When it comes to the cast of characters of Star Wars, there is arguably no hero or villain that is as iconic or highly respected as Darth Vader, the masked Sith of the Galactic Empire. One of the factors of Darth Vader that makes him so revered is his intense power. When he walks into a room, other characters quiver with fear, which is something we rarely see from other characters in the franchise.
However, despite the reverence and fear that surrounds Darth Vader within the Star Wars lore, Vader isn't necessarily the strongest character in the franchise. In fact, in a fair fight, there are a number of other Star Wars characters who could take down Lord Vader with ease. What would happen in a fight with Yoda vs. Darth Vader or Kylo Ren vs. Darth Vader? That is where the debates begin.
Updated on June 20th, 2022, by Shawn S. Lealos: Darth Vader is coming back to the Star Wars live-action universe in the Disney+ streaming series Obi-Wan. The series focuses on Obi-Wan Kenobi's life on Tatooine, watching over Luke Skywalker from a distance, while Luke's father Darth Vader is running rampant over the galaxy. What is most exciting is that Hayden Christensen is reprising his role as Anakin Skywalker, albeit in Darth Vader's armor.
Fans anxiously await to see if Obi-Wan and Darth Vader face off in another battle. In Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, Obi-Wan soundly defeated Anakin in battle but in Star Wars: A New Hope, Vader evened the odds. If anything, this will open the debate on how powerful Darth Vader is and whether or not anyone in the Star Wars universe could beat him.
Star Wars Characters Stronger Than Darth Vader
Yoda
Of all of the Jedi, Yoda is truly the best of the best. Though he may have been an old hermit in the Original Trilogy, the Prequel Trilogy showed more of what made Yoda into such a respected warrior. His wisdom and fighting skills were unmatched by any other Jedi or Sith at the time, making Yoda one of the most revered Jedi in history.
While we never got to see Yoda vs. Darth Vader, it surely would have been a sight to behold. Had Yoda and Darth Vader fought each other both at full power, the fight arguably would have landed in Yoda's favor. Both are proficient with a lightsaber and with the Force, but Yoda might just be a little bit better.
Kylo Ren
Is Kylo Ren stronger than Darth Vader? One of the most interesting parts of the Skywalker bloodline is that each generation appears to be more powerful with the Force than the last. Because of this, with enough training, Kylo Ren would surely be able to overpower his grandfather Darth Vader.
While Vader was certainly powerful with the Force, Kylo Ren is arguably even stronger, being able to freeze people in their tracks without even needing to focus on them. He can even read people's minds, which is another thing that Vader couldn't do. Even with being weaker with a sword, it's still possible Kylo Ren vs. Darth Vader would end with Ren using his advanced Force abilities.
Darth Plagueis
Darth Plagueis was the Lord of the Sith who mentored Palpatine before Palpatine took Plagueis's life in his sleep in order to become the new Sith Lord. According to Palpatine, Darth Plagueis essentially revolutionized how the Sith use the Dark Side, becoming practically immortal.
The only way he was beaten was in his sleep, as he was betrayed by the one person who he believed would protect him with his life. Because of this immense power that Darth Plagueis had, it's a safe bet that Darth Vader would not be able to overpower him in a fair fight.
Shaak Ti
Of all of the Jedi on the Jedi Council in the Prequel Trilogy, Shaak Ti is arguably one of the most underrated. Shaak Ti's Force telekinesis abilities are arguably stronger than most other Jedi. Additionally, she is incredibly wise and fast at formulating thoughts, which makes her a truly smart fighter.
Technically, Shaak Ti did lose her life to Darth Vader during the fall of the Jedi, but it was by a sneak attack while she was meditating. In a fair fight, the powerful female Jedi Shaak Ti would arguably be able to ward off Vader and most likely overpower him.
Darth Bane
During the original fall of the Sith, a thousand years before the Clone Wars, Darth Bane became the sole survivor of the Sith. Around this time, there were numerous Sith Lords, as Darth Bane created the "rule of two" after the fall of the rest of the Sith. As the Jedi went from Sith to Sith, defeating each one, Bane managed to escape them and overpower the Jedi.
