The Jedi: guardians of peace and justice across the galaxy.They also are the heart of almost everyStar Warsstory. The heroes that push these stories forward and keep everyone caring about the future of the galaxy within them. A great Jedi brings great stories, and those stories inspire people to be better and more than themselves.The Jedi are not only an inspiration to the characters withinStar Wars, but to the audience watching them too.
The Jedi not only have to be powerful, but they must also be an inspiration and provide compelling stories forStar Warsmedia.From Anakin Skywalker providing the most compelling villain to hero story and bringing balance to the force, to Rey Skywalker finally bringing Emperor Palpatine to his grave and providing the galaxy with peace, many Jedi are some of the best protagonists in fiction.While there are countless worthy Jedi in alternative media, this list will be ranking the Jedi seen inStar Warsmovies and television.
10Mace Windu
Played by: Samuel L. Jackson (The Prequel Trilogy) & Terrence C. Carson (‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’)
Lightsaber Color: Purple
Mace Windu was an incredibly well-respected Jedi and Jedi Council member during the years of the Republic.He served as a Jedi General in the Grand Army of the Republic andled countless missions in the Clone Wars.Mace Windu was never afraid to do what was necessary to get the job done and bring peace to the people of the Republic.He was also one of the first among the Jedi Council to see through Palpatine’s manipulation and wasn’t afraid to confront him directly.
Alas, Mace Windu was not a perfect person.He receives a lot of flak for acting as one of the major catalysts that led Anakin Skywalker to the dark side and having a stricter attitude towards Anakin and Ahsoka Tano during the era of the Clone Wars.But these flaws also brought intense conflict to the plots he was involved in and kept the stories interesting. Mace Windu wasn’t perfect, but it can’t be denied thatsaid flaws contributed greatly to theStar Warssaga.
9Kanan Jarrus
Played by: Freddie Prinze Jr. (‘Star Wars: Rebels’)
Lightsaber Color: Blue
After surviving the horrifying event that was Order 66,he abandoned his Jedi ways and went into hiding.He would go on to join Hera Syndulla’s team of rebels after meeting her on a mission. After meeting young Ezra Bridger,he’d become the brash padawan’s master and train him in the ways of the Jedi, merging his old life with his new one.
Kanan Jarrus was an incredibly skilled Jedi, most notably shown offafter he was blinded by Darth Maul in battle and still managed to face the likes of Grand Admiral Thrawn and his forces, and Darth Maul.He also began to mentor the Mandalorian Sabine Wren when she became the wielder of the infamous Darksaber. All while being blind.Kanan’s resilience made him a worthy Jedi all the way to his end when he sacrificed himself for his team.A true hero’s death.
8Ezra Bridger
Played by: Taylor Gray (‘Star Wars: Rebels) & Eman Esfandi (‘Ahsoka’)
Lightsaber Color: Blue to Green
Padawan to the great Kanan Jarrus, Ezra Bridgerbegan his journey as an orphan con-artist who got wrapped up in the hijinks of the Ghost crewby chance and eventually decided to join them and train in the ways of the Force.Along his journeys with the Ghost crew, Ezra became an incredibly skilled Jedi in his own right, evenbeing able to hold his own against the terrifyingly powerful Darth Vader.A triumph many Jedi have not lived through. Many alsoconsider him something of a prodigy,given how much he was able to learn and grow in such a short amount of time.
Ezra is not only a great Jedi physically, but he’s a wonderful representation of what a Jedi should be.He’s compassionate and chivalrous all while being fierce and brave.In a technical sense, Ezra was never officially knighted as a Jedi, but fans of the franchise consider him a Jedi by default due to him being unable to be officially knighted by his late master.
7Qui-Gon Jinn
Played by: Liam Neeson (‘Star Wars Episode I - The Phantom Menace’, ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’, ‘Star Wars Galaxy of Adventures’, ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’, ‘Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi’), Micheal Richardson (‘Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi’) & Fred Tatasciore (‘Star Wars: Clone Wars’)
Lightsaber Color: Green
Thefan-favorite monk-like Jedi from the Prequelswho trained the one and only Obi-Wan Kenobi.He was the first to believe that Anakin Skywalker was, in fact, the Chosen Onethat was prophesied to bring balance to the Force. When other Jedi gave less belief in matters like prophesies, believing that seeing the future brought only danger, Qui-Gon Jinn believed in and respected them wholeheartedly.Qui-Gon’s belief was that the true calling of the Jedi was to find balance in the Force.
