Darth Vader vs. Captain America would be a battle for the ages. Imagine one of the most feared antagonists in cinematic history squaring off against one of the most heroic.
It is a battle between the supernatural Force-wielder and a science experiment that turned a 90-pound boy into a supersoldier.
In one corner stands the Chosen One, Darth Vader. He was so well-versed in the dark side of the Force that few survived when they crossed his path. In the other corner stands Captain America, a man who led the Avengers into many epic battles.
Table of Contents
Who Is Darth Vader?
Born as Anakin Skywalker in 41 BBY to a single mother, Darth Vader grew up as a slave to the junk dealer, Watto, on the desert planet Tatooine. In Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace, the unorthodox Qui-Gon Jinn discovered Skywalker and sensed the boy’s connection to the Force.
Despite the Jedi High Council’s warnings regarding the fear in Skywalker, Jinn insisted he would train Anakin, stating that his Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi, was ready to face the Jedi Trials.
It wasn’t meant to be, as Darth Maul killed Jinn while Skywalker stuck a dagger into the Trade Federation when he blew up the trade ship from the inside.
This prompted the new Jedi Knight, Obi-Wan Kenobi, to train Skywalker. But ten years later in Attack of the Clones, Skywalker grew powerful, yet arrogant. He believed his Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, was holding him back.
Skywalker also reached out for a meeting with his mother after he experienced troubling visions of her. Unfortunately for him, those visions proved to be catastrophic.
Tusken Raiders abducted his mother and she was barely alive when he found her. After Shmi died from her injuries, an angered Skywalker massacred the Tusken village and vowed he would save those closest to him from dying.
Fall To The Sith
In Revenge of the Sith, Skywalker’s descent to the dark side intensified when he murdered Count Dooku on Chancellor Palpatine’s orders. Palpatine, who was really Darth Sidious in disguise, grew close to Skywalker, and appointed him as his personal representative.
Despite Skywalker’s new position, the Jedi Council refused to promote him to the rank of Jedi Master. The Jedi also grew suspicious of Palpatine and ordered Skywalker to spy on him. In return, Anakin’s faith in the Jedi Order dwindled, foreshadowing what was to come.
Later, Skywalker learned that Palpatine was the elusive Sith Lord controlling both sides of the Clone Wars.
While he initially reported Palpatine, Skywalker had a change of heart when Mace Windu attempted to murder the Sith Lord. He sliced off half of Windu’s arm, leading to the Master of the Jedi Order’s death.
While Anakin initially panicked, Darth Sidious informed him that he was “fulfilling his destiny.” Skywalker succumbed to the dark side and became known as Darth Vader.
Jedi Purge And Duel With Kenobi
As Darth Vader, he led the 501st Legion into the Jedi Temple, massacring the Jedi younglings. Later, he killed the Separatist leaders on the volcanic planet of Mustafar.
While on Mustafar, Vader met Kenobi and the two engaged in an epic duel.
While it seemed like Vader gained the upper hand multiple times early on, he and Kenobi dueled until the latter gained the “higher ground.” Ignoring Kenobi’s warnings, Vader attempted to kill his former Master, only to have his arm and legs cut off.
His mangled and burned body necessitated a black suit that Vader wore for the rest of his life.
This coincided with the fall of the Republic. And from its ashes, Darth Sidious became the Emperor while Vader served as his right hand, leading his Inquisitors in hunting down and killing former Jedi while wreaking havoc throughout the galaxy.
Given the ominous appearance his suit gave him, even the Imperial Military feared the fallen Jedi Knight.
Few were brave enough to challenge Vader and most who did ended up dead. Former Jedi fell to Vader, and those who dueled the Sith Lord could not defeat him. So, could Marvel’s Captain America pose a legitimate challenge?
Who Is Captain America?
Just as Darth Vader had a given name, so did Captain America. Born on July 4th, 1918 as Steve Rogers, the first Avenger was orphaned at the age of eighteen when his mother died of tuberculosis.
While Vader was the Chosen One, Rogers was more of an underdog, standing at just 5’4, and weighing 90 pounds.
He also suffered from a plethora of medical issues. But that didn’t stop Rogers’ spirit, as he attempted to enlist in the U.S. Armed Forces multiple times during WWII.
Eventually, Rogers enlisted the help of Dr. Abraham Erksine. The doctor, along with Colonel Phillips and Peggy Carter, were in charge of a supersoldier program.
And despite potential side-effects, Rogers agreed to go through a series of injections that improved his physical abilities. Unfortunately, an undercover assassin wreaked havoc, killing Erskine, and eventually commited suicide via cyanide.
As a result, Rogers instead became a sideshow act as Captain America instead of a supersoldier for Senator Brandt.
He traveled the country and later the world. But while in Italy, he discovered a battalion his friend Bucky Barnes was part of had gone missing.
