Why Darth Vader Was TERRIFIED After His Duel With Obi-Wan?

In Episode IV – A New Hope, we only see one lightsaber duel—and it’s the legendary final face-off between Darth Vader and his old master, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Right before Vader delivers the final blow, something strange happens: Obi-Wan lowers his blade, lets Vader strike… and then vanishes into thin air. All that’s left behind is his cloak and lightsaber hilt lying on the floor.

But did you know that moment actually terrified Darth Vader?

It’s not something we see in the film, but the original A New Hope novelization describes Vader’s reaction in detail—and it changes the way we look at that scene completely.

Here’s what really scared him about Obi-Wan’s mysterious disappearance.

What Really Made Vader Terrified After Obi-Wan Vanished

As I mentioned earlier, the A New Hope novelization gives us a much deeper look at how terrified Vader was after landing the final strike on Obi-Wan Kenobi aboard the Death Star.

In Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (Junior Novelization), the scene picks up right after Luke, Han, and Chewbacca finish rescuing Princess Leia and are making their way back to the Millennium Falcon—just like we remember from the movie. That’s when Luke spots Obi-Wan dueling Darth Vader. Obi-Wan turns, gives Luke a small smile, and calmly raises his lightsaber, closing his eyes. He looks at peace.

Vader, thinking Obi-Wan is surrendering, shows no mercy. He raises his own lightsaber and strikes. But just as the red blade is about to connect—Obi-Wan disappears. His cloak and lightsaber drop to the floor, and his body is gone.

The book describes it like this:

“Darth Vader thought Obi-Wan was surrendering, but the dark lord was without mercy. Vader’s lightsaber swept through the air and sliced through Ben’s form. Ben’s cloak and lightsaber fell to the floor. His body was gone.”

As the stormtroopers engage the escaping rebels, Vader stands still. He doesn’t join the fight. He doesn’t react to the chaos. Because at that moment, he’s in shock—confused and genuinely shaken by what just happened.

The novel lets us inside Vader’s thoughts:

“Darth Vader ignored the blasterfight and looked down at the old brown cloak and lightsaber that lay on the floor. Incredibly, Obi-Wan had completely disappeared. Where is he? How could he vanish? What sort of trickery is this? He had assumed Obi-Wan’s study of the Force had ended long ago, and that his powers had diminished over time. But Vader was wrong.”

This wasn’t just confusion—it was fear. Real fear. Vader had faced powerful Jedi before, but this was something different. He didn’t just fail to land a killing blow—he had no idea what he had just struck. The man he once knew as Obi-Wan Kenobi didn’t die. He vanished. And that shook Vader to his core.

For years, Vader believed Obi-Wan was growing weaker, hiding in the shadows, cut off from the Force. But now? That moment proved the opposite. Obi-Wan had reached a level of mastery Vader didn’t expect—maybe a level he couldn’t understand. That’s what terrified him.

Because if Obi-Wan could do this… who else could? What else was the Jedi Order hiding? What if Vader hadn’t truly become more powerful than his old master after all?

But Did You Know Vader Was So Confident Before the Fight?

Mentioning Vader’s fear might feel like it comes out of nowhere—but that’s exactly what makes it so powerful. Before the confrontation on the Death Star, Vader wasn’t just prepared—he was confident. He even felt satisfied seeing Obi-Wan again, believing this was the moment he could finally end his old Master’s life and prove himself once and for all.

In the A New Hope novelization (originally titled Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker by Alan Dean Foster, credited to George Lucas), we actually get a much deeper look at this duel—and it’s way more intense than what we saw in the film.

It starts with Vader declaring: “I have been waiting a long time, Obi-Wan Kenobi. We meet again at last. The circle has been completed.”

Obi-Wan senses something beneath that mask—“Kenobi sensed satisfaction beneath the hideous mask.”

That satisfaction is Vader believing he’s about to win.

As their lightsabers clash, Obi-Wan tells him: “You still have much to learn.”

To which Vader fires back: “You were once my teacher, and I learned much from you. But this time of learning has long passed. I am the master now.”

The fight keeps building. Vader senses Obi-Wan’s power weakening and taunts: “Your powers are weak, old man. You should never have come back.”

But Obi-Wan hits back with this line: “You sense only a part of the Force, Darth. As always, you perceive its reality as little as a utensil perceives the taste of food.”

They keep clashing. As Luke and the others make their escape, Vader prepares his final strike—but Obi-Wan blocks him one last time. Vader sneers: “You still have your skill, but your power fades. Prepare to meet the Force, Obi-Wan.”

And Obi-Wan gives him one final warning: “This is a fight you cannot win, Darth. Your power has matured since I taught you, but I too have grown much since our parting. If my blade finds its mark, you will cease to exist. But if you cut me down, I will only become more powerful. Heed my words.”

But Vader doesn’t listen. In his pride, he dismisses it all with one final line: “Your philosophies no longer confuse me, old man. I am the master now.”