Registered: Aug 2016
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
I mean, Luke legitimately contended with and bested Vader in ROTJ, as per the novelization and script, same as ESB, to a lesser extent. If, by ROTJ, Luke was comparable to or equal to Vader, then he's better than Dooku.
I love RotJ Luke, and feel like he's often underrated by people who attemp to write him off as inexperienced, or downplay his victory over Vader by attributing it soley to Vader holding back. That said, I don't picture Luke, Legends or Canon, beating Dooku. He just leaves too many opening that can be exploited (see his battle over the sarlacc pit), and he hasn't shown any real ability to counter Dooku's lightning beyond just trying to strengthen his Force shield.
ROTJ Luke is specifically stated to be equal to ROTJ Vader in the Force and a better swordsman.
That being said, ROTS Dooku imo isn't below them. Same tier Id argue. Luke could win but so could Dooku.
__________________ "Vader's pulse and breathing were machine-regulated, so they could not quicken; but something in his chest became more electric around his meetings with the Emperor; he could not say how. A feeling of fullness, of power, of dark and demon mastery -- of secret lusts, unrestrained passion, wild submission -- all these things were in Vader's heart as he neared his Emperor. These things and more."
going by canon Dooku wipes the floor with Luke; Luke barely survived a stiff moving Vader until he had his tantrum and although thats how Ani beat Tyranus Luke doesn't have a tenth of the onscreen skill that his father had
If we are going by canon, Luke has a much greater chance against Dooku. Vader in the new Disney canon is showing to be more powerful than he was in legends.
The only reason why Vader is robotic and stiff is because rotj was made in 1983.... In new canon such as the Vader comics, Rogue One, and rebels - it's clearily no longer an issue.
Per the novelization, Luke was able to Force-deflect Palpatine's initial salvo of FL of a very brief moment before he was overpowered by it:
But that salvo was only intended to injure/weaken/torture Luke -- it was not meant to kill him, nor was it Palpatine's most powerful/intense application of the ability.
Only the final(and most powerful) salvo of FL was truly meant to *kill* Luke, and it absolutely *would* have if Vader hadn't intervened:
That said, I certainly wouldn't say that Luke being able to deflect one of Palpatine's weaker salvos of FL for a scant moment equates to him being able to outright pwn Dooku's FL across the board... Certainly not long enough to matter, at least.
__________________
"I am tired of Earth. These people.
I am tired of being caught in the tangle of their lives."