The 10 Most Powerful Female Star Wars Characters Of All Time

In any universe as old and vast as "Star Wars," you're going to have a lot of overpowered characters. Jedi Masters, Sith Lords, infamous bounty hunters, the list goes on. Like a Shonen anime, "Star Wars" fans love to debate the strongest characters and argue who would win in different head-to-head matchups. These discussions can be quite in depth given the size of the "Star Wars" roster, which includes a ton of incredibly powerful female characters alongside the Luke Skywalkers and Darth Vaders of the world.

For our purposes today, we're only looking at the current, Disney-ordained "Star Wars" canon. That means no Mara Jades, no Darth Trayas, no Jaina Solos. Yes, the dark Force goddess Abeloth would clear everyone else on this list, but she hasn't (yet) been brought back into canon, so for now, she has to stand on the sidelines.

Honorable mentions go out to the many amazing women of "Star Wars" who simply couldn't make the cut here. One could argue that Mon Mothma's resolute persistence in defeating the Empire or Hera Syndulla's starfighter skills should earn them placement on this list, but in a franchise where cosmic space magic rules the day, we sadly have to leave them off. The same goes for notable Jedi like Luminara Unduli, Aayla Secura, Adi Gallia, and Shaak Ti. All incredibly powerful, but like so many background Jedi characters, it's hard to slot one above another in the current canon. And of course, we have to give a special shoutout to Doctor Aphra, but this unfortunately is not her arena.

These are the 10 most powerful female "Star Wars" characters of all time.

Starting off this list is the strongest non-Force-using, non-Mandalorian woman in the current "Star Wars" canon. Introduced in "Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens," Captain Phasma has little to do in the sequel trilogy films other than stride around imposingly in her chrome Stormtrooper armor. She's a victim of "Boba Fett Syndrome" — Lucasfilm's compulsion ever since "The Empire Strikes Back" to try to recreate the cool background character toy craze that catapulted Boba Fett to stardom. But if you're writing Phasma off for that reason, you're making a big mistake.

The canon novel "Phasma" outlines the character's origin story, detailing her early life on the devastated planet Parnassos and her ascension as a warrior of the Scyre clan. It's a great read, and one of the best "Star Wars" books published since the Disney acquisition. While she may have been underbaked in the movies, Phasma remained a riveting onscreen character due to Gwendoline Christie's imposing presence and strong performance. Her unofficial role as the First Order's warrior chief is one that didn't really exist in the Empire, and it shows just how far beyond her compatriots she is in terms of raw combat skill.

Yes, there's an argument to be made that any Jedi of the prequel era is more "powerful" than Phasma, but then this whole list would be background characters with green lightsabers. Any good power ranking needs a character who punches above their weight, and in the world of Force-less female "Star Wars" characters, Phasma is the clear choice. Sorry, Fennec, you just missed the cut.

We have one more slot before getting into the Force users and witches of "Star Wars," and that goes to Bo-Katan Kryze. You can't talk about the most powerful characters in the franchise without throwing a Mandalorian into the mix, and while Sabine Wren is Force-sensitive now, she still hasn't done enough to one-up Bo-Katan.

Introduced in "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" (a series which boasts its own fascinating history) as a high-ranking member of the extremist cell called Death Watch, Bo-Katan faces off against Jedi and Republic agents. Later, when Darth Maul begins working with the organization, she plays a key role in his campaign against the galaxy's most powerful crime syndicates. She survives Maul's coup of Death Watch and Mandalore, helps Ahsoka Tano and her clone trooper detachment retake the planet at the end of the war, stands bravely against the Empire, survives the Night of a Thousand Tears and the rest of the Mandalorian Purge, reunites the clans with the Darksaber in "The Mandalorian" Season 3, and plays a key role in the defeat of Moff Gideon and his Imperial remnant faction.

That's a long and impressive resume, easily earning Bo-Katan a spot on this list. While she may not have the Force, Mandalorians have proven time and again that tricks and a deep bag of weapons can be enough to go toe-to-toe with the Jedi, provided you have enough skill. Clad in beskar and with enough tools to take on a small army, Bo-Katan proves the non-magical in "Star Wars" can still be a huge threat.

Three spots into this list and we have our first Force user, the dark side assassin turned bounty hunter turned...paladin? Asajj Ventress' arc through the "Star Wars" galaxy has featured its share of twists and turns, including a clear death and subsequent resurrection that we're still waiting to be explained. But through it all, she's established herself as one of the most powerful characters in "Star Wars," both through her fierce lightsaber style and her unique attunement to the Force.

