Without question, Luke Skywalker’s duel with Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back may be one of the most important lightsaber duels of all time. Ending with the loss of Luke’s hand and the revelation that Vader was his father, the duel between father and son is all kinds of iconic. However, it wasn’t their first Star Wars battle.
Thanks to canonical Star Wars comics from Marvel, plenty of gaps between the original trilogy have been filled with exciting stories starring the classic Rebellion heroes and their ongoing war against the Empire. This includes 2015’s flagship Star Wars series by Jason Aaron and John Cᴀssaday. Taking place in the aftermath of A New Hope, the series’ second issue saw Luke Skywalker encountering Darth Vader face-to-face.
Darth Vader Totally Dominated Luke Skywalker When They First Fought
“This Is Most Pathetic”
Wanting to press their advantage in the wake of the first Death Star’s destruction, Luke, Leia, Han Solo, and Chewbacca embarked on a small strike mission to sabotage a major Imperial weapons factory on Cymoon 1. Ultimately, they were successful in dealing the Empire a significant blow. However, the Rebels’ infiltration wasn’t without great difficulty thanks to the surprise arrival of Darth Vader himself.
Motivated to face Vader so soon after Obi-Wan Kenobi’s death, Luke naively felt he could face Vader despite his extremely limited Jedi training. Naturally, Vader disarmed Luke with ease after a single clash of their lightsabers, preparing to kill this boy who claimed that the Dark Lord had killed his father. However, Luke Skywalker was saved by the ghosts of Vader’s past.
How Luke Escaped From Darth Vader
Recognizing The Skywalker Saber…And A Giant Foot
In an incredible screen-worthy Star Wars moment, Darth Vader had his own Sith lightsaber in one hand and his old Jedi saber in the other. He was fully prepared to kill Luke without ever realizing who the boy really was. However, Vader’s recognition that the lightsaber once belonged to Anakin Skywalker gave him pause.
Vader’s hesitation was enough to spare Luke’s life, as his Rebel allies had commandeered an Imperial AT-AT Walker. Crashing through the roof with the walker, Solo tried his best to squash the Dark Lord of the Sith. While Vader’s command of the dark side proved too powerful, the Rebels still escaped and Luke was able to retrieve his lightsaber.
Nevertheless, this encounter did motivate Darth Vader to have Luke’s idenтιтy investigated, eventually learning the truth that the Rebel who blew up the Death Star was his own. While it was certainly brief, one can argue that Vader and Luke’s first lightsaber duel is nearly as iconic as their first on-screen in Empire Strikes Back.
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Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader
- Created By
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George Lucas
- Franchise
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Star Wars
- Died
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Star Wars: Episode VI – Return Of The Jedi
- Race
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Human
- Movies
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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
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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.
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Luke Skywalker
- Created By
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George Lucas
- Franchise
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Star Wars
- Died
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Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi
- Race
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Human
- Movies
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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
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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 sH๏τ 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.
