Could Ahsoka beat Anakin in a lightsaber duel?

Probably not. But let’s dive into it anyway.

Ahsoka fans were recently treated to the titular character finally interacting with Hayden Christensen’s Anakin Skywalker in live-action. And it was as if millions of voices cried out in joy – absolute, incredible, tear-jerking joy.

Aside from those spectacular flashback sequences of a young Ahsoka Tano (portrayed by young Gamora, no less!) fighting in the Clone Wars, fans also got the chance to see the character duel with her former master. And it was glorious. (Seeing Hayden Christensen do his classic spin moves again brought out all the nostalgia!)

While Ahsoka was able to disarm and impress this vision or hallucination version of Anakin, it doesn’t mean she could take him down in an actual fight. In fact, it’d probably be a safe bet to put your credits on Skywalker if some Hutt-like galactic promoters decided to set this bout up for pay-per-view.

Ahsoka probably can’t beat a prime Anakin Skywalker in a lightsaber duel

Simply put, Anakin Skywalker was the greatest Jedi of his time. And if not for his hubris and anger on Mustafar, he would have been on the path to becoming the greatest (or worst, in this case) Sith the galaxy has ever seen. Emperor Palpatine himself notes this to Yoda in Revenge of the Sith, boasting that Darth Vader would be more powerful than either of them soon enough.

While Ahsoka is obviously a gifted Jedi and duelist, I know that’s a colossal understatement, it’s highly doubtful she could defeat the best fighter the Jedi Order had ever seen. That’s a monumental task. To put things into perspective, it took a prime Jedi Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, arguably the Order’s greatest counter striker, tooth and nail to just barely beat his former pupil. And this victory was accomplished more because Anakin acted like a hothead – I’m not apologizing for that.

Imagining a Clone Wars-Ahsoka, or even Rosario Dawson’s wise version of the character, on Mustafar, challenging her fallen master… it’s difficult to visualize her emerging victorious in this scenario. 

And let’s not forget, a prime Ahsoka went toe-to-toe with Darth Vader in Star Wars: Rebels. This clash had an indecisive end, but both duelists looked to be evenly matched. If a prime Ahsoka struggled with Darth Vader, who was more machine than man, then it’s very unlikely she could have beaten a prime Anakin Skywalker. Nonetheless, it’s still a terrific matchup. After all, who doesn’t like a good ol’ student vs. teacher showdown? That’s literally what Star Wars is all about!