Star Wars has seen plenty of Jedi in its myriad of movies and TV shows. The mythic protectors are among the most iconic heroes in pop culture, so it makes sense that so many would grace viewers' screens. It's a big galaxy, though.
Such a vast space obviously has scores of others gifted in the Force, and their stories are told through other media like books, comics, and games. Despite that difference in format, these noble knights have stuck with fans due to their Jedi gifts and how their characters evolve within the greater Star Wars mythos. If anything, these strengths make it all the more shocking that they're not more mainstream.
7 Kyle Katarn
Here's a hero who's evolved with the video games, from Dark Forces to Jedi Knight to Jedi Academy. An Imperial defector, Katarn finds work as a mercenary. He takes on numerous covert missions for the Rebel Alliance and, later, the New Republic.
This eventually leads him to become a Jedi, training under Luke Skywalker. That said, he never loses his everyman attitude, giving him a blue-collar appeal absent in most of these mystical guardians. Many of them seem sheltered by comparison. They don't account for the nuances and difficulties inherent in the common man, especially in a wide-ranging setting like Star Wars.
Kyle knows the ugly side of the galaxy as well as the beautiful, which makes him instrumental in forming the new Jedi Academy. Success lies in multiple viewpoints, and fans' love for Kyle's perspective has carried his series through several console generations. Few Star Wars game characters can boast that.
6 Revan
In a sense, Revan is the greatest hero and the greatest villain of the Old Republic era. He grows disgruntled with the Jedi's inaction, recruiting many Knights to fight in the Mandalorian Wars. This ensures victory for Republic forces, but Revan succumbs to the Dark Side as a result and forms the Sith Empire. Even with this fresh conflict, many maintain that his deeds are justified, lending his story a moral ambiguity that Star Wars rarely sees.
The franchise's familiar redemption scenario also sees a twist in Knights of the Old Republic. After the Jedi lock his memories, Revan learns of his old identity only after he's forged a new one. He then fights his former apprentice and conquers his past in the process. However, that past gives him the foresight and perception to realize that these Sith are only a precursor. Thus, he leaves to search the unknown reaches of space for the true enemy.
5 Starkiller
He certainly lives up to the title The Force Unleashed. Starkiller is among the most powerful Force-users ever, reducing entire areas to scrap with pure energy. Even his melee combat is a cut above the rest, channeling lightning through his lightsaber and sending enemies flying back in pieces. That strength is matched only by his significance to Star Wars history.
Starkiller is Darth Vader's secret apprentice. This gives him a uniquely intimate yet volatile bond with the Sith Lord. That would be interesting enough, but he eventually realizes his past and uses that to define his future. This means gathering allies and forming the Rebel Alliance. Granted, Star Wars Rebels has since overwritten that contribution and erased Starkiller from canon, but fans still hold him in high regard as a more intense parallel to Ahsoka Tano.
4 Quinlan Vos
Being mindful of one's environment is part of a Jedi's teaching, but Vos is more connected than most. If he touches an object, he can see the events and memories surrounding it. This makes him a capable tracker, but it also creates a hippie lifestyle which makes him an outlier among the mainline Jedi.
Therefore, he spends most of his time in the shadier side of the galaxy. He often hangs out in the underworld, leading to his romantic involvement with former Sith assassin Asajj Ventress. Yep, love blossomed between these two rogues from opposite ends of the Force spectrum. It's an unlikely dynamic, which makes it intriguing. It's even more so when she ropes him into her revenge scheme. Together, they attempt to kill her one-time master, Count Dooku: a scheme that results in Vos's turn to the Dark Side. It's then Ventress of all people who brings him back to the Light with their love.
This tattooed tracker is truly a wild card with several twists and turns in a short span of time. He technically guest-starred on The Clone Wars (after being a background extra in The Phantom Menace and appearing in the comics), but this only lasted one episode. Considering the time that the show gives to other Jedi, Vos's meager screen presence seems like a tremendous waste.
3 The Solo Children
These three were in the movies, at least from "a certain point of view." The sequel trilogy's Kylo Ren takes heavy inspiration from these characters. That said, fans find their sibling dynamic much more interesting than the "shipping" nonsense with Ren and Rey.
Jacen, Jaina, and Anakin Solo are Han and Leia's children in the Legends Universe. Each strives to forge a path within the New Republic, and they inevitably compete with one another in the process. This paves the way for a slew of juicy narratives. For one, Jacen falls to the Dark Side and battles his brother and sister. For another, Anakin--the youngest of the three--sacrifices himself in a devastating war. Family scenarios may be familiar in Star Wars, but these feel far more personal. These siblings actually grew up together, yet they find themselves tragically splintered. The drama is self-evident.
2 Cal Kestis
Cal is the star of the runaway hit, Jedi Fallen Order. Some of that success comes down to the Dark Souls comparisons regarding the high difficulty, and Kestis is uniquely suited to that approach. Not only is he extremely rusty, but he wasn't even that experienced to start with.
He was just a kid when Order 66 robbed him of his master and his whole world. He's tried to keep his head down ever since, but his encounter with a ragtag crew of outlaws grants him renewed purpose. Players see organic growth as Cal becomes more invested in his new friends and the journey to preserve the Jedi secrets. His arc may be a familiar one, but it's no less well done. It's akin to Luke Skywalker with some fugitive suspense thrown in.
1 Mara Jade
Mara may seem like a simple merc, but her journey is well worth noting. Trained as the Emperor's assassin, she bears a grudge against Luke Skywalker for destroying her sense of purpose. However, she slowly gains a new perspective and even falls in love with him.
This, in turn, leads to her becoming a Jedi. Mara and Luke fight alongside each other in many a battle, devoted to the New Republic and the reborn Jedi Order. Thus, when the Emperor returns in a clone body, she rejects her former master and works to save the civilians he puts in danger. How the tables have turned. That sums up why Jade is so engaging. Hers is a story of illumination as she's freed from her indoctrinated upbringing and finds a higher calling.