15 Most Powerful Sith In Star Wars, Ranked

At its core, "Star Wars" is about the eternal struggle between the forces of good and the forces of evil. Characters are literally divided amongst the light and dark sides of the Force, and those who abide by the latter find themselves in the unique camp of the Sith. You typically know when someone follows the Sith because they have the prefix of "Darth" in their name, which simply means "Dark Lord." 

Ultimately, the Sith desire absolute freedom to wield the Force however they see fit. They derive power from sheer anger, greed, and desire, and they often seek to subjugate the galaxy to their whims. There are plenty of powerful Sith throughout "Star Wars" lore, from the movies and TV shows to "Star Wars Legends" that have been de-canonized but still influence the mainline continuity occasionally. 

With so many Sith out there, it might make one wonder: Who is the most powerful Sith? It can be tough to measure power through something as nebulous as the Force, but looking at sheer feats of strength and impressive abilities, it's safe to say these are the most powerful Sith in the galaxy. 

Under better circumstances, Galen Marek, aka Starkiller (voiced by Sam Witwer), could've been an amazing Jedi. He was born to two Jedi who abandoned the Order in the video game "Star Wars: The Force Unleashed," only to be found by Darth Vader as a baby. Vader sensed an immense connection with the Force, believing someone older and more experienced was nearby at first. Therefore, Vader took Galen as his Sith apprentice, training him in secret. 

"The Force Unleashed" may not be canon, but Starkiller proves himself a powerful entity. In fact, at the end of the game, if you choose to follow the dark side of the Force as opposed to the light, you actually kill Darth Vader, but he's not long for this world. You play as a clone in the sequel "Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II," which interestingly lays the groundwork for Palpatine's return via cloning in "Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker." Despite being nearly impossible to bring into the proper lore without major alterations, Starkiller is a fascinating "What If" story in the "Star Wars" mythos. 

Plus, did you know "Star Wars Rebels" almost turned him into an Inquisitor?

"The Acolyte" tragically got cancelled after one season. It's a shame, because there was so much more potential to see exactly what Qimir, aka the Stranger (Manny Jacinto), was capable of as a Sith. As it stands with what we have, he's still a powerful adversary and someone who has much to leave from Darth Plagueis. 

To be fair, the Stranger would probably detest simply being referred to as a "Sith," but he meets a lot of the qualifications. He stands in opposition to the Jedi, killing six Jedi Knights and one Padawan in the episode "Night." That's not even counting Jedi like Indara (Carrie-Anne Moss) and Kelnacca (Joonas Suotamo) he killed previously. He has a brutal fighting style and sports a cortosis helmet that allows him to headbutt lightsabers and temporarily short out the kyber crystals inside. However, his true strength probably lies in manipulation, as he gets Osha (Amandla Stenberg) to join his side and wipes Mae's (Stenberg) memory. 

Savage Opress (voiced by Clancy Brown) deserves so much more love beyond being Darth Maul's brother. It's true that on "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," he effectively functions as Maul's right-hand man. But he could've done plenty of damage in his own right. 

His origin resides with the Nightsisters of Dathomir infusing him with the Force, giving him great power and twisting his mind. Part of the Nightsisters' ritual also involves opening up his rage receptors, giving him a better connection to his anger through the dark side of the Force. While he didn't have a ton of time to train, the utilization of magic makes him a formidable foe practically overnight. Sadly, it wasn't enough to save him in a duel with Darth Sidious (Ian Abercrombie) in one of the franchise's most underrated lightsaber duels. Still, it's hard to hold that against him when few have gone up against Sidious and lived. 

It's hard to classify Asajj Ventress (Nika Futterman) as a true Sith despite being taught under the dark side by Count Dooku (Corey Burton). "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" mostly sees her as a commander for a droid army, but it didn't take long for fans to see why they should fear her. She holds her own against battling Yoda (Tom Kane) and is a ruthless combatant. Thanks to good ol' Nightsister magic, she can even conceal her Force abilities so that others can't detect her nearby. 

She probably wouldn't wound up a lot higher up on this list had Darth Sidious not feared her growing power in the Force and ordered Dooku to kill her. Due to the betrayal, Asajj Ventress abandons the Sith way and becomes a bounty hunter. Eventually, she finds herself back on the light side of the Force. If Sidious hadn't feared her power and allowed her Sith training to continue, it's easy to see how she could've been one of the most powerful Sith in the galaxy. 

Count Dooku, who would also gain the moniker of Darth Tyranus, holds a unique distinction in "Star Wars," having been trained by both one of the most powerful Jedi (Yoda) and one of the most powerful Sith (Darth Sidious). He even honed his ability to use Force Lightning when he was still training under the Jedi, hinting toward his eventual descent to the dark side that makes him one of the most tragic fallen Jedi. 

