The Star Wars saga is all about heroism and adventure in a galaxy far, far away. Arguably, the Jedi Knights are the most important element of the canon Star Wars universe. The Jedi once belonged to an order of highly trained, Force-sensitive peacekeepers who watched over the Republic with a benevolent but sometimes manipulative hand.

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The Jedi were not always popular, but everyone was in awe of them and what they could do. In the eleven Star Wars movies, many Jedi of all sorts either made an appearance or were mentioned, especially in the Jedi-heavy prequel movie trilogy. These Jedi can be ranked not only according to their Force abilities and wisdom but also their sheer coolness and style.

Updated by Alexandra Locke on March 29, 2023: Some of Star Wars' most beloved characters are the Jedi. With their incredible skills and unique moral code, Jedi make for some of the most interesting and complex characters. As there are so many from which to choose, this list has been updated to include even more of the most incredible Jedi.

20 Saba Sebatyne

Saba Sebatyne, a Barabel Jedi from Star Wars Legends

Star Wars Legends could get very dark, with the Yuuzhan Vong War being a prime example. The Jedi were on the back foot throughout the war, as the Order battled against the invaders and the political machinations of their enemies in the Republic. Some Jedi took the fight directly to the enemy, like Jedi Knight Saba Sebatyne. A Barabel Jedi, Saba trained away from the order by Jedi Master Eelysa.

Saba trained others, including several of her children, and started the Wild Knights, a squadron of Jedi pilots who savaged the Yuuzhan Vong. Sebatyne was a fierce warrior, yet she never once slipped in her devotion to the Force and the Jedi. She joined Luke's Jedi Council as a Knight and became a master after the war. Saba finished Leia's training and led the Council for a short time when Luke was exiled from Galactic Alliance space.

19 Kyp Durron

Star Wars Legends' Kyp Durron repaid his debts to the galaxy after betraying the Light.

Star Wars is full of powerful characters, and Legends supplied ones who still stand up against the newer canon entries. Kyp Durron was found by Han Solo and Chewbacca when they were imprisoned on Kessel six years after Return of the Jedi. They escaped together and ended up captured by a secret Imperial installation in the Maw, a black hole cluster near Kessel. Kyp's Force powers helped them escape, and he joined Luke Skywalker's Jedi Academy.

The Sith spirit of Exar Kun almost drove Kyp Durron to the dark side but stayed in the light. He became a troublemaker in the Order, something that lasted until the Yuuzhan Vong War. Kyp was a formidable Jedi in combat, as good a pilot as he was a swordsman. Among the most powerful Force users in the galaxy, Durron settled down in his older age, becoming a key part of Luke's Jedi Council.

18 Starkiller

Starkiller using Force Lightning in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

After tracking down a Jedi in a Wookiee village on Kashyyyk, Darth Vader abducted a young Galen Marek and trained him as his secret apprentice. Given the code name Starkiller, Galen was tasked with various covert missions around the empire.

After being betrayed by Darth Vader, Galen then started working against the Empire, eventually turning toward the light side, and helping to form the Rebel Alliance. Despite only appearing in the Force Unleashed, and its sequel, Galen has solidified himself as one of the more powerful Jedi in Star Wars.

17 Jaina Solo

Star Wars Legends' Jaina Solo battling her brother Darth Caedus from the cover of Star Wars: Legacy of the Force: Invincible

Jaina Solo was one of the twin children of Han and Leia, born during the Imperial resurgence led by Grand Admiral Thrawn. Her childhood was full of adventures and kidnap attempts, so by the time she and her brothers joined their uncle's Jedi academy, they had experiences no one else had. Jaina was always the least "Jedi" of the Solo children and wanted to be a fighter pilot more than anything else.

