This Jedi Knight Was Seconds Away From Killing Darth Vader, And Crippling The Empire As Soon As It Formed

There are few beings in Star Wars who have tangled with Darth Vader and lived to tell the tale. With his deep connection to the Force, Vader is one of the most dangerous people in the galaxy. However, one Jedi surpassed Vader in power, nearly killing him in the process.

Star Wars: Darth Vader #4 by Charles Soule and Giuseppe Camuncoli is part of a storyline that picks up directly after Revenge of the Sithends. The issue includes a little-known but essential Darth Vader moment very early in Anakin's history as Vader.

Vader’s experience of dueling Obi-Wan on Mustafar, being left to burn to death, and then reawakening to find he had been turned into a cyborg and was responsible for his wife and child’s deaths was traumatic, to say the least. So, when Palpatine sends the newly “born” Vader on his first mission, Vader is understandably not as powerful as he once was as Anakin or would eventually become as Darth Vader.

Darth Vader's First Mission for the Newly Formed Empire Led to a Fierce Opponent

Star Wars: Darth Vader #4 by Charles Soule, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Cam Smith, David Curiel, and Joe Caramagna

Palpatine informs Vader that his first order of business is to obtain a lightsaber. The Emperor explains that a Sith’s lightsaber must first be won from a Jedi before the kyber crystal is removed and bent to the new owner’s dark will. As a kyber crystal is a living entity, the process of forcing it to submit causes it to bleed, which explains the Sith’s red lightsaber blades. Since Order 66 had just been implemented, Vader struggles to find a remaining Jedi to complete his mission - until he has the idea to search the system for Jedi who had taken the Barash Vow.

Vader’s search leads him toKirak Infil’a: a Jedi who had taken the Barash Vow and relocated to a Jedi monastery on the moon of Al’doleem.

The Barash Vow is for Jedi who are searching for penance and forbids them from interacting with Jedi affairs. Vader’s search leads him toKirak Infil’a: a Jedi who had taken the Barash Vow and relocated to a Jedi monastery on the moon of Al’doleem, thus saving him from Order 66 since he was not an active Jedi. Upon Vader’s appearance at Kirak’s monastery, Kirak informs Vader that he felt his thousands of Jedi brothers and sisters being murdered through the Force. Kirak explains that he had been training for years and his one purpose was to fight, no longer having any need to hold back.

Darth Vader Was No Match for Kirak Infil'a, Especially in His Early Years

The Fight Almost Led to Vader's Death

The two engage in a fight that ends rather quickly, with Kirak dealing massive damage to Vader and throwing Vader off a cliff, severely injuring him. Vader’s new armor breaks in different places from both the fall and the fight, as his suit is not yet perfected. Kirak, believing Vader dead and the fight won, ventures to the village and mingles among the citizens he knows and loves. However, Vader reassembles his suit via the Force with pieces of a droid and comes back to Kirak with a vengeance.

Vader and Kirak Infil'a from Charles Soule's Darth Vader

Darth Vader’s Lightsaber Is Iconic, But You Don't Know How Dark Its Origin Is

Did you ever wonder where Darth Vader’s iconic red lightsaber came from? The answer adds to Vader’s rich lore and tragic fall to the dark side.

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Ultimately, Vader exploits Kirak’s compassion by flooding the village. Kirak has no other choice than to divert his focus to try to hold back the flood via the Force and save the villagers. With Kirak’s concentration split, Vader easily slays Kirak with his own lightsaber. Kirak was both physically and mentally stronger, whereas Vader struggled with the discomfort of his new suit and mental anguish. Had Kirak kept his attention fully on Vader and not attempted to protect the villagers, he would have easily defeated Darth Vader and dealt a massive blow to the Empire only days after it was established in Star Wars lore.

Star Wars: Darth Vader #4 is available now from Marvel Comics.

Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader Split By a Lightning Bolt

Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader

Created By: George Lucas
Cast: Bob Anderson, Hayden Christensen, James Earl Jones, Matt Lanter, Matt Lucas, Jake Lloyd, David Prowse, Sebastian Shaw
First Appearance: Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
Died: Star Wars: Episode VI - Return Of The Jedi
Alliance: Jedi, Sith
Race: Human

Conceived by the will of the Force itself, Anakin Skywalker was the prophesied Chosen One, destined to bring the Force into balance. Anakin struggled to balance competing attachments to the Jedi Order and his wife Padmé Amidala, and ultimately fell to the dark side, becoming Darth Vader. For years he served as Palpatine's right hand man, but he was ultimately redeemed by the faith of his son, Luke Skywalker. Now a Force Ghost, Anakin continues to act as an agent of balance.