The fanbase generally holds the belief thathad Qui-Gon not fallen at the blade of Darth Maul and gone on to train Anakin, the young Skywalker would not have fallen into darknessand become Darth Vader.Qui-Gon was also the first Jedi to become a Force Ghost,finding that Jedi who find true peace with death would be able to maintain their identity in the Force after death. He went on to guide Jedi like Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi on their own journeys to do the same. All-in-all, Qui-Gon Jinn deserves all the hype he has and,if he had not been taken from the galaxy too soon, would have changed the course of Star Wars history forever.
6Rey Skywalker
Played by: Daisy Ridley (The Sequel Trilogy)
Lightsaber Color: Blue to Yellow
Once a scavenger on the planet of Jakku, a chance meeting with the droid named BB-8 set her on a path to awaken the force within herselfand find a rivalry in Ben Solo aka Kylo Ren through their connection as a dyad in the force. It was eventually revealedRey was a descendant of Emperor Palpatine and after destroying him once and for all, she renounced her Palpatine lineage and took the last name Skywalkerto honor the memory of Luke Skywalker and Leia Skywalker. She displays insane levels of power,being the conduit of all the Jedi and her role as a dyad in the Force with Ben Solo.
Rey also recieved a lot of negativity from the fanbase initially, with many (arguably unfairly) calling her a “Mary Sue”. But Rey holds many traits that make a great Jedi. Even though she came from an incredibly tough upbringing and was dealt an incredibly tough hand through discovering the truth about her lineage, she consistently remained compassionate.While she also has a hot temper and has a slight dark side, being quite confrontational with her power, it doesn’t reduce her compassion for others, even her enemy Kylo Ren.She’s a great representation of how one can be powerful and not take any crap, while still being sympathetic. Great qualities for a true Jedi.
5Ahsoka Tano
Played by: Ashley Eckstein (‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’), Rosario Dawson (‘Ahsoka’) & Ariana Greenblatt (‘Ahsoka’)
Lightsaber Color: Green, Blue then White
Trained by one of the greatest Jedi of all time, Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka stands out amongst the rest of the Jedi as her journey is quite unique compared to others.After being framed as a Padawan and treated poorly by the Jedi Order, she left the Order after her name was cleared and abandoned Anakin.On her journey away, her independence as a Jedi grew, andshe learned not to tether herself to the strict rules of the Jedi.
Ahsoka is dedicated to justice andhas always been willing to question authority or be unconventional in her methods if it means doing the right thing.Ahsoka, in many ways,represents the best of the Jedi ideologies.Not only did she leave the Order because of how she was treated, but she began to see how inherently flawed it truly was. When she broke off,Ahsoka took the best of the Jedi code and formed it into one of her own.She’s also quite powerful, killing an Inquisitor in just a few seconds.
4Obi-Wan Kenobi
Played by: Alec Guinness (The Original Trilogy), Ewan McGregor (The Prequel Trilogy & ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’) & James Arnold Taylor (‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ & ‘Star Wars Rebels’)
It’s no doubt that Obi-Wan Kenobi has been beloved by fans all over the world since his very first appearance inStar Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope.Obi-Wan is undyingly loyal, has always been humble and a great mentor to both Anakin and Luke Skywalker.He certainly had fans from his appearances in the Original Trilogy, but love for the Jedi truly exploded when he returned for the Prequel Trilogy, played by the fan-favoriteEwan McGregor.His portrayal as Obi-Wan won the hearts of countless fans and the character’s presence in the Prequel Trilogy was a highlight for many.
While Ewan McGregor may be the fan favorite portrayal, the characterization Obi-Wan found inStar Wars: The Clone Warswas unmatched. The series’ writing really fleshed Obi-Wan (and many other Prequel-era characters) out and gave the guy far more life than he had ever had.Star Wars: The Clone Warshad no problems often displaying Obi-Wan’s flawsas a character as much as they did showing off the great parts of him, which made the character feel that much more compelling in the long run.Obi-Wan was also incredibly powerful. Even while still having a lot of room left to grow in power as a Jedi during the Prequel-era, Obi-Wan would beamong the top five Jedi of that time. Especially given that he could take on Anakin Skywalker, the foretold Chosen One, just before his peak in power.Which is not only a great example of his physical power, but his mental power as well.
