vs
@jacthripper: RotJ Luke is RotJ Vader's equal in terms of physicality and saber combat, more or less, given he mirrored his father perfectly during their fight. Vader has him utterly outclassed in the Force, though.
As for Maul, I see him as about as fast and skilled as both Vader and Luke, in their ballpark of strength but not quite matching them, and then more durable (than Luke), better martial artist ect.
Maul is succinctly superior to ANH Vader. During the duel between Vader and the clone, the latter had the advantage throughout, pretty comfortably. He was taunting him at every point and being complacent with his successes. It was only when Vader actually made any ground that the clone began taking the fight seriously - and the fight was then ended in a single page. In terms of speed and dueling skill Maul is comfortably ahead of ANH Vader.
Luke was definitely amped when he defeated Vader during RotJ.
'Give yourself to the dark side, Luke,' he entreated. 'It is the only way you can save your friends. Yes, your thoughts betray you, son. Your feelings for them are strong, especially for-'
Vader stopped. He sensed something.
Luke withdrew further into shadow. He tried to hide, but there was no way to hide what was in his mind - Leia was in pain. Her agony cried to him now, and his spirit cried with her. He tried to shut it out, to shut it up, but the cry was loud, and he couldn't stifle it, couldn't leave it alone, had to cradle it openly, to give it solace.
Vader's consciousness invaded that private place.
'No!' screamed Luke.
Vader was incredulous. 'Sister? Sister!' he bellowed. 'Your feelings have now betrayed her, too ... Twins!' he roared triumphantly. 'Obi-Wan was wise to hide her, but now his failure is complete.' His smile was clear to Luke, through the mask, through the shadows, through all the realms of Darkness. 'If you will not turn to the Dark Side, perhaps she will.'
This, then, was Luke's breaking point. For Leia was everyone's last unflagging hope. If Vader turned his twisted, misguided cravings on her ...'Never!' he screamed. His lightsaber flew off Vader's belt into his own hand, igniting as it came to him.
He rushed to his father with a frenzy he'd never known. Nor had Vader. The gladiators battled fiercely, sparks flying from the clash of their radiant weapons, but it was soon evident that the advantage was all Luke's. And he was pressing it. They locked swords, body to body. When Luke pushed Vader back to break the clinch, the Dark Lord hit his head on an over-hanging beam in the cramped space. He stumbled backward even farther, out of the low-hanging area. Luke pursued him relentlessly.
Blow upon blow, Luke forced Vader to retreat - back, onto the bridge that crossed the vast, seemingly bottomless shaft to the power core. Each stroke of Luke's saber pummeled Vader, like accusations, like screams, like shards of hate.
The Dark Lord was driven to his knees. He raised his blade to block yet another onslaught - and Luke slashed Vader's right hand off at the wrist.
-Return of the Jedi
Clear usage of Force Rage right there. Never before has he shown himself capable of pummelling Darth Vader to his knees through sheer strength. It was a special circumstance.
RotJ Luke is faster than Vader. (Speed has never been a proficient ability of Vader though.) And RotJ Luke should be equally skilled and physically strong as Vader, or very close to him.
Before Vader could gather his thoughts much further, though, Luke attacked again - much more aggressively. He advanced in a flurry of lunges, each met with a loud crack of Vader's phosphorescent saber. The Dark Lord retreated a step at every slash, swiveling once to bring his cutting beam up viciously - but Luke batted it away, pushing Vader back yet again. The Lord of the Sith momentarily lost his footing on the stairs and tumbled to his knees. Luke stood above him, at the top of the staircase, heady with his own power. It was in his hands, now, he knew it was: he could take Vader. Take his blade, take his life. Take his place at the Emperor's side. Yes, even that. Luke didn't bury the thought, this time; he gloried in it. He engorged himself with its juices, felt its power tingle his cheeks. It made him feverish, this thought, with lust so overpowering as to totally obliterate all other considerations. He had the power; the choice was his. And then another thought emerged, slowly compulsive as an ardent lover: he could destroy the Emperor, too. Destroy them both, and rule the galaxy. Avenge and conquer. It was a profound moment for Luke. Dizzying. Yet he did not swoon. Nor did he recoil. He took one step forward. For the first time, the thought entered Vader's consciousness that his son might best him. He was astounded by the strength Luke had acquired since their last duel, in the Cloud City - not to mention the boy's timing, which was honed to a thought's-breadth. This was an unexpected circumstance. Unexpected and unwelcome. Vader felt humiliation crawling in on the tail of his first reaction, which was surprise, and his second, which was fear. And then the edge of the humiliation curled up, to reveal bald anger. And now he wanted revenge.
-
He rushed to his father with a frenzy he'd never known. Nor had Vader. The gladiators battled fiercely, sparks flying from the clash of their radiant weapons, but it was soon evident that the advantage was all Luke's. And he was pressing it. They locked swords, body to body. When Luke pushed
Vader back to break the clinch, the Dark Lord hit his head on an overhangingbeam in the cramped space. He stumbled backward even farther, out of the low-hanging area. Luke pursued him relentlessly. Blow upon blow, Luke forced Vader to retreat - back, onto the bridge that crossed the vast, seemingly bottomless shaft to the power core. Each
stroke of Luke's saber pummeled Vader, like accusations, like screams, like shards of hate. The Dark Lord was driven to his knees. He raised his blade to block yet another onslaught - and Luke slashed Vader's right hand off at the wrist.
--- Taken from ; RotJ Novelization
As Skywalker threw himself at the towering black figure, Vader raised his lightsaber to defend himself. But he wasn't fast enough. Skywalker's blade cut through the Sith Lord's prosthetic right arm, and it fell to the floor, still clutching the red-bladed lightsaber.
--- Taken from ; Rise and Fall of Darth Vader
This is a battle of equals. The young Jedi has grown in the interm. And if there is any true advantage, it seems to have shifted to him.
--- RotJ Comic Book
Why Luke is ahead of TCW Darth Maul ? Because he defeated Vader ? That's not really a good reason considering the fact that clone of TPM Maul did the same.
--- Star Wars Tales 09 : Resurrection
Well, ANH Vader may have grown more powerful in RotJ (still I don't think it was significant, since Vader doesn't have any superior feats in that era) but then TCW Darth Maul has grown more powerful (significantly) as well. I don't see any reason to put Luke ahead of Maul here. Plus Maul has force advantage.
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