What first comes to mind when people imagine Jedi is a lightsaber battle—not a starfighter flight deck. But the reality is, the galaxy’s most exciting battles were not waged on the ground, but in the skies, with Jedi pulling impossible stunts in mid-air that left even veteran pilots speechless with wonder. From Clone Wars battles to Legends-era wars, these Force-users demonstrated that their bond with the Force made them equally deadly in the air as they were on the ground. So, who’s at the top of the Jedi pilots list from canon and Legends? Buckle up—there’s a countdown coming of the top ten to ever make hyperspace.
10. Obi-Wan Kenobi
Obi-Wan would object that he doesn’t care for the air, but his record says otherwise. From pursuing Jango Fett in the asteroid field in Attack of the Clones to bludgeoning through droid pilots in the Battle of Coruscant, Kenobi repeatedly displayed himself to be a natural pilot. His flying was less flashy than Anakin’s, but no less effective.
9. Mace Windu
Best recognized for his purple lightsaber and mastery of Vaapad, Mace was also somewhat of an ace pilot. Throughout the 2003 Clone Wars series, he destroyed enemy ships, crashed his own ship and lived, and even hijacked a Vulture droid in the middle of battle. He wasn’t officially given the title of “ace,” but his flying skills were definitely not in doubt.
8. Ahsoka Tano
As the Padawan learner of Anakin, Ahsoka learned some of her master’s flying tricks. She began early by ordering clone fighter patrols into battle, and afterward, she was still performing death-defying evades and maneuvers in her T-6 shuttle. Her development as a pilot was like her development as a Jedi—adventurous, clever, and always adapting.
7. Plo Koon
A steady, calm hand on the stick and at the helm, Plo Koon was a Jedi Master and one of the Order’s finest starfighter pilots. He usually flew his personal Delta-7B, Blade of Dorin, and commanded squadrons of clone pilots into battle. It was while commanding such a squadron that he was betrayed under Order 66.
6. Corran Horn
In Legends, Corran Horn was an ace starfighter pilot before becoming a Jedi. A veteran pilot of CorSec, later a member of the Rogue Squadron, Corran transferred his natural abilities to Luke Skywalker’s New Jedi Order. Fusing military focus with the strength of the Force, he emerged as the galaxy’s most dependable pilot.
5. Jaina Solo
The “Sword of the Jedi” wasn’t merely a sword-fighting fighter—she was also one of Legends’ best starfighter pilots. Jaina, Han, and Leia’s daughter inherited her father’s piloting abilities and honed them in Rogue Squadron. Piloting production X-wings or the Jedi-only StealthX craft, she consistently demonstrated herself to be one of the New Jedi Order’s hottest-blooded aces.
4. Adi Gallia
A Jedi Council member, Adi Gallia, was one of the initial pilots to be proficient in the Delta-7 starfighter. She blended her fighting instincts with specialized Force skills, such as protecting her vessel and channeling lightning through its components. Trained by Saesee Tiin, she was a pilot whose abilities were almost as legendary as her lightsaber style.
3. Saesee Tiin
Of all people, Saesee Tiin was the very epitome of a “Jedi pilot.” This was the Order’s top starfighter combat specialist; he personally serviced Jedi ships and taught airfighting techniques to others. Legends said even more, giving him the ability to execute hyperspace jumps without a navicomputer—by the Force alone.
2. Anakin Skywalker
Obi-Wan wasn’t exaggerating when he called Anakin “the best star pilot in the galaxy.” From his podracing on Tatooine to his attacks on Separatist flagships, Anakin made the impossible look secondhand. His combat in the Clone Wars sealed his reputation, and his technique of flying—hazardous yet precise—was unmatched. Even as Darth Vader, those instincts never left him.
1. Luke Skywalker
At the absolute top, naturally, is Luke Skywalker. Trained in Tatooine on T-16s, he naturally migrated over to the Rebel Alliance’s X-wings, which he then used to destroy the Death Star with one flawless shot. In Legends and canon alike, Luke commanded Rogue Squadron, trained Jedi pilots, and inspired whole generations of fighters with his air skills. If you needed one Jedi pilot at your wing, it was Luke.
The Force can control their lightsabers, but these ten Jedi demonstrated that it also provided them with an advantage at the handles of starfighters. From Anakin’s Death Star-style aerial acrobatics to Luke’s legendary command, these pilots have etched their names in galactic annals not only as Jedi but as some of the finest aces who ever existed.