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Darth Vader Respect Thread (Part 1)

Darth Vader is one of my favorite characters in the Star Wars mythos, so i decided to create a respect thread for him.

Since the thread proved to be too long to include all of Vader's feats and accolades in just one blog entry, I decided to split it into three parts. You can find the second and the third part of the thread here and here. I also made a respect thread for Canon Vader, which can be found at this link.

For the best viewing quality, switch to blog format.

Power/Potential

Palpatine views Vader as the greatest Jedi killer of all time. It should also be noted that he would have recreated Vader given the opportunity, and in spite of the latter's betrayal, suggesting he values him more than his other apprentices:

Of all the monsters I have created, I still regard Darth Vader as something of a minor masterpiece. No, he was not an entirely alchemical creation, but he was my monster nevertheless. Even though he failed to live up to his full potential, there was much pleasure in transforming Anakin Skywalker from a bright-eyed, tousle-headed youth into the greatest Jedi killer of all time. Yes, he ultimately turned against his Master, as monsters sometimes do, but that was my fault, not his. Given the opportunity to create Vader again, I would, and with zeal.

-- Jedi Vs. Sith: The Essential Guide To The Force

Vader is more powerful than Darth Maul:

Although Maul died at the hands of the young Obi-Wan Kenobi, the sudden appearance of a Sith warrior was a serious warning to the Jedi Council that turbulent times lay ahead.

When Darth Sidious took on even more powerful disciples - Darth Tyranus, then Tyranus' replacement Darth Vader - the deeply Sinister presence of the Sith plunged the entire galaxy into turmoil.

Credit to Aryan87

-- https://comicvine.gamespot.com/a/uploads/original/11115/111155790/8215564-4385314563-81966.png

He was stated by George Lucas to possess 80% of Palpatine's power/potential:

“Anakin, as Skywalker, as a human being, was going to be extremely powerful,” he says. “But he ended up losing his legs and an arm and became partly a robot. So a lot of his ability to use the Force, a lot of his powers, are curbed at this point, because, as a living form, there’s not that much of him left. So his ability to be twice as good as the Emperor disappeared, and now he’s maybe 20 percent less than him. So that isn’t what the Emperor had in mind. He wanted this really super guy, but that got derailed by Obi-Wan. So he finds that, with Luke, he can get a more primo version if he can turn Luke to the Dark Side. You’ll see, as this goes on, Luke is faced with the same issues and practically the same scenes that Anakin is faced with. Anakin says yes and Luke says no.”

-- Star Wars: The Last Battle, Vanity Fair Magazine, 2005

George Lucas views Vader as more powerful than Luke:

Well, children love power because children are the powerless. And so their fantasies all center on having power. And who’s more powerful than Darth Vader, you know? And, some, you know, will be attracted to Luke Skywalker because he’s the good guy. But ultimately, we all know that Darth Vader’s more powerful than he is.

-- https://billmoyers.com/content/mythology-of-star-wars-george-lucas/

Vader's mere presence is said to be enough to weaken even the bravest heart:

Vader’s mere presence was enough to weaken even the bravest heart. He was ruthless, and when he focused his terrible mind on them, Tash felt dark ripples of the Force wash over her, threatening to drown her in pure evil. Beside her, Zak felt Vader’s cruel will like a shadow darker than anything the wraiths could create.

-- Galaxy Of Fear: Army Of Terror

Vader is a terrifying opponent:

Unknown to the Rebels, the Emperor had already laid the groundwork for the perpetual rule of his New Order. He had turned a Jedi into his new dark apprentice, the terrifying Darth Vader.

-- The Dark Side Sourcebook

Darth Sidious views Vader as a threat:

He collected some of these Force adepts and took them to his citadel on Byss, where he initiated them in the powers of the dark side. All of those he taught, human or alien, were only taught enough to fulfilll Palpatine's wishes. He didn't want any of them rising up against him. Bad enough that Vader was as powerful as he was, though Palpatine was certain of Vader’s loyalty to the dark side.

Credit to Azronger

-- The Essential Guide To Characters

Vader is so powerful that he and Sote/Rotj Luke could overpower Rotj Palpatine if they combined their might:

However if Vader and Luke -father and son- were to combine their might against the Emperor, they could usurp Palpatine's power and bring a new era of peace to the galaxy.

Credit to El_mago

-- Shadows Of The Empire Sourcebook

George Lucas: He knows that if he gets into a laser fight with the Emperor, he won't win. He knows his son can't win. Neither one of them can beat the Emperor. Together they might. In the first sequel, he reveals that when he says, 'Together we can rule the universe.

Credit to ReaperAce

-- The Making of Return of the Jedi

The Prophets of the dark side imply that ANH Vader is possibly powerful enough to destroy them as well as the resurrected Darth Maul with the Force:

Of course you could refuse the duel and attempt to destroy all of us here and now. You might even succeed. But such a deed would diminish you in the Emperor's eyes, would it not? And you would always wonder. Doubt would always nag at you. You could never be certain whether Darth Maul was your better...unless you take up this challenge.

-- Tales 9: Resurrection

Ron Marz, the comic's author, has confirmed this is indeed what they meant:

https://comicvine.gamespot.com/a/uploads/original/11115/111155790/8118169-0413503874-75222.png

It should be noted that Maul was prepared/powered up to fight Vader, suggesting he was stronger than ever:

https://comicvine.gamespot.com/a/uploads/original/11115/111155790/8117146-maulvsvader%2Bempowered.png

Vader was implied to be capable of easily beating Luke with the Force had he been serious in ROTJ:

She pointed a finger at Luke, and before Luke even recognized her evil intent, a ripple of Force slammed into him. White lights exploded behind his eyes, and the right side of his face felt as if it had been smashed by a hammer. His left arm and right leg crumpled under their unbearable weight, and he dropped to the ground on one knee, stunned. All the noise and blaster fire and screams of pain died away, became a distant roaring. Gethzerion pointed at him again, twitched her finger, and his eyes lost focus. He felt the hammer blow to his left temple, dropped to his side and rolled over to his back, gasping. Luke stared up at the sky, watching streams of rocks hurtling above him—some propelled by the Force, others hurled by rancors.

Time seemed to slow. His head throbbed, pounding to the same rhythm as the beating of his heart. His face had gone cold, numb, and Luke realized distantly that Gethzerion’s spell had ripped open blood vessels in his brain, and he was about to die, one among hundreds of fatalities on this battlefield.

So this is how it would have been, if Vader had tried to kill me.

--The Courtship of Princess Leia

Vader eventually surpassed his ROTS iteration:

Many years later, Obi-Wan and Darth Vader duel a second time. The Sith Lord is now more experienced and powerful.

-- Beware The Sith

This duel was very different from their last. Obi-Wan was older and weaker while Vader was even stronger, fueled by hatred and thirst for revenge.

Credit to Dawn_of_Ages

-- Jedi Battles

In his duel against Darth Vader on Bespin, Luke Skywalker reveals himself as an extraordinarily gifted artist with the blade who has largely taught himself. After a single brief session with Obi-Wan Kenobi years ago, and only a short time with Yoda, Skywalker is able to hold up against a Dark Lord of the Sith at the height of his powers.

Credit to Azronger

--Insider 62

Ben was still clutching his lightsaber when he reached an access tunnel that led back to Docking Bay 327. As he entered the tunnel, he sighted a tall, shadowy form at the tunnel's other the end. Even if Ben had never seen Darth Vader's cybernetic incarnation via a HoloNet broadcast on Tatooine, he still would have sensed the power of his former apprentice, now concealed within black armor.

Credit to Azronger

-- The Life And Legend Of Obi-Wan Kenobi

“This is a fight you cannot win, Darth. Your power has matured since I taught you, but I too have grown much since our parting. If my blade finds its mark, you will cease to exist. But if you cut me down, I will only become more powerful. Heed my words.”

-- A New Hope

His power was great, now, greater than it had ever been. It shimmered from within, and resonated with the waves of darkness that flowed from the Emperor.

-- Return Of The Jedi

You are Darth Vader, Lord of the Sith, master of the Dark Side of the Force. Once a power for good in the galaxy, you are now feared as the ultimate evil. Obi-Wan Kenobi, a Jedi Knight, opened you to the power of the Force. You became his apprentice and learned the ways of the Jedi. But Kenobi's methods were slow and difficult, not quick and easy as you hoped they would be.

So you gave yourself over to the Dark Side, allowing it to consume you so that you could be reborn in a more powerful image. Now you stand with the Emperor, bent on subjugating the entire galaxy to his New Order.

Credit to Azronger

-- Lightsaber Dueling Pack: Darth Vader

More powerful in the Force than ever before as well as a master of the lightsaber, Darth Vader prepares for his final battle as the Rebel fleet hammers the fully operational Death Star.

Credit to Azronger

-- Darth Vader Return Of Anakin Skywalker

Darth Sidious muses that Vader would eventually become a risk to his mastery:

More important, by the time Vader was capable of becoming a risk to his Mastery, Sidious would be fully conversant with the secrets Plagueis had spent a lifetime seeking–the power of life over death. There would be no need to fear Vader.

-- Dark Lord: The Rise Of Darth Vader

Palpatine muses that Vader's limitations were more phsychological than physical, and also that he would have to do everything he can to reawaken Vader's power, even at his own peril, once again suggesting Vader could potentially become a risk to his mastery:

Yes, Vader was not precisely what he had bargained for. Vader’s legs and arms were artificial, and he would never be able to summon lightning or leap about like the Jedi had been fond of doing. His dark side training was just beginning. But Sith power resided not in the flesh but in the will. Self-restraint was praised by the Jedi only because they didn’t know the power of the dark side. Vader’s real weaknesses were psychological rather than physical, and for Vader to overcome them he would need to be driven deeper into himself, to confront all his choices and his disappointments.

