Jedi And Sith Masters Ranked Worst To Best
Even as far back as "a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away," the theme of good versus evil has been standard in storytelling. We've seen it time and time again in books, films, and television. Clearly, the theme can make for a compelling story — and in the case of the Star Wars universe, it's all about the Jedi and the Sith.
For the uninitiated (yes, there are still some out there), the Jedi are the good guys and the Sith are the villains. Representing the Jedi, you have the likes of Luke Skywalker, Rey, and everyone's favorite old green guy, Yoda. On the Sith side, there's Darth Sidious, Darth Maul, and Count Dooku. Both factions have deep benches in terms of strength and abilities. All of them use the Force — some for good, and others for evil. For this particular list, we thought it would be interesting to rank the Jedi and Sith based on their importance to the films of the Skywalker Saga specifically. Which Jedi and Sith played an important role in how the entire series played out? Did your favorite character make the list? Which side will come out on top? For the answers to these questions, let's take a look at the Jedi and Sith ranked worst to best.
Count Dooku/Darth Tyranus
A respected Jedi and onetime Padawan to Yoda, Dooku grew disillusioned with the corruption in the Galactic Senate, as well as the traditions of the Jedi, and left the order to return to his homeworld of Serenno. There, he renounced the Jedi for losing their way. After the death of Darth Maul, his master Darth Sidious (following the Sith's Rule of Two) choose Dooku to be his new apprentice.
Dooku's primary function was to marshal forces to the Separatist cause in anticipation of the Sith's plans for the Clone Wars and, eventually, an Empire. After the Battle of Geonosis, Dooku took ostensible command of the Separatist Army secretly controlled by Sidious (a.k.a. the future Emperor Palpatine). In grand Sith style, Dooku tried to enlist several apprentices himself with the objective of overthrowing his master, but Palpatine was far too clever for him. Dooku was executed by Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, who had been manipulated into killing him by Palpatine. Dooku was the prime beard for Palpatine during the Clone Wars, but was ultimately too weak to pose a threat to Sidious or the Jedi.
Snoke
Snoke was widely believed to be a Sith (or at least a force-sensitive humanoid) for the first two films of the sequel trilogy, but The Rise of Skywalker revealed him to have been nothing but a clone manufactured by Sidious to extend his reach beyond the Unknown Regions while awaiting the ascendancy of his Final Order. Snoke was more than simply a placeholder, however. He was put in position to assemble the First Order and groom Kylo Ren toward the Dark Side. Snoke's ultimate purpose was served when he became the final test of Ren's dark journey. By betraying and murdering his master, Ren proved to the Emperor that he was ready to accept the tenets of Sithhood. Unbeknownst to Ren, this proved the Rule of Two — that there can be only one Sith master and one apprentice in any given relationship. Snoke also served to bring Ren and Rey together, an integral part of the Emperor's master plan.
Darth Maul
Born on the red planet of Dathomir, Maul was the son of Madame Talzin, leader of the Nightsisters. Darth Sidious, an ally of Talzin, took the child Maul as his first Sith apprentice. Years later, Darth Maul would be the first Sith to reveal himself to the Jedi in a millennium. Working at the behest of the Emperor, Maul tracked Queen Amidala to the desert planet of Tatooine, where he attempted to kidnap her for Sidious' nefarious purposes. This resulted in many events happening, all conforming to Palpatine's master plan of taking over the Republic and supplanting it with an Empire, installing himself at the head. One of the most significant of Maul's actions was the killing of Qui-Gon Jinn, slain by Maul on Naboo. That act led to Maul's own supposed death at the hands of Obi-Wan Kenobi — which, in turn, led to Kenobi becoming a Jedi Master and assuming the training of Anakin Skywalker. Anakin, at that time, was believed to be the fulfillment of an ancient Jedi Prophecy of a "Chosen One" who would bring balance to the Force.
