Finally, Star Wars demonstrates how dangerous Darth Vader would have been without Mustafar

Darth Vader has always been one of the most formidable figures in Star Wars, but Ahsoka has provided suggestions on how he may have been even more formidable. With the outfit and helmet he has worn ever since his confrontation with Obi-Wan Kenobi on Mustafar, Vader possesses the most recognizable silhouette in the whole canon of Star Wars. It turns out that the suit may have been limiting him and his abilities even more than viewers initially suspected. He was able to discover how to use the suit to boost his fights.

In Ahsoka episode 5, Anakin shows up to give Ahsoka one more lesson in the World Between Worlds. A significant portion of this was lightsaber combat, which helped Ahsoka accept the truth that her history as a warrior will always be a part of her and that she needed to get past it. Anakin even briefly assumed the shape of Darth Vader twice in Ahsoka’s vision, but when he engaged in combat, he retained his full Anakin identity. How much more strong Vader could have been without his Mustafar wounds is now clear thanks to Anakin’s insight.

In the World Between Worlds, Anakin battles Ahsoka in a manner that can only be described as quick, quick, and absolutely strong. The scary power that Anakin derives from the dark side of the Force was present, but it was still the same Anakin from the prequel Star Wars trilogy and Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Anakin is an unstoppable force when not restrained by his cybernetic suit, making even a powerful opponent like Ahsoka struggle mightily. Darth Vader would have always been this way if Anakin hadn’t nearly died on Mustafar; his strength and skill would have persisted with him and increased the more he surrendered to the dark side.

If Mustafar hadn’t existed, could Anakin have ever been defeated?

If his suit hadn’t restrained him, Anakin would have continued to gain strength, and he most likely would have become an unstoppable force. He was so young when Mustafar occurred, that his close call with death drastically advanced his age. Without that incident, Anakin would have had the opportunity to develop his power while still young and use it to become the greatest fighter in the galaxy. In A New Hope, he might have even sensed the Millennium Falcon before it swooped in and caught him off guard, which unquestionably would have turned the course of the Galactic Civil War.

It is obvious that Anakin’s Darth Vader would have been considerably more formidable without his outfit, even if Vader and his costume will always be famous. That is seen by his battles with Ahsoka in Ahsoka episode 5, when even she can be seen to be afraid by her own master. The galaxy would be very different now if Anakin had been able to maintain his authority as Darth Vader without the need of his armor. It’s wonderful that Star Wars has been able to depict this, particularly in the years immediately following Darth Vader’s demise. Darth Vader is a threat as viewers are accustomed to seeing him, but he would have been even more terrifying without Mustafar.