Whether it’s the chosen one or the one who stood up to evil, they are arguably the two most powerful figures throughout Star Wars.
Yes, I’m talking about Anakin and Luke Skywalker.
Anakin, known as the chosen one, was said to bring balance to the force and eventually did but only after he brought the entire galaxy to the brink of oblivion.
I left out Anakin’s transformation into Vader for this piece since that was a completely different figure than Anakin including abilities, power, control and demand.
Luke on the other hand, had a much quieter journey to his status of power.
I’m going to strictly leave out any and all information within the expanded universe after ROTJ.
With that being said, Luke grew up on the quiet sun-bleached sands of Tatooine where he remained until his Aunt and Uncle were killed and he subsequently left with Ben Kenobi.
Luke would go on to drastically improve on his force abilities and finally reach his goal and become a Jedi.
What They Offer
If you’re talking about power, Anakin Skywalker is at the very top in every single way.
Not just his command of the force but within his 6’1 frame, he was pure muscle and was acrobatically gifted which only enhanced his abilities that much more.
I would also argue that Anakin’s mental drive to take over battles and lightsaber duels allowed him to never be overmatched.
Of course his mental capabilities also had drawbacks since it boosted his confidence so severely that he would run blindly into fights without assessing the situation first. (Dooku)
In addition, Anakin was clearly the most competitive Star Wars character of all time. This drive allowed him to rise to the occasion at ALL times making his enemies feel his wrath.
As for lightsaber combat, Anakin was also extremely gifted.
I would put him right up there with Mace Windu as the most lethal duelist.
Anakin was not only one of the most deadly warriors, but also a gifted pilot.
Ironically, the only other being in the galaxy who could possibly match his piloting prowess was his own son.
Now, it’s time to breakdown Luke…
Because of his severe lack of training, a great deal of describing his competence will have to go off of potential since compared to Anakin, Luke did not have as much opportunities.
With that being said, it should be known that Luke might have been just as or even more dominant than Anakin.
Because Luke didn’t start to scratch the surface of his Jedi capabilities till his later teen years, I believe that that somehow made his force aptitude that much more potent.
In my opinion, Luke’s greatest characteristic was rising to the occasion no matter what the circumstances were.
Two examples of this are one, when he carved up the Death Star defenses and for the first time ever flying a T-65 X-wing starfighter having the ability to annihilate a structure designed for extermination.
Two, when Luke rushed to judgement and foolishly thought he could face Vader during the ESB.
Of course he lost much more than just the fight but think about it for a moment.
At the time, Luke was a young 22 year old who just discovered he was even force sensitive just three short years ago.
He had never fought another lightsaber combatant up to this point and yet he faced Darth Vader, the clear cut perennial duelist in the entire galaxy.
It’s almost inconceivable to think that a young, inexperienced boy who had little to no training was able to injure the menacing Darth Vader.
Luke’s ability to never let anything overwhelm him is extraordinary.
I would say Anakin had a bit of this as well but no where near the level of his son’s.
Luke stood at just 5’7 but packed quite a punch. Much like his father, he was a gifted acrobat, not quite to the level of Anakin but nonetheless he had that going for him as well.
Another powerful attribute of Luke’s was his ability to revert back to an inner calm within himself and use common sense.
Unlike Anakin who thought with his heart, Luke was very much able to stay calm and assess the situation.
Differences and Similarities
Both Anakin and Luke are physical freaks. They both are top swordsmen that have lightning quick reflexes allowing them to best anyone opposing them.
When it comes to fighting, unlike Luke Anakin thinks through his heart.
There’s been countless examples throughout the show Star Wars: The Clone Wars as well as the movies where Anakin throws caution to the wind in order to intervene with fate and save a comrade.
Luke definitely has this attribute within him but nine out of ten times he’s able to do what’s best for the mission and for the team.
An example of Anakin going against the greater good is when he directly disobeys the Jedi Council’s orders and flies off to Tatooine to potentially save his mother.
Now that’s one of many examples that I could have named but it speaks volumes of his character.
As for Luke, an example of him staying levelheaded and keeping the mission as the main priority is the following.
When childhood friend, Biggs Darklighter is covering Luke as they make their attack run in ANH against the Empire’s super weapon and Biggs suddenly comes under fire by Vader and his henchmen, Luke stays the course.
I have to say, Anakin would have most definitely engaged Vader (if that were possible) in hopes of allowing his lifelong friend to survive.
Of course there are examples that go against what I’m saying but for the most part, Anakin follows his heart as Luke uses his head.
As for piloting, Anakin and Luke are exactly the same in fact they are practically replicas of each other as they’re unequivocally the best.
When it comes to piloting, there’s no debate. The Skywalker duo are as good as it comes.
Another similarity between Anakin and Luke is their lightsaber combat.
Both used (and mastered) Form V.
Utilizing their athleticism and maneuverability, both had no problem matching their opponents onslaughts with defensive counters.
What enhanced both of their lightsaber forms was their ability to call on the force.
With Anakin, I would describe a fight against the chosen one as a “perfect storm”, perfect for Anakin, that is.
When Anakin is entrenched in combat, he seems to have full control over every single atom that surrounds him and his opponent.
It looks as if he wrote the outcome of the duel and can rewrite or change the events at will.
Now in contrast to Luke, I would describe his fighting style as “quiet calm”.
Luke doesn’t go out of his way to make things happen, he doesn’t aggressively engage his opponent yet he allows his own skill to play out.
He believes in his craft and his silent confidence and bravado during through his fighting shows that.
However, if there was ever an instance where Luke went against the grain and who he is, it’s when he defeats Vader in ROTJ.
If I were to describe that fight and the combatants were not named, you would think Anakin was fighting some enemy.
But that simply was not the case.
Vader successfully baited Luke into coming out of hiding and engaging him. What he did not expect was Luke tapping into an unexpected inner will and strength, some would even say, the Dark Side…
What Does it Mean?
Anakin and Luke are very similar and yet very different.
Both have identical styles but intentions that are completely different.
Anakin fought for love as Luke fought for the team, for the Rebellion.
My official statement on these two are much like them both, similar and yet different.
I strongly believe that if Anakin resisted Palpatine and the Dark Side, he would have gone on to be undeniably the most powerful, important and fulfilled Jedi of all time.
As for Luke, I believe if he received the type of training that Anakin did, he too would go on to be the indisputable Jedi champion of all time in his own right.
Ironically, Anakin would fall into the shadows of pure malevolence and go on to do only for himself and his exalted Master.
Luke is another story in total. He begins his journey through the force believing that he must confront Vader to avenge his father yet discovers Vader is in fact his father and alters course.
Instead of attempting to defeat his father, he tries to turn him and bring him back to the light.
We all know the ending of this story as Luke ultimately resists the temptations of the Dark Side and self-proclaims himself a Jedi, like his father before him.
In the end, these are two forces to be reckoned with. Of that, there is no question.
-Sith Pacify out
sithpacify 