This prompted Rogers back into action, eventually freeing Barnes and his crew from a German facility called Hydra. Rogers was rewarded for his efforts, but unfortunately, he crash-landed a plane into the Arctic Ocean.
For nearly the next seven decades, Rogers was submerged, frozen in the arctic until he awakened in 2011. The world had changed. His love interest, Peggy Carter, had grown elderly, but Rogers had a new purpose in the modern world as Captain America.
Captain America vs. Ironman
Rogers became one of the most recognizable figures in the Avengers. He fought alongside the likes of Tony Stark (Ironman), Thor, and Bruce Banner (Incredible Hulk) during the Battle of New York.
Rogers later contributed to defeating Ultron, and he resisted succumbing to government control via the Sokovia Accords.
In Captain America: Civil War, Rogers was involved in a heated dispute with Stark regarding the Sokovia Accords. While Rogers did not want government oversight of the Avengers, Stark did.
The rift led to a fight between the two after Rogers revealed he knew who killed Stark’s parents. Rogers won the duel, showing that he could defeat one of the most powerful Avengers in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Captain America in Infinity War
Despite his victory over Stark, Rogers did not emerge victorious in Infinity War when confronting Thanos’ army. This showed that even Captain America had limitations against supervillains, and that could prove costly if he were to duel Darth Vader.
While avenging the fallen in Avengers: Endgame, Rogers, Thor, and Stark teamed up to fight Thanos. But neither Rogers nor his allies could defeat him. However, he did discover that he could wield Thor’s legendary Hammer, known as Mjolnir.
Further, it was not Rogers, but Stark, who outsmarted Thanos and ultimately defeated the supervillain. Since Rogers had a lot of help while leading the Avengers, especially in Infinity War and Endgame, this would prove problematic in a one-on-one duel with Darth Vader.
Darth Vader vs. Captain America: Side-By-Side Comparison
| Darth Vader | Captain America |
| Weapon of Choice: Lightsaber | Weapon of Choice: Shield |
Powers and Abilities:
Source: https://screenrant.com/star-wars-trivia-darth-vader-force-superpowers-powers/ |
Powers and Abilities
Superhuman Ability in the Following:
Sources: https://www.marvel.com/characters/captain-america-steve-rogers/in-comics https://screenrant.com/unknown-super-powers-captain-america/ |
| Biggest Strength: Wielding the Force | Biggest Strength: Superhuman Ability |
| Biggest Weakness: Arrogance | Biggest Weakness: Lacks high-tech and supernatural weapons beyond his enhanced physical abilities. |
Keys to Victory:
|
Keys to Victory:
|
| Occupation: Sith Lord | Occupation: Avenger |
Can Darth Vader Beat Captain America?
Darth Vader can call on the supernatural powers of the Force to successfully combat Captain America. And while the Captain has superhuman strength, speed, and agility, he has no known supernatural powers unless he wields Thor’s Hammer.
Captain America must not underestimate Vader’s Force ability. The Sith Lord can use the Force to choke the Captain and even strike him with Force lightning.
While Captain America’s armor is bulletproof, can it withstand Vader’s Force-wielding capabilities?
Despite the Avenger’s speed, Vader can further hold off Captain America with his precognitive abilities. Since he can use the Force to telekinetically control his lightsaber, Vader can easily strike down Captain America even if the latter is battling the Sith Lord at full speed.
So the question is: How does the Captain overcome Vader’s cognitive abilities and deep connection to the Force?
He is left with just two options: Call on Thor’s Hammer and summon the supernatural energy it brings, or outsmart Vader.
Who Wins?
In this duel, it is clear Darth Vader has the initial advantage given his deep connection with the Force.
His Force speed will match Captain America’s enhanced speed and agility. He can also use precognition to anticipate the Captain’s movements and win the duel.
Captain America’s bulletproof armor probably isn’t going to stop a lightsaber, Force lightning, or Force choke. However, while Captain America’s shield might not be able to stop Vader’s Force-wielding ability, Mjolnir definitely will.
Captain America’s best bet is to use his shield for defense, while unleashing the power of Mjolnir for offense.
Now the question is: Can Darth Vader use the Force against the Hammer? If the answer is yes, then Vader wins this duel as Captain America is out of options.
Even if the Captain uses his intelligence to pinpoint Vader’s movement patterns, how long would he be able to hold off the Sith Lord?
However, if Vader’s ability to use the Force isn’t strong enough to withstand the power of Thor’s hammer, Captain America wins this duel.
One-on-one, Vader would win. His Force-wielding ability is too powerful for Captain America to overcome. But if the Captain had Thor’s hammer, he may be able to overcome Vader.
Conclusion
This duel gives Darth Vader a huge initial advantage. Captain America may have superhuman speed, strength, and indestructible armor, but Vader can use the Force to match all of these traits.
However, the Captain can outsmart Vader while using his shield for defense and Thor’s Hammer for offense. Given the Hammer’s supernatural ability, he can wield it to potentially overcome Vader’s Force sensitivity.