The 25 Most Powerful Star Wars Fighters, Ranked

The Most Powerful Characters in the Star Wars Universe

The Star Wars universe has introduced a vast array of powerful characters across comics, novels, video games, TV shows, and films. Over the decades, fans have witnessed incredible feats and intense duels between various fighting styles. Among all the bounty hunters, Imperial guards, and aliens, the consistently strongest characters are Force users, particularly the Jedi and the Sith.

While some fighters have a long list of iconic fights to showcase their abilities, others rely on their terrifying reputation. A strong connection to the Force is the most crucial measure of power in Star Wars, but overall combat proficiency, combat IQ, and experience also play significant roles.

Grand Admiral Thrawn Was Highly Trained in Hand-to-Hand Combat

Thrawn, known for his strategic mind, is often seen as a master tactician who leaves the fighting to his subordinates. However, he is not entirely useless when it comes to hand-to-hand combat. In fact, the Imperial officer is well-versed in various forms of martial arts and is often seen training against combat droids in his personal quarters. While he prefers to fight with his mind, Thrawn is no pushover.

In his younger years, Thrawn demonstrated surprising agility and physical strength. What he lacks in brawn or Force abilities, he makes up for in skill. He knows precisely how to take down an enemy and can orchestrate a knockout in a matter of seconds if given the opportunity. Though he wouldn’t win in a fight against a Jedi, Thrawn could still take down an average individual unfortunate enough to cross his path.

Kanan Jarrus Upheld the Jedi Order After Order 66

Kanan Jarrus, born Caleb Dume, was a Padawan of the Jedi Order at the time of its downfall. Trained by Depa Billaba during the Clone Wars, Kanan was one of the few Jedi to survive the events of Order 66, disappearing into the vast galaxy and changing his name to avoid detection. Despite his incomplete training, Kanan continued to hone his Jedi abilities in secret, eventually taking on a Padawan of his own in Ezra Bridger.

Kanan Jarrus accomplished a feat exceedingly rare for the Jedi: surviving the Age of the Empire for decades. During that time, Kanan proved invaluable to helping the Rebel Alliance in its early days. Kanan successfully defeated the Grand Inquisitor and even held his own against powerful Sith Lords like Darth Maul and Darth Vader. Few Jedi have accomplished such deeds and lived to tell the tale, yet Kanan survived all of these confrontations.

Chewbacca Relied on Brute Physical Strength

Chewbacca is perhaps the most underrated member of the Rebel Alliance's premier team. Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, and Han Solo get all the credit for bringing down the Empire during the Galactic Civil War, but Chewbacca's brawn proved to be a key tool in their squad's proverbial utility belt.

As a Wookie, Chewbacca is significantly stronger than humanoids and most other alien species. According to Han Solo, he is more than strong enough to rip someone's arm directly out of its socket (and has supposedly done so). Anyone foolish enough to tangle with a Wookie is sure to meet a grisly demise, especially if that Wookie happens to be the war hero Chewbacca.

Kelnacca Was the Rare Wookie Jedi

Wookiees are inherently strong, but a Wookie with a connection to the Force is on an entirely different level. Kelnacca was just such a lifeform, serving the Jedi Order toward the end of the High Republic Era, one hundred years before the events of The Phantom Menace. Appearing in the Disney+ series The Acolyte, he is one of several Jedi unfortunate enough to end up in the crosshairs of the vengeful Mae-ho Aniseya.

Kelnacca only gets a few action sequences in The Acolyte, but still proves his incredible strength therein. His most impressive scene comes when Mother Aniseya takes control of his body, causing him to turn on his fellow Jedi, Sol, Torbin, and Indara. At this moment, he lets loose his full strength, tossing around his former allies without a second thought. Kelnacca is a true force of nature who was unfortunately gone far too soon.

Baylan Skoll Is the Closest Star Wars Gets To a True Grey Jedi

Baylan Skoll is a mysterious former Jedi whom viewers meet during the events of Ahsoka. Portrayed by Ray Stevenson, Skoll left the Order sometime before the Great Jedi Purge, going into hiding for the remainder of the Empire's reign over the galaxy. When he emerges again after the Empire's fall, Skoll sets about seeking to cause another war by rescuing Grand Admiral Thrawn, the so-called "heir to the Empire." Along the way, he must contend with another former Jedi, Ahsoka Tano, who seeks to stop him.