Powered by treachery, the Sith Master-apprentice relationship was always a dangerous game. Trust was encouraged even while being sabotaged; loyalty was demanded even while betrayal was prized; suspicion was nourished even while honesty was praised.

In some sense, it was survival of the fittest.

Fundamental to Vader’s growth was the desire to overthrow his Master.

Had Vader killed Obi-Wan on Mustafar, he might have attempted to kill Sidious, as well. In fact, Sidious would have been surprised if Anakin hadn’t made an attempt. Now, however, incapable of so much as breathing on his own, Vader could not rise to the challenge, and Sidious understood that he would need everything in his power to shake Vader out of that despair, and reawaken the incredible power within him.

Even at Sidious’s own peril…

Credit to Azronger

--Dark Lord: The Rise Of Darth Vader

Vader grew more powerful over time:

Over time Vader has advanced in his ability to manipulate the dark side of the Force, and has used it to sustain his own damaged body as well as to persuade opponents of his will. Under the Emperor's tutelage, Vader learns to kill with mere suggestion.

-- Star Wars Visual Dictionary

As Darth Sidious's apprentice, Vader continues to expand his knowledge and the power of the dark side.

-- Force And Destiny Core Rulebook

Even his own generals could not escape Vader's wrath, and as time went by, the Sith's powers grew even stronger.

-- The Story Of Darth Vader

"My Master seems pleased; his apprentice grows ever stronger."

-- Galactic Battlegrounds

Between Lord Vader and the Imperial Inquisitors (and a handful of independent Jedi Hunters), the dark side grew stronger and stronger.

Credit to Azronger

--The Dark Side Sourcebook

All his life he had been trained to turn fear into anger, and anger into power. It was no different, he realized, for Darth Vader. Where else could Lord Vader look for increased power than to the Emperor himself? People were either predators or prey. That was one of the most basic rules of life. Together, Darth Vader and his apprentice would ensure that their joint power only increased.

Credit to Azronger

-- The Force Unleashed

After defeating Roan Shryne, Vader feels the power of the dark side surging through him, and he also feels like having crossed an invisible threshold to a new world. Palpatine also senses that Vader has begun to tap deeply into the power of the dark side, indicating he previously didn't, thus suggesting that Vader grew substantially more powerful:

More important, Vader's bloodlust had been appeased; replaced by self-possession of a sort he had never before experienced. It was as if he had crossed some invisible threshold to a new world. He could feel the power of the dark side surging through him like an icy torrent. He felt invulnerable in a way that had nothing to do with his durasteel prostheses, his suit of armor and gadgets, which now seemed little more than an outfit. And it had taken a Jedi–yet another Jedi–to usher him over that threshold.

--

Sidious was pleased. Vader had done well. He had sensed the change in him, even in the brief conversation they had had following the events on Kashyyyk. Now that Vader had begun to tap deeply into the power of the dark side, his true apprenticeship could begin. The Jedi were incidental to him. He was covetous of the power Sidious wielded, and believed that one day they would be equals.

-- Dark Lord: The Rise Of Darth Vader

Vader is one of the deadliest Sith apprentices in history:

Darth Vader was one of the most deadly Sith apprentices ever.

-- Star Wars: Sith Wars

The Emperor considers Vader to be his minor masterpiece:

My Empire, so perfect in vision, has at times proved infuriating in its implementation because of the sloth and stupidity of my underlings. Even Vader, my minor masterpiece, is often weak and indecisive. It is fortunate that I have an eternity to outlive his errors.

-- Book Of Sith: Secrets From The Dark Side

Vader is virtually invincible by virtue of his dark side powers:

Clad in flowing black robes, protective armor, and a grotesque, combined breath mask and helmet, the imposing figure of Darth Vader was feared throughout the Empire. Utterly ruthless, his Sith powers made him virtually invincible.

-- Star Wars Fact File 3

Vader is the Emperor's most powerful servant:

Perhaps the strongest disciple of Palpatine after Darth Vader, Executor Sedriss remained loyal to the Emperor after the death of his clone over the Rebels' Pinnacle Base.

-- Handbook 3: Dark Empire

Although Palpatine called for the extermination of Jedi and any Force-sensitives who could conceivably challenge him, he did keep a few loyal agents who were trained in the Force. Darth Vader was chief among them, as his primary lieutenant and Sith apprentice.

-- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia

Vader is far more powerful than Asajj Ventress, Mara Jade, Valin Draco, and the Emperor's Shadow Guards:

In that particular instance, Bane and Sidious were foiled, but Sidious' basic aims remained. He sought to create a network of Force-wielding agents loyal only to him. None would be trained sufficiently to be a threat to Darth Bane's insistence that there only be two Sith, nor would they be a threat to Darth Sidious or his apprentice, Darth Vader. The most powerful of these agents were "only" Sith adepts but would appear almost as dark Jedi - the likes of Asajj Ventress, Mara Jade, or Inquisitor Valin Draco (in fact, a fallen Jedi). The lesser agents were reduced to still-deadly faceless minions. Among their ranks were the Shadow Guard.

Credit to Greysentinel365

-- The Official Starships And Vehicles Collection 63

Luke compares Vader's power to that of Darth Krayt:

Determined to root out those behind the mayhem, Jacen follows a trail of cryptic clues to a rendezvous with the most shocking of revelations. Meanwhile Luke grapples with something even more troubling: dreamy vision of a shadowy figure whose Force power and ruthlessness remind him of Darth Vader. If Luke's visions come to pass, they will bring untold pain to the Jedi Master...and to the galaxy.

Credit to El_mago

-- Fate Of The Jedi: Apocalypse

Luke grapples with something even more troubling: dream visions of a shadowy figure whose Force power and ruthlessness remind him of Darth Vader—a lethal enemy who strikes like a dark spirit on a mission of doom.

Credit to El_mago

--Legacy Of The Force: Betrayal

Vader is perhaps Supreme Prophet Kadann's most powerful enemy:

He hated the Emperor, and Kadann taught him to also hate Darth Vader, the Emperor's most trusted servant (and perhaps Kadann's most powerful enemy, if the darksider ever decided to make his play for power).”

Credit to El_mago

-- The Dark Side Sourcebook

He was a far more formidable opponent in TESB than he was in ANH:

Within the armoed forces Vader now holds absolute power over the higher Imperial officers who scorned him earlier in his career. This situation reflects Vader's greater mastery over himself and over the Force in the time since the Battle of Yavin, an improvement that is readily apparent in his lightsaber style during the duel with Luke Skywalker on Bespin. Vader has largely freed himself of pain through the Force in the years since the Battle of Yavin and, by practice with living opponents both willing and unwilling, he has advanced his lightsaber technique. Baron Orman Tagge serves as testament to Vader's technique by this era, precisely blinded in both eyes by Vader's blade in a duel. Vader is thus a far more formidable foe on Bespin than he was against Ben Kenobi on the Death Star.

-- Insider #62

Vader was stated by Sam Witwer to be powerful enough to wreck Starkiller, indicating that he was toying with him in their previous encounters:

"But there was definitely moments where Starkiller faces off very cocky against Vader, maybe near the beginning of the game, and Vader *houses* him. And he says "how are you doing this?" And he's says "I'm Darth Vader."...

...that Vader had been gaming him, quite a bit."

-- Far, Far Away: Episode VIII: Sam Witwer

While Sam Witwer is just a voice actor, it should be noted that he knew the story due to discussing it with Haden Blackman, TFU's creator:

Yeah, absolutely, I'll give you little tidbits. The story of 3 was going to be as I understand it, thematically the terror of Darth Vader, because, you know, Haden Blackman wasn't about to have you beat this guy two times in a row without making a very strong point at the end of the third one and throughout the third one. That, you know there is, there is a... you know, I shouldn't say too much in case this all happens...

-- Far, Far Away: Episode VIII: Sam Witwer

“Haden Blackman, David Collins (Proxy) and I have discussed the story and it’s pretty great. I don’t think it’s much of spoiler to say that taking Vader captive is not the best idea.”

-- Far, Far Away: Episode VIII: Sam Witwer

Vader is considered to be far more powerful than TFU 2 Starkiller :

You grab your sabers and attack, but Vader is too powerful. He tosses you away like a rag doll.

-- Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II: Prima Official Game Guide

Vader is more powerful than Ben Kenobi:

Another exchange-four, five, six attacks and blocks-and Vader knew the old man was weakening. The Force might be strong in Obi-Wan, but the dark side was stronger in Vader. It let him anticipate his adversary's strikes and counter them almost before they began.

Obi-Wan knew it, too. He began a retreat, backing away, his lightsaber itself seeming weaker as he moved. Vader backed Obi-Wan past an open blast door leading to the forward dock where the Rebel freighter was being held under guard. The old man was obviously tiring. You're mine, old man, Vader thought.

-- Death Star

18 BBY Vader is viewed by Nick Rostu as far more powerful in the Force than Kar Vastor. Given that this would put him above the likes of 22 BBY Mace Windu, and thus, above Jedi such as Shaak Ti, Yarael Poof, Fay, or Yaddle, this is an impressive accolade. Noting that Nick seemed to be aware of Kar's power even before the fight against Mace, so his comparison shouldn't be inaccurate:

Nick Rostu knew darkness.

He had, after all, stood with the Jedi Master Mace Windu against Kar Vastor in the steaming jungles of Haruun Kal. Kar Vastor, leader of the Balawai resistance; Kar Vastor, with his arm-mounted vibroblade weapons and his almost supernatural strength. Kar Vastor, stronger in the Force than any of the Korunnai, stronger than any in the galaxy, perhaps, save for the Jedi. Kar Vastor, so submerged in the dark side that, even though Nick had been only a couple of meters away from him during that final battle, eventhough he could see the man as clearly as he could see Mace, or Iolu, the guard who'd sliced him from sternum to navel-still, looking back on it now, he realized he couldn't visualize the guerrilla leader's face. It was as if the Balawai commander had been shrouded in darkness, somehow, as if the dark side of the Force radiated a strange anti-light. Kar Vastor had been the essence, the personification, of primal power, jungle savagery, and bloodlust distilled into flesh. Nick had never seen anyone or anything to match him.

Until now.

Until he stood, unarmed, before Darth Vader.

As if being armed would make a difference, he thought. He could be tricked out with wrist rockets, a hold-out shooter, a pair of DL-44s, and a disruptor rifle, and he might just as well be carrying a pointed stick. Vastor had been animal ferocity and menace, barely contained. He'd thrummed with the power of the dark side. His arms, legs, torso, and shoulders had been layered with striated muscle; he looked like he could have lifted a pregnant grasser over his head. One-handed.

Vader was as tall as Vastor had been, but probably massed a good twenty kilos less. He wasn't physically impressive in the same way; no musculature was visible under the black armor.

It didn't matter. There was no doubt in Nick's mind that, were Kar Vastor somehow to be pitted against Darth Vader, the feral Balawai renegade wouldn't stand a chance.

The Force was powerful in Vader; even the dim wattage of Nick's connection could feel that. It was far more powerful than it had been in Kar Vastor. It had pulsed from Vastor in waves of fury, blasted like an open furnace. In Vader, it was-contained. Pent.

Waiting.

-- Coruscant Nights I: Jedi Twilight

"There's a lor pelek who travels with Depa's band. He's... very powerful. More than powerful. If we can get Besh and Chalk to him before they start the twitches, he might be able to save them."

-- Shatterpoint

As of ANH, Vader's power is great enough that Ben Kenobi was seemingly strained and pressured by his former apprentice's mere presence:

The two Galactic warriors stand perfectly still for a few moments, sizing each other up and waiting for the right moment. Ben seems to be under increasing pressure and strain, as if an invisible weight were being placed upon him. He shakes his head and, blinking, tries to clear his eyes.

-- A New Hope

The two Galactic warriors stand perfectly still for a few moments, sizing each other up and waiting for the right moment. Ben seems to be under increasing pressure and strain, as if an invisible weight were being placed upon him. He shakes his head and, blinking, tries to clear his eyes.

-- A New Hope Script

Yet, even as they fight, Ben seems to be under increasing pressure and strain--as if an invisible weight were being placed upon him...

-- Classic Star Wars: A New Hope Comic

Vader is far more powerful than Ferus Olin:

He was more powerful by far, but the plastoid armor made for awkward maneuvering.

-- Rebel Force: Uprising

Darth Sidious, the most powerful Sith lord in history, attributes Vader's ability to kill him in Rotj to his apprentice's power. While the feat itself is circumstantial, this is nonetheless rather impressive, especially when bearing in mind that Rotj Palpatine at this point is arguably far more powerful than his earlier iterations:

Yes, Vader remained strong in the Force, but strong enough to succeed me? Never. Granted, he was strong enough to kill me. But that only lasted for so long.

-- Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide To The Force

According to Palpatine, DE Luke is only potentially superior to Vader, suggesting the latter is at least equal to his son:

"Yes, that mask inspired terror throughout the galaxy but the feeble heart within was forever possessed by the impotent side of the Force. You can be far stronger than he was."

-- Dark Empire 1

"Yes... you have that talent... you are a Skywalker, after all... You can be like him... You can be greater than he was!"

-- Dark Empire Endnotes

Vader is incredibly powerful:

Vader's apprentice was both strong in the Force and incredibly aggressive. As a teenager, the apprentice was already more powerful than many Jedi Knights had been during the Clone Wars, and it was only Darth Vader's incredible power and skill that allowed him to defeat the boy in combat.

-- The Force Unleashed Campaign Guide

Vader's control over the Force is phenomenal:

Vader, one of the last of the Jedi, has phenomenal control over the Force.

-- Galaxy Magazine 11

He commands immeasurable power:

As his control over the dark side deepened, Vader grew increasingly contemptuous of his previous life as a mere student. The Dark Lord possessed immeasurable power, and unquestionable authority.

-- Anakin Skywalker: The Story Of Darth Vader

19 BBY Darth Vader is one of the most powerful entities in the galaxy:

Such threats hold no fear for Vader. Indeed, it is in such situations that he feels most alive...in such moments that he can forget the armored prison in which he exists...forget the many sacrifices he has made to reach his current position as one of the most powerful entities in the galaxy.

Credit to Dawn_Of_Ages

-- Dark Times: The Path To Nowhere

Just three months after Mustafar, Darth Vader is implied to be more powerful than Celeste Morne, with he himself and Karness Muur claiming during their duel that Morne was unable to win. Celeste also mused that she didn't have the strength to stop Vader. This is significant, because Celeste Morne displayed enough willpower to keep Karness Muur trapped for over a century, and could temporarily withstand the combined might of Darth Krayt and Darth Maladi:

Karness Muur: "No? You cannot hope to survive this fight..unless you give in to me...accept my power."

--

"You reek of despair...defeat. Give up, Celeste Morne. You cannot win."

Darth Vader: "Give up. You cannot defeat me."

-- Dark Times 12: Vector, Part 6

In her heart, Celeste Morne knows that Karness Muur is right...she doesn't have the strength to stop Vader.

-- Dark Times 12: Vector, Part 6

Even by the time of ANH, and thus years before his prime, Vader was the second most powerful being in the galaxy, including the likes of Master Yoda, Cronal, Jerec, Vergere, Karness Muur, Gethzerion, Lumiya, Joruus C'Baoth, the Sorcerers Of Rhand, the Inquisitors, the Prophets Of The Dark Side, and the Emperor's Dark Side Adepts:

Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, has instilled terror throughout the galaxy since the beginning of the Empire. His devotion to the Emperor and mastery of the dark side gives him more power than any single individual in the galaxy except for the Emperor himself.

-- Shadows Of The Empire: Prince Xizor vs. Darth Vader Action Figure (Kenner)

In his distinctive black armor, Vader is an imposing figure. In the entire galaxy, he is second in power only to the Emperor himself.

-- Insider 65

At the beginning of A New Hope, Darth Vader is so powerful in the Dark Side that he is second in command of the entire galaxy!

-- Adventures Magazine 4

Darth Vader

The most powerful and feared figure in the galaxy next to his Master, the Emperor.

Credit to El_Mago

--The Original Trilogy Scrapbook

For the first time he could remember, the dark side had no answer. And a great surge of unfamiliar emotion suddenly washed over him.

Darth Vader, the Dark Lord of the Sith's apprentice, one of the two most powerful beings in the galaxy, was afraid.

-- Death Star

Bearing in mind that Vader was given more and more authority and responsibility as his strength grew, implying his political/military power is a by-product of his power in the Force:

Aided by the Emperor, Vader continued his own twisted Jedi training. As he grew in strength, he gained more authority and responsibility, rising to become the Emperor's right-hand servant.

Credit to Dawn_of_ages

-- Lightsaber Dueling Pack: Darth Vader

As of 18 BBY, Vader muses that he could strike his master down, in spite of seeing him go all out, though he probably thought this out of anger:

"You killed her. That was good - it brought you to me."

You killed her. That was good. Vader was shocked at the grief and anger that roiled through him at his Master's words. He could easily have struck his Master down.

-- The Last Of The Jedi: Reckoning

Palpatine views Sedriss as just a moderately powerful Force user, and not Sith apprentice material, even as a placeholder, in spite of the latter being one of the his strongest apprentices, implying that Vader is immensely more powerful than him, and by extension, the other Dark Side Adepts:

As leader of my Dark Side Adepts, Military Executor Sedriss has been the most loyal, and is commended for reviving me here on Byss. But for all his usefulness, Sedriss is only a moderate Force-sensitive, a capable errand boy but hardly the stuff of a Sith apprentice.

-- Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide To The Force

Vader is implied to be far more powerful than Cronal, given that the latter compared himself to Kar Vastor, a Force user the Sith lord was stated to exceed in power way before his prime:

And with the shadow nerve network of meltmassif lacing his body, he had a connection to the fundamental power of the Dark that rivaled Cronal's own.

-- Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor

He is more powerful than Jerec:

The tattooed man’s dark-side energy wasn’t quite as powerful as the feeling she’d gotten from Darth Vader months ago. This man wasn’t as strong as Vader. But he was almost as evil.

-- Galaxy Of Fear: Spore

Vader is as formidable as the Emperor:

Once Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, the black-cloaked Darth Sidious has fulfilled his masterful plan and taken control of the entire galaxy, with the equally formidable Dark Lord of the Sith by his side.

Credit to Azronger

-- Galactic Files: Emperor Palpatine

Vader is even more capable with the Force than he is with a lightsaber:

Darth Vader is the embodiment of all evil. Under the guidance of Emperor Palpatine-aka Darth Sidious- Lord Vader controls the Galactic Empire with an iron fist. He's an unparalleled lightsaber combatant and an even more capable Force wielder.

-- Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II: Prima Official Game Guide

His power increased after the destruction of the Death Star:

When the Death Star exploded, it was believed that Vader had been lost to the void. But he returned, more powerful than before, and was given command of the fleet assigned to track down Skywalker and the Rebel fleet.

-- Galaxy Guide 1: A New Hope

The more powerful figures may often be defeated but not slain. They may flee, like Darth Vader after the destruction of the Death Star, to return more powerful on another day.

Credit to Azronger

--Gamer 5

He possesses considerable powers and mastery of the dark side:

However, even Vader's considerable powers and mastery of the dark side could not stop a young Rebel pilot, himself strong with the Force, from destroying the Empire's greatest weapon.

-- Star Wars Sourcebook

Vader is one of the most powerful Sith Lords in history:

Many of the most powerful, terrifying, and notorious Sith Lords through history have been Human or near-Human, including Exar Kun, Darth Malak, Darth Bane, Darth Sidious, Darth Vader, and Darth Krayt.

-- Behind The Threat: Sith

From a slave on Tatooine to one of the most powerful Sith Lords ever, Anakin Skywalker's rise to power was as astonishing as it was tragic.

-- Star Wars: Force Collection

He emanates terrible power:

When his subjects forgot who ruled the Empire, the Emperor sent Darth Vader to remind them. His mere presence inspired dread; his visage inspired terror. Few could stand in his presence and not feel the terrible emanations of his power.

-- Darkside Sourcebook

According to Luke, Vader is as formidable a foe as Joruus C'Baoth:

According to Luke Skywalker, the duplicate C'baoth was easily as formidable a foe as Darth Vader and completely twisted to the dark side of the Force.

-- Thrawn Trilogy Sourcebook

Vader reaches his prime in ROTJ:

His power was great, now, greater than it had ever been. It shimmered from within, and resonated with the waves of darkness that flowed from the Emperor.

-- Return Of The Jedi

The ancient Sith Lord Karness Muur is impressed by Vader's power:

"This one's strong, Celeste Morne...and willing. He deserves the talisman"

-- Star Wars: Dark Times 12: Vector, Part 6

Darth Vader is noted multiple times as being a master of the dark side:

Vader. The thought of him made Tash's skin crawl. He was the Dark Lord of the Sith, a master of the dark side of the Force and, next to the Emperor, the most powerful man in the galaxy

-- Galaxy Of Fear: Army Of Terror

He is Emperor Palpatine's Sith apprentice and a fierce military leader. He is feared throughout the galaxy for his mastery of the dark side of the Force.

-- Star Wars: Force Collection

Answering only to the Emperor, Darth Vader uses fear, terror, and mastery of the dark side of the Force to destroy the Empire's enemies. Despite his loyalty to his master, Vader retains some connection to the light side and the Jedi he used to be.

-- Star Wars: Force Collection

Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, was the scourge of the Jedi, a master of the dark side of the Force, and one of the Emperor's most trusted servants.

-- Star Wars Databank (Old): Darth Vader

You are Darth Vader, Lord of the Sith, master of the Dark Side of the Force.

-- Lightsaber Dueling Pack: Darth Vader

Anakin had become Darth Vader, master of the dark side and Dark Lord of the Sith.

--

As a Master of the dark side of the Force, Vader was expert at wielding a lightsaber.

-- The Star Wars Trilogy Scrapbook: The Galactic Empire

Bail Organa considers Vader to be powerful almost beyond belief:

Mon Mothma loosed a fatigued exhalation. "I've never understood any of this, about the Siths' involvement in the war."

"You only need to understand that Vader is Palpatine's executioner. He's powerful almost beyond belief."

-- Dark Lord: The Rise Of Darth Vader

Vader's mastery of the Force supposedly rivals that of the most powerful of Jedi:

Of course, it might easily have disappeared in one of the white-hot lava rivers . . . but was it really just a coincidence that Darth Vader, encased in a life-support suit and demonstrating a mastery of the Force supposedly only attained by the most powerful of Jedi, had become the Emperor's new favorite immediately after Skywalker left the scene?

-- Death Star

Vader is perhaps the ultimate master of the dark side after the Emperor.

Before Joruus C'baoth come out of his seclusion to threaten the New Republic, Luke Skywalker had to face perhaps the ultimate masters of the Dark Side, Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine.

Credit to Azronger

-- Heir To The Empire Sourcebook

Vader is the living embodiment of the dark side:

Darth Vader became the epitome of the Emperor's New Order, the embodiment of the Dark Side.

Credit to Azronger

-- Heir To The Empire Sourcebook

His dark side power is great enough to cause Ferus Olin to shrink back:

Ferus felt the dark side of the Force surge in a sickening wave, so powerful he inadvertently shrank back. He knew what it meant. The Sith Lord had arrived.

-- Last Of The Jedi: Underworld

Vader is so powerful that he can keep himself alive via a combination of his will and of his armor:

Kenobi thought that Anakin Skywalker died that day, and in a way he had. The being who pulled himself out of the fiery pool was irredeemably dark and scarred. He became more machine than man, a twisted, evil being kept alive only by the machinery within his dark armor and by his own black will.

Credit to Azronger

-- Heir To The Empire Sourcebook

Vader's mere presence is powerful enough enough to create tremors in the Force, and incite dread in Jax Pavan:

Jax felt himself grow cold with dread. He felt another tremor in the Force, a warmer, friendly one, and realized, even before he looked to confirm it, that Laranth was awake. He saw from her expression that she had also felt the vibration in the Force. She might not be able to identify it as quickly or as assuredly as he had, but she knew it was bad news.

-- Coruscant Nights I: Jedi Twilight

Jax Pavan and Probus Tesla claim that 18 BBY Vader is the most powerful Force-user they have ever known. This is especially impressive, because one of the Force sensitives Pavan and Tesla met was Kajin Savaros, who pulverized an Inquisitor with a Force push. It's also worth noting that Pavan was a former Jedi Knight, so he most likely would have sensed the power Jedi Council members such as Mace Windu:

Abruptly he experienced a sudden tingle that vibrated the lines of the Force—a plangent throb telling him that a new player was approaching the blasted landscape of the Factory District. Someone extremely strong in the Force—stronger than he’d ever encountered before. It could mean only one thing:

Darth Vader was coming.

-- Coruscant Nights I: Jedi Twilight

No, Jax didn’t know what Darth Vader was capable of. Aboard the dying Far Ranger he thought he had seen him fail to manipulate Thi Xon Yimmon’s mind and have to settle, instead, for manipulating gravity. Still …

“I’ve never known a Force-user as powerful as Vader,” he admitted. “Which only makes it more critical that we rescue Yimmon.”

--

Not only was Darth Vader the most powerful Force-user Tesla had ever known, he had always thought of him as a towering genius.

-- The Last Jedi

But the Inquisitor high above Laranth’s head had leapt, Force-lightning sparking from his hands in two deadly, dancing streams.

Kaj turned and raised his hands, delivering a massive Force-push from every angle against the Inquisitor. One moment the Inquisitor was falling toward Laranth, power streaming from his hands—the next he was simply gone. Where he had been there was only a fine swirl of ash. In seconds it, too, was gone, tugged apart by the air currents above the street.

Laranth had half fallen against a slab of tilted masonry and was staring up into the empty air; Jax and I-Five raced to her side, hurling aside obstacles as they ran—Jax using the Force, I-Five using his innate strength.

Kaj breathed out a sigh of relief; the Twi’lek would be fine.

He swung back to his own target now … and found it gone. He swept the area with the Force, uncaring at that moment if every Inquisitor in the sector felt him.

It did no good. The Inquisitor was gone.

He let out a roar of rage that embedded a meter-long twist of durasteel in the nearby building.

Far up the street, Probus Tesla, propped painfully in a deep window embrasure, watched as the Jedi and the droid he had sought gathered their companions and disappeared from sight.

His first impulse when he had emerged from the rubble—where he had lain twisted painfully despite his effort to cocoon himself—was to continue the fight, to let his sheer rage empower him. But then he had seen that boy—that untrained adept—use the Force to … atomize Mas Sirrah. Destroy him so thoroughly that not even an echo of his Force signature remained. It was as if he had never existed.

In his entire tenure as an Inquisitor, Tesla had never seen the Force used in such a way.

--

Jax shifted uneasily, remembering the ease with which Kaj had sent the Inquisitor into oblivion.

-- Coruscant Nights III: Patterns Of Force

Jax Pavan regards Vader as the black heart of vacuum:.

The image of the miisai still burned behind his closed eyelids. It struck him as paradoxical that this tiny specimen, with its fragile sprigs, was a close relation to the towering columns of wood around Big Woolly’s spaceport. Both drew life from soil and sun. Both pulsed with life force. Both were at once strong and flexible.

There was, indeed, a lesson in that, he realized, and it turned his thoughts toward the way he had experienced the Force, standing amid the trees of Toprawa. It had been different from his normal perception of it. He had always “seen” it as a web of energies in which he existed. When he used those energies, he saw them as tendrils or ribbons that reached out from his core to interact with the material universe.

But on Toprawa, he had experienced the Force as something that flowed up from the heart of a world, through the arteries of every forest giant and into the atmosphere with the oxygen. In his mind’s eye, he saw the trees—the great, monumental trees—roots in the ground, reaching into the skies, simultaneously moving and still.

It was suddenly very still inside Jax Pavan. He opened his Force sense to the miisai where it sat in its pot of soil. He could see it, then; he could feel it—the Force originating in some infinite well, flowing up through the slender trunk and gracefully turned branches, breathing out into the ether.

He drew in a deep breath, his mind hovering on the verge of epiphany. He felt an echo from that moment of ineffable peace when, months earlier, he had for a brief flash touched the hem of the Cosmic Force. He felt the stirring in his veins and arteries and, wanting it desperately, reached for the realization that was just beyond his grasp …

And touched the black heart of vacuum.

Vader!

Jax recoiled, literally thrusting himself backward and inward, away from that chill connection. He wanted to believe it had been merely a manifestation of his own apprehension, but he knew it was not. He had felt Darth Vader’s touch as surely as he felt the deck of the Far Ranger beneath him.

-- The Last Jedi

Force Knowledge

Vader was stated to have knowledge and understanding of the powers and dark side secrets Luke learned from Palpatine, including Sith Alchemy and Doppelgänger. The Emperor and Luke also claim that Vader knew the dark side well:

Luke is, perhaps, learning more about the Dark Side than he wants to know. The more the Emperor reveals, the more Luke is repulsed. The sheer depravity of the man would shake the soul of the strongest Jedi.

But Luke must continually remind himself of his vow to conquer the Dark Side from within.

Luke's father understood these secrets, these powers, and willingly used them to crush and enslave multitudes of Galactic citizens.

"Your father knew the Dark Side well...especially my teachings of weakness. How he could inspire fear! Yes...you have that talent...you are a Skywalker after all... You can be like him... You can be greater than he was!"

--

Satisfied that his "young apprentice" has crossed the threshold from which there is no returning, the Emperor unveils his teaching, and Luke is given the knowledge that was bestowed on his father before him!

-- Dark Empire Endnotes

"I found knowledge there...all the dark things father knew so well...the ability to control others...to destroy others, if I so choose.

-- Dark Empire I

This would also include the Dark Side Compendium, which Luke read in its entirety, suggesting that Vader studied the volumes as well. Most notably, one of the volumes contained knowledge on the creation of Force Storms, implying Vader can use, or at least knows this power as well:

"Listen to me, Leia...we can stop him...I've read his dark books. According to his own words, he has awakened a chaos even he cannot control!

-- Dark Empire I

He became more knowledgeable over time:

On Vjun, Vader conducted his own studies of the dark side. He had no doubt that the Emperor knew what he wanted more than anything: the power to kill his Master.

-- The Rise And Fall Of Darth Vader

As Darth Sidious's apprentice, Vader continues to expand his knowledge and the power of the dark side.

-- Force And Destiny Core Rulebook

Palpatine completed Vader's training in the dark side.

After the Emperor completed Vader's dark training, he granted him the title of "Lord Vader."

Credit to Azronger

-- Heir To The Empire Sourcebook

His knowledge of the dark side makes him powerful and dangerous:

Vader's knowledge of the dark side of the Force makes him a powerful and dangerous figure.

-- Star Wars: Sith Wars

Vader's knowledge of the dark side of the Force makes him unnerving and dangerous.

-- Character Encyclopedia

As a member of the Banite line, Vader has access to the Sith Archives passed down from master to apprentice for generations. Bearing in mind that Darth Bane himself was more knowledgeable than many Sith before him, and that his successors continued to increase that knowledge for nearly a millennium, which means that Vader had immensely greater resources to study from than Bane himself:

Darth Bane's Rule of Two was a keystone of the Sith Order for centuries. The Battle of Ruusan, nearly a millennium ago, would have ended the Sith Order had Darth Bane not reconstituted it as a diarchy operating from the shadows. His writings became part of the Sith Archives passed down from master to apprentice for generations.

Credit to Emperordmb

-- Book Of Sith: Secrets From The Dark Side

For a millennium, the Sith maintained the order in secrecy, passing down their evil heritage. As they gained knowledge of the dark side of the Force, their powers increased with each generation.

Credit to Emperordmb

-- Episode I: The Phantom Menace Scrapbook

The Sith had changed. The Sith had grown, had adapted, had invested a thousand years' intensive study into every aspect of not only the Force but Jedi lore itself, in preparation for exactly this day. The Sith had remade themselves.They had become new.

-- Revenge Of The Sith

Noting that Vader is confirmed as a Rule of Two Sith Lord in multiple sources:

https://www.writeurl.com/text/t4i7g2zulwh2i0j0q1ha/w6q3lqtlfo6p0k07t2f0 (credit to Azronger)

He had access to the Krimsan holocron:

Krimsan was a humanoid female with more than two hundred years of teaching experience at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. It remains unknown how the holocron that she maintained came into Darth Vader's possession. Although the Asli Krimsan Holocron was primarily conceived for the education of young Jedi, it also contains information on a wide range of events, including tales of the Jedi Knight of the old Republic and their battles against the Sith.

-- Jedi Vs. Sith: The Essential Guide To The Force

Vader has unlimited access to all the knowledge in the Jedi temple, including the Holocron Vaults, which contain the most closely guarded secrets of the Jedi Order, as well as a number of Sith Holocrons:

Black armorweave and feats of strength weren't the only things that distinguished Darth Vader from Anakin Skywalker. Where Anakin had had limited access to the Jedi Temple data room, Vader–even light-years from Coruscant–could peruse any data he wished, including archival records, ancient texts, and holocrons fashioned by past Masters.

-- Dark Lord: The Rise Of Darth Vader

"Beyond this door lies the Holocron Vault. The Holocrons contain the most closely guarded secrets of the Jedi Order."

-- The Clone Wars Season 2: Holocron Heist

The Archives vault contains the only known Sith Holocrons, whose very existence is revealed only to a handful of Jedi at the highest levels.

-- Attack Of The Clones Visual Dictionary

Noting that the amount of knowledge the Archives contained was likened to that of the ancient library of Ossus, as well as to the Banite archives as of Darth Plagueis' time, almost a millennium after Darth Bane, though it should be noted that part of it was destroyed during the events of Rots:

For a thousand generations, the Jedi worked hard to ensure that peace flourished throughout the galaxy. During that time, a number of repositories of Jedi knowledge developed, whose scope and sheer magnitude have become legendary. Of these, the library on the planet Ossus is perhaps the most infamous. Tragically, it was obliterated when the stars of the nearby Cron cluster were exploded by the weapon of the ancient Sith High Priest, Naga Sadow. What vast knowledge and wisdom was lost in the ensuing conflagration is now a matter for myths and stories to imagine. In more recent times, the Archives at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant were similarly vast.

-- Star Wars Fact File 46

The tour began in the outermost rooms, which were appointed with furnishings and objects of art of the highest quality, gathered from all sectors of the galaxy. But Plagueis was neither as acquisitive as a Neimoidian nor as ostentatious as a Hutt; and so the ornamented chambers quickly gave way to data-gathering rooms crowded with audio-vid receivers and HoloNet projectors; and then to galleries filled to overflowing with ancient documents and tomes, recorded on media ranging from tree trunk parchment through flimsiplast to storage crystal and holocron. The Muuns were said to abhor literature and to loathe keeping records of anything other than loan notices, actuarial tables, and legal writs, and yet Plagueis was guardian of the one of the finest libraries to be found anywhere outside Obroa-skai or the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.

--

Exiting the turbolift, the first thing to catch Sidious’s eye was the library: rack after rack of texts, scrolls, disks, and holocrons—all the data he had been craving since his apprenticeship began. He ran his hands lovingly over the shelves but barely had time to revel in his excitement when 11-4D ushered him onto a descending ramp that led into what might have been a state-of-the-art medical research facility.

Credit to Azronger

-- Darth Plagueis

He knows many fearsome dark side powers, which he taught Galen Marek

Under Vader's relentless tutelage, the Apprentice all but perfected the fine art of lightsaber combat and learned to wield many fearsome dark side powers.

-- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia

Vader retained his knowledge of the Jedi arts, as well as everything Obi-Wan Kenobi himself knew, which includes powers such as Force Light, Force Drain, Summon Storm, and Force Illusion (credit to Azronger):

While he retained his knowledge of the Jedi arts, he felt uncertain about his place in the Force; and while he had taken his first steps toward awakening the power of the dark side, he felt uncertain about his ability to sustain that power. How far he might have been now had fate not intervened to strip him of almost everything he possessed, as a means of remaking him!

-- Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader

OBI-WAN: You are strong and wise, Anakin, and I am very proud of you. I have trained you since you were a small boy. I have taught you everything I know. And you have become a far greater Jedi than I could ever hope to be, and you have saved my life more times than I can remember.

-- Revenge Of The Sith Script

He studied the Holocron and writings of Sorzus Syn, having given a portion of his knowledge to Kharys, who was capable of summoning Smoke Demons, one of Syn's spells:

Much later, one of the pupils returned. He told us that Obi-Wan and the Jedi were destroyed—by his hand—then, he invoked our oath and made Skye an Imperial satrapy, to be ruled in his name by Kharys, to whom he gave a portion of his knowledge and powers. That man was Darth Vader.

-- Star Wars Annual 1: The Long Hunt

He had access to the journal of Darth Malgus:

The excerpts from the journal of Darth Malgus kept during the Great Galactic War some thirty-six centuries ago are a prime example of how a wounded warrior can be sustained by rage. The war was an unbounded success for the era's Sith Emperor, and Malgus was one of his best soldiers. I obtained this text many decades ago from a dealer in antiquities, and have recently passed it to Darth Vader so he might gain inspiration.

-- Book Of Sith: Secrets From The Dark Side

This isn't actually a knowledge feat, but here, Palpatine muses that he and Vader could rule the galaxy for many thousands of years, and live eternally, implying he would have eventually shared the secret of immortality with his apprentice after discovering it:

For thousands of years, the ability to survive death had been pursued by Sith and Jedi alike, and no one had been successful at discovering the secret. Beings had been saved from dying, but no one had cheated death. The most powerful of the ancient Sith Lords had known the secret, but it had been lost or, rather, misplaced. Now that the galaxy was his to rule, there was nothing to prevent Sidious, too, from unlocking that mystery.

