Kanan Jarrus or Cal Kestis?

Star Wars Kanan Jarrus and Cal Kestis have a lot in common, but which Jedi is more powerful overall? Kanan Jarrus was originally introduced in the animated series Star Wars Rebels As a Jedi in hiding and an integral member of the Ghost Crew. The Ghost Crew was part of the fledgling Rebel Alliance, helping out wherever they were needed while the Rebel cells were scattered across the galaxy. Despite the trauma of surviving Order 66, Kanan eventually revealed his status as a Jedi to the galaxy, and the rest is history.

As we now know, however, Kanan is far from the only Order 66 survivor in the galaxy. As revealed in the game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen OrderAnother young Jedi survived the ordeal, crash-landing on the scrap planet Barka and hiding out until the time came to reveal his true identity, too. Cal Kestis has, over the course of two Star Wars Jedi Games, become an integral character in Star Wars Canon. With a third Jedi game on the way, there’s a chance he’ll become even more powerful, but will he surpass Kanan Jarrus? Or has he already done that?

Kal and Kanan were Padawans during Order 66

Crucially, Kal and Kanan were still Padawans when Order 66 was enacted. As revealed by Star Wars: The Bad BatchThe filter-length pilot, Kanan—who at the time went by the name Caleb Dume—was sent to the snowy planet Caller with his master, Jedi Council member Depa Bilaba. Once the clones turned on the Jedi, Deppa gave Caleb enough time to escape, and he managed to escape with the help of Clone Force 99’s altered clone troopers.

Similarly, Cal and his master, Jaro Tapal, were stationed on a Republic Star Destroyer above Brakka during the Republic’s invasion of the planet. When Order 66 was instigated, Tapal told Cal he would meet him at the escape pods, but Tapal never made it. Kal crash-landed on Braca, clutching his master’s old lightsaber to his chest, and spent the following years hidden away as a scrapper on the dangerous planet.

During the Clone Wars, most Padawans served as commanders of the Grand Army of the Republic. This arguably meant that the Padawans of the Clone Wars era had more practical experience than most other generations of Jedi Padawans, but they were still just that – Padawans. They never completed their training. They never took the Jedi trials and were never “officially” knighted (both Kal and Kanan were eventually knighted by unconventional means). This may have hindered Kal and Kanan’s progress and growth, but eventually, it became an important part of who they were as Jedi as they began to fight back against the might of the Empire.

Both Jedi defected from the Force before joining the Rebellion.

Both Kal and Kanan cut themselves off from the Force after Order 66. This was partly because they needed to stay hidden – Darth Vader and his Inquisitors were already scouring the galaxy for Jedi survivors, and partly because it was easier to forget about the Galaxy. Harrowing trauma of Order 66 when they stopped serving the will of the Force. Kal kept his master’s old lightsaber secret, and Kanan modified his own so it could be separate, hidden away in plain sight.

Their severed ties meant that when they were forced to show up – Cal saved his friend’s life using the Force after a work accident, and Kanan became involved with the Rebellion, eventually rescuing a troop of Wookiee prisoners from ​The Empire’s Clutches – It took time for them to re-embrace their connection with the Force. At first, much of what they accomplished was accomplished by instinct rather than true skill. Cal, in particular, needed time to familiarize himself with the Force and re-learn the abilities he’d let himself forget, including basic skills like the Force push and the Force pull.

How did Kal and Kanan fare against the Empire?

Kal and Kanan became integral in the fight against the Empire, each in their own way. Kanan eventually joined the rebel pilot Hera Syndulla, and together with the other members of the Ghost Crew they picked up along the way, becoming a genuine, credible threat against the Empire. Most importantly, though, Kanan took on a Padawan of his own, a young Force-sensitive boy he found on the streets of Lothal named Ezra Bridger. Ezra’s training changed how Kanan saw and interacted with the Force. Eventually, Kanan defeated the Grand Inquisitor, Darth Vader’s most powerful Jedi Hunter.

Kanan’s true potential as a Jedi was only really unlocked later, however, after a fateful duel with Darth Maul. During their duel, Maul blinds Kanan permanently. Although it took some time to adjust, Kanan learned to see through the Force, becoming more in tune with his role as a Jedi and as a master than ever before. Cannon’s most impressive feat would come near the end of Star Wars Rebels When, tragically, he sacrifices himself to save Ezra, Hera, and the Mandalorian Sabine Ren from an Imperial fuel tank explosion.

Using all his strength, he held back a raging inferno with the Force while simultaneously pushing his friends’ ship away. At this moment Kanan was so connected with the forces, so in advance with his goal, that he even momentarily closed his eyes, he allowed himself to look at his loved ones one last time. That moment altered the trajectory of the empire forever. This gave his Padawan, Ezra Bridger, the courage to sacrifice his future as well, exiling Grand Admiral Throne and freeing Lothal, once and for all.

Cal, of course, was no slouch either. After escaping Braca with the help of the Mantis crew, he discovered a renewed sense of purpose. He gains a new mentor in former Jedi master Ser Junda, regains his Force abilities step by step during his adventures with the Mantis crew, and eventually stops the Empire from getting their hands on a list of Force-sensitive children.

Cal also survived encounters with many Inquisitors – eventually killing one of them as well – and survived or won conflicts with other dark side Force usersIncluding Darth Vader, Taron Malicos, Dagan Gera and Bode Akuna. Cal also defeated the Gen’dai warrior Rayvis, a fearsome hunter who had killed many other Jedi during the High Republic era and beyond. During all these experiences and more, Kal truly came into his own as a Jedi; He even came back from the brink of the dark side.

One Jedi has more abilities than the other

Measuring Jedi power levels objectively is nearly impossible; Different Jedi value different aspects of the Jedi religion and their connection with the Force. Some prefer knowledge and wisdom over brute strength, some Jedi prefer to refer to a Jedi’s skill with a lightsaber, while others simply look at the strength and breadth of a Jedi’s Force-related abilities. Given all that Kal and Kanan had been through and had to do to survive, their physical skills as Jedi were more important than anything else.

In general, Cal Kestis boasts more Force abilities than Kanan Jarrus. This is, to an extent, due to why video games need to be successful as a narrative medium, as the player and Cal need to go through countless fights and puzzles, and gather information in interesting ways. As such, Cal possesses a rare Force ability called Psychometry, which allows him to see fragments of memories imputed by the Force into an object. He is also adept at all the basic Force skills and more, including wall running and taming beasts. Additionally, Kal is incredibly skilled with a lightsaber – in many forms – and a blaster.

It’s impossible to deny Kanan’s intrinsic connection to the Force, though—especially after being blinded by Maul. He also learned to commune with the Force with the help of the Bendu, one of the most powerful and ancient Force-sensitive creatures in the franchise. His lightsaber skills and range of Force abilities might not be as impressive as Cal’s, but Kanan was undeniably powerful in his own right. However, since a third Star Wars Jedi The game is reportedly in development, Kal will only get stronger, surpassing Kanan Jarrus even at the height of his power. How will it be Star Wars History continues?

• Set between Episodes III and IV of the Star Wars film franchise, Star Wars Rebels is a canon animated series that follows a group of ragtag heroes who band together to face the Empire. In an age where the Galactic Empire is on the last of the Jedi, a teenage outsider named Ezra Bridger is discovered to be Force sensitive by a surviving Jedi known as Kanan Jarrus. Agreeing to join them and accepting Jedi training, Ezra becomes part of a small but growing crew of rebels determined to secretly destroy the Empire.

• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor