The Star Wars universe is vast and ever-expanding. It is home to many heroes, villains, and legends. One of these legends is comic writer Charles Soule. After years of etching his name in Star Wars history, he is ready to celebrate his 100th comic in style! Teasers for Soule’s upcoming work hint that we will soon be treated to the first-ever lightsaber duel between Darth Vader and none other than Emperor Palpatine himself. This historic clash is sure to generate quite the buzz, but what does it really mean? And what can fans expect to see?

Two there should be. No more, no less. A master and an apprentice. The Sith have lived by this code for centuries, and have been locked in a never-ending power struggle for just as long. The master seeks out a powerful and worthy student that can be used to help dominate the galaxy. Inevitably, the student will one day begin plotting to surpass the master and seize the power for themselves. While Palpatine and Vader have never been shown coming to blows in a lightsaber battle, they are no exception to this pattern. The question is when these two finally cross blades, will it be as teacher and student? Perhaps we will be witnessing a usurp attempt by Lord Vader. Both are plausible scenarios.

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We have rarely seen Palpatine instruct Vader in any way other than continually manipulating, and guiding him down the wrong path. Perhaps this will be our chance to see him teach Vader some Sith lightsaber techniques. On the other end of the spectrum, an assassination attempt by Vader is not all that unlikely. In fact, it would not even be a first. Vader once tried to take on Palpatine on Exegol but things did not go in his favor as his master proved exactly why he clearly holds the title. In addition, Vader knows of multiple attempts Palpatine has made on his life under the guise of testing his apprentice’s abilities. So the two clashing because of a short-lived Vader rebellion is definitely not out of the question.

The other burning question is who will win? Okay, so maybe it is not a burning question since canon tells us Vader will go on being Palpatine’s lackey until a young rebel by the name of Luke Skywalker brings him back to the light. However, with this being their first duel it begs the question, who is the better swordsman? Sure, the Emperor can take on Vader when he is using the full power of the dark side. Although. in a contest decided purely by one’s skill with a lightsaber (Similar to Yoda vs. Dooku in Attack of the Clones), could Palpatine really take on a powerhouse like Vader? I am not so sure.

Darth Vader’s talent with a lightsaber has been well documented throughout his time as both a Jedi and a Sith, though his style did change between affiliations. While he may not be as agile as he was when he was Anakin Skywalker taking on Asajj Ventress, Count Dooku, and Obi-Wan, he makes up for the lack of speed with raw power, hammering his enemies with relentless blows, and beating them into submission. This is a style we have seen Vader use on countless foes including his old master, his former student, and his own son. His methods may not win every battle, but they are effective.

Palpatine’s true skill with a saber on the other hand is still somewhat of a mystery. We have seen flashes of what he can do when forced to cross swords with an opponent, but Palpatine’s true power has always come from his cunning and devious mind combined with his knowledge of the Force. When facing four members of the Jedi council in Revenge of the Sith, Palpatine made easy work of three of the Jedi before being overpowered by Mace Windu. He was then forced to fall back on his notorious Force Lightning abilities. But who’s to say his loss to Windu was real and not just part of his ploy to turn Anakin against the Jedi. Later in the same movie, Palpatine took on an even more impressive opponent in Grand Master Yoda. Although he held his own when fighting with a lightsaber, the determining factor in that battle was the shift in the Force as Order 66 was carried out and the dark side spread across the galaxy once more.

On a final note, despite Charles Soule’s upcoming comic being Vader and Palpatine’s first official lightsaber clash, it is not the first time we have seen Palpatine take on one of his apprentices. In The Clone Wars animated series, Palpatine engaged his former apprentice Darth Maul and Maul’s brother Savage Opress in a one vs. two duel, showcasing both his lightsaber capabilities and strength with the Force. It remains to be seen whether or not Vader vs. Palpatine will match the impressive display of Palpatine vs. Maul and Opress. No matter what, it will be a historic moment in Star Wars history.