Though he was far outclassed by the experienced Sith Lord, Luke Skywalker’s climactic fight with Darth Vader at the end of The Empire Strikes Back was not his first lightsaber duel in the Star Wars franchise, nor was it even his first fight with Darth Vader. Three years elapsed between Luke’s brief Jedi training in Star Wars and his duel with Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back. Non-movie material, particularly comic books, from both Canon and the original Star Wars timeline, the Expanded Universe (now known as Legends), reveal that Luke dueled several lightsaber-wielding opponents during those three years, including Vader himself. Whether he won or lost his fights, each duel was a learning experience for the aspiring Jedi Knight.

Luke Skywalker, like his father Anakin, has an astounding intrinsic connection to the Force. Nevertheless, aptitude can only take one so far without training and experience. Luke's lightsaber training was only short in Star Wars, and though he impressed Obi-Wan by blocking several training blaster bolts with his vision obscured, he typically used his lightsaber as a secondary weapon for the following three years. Though his formal training under Yoda’s tutelage was brief, Luke’s trial-and-error experiences fighting other lightsaber wielders and studying the old Jedi Order resulted in one of the galaxy’s greatest duelists, especially in Legends.

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In Legends, most of Luke Skywalker's lightsaber battles before The Empire Strikes Back were shown in the original Marvel Star Wars comics. This comic series was one of the first Expanded Universe properties, adapting the 1977 film at first, then telling new stories starting with the seventh issue. Following Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm in October of 2012, the Expanded Universe was made into an alternate timeline and renamed “Legends” in April of 2014. Less than a year later, Marvel began publishing a new Star Wars comic series, filling in the now-vacant gap between Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back and featuring many of Luke Skywalker’s first lightsaber duels in Canon.

Luke vs Kharys

Luke vs Kharys

Luke’s first lightsaber duel in either continuity was in the first annual issue of the Legends-era Marvel comic series. On a mission to Skye to rescue Han Solo and Chewbacca from the Imperial ally Kharys, Luke Skywalker learns that the winged S'kytri leader is not only powerful in the dark side but is a Sith apprentice to Darth Vader himself.

Having learned from one of the galaxy’s most powerful Sith Lords, Kharys notably used the ancient Sith technique of summoning Smoke Demons. Kharys was also a highly skilled lightsaber duelist, creating the form Trispzest, a variant of Form VII for beings who could fly. Even while wearing an anti-gravity belt to keep up with her, Luke was far outmatched by the trained Sith. During their duel, Kharys used the dark side to freeze Luke, but he broke free in time to deliver a killing blow. Though he didn’t defeat her through skill or strength, Luke learned how to use the Force to resist the effects of dark side attacks.

Luke vs Orman Tagge

Luke Skywalker vs Orman Tagge

As shown in the Legends-era Marvel comic “Saber Clash,” Luke Skywalker is captured while trying to destroy the Imperial superweapon Omega Frost. Now a prisoner of Imperial Baron Orman Tagge, Luke recovers his father’s lightsaber and attempts to escape Tagge’s vessel, but is intercepted in the hangar by the Baron. Orman Tagge was not Force-sensitive, nor did he even believe in the Force, but he was an extremely skilled duelist, having spent years training in lightsaber combat (a feat in and of itself for a non-Force user). Tagge was also blinded by Vader’s blade in the early years of the Galactic Empire, motivating him to master the lightsaber so he could kill Vader one day. His sight was restored through the use of cybernetic headgear.

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During their duel, Tagge noted Luke’s impressive reflexes, but his minimal training from Obi-Wan in Star Wars meant he was far less skilled than the Imperial Baron. Nearly beaten, Luke remembers Obi-Wan’s lesson of acting on instinct and lets the Force guide him, putting up more of a fight against Tagge. Hoping to regain the upper hand, Tagge shuts the hangar’s lights off, his vision maintained by his cybernetics. Still letting the Force guide him, Luke strikes Tagge’s headgear, leaving him blind and allowing Luke to escape. In place of formal training, Luke learned to allow the Force to assist him when fighting a more skilled opponent.

Luke vs “Darth Vader”

Star Wars Marvel Comics Baron Orman Tagge

In the Legends Marvel issue “In Mortal Combat”, Luke encounters Darth Vader on the Mid-Rim world of Monastery. With Vader’s lightsaber ignited and little hope of escape, Luke fights the Sith Lord, having grown in skill with the Force since his past duels with Kharys and Orman Tagge. Once again allowing the Force to guide his strikes, Luke gradually overpowers Vader and delivers a killing blow, but when Vader falls, it’s Orman Tagge who hits the ground. The real Darth Vader hadn’t fought Luke, he simply cast his appearance onto Tagge using dark side Force powers.

Vader’s trickery achieved two goals: eliminating Tagge (whom he saw as more of an annoyance than a rival) and gaining an opportunity to study Luke’s fighting prowess. Luke fled, realizing that for all his victories, he was still no match for Darth Vader.

