11 Awesome Female Jedi And Light Side Force Users (who Are Not Rey)

Because these gals need more love. (spoilers ahead)

1. Ahsoka Tano

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Ahsoka is probably the most famous and well-loved female Jedi in all of Star Wars. She has arguably the best character arc of any Star Wars character EVER, going from a character despised about as much as Jar-Jar to a beloved fan-favourite. Ahsoka started her journey as Anakin Skywalker’s apprentice in Star Wars: The Clone Wars before eventually departing the Jedi Order in the season 5 finale. She went on to survive Order 66 and reemerge as a Grey Jedi in Star Wars: Rebels before being most recently portrayed by Rosario Dawson in the second season of The Mandalorian. Given that she has an upcoming live-action series devoted entirely to her, I don’t think Ahsoka’s popularity will fade anytime soon.

2. Mara Jade Skywalker

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The OG female Jedi! Mara Jade Skywalker is an incredible character who I am very sad will likely never be reintroduced into the new Canon (though there are promising rumours that Brie Larson may have been cast to play her). She was introduced in the incredible Heir to the Empire novel as the former Emperor’s Hand assigned to kill Luke by the Emperor’s last command. Instead, she sided with Luke and fell in love with him, becoming an essential member of his New Jedi Order. Mara was a remarkable duelist and Force User who was one of the most respected members of the New Jedi Order. Easily recognizable by her brilliant red hair, she is a character who I hope is never forgotten despite the sidelining of Legends.

3. Jaina Solo Fel

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In the Legends continuity, Han and Leia had three children: twins Jacen and Jaina and little brother Anakin. Of their children, Jaina was the only one to fully live up to her family’s legacy. Apprenticed to Mara Jade, she proved her skills as a warrior and diplomat across multiple wars, eventually culminating in a duel with her own brother. She could be considered the protagonist of the majority of the Legends novels as many of them follow her story from Padawan to Jedi Master. Jaina was supposed to get her own book series, but it was cancelled with the Disney buyout, which is unfortunate considering how incredible of a character she is.

4. Tenel Ka Djo

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The last of the Legends novels ladies, Tenel Ka is just as incredible as Mara and Jaina. Descended from royalty and a Witch of Dathomir, she came from strong stock and was a common companion of Jaina and her brother Jacen. Despite losing her left arm in a training accident, she proved herself as a Jedi, wielding a ferocious lightsaber made of a Rancor tooth. She was simultaneously a Jedi Master, a queen and a mother, proving that female Jedi can be a warrior and a mother without breaking a sweat.

5. Bastila Shan

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Anyone who has played the amazing Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic will know this Jedi. A master of the old Jedi Order, Bastila was an important asset to the order with her skill in Battle Meditation, a powerful Force ability that can change the tide in battle. She was part of a task force to capture Darth Revan, a rogue Jedi who they believed could be turned back to the Light. Bastila became a companion to the amnesiac Revan and later fell in love with him, creating a family line powerful in the Force (not unlike the Skywalkers).

6. Satele Shan

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As her name suggests, Satele is a descendant of Bastila and Revan. An essential player in the Great Galactic War, she defeated Darth Malgus on Alderaan and later became Grand Master during the Cold War period (the same position Yoda held in the prequels). She is a major part of the Jedi Knight and Jedi Consular paths of Star Wars: The Old Republic and widely considered to be one of the greatest Grand Masters in the Order's history.

7. Nomi Sunrider

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Another legendary Grand Master, Nomi Sunrider is shrouded in legend even in the Star Wars universe itself. She fought in the Great Sith War and was responsible for rebuilding the fractured Jedi Order after one of their own devastated them. Originally just the ordinary wife of a Jedi Master, her husband's death spurred her to take action and join the Order to become one of their most legendary members ever.

8. Aayla Secura

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Famous for her design, Aayla is an incredible figure whose story in the Dark Horse comic books inspired George Lucas to personally put her into Attack of the Clones. Originally the apprentice of rebellious Jedi Quinlan Vos, she rose to become one of the most respected members of the Order during the days of the Clone Wars. While she had no lines in the prequels and minimal screen time in The Clone Wars, Aayla is still arguably one of the most recognizable faces from that era.

9. Shaak Ti

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Another prequel-era Jedi, Shaak Ti was a respected member of the Jedi Council and amongst the wisest members of the Order during the Clone Wars. She was placed in charge of overseeing Clone production during the war and later trusted with protecting Chancellor Palpatine during the Battle of Coruscant toward the end of the conflict. Though she was killed by Anakin in the Jedi Temple in the Canon timeline, she survived Order 66 in the Legends timeline to eventually be one of the bosses in The Force Unleashed video game, where she met her fate at the hands of Starkiller.

10. Marasiah Fel

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I'm cheating a little with this one because Marasiah is not a Jedi, but her status as an Imperial Knight makes her a Force User who rejects the Dark Side, so I think she counts. A descendant of Jaina Solo Fel, Marasiah was heir to the Fel Empire, the reformed Imperial Remnant in the Legends novels and comics. When Darth Krayt took over the galaxy, she joined forces with her distant cousin, Cade Skywalker, to defeat the One Sith and restore order to the galaxy, eventually becoming Empress of half the galaxy following her father's death.

11. Leia Organa Solo

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How could I not end with the legendary Leia herself? In both timelines, Leia was trained as a Jedi by Luke, though the result of this was different in each version. In the sequels, Leia abandoned her Jedi training when her son fell to the Dark Side and later trained Rey after Luke's death, while in Legends, she served as a politician for a while before eventually joining Luke's New Jedi Order, becoming a master after the Swarm War. Regardless of which side of her story you prefer, we can all agree that Leia is awesome and truly one of the most iconic female characters ever.