There are several powerful Jedi throughout the Star Wars franchise, but few hold genuine threatening power. In an ancient religion focused on detachment and bringing balance to the Force, at first glance there seems as though there would be little room for these Jedi to become truly dangerous forces of nature. After all, despite their incredible power, the greatest Jedi Masters such as Yoda and Luke Skywalker don’t exactly stir up discussions about how threatening they are.
Though some of them may not be the strongest Jedi who ever lived, these Jedi are all terrifying for one reason or another. Whether it be from presence alone, sheer power, personality, or even a little bit of help from the dark side, all of these Jedi have something their companions lack. These Jedi are dangerous, whether it be in battle or otherwise, refusing to remain as peaceful spirits.
With a unique appearance and a memorable face, Ki-Adi-Mundi has little screen time during his appearance in the prequel trilogy. However, television series and comics have expanded upon his backstory, offering a much more well-rounded look at the Jedi. Permitted to marry and harbor attachments due to the low birth rate of his species, Ki-Adi-Mundi holds a special place in Jedi society.
Aside from his frighteningly tall stature, Ki-Adi-Mundi was known for his prowess in battle and even led a platoon of clone troopers against the Separatist Alliance during the Clone Wars. This, coupled with his position as an exception among the Jedi, makes for an interesting opponent. Ki-Adi-Mundi has something to fight for, which instantly makes him more dangerous than most other Jedi.
Rising to the rank of master during the time of the High Republic era, Elzar Mann was best known for his close friendship with other famous Jedi of the time, namely Avar Kriss and Stellan Gios. He spent time on the Starlight Beacon and even found himself romantically involved with Avar Kriss, despite the fact the Jedi forbade attachments. A vision signaling the deaths of countless people at the hands of the Nihil eventually caused him to distance himself from those he cared about, only for the vision to come true on the planet Valo.
Although not the most terrifying of Jedi, Elzar’s inherent threat comes from how unpredictable he can be. He has already shown a lack of care for certain parts of the Jedi Code, such as that of attachment, and he lived during a time when the Jedi were constantly on the back foot against galactic threats such as the Nihil. He had to be threatening in order to survive, something that only became more true the more he shut himself away.
Not every Jedi has it in them to be consumed by the dark side. It is impossible to believe that Jedi Masters such as Yoda or even Obi-Wan Kenobi could fall from the light side of the Force. However, following the murder of her uncle, Aayla Secura found herself going down a dark path that only led to revenge and hatred. She was only brought back by her master, Quinlan Vos, who then went on to act as a military commander during the Clone Wars.
Because she has this capacity for darkness, Aayla is a much more threatening foe than Jedi who have never felt this pull. She understands the desire for vengeance and the feelings of anger that life and even attachment can bring, and because of this, she is much more threatening as a result. If there is someone that she truly cares about, there is little that could stop Aayla from either protecting or later avenging them.
As a character with such a storied history across several parts of the Star Wars timeline, Ahsoka Tano has played many roles over the years. From the wide-eyed Padawan in Star Wars: The Clone Wars to the older and wiser exile in Star Wars Rebels and Ahsoka, there are many different versions of the character who are all threatening in their own ways. As a child who grew up during the Clone Wars, there is much to say about Ahsoka’s battle prowess and overall skill as a Jedi.
As a younger Jedi learning under Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka was impulsive and prone to emotion. As an adult, free from the bonds of the Jedi and their apparent hypocrisy, Ahsoka has shown little hesitation when it comes to ending the lives of her opponents. After all, she has, on her own, killed several of Darth Vader’s Inquisitors. Ahsoka is deadly in a fight, and with such confidence and lack of hesitation, she would be quick to end one as well.
Best known for her iconic appearances in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Barriss Offee was the Jedi that triggered a bombing on the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. She framed Ahsoka Tano for this act of violence, something that would eventually lead to Ahsoka’s exile and Barriss’ own judgment at the hands of the Jedi Council. She orchestrated this due to the fact she believed the Jedi were straying from their ideals during the time of the Clone Wars.
If Barriss is capable of such drastic action against her own people, there is no telling how ruthless she would be in combat. It is clear that she is willing to do anything, even fall to the dark side, if it means standing up for her own ideals. At the end of the day, her threat level comes from her conviction and her beliefs, something that few Jedi can likewise claim.
Although he does not make many appearances throughout the Star Wars franchise, Quinlan Voss can be seen in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and, most importantly, novels such as Dark Disciple. He was a powerful Jedi during the time of the Clone Wars, so powerful and trusted by the Jedi Council in fact that he was chosen to operate undercover. During this time, he was meant to study the path of the dark side in the hopes of eventually assassinating Count Dooku from the inside.
This backfired, leading Quinlan to fall to the dark side entirely. He was only brought back to the light by his love for Asajj Ventress and her subsequent sacrifice. Because he is capable of going to such extreme lengths, even effectively falling to the dark side on the order of the Jedi Council, it stands to reason that he is capable of other extremes as well, both in and out of combat.
Even during his youth, Ben Solo was plagued by temptations to the dark side as a part of Darth Sidious’ manipulations. This bled into his training under Luke Skywalker, making it impossible to deny the fact that there was a darkness rising in him despite Luke’s attempts to train him towards the light. However, the careful calm the two of them shared was shattered when Luke made an attempt on Ben’s life, an action that led to the destruction of the Jedi Temple and the deaths of all studying there.
Although he would be redeemed before his death, Ben Solo still committed countless atrocities after committing himself to the dark side. Once he became Kylo Ren, Ben killed countless people, taking part in the destruction of entire planets like his grandfather Anakin Skywalker before him. Far from a Jedi in this state, if ruthlessness had a face, it would be Kylo Ren.
Spoken of as one of the High Republic era’s most powerful Jedi, Avar Kriss was a Jedi that served on the Starlight Beacon in the galaxy’s open frontier. She was instrumental in protecting against Nihil marauders and eventually assumed command of the entire Starlight Beacon station as the one in charge of daily operations. This responsibility was not without its stressors, as the pressure of this along with the Nihil threat eventually gave way to cracks in her composure, leading her to more frequently give in to her anger.
This anger eventually led her into an attempt to execute Lourna Dee in a fit of rage. Because she is prone to such fits, coupled with her incredible powers in the Force and with a lightsaber, Kriss’ presence is that much more daunting. Anyone willing to give into that anger, even for a second, is a person that much more willing to snap. If Kriss were to snap, lives would be on the line.
Known for his iconic appearance in the prequel trilogy and unique purple lightsaber, what Mace Windu might lack in prowess compared to masters like Yoda he makes up for with wit and careful decision-making. Mace Windu was a disciplinarian at his core with harsher stances than other Jedi, making him a foil to the more easygoing likes of Qui-Gon Jinn. He was the one Jedi who was wary of Chancellor Palpatine far before his plot to take over was revealed, even warning Anakin Skywalker of involving himself with the politician – proving just how truly calculating he can be.
This cold intelligence, coupled with his more unforgiving attitude, make Mace Windu a deadly force in battle. If there is a threat that needs taking care of, he is going to eliminate that threat by whatever means necessary. He was willing to throw himself in the line of fire against Chancellor Palpatine when the two fought against each other in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, and it would make sense that he would take the same stance with any threat to the Jedi Order and to the galaxy.