The reason why Qui-Gon Jinn is the most powerful Jedi in the galaxy is because he had seen everything that would unfold throughout the Skywalker Saga in a vision of the future, sacrificing himself to ensure the fulfilling of the Chosen One prophecy.
#1 – Yoda. Yoda is widely considered to be the greatest Jedi of all time, and with good reason. He is a master of the Force, a skilled warrior, and has an unmatched wisdom that comes from centuries of experience. He is the embodiment of what it means to be a Jedi, and his legacy lives on long after his death.
We are just barely seeing a 600-something-year-old Yoda in the High Republic era. And given that Qui-Gon Jinn dies in 32 BBY, a fight beyond that point would be pointless since, as a Jedi spirit, Jinn would arguably be stronger than the still physically alive Yoda.
After years of training under Dooku, Jinn achieved the rank of Jedi Knight and—after successfully training a Padawan of his own, a farmer's son named Feemor—became a Jedi Master himself.
Obi Wan in his prime (ROTS) was more powerful than Qui Gon. Qui Gon was getting stomped by Maul I'm Tatooine and was exhausted at the end of their duel. In AOTC Qui Gon was implied as superior to AOTC Kenobi by Count Dooku.
Yoda is often thought of as the wise one, but he played a big part in the recklessness that led to the end of the Jedi order. He even admits as much at the end of Revenge of The Sith.
The latest Star Wars tie-in novel confirms Qui-Gon Jinn was the one Jedi who could have stopped Palpatine and even saw his plans in action. Star Wars has confirmed Qui-Gon Jinn was the one Jedi who could have thwarted Palpatine's plans.
Thus, while Qui-Gon was less powerful than Yoda, Palpatine feared him more.
Though Qui-Gon Jinn was strong in the ways of the Force, including telepathy and levitation, there's just no way he would beat Luke Skywalker in a fight. In both of their primes, Luke still makes for a better swordfighter with better agility. Qui-Gon isn't known for being a strong fighter.
Qui-Gon was ultimately defeated by a move that can only be done with a double-bladed lightsaber as Darth Maul used the handle of the weapon, striking Qui-Gon physically on the chin, stunning him for just long enough to deliver the killing blow.
DARK SIDE FRIDAY - Did you know Palpatine feared Qui-Gon Jinn? Palpatine was immensely powerful and he could see the future which made him very confident about pretty much anyone who stood against him. So why Qui-Gon Jinn?
The reason why Qui-Gon Jinn is the most powerful Jedi in the galaxy is because he had seen everything that would unfold throughout the Skywalker Saga in a vision of the future, sacrificing himself to ensure the fulfilling of the Chosen One prophecy.
More cunning and devious than all but the most attuned Force-sensitive beings, Darth Bane could more than likely defeat Yoda in a battle of both strength and wit.
Arguably, some of the rarest types of Jedi were the so-called Iron Knights. These are members of the Shards species - crystals with a brain of their own. They were Force-sensitive and all trained under the tutelage of Jedi Master Aqinos. The Shards had droid bodies, similar to that of General Grievous.
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Through it all, Obi-Wan reveals himself to be one of the very best examples of what a Jedi Knight should be: selfless, kind, and willing to do whatever it takes to protect those in need.
Darth Revan – Jedi/Sith
Revan is one of the most powerful Force users in the entire continuity of Star Wars. His powers were so strong that he could pull a Star Destroyer out of the sky.
2 Can't - Qui-Gon Jinn
Unfortunately for this wise Jedi master, Qui-Gon was unable to defeat Darth Maul, costing him his life in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Qui-Gon was a Jedi who practiced instinct over strategy, and because of this, he failed. Maul was too quick for him.
1 Darth Sidious
There has been no Sith, as powerful, meticulous, nor as evil as the Emperor himself, Darth Sidious. As previously mentioned, Sidious trained in the Dark Side by Darth Plagueis before Sidious killed Plagueis in his sleep, making Sidious a Sith Master.
Though Yoda and Qui-Gon respected each other, they were often at odds due to their differing beliefs; Yoda looked to the future while Qui-Gon lived in the moment. After Qui-Gon was killed by Darth Maul, Yoda was saddened, but continued to disapprove of Qui-Gon's unorthodox ways, regarding them as "defiance".
Lightsaber Skills: Jinn was one of the finest swordsman in the Order, having frequent sparring experience with many of his skilled contemporaries such as his mentor, Count Dooku, and fellow Jedi Mace Windu. Qui-Gon was a master of the fourth form of Jedi Lightsaber combat.
During the Clone Wars, Master Yoda discovered that Qui-Gon Jinn had the ability to appear as a Force ghost after his death. In his wisdom, Qui-Gon Jinn knew that Yoda was destined to complete the eternal consciousness training and help to bring balance to the Force.
As the grandson of Anakin Skywalker (on his mother's side), one of the most powerful Force users in the galaxy, Kylo Ren has the appropriate bloodline to destroy Palpatine. It was a redeemed Anakin Skywalker who killed Palpatine the first time, and the same midi-chlorians flow through Ren's veins.
As powerful as Darth Sidious may have been, it's easy to forget he actually seemed afraid of Master Yoda. As seen in Revenge of the Sith, Palpatine initially thought he could deal with the aged Jedi Master - and then, when Yoda proved able to counter the Sith Lord's Force lightning, he fled.
The Force: Despite his advanced age and small size, Yoda was very strong with the Force and a greatly skilled warrior. Yoda was capable of holding his own in combat against opponents such as the Dark Lords Darth Tyrannus and Sidious.