Whether they are Jedi or simply Force users aligned with the light side, the main heroes of Star Wars strive for peace and justice in the Galaxy, fighting for the light side with the Force as their ally. They really do fight, too. So many of the Jedi and other light side Force users that lead the Star Wars films and shows are talented with the iconic lightsaber.
All of the central Force-using Star Wars heroes have some level of lightsaber skill. Some have little — perhaps due to not completing their training — while some are magnificent with the blade, having a level of mastery that only comes with centuries of experience.
Ezra Bridger
Ezra Bridger, the main protagonist of Star Wars: Rebels, morphed into a great character in the show, and his journey seems far from over in canon. As fans know him now, he is the weakest lightsaber duelist of all the main characters.
Ezra simply does not have the natural gifts with the blade that someone like Rey possesses and does not have good enough training to reach the level of other Jedi. Fans never really see Ezra use his lightsaber that effectively. He stood no chance against the Grand Inquisitor and had his blade destroyed when he faced off against Vader.
Kanan Jarrus
Kanan Jarrus is far more skilled than his Padawan in lightsaber combat and overall power, but he is another Jedi who does not reach the heights of the iconic film characters.
Kanan never completes his training as a Padawan before Order 66 hits and rarely gets a chance to show off his lightsaber skills, but that does not stop him from becoming one of the greatest Jedi in canon. He defeats the Grand Inquisitor after a couple of tries, which is undoubtedly impressive, but apart from that and his training of Ezra and Sabine, his ability with the blade is scarcely shown.
Rey Skywalker
Rey is full of raw Force potential, but being relatively untrained and unrefined means that she lacks in many ways compared to more experienced Jedi and light side Force users in terms of her Force powers and lightsaber skills.
Many people believe it was almost silly that Rey bested Kylo in The Force Awakens, but it must be remembered that Kylo was nursing an injury that would have killed 99% of people. It became clear after that film that Kylo was way above her in lightsaber combat. Rey has the advantage of being skilled and experienced with her staff, which gives her natural inclinations with the lightsaber. But that does not equal the proper training given to other Jedi. In the future, her skills will inevitably improve and Rey will become one of the best Jedi.
Qui-Gon Jinn
A fascinating and underrated Jedi, Qui-Gon Jinn is an essential character in the Skywalker saga and a Jedi whose power often goes without mention.
While Qui-Gon lost against Darth Maul, he was still a Jedi Master and was skilled with a lightsaber. He may not have been on the level of some of his fellow Jedi Masters, and fans have not seen the extent to which he can utilize the blade. Still, being a fully-fledged and powerful Jedi Master immediately puts him over the likes of Kanan.
Ahsoka Tano
With every new piece of content involving Ahsoka Tano, her lightsaber skills, as well as her Force powers, seem to have improved. She has undoubtedly become one of the best duelists alive in the Galaxy at the time of the Empire.
The fact that she defeated Maul in their lightsaber duel and fended off numerous Inquisitorius speaks for itself. There are levels to lightsaber combat that some cannot reach, as shown by her duel with Vader. However, sitting just behind a select few, Ahsoka is one of the best lightsaber combatants in the Galaxy, with her dual-wield capabilities serving her well.
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Obi-Wan Kenobi is a fascinating Jedi regarding his level of power and skill. Growing up in the Jedi Order, he was nothing special, yet he was a Jedi who trained hard to hone his skills and grew to become one of the most revered and legendary ever.
In terms of his lightsaber abilities, Obi-Wan was a genius. He did not have the gifts of a Yoda, a Sidious, or even a Count Dooku, but he had intelligence and a mastery of the Soresu form that made him a difficult opponent. Audiences have seen Obi-Wan defeat Maul on multiple occasions, and he has also bested Anakin, which is a fantastic resume.
Luke Skywalker
Considering the fact that he never got the training that those who grew up in the Jedi Order did, it is incredible that Luke is as skilled with a lightsaber as he is.
Luke did have decades to hone his abilities, though, and he eventually taught others in the way of lightsaber combat. Fans have not seen anywhere near enough of his skill with a lightsaber, but that should come with time. Perhaps when the character gets better explored, he will be seen as closer to his Legends counterpart in terms of lightsaber ability.
Anakin Skywalker
It is easy to forget that Anakin was only twenty-two years old when he became Darth Vader. He was nowhere near fulfilling his Force potential, which was seemingly beyond comprehension.
Despite never reaching his full potential, Anakin was one of the best Jedi in his short time in the Order. His lightsaber ability was truly incredible, and, had he reached his prime, he may have become the greatest duelist ever. Going off of the time just before he became Vader, Anakin was excellent, rife with skill and power, but he also had unfulfilled potential.
Mace Windu
Many Star Wars fans argue that Mace Windu is the best light side duelist in the franchise and that, excluding Force powers, he indeed could beat Palpatine.
Whether he could or not does not take away from how utterly impressive he is with the blade, though. What makes him so special is his use of Vaapad, a lightsaber form of which Windu was the architect and master. The form calls on the user to channel and control their inner darkness. This not only reflects Windu's incredible skill with a lightsaber but his power and the commitment he had to the light side of the Force.
Yoda
As incredible as Windu and his Vaapad form are, with 900 years of life to his name and a reputation that echoes through generations of galactic history, Yoda is not only the strongest Jedi but the best with a lightsaber.
Yoda had mastery of the sword and used unpredictable speed, agility, and acrobats in tandem with the blade to create a furious flurry on his opponents. It is not just fans of the franchise that deem Yoda the greatest lightsaber duelist, but it is various Jedi throughout different eras of Star Wars too.