It'll be an amazing battle, and could go either way. If I had to name someone I'd still stick with Galen though, if only by a narrow margin.
For one thing, as you point out, he beat Vader. Who IS Anakin, only more experienced and refined. By that point Vader was used to his armour and limitations.
Plus, Galen has fought PROXY who assumed Anakin's form and skills (novel). True, it won't be quite the same, but at least he has some idea of how Anakin fights, while Anakin has no idea about him. Foreknowledge of the opponent is always helpful.
Chilled Monkey you bring up the point that Vader is Anakin - that is true. But the ROTS Anakin/Vader before his duel with Obi-Wan on Mustafar was incredible with the lightsaber. The only way I see Galen defeating Anakin with the lightsaber is through using his hand-to-hand techniques as well. The Vader we see in the life support armor seems to be a wrecking ball of the Force, not lightsaber.
At times, Galen seems far more powerful than Obi-Wan. During the battle [with Anakin/Vader] what if Galen used a Force repulse against him? Would he be able to be able to defend against it? What if Galen used a FL attack against him? I haven't read or seen that Vader or Anakin was able to stop FL. Galen was able to stop FL . . . well according to the game that is.
This would be one spectacular brawl. I think it would make the Jacen/Caedus vs Mara look like a little league baseball game.
__________________ "Great men are forged in fire. It is the privilege of lesser men to light the flame . . . whatever the cost"
And I think Anakin/Vader could stop Lightning, so long as he uses his lightsaber and not the metal hand.
__________________ Recently Produced and Distributed Young but High-Ranking Political Figure of Royal Ancestry within the Modern American Town Affectionately Referred To as Bel-Air.
Agreed Lucien. FL would overload the circuitry of the armor. The Vader who fought Galen underestimated him - Galen's FP & FL and lighstaber attacks. Vader expected him to die easily, but the strength in the Force Galen demonstrated took Vader by surprise. Even Sidious had to be a little shocked that the "Chosen One" got his ass handed to him.
On Mustafar when Obi-Wan and Anakin/Vader attempted to use FP against each other, they were both blasted against the computer terminals by the sheer combined magnitude of the Force being used. Imagine a FR from Galen smashing the interior while fighting Anakin/Vader - the whole building would collapse. Galen's fighting style incorporates all three aspects: Force, lightsaber & hand-to-hand. The hand-to-hand is what makes him so dangerous.
__________________ "Great men are forged in fire. It is the privilege of lesser men to light the flame . . . whatever the cost"
Marek's command of the Force is demonstrably much higher and more profound than Anakin's. As the Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia states rather explicitly, a high collection of midichlorians isn't enough to secure great power for a Force user; it requires meditation and study in order to master. Vader trained Marek by pushing his limits relentlessly -- the Jedi Order didn't use such barbaric methods.
He would crush Skywalker in a contest of the Force.
So by pushing Marek to such extremes, that is what made him so powerful? Gideon, are you saying that Galen was able to tap into the raw power of the Force? I know that Vader tortured Galen and forced him to fight duels with him with "live" lightsabers, severely injured him and manipulated his mind. Galen watched with his own eyes the murder of his father Kento Marek and that had to have had a profound affect on his mind. Afterall, Vader did tell him that it was the Emperor's fault.
Gideon you just gave me information that I didn't know - mastery of the Force vs midichlorian count. Thanks - didn't know it. But Anakin/Vader had powerful FP and that could knock Galen off balance unless he countered with FR. But you do raise a point - the Vader that trained Galen was not the Vader in ROTS.
__________________ "Great men are forged in fire. It is the privilege of lesser men to light the flame . . . whatever the cost"
Anakin has the most raw Force Potential ever. But, apparently, Marek had enough to be the Emperor's equal, if the words he speaks in the DS ending are valid.
__________________ Recently Produced and Distributed Young but High-Ranking Political Figure of Royal Ancestry within the Modern American Town Affectionately Referred To as Bel-Air.
I think if it was ever confirmed, it could provide fodder to any author wishing to resurrect Marek. Have him and Palpatine duke it out in some untold story of the Civil War which results in Marek transferring his power to Luke or something gay like that.
__________________ Recently Produced and Distributed Young but High-Ranking Political Figure of Royal Ancestry within the Modern American Town Affectionately Referred To as Bel-Air.
From what I understand and please correct me if I'm wrong, only Bane, Yoda, Sidious, Luke, Jacen/Caedus and brielfly Anakin Solo were the only ones able to tap into the raw Force. Now with the TFU, it appears that Galen Marek is able to touch the raw power, but did not have mastery of it like Sidious. When Galen sacrificed himself on the DS, he probably as strong as Luke if not a little more when Luke became a Jedi in ROTJ. Over the years, he would become stronger in the Force - maybe even Kyp's equal.
I'm getting off track here, but back to Anakin/Vader vs Galen Marek. Lucien and Gideon are right - making Garek Sidious equal would be dumb. Sidious was stronger than Vader by miles. In the last few seconds of Galen's life, he became his equal by touching the raw power of the Force. But Sidious survived and Galen didn't. That has to show how much power and mastery of the Force Sidious wielded.
I would hate it if Galen suddenly reappeared like Calista because I wouldn't want to see someone who sacrificed himself back in the storyline. That would ruin his story and the continuing saga of Star Wars.
__________________ "Great men are forged in fire. It is the privilege of lesser men to light the flame . . . whatever the cost"
Luke wasn't that great in RotJ compared to Galen in terms of Force mastery.
__________________ Recently Produced and Distributed Young but High-Ranking Political Figure of Royal Ancestry within the Modern American Town Affectionately Referred To as Bel-Air.