10 Powerful Sith & Jedi That Can Defeat Darth Vader

One of the strongest characters in the history of Star Wars is Darth Vader, the enforcer of the Empire and the one responsible for destroying a large chunk of the Jedi Order when he hunted them down during the rise of the Empire. Of course, Vader himself used to be a Jedi Knight named Anakin Skywalker but fell to the dark side when his attachment to Padmé Amidala led him down a dark path.

Anakin, who was supposed to be the Chosen One, could be the strongest Force user of all time but failed to live up to his potential because of the injuries he suffered in the battle against Obi-Wan on Mustafar. However, despite that, his anger and range allowed him to grow incredibly strong to the point that he was the symbol of the fear of the Empire during the Imperial era. Still, he wasn’t the strongest Sith or Jedi at that time because some could actually match up with him well enough. And now, let’s look at the Sith and Jedi that can possibly defeat Vader.

10. Cere Junda

Jedi Master Cere Junda was one of the survivors of Order 66. She was captured and tortured by the Empire and lost her connection to the Force due to her despair after escaping the clutches of her Imperial captors. Cere eventually became the mentor of Cal Kestis during the events of the ‘Star Wars Jedi’ video games. And it was during the events of ‘Fallen Order’ that she could re-establish her connection with the Force.

As a Jedi Master, Cere was incredibly strong in the Force and was more powerful than Cal Kestis. Her power was fully displayed during her duel with Darth Vader on Jedha. In that fight, Cere had the upper hand against Vader. It was only when Vader was able to get a last-minute strike on Cere that he won the fight. But the fact that Vader was injured and badly beaten in that battle proves just how strong Cere was, as she could have won that fight.

9. Count Dooku/Darth Tyranus

While it might be true that Anakin Skywalker was responsible for killing Count Dooku, let’s not forget that he used to be one of the best duelists and Force users during his prime. Dooku was so powerful as a swordsman that he could fight Yoda on par. Of course, he only became stronger after he fell to the dark side and became the Sith Lord known as Darth Tyranus.

When he fought Dooku, Anakin was much more mobile than Darth Vader. Although Vader was more powerful than Anakin before he fell to the dark side, he didn’t have Anakin’s mobility. That is why there’s a good chance that Dooku, whose style relies on quick and precise attacks, can give Darth Vader a tough fight even though Vader is stronger in terms of raw power and the Force. And don’t forget that Dooku has Force Lightning, which can disrupt Darth Vader’s suit and kill him.

8. Snoke

Snoke was once a strong warrior who could stand up against the strongest Jedi because he had some of Palpatine’s powers. We also saw how powerful he was in the Force during the events of the sequel trilogy movies when he could easily throw Rey around the room and channel Force Lightning through the ground.

Older Snoke wouldn’t be able to defeat Darth Vader because he could no longer fight. His only weapon against Vader would be Force Lightning. However, a younger version of Snoke would have proven to be more than a match for Vader because of his skills and mastery over the Force. Of course, he had Force Lightning, which was always Vader’s biggest weakness.

7. Darth Plagueis

Darth Plagueis was Palpatine’s master, which meant that he was a powerful Sith Lord that could only be surpassed by his apprentice. Not much is known about Plagueis and his abilities as a fighter because most of the things told about him were more in line with his desire to learn more about the Force and its many secrets. As such, we know that a lot of the secrets that Palpatine knew about the Force were taught by his master.

So, while Plagueis may not have been the strongest Sith Lord in terms of his combat prowess, he was certainly wise and strong in the Force and was equipped with powers and skills that could give Darth Vader a tough time in a fight. After all, Palpatine wouldn’t have been as strong as he was if he didn’t have a strong master.

6. Rey Skywalker

Normally, Rey wouldn’t be on this list because she wasn’t trained and experienced enough to fight powerful Jedi and Sith Lords on par. She was strong and gifted in the Force because of her natural connection to the Palpatine bloodline. But the fact that she didn’t get the type of training and experience that the other Jedi had was what held her back.

