In the Comics, Vader Freezes an AT-AT With the Force and Dismantles It

We all know Darth Vader for his Force choke — it’s his signature move, especially when he’s “disciplining” Imperial officers. But what I love even more is when Vader shows his full power right in front of his enemies. That’s when you really see how terrifying he actually is.

And one comic moment takes it to another level. In the middle of battle, Vader stares down an AT-AT, stops its massive foot mid-stomp with the Force, and then tears the entire machine apart piece by piece. And here’s the kicker: the walker was being piloted by Han and Leia.

Vader Freezes an AT-AT With the Force and Tears It Apart

In Star Wars (2015) issue #2, we see one of the most jaw-dropping displays of Darth Vader’s power. The story follows the Rebels on Cymoon 1, where Luke, Leia, and Han infiltrate an Imperial weapons factory. Things fall apart quickly, and Luke suddenly finds himself face-to-face with Vader. The duel isn’t really a duel at all — Luke charges in, clumsy and furious, swinging his lightsaber like a kid with no real training. Vader easily parries his blows, mocking him as nothing more than an “untrained child.” He disarms Luke in seconds and is ready to strike him down.

But before Vader can deliver the killing blow, chaos erupts. Out of nowhere, an AT-AT walker smashes through the walls of the facility — piloted by none other than Han and Leia. Their goal is simple: create enough of a distraction for Luke and the prisoners to escape. Leia urges Han to just crush Vader under the walker’s massive foot, but Han complains about how clunky the controls are. Still, he lowers the AT-AT’s leg, trying to stomp Vader into the ground.

And that’s when it happens. Vader simply raises a hand, and the giant walker freezes mid-stride. The entire leg hangs suspended in the air, unable to complete its movement. Inside the cockpit, Han can hardly believe what he’s seeing, muttering that it shouldn’t even be possible. But Leia knows exactly what’s happening: Vader is using the Force to stop an Imperial walker — thousands of tons of steel and weapons — like it was nothing.

The moment doesn’t end there. Vader begins to dismantle the AT-AT piece by piece, ripping into its structure with the Dark Side. Han and Leia realize just how hopeless the situation is, their stolen walker suddenly feeling like a death trap against a Sith Lord of Vader’s caliber. Only R2-D2 saves them, finally bringing the AT-AT’s cannons online. Han fires a desperate volley, blasting Vader and breaking his grip on the walker. The explosion flings Vader back, buried in rubble, but even then he survives.

Vader claws his way out of the wreckage, his helmet torn free, leaving him briefly exposed. A lone stormtrooper stumbles across him — the one man who sees Anakin Skywalker’s scarred face beneath the mask. But Vader doesn’t allow witnesses. He snaps the trooper’s neck, replaces his helmet, and emerges once again as the unstoppable Sith Lord.

This scene isn’t just about Vader fighting rebels. It shows the true scale of his power. Soldiers, blasters, even the Empire’s most fearsome war machine — none of it compares to the Force in Vader’s hands. That’s why, for me, this comic gave us one of the most unforgettable moments of Vader being Vader.

Vader Drags Down the Transport in Kenobi Series

So we’ve seen Vader stop an AT-AT in the comics, but what I really love is when those kinds of powerful moments make it into live action. One of the example comes in Obi-Wan Kenobi (Episode 5). After Obi-Wan and the Path refugees make their desperate escape from the base on Jabiim, Vader storms in, furious and unrelenting. As the transport ship begins to lift off, he slowly raises his hand — and the impossible happens. The entire vessel freezes midair, suspended like a toy in his grip.

As the transport hangs in the air, Vader pulls it back down with overwhelming force, slamming it into the ground so violently that the hull buckles on impact. Without hesitation, he tears the vessel open with the Force, shredding through layers of metal as if they were nothing, ready to rip the Rebels out one by one.

But then comes the twist: the transport is empty. It was only a decoy. In the background, the real ship blasts off into the sky, leaving Vader standing in the wreckage — outmaneuvered by Obi-Wan’s quick thinking.

The moment isn’t just spectacular visually — it’s a statement about Vader’s power. Here, he isn’t the broken apprentice left behind on Mustafar. This is Vader at his peak, showing a level of strength so overwhelming it borders on myth, the kind of display that cements his reputation as the galaxy’s most feared enforcer.