He survived for decades after the fall of the Sith, generally working alone in taking down armadas of Jedi. Based on these legends of Darth Bane, and the fact that he managed to outlive every other Dark Side user at the time, it's incredibly likely that this very intelligent Sith would be able to overpower Darth Vader in a fight for survival.
Darth Revan
Thousands of years before the days of Darth Vader, there was another Force-user with a similar story. Like Vader, Darth Revan started as a Jedi Knight, being the most powerful Jedi of the time, before switching over to the Dark Side of the Force, becoming an unstoppable Sith who practically purged the galaxy of his enemies.
While their stories are similar, Darth Revan went even further than Vader. Whereas Vader bowed to Darth Sidious, Darth Revan was so powerful that he bowed to no one, becoming the sole leader of the Sith. He was able to do what Vader did but even greater.
Rey
Even without training, the young Jedi Rey showed incredible strength with the Force. Though she was never trained much with a lightsaber, she had used similar weaponry during her upbringing on Jakku to make her a proficient fighter. With her combined lightsaber skills and her unfathomably powerful Force abilities, Rey would surely be able to put up a fight in a confrontation with Darth Vader.
With enough training, Rey would even be able to overpower him. Though Vader may have been the "Chosen One," being born from the Force, the power that Rey was born with was arguably stronger.
Supreme Leader Snoke
Of all of the Force-users to appear in the Star Wars franchise, Supreme Leader Snoke appears to be top of the line, being able to overpower the likes of Kylo Ren and Rey with ease. The source of his power is an absolute mystery, but regardless, he is unlike any other Force-user in the franchise.
The only way that Snoke was able to be defeated was through an unexpected betrayal. Had this not happened, it's safe to say that Snoke would have continued to be an unstoppable foe for years to come. Had Vader and Snoke faced off against each other, Snoke's impressive Force abilities would have allowed him to defeat Vader with a mere flick of his fingers.
Darth Sidious
Darth Vader's mentor, Darth Sidious, was one of the most powerful Sith to ever live. The few times he did fight, he was seemingly unstoppable. While the version of Sidious seen in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi was easily beaten by Vader, he wasn't necessarily at full power due to his old age.
Had Darth Vader and Darth Sidious fought at a time when they were both at full power, it's safe to say that Sidious would have come out victorious. There's a reason why Darth Sidious was one of the most successful Sith Lords in history.
Luke Skywalker
As mentioned, it would seem that each generation of the Skywalker family becomes stronger than the last. After Anakin Skywalker failed to pursue his destiny, Luke Skywalker became the new "Chosen One," and thus the Force became even stronger in him than in his father.
Over the years, Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader encountered each other a number of times, with Vader getting the upper hand nearly every time. However, once Luke fully embraced his power in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, he proved that he was indeed stronger than Darth Vader and struck his father down.
Star Wars Characters Weaker Than Darth Vader
Darth Maul
Outside of Darth Vader, Darth Maul is arguably one of the most beloved members of the Sith. His incredible facial design and impressive fighting skills make Maul one of the most revered villains from Star Wars lore. However, this doesn't necessarily mean that he is on the same level as Vader.
While the fight between Darth Maul and Darth Vader would certainly be interesting to watch, given how skilled both of them are, there aren't many Star Wars fans who would argue that Maul would come out victorious. Maul may be able to do cool flips and strategize the use of his double-bladed lightsaber, but the immense power of Vader's Force abilities would be enough to overpower Maul in a duel.
Qui-Gon Jinn
Qui-Gon Jinn may have been the first Force user to mentor and teach the Jedi padawan Anakin Skywalker at a young age, but over time, Anakin became so powerful that he would have easily been able to overpower his first mentor. Qui-Gon's strength isn't in fighting but in his wisdom. He is able to make smart decisions and has a deeper understanding of the Force than arguably any other Jedi.
He even returned as a Force Ghost, finding a new ability of the Force that the Jedi had never even heard of until then. Because Qui-Gon is not as great of a fighter as the rest of the Jedi, there's no question that he could be easily struck down by Darth Vader. If Darth Maul could beat Qui-Gon in a two-on-one fight, then Vader would surely win as well.
Darth Nihilus
Darth Nihilus is another legendary Sith who lived long before the reign of Darth Vader. Despite the legends of Nihilus, it's a safe bet that he would not have survived a fight against Darth Vader. Like Qui-Gon Jinn, Darth Nihilus's work focused on the spirituality of the Force rather than his actual fighting prowess.
