There were so many fantastic things introduced to the Star Wars canon by Star Wars: Rebels. Great concepts and ideas, beautiful planets, and excellent characters like Kanan Jarrus. Kanan is undoubtedly one of the best and most memorable characters to come out of the new canon and one of the best Jedi in Star Wars, period.
It is hard for any Jedi to come close to the likes of Obi-Wan and Luke Skywalker in terms of popularity and brilliance, but many arguments make a case for Kanan to be arguably the greatest Jedi in canon.
10 Mutual Growth & Learning
Kanan Jarrus is the teacher of Ezra Bridger and also of Sabine Wren at a time, teaching them so much about balance, combat, philosophy, and general ways of the Jedi. He did more than just teach, though.
Kanan learned alongside those he taught. He learned new perspectives and new ways of thinking about things. Whenever Ezra challenged an ideal Kanan was taught long ago, it would give Kanan a new point of view, and he would welcome it and learn from it, rather than shy away from it and ignore it. This did happen with the likes of Anakin, but no Jedi has been seen doing this as much and as well as Kanan.
9 He Is Mostly Self-Taught
Kanan Jarrus was obviously formerly known as Caleb Dume and was a Jedi Padawan who learned a lot from his Jedi Master Depa Billaba. However, following her death, Kanan had to teach himself so much.
Kanan not only had to further his own skills concerning lightsaber combat and Force abilities, but he had to teach himself how to survive in the Galaxy, and how to hide his connection to the Force while adapting to a new way of life and to a rapidly changing Galaxy, before finally using the Force again for good. It is this same quality that helped make Cal Kestis such a great character, as well as Ahsoka.
8 Never Walks Towards To The Dark Side
Whether it be because of tragedy, being pushed, or being manipulated, many Jedi flirt with the dark side of the Force, look it dead in the face and get close to falling over that edge, even doing so at points. Anakin, Quinlan Vos, Count Dooku, and others fell to the dark side, while some got close to it or close to being tempted by it, like Luke.
However, Kanan never gets close to it. He understands it, stays aware of it, and stays away from it. Of course, many Jedi and Force users manage to stay away from it, so on its own, it is not that impressive. It is just an add-on to the many things that make Kanan so great.
7 Not Overly-Attached To The Jedi Code
There is no doubt the Jedi Order of the prequel trilogy was flawed. Darth Sidious was obviously the villain but the Jedi had many issues that did not help matters, including their strict adherence to an ancient code.
The likes of Qui-Gon Jinn, Ahsoka, Luke, and Kanan, were better off as people, characters, and Jedi when they were not bending over backward to follow the Jedi code. These Jedi focused on the moment, the present, and helping people and doing good, not getting caught up in the future or in the distance. Kanan wanted to help the Galaxy and keep the peace and had his own set of values that embodied the Jedi but did not follow the Jedi Code to a worrying degree.
6 He Has No Hubris
A huge reason that some fans see some of the Jedi of the prequel era as unlikeable, and a big issue with them in general, is their hubris. Many of them had an arrogance and a self-assured sense of pride that contributed to the Jedi's Galaxy-altering downfall.
Kanan never showcased this. Yes, he had moments of confidence, but not hubris or an unlikeable self-assurance on that level. In fact, Kanan is seriously vulnerable and insecure at points, doing a lot of work to get over his issues of inferiority and fear throughout the course of the show's early seasons.
5 He Cannot Help But Do Good
Most fans agree that a Jedi, a true Jedi, whether they take that title or not, does good. They look to help people in need and maintain peace and prosperity. Kanan Jarrus' temperament was to do just that.
When he tried to hide his Force connection and hide who he truly was, Kanan had to resist acting like a Jedi but truly could not. As detailed in his comics and New Dawn, Kanan had to do good. He was drawn to it whenever someone needed it, he was there, and in Rebels, he continuously shows his good heart.
4 His Relationships Are Great
Kanan has a lot of close relationships in Rebels. His older brother/father dynamic with Ezra and Sabine, his friendship with Zeb, his mutual respect with Ahsoka and Rex, and his romance with Hera help make him who he is, they help make him so great.
It is not just the relationships themselves that make Kanan so great. Unlike what the Jedi taught, or at least what it looked like they did, Kanan had attachments, but they were not selfish attachments. Kanan loved and cared about his family, he was in love with the love of his life and he was intimate with her, but he was not selfishly attached. The attachments never pulled him to the dark side the way they did Anakin. Kanan was like a blueprint for what the Jedi would have had to have grown into eventually had they wanted to survive in a Galaxy where the Great Jedi Purge never happened.
3 Accepts & Adapts To Limitations
When talking about the most powerful Jedi regarding lightsaber combat and Force abilities, Kanan is not necessarily up at the very top with Luke, Yoda, Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Mace. Still, he seems pretty aware of this fact.
Kanan knows his training and abilities were limited but also recognized that his overall role in the Galaxy regarding the balance of the Force was also limited. He accepted all this and adapted to be still able to teach Ezra and be able to do good in the Galaxy until he was no longer needed.
2 He Has The Best On-Screen Journey In The Force
Fans have seen some great Force journeys over the years. Yoda in The Clone Wars and Luke in The Empire Strikes Back are great examples. But overall, no one has had their journey in the Force told better on-screen than Kanan Jarrus.
Being both a Jedi Padawan and a Jedi teacher simultaneously, having to overcome his own fears and insecurities, and then becoming blind, Kanan's story is unique. The way he uses his blindness to his advantage and navigates the Force in a new way is inspirational as he learns to trust the Force above all else. His connection to the late-introduced and wildly intriguing Bendu and to the Loth-Wolves, are also elements of his Force connection, he learns a lot from both of them, and it is fascinating to watch.
1 His Incredible Sacrifice
There have been some truly moving, powerful Star Wars deaths, many of which being sacrifices like Luke's, Anakin's, or Obi-Wan's. None, though, are as good as Kanan Jarrus'.
It is not only emotionally devastating and done out of pure good and selflessness, but it also comes at a time when Kanan is no longer relied upon to teach like he used to, at a time when he could go and leave the Galaxy in the safe hands of the rest of the Ghost crew. It was a perfect Star Wars death.
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