Luke vs Celeste Morne

Luke Skywalker and Celeste Morne

In the Legends-era Star Wars: Rebellion comics, Luke, Leia, and the Rebel Clone Trooper Able are led into a trap by Darth Vader on an unnamed desert moon. There, the Rebel team is attacked by rakghouls (monsters created by Sith sorcery) led by Celeste Morne, an ancient Jedi who had been in stasis for thousands of years and is now possessed by a Sith amulet, rendering her violently delusional.

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In his brief fight with Morne, Luke is completely outclassed. Unlike his duel with Kharys, Luke doesn’t get an opportunity to take his opponent by surprise and is quickly overpowered by Morne’s superior lightsaber skills and use of the Force. Luke and Leia manage to escape thanks to Able (at the cost of his life) and Morne briefly overcoming the talisman’s control. Like his previous duel, Luke is once again reminded of how much he has to learn before he can become a Jedi.

Luke vs Darth Vader (Mimban)

Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader in Splinter of the Mind's Eye

The 1978 novel Splinter of the Mind’s Eye was the first Expanded Universe novel. The book was based on a story by George Lucas himself, which was a planned low-budget sequel to Star Wars if it performed poorly. The film was a critical and commercial success, but Splinter of the Mind’s Eye still became part of the original Star Wars continuity. In 2 ABY (a year before The Empire Strikes Back), Luke and Leia search for the Kaiburr crystal (a Force-imbued relic similar to lightsaber crystals) on Mimban, with Darth Vader and his forces hoping to obtain it as well. In Mimban’s Temple of Pomojema, their paths cross, leading to a climactic confrontation.

Leia takes Luke’s lightsaber and attacks Vader first, but is easily defeated and left injured. She tosses Luke the weapon, and Luke fights Vader for the first time. With the help of Obi-Wan Kenobi’s spirit, Luke defends himself against the more skilled Vader, but the Kaiburr crystal gradually strengthens Luke and weakens Vader (due to the latter’s use of the dark side), allowing Luke to cut off Vader’s arm. Far from defeated, Vader picks up his lightsaber with his other arm and prepares to defeat Luke, but he loses his footing (likely due to the Kaiburr crystal’s effects) and falls into a chasm, allowing Luke and Leia to escape with the crystal. Though Luke by no means defeated Vader, their duel proved that the Sith Lord wasn’t invincible.

Luke vs Darth Vader (Cymoon 1)

Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader in Marvel's Star Wars comics

In Marvel’s very first Canon Star Wars comic, Luke and the rest of the Heroes of Yavin attack an Imperial base on Cymoon 1. Everything goes according to plan until Darth Vader arrives, leading to a confrontation between him and Luke. In Canon, this was Luke’s first lightsaber fight against Vader or any other foe. Unsurprisingly, Luke is quickly trounced by the Sith Lord, but thanks to a distraction caused by Han and Leia in a stolen AT-AT, Luke escapes. Like his early duels in Legends, this showed Luke that his brief lessons from Obi-Wan in Star Wars only scratched the surface of the training he needed.

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Luke vs “The Gamemaster”

Luke Skywalker and Kreel

In the Canon Marvel story arc “Showdown on the Smuggler's Moon,” Luke is captured by the crime lord (and collector of Jedi artifacts) Grakkus the Hutt on Nar Shaddaa. Grakkus hopes to make money off of the death of the “last Jedi” by having Luke fight his monsters and die entertainingly. In preparation for this, he has one of his henchmen, known as the “Gamemaster,” train Luke in lightsaber combat. Though not a Force-user, the Gamemaster is highly skilled in lightsaber use, and he easily bests Luke in their practice duels. The Gamemaster turns out to be an elite Imperial spy named Kreel, and his practice duels with Luke ironically helped the Rebel become more skilled in lightsaber combat.

Luke vs Kreel

Luke Skywalker fights Kreel

In the 24th and 25th issues of Marvel’s Canon Star Wars comics, Luke and Sergeant Kreel of SCAR Squadron have their first true duel. Aboard a Rebel-commandeered Star Destroyer, Kreel reveals himself to Luke as the so-called Gamemaster on Nar Shaddaa and attempts to capture Luke for Darth Vader. Luke once again finds himself overwhelmed by Kreel’s superior dueling skills, but before he could be overpowered, Luke defeats the Imperial spy with a Force push that briefly renders Kreel unconscious. The duel gave Luke more dueling experience and taught him the merits of using the Force defensively in combat.

Luke vs Kreel (Rematch)

Luke Skywalker fights Kreel on Crait

In Marvel’s one-shot comic Star Wars: The Last Jedi – The Storms of Crait, the Rebels and the Imperial SCAR Squadron clash on the red planet Crait. Luke has his final lightsaber duel between Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back against Sergeant Kreel once again. This time, Luke proves to be far more formidable than their last encounter. While Kreel remains the more skilled duelist, Luke doesn’t relent, trading blows with the Imperial spy until he finds an opening (a distraction caused by Crait’s fauna) and bisects the hilt of Kreel’s lightsaber. Kreel and his squad flee Crait, and Luke grows even more skilled in lightsaber use.

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