
Feats and statements of Darth Vader in Legends continuity.
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 despite 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. - Official Figurine Collection
George Lucas said Vader possessed 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 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. - 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. - 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. - 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
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. - 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. - 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. - 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. - 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. - 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 psychological than physical and that he would have to do everything he could 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… -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. -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. - 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. - 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. - 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. -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).” - 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. 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. He noted that Nick seemed 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 considering 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
Vader 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. - Dark Times: The Path To Nowhere
Just three months after Mustafar, Darth Vader is implied to be more powerful than Celeste Morne, with he and Karness Muur claiming during their duel that Morne could not 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. - 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. - Lightsaber Dueling Pack: Darth Vader
As of 18 BBY, Vader muses that he could strike his master down, despite 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, despite the latter being one of 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
Vader 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. - Galactic Files: Emperor Palpatine
Vader is even more capable with the Force than 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
Vader's 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. -Gamer 5
Vader 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
Vader 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 frequently noted as 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.
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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. - 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. - 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 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. - Heir To The Empire Sourcebook
Vader's mere presence is powerful 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 of 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.”
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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.
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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 a 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