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Jaina got her wish during the Yuuzhan Vong War, joining Rogue Squadron before an injury forced her to leave the service. The Jedi mission to Myrkr was a turning point for her, and she chose trickery to battle her enemies. By the end of the war, Jaina completely embraced her dual role as warrior and Jedi, named the Sword of the Jedi by her uncle Luke. Trained by Mandalorians to fight Force users, Jaina killed her brother when he became Darth Caedus and saved the galaxy. Jaina's role in the Jedi Order was as its greatest warrior.

16 Anakin Solo

Anakin Solo from Star Wars Legends as a teen and child

Anakin Solo was the youngest child of Leia and Han. Named after his grandfather, he always felt that he had to make up for Darth Vader's atrocities. Anakin Solo devoted himself to becoming the best Jedi he could be, taking the examples of his older brother and sister and melding them together. He became a powerful Force user who was proficient at more mundane skills like piloting and ship repair.

Anakin Solo came into his own during the Yuuzhan Vong War, his triumphs earning him a place as a leader of the younger Jedi. He was a burning brand of the light side of the Force, but his rising star was eclipsed by the mission to Myrkr. As a leader, Anakin sacrificed himself so his squad could survive, becoming one with the Force and ensuring the destruction of vornskr.

15 Jacen Solo

Star War Legends' Jacen Solo

Jacen Solo was the most internal of the three Solo children. He wrestled with who he was, what his destiny would be, and the line between light and darkness. The Yuuzhan Vong War tested his resolve, leading Jacen to embrace pacifism for a time to avoid falling into darkness. However, Jacen soon began fighting the invaders, accompanying his siblings and friends on the mission to Myrkr. After his brother Anakin's death, Jacen was captured by the Vong and tortured by Vergere, an Old Republic Jedi Master who had hidden among the Vong.

Vergere was secretly grooming Jacen for an eventual Sith turn, but he did not realize it. Jacen was integral to ending the war but left the Jedi Order afterward, eventually returning after mastering many Force disciplines. Jacen became a Jedi who believed the ends justified the means, his pragmatism, dragging him closer and closer to the dark side. His meeting with Sith Lady Lumiya marked the end of Jacen's time among the Jedi. He became a secret Sith, gaining power in the Galactic Alliance government and eventually taking over as Darth Caedus before being killed in a duel with his sister.

14 Ki-Adi-Mundi

Jedi Master Ki-Adi-Mundi with his lightsaber from Star Wars The Clone Wars

The tall-headed Cerean Jedi Master named Ki-Adi-Mundi was the first Jedi Knight to be inducted into the Jedi Council. His two brains gave him an edge other Jedi. Because of the low birth rate of the Cereans, he was allowed to marry and have children. During the Clone Wars, Ki-Adi-Mundi proved himself a great warrior.

Ki-Adi-Mundi served with distinction at Geonosis, returning for the second battle and fighting alongside Anakin and Ahsoka. He was instrumental in getting Geonosian leader Poggle the Lesser to Coruscant. Ki-Adi-Mundi spent much of the rest of the war with the Council on Coruscant. He led the invasion of Mygeeto and was killed in Order 66 by members of the 21st Nova Corps.

13 Plo Koon

Plo Koon Talks To Ahsoka in Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Jedi Master Plo Koon was a Kel Dor. His species came from Dorin, a world with an atmosphere comprising helium and Dorin gas. This forced him to wear a re-breather outside his world. The Jedi Master was a key member of the Jedi Council. During the Clone Wars, Plo was known for undertaking the most dangerous missions with his clone battalion, the 104th.

Plo Koon discovered Ahsoka Tano, a beloved original Star Wars: The Clone Wars character. He was part of the task force that took down the Malevolence, played vital roles in the Battles of Felucia, Lola Sayo, and Kadavo, and was a great starfighter pilot. Unfortunately, Plo's piloting prowess was used against him during the Battle of Cato Nemoidia, when he was killed during Order 66 by clones flying ARC-170s.

