Darth Malgus vs. Darth Vader: Who Would Win?

Due to how long the history of Star Wars is, we’ve seen our fair share of angry Sith Lords that are incredibly strong and so ferocious in a fight that their very presence could already shake the foundations of a battlefield. The Old Republic era had Darth Malgus, whereas the current era had Darth Vader. Of course, Malgus is yet to be confirmed to be canon, and that means that he is still Legends. Nevertheless, in a fight between Darth Malgus and Darth Vader, who would win?

It is possible that Darth Vader would win a battle against Darth Malgus because of the very fact that he was supposed to be the greatest Force wielder of all time before his potential diminished. Still, while Malgus is similar to Vader in many aspects, Vader is stronger in terms of his Force powers.

There are a lot of similarities between Darth Malgus and Darth Vader. In fact, in the Legends continuity, Vader even took some pointers from what he read about Malgus. As such, he knows how strong Malgus was. But the fact is that Vader has a slight edge in this fictional duel because he has a few advantages on his side. Now, let’s look at this fight in greater detail.

Physical abilities

One of the things that Darth Malgus was known for was his size because the dude was massive at 7’2” of muscle. That means that he is one of the biggest human Force wielders we’ve ever seen in Star Wars.

Despite Shaquille O’Neal’s height and frame, Malgus could move like an athlete in the prime of his life because he received exceptional training. And while he relied more on his raw power and strength, he was actually a very mobile fighter for a man of his size and frame.

Darth Vader may not have been born the biggest character in the storyline of Star Wars, but we know that he eventually became big and strong because he received cybernetic limbs after Anakin Skywalker lost his original limbs and got injured on Mustafar.

The cybernetic limbs and the life-support suit hampered Vader’s mobility even though Anakin used to be one of the quickest and fastest Jedi of his time. But Vader ultimately gained superhuman strength and could pummel his opponents into submission with simple one-handed lightsaber strikes.

As much as we love that Darth Malgus is a huge guy, Darth Vader’s physical abilities aren’t laughable. In fact, he is probably physically stronger than Malgus because of his cybernetic limbs. But Malgus has the edge in terms of speed and mobility.

Malgus 0, Vader 0

Lightsaber skills

Even though he was a physical powerhouse, Darth Malgus was an incredibly skilled lightsaber duelist that could overwhelm his opponents using his skill alone. That means that he was so good with a lightsaber that it didn’t matter that he was over seven feet tall.

Satele Shan, one of the strongest Jedi Masters of the Old Republic era, once claimed that Malgus had a perfect lightsaber form but was far too undisciplined and emotional. In that regard, he may have been one of the best, but he was quite undisciplined in his approach as a duelist.

Darth Vader was always one of the best lightsaber duelists of his era as he proved to be greater than Count Dooku, who was arguably right up there regarding his dueling skills. While his style changed after he became a cybernetic monster, Vader was still able to use the foundations of Form V: Djem So to perfection and relied on his ability to defend opposing attacks and counter them with strong flurries.

In that regard, Vader was always one of the greatest duelists of his time and was almost perfect as a swordsman.

It might be true that Darth Malgus was a great duelist that could overwhelm some of the best Jedi Masters of that time. But he was an undisciplined fighter that Darth Vader could take advantage of, especially because Vader’s style involves quick counterattacks.

Malgus 0, Vader 1

Force powers

Darth Malgus may have been known for his powerful combat form, but he wasn’t a slacker regarding his Force abilities. In fact, Malgus was a proficient user of the Force and was dangerous when it came to his Force Lightning because he could attack multiple opponents at once with his Force powers.

That means that he was a powerhouse in every aspect of the word but wasn’t exactly the most skilled in his Force abilities. Nevertheless, he could overwhelm opponents using his Force powers alone.

Born with the highest potential in the Force of all time due to how high his Midi-chlorian count was, Darth Vader was supposed to be the greatest wielder of the Force in the history of the galaxy.

Of course, his potential was diminished after he suffered injuries on Mustafar after losing all of his limbs to Obi-Wan Kenobi. Nevertheless, Vader used his anger and hatred to fuel his powers in the dark side. Vader was so strong in the Force that he could pull down an entire ship using this power and choke people from a remote distance.

The thing is that Malgus wasn’t really known for his Force powers despite how powerful he may have been. On the other hand, everyone feared what Vader could do with the Force as he could block blaster bolts and lightsaber attacks using the Force alone.

Malgus 0, Vader 2

Experience

One of the most important things people need to know about the Old Republic era is that this was a very chaotic time for the galaxy because there were constant wars between different factions, such as the Jedi and the Sith.

Darth Malgus was always in the middle of the action because he craved battle as one of the greatest fighters on the side of the Sith Empire. He eventually established his empire and had to go up against the Jedi and the Sith. He was a seasoned veteran of many battles against both the Jedi and the Sith and was known for destroying the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.

Darth Vader’s experience speaks for itself because he fought in countless battles during the Clone Wars and was one of the fighters and generals that the Republic relied on a lot during the war against the Separatists.

He also fought more battles during the reign of the Empire because Emperor Palpatine relied on him as his hunting dog when it came to tracking down any Jedi that survived Order 66. And after the Rebel Alliance’s rise, Vader dealt with the insurgents.

Vader might have fought his fair share of battles, but let’s not forget that Malgus lived to fight. He fought battles his entire life and had to fight his way against Jedi and Sith alike. That’s why he is a more seasoned fighter.

Malgus 1, Vader 2

Leadership skills

While he was known as a frontline fighter during the Old Republic era, Darth Malgus also had exceptional leadership skills because he was a military genius that could use military tactics to his advantage.

He knew how to command his forces and use strategies that not even the Jedi could see coming. As such, he was able to lead a group of Sith in the attack on the Jedi Temple on Coruscant without the Jedi Order even knowing what hit them. And Malgus inspired loyalty in his men because of his power and ferocity.

Darth Vader was always a great leader, especially during the Clone Wars, when he could inspire his men with his bravery. Of course, he was always known for using unorthodox tactics that were risky but very effective.

As such, he was a unique commander that mastered different strategies and tactics but often opted for the ones that were very unorthodox because he always wanted to surprise his enemies and catch them lacking. And while he used fear to make his men loyal to him, he was effective in doing so.

We can’t really tell who is the better leader between these two intimidating figures because they both had their fair share of victories. That’s why we will say this is a tie between them.

Malgus 1, Vader 2

Darth Malgus vs. Darth Vader: Who wins?

Some Old Republic loyalists will be angry about this, but Darth Vader should win in a fight against Darth Malgus because he is simply a better duelist and a stronger Force user. Of course, Malgus’ size, skills, and power will make things tough for Vader. But the thing is that Vader is still superior to him ever so slightly. And let’s not forget that Malgus’ feats in the Old Republic may have been a bit exaggerated and overblown because the Legends department of Star Wars tends to be that way.

Who do you think would win in this fight? Let us know in the comments!