For the longest time, Star Wars fans could count the number of Force-users on a single hand, but then came the prequel trilogy. They featured an immensely large Jedi Order and several new dark siders too. Though still controversial, these films are experiencing a sort of resurgence in appreciation thanks to the fun spectacle that was Obi-Wan Kenobi.
The series showed how dangerous Darth Vader is, the dark side granting him incredible power. He is not alone in harnessing that destructive power. Throughout each film, several tv shows, and even the comics, these characters have solidified themselves as the darkest and most deadly.
Grand Inquisitor
The greatest examination of the Force and especially the dark side has come outside the movies, like the introduction of the Inquisitors in Rebels. They serve the Emperor and Darth Vader in hunting down the Jedi who escaped Order 66 and in sussing out Force-sensitive children. Leading the pack was the Grand Inquisitor, a Pau’an former Jedi Temple Guard turned menacing, dark assailant.
He was the main antagonist for the first season of Rebels and also arrived in live-action in Obi-Wan Kenobi. Among the many talented Inquisitors like Reva or the Tenth Brother, there is a reason he rose to be the Grand Inquisitor. He was highly capable, maniacal, and so attuned to the dark side his rage allowed him to survive a lightsaber to the gut.
Darth Momin
Star Wars comics feature many powerful figures beyond Darth Vader, including a fellow dark sider, Darth Momin. He was an ancient Sith Lord from before the seeming destruction of the Sith Order. He was one among many during those days, a young sculptor obsessed with the macabre and grotesque, which drew the attention of Darth Shaa.
Under her tutelage, Momin learned to hone his dark talents until he killed her, fulfilling the long-standing pattern of the Sith. He eventually created an incredible superweapon, but before he could use it, the Jedi defeated him. He was able to impart his consciousness into his mask, so a millennium later Darth Vader could access it. Even after so long, he remained immensely powerful, being able to possess others and he was instrumental in building Vader’s fortress and the Force nexus beneath it.
Maul
Although Episode I: The Phantom Menace was and still is derided by fans and critics, it still did introduce one of the coolest characters into the canon, Darth Maul. Of course, he was cut in two by Obi-Wan during the “Duel of the Fates” battle, but as revealed in The Clone Wars, that was not the end for him. Like the Grand Inquisitor says in Obi-Wan Kenobi, “revenge does wonders for to live” and Maul had some seriously strong and dark motivations to keep going.
Voiced incredibly by Sam Witwer throughout The Clone Wars and then Rebels, he showed that he is not only adept with a lightsaber, but also with the dark side. Over the years, he gained a better understanding of the lore and intricacies of the Force, and if it hadn’t been for Kanan’s intervention, he likely would’ve recruited Ezra for the dark side.
Count Dooku
Even when he had Darth Maul in his service, Palpatine sought another apprentice to accomplish his intricate mission to destroy the Jedi Order. He found his moment to strike after Jedi Master Dooku left the order, using his frustration for the Galactic Republic to turn him to the dark side. Since he was already a highly talented and trained Jedi, he only became more powerful as Darth Tyranus.
Dooku was the second character shown to be able to use force-lightning and he was able to keep up with his old master, Yoda. He too set up plans for the future and recruited apprentices and assassins like Asaaj Ventress and Quinlan Voss, and while they were strong in their own right, neither could best him. In the end, it was only Anakin, now more advanced, who could accomplish the feat.
Snoke
One of the most perplexing additions in the sequel trilogy was Emperor Snoke. Many fans had surmised he had a connection with Palpatine, viewing him as a pastiche for the Sith Lord. Those sentiments were correct in Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker when other Snokes were seen in a tank on Exogal, proving that was just one of the many botched clones of Palpatine.
Even though he was a flawed genetic construct, Snoke was still incredibly powerful. He was able to control the Force and throw Hux around in Episode VII: The Last Jedi. He could also use Force-lightning with ease and would often probe the minds of his subordinates and enemies.
Darth Bane
When Disney acquired Lucasfilm they reassigned the existing Extended Universe into non-canon Legends. Unfortunately, that meant several iconic characters in the lurch, but some have found their way back into the main universe through some of the recent tv shows. That would include the legendary Sith Lord, Darth Bane.
Importantly, Bane was the last of the Sith Order following the Jedi-Sith War, and he saw their constant infighting as the true root of their destruction. He then established the Rule of Two, which would be standard even into Vader’s time. He was exceedingly powerful during his time, and even a millennium later, his spirit still resides on the Sith homeworld, Moraband.
Kylo Ren
As befits someone of the Skywalker line, Ben Solo was already impressively adept and connected to the Force. Like others, he only grew more powerful when he accessed the limitless possibilities available through the dark side. His first appearance in Episode VII: The Force Awakens set the stage for what a powerful antagonist he would be throughout the entire sequel trilogy – especially when he stopped Poe’s laser shots.
Like his grandfather, what set Kylo Ren apart was his untamable and relentless raw power. Using the dark side, he was able to let his rage loose. However, as shown at the end of Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker, when he's not struggling with who he thinks he should be, Ben Solo is inherently better with light-side abilities, such as force healing.
Darth Sidious
It should come as no surprise that the franchise’s overarching antagonist is one of the greatest and most dangerous forces in the galaxy. Emperor Sheev Palpatine's origins are still a closely guarded secret, but he became the apprentice to Darth Plagueis, under who he learned the darkest secrets of the Force and became Darth Sidious.
Palpatine became so powerful that he could shroud his connection to the Force even from such Jedi Masters as Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Like his old master, he sought any way to cheat death and experimented with both mysterious and scientific methods, such as creating clones. He was successful in the end, revived for one final fight in Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker, only to be destroyed finally by the combined might of the light side in Rey.
Darth Vader
Of course, Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader is remarked as the strongest force-wielding human out there. Under Sidious’s tutelage, his rage and unhealthy ambition found release and he became an utterly terrifying menace to the galaxy. While Vader was naturally a powerful force to be reckoned with throughout the original trilogy, his true potential was shown throughout the comics and tv shows.
In particular, Obi-Wan Kenobi showcased some of his best fights and his most destructive force abilities. He was able to stop a ship from flying away, ripping it apart, and he nearly killed his old master in a massive sinkhole. In his several comics run, he was able to do things unseen elsewhere by delving deeper and deeper into the dark side.
The Son
There are very few figures in the Star Wars universe who could ever compete with Darth Vader, but taking the top spot here is the being representing the dark side. The Son – also voiced by Sam Witwer – was one of three force-wielders living on the mysterious planet, Mortis, with the Father and Daughter. His strength was incredible as he was a living force of wrath and chaos.
Using the dark side, he was even able to overpower his father, but in doing so he tragically killed his sister. He was going to use Anakin’s fate as the Chosen One to coerce him to the dark side – ahead of his destiny – and thus he could’ve altered the fate of the entire galaxy, but he was killed along with his father.