Oz puppet in The Empire Strikes Back turned into a spinning green blob of pure power in Attack of the Clones, and from there, fans have never had any doubt of just how mighty Yoda can be. Though he dislikes combat and sees it as an absolute last resort, that's only a life philosophy—it doesn't make him any less strong.
Yoda has the downside of being quite ancient by the time we see him in the prequels; and by the time he becomes Luke's Master, we don't even know if he's still capable of holding his own in a lightsaber duel. But in terms of overall agility and unparalleled strength in the Force by the time we get to meet him, Master Yoda is an opponent that has almost no equal.
Collider Exclusive · Star Wars Quiz
Which Force User
Are You?
Light Side · Dark Side · Or Somewhere Between
The Force is not a binary. It is a spectrum — from the serene halls of the Jedi Temple to the shadowed corridors of Sith space. Ten questions will reveal where you truly fall. The Force has always known. Now you will too.
🔵Jedi Master
🟡Padawan
🔴Sith Lord
⚫Inquisitor
⚪Grey Jedi
IGNITE YOUR SABER →
01
What is the Force to you? Your relationship with the Force defines everything else.
AA living energy I must be worthy of — it is not mine to control. BSomething vast and mysterious I'm only beginning to understand. CNeither light nor dark — just a current I choose to ride. DPower. Pure and simple. The strong take it; the weak don't.
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02
When you feel strong emotions — anger, grief, love — what do you do? The Jedi suppress. The Sith feed. Others choose differently.
AAcknowledge them, then release them. Attachment leads to suffering. BFeel them fully, then decide what to do — they're not the enemy. CBury them. Emotion is a liability I can't afford to indulge. DUse them. Passion is the engine of the dark side for good reason.
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03
The Jedi Council gives you an order you disagree with. You: How you handle authority reveals your alignment.
AFollow it. The Council's wisdom surpasses my own perspective. BVoice my objection clearly, then defer to the decision. CComply outwardly while doing what I think is right. DIgnore it. The strong don't answer to committees.
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04
You are offered forbidden knowledge that could give you enormous power. The cost is crossing a moral line. You: The dark side's pull is never more than a choice away.
ARefuse without hesitation. There is no cost worth that price. BWeigh it carefully — sometimes darkness holds real answers. CFeel the pull but walk away — for now. DAccept it. Power justifies the method used to obtain it.
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05
Your approach to training and learning is: A student's habits become a master's character.
ADedicated but humble. There is always more to learn from my masters. BRigorous and patient. Mastery is earned through years of discipline. CEclectic — I draw from every tradition, not just one. DRelentless and brutal. Pain accelerates growth. Rest is weakness.
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06
In a duel, your lightsaber fighting style reflects: Combat is the purest expression of a Force user's philosophy.
ADefense and composure — I wait for my opponent to overcommit. BFast and instinctive — I trust the Force to guide my movements. CUnpredictable — I blend styles to keep enemies off-balance. DOverwhelming aggression — I end fights before they begin.
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07
A defeated enemy lies at your feet, powerless. You: Mercy — or its absence — is the truest test of alignment.
AStrike them down — compassion toward enemies is naïve and costly. BNeutralize them permanently. I can't afford loose ends. CSpare them if I can — but stay clear-eyed about the risks. DOffer them a chance to surrender. Every being deserves that.
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08
The Jedi Code forbids attachment. Your honest view on love and bonds: The source of the greatest falls in the galaxy.
AThe Code is right. Attachment clouds judgment and invites suffering. BLove is not a weakness — the Jedi Code got this one wrong. CI have no attachment — only loyalty to my master's mission. DI feel it deeply but struggle to reconcile it with my training.
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09
Why do you use the Force at all? What's the point? Purpose is the difference between a knight and a weapon.
ATo learn. I'm still figuring out what I'm capable of. BTo protect and serve. The Force is a responsibility, not a gift. CTo survive — and maybe carve out something worth having. DTo dominate. Strength demands to be expressed, not contained.
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10
At the final moment — light side or dark side pulling at you — what wins? In the end, every Force user faces this moment. What does yours look like?
AThe light. I choose peace, even when darkness would be easier. BNeither fully — I carve my own path through the middle. CWhoever I serve — my loyalty defines me more than my morality. DThe dark. Power is the only thing that's ever actually been real.
REVEAL MY ALIGNMENT →
Your Alignment Has Been Determined Your Place in the Force
The scores below reveal how the Force sees you. Your highest number is your true alignment. Read on to understand what that means — and what it will cost you.
🔵 Jedi Master
🟡 Padawan
🔴 Sith Lord
⚫ Inquisitor
⚪ Grey Jedi
Disciplined, compassionate, and deeply attuned to the living Force, you have walked the path long enough to understand its demands — and accept them. You lead not through authority alone, but through example. You have felt the pull of the dark side and chosen otherwise, every time. That is not certainty. That is courage.
You are earnest, powerful, and brimming with potential — and you know it, which is both your greatest asset and your most dangerous flaw. You act before you think, trust your gut over your training, and sometimes confuse impatience for bravery. The Masters see something in you, though. The question isn't whether you have what it takes — it's whether you'll be patient enough to find out.
You are not simply dangerous — you are certain, and that is worse. You have decided what the galaxy needs, and you have decided you are the one to deliver it. Your power is genuine and formidable, earned through sacrifice that would have broken lesser beings. But examine your victories carefully. Every Sith believed their cause was righteous. The dark side's cruelest trick is that it agrees with you.
You were forged in fire and reshaped by those who found you at your lowest. You serve, because service gave you structure when you had none. Your allegiance is not to an ideology — it is to survival and to the master who gave you purpose. But there is something buried beneath the conditioning. The Jedi you hunt? You recognize them. Because you remember what it felt like before the choice was taken from you.
