Prelude: Hakumen vs Darth Vader

Thanks to Trident346 for the Vader information.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far far way, a war was waged for control over the entire galaxy between two factions: the Jedi, warriors who adhered to a code of selflessness, responsibility, and honor; and the Sith, who valued passion, self-reliance, and the pursuit of power. The war seemed to go on for an eternity, with no victor in sight, but this would soon change with the discovery of a prophecy. It was said that there would eventually exist a Force-sensitive being who was so powerful that they would bring balance to the Force and destroy the Sith.

Thousands of years after the prophecy was told, it would unintentionally come to pass thanks to the efforts of the Sith Lord Darth Plagueis and his apprentice, Darth Sidious. Plagueis desired immortality, and his efforts would eventually lead him and Sidious to begin manipulating the midi-chlorians, microscopic beings that serve as a medium for all living beings to access the Force. Plagueis hoped that by manipulating the midi-chlorians, he would be able to create life and will into existence a being of his and Sidious’ own design. Despite their efforts, the Force would reject them, and the midi-chlorians would act of their own accord by conceiving a child in the womb of Shmi Skywalker, a slave on the desert planet of Tatooine.

Born in 42 BBY, Anakin and his mother would be sold to Watto, a bitter junk dealer and frequent gambler in Tatooine’s podraces. He would spend several years working under the Toydarian as both a mechanic and a podracer, becoming skilled enough that he was said to be capable of building or repairing anything. He even began to work on his own podracer, which he would continue to improve over the course of two years.

Anakin’s tenure as Watto’s slave would continue until he turned nine, when he would be found by Qui-Gon Jinn, Padmé Amidala, Jar-Jar Binks, and R2-D2. The group had been searching for a replacement hyperdrive for their ship, which Watto would discuss with the Qui-Gon while leaving Anakin to manage the shop. While they left, Anakin stared at Padmé, and this happened:

Eh, I’ll cut him some slack here. I mean, he was only 9 at the time. Besides, it’s better than anything I could’ve come up with at that age.

Anyway, after that happened, Qui-Gon and his group would leave, with Anakin doing the same after cleaning up for Watto. After breaking up a street fight between Jar-Jar and one of his podracing rivals, Sebulba, Anakin would meet back up with the group and convince them to follow him to a nearby fruit stand. While paying for his purchases, however, he would drop one of his coins, which Qui-Gon would offer to pick up. As he bent down, Anakin would notice the man’s lightsaber, though he masked his surprise by offering to buy the rest of Qui-Gon’s party some fruit. After being informed by the stand’s owner, Jira, that a sandstorm was about to approach, Anakin offered to let Qui-Gon’s group stay at his house. During their visit, he would ask Qui-Gon about his lightsaber and reasons for being there, as well as learn about their damaged ship. Eager to help, Anakin volunteered to participate in the upcoming Boonta Eve Classic podrace, offering to let Qui-Gon use the money to repair their ship.

While preparing his custom podracer for the race, Anakin received a cut on his arm, which Jinn would tend to while also taking a blood sample. Having sensed something unique about the boy, Qui-Gon decided to test the blood for midi-chlorians, and he was surprised to find that the sample contained over 20,000 per cell. This was something unheard of, as even the oldest of the Jedi, Yoda, didn’t have a count that high.

Believing Anakin could have been conceived by the midi-chlorians, as Shmi had told him earlier that the boy didn’t have a father; Qui-Gon began to wonder if Anakin was the Chosen One that had been prophecised eons ago, and he became determined to take Anakin back to the Jedi Temple for training. This would eventually lead Qui-Gon to take a bet with Watto. If Anakin won the podrace, he would be allowed to take both the boy and his mother with him; but if Sebulba won, he would give Watto his ship. Watto took him up on the deal, but he said that Qui-Gon would only be allowed one or the other.

Fortunately, despite a rocky start and Sebulba’s constant attempts at playing dirty, Anakin would eventually manage to pull off a win, earning him his freedom and a possible position as a Jedi. Though he was somewhat conflicted at first, as he realized he would be leaving his mother behind, Shmi eventually convinced him to go with Qui-Gon, who would take Anakin to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. There, he would be brought before the Jedi Council, who would test his aptitude for becoming a Jedi. Though the Council acknowledged his power, they refused to train him on account of him being too old to become a Padawan and possessing too many negative emotions. Despite their judgment, Qui-Gon would announce that he intended to train the boy, anyway. Though the Council was troubled by Qui-Gon’s defiance, they chose to focus on more important matters, such as freeing Naboo from the grip of the oppressive Trade Federation.

After being permitted to accompany Qui-Gon to Naboo, Anakin would unintentionally become involved in the battle when he activated one of the planet’s starfighters while attempting to stay hidden from the Trade Federation. Fortunately, his skills in piloting allowed him to quickly adapt to the starfighter’s controls, allowing him to aid in destroying the Trade Federation’s Droid Control Ship. Though these actions would cause him to be revered as a hero, even earning the attention of Palpatine, the Supreme Chancellor of Naboo, the aftermath would be somewhat bittersweet, as he would learn that Qui-Gon had been slain by Sidious’ apprentice, Darth Maul.

After Qui-Gon’s death, his padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi, would begin training Anakin in the ways of the Force; with the Council reluctantly allowing it. The next 11 years of Anakin’s life would be spent training with Obi-Wan and going on missions with his master, though it would become clear that the Jedi Council had good reason to deny training him. Due to his status as the Chosen One and being a prodigy using the Force, Anakin grew more cocky and unruly, often butting heads with his master and refusing orders to do his own thing.

By the time he’d turned 20, Anakin was assigned to protect Padmé, who was now the ambassador of the Chrommell sector, and escort her back to Naboo. Due to his Jedi training, Anakin had been taught to keep his emotions in check, as it was believed that forming emotional attachments to others would risk temptation from the dark side. Upon seeing his childhood crush, though, he began to falter. When they talked to each other for the first time in years, Anakin’s emotions would spill out, and he would reveal his love for her, his frustration with Obi-Wan’s training methods, a hatred of politics, and his belief that the only way to obtain peace was through the use of a single leader. During their conversation, Padmé would reveal that she reciprocated his feelings for her, and they would kiss each other. Unfortunately for the two, Padmé’s duties and Anakin’s adherence to the Jedi code prevented them from taking their relationship even further.

Later that night, Anakin would be tormented by visions of his mother being tortured, something that had been plaguing him for the past few months. These particular visions were disturbing enough that they motivated him to go against his orders, taking Padmé with him to Tatooine. The two would head straight to Watto’s shop, where they would learn that Shmi had been freed and married a moisture farmer named Cliegg Lars. While speaking with Lars, he would learn that Shmi had been kidnapped by Tusken Raiders, causing him to speed off in search of her.

By nightfall, Anakin had located the Tusken village, using the Force to find where his mother was located. Though he was able to free her, it was too late. Shmi was battered, sleep-deprived, and dehydrated; and after having a final conversation with her son, she would die. The shock of his mother’s death would unleash a decade’s worth of repressed rage from Anakin, causing him to begin drawing on the dark side as he slaughtered all of the raiders. He didn’t just stop with the men, though. He also killed the women, and the children!

After he SLAUGHTERED THEM LIKE ANIMALS, Anakin would discover that Obi-Wan had been captured by the Confederacy of Independent Systems, an enemy faction of the Republic. Though he initially tried to continue his mission to protect Padmé, as his outburst with the Tuskens had caused him to lose confidence in himself; Padmé eventually convinced him that the best thing to do would be to rescue his master, and the two traveled to Kenobi’s prison on Geonosis.

Once there, the two would attempt to infiltrate the Separatists droid factory, though it would end with their capture and the destruction of Anakin’s lightsaber. Alongside Kenobi, they would be taken to a gladiatorial arena, which they would soon escape from, only to find themselves cornered by the Separatists’ droid army. Fortunately, the two would be assisted by the Jedi and the recently commissioned Clone Army, during which Anakin would take up a green lightsaber. With help from the clones, Anakin and Obi-Wan would pursue Count Dooku, a former Jedi who had become a Sith Lord and the leader of the Separatists.

During their fight, Anakin’s cockiness would lead to him attempting to take Dooku head-on, and he would earn a swift electrocution as a result. Dooku would then take on Obi-Wan, quickly overpowering and disarming him. As he prepared to strike Kenobi down, though, Anakin would use the Force to leap in front of the blow and block it, saving his master. He would then take up Obi-Wan’s lightsaber, dual-wielding them for a short time before being disarmed- both of his weapon and his right hand. After being rescued by Yoda and taken to the Jedi Temple, Anakin would be given a prosthetic arm and met with Padmé, who he would escort back to Naboo. Upon returning to Padmé’s lake retreat, the two would have a private marriage ceremony, allowing them to start a new relationship.

Unfortunately, they wouldn’t be able to enjoy themselves for too long, as Anakin would soon find himself involved in the Clone Wars. Over the course of the next three years, he would become one of the most famous figures in the Clone Wars, dubbed the Hero with No Fear by both the public and the media. His heroic actions during the war would eventually lead to him ascending from a Padawan to the rank of a Jedi Knight, and he’d even begin training his own Padawan. Though his fellow Jedi viewed him as headstrong, arrogant, and cocky, his actions would prove integral to helping end the Clone Wars, as he participated in and won more battles than any of the other Jedi and helped free planets that were under Separatist control.

Despite these victories, it would become clear over time that Anakin’s Jedi training was starting to falter. During the Clone Wars, he would suffer from occasional fits of rage, even tapping into the dark side at points when he was fully pushed. This conflict would only grow during the end of the Clone Wars, where- during a mission to rescue Palpatine from Dooku- he would draw on his fear, anger, and hatred to overpower the Count and slice off his hands. With the Sith Lord now at Anakin’s mercy, Palpatine would suggest that Skywalker take revenge by killing Dooku. Though Anakin was hesitant at first, he would eventually comply with Palpatine’s urgings, slicing through Dooku’s neck and killing him instantly.

While he initially regretted doing this, as murdering an unarmed man was a betrayal of the Jedi code, Palpatine helped calm him down by pointing out that Anakin’s actions were only natural, since he’d vowed revenge against Dooku for cutting off his arm. After freeing the Chancellor and carrying an unconscious Obi-Wan, the three men would make their escape, only to be captured by General Grievous, the commander of the Separatists’ Droid Army. With the help of R2-D2, the two Jedi would escape and begin dueling Grievous’ bodyguards, while the general himself fled the scene and left them to die on his plummeting flagship. Despite this, Anakin’s piloting skills would once again prove their worth, as he piloted what was left of the ship onto a platform in one of Coruscant’s industrial sectors.

Once he had landed, Anakin briefly parted ways with Obi-Wan, who had gone to brief the Jedi Council of their mission. After working his way around a few senators, he managed to reunite with Padmé for the first time in five months, and during their conversation, he would learn that she was pregnant. Though he was initially overjoyed by this, that night Anakin would be haunted by visions of Padmé dying in childbirth. Desperate to save her, Anakin slowly began to desire access to the holocrons in the Jedi Temple, which contained the knowledge of previous Jedi masters. There was just one problem: they were only accessible to other masters. Fortunately, it seemed that he would soon get the opportunity to ascend to that rank.

The next day, Anakin was called to Palpatine’s office, where the Chancellor would reveal that the relationship between himself and the Council were becoming more stressed. During this conversation, he would reveal to Anakin his belief that the Jedi were slowly plotting to take control of the Republic, citing the Council’s desire for more control, as well as how convenient it was that the Sith- who had supposedly been dead for millennia- just so happened to become active during a time of political unease. Seeking to keep an eye on them, Palpatine would offer Anakin a position as his personal representative on the Council. Believing this would grant him the rank of Master, Anakin accepted. Unfortunately, he would later learn from Council member Mace Windu that although they reluctantly accepted his placement, he would not be given the rank of Master.

Naturally infuriated by this, Anakin’s anger would only grow when he learned from Obi-Wan that the Council had only accepted him as a way to keep tabs on Palpatine. Over the course of his next few meetings with the Chancellor, Palpatine would continue planting seeds of doubt in Anakin’s mind, even revealing that his growing distrust of the Jedi had led him to begin researching the history of the Sith ever since the Council had informed them of their return. One of the Sith’s legends, which he personally revealed to Anakin, was The Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise, which told of a Sith Lord who had grown so powerful in the Force that he could even use it stop others from dying. Intrigued by this, Anakin asked if it was possible to learn these powers, with Palpatine responding that he wouldn’t be able to learn it from the Jedi.

During their next meeting, Anakin would inform Palpatine of a major turning point in the war, that the Council had assigned Obi-Wan to fight General Grievous; though Palpatine did not respond to this positively. Instead, he revealed that he viewed Kenobi’s assignment as way to distract everyone from the Council’s impending takeover, stating that if they had wanted to inform him, they could have used normal communication channels. To support his claims, he even revealed a petition to remove him from power, which was signed by many senators whom the Jedi had assisted throughout the Clone Wars, with one of the signatures belonging to Padmé.

Though Anakin was initially hesitant to believe this, Palpatine helped calm him down, as well as revealing that he had always been aware of his marriage to Padmé. To further ease his nerves, Palpatine asked Anakin if there was anything he desired. Initially believing this to be some sort of game, Anakin suggested a new speeder, with Palpatine’s responses egging him on until he mentioned wanting Corellia, and Palpatine asked if he wanted the planet, or the whole system. Too shocked to respond, Palpatine would tell Anakin the reason he was asking all of this was to prove that the Jedi were holding him back, and that it is important to choose for himself what he desires. Palpatine then revealed that he would be able to give Anakin anything he wanted- even the ability to save Padmé- as long as Anakin left the Jedi and became his apprentice.

When Anakin questioned how Palpatine would be able to help, the Chancellor revealed that the Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise had been real, and that he was Plagueis’ student, Darth Sidious. Realizing what this meant, Anakin brought out his lightsaber to kill him, but he stopped upon realizing that doing so would prevent him from saving Padmé.

Conflicted as to what he should do, Anakin fled to Mace, who had arrived to discuss Palpatine relinquishing his position. Upon informing Mace of what he’d been told, Anakin was told to remain at the Temple as Windu took three other Masters with him to arrest the Chancellor. While Anakin did as he was told, the thought of losing his only chance at saving Padmé caused him to turn back, and upon entering he was met with Mace standing over Palpatine and holding his lightsaber to the Chancellor’s throat.

Upon noticing Anakin, Palpatine claimed that this was proof that the Jedi were plotting to overthrow him, using the distraction of his arrival to blast Mace with Force Lightning. Windu responded to this claim by telling Anakin not to listen as he deflected the lightning back at Sidious, mutilating the Chancellor’s face in the process. Once the lightning had dispersed, Mace went in for the kill, but Anakin stopped him, trying to convince him that Palpatine should stand trial. Mace responded that Palpatine was too dangerous to be left alive, and as he prepared to bring his lightsaber down, Anakin swung his own lightsaber in an attempt to stop him. And, well, let’s just say he succeeded on that front.

[Start at 3:24]

Though he was initially horrified by what he’d done, Anakin was too emotionally drained to resist Sidious’ temptations, which the Sith Lord would prey upon by promising that together, they would discover the secret to preventing death. Realizing he had no other choice to save Padmé, and believing the Jedi had betrayed them, Anakin pledged himself to the Sith Order, with Sidious christening him under a new name: Darth Vader.

Under his new identity, Vader would carry out Sidious’ command to kill all of the Jedi, believing that doing so would prevent endless civil war. His first step in this process was to lead an assault on the Jedi Temple, which resulted in what I like to call Sand Village Slaughter: Jedi Edition. It didn’t matter who was in front of him. Men, women, children, all of them were slain without remorse. Not even Jedi Masters like Cin Drallig could escape his wrath!

Shortly after the Great Jedi Purge, Anakin briefly met back up with Padmé, informing her of the current situation between the Jedi and the Republic. Leaving his wife distraught and confused by his explanation, he continued his mission by heading to the planet Mustafar and slaughtering the members of the Separatist Council.

Once his mission had been completed, Vader contacted Sidious to inform him of his progress, and Sidious responded by ordering his apprentice to end the Clone Wars by beaming a transmission signal to the Trade Federation’s ships to deactivate their droid armies. As the transmission ended, Vader noticed Padmé’s ship in the distance, and when they reunited she revealed that Obi-Wan had informed her of his actions at the Jedi Temple. Though he didn’t deny her accusations, Vader reasoned that Obi-Wan was attempting to turn her against him. Desperate to make him see reason, Padmé attempted to convince him to leave with her and retire so they could take care of their child, but Anakin responded by suggesting that they could do that by overthrowing Palpatine and taking his place.

Horrified by what she’d heard, Padmé refused and pleaded with him to come back, but her pleas would become null and void thanks to the sudden appearance of Obi-Wan, who had stowed away on her ship. Believing his wife had betrayed him, an enraged Anakin strangled her with the Force, choking her until she was rendered unconscious. Seeing his former pupil’s wrathful state, Obi-Wan attempted to reason with him and calm him down, but Anakin refused to listen. Realizing he had no choice but to fight, Obi-Wan drew his lightsaber, and the two would begin a duel that carried them through the planet’s mining facility and onto one of its many lava rivers. Though they were evenly matched, the battle would come to an end when Obi-Wan leapt to safety from the lava river, claiming that he had the high ground. Despite Kenobi’s warnings to try and make him reconsider, Anakin’s pride and anger would get the better of him as he attempted to make the same jump, only to have both of his legs and his left arm severed.

Now crippled, Anakin attempted to climb to safety with his remaining prosthetic limb, but his attempts would only result in him falling closer to the lava. With the burning yellow eyes of the Sith, Anakin screamed his hatred for Obi-Wan, while Kenobi lamented how the man he had once loved like a brother had fallen to the dark side. Shortly after, the heat from the nearby lava would ignite Anakin’s clothing, burning him alive and sending him sliding closer to the river bank. Believing his former pupil to be dead, a grief-stricken Obi-Wan would depart from Mustafar, taking Anakin’s lightsaber as a way to commemorate his supposedly dead student.

But as it turned out, Anakin was still alive, fueled solely by his hatred as he clawed his way up the river bank. Some time later, Sidious would appear on Mustafar and, upon seeing that Anakin still lived, had him rushed off to Coruscant. There, he would be placed under reconstructive surgery, fully conscious as the medical droids attached new prosthetics and armor to his body, which would end with the placement of a helmet that allowed his damaged lungs to breathe.

As he rose from the table, Vader’s immediately questioned Sidious about Padmé, asking if she was safe. Seeking to cement his apprentice’s place in the dark side, Sidious responded by telling him that he had killed Padmé during his fit of rage. Horrified and enraged by this, Vader destroyed the medical droids and the facility before screaming in despair.

With his wife killed and his child assumed dead, Vader found himself forced to remain under the command of Palpatine, who was now Emperor of the newfound Galactic Empire. Now granted the rank of Supreme Commander and appointed as one of Palpatine’s top enforcers, Vader would spend the next 20 years of his life working to bring peace to the galaxy, all while secretly plotting to kill Sidious and Obi-Wan, the two men responsible for ruining his life.

Thanks to the injuries he’d sustained on Mustafar, Vader’s body was forcibly placed into a black suit of armor. Designed to serve as a mobile life support system and intimidate others, this suit enhances Vader’s strength, durability, and defenses. Its mask serves as a breathing device, with lenses that let him see in infrared and ultraviolet vision, analyze his surroundings, and lock on to his targets. And if Vader’s ever in the presence of excess light, a pair of eyeshields will automatically appear over the lenses to protect his damaged retinas. His shoulders, upper body, and shins are covered in durasteel plating that shields him from blistering heat, freezing cold, and even lighstabers. It also contains a blast-resistant padding on the gloves, chest, and arms that, while not as durable, can withstand fire, explosions, piercing weapons, and poisons. And if it does receive damage, the suit can seal itself to protect Vader from wounds and burns. But it doesn’t end there!

In addition to defending Vader, the suit also contains prosthetics that further enhance his strength, allowing him to leap long distances or lift several hundred pounds. The arms are also equipped with gloves created from a micronized iron, which can deflect anything short of a lightsaber. Speaking of which…

Vader’s main weapon of choice is a dual-phase lightsaber, which he can adjust the length of to obtain a longer range. Its plasma blade is able to cut through nearly anything, from armors, to plated doors, and even your son’s hand!

But lightsaber’s aren’t just great for offense. They also work pretty well for defense, since they can be used to defend against attacks and deflect blaster bolts and Force Lightning.

During his training under the Jedi, Anakin used both variations of Form V lightsaber combat: Shien, a defensive style that focuses on deflecting long-range attacks, and Djem So, which involves defending against attacks and immediately countering. He also studied briefly under the sixth form, Niman, in order to become more proficient in using dual blades. While his initial use of this was met with… less than stellar results, over time he was able to improve enough that he could hold his own against Barriss Offee, a padawan who utilized the same fighting style. But even with his improvements, Anakin found that he preferred using Djem So, which encouraged its users to actively dominate their opponents. This dominance would cause Anakin to draw more frequently on the dark side, furthering his strength at the cost of allowing his rage to control him, which would be his downfall during his fight on Mustafar.

After his leisurely dip in lava, Vader found that his injuries and heavy armor made it harder to use Djem So like he once had. To compensate for these setbacks, he developed his own fighting style, combining aspects of all seven styles. Shii-Cho utilizes simplistic attacks, parries, and disarming techniques. Makashi focuses on defending with minimal effort, avoiding being disarmed, and attacking with jabs, parries, and light cuts. Soresu involves defending against attacks and outlasting an opponent until they make a mistake, which ironically enough is what was responsible for turning him into Vader. Ataru uses the Force to perform acrobatics while using fast, wide, powerful strikes; though due to his body’s condition, Vader will only use these techniques when he has no choice. And Juyo, the seventh style, channels the user’s emotions into wild, unpredictable strikes.

With this hybrid style, Vader has numerous ways to deal with opponents. He can use a one-handed style, combine his prosthetics’ strength with Makashi’s precision and movement to maintain a deal of power, defend himself with a variant of Soresu that lets him attack and defend at the same time, or he can overpower his opponent by channeling his emotions into a barrgage of Dark Side-powered strikes. During his final battle with Obi-Wan, he had refined this style enough that his former master- said to be the master of Soresu- couldn’t find any openings to exploit.

But Vader doesn’t just rely on his lightsaber skills when fighting others. He can also use the Force, a spiritual power that surrounds all living beings, which he can manipulate in various ways. He can use telekinesis to fling people around, disarm them of their weapons, or tear apart his surroundings and use them against his foes. He can read minds with telepathy, corrupt others to make them his allies, or use a Mind Trick to convince them to do what he says. He can even see into the future and predict an opponent’s attacks. But that’s not where his abilities end!

Aside from the self-explanatory abilities like Force Push, Force Pull, Force Jump, and Force Repulse; he can use the Force to do things like remove poisons and toxins from his body, stun people, make objects combust, cast illusions, or even make himself immovable. With Consume Essence, he can feed on another’s negative emotions to make himself stronger, strengthen himself with Force Rage, resist the effects of life-draining attacks with Drain Resistance, or use Force Crush to crush organs and destroy spaceships.

He can use Force Scream, to unleash devastating shockwaves strong enough to melt durasteel, permanently deafen people, and destroy medical droids. He even has multiple options for long-range attacks, such as shooting blasts of energy with Force Blast and Force Wave or creating a ball of energy called Kinetite. And one of his strongest abilities is Force Fear, which allows him to strike at the deepest parts of a target’s mind, forcing them to experience an uncontrollable sense of fear that leaves them demoralized and can even force them to flee. There are even two advanced variations of these techniques: Force Horror and Force Insanity. Force Horror can affect multiple enemies, making them enter a catatonic state of panic, while Force Insanity drives its victims into a state of deranged mania as they become convinced their situation is hopeless.

And much like his lightsaber, the Force also has defensive capabilities, such as the Force Barrier to block attacks, the self-explanatory Force Deflection, or the absorption technique of Tutaminis. He can even use the Force to heal himself, which can sustain him for several days and even bring him back from the dead.

Even without these abilities, Vader’s certainly a force to be reckoned with. Thanks to having the most midi-chlorians out of any Jedi and Sith in history, he would naturally be superior to past Sith Lords such as Darth Nihilus, who razed the planet Katarr, and Darth Bane, who could move a moon with the Force. This would also make him superior to two padawans who destroyed the planet they were fighting on, and while this does come from a story Qui-Gon told Obi-Wan, it does show how destructive and powerful the Force can be. Plus, it’s hinted both in the beginning and at the end of the comic that the events of this story did actually happen.

And despite what his armor would make you think, Vader’s surprisingly fast. He’s shown the ability to move faster than the eye can track, can create afterimages when moving, spin his lightsaber fast enough to turn it into a shield, and has regularly deflected blaster bolts; which are consistently described as moving at lightspeed.

But one of the most impressive things about Vader is his sheer durability. He’s tanked explosions without any issue, shrugged off Force Lightning from the Dark Jedi Nax Cirvan, withstood a tower-destroying explosion from Galen Marek, who was empowered at the time from achieving total Oneness with the Force, and once survived being buried alive for several days after forcing a tower to collapse on top of himself, which happened after he’d been torched with flamethrowers, was hit by an explosion, and had both his chest panel damaged and helmet removed. Even before he received the armor, he survived losing all of his limbs, being burned alive by lava, and then numerous reconstruction surgeries without the aid of anesthesia.

Unfortunately, despite being the Chosen One, Vader has his fair share of shortcomings. Thanks to his injuries on Mustafar, where he once had the potential to rival the likes of Yoda and Palpatine, he’s now only equal to 80% of Palpatine’s full power (CTRL+F and type percent). It also doesn’t help that Palpatine deliberately gave Vader’s armor several weaknesses to prevent him from surpassing him. This includes making it uncomfortable and poorly built, to the point where it weighed him down and restricted his movements. And while he’s shown that he can survive without it for some time, he will eventually suffocate without his mask. The suit also has a limit to how much electricity it can take, as seen after he killed Palpatine. His chest panel’s also a fairly obvious target, though he makes up for it by protecting it during combat.

But even with these flaws, Vader’s still one of the best Jedi and Sith in history. He’s slain countless Jedi Masters, including his former master and An’Ya Kuro, one of the most brutal Jedi Masters in the Council; regularly won against droids programmed with the knowledge and skills of a dozen martial artists; outclassed Aurra Sing, one of the deadliest bounty hunters in the galaxy, in unarmed combat while holding back; defeated Galen Marek in combat, and stalemated his stronger clone, Starkiller. But none of that compares to his greatest achievement: fulfilling the prophecy of the Chosen One by killing Palpatine. With this action, he gave his life to save his son, brought balance to the Force, and destroyed the Sith… at least for some time. In doing so, he was able to become one with the Force once and for all, allowing him to live on as a Force Ghost, proving there was some good left in him after all.

(Rebel soldier: “Darth Vader! Lay down your weapons. You are surrounded!”
Darth Vader: “All I am surrounded by is fear. And dead men!”)

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