From the Original Trilogy to the Prequels, we’ve seen Luke Skywalker take action many times, especially in his legendary duels with Darth Vader. But before those iconic battles, Luke actually faced someone else in a lightsaber duel before the Return of the Jedi.
First, he went through a lightsaber lesson against an elite stormtrooper, then later had a rematch. But even more surprising, Luke’s actual first duel with Darth Vader happened before their infamous clash on Cloud City. And yes, all of this is canon.
Here’s how it all went down.
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Luke Learned to Duel with a Lightsaber from an Elite Stormtrooper
After destroying the Death Star in the Battle of Yavin, Luke set out on his journey to become a Jedi. This story takes place in the Star Wars (2015) comic series, spanning issues #9 to #12. That path eventually led him to Nar Shaddaa, the infamous Smuggler’s Moon—a place where carrying a lightsaber made him an instant target. Before he even realized it, a skilled pickpocket managed to steal his weapon, forcing Luke into a chase through the lawless streets to get it back.
His pursuit eventually led him straight into the hands of Grakkus the Hutt, a massive crime lord with a fascination for Jedi artifacts. Grakkus wasn’t interested in credits—he wanted Luke to activate a Jedi Holocron stored in his collection. But for Luke, this was the first time he had ever seen one, and he had no idea how to open it. When he refused, Grakkus threatened him, making it clear that if he didn’t figure it out, his droids would blast him on the spot. Pushed to the edge, Luke suddenly, and unexpectedly, activated every single Holocron in Grakkus’ vault.
But that only made things worse. Impressed by Luke’s connection to the Force, Grakkus decided he wasn’t going to let him go. Instead, he threw Luke into his arena, where he would be forced to fight for survival. His first opponent? Kreel—an elite stormtrooper secretly working for the Empire and serving under Darth Vader in the 501st Legion. Posing as the arena’s gamemaster, Kreel had experience with lightsaber combat, and when the duel began, it was obvious Luke was outmatched.
After the fight, Grakkus wasn’t impressed. Luke’s lack of skill proved, in the Hutt’s eyes, that he wasn’t worth keeping as a fighter. Instead of giving him another chance, Grakkus decided to throw him into the pit against one of his monstrous pets—expecting Luke to meet his end in the arena.
Second Lightsaber Duel With Kreel
So, when Luke first fought Kreel with a lightsaber, he was completely outmatched, just like I mentioned earlier. But in their second duel, things started to turn in Luke’s favor. After the events in Grakkus’s arena, Luke finally escaped and continued his journey with the Rebellion alongside Leia and Han Solo. If you’ve been following the same comic series, you’ll know that in issue #24, we see Luke, Leia, and Han on a mission to rescue an allied planet, Tureen VII, from the Empire. To pull this off, they hijack a Star Destroyer to draw Darth Vader’s attention. But, as expected, Vader doesn’t take the bait himself—he sends in a squad of Elite Stormtroopers led by Sergeant Kreel.
Now, we get a rematch between Luke and Kreel, this time aboard a Star Destroyer.
This fight plays out differently because Luke has learned from his mistakes. He still takes a few hits early on, but this time, he finally starts using the Force to his advantage. Kreel may be a skilled fighter, but at the end of the day, he’s just a regular person without the Force. Luke uses a well-timed Force push to send Kreel flying and easily defeats the Elite Stormtrooper.
Luke’s First Lightsaber Duel with Darth Vader
Most of us remember Luke’s first lightsaber duel with Vader happening in The Empire Strikes Back when they clashed on Cloud City. But the Star Wars canon comics reveal that their first actual fight took place much earlier—right after Luke destroyed the first Death Star.
In the Star Wars (2015) comic series, starting with issues #1 and #2, Vader is sent to Cymoon 1, a heavily guarded Imperial weapons facility, to negotiate supplies with Jabba the Hutt’s representatives. For someone like Vader, this was just another routine mission. What he didn’t know was that the Rebels had already infiltrated the base, intending to sabotage it.
As the Rebels wreak havoc inside, Chewbacca, stationed as a lookout, spots Vader approaching and quickly alerts Leia. Without hesitation, she orders him to take the shot. Chewie, relying on the element of surprise, opens fire.
But against Vader, blasters are useless. With ease, he deflects every shot, immediately alerting the Stormtroopers to the Rebel’s presence.
Inside the base, Vader senses something strange—an unfamiliar yet oddly familiar presence in the Force. His thoughts shift to the pilot responsible for the Death Star’s destruction, and he follows the sensation, closing in on its source.
Meanwhile, Luke is driven by vengeance. He still believes Vader murdered both his father and Obi-Wan, so he rushes to confront the Sith Lord. When they finally meet, Vader doesn’t recognize Luke yet. Instead, he dismisses him as an amateur, scoffing:
“You hold that weapon like an untrained child. You have no right to it. You, boy, are no Jedi. Who are you?”
The fight barely lasts—Vader easily outmatches Luke, disarming him in seconds. But something unexpected catches his eye: Luke’s lightsaber. He recognizes it instantly.
Standing there with both his red blade and Luke’s blue one, Vader begins to realize there’s a connection. This boy is tied to his past, and that weapon—it could only have come from Obi-Wan. Before he can process it all, an AT-AT walker, now under Rebel control, crashes into the area, cutting their fight short. Luke escapes, completely unaware that he just slipped away from the father who hasn’t yet uncovered the full truth.