Qui-Gon Jinn
Qui-Gon Jinn was a legendarily brave and selfless Jedi Master. His importance to the Skywalker Saga manifests itself in a few ways, including discovering Anakin the Chosen One and setting the entire nine-film series in motion. Qui-Gon was also the first Jedi to discover and master the Jedi ability to transcend death as a Force Spirit. The ramifications of this knowledge would be felt through the entire saga, as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, Anakin, and Luke, among others, would return as Force Ghosts or voices to instruct further generations. Qui-Gon was murdered, rather unceremoniously, by Darth Maul on the planet Naboo. His death did allow Obi-Wan Kenobi to ascend to the position of Jedi Master, where he was able to fulfill the promise he made to Jinn to take the young Anakin Skywalker as his apprentice.
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Obi-Wan Kenobi was a Jedi Master and a former apprentice to Qui-Gon Jinn. He was a staunch proponent of the Jedi Council and its dictates. After Kenobi seemingly killed Darth Maul on Naboo, he honored Qui-Jon Jinn's dying request to take Anakin Skywalker under his wing as his Padawan. Despite some initial reluctance on the Jedi Council's part, Kenobi was granted permission to train Skywalker, whom he believed was the "Chosen One" spoken of in Jedi prophecy.
Kenobi trained the volatile Skywalker as best he could, often ignoring or failing to see Anakin's growing discontent with the life of a Jedi. Kenobi distinguished himself during The Clone Wars but was unable to stop Anakin's descent to the Dark Side. After Anakin's transformation to Darth Vader, Kenobi stood watch over Anakin's hidden son Luke for years; once he was revealed to Luke, Kenobi misled the boy about his parentage and Luke fell under his sway, prompting an adventure that resulted in Kenobi's death at the hands of Vader. Kenobi appeared as a Force spirit a number of times, continuing to give him advice and guidance.
Leia Organa Skywalker Solo
One of Darth Vader's hidden children, Leia grew up in the relative safety of the royal House of Organa on the planet Alderaan. Raised as a princess and politician, Leia didn't discover her nascent Jedi abilities until long after meeting her secret twin, Rebel pilot, and Jedi in training Luke Skywalker during a rescue operation. A major figure in the Rebellion against the Empire at the time, it would take three years before Skywalker, in a time of great distress, reached out to Leia through the Force, thus revealing her latent telepathic ability.
Leia trained with Skywalker for over a year following the Battle of Endor, constructing her own lightsaber and learning the ways of the Jedi. It was at the end of this training that Leia had a vision that her Jedi path would lead to the death of her son, and she put her lightsaber into Luke's hands for someone else to later wield. Although she'd given up her Jedi combat training, Leia was still powerful with the Force. She was able to save herself from exposure to the depths of space and was, eventually, able to reach across countless miles with her mind and touch the heart of her son Ben Solo, a.k.a. Kylo Ren, distracting him long enough for Rey to defeat him in battle. This selfless act led to her death, but ultimately may have saved the galaxy from the Final Order's tyrannical control.
Kylo Ren/Ben Solo
Ben Solo had quite the pedigree. He was the grandson of Darth Vader, his parents were Leia Organa and Han Solo, and he was also the student of his uncle Luke Skywalker. With that kind of bloodline, it's no wonder a young Ben was strong with the Force — or that Emperor Palpatine's influence over him began while he was still in the womb.
The young Solo was unaware of Sidious' deception throughout his life. He eventually turned to the Dark Side after he thought Luke had not only betrayed but also attempted to murder him. It was then he took the name Kylo Ren and fell under the sway of First Order Supreme Leader Snoke. Under the orders of Snoke, Ren, along with Admiral Hux and Stormtrooper Captain Phasma, was able to murder millions across the galaxy with a combination of terror and the superweapon known as Starkiller Base. In addition to killing his own father, Ren pursued the Force-sensitive Rey and tried to turn her to the dark side. The two were unknowingly a dyad, two beings who shared a Force bond, a feature of Sith lore. Ultimately, Ben cast off his Kylo Ren identity, turned away from the dark side, and he and Rey were able to combine their powers to defeat Palpatine on Exegol, ending his ambitions once and for all.