12 Kit Fisto

Star Wars: The Clone Wars' Kit Fisto with a green and blue lightsaber

The Nautolan Jedi named Kit Fisto never said a word in the eleven Star Wars movies, but Star Wars: The Clone Wars was a different story. An expert swordsman, Fisto was amphibious and helped battle the Separatists when they invaded the underwater world Mon Calamari. Fisto served on Geonosis and Hissrich and helped hunt down escaped Separatist leader Nute Gunray.

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Fisto held his own against General Grievous in combat, which said it all about his skill. He eventually joined the Jedi Council, helping to administer the Jedi during the end of the war. Fisto's skill with a lightsaber landed him a place with Mace Windu's forces the day they went to arrest Chancellor Palpatine, which proved to be the Nautolan Jedi's last battle.

11 Rey Skywalker

Rey in Star Wars The Last Jedi holding her lightsaber

Rey is the heroine of the Star Wars sequel movie trilogy. In many ways, she is the new Luke Skywalker, going from being a desert world nobody to a proper Jedi hero whose destiny compels her to fight the ultimate Sith Lord. Her personality is a bit dry and serious, but she is pretty cool in other ways.

Even if Rey seems conveniently overpowered at times, there is no denying how awesome she looks using all her hands-on skills to save the day. She is an expert scavenger who can rappel up and down crashed Star Destroyers, and she even flew the legendary Millennium Falcon while evading First Order TIE fighters.

10 Kyle KatarnKyle Katarn pointing a blaster offscreen, holding a green lightsaber in his left had as plasma bolts and fire burst from the background.

Kyle Katarn, the protagonist for the Dark Forces series of video games, defected from the Empire to the rebellion after learning his father, Morgan, was killed by an Imperial agent. Working as a mercenary for the rebel Alliance, Katarn performed numerous covert missions with his partner Jan Ors.

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Some time after the Battle of Endor, Katarn discovered his own Force Sensitivity and became a self-taught Jedi. After a brush with the dark side, Katarn let his presence in the Force diminish until a crisis arose in which an Imperial warlord was creating an army of artificial Force users. Once that had been resolved, Katarn joined Luke Skywalker as a permanent Jedi and instructor at the Jedi Academy.

9 Corran Horn

Corran Horn perching on a rock cliff

Corran Horn started his adult life by following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather when he attended the Correllian Security Force Academy, shattering the records that his father set when he attended. After a run-in with an Imperial liaison officer, Corran had to flee to the fledgling New Republic where he became an X-Wing pilot for the illustrious Rogue Squadron.

After learning that his real grandfather was a Jedi, Corran put off training as a Jedi until his wife was kidnapped, and then used his Jedi abilities to track her down and rescue her. Curran’s abilities as both a Jedi and an ace pilot have made him a favorite of the Legends characters.

8 Qui-Gon Jinn

Qui-Gon Jinn with his green lightsaber in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace

Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn was probably never a father, but this middle-aged Jedi certainly had a warm, paternal air about him. As such, he served as a comforting, reliable father figure for both a young Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker in 1999's The Phantom Menace.

Qui-Gon was a bit dry, but he was still capable of humor and trickery. This helped him win Anakin's freedom after the Boonta Eve podrace. Qui-Gon was also unshakably confident when facing his prequel-era nemesis, the Sith assassin Darth Maul.

7 Mara Jade

Mara Jade fighting with her purple lightsaber.

Removed from her parents at a very young age, Mara Jade was personally trained by the Emperor as the Emperor’s Hand. Educated in a myriad of techniques ranging from sabotage to infiltration, to Force techniques, Mara became one of the deadliest agents in the Empire.

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After the Battle of Endor, Mara cut ties with the Empire, spending most of her time the Talon Karrde’s smuggling group. She then briefly attending Luke Skywalker’s Jedi Academy.

6 Luke Skywalker

Luke Skywalker from both Star Wars Dark Empire and Star Wars The Last Jedi

Luke Skywalker is the most famous and important Jedi Knight in the entire Star Wars movie series and, arguably, the entire franchise itself. In the movies, Luke embarks on a classic hero's journey, meeting Obi-Wan and leaving the deserts of Tatooine to become a Jedi like his father before him.

