Summary
AlthoughAnakin Skywalker/Darth Vaderare the same person,Star Warsaudiences have long enjoyed debating who would win in a battle; however, both have unique skill sets that give them the advantage and flaws that make them vulnerable. One of the most impressive aspects of this character is that, as Anakin, he was one ofStar Wars’most powerful Jedi, and, as Vader, he was one ofStar Wars’most powerful Sith. Clearly, both versions of the character have significant raw power, butAnakin/Vader’s complex history and character traits make this theoretical head-to-head fight more interesting.
In truth, Anakin/Vader wasn’t in his prime in any ofStar Warsmovies and TV shows. Rather, both the prequel trilogy and the original trilogy saw him limited in unique ways. However, that doesn’t negate his incredible strength or how brilliant this fight would be. Were it possible for Anakin Skywalker to fight Darth Vader, there are numerous reasons—these 10 chief among them—that each could win the day.
10 Star Wars Characters Who Could Actually Defeat Darth Vader
Although Darth Vader is one of Star Wars' most powerful characters, these 10 Jedi and Sith would defeat him in battle—and some already have.
Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader
George Lucas' opinion has to be weighed in this conversation, andhe made clear that Anakin had a greater ability to wield the Force than Darth Vader did. In a 2005 interview withVanity Fair, Lucas explained:
“Anakin, as Skywalker, as a human being, was going to be extremely powerful…But he ended up losing his arms and a leg and became partly a robot. So a lot of his ability to use the Force, a lot of his powers, are curbed at this point, because, as a living form, there’s not that much of him left."
Interestingly, Lucas said this in the context of Obi-Wan having"derailed"the Emperor’s efforts to have an incredibly powerful apprentice, confirming that Anakin’s potential was diminished. However, Anakin has already flexed that power considerably inStar Wars: Episode II - Attack of the ClonesandStar Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, pulling stunts such as leaping out of a speeder and careening through Coruscant traffic without fear.
It’s also interesting that Lucas pointed to what Anakin"was going"to be—not what he was. In the quote, Lucas makes it clear that Anakin was on a path to becoming much more powerful, but his fall and the outcome of his fight with Obi-Wan curtailed that possibility. While this makes the fight arguably more evenly matched, it’s nevertheless clear that George Lucas himself believed Anakin was stronger with the Force.
9Anakin Wasn’t Inhibited By A Suit
Vader’s Mobility Was Limited, And He Was In Constant Pain
From the moment Darth Vader’s limbs were cut off, he became much more limited. However,while the amount of reconstruction that occurred to Anakin’s body was impressive, the suit itself was inhibitingin its own way. For one, it simply wasn’t possible that Darth Vader would be able to move as fluidly and freely within the bulk suit. Moreover, Anakin was known for his incredible fighting skills and his limber movements, which made him an incredible adversary; Darth Vader had lost that grace and had to relearn a fighting style in essentially a brand-new body.
Darth Vader had lost that grace and had to relearn a fighting style in essentially a brand-new body.
Anakin therefore has the clear advantage here. Even after losing his hand in a fight with Count Dooku inAttack of the Clones, he didn’t seem affected. In fact, it was easy to forget that Anakin was operating with a robotic hand inRevenge of the Sith. This is of course not the case for the Vader suit, which, among other issues, had the auditory reminder of Vader’s diminished state with its constant labored breathing. The suit also caused Vader daily pain, which shored up his commitment to the dark side but also no doubt limited his strength.
Anakin was absolutely fearless inAttack of the Clones,Revenge of the Sith, and even inStar Wars: The Clone Wars. Yes, part of this was certainly Anakin’s considerable ego; however, he also had plenty of reason to be so confident. Anakin was extremely skilled, both in battle and in use of the Force, and, as George Lucas pointed out, his power was only continuing to grow.
Even after becoming a Jedi Knight betweenAttack of the ClonesandRevenge of the Sith, Anakin retained his ambition, always wanting to increase his power. Moreover, he had youth on his side, which made him more naturally agile and meant he had even more time to develop his power. Vader, in contrast, simply couldn’t compare. To some extent, Vader was destined to become stagnant in his power, as he was no longer a young Jedi moving up the ranks; however,he had also already lost so much of what he wanted.
7Anakin Was Getting Battle Experience Constantly
The Clone Wars Provided Anakin With Frequent Training
While Darth Vader may have been ruling the Empire alongside Emperor Palpatine from the moment he entered the Vader suit until the day of his death, he wasn’t as actively engaged in battle as Anakin was. Because he was such a prominent figure in the Clone Wars,Anakin was nearly constantly on the front lines of battle. This routine exercise in strength no doubt would give Anakin the advantage in a head-to-head fight with Vader.
Moreover, Vader had many individuals to do his dirty work, mostly notably his Inquisitors, but the stormtroopers served as his lackeys as well. Although Vader was happy to use Force choke on Imperials who annoyed him, his day-to-day combat experience was markedly lower as Vader than it had been as Anakin. In fact, even the construction of the Death Star suggests that Vader (and Palpatine) had moved to a much more remote form of fighting, especially when compared to Anakin’s time in the Clone Wars.
