In Star Wars Legends and Canon, Galen Marek (Starkiller) is the only Jedi (other than Obi-Wan Kenobi) to put a beat down on Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker. Galen was secretly trained as a Sith Lord apprentice to Vader, but returned to the light side and the Jedi.
While Vader had his weaknesses, including vulnerability to electricity, characters like Emperor Palpatine, Mace Windu, Yoda, and Obi-Wan Kenobi all had the potential to defeat him in battle.
Luke Skywalker was one of the few Jedi in Star Wars canon to single-handedly best Vader in combat. Luke had only been a Jedi for around four years by the time of Return of the Jedi, yet he managed to master Form V from his battle with Vader in The Empire Strikes Back.
Infil'a put up a fierce fight against Vader, almost killing him by throwing the already damaged Sith Lord off of a cliff. Despite severe damage to his suit, Vader survived the fall, and repaired himself with parts from Infil'a's droid, Arex.
The only Sith Lord who actually killed Vader, Darth Sidious kept his apprentice in line for over two decades. His true advantage was Force lightning, a power which would wreak havoc on the suit keeping him alive.
Vader Outranked only by Sidious - CON: The only thing I can find that says Tarkin outranked Vader is a quote by David Filoni in 2015 during an interview about Rebels. He actually says that Tarkin outranks Vader.
This isn't a fight, this is a curb-stomp. Kylo would absolutely never decline a fight with Darth Vader, a force of legendary power whose surpassing will certianly gain him a place among the most powerful of the Dark Side, but he is clearly outmatched in power.
Yoda's presence on Dagobah was likely hidden due to his mastery of Force Stealth and the planet's connection to the Force. Yoda, with his enhanced Force abilities and potential home-field advantage, would have had the upper hand against Darth Vader if they engaged in a lightsaber duel.
In a Vanity Fair interview from 2005, George Lucas went deeper into why Anakin became much weaker as Vader. In the interview, he explained that because Anakin's limbs were severed and replaced by robotics, it was harder for him to use the Force than it was before his battle with Obi-Wan.
Yep. Darth Maul didn't really say or show straight up that he "feared" Darth Vader, but he openly stated his belief that he could not defeat Darth Vader without the help of the Jedi, therefore on his own.
As Darth Vader, he was one of the strongest beings in the entire galaxy. But even then, he was never able to surpass his master, Darth Sidious. A Sith Apprentice can only become the master when they murder the one who trained them.
While little is known about Yoda's species, we do know, however, that they're incredibly gifted in the Force. Both Jedi Master Yaddle, and now Grogu, hold great Force powers, but no Jedi Master has ever held greater power than Jedi Master Yoda.
Given the years between these comics' publications, it's hard to tell if Gillen built this argument intentionally or not. Regardless, the core concept is still true. Thanos wields more power and authority than Darth Vader, existing as a stronger and more capable villain overall.
Vader had been using all his energy to intimidate Luke, so when the actual fight began in a flash, he was already weak and panting. This leads to another huge factor, which is the age difference. While Luke was a young and spry 23-year-old, Vader was reaching his late 40s.
Although her midi-chlorian count is never mentioned, it is clear that Rey's potential is vast. While Vader has peaked in his Force-prowess, Rey is only getting started. Even if Vader is currently more skilled, Rey definitely has more raw power.
As it stands, Palpatine's influence over Vader was too great for Vader's strength to overcome, forcing him to take Palpatine down when he was prone and unaware. Despite it costing the battle with his son, Vader's attachment to Luke ultimately allowed him to defy Palpatine and destroy him.
Ancient Sith Lords didn't just hate Vader but Palpatine as well. Here are the reasons they hated Vader specifically: They hated the fact that Vader was a former Jedi. The Ancient Sith through Lord Momin Despises the fact that Vader was not only a former Jedi but one obsessed with them.
He just didn't have the allies to make it happen, explaining why he had relied on Luke to join him. Taking after his master, Vader evidently learned from the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the wise. Unfortunately, he just lacked the proper resources.
Defeating Vader was not Obi-Wan's goal during their duel. While he surely would have taken the opportunity if it presented itself, his top priority was distracting Vader. He needed to buy time for Luke and the others to rescue Leia and get to safety, preferably without Vader realizing that his son was there.
While we never got to see Yoda vs. Darth Vader, it surely would have been a sight to behold. Had Yoda and Darth Vader fought each other both at full power, the fight arguably would have landed in Yoda's favor. Both are proficient with a lightsaber and with the Force, but Yoda might just be a little bit better.
Assuming that Kenobi's blade did indeed find its mark, Darth Vader would be dead and Obi-Wan would have to fight his way through a small squad of Stormtroopers to reach the Millennium Falcon.