Then he and his crippled apprentice might hold sway over the galaxy for ten thousand years, and live eternally.

If they didn't kill each other first.

-- Dark Lord: The Rise Of Darth Vader

Vader earned the title of Dark Lord of the Sith due to his deeds and mastery of the Force, indicating that he has far greater knowledge/mastery than Palpatine's other minions, such as Jerec, Cronal, and The Emperor's adepts, which is further confirmed by the fact that they had no access to the Sith Order's secrets:

Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith

--

Vader held fast to his Jedi training, but he freely drew upon the dark side for additional strength and power. He also embraced the Sith teachings passed on to him by the Emperor, earning the title of Dark Lord through deeds and mastery, by utilizing the deep well of anger within him.

-- Rebellion Era Sourcebook

https://www.writeurl.com/text/t4i7g2zulwh2i0j0q1ha/w6q3lqtlfo6p0k07t2f0 (credit to Azronger)

Vader is so skilled and knowledgeable that he can render most of Starkiller's Force attacks useless (credit to Azronger):

Vader is highly skilled in manipulating the Force. His knowledge of the dark side is enough to render most of your Force attacks useless.

-- The Force Unleashed II: Prima Official Game Guide

Physical Capabilities

General accolades

Vader's armor provides him with great mobility and strength, in spite of his nerves and muscles being severely damaged:

Impulse generators lacing the armor provided electrical impulses to stimulate Vader's muscles, providing him with great mobility and strength despite his severely damaged muscles and nerves.

-- The New Essential Guide To Weapons And Technology

Vader eventually overcame the physical restrictions from his injuries and from his suit:

Destroyer of the Jedi Order, the Emperor's personal enforcer, Darth Vader, had overcome the physical restrictions from the injuries he had received in his duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi, and from the bulky armor he had to wear to stay alive.

-- The Official Starships And Vehicles Collection 8

Speed/MobilityAccording to Ferus Olin, Vader, even as of 18 Bby, is faster than anyone he's ever seen move, including the likes of Soara Antana and early post Rots Obi-Wan Kenobi:

It happened before he could get out another word. Faster than an eyeblink. Faster than he'd seen anyone move, anyone except Yoda.

-- Last Of The Jedi: Secret Weapon

Vader deflcts blaster fire from a turret emplacement:

Gallery

He creates afterimages/trails of light with his lightsaber:

Gallery

Vader moves so fast that he seems to teleport:

He forms a continuous afterglow of his lightsaber, while displaying enough agility to appear to fly:

He kills Roan Lands before Ferus Olin can react, indicating that he could have speedblitzed the latter:

"He is a former associate, yes, but --"

It happened before he could get out another word. Faster than an eyeblink. Faster than he'd seen anyone move, anyone except Yoda.

The lightsaber hadn't been there, and then it was, and the lightsaber was a blur. Vader moved without seeming to move, and the lightsaber sliced into Roan, straight into his chest. Straight into his heart.

-- Last Of The Jedi: Secret Weapon

He'd stood by and watched, too slow to react, as Darth Vader had casually flipped his lightsaber and ran it through his best friend, his partner, Roan Lands.

-- Last Of The Jedi: Against The Empire

Vader dodges an enraged Ferus Olin's attacks:

Ferus heard Amie shout, but he couldn't focus on anything but his own need to plunge his lightsaber deep into Vader. He whirled and attacked again, but Vader again was gone, moving with a speed and lightness that was surprising considering his body armor.

-- Last Of The Jedi: Secret Weapon

Vader moves with such speed that he doesn't seem to be there when an enraged Ferus Olin attacks him:

This was it, then. The final confrontation.

He was ready. His rage was ice and fire.

He charged.

His first blow was easily parried. He came at Vader again. Again. Circling, jumping, vaulting past him, turning. Each time his lightsaber came toward him, it was eilher deflected in a shock that ran up his arm, Vader simply wasn't there.

---

Ferus leaped over a gaping hole in the floor and attacked Vader again, but his lightsaber cut through empty air.

-- Last Of The Jedi: Reckoning

It should also be noted that Ferus was seemingly empowered by a Sith holocron during the fight:

He had everything he needed to defeat him, didn't he? He had the Sith Holocron for strength, Vader's true identity in his hand, his own rage. With those tools, he could do it. The Emperor had told him he could. Ferus thought quickly. He wanted to pick the battleground. Someplace that would unsettle the former Jedi.

-- The Last of The Jedi: Reckoning

Vader comes out of nowhere in front of Ferus Olin:

Vader came out of nowhere, raising a gloved hand. Ferus felt himself lifted up, over Vader's head. He couldn't breathe.

-- Last Of The Jedi: Reckoning

Showing good leaping prowess:

Vader leapt, his powerful prosthetic legs carrying him to the top of a broad but short flight of steps in time to see Shryne sprint across the bridge at Jedi speed, motioning to his accomplices to move Zar through the gate.

Vader leapt again, this time to the bridge, and to within only a few meters of Shryne, who spun about, dropping to one knee and firing repeatedly. This time Vader decided to show Shryne whom he was dealing with. Holding his lightsaber to one side, he raised his right hand to absorb the blaster bolts.

Clearly astonished, Shryne remained on one knee, but only briefly. In an instant he had passed through the gate and was shouldering his way through the crowd outside the wall.

Vader's final leap landed him just short of the rampart. Over the heads of the milling beings, at the forward edge of a landing platform, a woman with gray-laced black hair was gesturing frantically to Shryne and his cohorts, who were already hauling Fang Zar up the platform steps.

All too easy, Vader told himself.

Time to end it.

-- Dark Lord: The Rise Of Darth Vader

Vader dodges Roan Shryne's lightsaber blow by leaping, and then lands behind him, in spite of Shryne possessing tremendous speed:

For an instant it seemed that the blade was going to pass clear through Vader's knees, but Vader leapt high, half twisting in midair and coming down behind Shryne.

-- Dark Lord: The Rise Of Darth Vader

As tenuous as his contact with the Force sometimes was, Shryne was still a master with a sword, and almost thirty years of training had honed his instincts and turned his body into an instrument of tremendous speed and power.

-- Dark Lord: The Rise Of Darth Vader

He deflects blaster fire from all sides:

Wings uplifted, the shuttle made a rough landing on the tier, bolts from Wookiee blasters careening from the fuselage. When the boarding ramp had extended, Appo and his stormtroopers hurried outside, Vader right behind him, his ignited blade deflecting fire from all sides.

-- Dark Lord: The Rise Of Darth Vader

Vader performs a lightning-fast underhand sweep:

Lightsaber grasped in both hands, Vader took a single forward step and performed a lightning-fast underhand sweep that almost knocked Forte's lightsaber from Shryne's grip. Spinning, Shryne regained his balance and raced forward, feinting a diagonal slash from the left, then twisting the blade around to the right and surging forward.

Credit to Brightsteel-- Dark Lord: The Rise Of Darth Vader

Vader and Starkiller swing their blades so fast that they are visible only as blurs:

Finally, Starkiller saw an opportunity. They were exchanging rapid blows along the edge of the buckled platform, blades swinging so fast they were visible only as blurs. Vader's defenses were impenetrable; his lightsaber seemed to arrive a split second before Starkiller's, every time.

-- The Force Unleashed 2

He moves his lightsaber faster than the human eye could follow:

Faster than a human eye could follow, Vader's lightsaber was up, activated and moving. Grammel's slashed form pitched wildly, stumbled backward and tumbled over the side of the crawler. There was a lull as the stunned driver looked on in terror.

-- Splinter Of The Mind's Eye

He swings his lightsaber so fast that it becomes nothing but a blue circle:

"No," Vader assured him, "no. You overestimate yourself, child." The Dark Lord drew himself up to his full, awesome height. "I have finished playing with you."

Swinging his saber until it was no more than a blue blur in the dank air of the temple, he leaped straight up into the air. It was more than a jump, less than levitation. Out of the blue circle of energy he flung the saber.

-- Splinter Of The Mind's Eye

He draws his lightsaber faster than thought, waves it invisibly fast and deflects at least a dozen blaster bolts while caught off-guard:

The faint click of metallic weapons reached his ears. Faster than thought, Vader drew and ignited his lightsaber. In the same moment, small openings appeared in the walls and ceiling, and hidden blasters fired. Energy beams rained down on the Dark Lord and his soldiers. Stormtroopers cried out as blaster bolts shattered their white armor.

At least a dozen bolts streaked toward Vader himself. Moving faster than the eye could follow, Vader's lightsaber blocked them all.

Except for one.

The last blaster shot slipped past his saber and glanced off the Dark Lord's armored shoulder. Circuits snapped and sizzled. Looking down, Vader saw that the energy beam had sliced a thin hole in his armor and reached his skin. A tiny stream of blood trickled down his armor and dripped onto the stone floor. The Dark Lord let out a low growl and covered the wound with his gloved hand. The wound itself was only a scratch, but he relied on his armor's power to keep him alive. Now that it had been punctured, he would have to have it repaired.

More blasters fired.

-- Galaxy of Fear: Clones

He casually dodges/parries Aurra Sing's attacks, and seemingly moves faster than her, to the point that Sing sees him move preternaturally fast:

Her fist never made contact. Raising his right hand and bringing it around in a swift arc, Vader blocked the blow and sent the body behind it flying across the room. As she flew, a startled but still wholly self-aware Sing tucked and rolled. She hit the opposite wall hard, bounced off, landed on her feet, and immediately came at him again.

