The 7 Most Important Jedi in the Star Wars Movies

Arguably the most famous Jedi of them all, Luke is the hero of the original film trilogy. Raised by his uncle Owen and aunt Beru on the desert planet Tatooine, he grows up unaware of his Force abilities and the fact that he's the son of Darth Vader. With the help of Jedi Masters Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda, Luke discovers his true potential and becomes instrumental in taking down the Galactic Empire.

Believed to be the last known Jedi after the Galactic Civil War, Luke's efforts of rebuilding the previously destroyed Jedi Order fail when his nephew and apprentice, Ben Solo (aka Kylo Ren), kills all of his other trainees. Struck with guilt, Luke exiles himself on the planet Ach-To, and the Resistance leads a grueling search to find him for help against the dark side. By the end of The Last Jedi, Luke becomes one with The Force (RIP).

Anakin Skywalker is probably best known as Darth Vader, but before he donned the menacing black armor, he was just a powerful Jedi. Qui-Gon Jinn discovers him as a child slave on Tatooine and recognizes his great potential. In fact, he believes Anakin to be the Chosen One who will bring balance to the Force by defeating the Sith. Despite the Jedi High Council's initial concerns that Anakin has too much fear and anger in him, Obi-Wan Kenobi trains him. He reaches the rank of Jedi Knight and fights for the Republic in the Clone Wars.

As it turns out, the Jedi High Council knows all. Darth Sidious lures him to the dark side by claiming doing so will keep Padmé, Anakin's wife, safe from dying in childbirth. Adopting the name Darth Vader, he assists with the eradication of the Jedi Order and the rise of the Empire. Padmé sadly does die, but not before giving birth to Luke and Leia, who go on to become central to defeating the Empire.

Obi-Wan Kenobi makes history when he kills Darth Maul after the Sith fatally wounds his Jedi master, Qui-Gon Jinn. It's the first time a Jedi defeats a Sith lord in a thousand years. He also fulfills Qui-Gon's dying wish of training Anakin as a Jedi. The two fight alongside each other as generals during the Clone Wars — until Anakin betrays the Jedi Order and joins the dark side. In a tense duel with his former apprentice, Obi-Wan seems to win and leaves him to his apparent death. He takes Anakin's newborn son, Luke, to Anakin's stepfamily on Tatooine. There, Obi-Wan lives in exile, watching over Luke.

Nineteen years after going into hiding, Obi-Wan hears those iconic words: "Help me, Obi-Wan, you're my only hope." They're in a message from Princess Leia Organa requesting assistance with fighting the Empire. Luke joins him on the mission and agrees to undergo Jedi training. However, Obi-Wan encounters Darth Vader once more and sacrifices himself to ensure the safety of Luke and his fellow Rebels. Regardless, as Luke keeps fighting the Empire, he continues providing guidance as a Force ghost.

Due to his small size, Yoda looks pretty unassuming at first glance, but he's actually much stronger than he seems. A member of the Jedi Council, Yoda is extremely skilled with the Force and revered for his wisdom. He correctly predicts a darkness in Anakin and senses the dark side at work during the Clone Wars. After surviving the destruction of the Jedi Order in the war's last days, Yoda exiles himself to the swampy world of Dagobah.

Around two decades later, Luke finds him and becomes his padawan. Yoda gives him intense training, which Luke cuts short in order to save his friends. When he returns after a year, Yoda has fallen ill. On his deathbed, he confirms that Darth Vader and Anakin are one in the same and must be defeated, reveals the existence of another Skywalker (aka Leia), and requests that Luke train a new generation of Jedi.

As one of the most powerful Jedi ever, Mace Windu is a member of the Jedi Council who's fiercely dedicated to the Jedi Order's traditions and hates politics. He shows off his great skills on the battlefield by wielding his trademark purple lightsaber. During the Clone Wars, he senses the dark side's rising power and later learns that Supreme Chancellor Palpatine is secretly Darth Sidious, a Sith lord. Unfortunately, Windu meets a grim fate in a confrontation with Palpatine, after a newly dark Anakin intervenes. The Jedi are branded as traitors due to Windu's attack, and the Jedi Purge follows.

Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan's trainer, is a Jedi master who's all about living in the moment and using one's instincts. This view particularly manifests itself when he frees a young Anakin from slavery due to his belief that the child is the Chosen One of Jedi prophecy. While on Anakin's home planet, Darth Maul attacks him, and the encounter is the first between the Jedi and the Sith in a millennium. The two later meet again with more lethal results, and Qui-Gon's dying wish is for Obi-Wan to train Anakin as a Jedi.

Once the padawan of Yoda and eventually Qui-Gon Jinn's master, Count Dooku is better known for being a prequel trilogy villain than a good guy. Feeling disillusioned about the Jedi, the Galactic Republic, and government corruption, he leaves the Jedi Order after Qui-Gon Jinn's death. He joins up with the Sith and becomes Darth Sidious's apprentice under the name Darth Tyranus. To help the Sith engineer the Clone Wars, he forms the Separatist Alliance. He also implants dangerous biochips into the Republic's Clone Army, a move that later results in a massacre of the Jedi.