When we think of powerful Force-users,
our minds immediately jump the likes of Revan, Vader, Yoda, Sidious, and Luke Skywalker.
All of whom either belonged to the Jedi Order or the Order of the Sith.
This should really come as no surprise,
given the status of each organisation.
Yet there were a number of light and dark side followers who chose to make their own way in life,
as proven by these 4 powerful Force-users who were neither Jedi nor Sith.
Number 04. The Father
Despite the differing Force-alignments of his Son and Daughter,
the Father held no preference for either the dark side or the light.
In fact, he primarily existed to keep his children in balance.
This made him an incredibly powerful Force-user,
as he was the only being capable of safeguarding the galaxy from their might.
To no surprise,
the family were eager to meet the prophesied Chosen One – Anakin Skywalker.
But the Father wasn't prepared to accept such a connection...
...without conducting his own research.
A test, to be more specific.
He began proceedings by making Skywalker choose whom to save -
either his former Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, or his Padawan learner, Ahsoka Tano.
The Jedi passed with flying colours,
having thought outside of the box to rescue both.
However, Anakin still needed to understand the true nature within himself,
according to the Father.
And so, he embraced the dark side of the Force.
Matters only went from bad to worse,
as the Daughter was mortally wounded.
Then, the Son wreaked havoc upon their world.
The Father had to ultimately sacrifice his life to restore balance and return Skywalker to the light side.
The Jedi left Mortis knowing he had to control his inner struggle to prevent galactic turmoil.
Number 03. Talzin
To become a prominent figure throughout the Clone Wars without being either a Jedi or a Sith...
...was no easy feat.
But then again, Talzin was no ordinary being.
The Dathomirian was in fact a shaman and Clan Mother of the Nightsisters,
and her expertise in magick and Force abilities was enough to attract the attention of Darth Sidious.
She even began selling the services of her people as assassins and mercenaries to further gain power.
Moreover, Talzin's notoriety allowed to her to rival the likes of Count Dooku and General Grievous.
This, of course, made her a wanted woman.
And despite her power,
she was eventually slain by the aforementioned cyborg.
Talzin's demise marked the fall of Dathomir and the end of her Nightsisters.
Number 02. Ahsoka Tano
From her days spent as the Padawan of Anakin Skywalker,
Ahsoka Tano became a skilled lightsaber duellist,
a competent leader, and a powerful Force-user.
And while her departure from the Jedi Order in 19 BBY was rather heartbreaking,
the freedom to make her own way in life was a real breath of fresh air.
In fact, if not for leaving the organisation,
Tano may well have fallen victim to Order 66.
The fallout of which only fueled her drive against the evil Galactic Empire –
a quest she began by feeding information to various insurgent factions.
Her work with the Spectres, in particular,
led to various duels with the Inquisitors.
More importantly, Ahsoka came face to face with her former mentor.
Her fate from their destined duel was left in the air,
though Darth Vader did emerge rather worse for wear.
Number 01. The Bendu
On the surface, the Bendu was rather unassuming.
A massive being, sure, but he seemed friendly enough.
This was partly due to his Force-alignment, as - like the Father -
he stood as an anchor between the light side and the dark.
So his quest to maintain such a balance as well as peace came first and foremost,
meaning he was quick to turn upon Jedi Knight Kanan Jarrus for seemingly bringing war to Atollon.
The fallout of which fully displayed the Bendu's immense power,
for he materialised into two yellow glowing eyes of a raging storm.
Crying out “I bring death”,
he unleashed wave after wave of lightning strikes to destroy everything in his path.
The attack left his physical form completely drained of power.
Yet he somehow managed to live on,
thus securing his place as the most powerful Force-user outwith the Jedi Order and the Order of the Sith...
Know of any more powerful Force-users who were neither Jedi nor Sith?
Let us know in the comments below.
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