Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Star Wars: Darth Vader #50! Darth Vader’s final comic book issue.

In a preview for Star Wars: Darth Vader #50 by Greg Pak, Raffaele Ienco, Luke Ross, Paul Fry, and Adam Gorham, Darth Vader is on a mission to settle some scores. His first stop is a snowy world in the Outer Rim, where Vader tracks the Schism Imperial after they betrayed him and left him for dead. After brutally defeating his former allies, he takes back the weapons the Schism Imperial stole from him upon their betrayal: the kyber-powered electrostaff and Zaly Shield.

After reclaiming his stolen weapons, the preview skips ahead to Darth Vader’s climactic battle against Emperor Palpatine. While the fight is only briefly shown (and mostly through the perspective of the prisoners bearing witness to it), the immense power being wielded by these two is clear. As if their combined might created a Force Storm, lightning has engulfed Vader and Palpatine, and neither of them have a clear advantage - meaning, at this point, it’s anyone’s fight. And, in Darth Vader’s case, he has only his weapons to thank for that.

Why Darth Vader’s Weapons are Powerful Enough to Match Emperor Palpatine

Darth Vader is Wielding an Electrostaff and the Zaly Shield, Both Powered by Kyber Crystal

While a common electrostaff and a seemingly insignificant shield may not seem like ideal weapons to use against someone as immensely powerful as Emperor Palpatine (especially when a lightsaber seems like the obvious choice of weaponry), that couldn’t be further from the truth. ittedly, the electrostaff - at its base - is just a common weapon before it gets upgraded. The Zaly Shield, however, is another story entirely.

The Zaly Shield made its debut in Star Wars: Darth Vader #35!

The Zaly Shield is made of pure kyberite, which is in the same family as kyber crystal, but with an opposite natural function. While kyber channels the Force, kyberite absorbs, amplifies, and redirects it, making it the perfect substance to craft into a shield that’s meant to be taken into battle against Force-s. On top of that, Darth Vader upgraded both of these weapons with large portions of red kyber that he stole from Palpatine’s fortress on Exegol.

Darth Vader suddenly becomes a very serious threat to Palpatine

Darth Vader is now all but invulnerable to Force attacks because of the Zaly Shield, and basically has a hand-held ‘Death Star’ because of the kyber-powered electrostaff. Add to that his established strength in the Force and his tactical brilliance in battle scenarios, and Darth Vader suddenly becomes a very serious threat to Palpatine, indeed.

Even with Darth Vader’s Massive Weapons Upgrades, Palpatine is Still Destined to Win

No Weapon in the Universe is Strong Enough to Pierce Plot Armor

It’s safe to say that Darth Vader has the weapons, the drive, and the overall power to defeat Emperor Palpatine in this issue, and while the preview depicts a pretty even fight between them, Vader is still destined to lose for one reason: the plot demands it. This comic takes place right before the events of Return of the Jedi, and in that film, Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine are on decidedly much better , with Vader reverting to subservience to his Sith Master. That means Palpatine wins this fight no matter what - Vader’s ultra-powerful weapons be damned.

While Darth Vader is destined to lose this battle, that doesn’t take away from the fact that he’s arguably become more powerful than fans have ever seen him, meaning this fight against Emperor Palpatine is sure to be one of the most epic in Star Wars history - and it’s all thanks to these ultimate Force weapons.

Star Wars: Darth Vader #50 by Marvel Comics is available September 18, 2024.