In Obi-Wan Kenobi, we’re witnessing the latest duel in a battle between two legendary Star Wars saga foes that’s been playing out for decades — namely, the rivalry between the titular Jedi knight and his student-turned-Sith Lord Darth Vader. As we all know, Vader ultimately bested his master during their final tussle in A New Hope. But how would Vader fare against an opponent much more like himself? Would he be able to beat his own grandson, Kylo Ren?
That’s the question that fans have been hotly debating on the Star Wars subreddit, after user No_Argument3849 asked the Reddit community to weigh in on an argument they were having with a friend over who would win in a lightsaber duel between the First Order’s Supreme Leader and his beloved grandpappy.
If you’re thinking that most fans went with Vader then you would be… Completely right. Yes, it seems the majority of Star Wars lovers don’t get where the OP’s pal is coming from and are convinced that Vader would trounce his wannabe descendant.
Some think that Anakin, specifically, would destroy Kylo.
Others, meanwhile, are willing to give Kylo the benefit of the doubt as we’ve only seen him duke it out a limited number of times.
Likewise, some believe it wouldn’t be as one-sided as many are saying, although they still can’t see Ben Solo coming out on top.
The only way Kylo could win would be to stun Vader with his own Empire Strikes Back-style revelation about their familial connection.
Could Kylo’s better health be an advantage?
No, no, it couldn’t.
Clearly, the Star Wars fandom has decreed that, no, Kylo couldn’t best Vader in a fight. The better question, then, might be whether the combined Rey and Kylo could be enough to beat him, as the Force Dyad’s united front almost defeated Palpatine together in The Rise of Skywalker. But that’s a fan debate for another time.