He plays an integral role in the Clone Wars, and in "Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones," Dooku (Christopher Lee) more than holds his own dueling against Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), even cutting off the latter's hand. Dooku then fights his former master Yoda (Frank Oz), and even though he doesn't win per se, he proves himself formidable. It's a shame that Dooku was really just a pawn in Sidious' (Ian McDiarmid) plan to get Anakin as his apprentice and winds up dying as a result, further adding to the overall tragedy of his lore. 

Darth Maul (Ray Park) is a testament to how far a character with a cool design can go. He was introduced in "Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace" as Darth Sidious' apprentice, letting the Jedi know the Sith had returned. He battles both Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) at the same time in the famous Duel of the Fates fight and manages to kill Qui-Gon. Obi-Wan would slice him in half, but that would prove to only be the beginning. 

Darth Maul would return on "The Clone Wars" series, and he was somehow even more ruthless this time. Throughout the show, he's fueled by his sheer hatred toward Obi-Wan, allowing him to access his dark side powers even more greatly. It's this desire for revenge that leads Maul to conquering Mandalore and killing Duchess Satine (Anna Graves), whom Obi-Wan loved, right in front of him. Darth Maul isn't a scary Sith because of pure power; he's terrifying because he's absolutely petty. 

We haven't seen much of Darth Bane (voiced by Mark Hamill in "The Clone Wars") in the mainline "Star Wars" continuity. He's more of a mythical figure, and there's a good reason why his name alone should inspire fear. He helped shape the Sith into how we know them today. He foresaw internal strife breaking the Sith Order apart, so he came up with the Rule of Two. In essence, there can only be two Sith at a time — a master and an apprentice — with the idea that the apprentice will one day take over from the master, ensuring that the Sith only grow stronger as time goes on. 

Without Darth Bane, it's possible the Sith would've torn themselves apart. It's understandable that would be the endgame when dealing with people ruled by hatred and greed. But Bane saw another path forward, which is part of what made him so powerful in addition to sheer physical strength, too. 

Darth Sion may not be the most powerful Sith, but he's definitely the most heavy metal. He appears as an antagonist in the sequel video game "Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords," and while most Sith pursue some form of immortality, Sion's actually achieved it. He can hold his body together as a necrotic husk as long as his anger and hatred flow through his veins. Naturally, there is a way to defeat him in the game, but it involves breaking his will to carry on. Physical attacks only do so much, so you have to convince him to let himself die. 

Unfortunately, the "Knights of the Old Republic" games aren't part of "Star Wars" canon, although "Ahsoka" does seemingly have a reference to the Sith Lord with the Eye of Sion transport ring. The mainline films and TV series have only begun to scratch the surface of Sith history, and Sion would make a terrifyingly powerful addition to any future project. 

Anyone who played "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic" is already familiar with Darth Revan. It's the character you play as although you don't realize that initially, as you begin as a Jedi and then succumb to the dark side, becoming the amnesiac Darth Revan. Throughout the game, you perform many astounding feats as Revan. The "Shadow of Revan" expansion sees the player fight Darth Revan, who inexplicably has a health bar exceeding two million hit points, making it a very long battle if you want to come out victorious. 

Darth Revan also shows off his immense power in this fight by using the Force to grab meteors and hurl them toward you. Darth Revan does eventually go back to the light side after his memory gets wiped, so it's not hyperbole to call him one of the strongest Jedi and Sith, as long as you're willing to go outside of canon. But thanks to a namedrop in "The Rise of Skywalker," Revan does exist in canon, though the once-developing movie seems to be dead in the water. It just remains to be seen what he manages to do in a mainline story.

"He had such a knowledge of the dark side that he could even keep the ones he cared about from dying."

Darth Plagueis is perhaps best known for Emperor Palpatine's monologue about him in "Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith." Through this speech, we learn that Plagueis could manipulate midi-chlorians to prevent his loved ones from dying, something that's of keen interest to Anakin. Plagueis was successful in that endeavor, even if he became to consumed by his own fear of losing power to prevent his own death at the hands of Darth Sidious, his apprentice.

Darth Plagueis' (who appeared briefly in "The Acolyte," pictured above) main contribution to "Star Wars" canon is setting the stage for Palpatine to become the ruthless emperor. In addition to teaching Palpatine about the dark side of the Force, he also had a hand in expanding Palpatine's political influence, as shown in the "Darth Plagueis" novel, one of the best "Star Wars" books out there. Sidious/Palpatine learns both the secrets of immortality and how to get the galaxy to willfully surrender power to him, so even though Plagueis didn't live to see the rise of the Empire, he's directly responsible for it. 

