Darth Vader vs. Sauron: Which Iconic Villain Would Win in a Fight?

Star Wars has Darth Vader as its most iconic villain, whereas the world of The Lord of the Rings looks at Sauron as the greatest evil that Middle-Earth had to face throughout a huge chunk of its history. So, in a battle between Darth Vader and Sauron, which iconic villain would win?

Sauron would most likely win in a fight against Darth Vader because he is basically a god or angel-like being with powers that far surpass what humans are capable of. Vader might be strong in the Force and is a ferocious being that can destroy almost any other villain. But Sauron is on another level.

What most people forget about Sauron is that he was basically a god when compared to the people of Middle-earth, and that was the reason why the strong in the history of Middle-earth struggled to defeat him for thousands of years. Vader is strong, but we can’t see him winning a fight against a literal angel. That said, let’s look at how this battle would go.

Physical abilities

Back when he was with the Jedi, Darth Vader was already physically stronger and faster than his peers. He was quick, mobile, agile, and incredibly nimble for a man that fought aggressively. Once he became Vader, his cybernetic parts slowed him down but only allowed him to gain physical strength enough to lift entire boulders and carry grown humans like children.

That’s why Vader could strike with ferocity and power even though he may have been slower.

The opening scenes of ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring’ allowed us to see how strong Sauron is. He can take the shape of a great man clad in sinister armor.

While in this form, his strength is so great that he can strike down entire battalions of soldiers with a single attack. He was strong enough to shatter a powerful sword like Narsil with nothing but his foot. And he was deceptively fast for a being of his size.

Vader and Sauron aren’t the fastest characters, but they are strong. However, Sauron takes the edge here because he can strike down numerous soldiers with a single strike of his mace. And we haven’t seen Vader displaying that level of strength.

Vader 0, Sauron 1

Durability

Fueled by his rage and anger, Darth Vader is incredibly resilient and durable. As Anakin, he survived getting his limbs sliced off and his entire body burned by the fires of a volcanic planet.

He also survived many encounters with powerful opponents during his run as Darth Vader. But his weakness was that his life-support suit is the only thing that keeps him alive.

Sauron is a Maia, meaning he is a god in the world of LoTR. According to Tolkien’s writings, the Maia are spirits that can live indefinitely.

That means that Sauron is someone that cannot die because his spirit will always persist if his physical form gets killed. In that regard, while he does get weaker if his physical body is killed, Sauron still gets to live on as a spirit and can still come back as long as there is an opportunity for him to regain his power.

This isn’t even a conversation because we are talking about a man that has to live in a life-support suit and another entity that can survive getting killed. That said, Sauron takes this round once more.

Vader 0, Sauron 2

Fighting skills

Anakin Skywalker was often considered one of the mightiest of the Jedi Order, and he only turned into a more ferocious fighter after he became Darth Vader.

He was always known as a strong swordsman trained to be one of the mightiest fighters in the history of the Jedi Order. As such, Vader could defeat countless Jedi and strong fighters during his entire lifetime. He was so strong that only a few names could match his abilities as a fighter.

While Sauron would rather let someone do the fighting for him, he was still a very skilled fighter that learned from some of the best fighters among the Ainur when he was still in Valinor.

Of course, he has also lived for tens of thousands of years, which means he has amassed enough experience as a fighter. Sauron was a skilled swordsman but was even more ferocious in using his mace.

While we do not doubt that Sauron was a strong fighter, he was always more of a leader and tactician. That’s why we haven’t seen him in action a lot in any of the LOTR storylines. On the other hand, Vader’s feats as a fighter speak for themselves.

Vader 1, Sauron 2

Powers and abilities

Born with the highest potential in the Force, Darth Vader was supposed to be the strongest Force wielder of all time. However, his injuries prevented him from becoming the greatest of all time, as his potential was diminished.

Despite that, Vader’s strength in the Force was still very much feared throughout the galaxy because of the fact that he could command the Force to hurl entire boulders toward his enemies. As a testament to his strength, Vader could even pull an entire shuttle to the ground to prevent it from taking off.

As one of the Maiar, Sauron was a mighty being with powers that were well beyond what humans were capable of. He was known as a Maiar who sought the knowledge to create, so he was only second to Aulë in his abilities to create and invent things. But Sauron’s true power lay in the fact that he was a shapeshifter that could take the form of many different creatures, including a werewolf. And the limits of Sauron’s powers were never truly explored.

We aren’t giving this round to Sauron despite his godlike status because we haven’t seen what he was truly capable of. On the other hand, Vader’s feats in the Force have always been well-documented. That’s why we are calling this round a tie.

Vader 1, Sauron 2

Intelligence

Even though he was known as a creature of rage, Darth Vader was a very intelligent man that was a master of battlefield tactics. He was known to employ questionable yet effective tactics that won the Republic numerous battles during the Clone Wars. On top of that, Vader was also known for his ingenuity and ability to create something out of nothing.

And while he may have been smart, he was often a slave to his emotions and hubris.

Sauron’s greatest asset was always his mind, as he was known as incredibly intelligent and manipulative even though he wasn’t totally the strongest character in Tolkien’s writings. He was known for his ability to deceive and manipulate people into doing his bidding.

On top of that, his knowledge as an inventor and creator was second only to Aulë. Of course, he was also a slave to his own pride and hubris because he never thought that something as small and weak as a Hobbit could be his downfall.

Both Vader and Sauron were slaves to their own pride, but we know that Sauron was smarter due to how manipulative he was. Sauron was just as great as Palpatine in manipulating people and events.

Vader 1, Sauron 3

Darth Vader vs. Sauron: Who wins?

While we know that Darth Vader was a mighty Sith Lord that terrorized an entire galaxy for decades, he was never a god in the strict sense of the word. On the other hand, Sauron is a godlike entity that can only be defeated by destroying the One Ring connected to his essence. In that regard, Sauron’s powers were well beyond the capabilities of Darth Vader, and that’s why he takes the victory here.

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