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Anakin and Obi-Wan had a very complicated relationship, to be sure, but even inRevenge of the Sith, Anakin was still benefiting from Obi-Wan’s guidance. In fact, even during their battle on Mustafar—right before the end—Obi-Wan attempted to stop Anakin from trying to leap over Obi-Wan, which ultimately allowed Obi-Wan to cut off all of Anakin’s limbs. Anakin felt burdened by Obi-Wan’s supposed criticism, but in truth, Anakin never got this same kind of teaching from Palpatine.
In fact, Palpatine would have wanted quite the opposite. Because of the Sith Rule of Two, Vader was destined to always be trying to usurp Palpatine; it is the role of the Sith apprentice to always be seeking the power that the Sith master wields. For this reason,Palpatine would have wanted to curb Vader’s power to a certain extent, making sure Vader could never overthrow him.
One of the biggest advantages Darth Vader had over Anakin Skywalker was that he had nothing left to lose. When he was a Jedi, Anakin had plenty to lose. He could have been kicked out of the Jedi Order, for one, which clearly worried him enough that he decided to conceal his marriage to be able to stay in the Order. Vader had also lost Padmé, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka, which left him with no relationships he still cared about. While this didn’t necessarily contribute to his strength in the Force,it made him much more dangerous.
One of the biggest advantages Darth Vader had over Anakin Skywalker was that he had nothing left to lose.
In fact, Vader’s lack of regard for anything or anyone was perhaps best seen in theObi-Wan Kenobishow. At one point, Vader marches through a village, dragging random villagers with him and at one point snapping the neck of a child. Vader had clearly become completely uninhibited, at least regarding what he was willing to risk. His fight with Obi-Wan at the end ofObi-Wan Kenobishows the same, with Vader being completely consumed by rage, hate, and revenge and undeterred by anything or anyone else around him.
4The Dark Side Gave Vader More Raw Power
The Dark Side Offers Quick And Easy Power
While it might be an inconvenient truth to the Jedi,the dark side of the Force is tempting because it offers easy and immediate access to incredible power. In fact, while Anakin becoming part robot limited his ability to wield the Force, had he stayed in his human form as a Sith, this likely would have been the most powerful version of the character. This doesn’t mean that the Jedi are inherently weaker than the Sith, though.
The light side of the Force is more balanced, calm, and disciplined compared to the Sith’s chaotic power, which is why the Jedi do win in the end. However, the dark side of the Force unlocks immense power driven by anger and hate, which would have given Vader an edge over Anakin. After all, this is why Jedi so frequently fail when they battle a Sith one-on-one. This was true for both Mace Windu and Yoda when they faced Palpatine inRevenge of the Sith, and it has been true for many other Jedi as well.
Anakin Might Have Been Somewhat Correct About Being Held Back
One of Anakin’s biggest complaints about Obi-Wan Kenobi was that he felt his Jedi Master was holding him back. He said this directly to Padmé inAttack of the Clones, albeit following his slaughter of the Tusken Raiders. However, while this was an angry outburst driven by guilt, Anakin wasn’t entirely incorrect. Obi-Wan was an amazing mentor, but he, like all good Jedi Masters, required Anakin to be disciplined and restrained.
Anakin’s skewed perspective made this seem like a negative or even antagonist thing, but that wasn’t the case. Rather, the Jedi Way requires the ability to control oneself. As soon as Anakin became Vader, though, that wasn’t the case.Vader no longer had to withhold anything, not his cruelty, his power, or his rage. In the end, this obviously wasn’t a good thing. However, in a fight where Vader can fully unleash his abilities and Anakin is attempting to avoid crossing the line of the dark side, Vader would certainly win.
Particularly In The Original Trilogy, Vader’s Experience Level Was Much Greater
Anakin’s youth may have brought him more agility, butVader’s age and experience gave him a different edge. After all, that is precisely Vader’s point to Obi-Wan when they meet again inA New Hope. Vader tells Obi-Wan that he was previously but the learner, but since their last meeting, he had become the master. This same principle would certainly apply to Anakin, who was the very learner he spoke of.
Even with Anakin’s greater ability with the Force, his limited experience meant that he was impulsive, reckless, and overly confident. Given that, Vader’s level of mastery would pose a major difficulty for Anakin. In fact, Anakin consistently revealed that he struggled with more experienced Force-users, most notably Obi-Wan inRevenge of the SithandObi-Wan Kenobiand Count Dooku inAttack of the Clones. Fighting an older, more experienced version of himself would only prove that much more difficult.
Even with Anakin’s greater ability with the Force, his limited experience meant that he was impulsive, reckless, and overly confident.
1Darth Vader Was More Rational
Although Darth Vader was still full of anger and hate,he was undeniably calmer and more rational than Anakin had been, especially when comparingRevenge of the SithAnakin toReturn of the JediVader. Obviously,Return of the Jedialso saw Vader’s turn back to the light side of the Force, but even before then in the original trilogy, Vader had clearly learned to control his outbursts. This would have given Vader the edge over Anakin in a fight, as he could have been more calculating and less reactive.
In the end, it’s nearly impossible to say who would definitively win between Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader. In addition to the complexity of them being the same person, they each have different strengths and flaws in equal measure. However, it’s nevertheless fun to imagine who would win ifAnakin Skywalker and Darth Vadercould face off against one another inStar Wars.
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