Ventress' dueling record through the Clone Wars is impressive, with wins or draws against the likes of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka Tano, Luminara Unduli, Anakin Skywalker, and Count Dooku. And while she's not the most powerful magick user among the Nightsisters of Dathomir, her efforts on the front still put her above your average Force user. After leaving Dooku, Ventress had a successful if short-lived bounty hunting career. And while we still don't know the nature of her return from the dead, it has to count for something, right?

When Ventress reappears in "Star Wars: The Bad Batch," she seems even more powerful, and her attunement to the Force is enhanced to the degree that she's able to calm massive creatures through simple connection. While she may still be toward the bottom of this list, there's no argument that she shouldn't be on it.

"Star Wars: The Acolyte" introduces a number of powerful new women to the "Star Wars" universe, including Force-empowered twins Mae and Osha. But the character we're picking from that Disney+ series for this list is their mother and the leader of their witch coven on Brendok, Mother Aniseya. By the time the real story of "The Acolyte" begins, Aniseya is already long dead, having been killed during a clash with the Jedi years ago. That battle is revealed gradually over the course of the show through flashbacks, which also explore just how powerful she is.

For starters, Aniseya seems to have created Mae and Osha out of the Force itself, taking advantage of the powerful vergence on Brendok. That alone is enough to catapult her relatively high on this list, as the manipulation of midi-chlorians to create life is one of the rarest of all Force powers. We also see Aniseya channel powerful magical abilities, turning to smoke at one point to transport herself quickly and invading the mind of a Jedi to bend him to her will.

It's possible that Aniseya's full power would score her a higher spot on this list, but unfortunately, due to Disney canceling "The Acolyte," we may never fully understand how she created her daughters or the limits of her magic. Still, number seven is nothing to sneeze at.

Out of all the prequel-era Jedi that could have been selected for this list, Yaddle is the best candidate. The others, like their male counterparts, blur together a bit too much in terms of actual power levels, and while Yaddle has less screen time in the movies than some of her counterparts, there are a few main arguments for her placement here over them.

The main one is simply her species. Yaddle is one of only three known characters from Yoda's still-unnamed species. The other two, Yoda and Grogu, are both incredibly powerful in the Force, beyond most other mortal beings. It stands to reason that Yaddle possesses similar power, though her limits have yet to be revealed in the current canon. However, we have gotten a few clear examples of her strength. She fights valiantly during the so-called "Night of Sorrow" against the Path of the Open Hand cult, which is detailed in the High Republic novel "Cataclysm." She also holds her own against Count Dooku in "Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi," and while she ultimately dies at his hand, this can be attributed largely to her hubris, not an imbalance of strength. Dooku was seen as one of the greatest duelists in the Jedi Order's history, and Yaddle entered the fight against him convinced she could win him over to her side. In short, it's hard to say that he got her best.

Canon encyclopedias also claim that Yaddle could use the rare technique of Morichro, or the "Touch of Death," an ability that could kill someone strictly by stopping their body's natural processes through the Force. Alongside Anakin, Obi-Wan, Yoda, and Mace Windu, Yaddle is one of the absolute most powerful prequel-era Jedi. The only reason she isn't higher on the list is because there's still a lot we don't know about what she can do.

Our next Jedi is Avar Kriss, a standout of the High Republic era. Known as a golden age for the Jedi, the High Republic plays host to a lot of powerful characters, and we could have easily added fan favorite Vernestra Rwoh here instead. However, while Vernestra's prodigious abilities are impressive, Avar is clearly the more powerful of the two.

Through the High Republic stories, Avaar shows a unique approach to wielding the Force — a special connection relayed in musical terms. In this way, Avar is able to tune into other Jedi from all across the galaxy, relaying basic information and sensing emotional states from vast distances. Her level of attunement to the Force is greater than nearly any other Jedi in the current canon, and it's indicative of the spiritual nature of the order during the High Republic.

Like other powerful Jedi Masters, Avar possess enhanced agility, powerful telekinetic abilities, and impressive lightsaber skills. In one section of "Star Wars: Light of the Jedi," she even uses the Force to influence atmospheric conditions and make it rain. The first High Republic novel features her front and center, and for good reason. In many ways, Avar Kriss represented the new kind of Jedi fans could expect from the era, and she remains one of the best of them, easily earning a spot on this list.