“The reflexes of an animal,” Vader murmured. His lightsaber hung at his waist. He ignored it, his fingers going nowhere near the weapon. “That’s what the Empire needs: a few more well-trained, domesticated animals.”

“Domesticated? I’ll show you who’s domesticated!” She leapt high, kicking out, and in midthrust somehow bent sideways to kick harder with her other leg.

In a movement preternaturally fast, but which somehow looked almost languid, Vader ducked, reached up, and with one gloved hand lightly tapped her in the middle of her back. A serious thrust catching her in that position could have broken her spine. The Dark Lord’s touch was more of a caress. He was letting her know what he could have done.

Landing in a crouch, a feral expression on her face, she raced at him again, low this time. Her speed was startling: a droid would have been hard-pressed to match her acceleration. She dropped low to the floor and swung her right leg around in a powerful circle sweep. Her intent was to take his legs out from under him.

-- Coruscant Nights II: Streets Of Shadows

Vader speedblitzes a Jedi Knight:

He dodges a Jedi Master's attack after being wounded by a lightsaber blow, and this happened before Vader got used to his suit:

Vader kills the above mentioned Jedi Master before the latter could strike him down:

Vader forms a shield out of his blade:

He seemingly appears out of nowhere:

Vader deflects several blaster bolts at very close range:

Moving fast enough from the other side of a room to intercept a blaster bolt and send it back at the shooter:

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Creating afterimages of himself and showing great agility decades before his prime:

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A few other scans showing Vader's agility:

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StrengthVader shatters a crystalline pillar while injured:

Vader busts through a wall (credit to Azronger):

He rips off a door from a ship:

He crushes a stormtrooper's head:

Leaving cracks on a table with a punch:

Sending the Dark Woman flying with a pommel strike (credit to Brightsteel):

Lifting a man by the throat and killing him by chocking him or breaking his neck:

Vader hurls a med droid across a laboratory wìth his injured arm:

The humaniform 2-1B was in the midst of executing Vader's instructions when sparks geysered from Vader's left forearm, and blue electricity began to gambol across his chest. With an infuriated growl, Vader lifted the injured arm, hurling the med droid halfway across the laboratory.

-- Dark Lord: The Rise Of Darth Vader

Casually lifts and carries Garrulan across a room, then throws him into a chair with enough force to send it rolling backwards into a wall:

Stretching out his right hand, Vader yanked Garrulan off his feet and carried him through the foyer and into the office, where he deposited him in a castered chair, which rolled backward and struck the wall.

Credit to Brightsteel-- Dark Lord: The Rise Of Darth Vader

Performing an underhand sweep that nearly disarms Roan Shryne. For the record, Shryne was stated to have tremendous power, which likely refers to his physical strenght:

Lightsaber grasped in both hands, Vader took a single forward step and performed a lightning-fast underhand sweep that almost knocked Forte's lightsaber from Shryne's grip. Spinning, Shryne regained his balance and raced forward, feinting a diagonal slash from the left, then twisting the blade around to the right and surging forward.

Credit to Brightsteel-- Dark Lord: The Rise Of Darth Vader

As tenuous as his contact with the Force sometimes was, Shryne was still a master with a sword, and almost thirty years of training had honed his instincts and turned his body into an instrument of tremendous speed and power.

-- Dark Lord: The Rise Of Darth Vader

He is so strong that the weight of a dozen stormtroopers was not enough to move him:

The energy beams didn't slow him down, though. Eppon picked up another trooper as though he weighed nothing, and hurled the armored soldier at the rest of the troop. The stormtroopers stumbled backward in a clatter of armor, crashing into Vader. The weight of a dozen men was not enough to move the Dark Lord, but the confusion caused by the troopers gave Gog an opening.

-- Galaxy Of Fear: Army Of Terror

Shattering a pillar:

Kicking an assassin several meters away (credit to Azronger):

Nearly disarming Galen Marek with his opening blow:

The apprentice knew exactly what to expect. They had dueled many times before. He had learned how to fight at the hands of the man in the black suit-the man whose face had been forever hidden from him. He knew the intimacies of his refined version of Djem So, a fighting style that incorporated elements of Ataru, Soresu, and Makashi. He had fended off many wild, slashing attacks that would have overwhelmed even an extraordinary Jedi Knight. He had borne the brunt of many psychological battles.

He thought he was ready-and so the sheer severity of the opening blow took him by surprise. A simple double stroke, up and then down, it contained enough power to jar his wrists and shoulders and very nearly disarm him completely. The collision of their lightsabers was blinding. He staggered backward and found himself at the center of a telekinetic storm.

-- The Force Unleashed

Vader is so strong that Rotj Palpatine struggled while in his apprentice's grip, seemingly unable to escape it. In fairness, the Emperor was caught off guard as Vader grabbed him from behind, but it should also be noted that Vader achieved this feat while his body was weakened and wounded, with his injuries including a broken leg and a gravely weakened arm:

Palpatine struggled in the grip of Vader's unfeeling embrace, his hands still shooting bolts of malign energy out of in all directions.

-- Return Of The Jedi

The Emperor struggles in his embrace, his bolt-shooting hands now lifted high, away from Luke.

-- Return Of The Jedi Movie Script

Durability/Stamina/Pain tolerance/Willpower19 BBY Vader survives being buried alive for days, stating that the dark side gave him all he needed. This happened after being torched by two flamethrowers, tanking a few explosions, and collapsing a cathedral on himself. In the same instance, he also willed himself back from the dead, a feat he accomplished seemingly subconsciously, seeing as he asked Garoche Tarkin why he (Vader) was still alive:

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https://www.writeurl.com/text/ylhqdbj8ubtw0vx0ygcv/ds87vk7mbhsuwwihtic4

Bearing in mind that, throughout much of the later issues of the series, Vader's chest panel was badly damaged, and he later lost his helmet, both of which, especially the latter, are normally essential to his life support system (credit to Azronger):

https://www.writeurl.com/text/rvb0ygxrkq8rbi2mpjll/tbx5mtcnyw794ac39nsk

Various instances of Vader easily tanking explosions:

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He withstands electrocution from an electroshock net:

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He withstands a large amount of debris thrown at him by three Jedi Masters:

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Vader gets hit by a Dark Jedi's blast of Force Lightning and telekinesis, yet he tanks it and beats his opponent easily:

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He survives the explosion of a massive tower (Credit to GeorgeWBush):

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He once again withstands a massive explosion decades before his prime and with no visible injuries (credit to Wolfrazer):

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He withstands a huge explosion unleashed by Galen Marek that shattered the Emperor's tower while he was already gravely wounded. It should also be noted that Vader's life support system was disabled at that time, due to losing his helmet and his chest panel being destroyed, meaning had to use much of his willpower in just staying alive even before being engulfed by the blast:

https://youtu.be/f5KmZfvAhAY

(5:15-5:50)

Bombarded by Force Lightning, Starkiller did not fight back but instead unleashed all the power of the Force within him, causing a tremendous blast that shattered the Emperor's tower and caused enough of a distraction to allow Eclipse and the Rebel Senators to escape.

-- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia

This feat is made even more impressive when considering that Galen was experiencing Oneness, and thus operating at a far greater level of power than ever before:

Energy surged through him. He felt as though a star had blazed to life in his chest. Driven by concern for his friends rather than himself, he embraced the Force completely, utterly, and was rewarded with strength that made his efforts with the dark side look like those of a child. His nerves were on fire. Streamers of light radiated from his skin. His bones glowed like radiant lava.

He saw rather than felt the massive shock wave that consumed a large portion of what remained of the observation dome. A glowing bubble of fire tore the stormtroopers to shreds and engulfed Vader and the Emperor.

-- The Force Unleashed

Before his reconstruction, Vader used the dark side to survive after losing his limbs and being burned by lava long enough for The Emperor to rescue him. Later, after awakening on Coruscant, he also displays enough willpower to withstand every operation the medical droids performed on him without passing out, despite being reconstructed without anesthesia:

Only the dark side of the Force allows Darth Vader to cling to life after being mortally wounded: he is barely alive when his charred remains are recovered by Darth Sidious.

-- The Complete Visual Dictionary

The flames finally burned out. Anakin's mechanical right arm dug into the sand. He pulled, and slid a few millimeters up the slope.

Again!

With each movement, hot volcanic shards scraped and tore at his roasted flesh. It took all of his concentration to shift his scorched remains up the slope and away from the lava river.

He moaned. Only his powers kept him from blacking out.

Again!

Only his hatred for Obi-Wan made him want to live another day.

Anakin—he still thought of himself as Anakin—heard the engine of an arriving starship travel over his position. He had no idea how much time had passed before he heard a clone trooper's voice call out, "Your majesty, this way."

Then he heard Palpatine's voice, "There he is. He's still alive."

Anakin's blackened torso went completely limp as he finally allowed darkness to sweep over him.

Anakin awoke on an operating table, surrounded by droids. The recently appointed Emperor Palpatine had brought him to a surgical reconstruction center on Coruscant, and the droids were busily attaching robotic limbs to his quivering torso, which was strapped to the table by strong metal belts. The droids were working fast to maintain the precious midi-chlorians that existed in Anakin's blood and tissue. To prevent the midi-chlorians from becoming thinned by intrusive chemicals, the droids were working without anesthetics.

Anakin felt everything.