Luke Skywalker
The Force-sensitive son of Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala, and twin brother of Leia Organa, Luke Skywalker is a central character in the Star Wars universe. He was hidden away as a child on Tatooine, where he was watched from afar by Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi — and his life was turned upside down when Princess Leia inadvertently brought the Galactic Empire to his doorstep.
Over the course of the original trilogy, Luke saw Obi-Wan murdered, blew up the Death Star, trained as a Jedi, and found out that not only was Leia his twin sister, but Darth Vader was his father. In the sequel trilogy, we learn that Luke attempted to restore the Jedi Order by training a number of Force-sensitive youth, his nephew Ben Solo among them. Luke's efforts ended when he misinterpreted what he felt were the stirrings of the dark side in young Ben Solo and contemplated murdering him to prevent his betrayal — a mistake that sent Ben into the clutches of First Order Supreme Leader Snoke, triggering Ben's transformation into Kylo Ren.
Luke exiled himself on Ahch-To, the birthplace of the Jedi Order; when found by Rey, he refused to help the new Resistance but consented to train her in the ways of the Force. When he saw the extent of the darkness within her, he balked once again, afraid that what had happened to Ben would happen to her. Luke finally returned to the fight by sacrificing himself in battle against Kylo Ren, Force-projecting himself across the galaxy to distract the First Order's forces long enough for the tattered remnants of the Resistance to escape. Luke would later return as a Force spirit to advise Rey one last time during her own moment of crisis.
Rey Skywalker
The orphaned scavenger turned Jedi warrior long known simply as Rey is the biological granddaughter of Sheev Palpatine. Hidden from Palpatine on the planet Jakku when she was just a child, she grew up alone, living off whatever credits or portions of food she could get in trade. Rey's Force powers remained unnoticed until her encounter with Han Solo brought her to Takodonna, where, in the lower levels of Maz Kanata's castle, she discovered Luke Skywalker's old lightsaber, long ago lost in the duel on Cloud City. Contact with the saber triggered a vision and the Force was awakened within her.
Rey would later learn the ways of the Force from both Skywalker siblings, mastering many previously unseen abilities, including using her life force to heal the wounded. As a part of the Force dyad with Kylo Ren, Rey was able to establish a Force bond to combine their powers, giving them the power to confront Darth Sidious on Exegol. Although their joined power was not enough to defeat him, on the verge of death, Rey was able to draw on the spirits of past Jedi to strengthen her for one final fight, destroying Sidious forever.
Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader
Immaculately conceived by midi-chlorians possibly manipulated by the Dark Lord of the Sith Sheev Palpatine, Anakin Skywalker grew up a slave of Hutts and Toydarians on Tatooine. Anakin displayed Force sensitivity at an early age, and it wasn't long before he was discovered by Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi. They arranged for Anakin's freedom and brought him before the Jedi Council, who reluctantly agreed to accept Anakin into their order. Anakin would be trained under the watchful eye of Kenobi, becoming his Padawan and his partner for nearly a decade.
The Jedi Council and Palpatine both recognized Anakin's potential to be the prophesied Chosen One. As he grew up. Anakin began experiencing disturbing Force visions concerning the death and suffering of his mother Shmi, and later, the death of his wife in childbirth. Distinguishing himself in the Clone Wars, Anakin, at the insistence of Palpatine, executed the Sith apprentice Count Dooku. Anakin went to Palpatine for guidance, not realizing he was actually the Sith Dark Lord Sidious. Palpatine tempted Anakin with the power of life and death, using his emotional weakness to ease him over to the dark side.
