Is ANH Vader superior to RoTS Anakin?

There are several sources claiming that Vader is more powerful than Anakin Skywalker. However, there is a source claiming that Vader is a shadow of his former self.

So, where does the answer lie?

Vader is more in control of his powers, and has greater discipline with the Force. His natural ability and talent (and mobility in legends) has decreased, but his skill and focus with his abilities has allowed him to be more capable as a fighter, as a hunter, and as a force-wielder in general.

Numerous sources say Vader is superior to Anakin, and Vader's feats are generally better than Anakin's. So yeah, Vader>Anakin.

Rise and Fall of Vader states that he lost his ability to have force visions. Not sure if this indicative of his weakened connection with the force or his inability to concentrate due to the constant pain of his suit.

No, he isn't.

Most sources I've come across that reference post-Mustafar Anakin being 'weaker' typically have to do with the following:

a.) He can never conjure force lightning.
b.) The cybernetics of the suit make him more vulnerable to force lightning.
c.) The bulk of the suit hindered his overall agility.

The notion that Vader was "crippled by the lingering pain of his injuries" and a "shadow of his former self", however, is complete BS that has been retconned in canon.

We now know that the pain Vader experienced on a day-to-day basis actually served to strengthen him:

Without the neural connection to his armor, he was conscious of the stumps of his legs, the ruin of his arms, the perpetual pain in his flesh. He welcomed it. Pain fed his hate, and hate fed his strength. Once, as a Jedi, he had meditated to find peace. Now he meditated to sharpen the edges of his anger.

-Lords of the Sith

Drawing on the Force, he activated the automated arm. It descended and the helmet and faceplate wrapped his head in metal and plasteel, the shell in which he existed. He welcomed the spikes of pain when the helmet's neural needles stabbed into the flesh of his skull and the base of his spine, unifying his body, mind, and armor to form an interconnected unit.

When man and machine were one, he no longer felt the absence of his legs or arms, the pain of his flesh, but the hate remained, and the rage still burned. Those, he never relinquished, and he never felt more connected to the Force than when his fury burned.

With an effort of will, he commanded the onboard computer to link the primary respirator to the secondary, and to seal the helmet at the neck, encasing him fully. He was home.

-Lords of the Sith

Bro I don't think he's talking Canon

Ergo the first section of my post. 👆

Yeah, obviously. That was the idea they wanted to get across in ANH and RotS.

Originally posted by MythLord
No, he isn't.

No. Lucas even said himself Vader is around Maul and Dookus level. Don't care much for EU sources regarding film characters, they're everywhere.

This makes sense with why Vader has trouble with sub Dooku opponents, and nearly killed by embarrasing things like flamethrowers.

The best is when that scientist just shut him down with the push of a button. There was also that other jedi who managed to shut down his life-support systems on his control panel, leaving Vader helpless for a while. What a loser lol.

Yeah he's stronger

He is of the same power. Just that his Vader self is less mobile.

His force mastery is better, but he is slower/less agile.

In Sabers Id put Vader approx on par with TCW Anakin. Then he has Beastly TK on top. However canon shows Uber TK not to always be an Auto Win.

Peak Anakin who stomped Dooku however might well be Palpatine Level.

Vader definitely wouldn't stomp Dooku the way Anakin did, but on the other hand he I don't think he would lose to Obi-Wan. Anakin is better but he's also less consistent due to his arrogance/recklessness.

Anakin stomped Dooku so easily because the Count was taken aback. If the Count knew his limitations, he'd have killed them both making more use of his Force abilities.

Originally posted by Freedon Nadd
Anakin stomped Dooku so easily because the Count was taken aback.

Originally posted by xPRIMEx
Proof?

Dooku started to regain the edge over Anakin with a simple taunt. Dooku became his playful sarcastic self again and Sidious could tell that he was going to beat Anakin.

Palpatine then intervened by telling Anakin to focus his anger, not to fear it, and unleash it on Dooku—to kill Dooku.

So as Anakin was unleashing hell on him, Dooku was taken aback by Sidious's intervention and his command to kill Dooku. It was at this moment he was learning of the treachery to come, asking himself "who's side was Sidious on anyway?".