Luke is exciting, sympathetic, tragically flawed, and quite powerful as a Jedi hero. He helps redeem his father, Darth Vader, during their final battle in Return of the Jedi. Luke later goes into exile on Ahch-To after Ben Solo's fall to the Dark Side, but he nobly gives his life to help Rey and the Resistance escape certain doom on Crait. Luke will not let hope die, even if he must perish.

5 Anakin Skywalker

Anakin Skywalker talks to Palpatine in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

On the downside, the prequel-era Anakin Skywalker has some truly dreadful or downright bizarre dialogue. Aside from that, he is a seriously cool Jedi Knight who learns much from Obi-Wan. To begin with, he has charismatic, cocky confidence, and reckless bravery that makes him compelling to watch.

Anakin is a terrifically powerful Jedi in combat, and best of all, he is the galaxy's top pilot. He wows Star Wars fans with his peerless stunts in airspeeders and fighters, and he scores countless dogfight victories while battling droid armies in the Clone Wars.

4 Jedi Master Yoda

Yoda looking pensive in Star Wars: The  Empire Strikes Back

The short, green Jedi Master Yoda is one of a kind in the Star Wars movie series. Not much is known of his personal history, but fans know he is the wisest, strongest, and most famous Jedi of all. Yoda is also one of the coolest.

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Yoda calmly dispenses well-worded wisdom, including telling Luke "that is why you fail" after Luke said "I don't believe it!" regarding Yoda lifting Luke's X-wing from the Dagobah swamp. Yoda is a stern but well-meaning teacher who has absolute confidence in his wisdom and teaching ability, and fans respect that.

3 Mace Windu

Star Wars The Prequel Trilogy's Mace Windu brandishing his purple lightsaber

Jedi Master Mace Windu is second only to Yoda himself in the Jedi Council, and he manages to be even cooler with his tough-guy persona and incredible lightsaber combat skills. It also helps that the ultra-cool actor Samuel L. Jackson portrays him in the prequel trilogy.

Mace Windu is wise and noble as a Jedi, but he also will not tolerate any nonsense from anyone, not even from Anakin Skywalker, much less from his enemies. He also fight heroically against Palpatine late in 2005's Revenge of the Sith and even corners the Sith Lord until Anakin shows up. This is Mace's downfall, as Anakin sides with Palpatine, allowing Palpatine to kill Windu.

2 Revan

Darth Revan in a SWKOTOR poster.

A Jedi of the Republic who lived about 4000 years before the events of the movies, Revan disobeys his Jedi masters and leads the Republic in a victory against a Mandalorian invasion force that threatens the Outer Rim of the Galaxy. Despite fighting for the Republic, Revan and his apprentice, Malak fall to the dark side and uncover an ancient artifact that allows them to build a massive fleet to attack the government they fought so hard to protect.

During a Jedi strike mission to capture him, Revan is rendered nearly brain-dead but is mentally restored by the Jedi, and redeems himself by fighting against his former apprentice and once again saves the Republic. Revan’s story of victory, fall, and redemption is one of the most compelling stories to appear outside of film in the Star Wars universe.

1 Obi-Wan Kenobi

Obi-Wan Kenobi talking to Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

Star Wars fans do not have enough good things to say about the popular Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi, as he was a fan favorite even before the Obi-Wan Kenobi series started streaming on Disney+. Obi-Wan makes a solid first impression as a witty, likable apprentice to Qui-Gon, and he only gets better from there.

Despite his caution and complaints, Obi-Wan proves himself a daring hero and a skilled pilot, which adds to his coolness in many ways. He also has stellar charisma and a lot of grit, which bolsters his cool factor even more. Finally, Obi-Wan is a wellspring of meme-worthy lines and scenes ranging from "Hello there!" to the high ground, which makes him the coolest Jedi of all time.

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