The Star Wars universe has spanned hundreds of years, and the galaxy has advanced both spaceflight and the crafts that made it possible. As a result, there have been countless amazing pilots to push these vehicles to the limits, with names that include Hera Syndulla, Luke Skywalker and Wedge Antilles. However, one topic that has become quite the prickly one in the Star Wars universe is who the best pilot in the galaxy could be, with so many options.
Anakin Skywalker has widely been considered the best pilot in the galaxy by nearly anyone that has met him, including Obi-Wan Kenobi. However, Poe Dameron has let his reputation speak for him with his daring feats, last-minute decisions, and many more inhuman skills. But considering the two never got to meet in person, the debate over who between them was the better pilot could never be decided. Thankfully, their feats have given more than enough evidence to help solve the mystery.
Poe Showed Advanced Skill in Any Ship He Flew
Poe Dameron was practically made to be in a cockpit, and this was proven rather quickly once he and Finn escaped the First Order in Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens. Though he had never flown a TIE fighter, he successfully flew it and guided Finn with his controls well enough to survive the escape. In that instance, it was clear that, even at a detriment, Poe was still a capable pilot, which would serve him well in the coming years.
As the Resistance tried to escape the First Order in The Last Jedi, Poe single-handedly eliminated the external cannons of a First Order Dreadnaught and the TIEs in pursuit. Even without the Force to help him navigate the situation, he proved his skill in an X-Wing and the intuition that put him above and beyond other pilots. He also showed skill in the Millennium Falcon as he pushed the ship to its limits by lightspeed skipping -- something even Han had never done. In the end, Poe proved that he was more than capable with any ship.
Anakin Was an Adept Pilot From a Young Age
Anakin Skywalker showed his skill as a pilot from an early age. He was very intelligent and skilled with machines but also more than capable of piloting podracers. As a result, he was the only human on Tatooine that could participate in the races. This same skill aided him as he got older because he not only grew in skill but also in his daring qualities. For example, during the Clone Wars, he wasn't afraid to push the limits and risk his neck in the process. In the Star Wars: The Clone Wars episode "Cat and Mouse," Anakin flew past a Separatist blockade in a small ship during a mission many believed impossible.
Over the years, Anakin continued to impress as he showed enough knowledge to land General Grievous' starcruiser even though he'd never flown one before. As Darth Vader, he also showed adept skills as a TIE fighter pilot and could even give his son, Luke, a run for his money. In the end, what made Anakin such a skilled fighter was a lack of fear and faith in his abilities. What resulted were many moments where the impossible was made possible.
Poe Proved His Skills Could Even Outsmart Anakin
While Anakin was easily one of the greatest pilots in the galaxy and the best of the Clone Wars, Poe Dameron proved himself in ways that Anakin could never compete with. The main reason for this was that Anakin had one thing that Poe didn't, the Force. No matter what Anakin did, he still could sense the best routes possible and, coupled with his natural skill, made him unstoppable in a cockpit. It's why he had no rivals as well. However, Poe proved that he could do even more daring stunts in an X-Wing with nothing but his intuition and do that with ships that he had never even piloted before. Without any edge to speak of, Poe proved that, based on his past feats, he might be the only one to fly circles around Anakin.