*Image Credit: Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Lucasfilm*

When asked who my favorite Jedi is, I admit I am partial to a certain green one I cosplay. There was a time when we only had three movies, a few short-lived shows, specials, and a growing slate of books and comics to consider for such a list.

The Star Wars authors of those days let their imagination run wild. They developed many new characters and worlds with no guarantees of seeing them come to life on the big screen. However, the prequel films and everything else that followed undid some of these extraordinary adventures. I gave away my small stash of books and comics to my niece and nephew so they could discover what the world could have been. A Jedi should have very few worldly possessions anyway. As a result, I forgot more about Star Wars than most younglings gleaned from a night with Wookieepedia. What was the point of retaining this information since it no longer mattered?

Enter Producer/Director Dave Filoni, the true scion of George Lucas. Unlike me, he remembered every Star Wars story in his vast memory. Filoni introduced several beloved author-created characters and worlds into Star Wars visual media, returning them to canon to the delight of old and young fans alike.

For Our Consideration

I considered both canon and non-canon Jedi Knights in crafting the list, including those who turned to the dark side. For the non-canon Jedi Knights, I only included those whose existence could not be overwritten by the current Star Wars timelines.

The Non-Knights

A few universally adored characters such as Ezra Bridger and Ahsoka Tano were compelling, but they were technically not Jedi Knights. Therefore they were not considered for this list. In Ahsoka's case, I feel I would dishonor her character by considering her one. Neither was Ben Solo considered a Jedi Knight. His uncle Luke took him in as his first Jedi student. However, Ben never completed his training, and went on to destroy the new Jedi academy and its other students.

Honorable Mentions And Others

Let's start with honorable mentions. I obviously could not consider the Solo twins, Jacen and Jaina, and young Anakin Solo. They were great characters with fantastic, complex storylines. Unfortunately, their lives were entirely undone by the prequel and sequel trilogies. Even though their existence was no longer considered canon, I highly recommend reading their stories. I do hope a future alternate timeline introduces a version of them so that we can see them come to life. Let's also not forget An'ya Kuro, the Dark Woman. Her story took place during the Clone Wars but she was not mentioned in any other media other than comics and books.

#10 Mace Windu

Mace Windu's lightsaber skills were so advanced that he created his own fighting style, Vaapad. It was an alternative version of Form VII, typically preferred by the Sith. Unlike others who attempt this lightsaber form, Windu mastered it without succumbing to the Dark Side. The Legends version of Windu also possessed a unique ability to sense the "shatterpoint." In other words, he could see how beings were interconnected and dependent on each other. I do hope this unique Force ability of his would become canon soon.

#9 Nomi Sunrider

Nomi Sunrider rose through the ranks of the Jedi Knights to eventually lead the Order. She was an expert lightsaber duelist, and was capable of the Force power known as battle meditation. This rare power allowed one to control the minds and will of combatants on the battlefield, and thus affect the outcome of the battle. She was instrumental in defeating formidable Sith such as Exar Kun and Freedon Nadd. She was also one of a few Force-users powerful enough to cut off another person from the Force itself. She used this ability on fallen Jedi Ulic Qel-Droma, setting him on the path to redemption. Despite her spectacular talents, her stories were still only considered Legends thus far.

#8 Cere Junda

Cere Junda was a former Jedi. She was a skilled lightsaber duelist who was also capable of creating Force barriers powerful enough to stop an opponent's lightsaber. However, this power was taxing on her strength. She was also one of a handful of Jedi to survive Order 66. Junda cut herself off from the Force while in hiding from the Galactic Empire. Some may consider this ability a darker power since it was unnatural to cut oneself off from the ever-pervasive Force. Junda possessed other darker abilities too. She could kill anyone in her vicinity if she tapped into her darker emotions of anguish, anger, and distress, an ability that greatly impressed her Sith persecutors. However, Junda remained cut off from the Force, and did not fall to the Dark Side.

#7 Quinlan Vos

Quinlan Vos was a Jedi Master who participated in the Clone Wars. He was known for the unusual Force ability of psychometry, an ability which allowed him to see the history and memories of inanimate objects. This ability and his tendency to bend the rules made him an excellent choice for doing the Jedi Order's clandestine work. On orders from the Jedi Council, he partnered with Asajj Ventress to kill Count Dooku. He briefly flirted with the Dark Side with the goal to learn the identity of Dooku’s secret Sith master. The failed assassination of Dooku, Ventress's sacrifice, and Vos’s love for her would help Vos return to the Light Side. His fate after Order 66 was unclear.

#6 Darth Revan

Saying Darth Revan was a complex character is a bit of an understatement. He was a Jedi Knight who lived ~4000 BBY. The character initially appeared in the video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. He was a great military strategist who led the Republic to victory over the Mandalorians, and then, after his fall to the Dark Side, returned to lead his Sith army to devastate the Republic. After his redemption to the Light Side, he traveled beyond the Unknown Regions where he was held prisoner and mentally tortured by the Sith Emperor Vitiate for hundreds of years. His Force abilities included telekinesis and teleportation. He studied and mastered both the Light and Dark sides of the Force during his long life, making him one of the most powerful Jedi to have ever existed.

