Darth Vader's Prime

How do you think we can effectively determine when was Vader's prime, and why?

Personally, Vader was kinda sheeeyat in 19 BBY, but from 18 BBY to ROTJ I don't really notice too much of a difference.

When we see him doing something more impressive than what he's done in the past...or it's noted he grew in power...or both!

Legends: RotJ or RotS
Canon: not sure

Originally posted by The Ellimist
Legends: RotJ or RotS
Canon: not sure

RotJ or RotS? There are a lot of years between those two. You're saying Vader's prime is so hard to quantify we can't even establish something in between 20 years?

No, I mean pre-suit Vader may have been his prime.

I say Rebels era when he's still fresh with hate

Originally posted by The Ellimist
No, I mean pre-suit Vader may have been his prime.

Not in terms of power, that's for sure.

Originally posted by Petrus
Not in terms of power, that's for sure.

"Zonakin"'s performance against Dooku isn't something I think RotJ Vader could have replicated.

Originally posted by The Ellimist
"Zonakin"'s performance against Dooku isn't something I think RotJ Vader could have replicated.

Sure, but RotS Vader would never have been able to crush AT-ATs, for example.

How do you know?

Becase RotS Vader is basically as powerful as RotS Anakin, and we know he's not capable of such feats, nor do we ever see him perform actions of that magnitude. Everything we see him do doesn't compare to the amount of power required to butcher AT-ATs with the Force.

Legends: RotJ.
Canon: Rebels.

Canon, he's probably at his best from Rebels to ANH, before Luke comes into the picture and Vader realizes he's his father.

Rotj

Luke affected Vader mentally/emotionally. He was most powerful during Rotj, but he was conflicted.

ANH.

Originally posted by Petrus
Becase RotS Vader is basically as powerful as RotS Anakin,

Huh?

“And you rage and scream and reach through the Force to crush the shadow who has destroyed you, but you are so far less now than what you were, you are more than half machine, you are like a painter gone blind, a composer gone deaf, you can remember where the power was but the power you can touch is only a memory, and so with all your world-destroying fury it is only droids around you that implode, and equipment, and the table on which you were strapped shatters, and in the end, you cannot touch the shadow. In the end, you don't even want to.”

He's talking about pre-suit obviously.