Why Did Anakin Skywalker Lose His Lightsaber Skills After Becoming Darth Vader?

If you compare Anakin’s lightsaber duels to Vader’s later fights, it’s like watching two different people. The movement, the speed, the way he approaches combat – it’s just not the same.

But what caused that change? Let’s break it down and see what really happened.

Getting Your Limbs Chopped Off & Stuck in a Walking Coffin Changes Things

If I lost three limbs, got set on fire, and barely made it out alive, I’d be lucky to even hold a lightsaber, let alone fight with one. And that’s exactly what happened to Anakin.

Obi-Wan didn’t just beat him – he ruined him. Took his legs, took an arm, left him burning on Mustafar like a crispy, angry nugget.

By the time Palpatine dragged him out of there, all that was left was a torso full of rage.

The only reason he lived was because of life support and some clunky new robot parts. And yeah, those limbs were strong – stronger than human ones, no doubt.

But precise? Not even close. Have you ever tried writing with a pair of metal claws? You could still do it, but your handwriting would be a mess. That’s what happened to Vader.

He still knew how to fight, but his body wasn’t responding like it used to. He had to relearn everything.

After all, Palpatine threw him into a walking nightmare of a suit. Stiff. Heavy. Uncomfortable as hell.

He couldn’t lift his arms properly, couldn’t turn fast, and forget about jumping. Fighting in it was like wearing medieval armor. Have you ever tried running in something like that? Yeah, not happening. And the worst part? It hurt. All the time.

The suit wasn’t comfortable at all – it constantly stabbed into his skin, and his prosthetics weren’t even top-tier cybernetics.

Palpatine could’ve given him something better, but nah – he intentionally made sure Vader’s suit held him back. I’ll get into why later.

From Acrobat to Wrecking Ball

Since Vader couldn’t fight the way he used to, he had to change everything. No more flipping, no more running around like a crazy person. Instead, he became a tank.

He realized that his new mechanical body was insanely strong, so he leaned into that.

His lightsaber swings weren’t fast anymore, but they hit like a truck. Instead of overwhelming enemies with speed, he just crushed them with raw power.

In Empire Strikes Back, he barely even tries against Luke. He even fights one-handed at first, like he’s barely even putting in effort.

That’s because he doesn’t need to try anymore. Vader doesn’t rush. He doesn’t panic. He just walks forward like an unstoppable force, and there’s nothing you can do about it.

Lightsaber Fights Got Shorter & Meaner

Something else I noticed? Vader doesn’t waste time.

Anakin used to enjoy fighting. He liked proving he was better, faster, stronger. But Vader? He doesn’t play around.

Most of his fights are over in seconds. He doesn’t spin, he doesn’t show off – he just ends the fight. It’s cold. It’s efficient. It’s terrifying.

Watch his duel with Obi-Wan in A New Hope. There’s no fancy choreography. No unnecessary movement.

He just stands there, methodically taking swings, like he’s in total control the whole time. The only reason that fight lasted as long as it did was because Obi-Wan was stalling.

He Started Using the Force More Than His Lightsaber

One of the biggest changes is perhaps Vader started relying on the Force way more than he ever did as Anakin.

Before Mustafar, Anakin used the Force to enhance his fighting – he’d boost his speed, increase his reflexes, push people away if needed.

But as Vader, he flipped that around. He stopped fighting with the Force, he started fighting using mostly the Force.

Instead of engaging in long duels, he’d just choke someone out before they could swing. If someone was giving him trouble, he’d throw objects at them mid-fight.

He didn’t need to outmaneuver enemies anymore – he just controlled the battlefield with his mind.

This is why he barely even reacts to Reva in Kenobi (2022). She attacks, and he just blocks her with the Force like it’s nothing.

He only draws his lightsaber when he feels like it – because honestly, he doesn’t need it most of the time.

Palpatine Didn’t Want Him Relying on His Lightsaber Anyway

Here’s something interesting – Palpatine didn’t even want Vader relying on his lightsaber.

The Emperor taught him that a Sith’s real power came from the Dark Side, not from swordplay.

That’s why Vader stopped actively looking for fights like Anakin did. He didn’t need to prove himself anymore.

And remember how I said Palpatine intentionally made his suit bad on purpose? Yeah. That was to keep him from reaching his full potential.

If Vader had been given proper cybernetics, he probably could’ve fought more like Anakin. But Palpatine didn’t want that. He wanted Vader strong, but not stronger than him.

He made sure Vader would always be just a little bit limited, so he could never fully surpass his master.