The Star Wars franchise didn’t originally feature a large number of female characters when it first launched in 1977 with Episode IV: A New Hope, but over the years a number of powerful new female heroes and villains have appeared in books, movies, TV series and even video games.
As Star Wars fans are rewarded with new seasons of The Mandalorian and new series like Rangers of the New Republic or movies like Star Wars: Rogue Squadron, it’s a perfect time to highlight some of the most powerful women in a galaxy far, far away to see who is the strongest female character from Star Wars.
10 Jyn Erso Sacrificed Herself To Help The Rebellion Stop The Death Star
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story explored the mission that occurred before the events of A New Hope that saw Jyn Erso join a motley assortment of Rebel fighters as they attempted to steal plans for a battle station that would become known as the Death Star.
While Erso only joined with the crew of the Rogue One initially to find her father after a youth spent surviving on her own, though she received training from legendary Rebel leader Saw Gerrera and her strength and determination led to the Rebellion’s victory in A New Hope, though ultimately at the cost of her life.
9 Padme Amidala Was A Powerful Queen And Skilled Rebellion Fighter
While she didn’t have any Force abilities of her own, when Padme Amidala first appeared in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace she was already the powerful Queen of Naboo, though she disguised herself as one of her handmaidens to both protect herself and get closer to the action when needed.
Amidala spent years flexing her political strengths, though she also showcased her fighting spirit in the gladiator arenas of Geonosis in Episode II: Attack of the Clones before her untimely death during childbirth.
8 Bo-Katan Was Chosen By Sabine Wren As The Next Leader Of Mandalore
Live-action fans have only begun to explore the history of Mandalore and its leaders in The Mandalorian with the introduction of Bo-Katan, whose decorative helmet, along with her strength and skills as a Mandalorian warrior, made her the prime choice to carry Mandalore into the future.
Star Wars: Clone Wars first showcased Sabine Wren’s fight for the Darksaber that highlighted her own strengths, though she chose to give the Darksaber to Bo-Katan willingly as their new leader, further elevating her above the rest of Mandalore’s powerful warriors.
7 Princess Leia Organa Solo Was A Powerful Force-User And Leader Of The Rebellion
While she was best known as Princess Leia Organa of the planet Alderaan when she first appeared in A New Hope, Leia soon discovered her heritage as a Skywalker and proved herself to be a powerful leader in the rebellion as well as a resourceful fighter.
Over the years she rose through the ranks and found love to become General Leia Organa Solo and began to develop her Force-abilities with the help of her brother Luke Skywalker, which she would later pass on to her own padawan before her death in Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker.
6 Asajj Ventress Was A Dathomirian Nightsister Who Trained As A Sith
The character of Asajj Ventress first appeared on Genndy Tartakovsky’s Star Wars: Clone Wars mini-series before she became a regular pain in the Jedi’s side and an eventual ally on the long-running Star Wars: Clone Wars animated series.
Ventress was raised on Dathomir as a Force-sensitive Nightsister before she began training as a Dark Jedi which eventually brought her under Count Dooku’s influence. While she trained as a Sith, Ventress was betrayed and she resumed her training with the Nightsisters, further increasing her deadly abilities and power levels.
5 Mara Jade Skywalker Was A Highly Trained Assassin Before She Was A Jedi Master
The Expanded universe of novels that is now known as Star Wars Legends introduced a fan-favorite character named Mara Jade who first appeared as a Force-trained assassin known as the Emperor’s Hand in Timothy Zahn’s 1991 novel Heir to the Empire.
Mara Jade’s powerful abilities would be trained further after she met and fell in love with her future husband Luke Skywalker, and she became a Jedi Master who used her abilities in skilled new ways thanks to her dark training before her untimely death at the hands of her nephew Jacen Solo/Darth Caedus.
4 Nomi Sunrider Was The Legendary Jedi Master Who Ended The Great Sith War
Dark Horse Comics’ Tales of the Jedi first introduced the legendary Jedi Master known as Nomi Sunrider, who took up her deceased husband’s lightsaber to first become a Jedi Knight who fought in the Great Sith War.
Sunrider demonstrated her impressive Force abilities when she was able to completely cut off a corrupted Jedi from the Force, which ended the Great Sith War. Sunrider helped rebuild the Jedi Order as its Grand Master and continued to grow in the Force until her stories became a legend in the Galactic Republic.
3 Jaina Solo Fel Was A Skilled Pilot And Force-User Known As The Sword of The Jedi
Jaina and Jacen Solo were the twin children of Han and Leia Organa Solo who trained under their uncle Luke as the next generation of Jedi, though she also inherited her father’s skills as a pilot and aptitude with machines and droids.
Jaina not only won her own personal battles against the dark side of the Force, but she was also able to overcome the power of her corrupted twin who had taken on the Sith title Darth Caedus and was forced to slay him in battle. Jaina found love and led her flight squadron for years before she became a leader in the ongoing galactic wars within the New Republic and beyond.
2 Ahsoka Tano Survived Order 66 And Continued Her Fight Against The Empire
Anakin Skywalker took on his first padawan in 2008’s Star Wars: The Clone Wars movie which introduced young Ahsoka Tano, though the character would grow up with fans in the Clone Wars series and Star Wars Rebels before making the jump to live-action in The Mandalorian that led to the upcoming Ahsoka Tano series on Disney+.
Ahsoka Tano was powerful in the Force at a young age and was further tempered by the many battles during the Clone Wars, though she would split from the Jedi and continue her fight as one of the most powerful surviving Force-users in the galaxy.
1 Rey Skywalker’s Largely Untrained Potential Makes Her The Most Powerful Jedi
The mysterious character known only as Rey first appeared in 2015’s Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens as she found herself involved in a conflict between the First Order and the Resistance that began to tease her powerful Force abilities.
Rey’s untapped and untrained abilities were further explored in the sequel trilogy that only further developed her incredible power levels as she demonstrated new abilities like Force-healing and was able to defeat other powerful Force-users like Kylo Ren and Emperor Palpatine to earn her place as a Skywalker.
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