Voldemort Vs. Darth Vader: Who Is More Powerful?

When it comes to fictional villains, there are few that are as iconic as Darth Vader and Voldemort. Both are the faces of evil when it comes to their respective franchises, and serve as the main antagonist for the heroes. But, these two villains, though massively popular, are not equal in power.

One has to be a bigger match when it comes to their abilities, strength, and resources. If the two were to go head to head, what strengths would outweigh the other? Looking at multiple aspects of their personalities and backgrounds, let’s take a deep dive and answer who is the most powerful being: Voldemort or Darth Vader?

10 Lineage

In their first matchup, let’s take a look at the background of each villain. Firstly, Voldemort’s immediate family comes from a line of powerful dark magic, stretching back to Salazar Slytherin. But, the Gaunts fell into poverty and ruin, and Voldemort’s father himself was a muggle. Voldemort had to mold himself into something greater.

Anakin Skywalker, likewise, came from even more humble beginnings. A slave boy, he grew up alongside his mother to serve the Hutts on Tatooine, only to be sold to Watto. Anakin though is said to have been created by the force through immaculate conception, giving him a bit of an edge up on Voldemort.

9 Natural Ability

When it comes to ability, Voldemort was always gifted. Even as a child in the orphanage he would use his powers to entertain himself, torturing schoolmates and such. When found by Dumbledore, that power was immediately evident.

Anakin’s natural skill didn’t necessarily manifest itself as the force (at least from what we see), but his ability to pilot ships and vehicles was unmatched even by grown adults. He also had the highest midiclorian count of anyone the Jedi had discovered. Though not apparent, Anakin matches up with Voldemort, making this category a draw.

8 Trained Ability

The two villains also have remarkably similar training and educational backgrounds. Voldemort attended one of the greatest Wizarding schools excelling in all he did. He later would dedicate himself to discovering all the secrets that dark magic had to offer.

Darth Vader attended an equally prestigious academy, his being the Jedi Temple, learning all the teachings of the Force. Once he fell to the Dark Side, he would dedicate himself to the teachings of Palpatine. With such similar backgrounds, both have been taught pretty much all there is to know in terms of power.

7 Weapon Of Choice

When it comes to weapons, Voldemort might have the upper hand here. Utilizing a wand, he is able to conjure any offensive and defensive spell imaginable, not to mention cast any sort of spell for day to day life. He is able to manipulate reality with the flick of his wrist.

While Darth Vader wields a powerful and deadly weapon, it really is no match for magic. His use of the Force might be a more equitable skill in battle with Voldemort, but even that might hold a finger to literal magic. While the Lightsaber is the most iconic weapon of the movies, this point has to go to Voldemort.

6 Sidekicks

Every great villain needs cronies to support them. Voldemort normally has a few devoted Death Eaters at his side at all times, but if there was one that was constantly there it was Wormtail. Meanwhile, arguably Vader’s constant support in his Imperial Navy was Admiral Piett.

Admiral Piett was committed to Vader, and ambitious to the point of fault. His diligence to Vader and his empire made him an admirable Admiral. Wormtail is the slimiest scum you could imagine, but he was always willing to do anything if it meant pleasing the Dark Lord. Although Wormtail would go to any means necessary to achieve the goals of Voldemort, Piett has an entire fleet at his disposal. The point goes to Vader.

5 Overall Following

Looking beyond their right-hand men, which villain has the greatest resources at their disposal? Voldemort has a powerful army of followers come to the finale of the series. He also garnered the entirety of the ministry and all manner of Dark creatures and beings at his disposal.

Vader, on the other hand, has the favor of the evilest beings in the galaxy, as well as an entire empire. In terms of sheer firepower and numbers, this point has to go to Vader. While Voldemort might have more talented and powerful allies, the amount of troops and technology at Vader’s disposal is unmatched.

4 Domain

In terms of territory and domain, which villain has collected the largest swath of space? Voldemort throughout the final books of the series completely uproots the government and essential takes control of all of Britain. It is unclear if his coup stretches beyond the borders of this island nation though.

Vader serves an empire that stretches across an entire galaxy. That being said, it isn’t really his. He certainly oversees much of it, but it all belongs to his master. Because of this, although the amount of space might be larger, at the end of the day Voldemort has far more agency over his domain than Vader.

3 Nemesis

Every great villain needs a heroic foe to go up against. For Voldemort, this would be the boy who lives. Since he was a baby, Harry had remained the one obstacle for Voldemort that could never be overcome. While he constantly battling with what was only a child, this child had skills unmatched by his peers.

Vader, on the other hand, was pitted against his own son, Luke Skywalker. Come to the end of Vader’s story, he fell to his own love of his son, something that could never happen between Voldemort and Harry. As such, Voldemort would get this win, as he could never be swayed by something like love.

2 Manner Of Death

In each of their stories, both villains come to an end. But each is due to very different reasons. Voldemort’s backup Horcruxes eventually all are destroyed, and he is outsmarted by Harry. Voldemort dies because of his own ambition and foolishness.

Vader, on the other hand, dies because of self-sacrifice, which is a far more noble death. Vader chose to die in place of his son, overcoming his master in the process. He was also granted eternal life through the force. Because of this, the point has to go to Vader.

1 Results

Looking at the end results, it would seem that Vader has won out. In terms of power in each of their respective franchises, Vader certainly holds far more than Voldemort ever did. That being said, this would not account for a one on one fight between the two.

If you observe the results in that regard, the winning blow might fall to Voldemort, who has far more power in his abilities than Vader does. No matter what, it is a close call. Both villains hold immense skill and resources at their disposal and are significant roadblocks to their respective heroes.

About The Author

Matt Berger
(214 Articles Published)

Matt Berger is a writer, comedian, actor, Paddington enthusiast, and Corgi dad. He currently writes for Screen Rant, has written for Bloody Disgusting, hosts the Film School Sucked podcast, and co-hosts the Macabre podcast. Matt is an alumni of Portland State University with a degree in English and Film Studies.

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