Darth Vader is the face of "Star Wars." He's one of the most iconic movie villains ever made, and he more than has the strength to back up his reputation. First, it's important to note that Anakin was already a powerful Jedi, killing Count Dooku and even Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) as he was descending into the dark side of the Force. As Darth Vader, he had some truly brutal moments throughout the franchise, horrifically murdering rebel squadrons in both "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" and the "Vader Down" #1 comic book.

Given Vader's prominence in pop culture, it's worth noting that he wasn't even the main bad guy throughout all of this. That would be Darth Sidious, whom Vader would eventually kill in "Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi." Sidious would somehow return years later, but it still stands, Vader is influential in the make-up of the galaxy, even if he went back to the light side at the very end of his life. 

While many Sith with backstories in "Star Wars" Legends have been brought over to canon in some capacity, Marka Ragnos pretty much remains firmly a myth. The films and TV series haven't really had a chance to explore him because he existed thousands of years prior to when those projects normally take place. He was the most powerful Sith of his time, and even in death, his influence traveled far. 

He could infuse artifacts with the power of the Sith, and even death couldn't stop him. While Force ghosts are mostly reserved for Jedi, his spirit lingered long after his death. The video game "Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy" involves a plot for the antagonist to resurrect Ragnos, which is almost successful as Ragnos is able to temporarily control someone else. That storyline, despite not being canon itself, would make for a fascinating storyline set in the modern day of the "Star Wars" mythos, showing just how powerful this Sith is. 

One of the most terrifying aspects of the Sith is how a constant connection with the dark side of the Force almost dehumanizes them. Many become vestiges of organic beings, taking on otherworldly or robotic aesthetics. Nowhere is that more evident than Darth Nihilus, who is practically an apparition that communicates via the Force and has one of the strongest bonds to it. 

Nihilus, who debuted in the video game "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords," is so powerful that he can drain the Force out of anyone nearby, practically making him a Sith vampire. But easily his most destructive feat is annihilating the plant Kataar by draining it of its very essence. In order to avoid completely becoming one with the Force, he binds his spirit to his iconic mask and armor so that he remains physically within the galaxy. It's probably for the best most of these feats exist within the Legends non-canon, as he would be difficult to defeat by any Jedi. "The Rise of Skywalker" contained a statue resembling Nihilus, so hopefully, more casual fans get a chance to see him in action. 

Darth Vitiate is amongst one of the most powerful beings to ever exist in the "Star Wars" galaxy, even if it's non-canon from "The Old Republic" video game and its connected stories. His powers manifested at a young age when he drew the attention of Marko Ragnos. Vitiate became a powerful Sith in his own right and ruled the galaxy for many years. 

He wasn't only a threat to Jedi. He was able to perform a powerful ritual after luring other Sith to his location, draining them of their Force to increase his own power. In fact, he was so well-equipped to do this that like Nihilus, he drained an entire plant of its essence. He mastered various abilities in the Force very few have ever managed, such as being able to telepathically controlling powerful Force users, something that goes well beyond the confines of a simple Jedi mind trick. His mental prowess also made him exceptionally hard to kill, as he could transfer his consciousness into another host. This is all from non-canon games, but if the mainline continuity chooses to abide by this belief, it's possible Vitiate is still somewhere out there...

It's fun to dip into "Star Wars" Legends territory, but who knows how much remains canon? If you're looking for hands-down the most powerful Sith of all time, there's a clear-cut winner, and it's Darth Sidious, aka Emperor Palpatine. He's already been mentioned throughout this list. He's held several apprentices and killed his master, Darth Plagueis. And his schemes extended beyond those relegated to the Force. Astonishingly, he acquired his power as the Emperor legitimately, having other planets bestow upon him emergency powers so that he could rule the galaxy with Darth Vader by his side.

Palpatine is more than a savvy political strategist. He's probably best known for his proficiency with Force lightning, but he's even stronger when you go outside the main films. He's also mastered the power of creating a Force Storm, which creates rips in realities capable of displacing space ships and tearing apart the surfaces of planets. And like few Sith before him, he was able to conquer death in a way through Project Necromancer that was able to bring him back from the dead by the time "The Rise of Skywalker" comes around. 

There's also the matter of him knowing when to get rid of an apprentice. He had Darth Maul, Count Dooku, and Darth Vader under his tutelage, getting rid of one to be replaced with another so that they wouldn't threaten his power (like how he killed his master). He would've done the same thing to Luke Skywalker, making him his new apprentice to supplant Vader but hadn't expected Vader returning to the light. Until someone stronger comes along in a movie, Darth Sidious remains the strongest Sith to influence the main story as we know it canonically.