Who Could Vader NOT Defeat?

Vader the all-powerful or not so powerful after all? Fans and writers have speculated about the power of Vader since his entrance into the Star Wars universe.

We might say that Vader is invincible, but are their opponents who could defeat him?

Read on to find out who Vader could NOT defeat. 

Can Vader Be Defeated?

We tend to recognize Vader’s power and ability to take out Jedi left and right. After Order 66, Vader had an uncanny ability to find and destroy the Jedi.

Until the end of Return of the Jedi, he was the top, seemingly invincible, villain.

However, writers have indicated that Vader can be defeated. This recent article argues that ten Star Wars characters can defeat Vader.

This list includes Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Palpatine, Luke Skywalker, and Darth Bane. Each of these contenders shows promise, especially the top Jedi Yoda and Bane as “a more disciplined Sith.” 

Yet, Yoda never demonstrated his clear-cut ability to win over opponents, as when he fought Palpatine. And, Bane was from a different era, harkening back to the Jedi-Sith Wars and the creation of the Rule of Two.

Both of these opponents then prompt improbabilities of defeating Vader, as does Darth Plageuis, another theoretical contender, but one displaced by Palpatine. 

Who Could Vader NOT Defeat?

If we intersect fan comments, we can cross-reference the above list and narrow the focus to a few contenders. Fans here point out how Vader lost to Obi-Wan two times and that Vader would lose to the Emperor.

Obi-Wan defeated Anakin on Mustafar and Vader in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, and Vader only threw Palpatine down the reactor shaft because “Palps” was blindsided. 

True enough that Obi-Wan defeated Anakin after their lengthy battle on Mustafar. We remember Anakin’s attempted jump over Obi-Wan that ended with the latter losing his legs and an arm.

It seems that Anakin could not defeat Obi-Wan, but he had the advantage for most of the fight and only lost because of that prideful leap. This contender remains problematic.

Vader’s loss to Obi-Wan in the Kenobi series is likewise contestable. As this article conveys, the show was plagued with “storytelling inconsistencies” that undermined its credibility.

To that point, Obi-Wan defeated Vader not by lightsaber skills but by Force pushing Vader and hurling rocks at him. These are dimensions of this character introduced by this series and are not necessarily aligned well. 

As for Vader losing to Palpatine, that seems accurate. The Emperor’s Force lightning powers alone would be too difficult to contend with.

We know this power from Revenge of the Sith when Palpatine inflicted Yoda with it. We also saw this power unleashed against Luke in Return of the Jedi. 

Like his son, Vader could not contend with Palpatine’s Force lightning, as reflected in the Darth Vader Comic #40 when Palpatine overwhelmed him with Force lightning.

In addition, the latest comic reveals that Vader could not defeat the Emperor for another reason. Palpatine “feeds on Vader’s hatred of him” undermining Vader’s ability to win. 

What About Luke and Mace Windu?

We know from Return of the Jedi that Luke defeated Vader in lightsaber combat. Yet, fans have put forward the idea that Vader was not truly trying to beat Luke but to lure him to the dark side.

Vader also lost faith in the Emperor and himself on the dark side, as reflected in his turn against Palpatine. Hence, for several reasons, Vader was not at his full fighting ability.

Both of these explanations undermine the idea of Luke defeating Vader. Then again, Luke seemed quite powerful in The Mandalorian, thrashing Dark Troopers with ease.

At the height of his power, Luke does seem like a viable candidate to defeat Vader. 

Mace Windu is a name that is often brought up as a Jedi who could potentially defeat Vader. Windu was known as possibly second to Yoda in Force abilities.

Yet, when Anakin/Vader fought, Windu did not fare so well. In the comics too, Vader dispatched with Windu. 

Not Many Could Defeat Vader

Opinions will vary and debates will continue, but it seems likely that the list of people who Vader could NOT defeat is short.

The assessment here concludes with two main ones, Palpatine and Luke. 

Todd Wahlstrom

Todd Wahlstrom is a creative and analytical freelance writer and life-long Star Wars fan. He has covered such topics as Darth Vader, the Jedi, Boba Fett, and AT-AT Walkers. Todd has published a non-fiction book, holds a Ph.D. in history, and enjoys hiking, running, and reading about science.