Luke vs. Anakin Skywalker: Star Wars Director Reveals Who's Stronger

By Klein Felt Posted:
Anakin Skywalker, Luke Skywalker, Star Wars

The Mandalorian showrunner Jon Favreau chimed in on one of Star Wars' greatest debates, who would win in a fight, Luke or Anakin Skywalker?

While there may be more powerful characters out there in the Star Wars universe, fans have always wondered who would have won if Luke and Anakin had gone up against each other when both were at the peak of their powers. 

The father-son duo did square off in both The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, but neither was a fair fight with Luke being a mere trainee in the first and Anakin/Vader being on the tail-end of his reign in the second. 

Fans may never officially have their answer to this age-old question (without the use of the World Between Worlds), but that is not going to stop enthusiasts like Favreau from pondering such a query. 

Luke vs Anakin, Who Wins?

Anakin 1
Lucasfilm

Speaking in a new interview with The Cyber Nerds, The Mandalorian executive producer Jon Favreau made his pick in the Luke Skywalker vs Anakin Skywalker debate. 

Favreau, who is in the midst of promoting Season 3 of The Mandalorian, opined "it has to be Anakin," but that pick came with some caveats.

He brought up his Disney+ series showing "a little bit of prime Luke" and how powerful the Jedi was shown to be; however, he ultimately thinks it comes down to Anakin having "faced so many more challenges" that would get him the win:

The Cyber Nerds: “Prime Anakin Skywalker vs. prime Luke Skywalker. Who wins and how?”

Favreau: “I think it has to be Anakin, right? I mean it has to be. I mean who– a prime Anakin? And there’s so many different phases of it. But… we never really got to see– we saw a little bit of prime Luke with what we did. We alluded to it, but who knows what he’s been off to? But Anakin faced so many more challenges… He was in his prime in a more dynamic period in Star Wars history, right?”

Jon Favreau's Star Wars Title Fight

Luke 1
Lucasfilm

Again, there are way more powerful force-users in the Star Wars universe, but it is hard to debate that Luke and Anakin Skywalker are the two most iconic names in the Jedi/Sith game. 

What is a bummer is audiences may never see each of these characters square off while both in their prime, although there is a tiny possibility that it could happen.

The easiest solution would be a Star Wars Visions episode to tackle the battle. Seeing as this animated anthology series take place out of canon, and the studios involved have full creative freedom over their episodes, a Luke vs Anakin showdown does not feel too far out there.   

The second more complicated way of making this happen would be through the World Between Worlds. This mysterious Star Wars realm allows force-users to traverse the Multiverse essentially. 

So, if Ahsoka could potentially use the World Between Worlds to take on her former master, why couldn't Luke use it to challenge his father? 

Of course, this is all a pipe dream at this point. But with much of the future of the Star Wars franchise shrouded in mystery, this ultimate Jedi power battle cannot truly be taken off the cards. 

Jon Favreau's The Mandalorian kicks off its Season 3 run on Disney+ on Wednesday, March 1. 

- About The Author: Klein Felt
Klein Felt is a Senior Editor at The Direct. Joining the website back in 2020, he helped jumpstart video game content on The Direct. Klein plays a vital role as a part of the site's content team, demonstrating expertise in all things PlayStation, Marvel, and the greater entertainment industry.