Nevertheless, we saw Rey at her strongest in the final battle against Palpatine. In an attempt to defeat the risen Darth Sidious, Rey was empowered by the spirits of all of the Jedi of the past as she obtained the power to defeat Palpatine and the rest of the Sith Lords that came before him. That version of Rey was surely strong enough to take on Darth Vader.

5. Mace Windu

One of the most gifted duelists in the history of the Jedi Order was Mace Windu, a champion of the Jedi Order during the final days of the Jedi. He was a skilled warrior that mastered the art of using his rage and anger in a fight without having to dive deep into the dark side of the Force. As such, he was strong enough to defeat Darth Sidious in a straight-up lightsaber duel.

In the canon storyline of Star Wars, Windu was the only one to ever defeat Palpatine in a lightsaber duel. While some fans would think that Palpatine allowed himself to be beaten, this was never confirmed. That means that Mace Windu was strong enough to best one of the strongest lightsaber duelists in the entire canon storyline. As such, he would have been strong enough to defeat Darth Vader in a duel.

4. Obi-Wan Kenobi

Out of all of the Jedi Masters in the storyline of Star Wars, the only character that defeated Vader decisively multiple times was Obi-Wan Kenobi. He was never the strongest Jedi regarding his combat prowess and Force powers, but he had the patience, discipline, and wisdom of a true Jedi Master. As such, Obi-Wan had the skills to defeat some of the strongest enemies in the Star Wars storyline.

Kenobi first defeated Vader on Mustafar when Anakin had just fallen to the dark side of the Force. While Anakin had the upper hand the entire fight, Obi-Wan played defense until he could get the needed opening. He fed off of Anakin’s hubris to defeat him in that fight. In the ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ series, he defeated Vader again after finding his inner harmony with the Force, proving that his first victory against his former Padawan was never a fluke.

3. Luke Skywalker

Arguably the strongest Jedi we’ve seen in Star Wars, Luke Skywalker’s innate potential, and training allowed him to rise rather quickly in terms of his skills and powers. We saw Luke at his strongest during the events of ‘Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi’ when he defeated Darth Vader decisively, even though he had to tap into his rage to do so.

Nevertheless, defeating Vader in that fight proved that he had what it took to overpower one of the strongest Sith Lords in recent memory. Of course, Luke only grew stronger and wiser in the Force. A simple Force projection that he created in ‘Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi’ was already too much for Kylo Ren to handle, proving that he was incredibly powerful at the end of his lifetime.

2. Yoda

As the leader of the Jedi Order before its fall, Master Yoda was the wisest and most experienced out of all of the Jedi. But he did not get his position because he was older than all of the other members of the Jedi Order. Instead, he proved himself strong enough to take on powerful Sith Lords all on his own, as proven by the fact that he forced Count Dooku to flee and that he could match Palpatine in a lightsaber duel.

That means that Yoda would have been so much stronger in his prime than he was when he was already quite old. Despite his small frame, his fighting style was predicated on his speed and mobility. Of course, no other Jedi was as powerful as he was in the ways of the Force. That is why there is no doubt that he would have defeated Vader.

1. Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious

The man behind the entire Star Wars mainline story was Palpatine, secretly the Sith Lord called Darth Sidious. He was so powerful in the Force that he manipulated the events happening throughout the galaxy without even making the Jedi Order suspect him of being a Sith Lord. And when he finally revealed himself to the Jedi, he defeated three Jedi Masters without effort and eventually fought Windu and Yoda on par on separate occasions.

Of course, Sidious understood that Anakin was supposed to be stronger than him, and that was why he wanted him to fall to the dark side so that he could eventually take over his body and become an eternal ruler. Nevertheless, he turned Vader into his pawn when he realized that the former Anakin could no longer reach his full potential. And the fact that Vader could never become stronger than his master was why he never attempted to overthrow him, as it was clear that Palpatine always had the upper hand against his apprentice.

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