While he was good with a lightsaber, this isn't what he was known for. Instead, Nihilus focused his work on understanding the mortality of existence, serving as a philosopher among the Sith. While Darth Nihilus may have been wise, he certainly was not stronger than Darth Vader.
Obi-Wan Kenobi
We've seen Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi fight two times over the years, once when Vader lost in the fires of Mustafar, and again when Obi-Wan lost his life to Vader aboard the Death Star. However, each time that Vader and Obi-Wan lost, neither of them were really at full power.
Had Darth Vader been at the full power we saw him at in the Original Trilogy during his fight against Obi-Wan on Mustafar, when Obi-Wan was arguably at his strongest, the fight surely would have taken a different path. If Vader entered the fight without arrogance, and the full power of the Dark Side, Obi-Wan might not have left Mustafar in one piece.
General Grievous
General Grievous may not have been a Force-user, but he was still incredibly proficient with a lightsaber, being able to highhandedly tear through trained Jedi Knights. Despite this, had Grievous survived long enough to witness the rise of Darth Vader, it's not likely that he would've survived much longer.
Grievous may be a skilled fighter, but he never fought against a Sith. The sheer power of the Dark Side would have been enough to overpower General Grievous in a fair fight with ease. Grievous's lack of Force abilities would have been his undoing.
Mace Windu
Of all of the Jedi on the Jedi Council in the Prequel Trilogy, Mace Windu is arguably one of the most beloved. His cool and confident demeanor made him a truly respected member of the Jedi and made him a lot of fun to watch on screen. Despite this, it's safe to say that he would not fare well in a fight against Darth Vader.
While the two did technically briefly fight in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, the odds weren't necessarily in Windu's favor, considering that it was a two-against-one fight, with Vader taking Windu by surprise. Even if it was a one-on-one fight, Vader's sheer power would have been enough to overpower the confident fighting skills of Mace Windu.
Kit Fisto
Another one of the most respected members of the Jedi Council from the Prequel Trilogy was Kit Fisto, who was supposedly proficient both with a lighsaber and with the Force. Despite this, there is no question that he would have lost in a fight against Darth Vader.
The best case for this argument is seen in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith where he was taken down by Darth Sidious with ease. All of the training that Kit Fisto went through went to waste when he was pitted against an actual Sith Lord. Like most of the other Jedi on the Council, Kit Fisto was trained to fight smaller threats, and this is the main reason the Jedi fell.
Count Dooku
Like many of the other Sith, Count Dooku was incredibly proficient with the Force, even being able to win a fight against Yoda. Despite this, though, he still wasn't the best fighter with a lightsaber, and his Force skills were not nearly as powerful as Darth Vader's. It's not even up for debate that Darth Vader is stronger than Count Dooku.
Even before he was at full power, Anakin Skywalker was able to overpower Dooku simply based on his lightsaber training. Had Dooku fought Darth Vader at full power, the fight likely would have been a lot shorter. All things considered, it makes complete sense that Darth Sidious preferred Anakin as his apprentice over Count Dooku.
Mara Jade
Despite much of Mara Jade's details no longer being considered canon in Star Wars lore, she is still one of the most beloved Star Wars characters by hardcore fans. In the original Legends of Star Wars, Mara Jade was a powerful fighter, originally trained as a Sith, who went on to marry Luke Skywalker.
Despite being a beloved character with great intentions who is also great in a fight, she likely would not have won a fair fight against Darth Vader. For quite a while, Jade was actually Vader's apprentice, serving directly under the Sith Lord. Despite this, her power level never truly reached that of her mentor.
Leia Organa
The other Skywalker twin, Leia, never truly reached the same strength as her brother or her father. Rather than choosing to fight, Leia became a proficient leader who could delegate the fighting to those under her. She did have Force abilities, but she never trained or studied these powers, and thus became an untapped goldmine of Force power for her entire life.
Hypothetically, had Leia studied in the Force or as a fighter, she could've been just as powerful as Luke and stronger than Vader. Unfortunately, this was not the path that Leia chose to follow, and thus she will always be considered weaker than Darth Vader.