Highlights
- Darth Vader, once seen as an unbeatable villain, faced major challenges from characters like Darth Plagueis, Count Dooku, Galen Marek, and Luke Skywalker.
- Characters like Darth Plagueis and Count Dooku posed a threat to Vader due to their power, wisdom, and unique abilities in the Force.
- While Vader had his weaknesses, including vulnerability to electricity, characters like Emperor Palpatine, Mace Windu, Yoda, and Obi-Wan Kenobi all had the potential to defeat him in battle.
Introduced in the very first Star Wars film, Darth Vader seemed like the ultimate bad guy. He killed Obi-Wan Kenobi and took out several rebel pilots from the cockpit of his TIE fighter. Fans wanted to know more about this villain who looked like the toughest foe any hero had ever faced.
As his story was fleshed out, describing his time as Jedi, his fall to the Dark Side, and his redemption to the Light Side, Darth Vader became more humanized, and it became obvious he wasn't unbeatable. Throughout several Star Wars stories, characters have stepped up to give Vader a major challenge.
8 Darth Plagueis
Darth Plagueis was a powerful Sith Lord who trained Palpatine/Sidious in the Dark Side of the Force. While not known for his combat prowess, Darth Plagueis was referred to as "wise" in Sith legend and allegedly knew how to keep others from dying.
He was killed by his apprentice, providing a bit of irony with how he was able to protect others despite being a Sith. Still, it's known that he was powerful in the Force, and his power mixed with his wisdom, would've caused issues for the often impulsive Vader.
7 Count Dooku
While Darth Vader and Count Dooku never faced off when both were evil, they faced off multiple times while Dooku was a Sith and Anakin Skywalker was a Jedi. Dooku won the first fight, cutting off Anakin's hand, while Skywalker won the second fight killing an unarmed Dooku.
Both Dooku and Vader became more powerful in the Force when they fell to the Dark Side as it opened up powers that Jedi don't normally use. In his prime, Dooku could stand toe to toe with Yoda in a sword fight. Plus, Dooku showed the ability to use Force lightning while Vader never did. That Force lightning could mess up Vader's suit.
6 Galen Marek
Introduced in The Force Unleashed, Galen Marek is trained by Darth Vader as a Sith. Going by the name Starkiller, Marek believes he is Vader's apprentice who is training, so the pair could overthrow Emperor Palpatine and rule together. Marek is shown to master both the Light and Dark sides of the Force.
Marek eventually learns that Vader never planned to use him to overthrow Palpatine, and Starkiller was just a tool to do Vader's bidding. He eventually defeats Darth Vader in a fight but is bested by Palpatine, causing him to absorb and unleash the Force and sacrifice himself to save the Rebellion.
5 Emperor Palpatine
The way of the Sith may be for the apprentice to kill his master, but there was no way Darth Vader would've ever beaten Emperor Palpatine in a fight prior to Return of the Jedi. Darth Vader's electronic suit is very susceptible to electricity, and Palpatine is known for his uses of Force lightning.
In comics, Darth Vader has actually risen up to challenge his master on multiple occasions, but it always ends with Darth Vader back to being an apprentice.
4 Mace Windu
One of the most skilled Jedi ever with a lightsaber, Mace Windu remains the only Jedi to defeat Emperor Palpatine in a duel in Revenge of the Sith. Windu was mere seconds from ending the Sith for good when Darth Vader stepped in and saved Palpatine, killing Mace in the process.
Given Vader's weaknesses, especially after losing almost all of his limbs in the battle with Obi-Wan, it's highly unlikely the Sith Lord would've ever been able to stand toe to toe with Mace Windu.
3 Yoda
Yoda was once considered the greatest Jedi of all time, especially when he was the leader of the Jedi Order. He proved himself in battle multiple times, including standing toe to toe with both Count Dooku and Emperor Palpatine. Yoda forced Dooku to flee the battle, which ended in a virtual stalemate with Palpatine.
Jedi was the wisest Jedi and knew how to use his environment to his advantage. Despite being older and slower, his style was still predicated on his speed and mobility. Yoda may have been the most powerful Jedi of all time and could've easily beaten Vader.
2 Luke Skywalker
The hero of the Rebellion, Luke Skywalker defeats his father in battle in Return of the Jedi and then is successfully able to turn his father back to the Light side of the Force to defeat the Sith as a whole (until the sequel trilogy.) Granted, the first time the two face off, the inexperienced and mostly untrained Luke holds his own before Vader ultimately beats him.
After gaining training and experience, Luke recognizes the good in his father and uses that humanity to have Vader complete both the Sith and Jedi legends by killing his Dark Side master but turning to the Light Side to bring balance to the Force.
1 Obi-Wan Kenobi
Obi-Wan faced off against Darth Vader four times and physically beat him twice while beating him through his Force development in a third fight. Obi-Wan Kenobi had the high ground that led to Vader's disfigurement and becoming the ultimate Star Wars cyborg. He would face off with Vader twice in the events of Obi-Wan Kenobi, where he lost the first fight but won the rematch.
The great irony is Obi-Wan's final victory over Vader. It appears like Vader wins because he delivers the blow that destroys Kenobi's physical body. However, Obi-Wan's words become true; when Vader struck him down, Obi-Wan became a Force ghost, making him more powerful than Vader imagined.