Now we're getting into the upper tier — the main characters, living legends, and fan favorites. Ahsoka Tano may not have the midi-chlorian count that Yaddle does or the magical powers of Mother Aniseya, but what she does have is reps. Her track record is one of the longest and most impressive in all of "Star Wars," starting off at a very young age at the beginning of "The Clone Wars." Her exploits in that show alone would be enough to get onto the bottom of this list — exploits that include defeating a whole crew of Trandoshan hunters in the jungle, Predator-style, beating Darth Maul in one-on-one combat, and surviving Order 66 despite being trapped on a Republic cruiser loaded with brainwashed clone troopers.

Add in her "Star Wars: Rebels" exploits — defeating Imperial Inquisitors without breaking a sweat, going toe-to-toe with Darth Vader on Malachor V, and traversing the mystical World Between Worlds — and you've got someone who's not only one of the most powerful warriors in "Star Wars," but one of the most Force-attuned characters as well.

That's without even going into Ahsoka's own show, her victories there against Baylan Skoll's followers, or her discoveries of ancient Force secrets long forgotten by both Jedi and Sith. Ahsoka isn't some all-powerful Force god, and she doesn't have the notebook of Skywalker cheat codes. She's simply the best a Jedi could possibly be, even when she's technically not one.

Some might quibble over Leia being so high on this list given how little we see her do Force-wise in the "Star Wars" movies. But come on. It's Princess Leia! That Skywalker blood is enough to put her above most normal Force users, and we see it at major play in "The Last Jedi." Make fun of the animation all you like, but being able to keep yourself alive in the vacuum of space and pull yourself back to safety of your own pure will is one of the most impressive displays of power we've ever seen in "Star Wars."

"The Rise of Skywalker" shows that by the end of her Jedi training with Luke, Leia was basically a direct match for her brother, even beating him in a sparring duel. It's canonical that she possesses a similar level of Force connection due to her shared heritage and proximity to Anakin. And, in addition to any combat abilities, she's one of the most sensitive Force users in the current canon, able to read energy clearly at a very young age (as seen in the "Obi-Wan Kenobi" show) and from across great distances.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about Leia is that she doesn't make her natural gifts the whole of her identity. She's most known as a political leader and military strategist — arguably the greatest in all of "Star Wars." The fact that her Force abilities aren't even her greatest asset is part of why she earns the bronze medal spot on this list.

While Abeloth is still banished to the non-canon fields of the "Star Wars" Legends timeline, Mother Talzin is here to rep the evil witches and demonic goddesses of the world. The Nightsisters of Dathomir have continued to be a core part of the modern canon, ever since being reintroduced from their Expanded Universe outings in "Star Wars: The Clone Wars." And while other members of the Nightsister clan have shown impressive power in shows like "Ahsoka" and "Tales of the Empire," Mother Talzin remains the most powerful we know of as of now.

Her powers are myriad, ranging from future sight and astral projection to stealth spells and the ability to empower others with the strength of her own magic, as she does with Savage Opress. In combat, she wields a powerful green Force lightning variant, employs various defensive spells, and can summon a magical sword called the Blade of Talzin, with which she is incredibly proficient. In "The Clone Wars" and the accompanying comics, Talzin also shows that she is incredibly hard to kill, as her magical powers allow her to cling on to the mortal world through various dark means.

If all that weren't enough to convince you, consider that Sheev Palpatine considers Talzin to be a true rival and a threat to his plans — one of very few people to earn that dubious honor. If Darth Sidious is scared of her, you should be too.

Right-wing grifters, cover your ears if you want, but it won't stop Rey Skywalker from being the most powerful woman in the modern "Star Wars" canon. Forget her going toe-to-toe with Kylo Ren with no formal Force or lightsaber training. Forget her expert piloting skills and mastery of the mind trick. How about her throne room performance in "The Last Jedi"? She's incredibly prodigious, yes, but it's also her resolve and dedication that make her so powerful. Rey's greatest skill is her ability to adapt, to take in new skills and scenarios and incorporate them fluidly into her existing skillset.

Beating Palpatine and the Sith Eternal cult is obviously the highlight of her career (thus far), and that whole sequence exemplifies well why she has the top spot on this list. The rare powers granted by her Force dyad with Ben Solo make her one of the strongest characters in all of "Star Wars," and she proves that by channeling the full history of the Jedi to defeat the most powerful villain in the franchise.