You have looked at the Jedi Code and the Sith Code and found both of them incomplete. You walk the line not out of indecision but out of conviction — you genuinely believe both extremes miss something essential. The Jedi don't fully trust you. The Sith think you're wasting your potential. They're both partially right. But so are you.
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6 Darth Sidious
Image via 20th Century StudiosIf there's one category where Sheev Palpatine, also known as Darth Sidious, would come out on top in the Star Wars universe, it's most definitely mental prowess. The Clone Wars as a whole were a chess game orchestrated almost entirely by Palpatine in order to seize power, and the far-reaching might of the Galactic Empire owed its strength primarily to the Emperor. But even aside from that, this is the human culmination of centuries of Sith knowledge and mastery of the Dark Side, only defeated by Darth Vader (David Prowse and James Earl Jones) because he became too overconfident.
But somehow, Palpatine returned. What was already far and away one of the strongest characters in the galaxy far, far away acquired even more canon strength and power through his atrociously-written return in The Rise of Skywalker. Poor screenwriting for his final appearance aside, however, Palpatine is still one of the best movie villains of all time, and that's largely because it's so fun to watch just how unbelievably strong he is.
5 The Daughter
Image via Cartoon NetworkThere's a good reason why Star Wars: The Clone Wars is not only one of the highest-rated animated TV shows of all time on IMDb, but also the single highest-rated Star Wars show on the platform. In fact, there are many good reasons for this, and one of those reasons is the delightful way in which the show constantly enriches the Star Wars mythos with fascinating bits of lore and compelling new characters.
Among these new characters are The Father, The Son, and The Daughter of Mortis. Though The Daughter, voiced by Adrienne Wilkinson, is arguably the weakest of the three, it isn't that much. The Daughter (along with her father and brother) is the closest thing that Star Wars has to a deity. Her strength comes not from her having combat abilities, but rather from her being a literal embodiment of the Light Side of the Force. Though her physical existence is entirely tied to Mortis (again, power scaling in Star Wars is hardly straightforward), that doesn't negate her quasi-mythical power.
4 The Son
Image via Cartoon NetworkMore powerful than The Daughter is her brother, The Son (Sam Witwer), an embodiment of the Dark Side of the Force. Characters as cool, interesting, and intimidating as this are what makes this one of the best Star Wars shows ever made. Trying to escape his imprisonment to corrupt the galaxy, The Son is the primary antagonist of The Clone Wars' Mortis arc.
Capable of shapeshifting and controlling the Force on a cosmic scale, The Son would be more than capable of single-handedly tearing down the fabric of the known Star Wars universe if he managed to break free from Mortis. Of course, though, the Mortis arc ends with Anakin (Matt Lanter) overpowering The Son by leveraging his status as the Chosen One to tap into Mortis' raw power. If anything, this shows that no matter how immensely strong he is, The Son isn't indestructible when faced with a power that parallels his.
3 Anakin Skywalker
Image via 20th Century StudiosThere are those who would argue that, in a theoretical world where he never fell to the Dark Side of the Force and reached his full potential as a Jedi Master, Anakin Skywalker (Matt Lanter and Hayden Christensen) could have easily become the most powerful character in all of Star Wars. As it is, however, he's still easily and by far one of the strongest heroes in the history of science fiction as a whole.
Raw strength is what characterizes Anakin the most. He's durable, aggressive, naturally talented at lightsaber combat, and connected to The Force in a way that no other character in Star Wars is. Thanks to his unprecedentedly sky-high Midichlorian count, Anakin Skywalker is a master of Form V lightsaber combat feared across the entire galaxy during the Clone Wars.
2 Darth Vader
Image via 20th Century StudiosThey do, of course, share a body; but it's the whole point of the Skywalker Saga that Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader aren't really the same person. Psychologically and metaphorically, this fearsome cyborg Sith Lord is a force of nature fueled purely by agony, rage, self-loathing, and servitude to Palpatine. His strength is why every film that he shows up in has one of the best climaxes of any sci-fi movie, from The Empire Strikes Back to Rogue One.
Vader may not be as agile as Anakin, and it's a canon fact that his suit was specifically designed by Sidious to cause him constant pain; but the fact that even then he could be considered to be stronger is a testament to just how powerful he is. Disciplined, durable, absolutely relentless, unparalleled in his physical strength, and with an absolute mastery of the Dark Side of the Force, Vader is easily the most powerful mortal in the Star Wars universe.
1 The Father
Image via Cartoon NetworkVader may be the most powerful mortal in Star Wars, but there's very little room for debate that The Clone Wars' The Father (Lloyd Sherr) is the most powerful character in the galaxy far, far away. One of the best characters from Star Wars television, The Father represents balance in the Force, serving as the bridge between The Daughter's Light Side and The Son's Dark Side.
The only reason why The Father died in The Clone Wars was because he removed his own immortality himself. Aside from that, there's not really anyone in the entire universe who could compete against his cosmic-level strength. He's practically the God of the Star Wars universe, a being of pure metaphysical strength who arguably tops the power scale of the galaxy far, far away.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Release Date 2008 - 2020-00-00
Network Cartoon Network, Netflix, Disney+
Directors Brian Kalin O'Connell, Steward Lee, Giancarlo Volpe, Bosco Ng, Danny Keller, Rob Coleman, Justin Ridge, Nathaniel Villanueva, Saul Ruiz, Jesse Yeh, Duwayne Dunham, Atsushi Takeuchi, Robert Dalva, Walter Murch
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Tom Kane
Narrator / Yoda / Medical Droid / Yularen / Kraken (voice)
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Matt Lanter
Anakin Skywalker (voice)
English (US) ·