#5 Satele Shan

Satele Shan was a formidable Jedi Knight. A direct descendant of Revan and Bastila Shan, she inherited Revan's telekinesis and Bastila's battle meditation abilities. Shan was highly adept at Force energy absorption techniques, collectively known as tutaminis. Notably, she could block a lightsaber blade with her bare hands. Energy manipulation was only part of Shan's abilities. She was also capable of foresight and long-range telepathy.

#4 Meetra Surik/The Exile

Meetra Surik was a contemporary of Revan who made an appearance in the videogame sequel Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. This highly skilled warrior defied the Jedi Council, and sided with Revan and Malak during the Mandalorian Wars. Though her actions caused her expulsion from the Order, she ultimately saved the Republic. Surik possessed several advanced Force skills. She was capable of battle precognition, which gave her the ability to sense how enemies were using the Force. She could repair mechanical devices via the Force technique called moving meditation. She used Force enlightenment to boost another Force user's abilities. She could also cut someone's connection to the Force. She was the only commander under Revan who did not succumb to the Dark side, and the only one to return to the Jedi Council to defend her actions. She later rejoined Revan to defeat the Sith Emperor, even though it led to her death. She stayed in spirit form with Revan while he endured centuries of torture. In every trial presented, The Exile showed excellent judgment and mental strength at great personal expense, earning her a high position on any Jedi ranking.

#3 Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader

The story and abilities of Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader were well-known. As Anakin Skywalker, he was a master pilot and lightsaber duelist. The Chosen One displayed extraordinary Force abilities at a very young age. He mastered many Jedi techniques as Kenobi's Padawan. Among these skills were his incredible agility and strength. Those led to the super jumps we saw in The Clone Wars. Who could forget those backflips in the movies too? Another more subtle aspect of his mental skills was his clairvoyance. He was gifted with visions of the future, which came across as warnings. However, his visions of Padme’s death may have nudged him toward the Dark Side.

Anakin's turn to the Dark Side as Darth Vader only increased his knowledge of the Force. He channeled the Force into a protective shield or a cloak to camouflage himself from others. The Dark Side further enhanced his mental abilities. His increased telekinesis gave him the ability to leverage his lightsaber like a boomerang in battles. More famously, he was capable of telekinetic murder. Many argued that his potential growth was stunted by the injuries he sustained on Mustafar. While keeping him alive, his armor made him more machine than man, affecting his connection to the Force. Eventually, he redeemed himself and returned to the Light Side of the Force with the help of his son. His mastery of the Force and his relinquishment of its darker aspects allowed him to let go and become one with the Force.

#2 Luke Skywalker

Like his father before him, the Skywalker saga well documented Luke's journey and abilities. He inherited many of his father's Force powers. Luke only had the bare minimum of training with Master Kenobi and Grand Master Yoda. Yet, his innate Force-sensitivity gave him many unique abilities. Only recently in The Mandalorian did we get to see Luke at his peak. He displayed the formidable skills of a Jedi Master in those few moments we had with him onscreen.

His exploits in literature and games further explored his powers. In the Legends novel Dark Tide: Onslaught, he moved a black hole with his mind. He could levitate himself and other objects and people via the Force. While this was useful in battle, he once used this power to stop everyone involved in a food fight in the Jedi mess hall. Luke was so in tune with the Force that he could use it over great distances.

He never wavered from the Light side, even when tempted by the father he so desperately wanted to impress. Not only did he learn the ways of the Force, he then passed on that knowledge to others. While he was full of self-doubt, he always pulled himself together to be the best example to others. Luke made the ultimate sacrifice on Crait to defeat his wayward nephew and first failed pupil, Ben Solo. He used his last moments of life to be the ultimate example of a Jedi for all. Being a teacher who showed others the ways of the Light Side of the Force put him at number 2 on this list.

#1 Grand Master Yoda

It was not easy being long-lived and green. Yoda appeared in almost every era of Star Wars as a Jed Master. To date, there are about 35 documented Force abilities encompassing both sides of the Force. Yoda essentially mastered all of the Light Side abilities. He was a lightsaber duelist expert as well. He was able to single-handedly defeat an entire droid army without getting a single shot on him. During his duel with Count Dooku, and later on Darth Sidious, he was able to use his bare hands to block and redirect their Force lightning attack.

Several hundred years of living made Master Yoda an expert diplomat. His long life also made him an expert in battle strategy and the unique Force ability of battle meditation. He could simultaneously uplift his ally's spirits while generating self-doubt in his enemies. He was one of the last few Jedi who knew how to create Holocrons. Based on Legends tales, he produced at least one Holocron in which he expounded upon different facets of the Jedi Code. At the end of his long life, he ensured the continuation of the Jedi Order with the one person capable of restoring it.

These kinds of lists are fun to discuss and debate. Many would argue that Ahsoka, Rey, or any number of others should be on the list. Set your parameters and see who made your list.

Sources: Screen Rant, Wookieepedia

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