The dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Vader, is a widely recognized fan favorite for Star Wars fans. Whether it’s due to his unique samurai-inspired design or his incredible character development and writing, Darth Vader has become one of the most iconic villains in fiction. However, a character equally as beloved by Star Wars fans is Vader’s former master, Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Both are highly accomplished Jedi and were well respected in their time as Generals during the Clone Wars. While Anakin was always more powerful, Obi-Wan was better trained. However, there are skills that Anakin acquired in his early life that granted him abilities that even Obi-Wan couldn’t reproduce.
10 Anakin Was Able To See Into The Future
Anakin was able to use the Force to view a moment in the future. He used this in Episode 3 to see the death of his wife, Padmé, in a dream. This is a skill few Jedi can replicate. Anakin’s connection to the Force was so great he could happen upon new abilities that even the Jedi weren’t aware of.
Even Master Yoda instructed him to see it as only a vision created by his anxieties. However, by the end of the film, it is proven that Anakin did in fact see into the future.
9 He Could Act Outside The Order
Frequently throughout the Clone Wars TV series, viewers see conflict between Anakin and Obi-Wan about the best course of action. Obi-Wan was restricted by his faith in the Jedi Order, while Anakin, who joined the Order much older than most younglings, often acted outside the Order’s ideology and would contrive plans that the average Jedi would not approve of.
However, it led to the rest of the Council members viewing him as erratic and irresponsible. Anakin was often driven more by emotion and attachment than what the Order considered a more logical approach.
8 He Was An Accomplished Engineer
Despite his upbringing, Anakin was an incredible engineer. As a child, he was able to rebuild a protocol droid using only scrap metal, and he was able to design and build his own pod racer.
Whether it was through the means of the Force, or natural-born talent, Anakin had a deep understanding of mechanical and electrical engineering and various forms of technology ranging from droids to starships and computers. Anakin’s incredible experience and knowledge of machines gave him an edge few Jedi could match.
7 His Senses Were Incredibly Precise
Despite being a padawan, Anakin was able to sense the presence of two small poisonous creatures in Padmé’s room before his master, Obi-Wan. Despite Kenobi stating that his own senses were greater than his padawan’s, Anakin has demonstrated incredibly precise senses.
Matched with his piloting skills, getting a hit on Anakin’s starfighter was near impossible as his senses matched with his reflexes made him untouchable on the battlefield. Anakin demonstrated a level of connection to the Force through his senses that even Kenobi couldn’t match up.
6 The Classic Force Choke
Even before he became the dreaded Darth Vader, Anakin was able to use the Force to choke his enemies when angered. He demonstrated it a number of times throughout the Clone Wars TV series on a certain few antagonists such as slavers that reminded him of his early life.
As Darth Vader, he would make a habit of choking out his subordinates over the slightest error, creating an overbearing aura of fear among the crews of his ships. As a Sith Lord, Anakin no longer had the restrictions he imposed upon himself as Jedi and openly used the Force as a tool for intimidation.
5 He Was The Only Human To Win At Pod Racing
Pod Racing was a sport that was so intense that species such as humans lacked the speed and reaction time to properly compete. Anakin’s strong connection to the Force made him not only the first skilled human competitor, but it also made him the first human champion in history.
Obi-Wan, a Jedi more focused on subtlety, lacks the ability to race at such a fast speed, even with his own strong connection to the Force. Despite his many years of training, nothing could prepare him for the fast-paced world of Pod Racing.
4 He Could Understand The Sith Language
As Darth Vader and as a student of Darth Sidious, Vader was given access to a library of Sith artifacts and history. Over time, Vader gained an understanding of the Sith’s language, a language that Jedi would not familiarize themselves with out of principle.
Obi-Wan as well was too dedicated to the will of the Jedi that he would never allow himself to learn the language of his enemy. Anakin’s study of both the Jedi and the Sith’s teachings granted him a much deeper understanding of the Force.
3 His Powers Of The Force Were Greater Than Almost Any Jedi
Although Sidious had rebuilt Anakin’s body to inhibit his Force powers, Anakin’s power over the Force had actually increased upon his fall to the Sith. He was able to halt an AT-AT with ease, and after his cybernetic body had been destroyed, he was precise enough to deconstruct a droid and use its parts to reconstruct his own body.
He was able to telekinetically control objects around him while already dueling with his lightsabre. He could even create a forcefield so dense that he was unharmed while completely submerged in lava.
2 He Could Mentor A Student That Didn’t Turn Evil
While Obi-Wan is recognized as a good teacher, he was appointed as Anakin’s master at a young age and was likely trained to be a good teacher for the average padawan. Anakin’s history made him more emotionally compromised than most, meaning that Obi-Wan’s teaching methods would often fail.
Even after Anakin had become a knight and was no longer Obi-Wan’s student, he was still treated like an inferior. Meanwhile, as Anakin trained Ahsoka, he treated her like an equal and provided a much broader view of the galaxy, leading her to see the hypocrisy of the Jedi and find her own path.
1 He Could Communicate With Others Through The Force
In Episode 5, Vader demonstrated the ability to telepathically communicate with his son Luke. Though an ability that was initially doubted by the Jedi Order, Anakin could communicate through the Force and connect with people on a level few Jedi were aware of.
He could read the thoughts of people he met and could pass on information or even spoken phrases with ease. He could also manipulate others without needing to gesture. Anakin’s powers over the Force far exceeded most of the Jedi of his era.
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