Anakin, now going by his Sith name Darth Vader, led an assault on the Jedi temple, killing hundreds of Jedi and younglings. A final confrontation on Mustafar resulted in Vader's dismemberment at the hands of his old Jedi Master, Obi-Wan. Now encased in life-saving cybernetic armor, Vader continued to operate as the Emperor's right hand, carrying out his master's every whim, murdering stray Jedi and leading the Empire's assault forces against the nascent Rebellion. It was in the fulfillment of these tasks that Vader discovered that his son Luke Skywalker was alive, having survived Padme's death during childbirth.
Together, Vader and the Emperor plotted to turn Luke to the Dark Side. Vader's plan was to depose the Emperor by adhering to the Rule of Two, desiring to overthrow his master and take Luke as his own apprentice. Vader was defeated above the moon of Endor by Luke, but not before saving the boy from the Emperor's Force lightning and throwing the Dark Lord down a ventilation shaft. Suffering mortal injuries while killing Palpatine, Anakin died in his son's arms.
Yoda
Yoda was a long-lived legendary Jedi Master, a leading member of the Jedi Council, and original Master to Count Dooku. Outside of that relationship, Yoda trained all younglings in the Jedi basics, making him one of the most influential Jedi ever. Yoda was one of the few Jedi to sense that there was a disturbance in the Force prior to Palpatine's ascension to Emperor, which informed his reluctance to admit Anakin Skywalker into the Jedi Order; he sensed the darkness within the boy, despite a number of Jedi believing Anakin to be the Chosen One. Yoda was instrumental in many of the Republic's victories during the Clone Wars, as he led Clone troops against the Separatist droid armies, liberating entire planets and star systems.
Yoda's continued unease during Palpatine's rise through the ranks of the Galactic Senate was confirmed when the politician turned out to be a Dark Lord of the Sith and secret leader of the Separatists. After a tumultuous duel during which Palpatine got the better of him, Yoda went into hiding on the swamp planet of Dagobah, awaiting the return of the Jedi. Yoda offered his experience and training to the young acolyte Luke Skywalker in the waning days of the Empire. Following his death, the tiny Jedi Master later appeared as a Force spirit to Luke during the Resistance's conflict against the First Order, reminding his former apprentice that the Jedi's eons of rules and teachings weren't as important as the power of the Force itself.
Sheev Palpatine/Darth Sidious
Sheev Palpatine was born on the planet of Naboo where he became apprentice to Darth Plagueis. After learning all he could (including the manipulation of midi-chlorians and the secret to eternal life), the newly christened Darth Sidious murdered his master; his Sith identity a secret, Palpatine used his political acumen to get elected to the Galactic Senate. While there, he manipulated his way into being appointed Chancellor to the Republic and, later, Emperor. All the while, Sidious covertly led the Separatist rebellion against the Republic, using a succession of apprentices including Darth Maul.
Later, Sidious manipulated Anakin Skywalker until he was able to turn him to the dark side and enlist him as his apprentice Darth Vader. After engineering the destruction of the Jedi and the Republic, Palpatine reigned over the Empire for decades. Eventually, he coaxed Vader into hunting and capturing Luke, leading to a confrontation between the three on the second Death Star. Vader finally turned against the Emperor, attacking him to save his son. Palpatine was believed to have been killed in the struggle, but he survived in a clone body using dark Sith Magic and, taking advantage of the contingency he'd set up prior to his death, relocated to the Unknown Regions and his waiting legions of Sith Loyalists.
There, Palpatine plotted and planned for years, exerting influence over events and individuals in the New Republic by sending his creation, Snoke, to control the newly born First Order as well as corrupting Kylo Ren and driving him to the dark side. Palpatine's plan included the seduction of his own grandchild, Rey. Drawing her to him via Kylo Ren, Palpatine discovered their Force dyad, using it to complete his resurrection and fuel the rise of his Final Order. This plot backfired when Rey was able to gather the spirits of former Jedi and deflect Palpatine's own power against him, destroying him once and for all.