He felt each cold metal blade that sliced into his hideously scarred flesh to allow more tools to probe and stabilize his damaged internal organs. He squirmed as shattered bones were replaced by plastoid, and cringed as lasers grafted the new limbs into place. At some point, he overheard a surgical droid explaining to Palpatine that he would require a special helmet and backpack to cycle air in and out of his damaged lungs.

Despite this damage, throughout the entire procedure, he never stopped screaming.

-- The Rise And Fall Of Darth Vader

He tanks the Starkiller clone's Lightning, which was powerful enough to vaporize three stormtroopers, before blocking it with his lightsaber:

A burst of lightning arced from Starkiller's fingers. Too late, the Dark Lord raised his lightsaber to catch the attack. Lightning crawledup and down his chest plate and helmet, provoking a painful whine from his breathing apparatus. The servomotors in his right armstrained.

Starkiller had only a split second before his former Master repelled the attack. The Force flowed through him. Droid parts and debris rose up and spun around the room. With a harsh rending sound, the metal wall burst outward, letting in the fury of the storm. But even in the grip of his passions he knew that there was a difference. He was intimately familiar with what being driven by negative emotions felt like. His original had been a slave to the dark side until Juno and Kota had shown him how to be free. That legacy remained even now. He would choose the emotions that ruled him. He would not be a slave to them.

The dark side tugged at Starkiller, and it was hard to resist. He hated his former Master. He feared for Juno. He doubted the very fact of his existence. Killing the man who had created him would go some way to solving at least two of those problems. The temptation was very strong.Vader's blade caught the edge of the lightning. The Dark Lord began to straighten.

-- The Force Unleashed 2

A highly concentrated blast of Starkiller's lightning hits Vader into the side of the latter's armor, yet all it does is distract him for a moment:

And when Vader forced Starkiller onto his back foot and raised his lightsaber to strike him down, Starkiller fired a lightning blast into the side of Vader's armor that was so concentrated, even the new insulation couldn't absorb it.

The Dark Lord stiffened, betrayed by his extensive prosthetics. The distraction lasted only a moment, but it was enough. Starkiller knocked his blade out of the way and moved in to strike.

-- The Force Unleashed 2

He withstands a prolonged blast of the Starkiller's lightning, while the latter was using several pylons to empower his attack. This is incredible, because Starkiller's feats include frying a planet wide network before his prime, and overloading a cannon with enough energy to destroy a Star Destroyer while its shields were active. It should be noted, however, that the validity of this feat is questionable, given that, while scripted, it's still part of the gameplay:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Euw3AqVZreQ&app=desktop

(4:46-5:40)

Vader tanks the full force of Palpatine's lightning for long enough to hurl him down a reactor before dying:

https://youtu.be/YZ_j3s5xj8I?t=194

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When the evil Emperor, Supreme Master of the Dark Side of the Force, turned the fullness of his malevolence against Luke, Anakin Skywalker suddenly awoke from the curse that had imprisoned him for so long… Shedding his bleak and soulless identity of Darth Vader, Anakin took the full force of his Dark Master’s evil lightning upon himself - and hurled the Emperor to his death.

-- Dark Empire 1 Endnotes

Although it would not have seemed possible, the outpouring of bolts from the Emperor's fingers actually increases in intensity, the sound screaming through the room. Luke's body writhes in pain. Vader grabs the Emperor from behind, fighting for control of the robed figure despite the Dark Lord's weakened body and gravely weakened arm.

The Emperor struggles in his embrace, his bolt-shooting hands now lifted high, away from Luke. Now the white lightning arcs back to strike at Vader. He stumbles with his load as the sparks rain off his helmet and flow down over his black cape. He holds his evil master high over his head and walks to the edge of the abyss at the central core of the throne room. With one final burst of his once awesome strength,

Darth Vader hurls the Emperor's body into the bottomless shaft.

The Emperor's body spins helplessly into the void, arcing as it falls into the abyss. Finally, when the body is far down the shaft, it explodes, creating a rush of air through the room.Vader's cape is whipped by the wind and he staggers, and collapses toward the bottomless hole. Luke crawls to his father's side and pulls him away from the edge of the abyss to safety. Both the young Jedi and the giant warrior are too weak to move.

-- Return Of The Jedi Movie Script

At that instant, Vader sprang up and grabbed the Emperor from behind, pinning Palpatine's upper arms to his torso. Weaker than he'd ever been, Vader had lain still these last few minutes, focusing his very fiber of being on this one, concentrated act—the only action possible; his last, if he failed. Ignoring pain, ignoring his shame and his weakness, ignoring the bone-crushing noise in his head, he focused solely and sightlessly on his will—his will to defeat the evil embodied in the Emperor.

Palpatine struggled in the grip of Vader's unfeeling embrace, his hands still shooting bolts of malign energy out in all directions. In his wild flailing, the lightning ripped across the room, tearing into Vader. The Dark Lord fell again, electric currents crackling down his helmet, over his cape, into his heart. Vader stumbled with his load to the middle of the bridge over the black chasm leading to the power core. He held the wailing despot high over his head, and with a final spasm of strength, hurled him into the abyss.

Palpatine's body, still spewing bolts of light, spun out of control, into the void, bouncing back and forth off the sides of the shaft as it fell. It disappeared at last; but then, a few seconds later, a distant explosion could be heard, far down at the core. A rush of air billowed out of the shaft, into the throne room. The wind whipped at Lord Vader's cape, as he staggered and collapsed toward the hole, trying to follow his master to the end. Luke crawled to his father's side, though, and pulled the Dark Lord away from the edge of the chasm, to safety.

-- Return Of The Jedi

As the Emperor continued to strike Luke with his barrage of Sith lightning, Vader struggled to his feet. One leg was broken, and the other wasn't working right. Moving awkwardly, he shifted his bulk to stand beside his Master. On the floor, Luke writhed in agony, and was on the verge of death as he groaned, "Father, please. Help me."

Vader watched Luke curl into a fetal position as the Emperor hurled an even more staggering wave of lightning at his victim. Vader had no doubt that Luke was about to die. His son screamed.

Not just my son . . .

The Emperor unleashed another round of lightning.

. . . or Padme's son . . .

Luke screamed louder.

. . . but my son . . . who loves me.

Luke's clothes began to smolder as his body involuntarily spasmed. Suddenly, Vader realized that he was no longer concerned about his own personal future. Despite all the terrible, unspeakable things he'd done in his life, he knew he could not stand by and allow the Emperor to kill Luke. And in that moment of awareness, he was Darth Vader no more.

He was Anakin Skywalker.

It took all of his remaining strength to seize the Emperor from behind, lift him off his feet, and carry him to the open elevator shaft. The wretched Emperor continued to release lightning bolts, but they veered away from Luke and arced back to crash down upon him and his insurgent apprentice. The lightning penetrated Vader's life-support suit and electrified Anakin's organic remains, but he lurched forward until he could throw the Emperor into the elevator shaft.

Palpatine screamed as his body plummeted down the shaft. Still trapped within Darth Vader's armor, Anakin collapsed at the shaft's edge, but heard the explosion of dark energy that consumed the falling Emperor.

-- The Rise And Fall Of Darth Vader

Ironically, this is used by some as evidence that Vader is unable to tank Lightning in general, but is actually an incredible durability and willpower feat for multiple reasons:

Palpatine's Lightning is unrivaled by that of any other Sith Lord;Vader was "weaker than he'd ever been". Indeed, having been redeemed, his damaged body was no longer sustained by his rage, which was both stated to be what allowed him to survive (along with his suit, of course), and shown in other instances to allow him to stay alive even with his life support system severely damaged, which is a reasonable explanation for why he was so weakened. He was physically damaged as well, with his injuries including a severed hand, a broken leg, and another malfunctioning one. Noting that he was struggling to his feet because of the latter two wounds;Force users like Mace Windu and Yoda were pushed to their limits and overwhelmed by the Lightning of a far weaker iteration of Palpatine;Vader was, per the Rotj novel, focusing solely on killing the Emperor, meaning he was not actually trying to defend himself, which is also corroborated by the novel "The Rise and Fall of Darth Vader" stating he was "no longer concerned about his own personal future" ;Part of the reason he died was due to his suit's vulnerability (link), suggesting he would otherwise have survived in spite of the Emperor's power;The bottom line is that Vader died due to a combination of three factors: Palpatine's lightning, his support system being compromised, and not having the dark side to sustain him. Despite all of this, Vader, albeit with Luke's help, was still strong enough to go all the way from the throne room to the hangar of the Death Star (a battle station the size of a small moon) before finally dying.

Indeed, considering that his suit was a more relevant factor in his demise than the potency of Palpatine's lightning, and that as a Sith he could survive without his life support system even as of 19 BBY when calling on the dark side, this would logically mean that Sith Vader would have survived in spite of everything.

Vader demonstrates enough stamina to fight Starkiller for hours without being hit even once by his apprentice, and seemingly without exhausting himself:

He fought like a machine, too, with relentless blows and single- minded aggression. The first time they had dueled, in Starkiller's first life, Vader had displayed no anger at all-just determination, not to kill his apprentice, but to wear him into submission. The fight had raged across the training deck of the Executor for hours, with Starkiller never landing a single blow, no matter how he tried. He had gone from excitement at thinking that he had graduated to a new level of mastery to realizing just how much he had left to learn. More fuel had been added to the hatred he had felt for his Master and tormentor, along with a twisted kind of love for the man who made him stronger by showing him how weak he was. The fight had only stopped when Starkiller collapsed unconscious from exhaustion and was dragged by PROXY to his meditation chamber.

-- The Force Unleashed 2

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