3Luke Skywalker
Played by: Mark Hamill (The Original Trilogy, The Sequel Trilogy, ‘The Mandalorian’ & ‘The Book of Boba Fett), Grant Feely (‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’) & Aiden Barton (‘Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith’)
Luke began his journey as a spoiled kid on Tatooine who lived a very good life as a child. But when he crosses paths with the likes of R2-D2, C3-PO and Ben Kenobi, his life is put onto a path that will lead him to become one of the greatest Jedi of all time. He has continued to be one of the most influential Jedi in the entire franchise who would continue to change the galaxy for the better even after the defeat of the Emperor. Much can be said about Luke Skywalker and his power as a Jedi. What’s impactful about Luke is what he stands for as a Jedi.Similar to Ahsoka Tano, Luke is a representation of what a Jedi should be. Not to say he’s perfect, there are plenty of examples of that,not just in the Sequel Trilogybut in the Original Trilogy as well (as much as many fans refuse to admit). What made Luke so impactful as a Jedi was his example of the compassion a Jedi should have for others, even their greatest enemies.
Luke would end his first saga as a Jedi by facing off with the Emperor of the Galactic Empire himself. The same man who was both the reason Luke had his father stolen from him as a child and threatened to murder his sister and friends. This would cause Luke to be more tempted than ever to turn to the dark side and kill him.But even in the worst circumstances, Luke chose to lay down his weapon and show compassion, refusing to harm his father and believing he still had good in him.This would lead to Darth Vader killing the Emperor to protect his son and bring balance to the force, which would never have been possible without Luke.
Played by: Frank Oz (The Original Trilogy, The Prequel Trilogy, ‘Star Wars Rebels’ & The Sequel Trilogy), Tom Kane (‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’) & Piotr Michael (‘Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures’)
Arguably the greatest mentor in Star Wars history, Yoda has lived to see his way through the entire Skywalker saga.Yoda stole the hearts of fans right away in his first introduction inStar Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Backwith his wit and humor paired with his insight and inspirational quoting.His excellent teaching is only emphasized as his appearances continue throughout the franchise. Yoda consistently keeps a calm and level-headed demeanor, bringing comfort to those around him.He also takes every situation, good or bad, as an opportunity to teach those around him and provide insight.
But what also makes Yoda an incredible mentor is how imperfect he is.Yoda is noted among some of the fanbase as one of the key figures that unintentionally made it possible for Senator Palpatine to take overand establish the Galactic Empire. During the era of the Republic,Yoda’s strict dedication to the Jedi code prevented him from accounting for emotions as often as he should have.Many believe that if Yoda had even done the simple act of listening to Anakin and taking his emotions more seriously, Anakin would have had a lesser chance of falling to the temptation of the dark side.But Yoda would come to use this flaw as a learning experience, appearing inStar Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jediafter destroying the Jedi Tree. He says to Luke, “Time it is, for you to look past a pile of old books”, representing how much he’s come to embrace the mysterious and let go of the rule book.Learning from his actions in the first two trilogies.
1Anakin Skywalker
Played by: James Earl Jones (Every Film & Show Featuring Darth Vader), Hayden Christensen (The Prequel Trilogy & ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’), David Prowse (The Original Trilogy), Jake Lloyd (‘Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace’), Mat Lucas (‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ & ‘Star Wars: Clone Wars’) & Matt Lanter (‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ film)
Lightsaber Color: Blue to Red
The story of Anakin Skywalker may be one of the greatest redemption stories in all cinema.He began his journey as a child, prophesied to be the Chosen One, putting the weight of the entire galaxy and the Force on his shouldersfrom a very young age. But Anakin continued his training and became an incredibly skilled Jedi, and arguably one of the most powerful of his time, even if that power hadn’t fully been tapped into yet.He felt love in ways most Jedi did not, which many believe made him a better Jedi,until it led to his downfall.
But his biggest contribution to the franchise was his major comeback when he killed the Emperor to save his son, Luke Skywalker. He finally accomplished his destiny as the Chosen One and brought balance to the Force.Through his contributions as Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader, there’s absolutely no doubt that Anakin is the most important character in the entire franchise.He is the driving force of so many stories within the universe and has displayed power unlike anyone has ever seen.There’s just no beating the Chosen One.
NEXT:10 Most Underrated Jedi from ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’, Ranked