Dark and deadly, Baylan Skoll immediately demonstrates his battle prowess in Ahsoka's very first scene, plowing through a legion of New Republic fighters alongside his apprentice, Shin Hati. Skoll also proves to be quite adept at lightsaber dueling, keeping even Ahsoka Tano on her back foot for much of their duel, despite her extensive training under Anakin Skywalker. Hopefully, fans will get to see much more of Baylan Skoll in Ahsoka Season 2, wherein Rory McCann will take over the character from the late Stevenson.

Asajj Ventress Was a Skilled Sith Assassin

Star Wars: The Clone Wars introduced Asajj Ventress as the assassin and apprentice of the Sith Lord Count Dooku. Once trained as a Jedi youngling, Ventress uses her Force abilities to complete the tasks that most other minions of the Separatists cannot. She fulfills this role until her master summarily betrays her at the orders of Darth Sidious, though she manages to escape with her life.

Though still early in her training, Ventress demonstrates a mastery over many fighting forms, including hand-to-hand combat, lightsaber-wielding, and even Force maneuvers. She is able to stand her own against even powerful Jedi like Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Luminara Unduli. Furthermore, any Force user who manages to last into the Imperial era deserves respect for their survival capabilities.

Master Sol Took on a Powerful Sith Enemy

Introduced in The Acolyte, Sol is a Jedi Master in the High Republic era of the Star Wars franchise. Sol, the former master of Osha Aniseya, also harbors a deep secret that eventually comes back to bite him during the events of the Disney+ series. When Osha learns he is responsible for the death of her coven, she kills Sol and turns to the Dark Side.

Despite his early death, Master Sol is still one of the best combatants in the Star Wars franchise. Even with its many detractors, The Acolyte has the best fighting choreography of any Disney-era Star Wars project, which is abundantly clear in Sol's fight against the Stranger. Both characters show their incredible fighting ability in their two duels. Moreover, the fact that Sol manages to survive a battle with a Sith who has already killed multiple Jedi proves just how powerful he is.

Master Indara Was an Extremely Skilled Fighter

Master Indara is a prominent Jedi who served the Order during the High Republic Era of the Star Wars franchise. She was a member of the Jedi team responsible for the death of the witches of Brendok. Indara perpetrates a conspiracy to cover up her cohorts' crimes. Unfortunately, this secret comes to haunt Indara when Mae-ho Aniseya confronts her, much to Indara's surprise. The Jedi Master believed Mae died in the carnage that followed her coven's extinction.

In the opening scene of The Acolyte, Mae and Indara engage in an epic fight that far surpasses most action scenes in the Disney era of Star Wars. During the skirmish, Indara proves to be highly adept at Force combat, with later flashbacks also supporting her skill with a lightsaber. She only loses her battle with Mae because she lets her guard down to save a civilian's life, leading to her own untimely death.

Plo Koon Was One of the Most Skilled Duelists In the Last Years of the Republic

Plo Koon is a masked Jedi Master from Kel Dor who serves as a member of the High Jedi Council in the waning years of the Republic. During his tenure on the council, Plo Koon sees the galaxy erupt into turmoil as the Clone Wars break out. While many members of the council perish during the galactic conflict, Master Plo remains a prominent member until the fall of the Jedi during Order 66, at which time his clone soldiers kill him.

Although he perishes with the other Jedi, Master Plo Koon is no slouch regarding close-quarter combat. Renowned as one of the best swordsmen in the Jedi Order, Plo Koon is one of the most impressive characters in the Prequel Trilogy. Unfortunately, fans don't see much of his fighting ability onscreen and need to consume guidebooks and other ancillary sources to understand how powerful a Jedi he is.

The Grand Inquisitor Killed Many Jedi

The Grand Inquisitor is the commander of the Inquisitors, answering directly to Darth Vader in the years of the Empire's rise. Making his first appearance in Star Wars: Rebels, the unnamed Grand Inquisitor makes a career of hunting Jedi who managed to escape Order 66 and the fall of the Order. The Grand Inquisitor, a former Jedi Temple guard, has no qualms about killing his former cohorts.

By far the most skilled member of the Inquisitorious, the Grand Inquisitor consistently proves himself to be a talented swordsman. Wielding a tricky double blade, he easily dispatches numerous Jedi during his career. Though he lacks the moral character to stand for what the Jedi once believed in, the Grand Inquisitor at least impresses with his lightsaber fighting skills.