How Powerful Is Luke Skywalker Compared To Darth Vader?

Although Luke Skywalker succeeded his father as a Jedi Knight, it’s interesting to think about which of the two Skywalkers was ultimately the most powerful in the Star Wars canon. Naturally, Anakin Skywalker has more power and skill than his son during the events of the original trilogy, as Luke had only just begun his Jedi path and training. However, what about when Luke was at his peak as a Jedi Master?

The majority of the Star Wars franchise is focused on the multi-generational journey of the Skywalkers. Beginning with the rise and fall of Anakin Skywalker and his corruption into Darth Vader, his son Luke would then rise to become a Jedi just like his father. However, a strong case can be made that Luke Skywalker ultimately became more powerful compared to Anakin.

Luke Skywalker Was A Jedi Knight For Far Longer Than Anakin

Approximately 35 Years To Anakin’s 14

In the official Star Wars canon, Anakin Skywalker began his Jedi training at the age of 9, becoming the apprentice to Obi-Wan Kenobi. During the Clone Wars, Anakin Skywalker was knighted and took a Padawan of his own before his corruption to the dark side by the Clone Wars’ end.

In total, Anakin Skywalker walked his Jedi path for approximately 13-14 years before falling to the dark side, and was subsequently redeemed back to the light by sacrificing himself to save Luke from Emperor Palpatine.

Comparatively, Luke Skywalker’s Jedi path was much longer. Although he started his training at 19 and became a Jedi Knight around the age of 22-23, he then had decades to hone his skills and grow more powerful in the light side of the Force, ultimately dying at the age of 53 in The Last Jedi. In total, Luke was a Jedi for about 35 years in the official Star Wars canon.

Luke Mastered Force Techniques From Other Traditions

Like Force Projection

While his direct Jedi training from Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda only lasted a few years, much of Luke’s growth as a Jedi was self-taught, learning from the sacred Jedi texts and any relics he managed to locate across the galaxy. Likewise, Luke also ended up developing techniques and practices from other groups of Force-users, specifically the Fallanassi.

In the canonical Star Wars comics, Luke Skywalker learned the art of kyber purification from the last living members of the Fallanassi. Likewise, he also learned their taxing Force technique known as Force projection or “Similfuturus“. Used to make his final stand against the First Order on Crait, Luke used all of his power to project himself as a distraction, despite being worlds away on Ahch-To.

With that in mind, it stands to reason that current New Republic Era books, shows, and comics have only scratched the surface of the abilities Luke might have learned and acquired in the 30 years between the original and sequel trilogies.

Darth Vader May Have Been The Chosen One, But He Was Weakened

Thanks To Mustafar

Obviously, Anakin Skywalker’s journey was vastly different from anything anyone could have predicted. That said, Anakin was still the prophesied Chosen One with an incredibly high midi-chlorian count, a sign of his great power and potential.

Tragically, much of that potential was greatly diminished the moment Anakin turned to the dark side and was critically wounded by Obi-Wan on Mustafar, receiving major burns across his entire body and losing three of his four limbs.

Requiring a full-body suit of life-support armor and a respirator, Anakin required constant bacta baths as his waking days were filled with intense pain and agony. As such, his cybernetics made him much slower, vulnerable to Force lightning, and unable to perform more specialized Force techniques (not to mention losing so much of his body that had once been full of midi-chlorian-rich cells).

According to Palpatine, Vader’s full potential in the dark side was lost thanks to his defeat on Mustafar. Likewise, George Lucas himself confirmed post-Mustafar, Darth Vader only had about 80% of Palpatine’s power.

The Dark Side Doesn’t Compensate For Anakin’s Weakness

The Dark’s Power Is Corruptive And Detrimental

On the one hand, Anakin received new power in the dark side, and much of it was fueled by his aforementioned pain and subsequent rage. However, it didn’t make up for Anakin’s weaknesses. After all, the dark side is still corruptive and ultimately detrimental to its wielders.

Anakin initially turned to the dark side due to his fear of losing Padmé. That said, the dark side feeds on fear rather than erases it. Anakin became even more unstable, especially after his corruption to the dark side resulted in Padmé’s death, leaving him plagued with grief and guilt.

The cost of the dark side’s power was too great, leaving Anakin full of rage, pain, physically broken, and hollow. Anakin’s weakness was only ever used by the dark side, while the light is what ultimately saved him.

While Anakin’s son wasn’t without his own flaws as proven by the sequels, it does stand to reason that Luke’s longer tenure as a Jedi ultimately made him more powerful. Had he been at the peak of his Jedi powers in the Star Wars canon when facing Darth Vader, Luke likely would have won.

• 

  Created By

  George Lucas

  Franchise

  Star Wars

  Died

  Star Wars: Episode VI – Return Of The Jedi

  Race

  Human

  Movies

  Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

  TV Shows

  Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi, Ahsoka

  Conceived by the will of the Force itself, Anakin Skywalker was the prophesied Chosen One, destined to bring the Force into balance. Anakin struggled to balance competing attachments to the Jedi Order and his wife Padmé Amidala, and ultimately fell to the dark side, becoming Darth Vader. For years he served as Palpatine’s right hand man, but he was ultimately redeemed by the faith of his son, Luke Skywalker. Now a Force Ghost, Anakin continues to act as an agent of balance.

  
  

• 

  Created By

  George Lucas

  Franchise

  Star Wars

  Died

  Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi

  Race

  Human

  Movies

  Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi, Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens, Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi, Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise of Skywalker

  TV Shows

  The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi

  The son of Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala, Luke was brought up on the desert planet Tatooine. Initially mentored by Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke fired the fateful shot that destroyed the Death Star, and he became a rebel hero. Despite the fears of Obi-Wan and Yoda, Luke’s faith in his father was proved well-founded when Vader returned to the light. With the Emperor defeated, Luke dedicated himself to bringing back the Jedi; his first attempt ended in tragedy due to Palpatine’s manipulations, but Luke’s legacy lives on in Rey.