A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, Darth Vader helped the Sith dominate. In the galaxy of Earth-616, Thanos rules with immense power and, on occasion, a gauntlet of Infinity Stones. Both have taken down their respective galaxies at one point or another.
What if these two met in battle? Since both the Star Wars and Marvel universes are owned by one company, it's certainly feasible. When it was all said and done, who would defeat who? For some answers, here are five reasons why Darth Vader would defeat Thanos and five reasons why it would be the other way around.
10 Vader: Ruthlessness
Thanos may seem ruthless using the Infinity Gauntlet. However, his reason for eliminating half the population of the galaxy has an underlying intent. He wants some peace and quiet.
Vader doesn't want tranquility. His anger and conviction are so strong that he wants to decimate everything in his path. Part of this is due to Palpatine's influence, while another is the injustice of the Jedi. With this in mind, Vader would chop off Thanos' hand in battle.
9 Thanos: Longevity
Compared to Thanos, Darth Vader is a mere child. Marvel's galactic villain has been around for one thousand years. It's not due to eating right or genetics. Truth be told, Death banished Thanos from entering his realm.
Therefore, he has gained numerous skills and allies to achieve his goals. Like he did in Avengers: Endgame, he would bring an enormous army with him to battle the Sith. Force or no Force, Darth Vader wouldn't have a chance against that might.
8 Vader: Power Behind The Power
Though Vader is a powerful Sith Lord, he doesn't have the full complement of Dark Side abilities. That belongs to Emperor Palpatine. Hence, the reason he's the power behind Vader and the entire movement to eliminate freedom from the galaxy.
Thanos has himself. Galactus or Destiny don't push him to do more to conquer the galaxy. He has advisors, but they don't do any of the heavy work. Should Vader bring Palpatine, Thanos is in trouble. He won't be killed. Instead, Palpatine would draw him into the Sith as one of his lieutenants.
7 Thanos: Calculating
Thanos is a planner. He thinks several steps ahead to get what he wants. If one way doesn't work, he has a built-in contingency to succeed.
Darth Vader is a reactive Sith Lord. His actions are a result of what's happening around him. He uses the Force more like a Spider-Sense than as a way to plan two steps ahead of the Rebel Alliance. So, by the time he is warned of Thanos' presence, the Titan would already be upon him.
6 Vader: Use Of The Force
Nevertheless, Vader knows how to use the Force to his advantage. It's the reason why Palpatine recruited Anakin in the first place. He knew how strong the young Jedi was, and he wanted to abuse that power.
This is an advantage over Thanos. When he doesn't have the Infinity Gauntlet, he relies on his abilities to destroy an opponent. That's not enough in a fight with an individual who can choke a person to death via video conference. Should Vader use the full complement abilities, Thanos is done for.
5 Thanos: Use Of The Infinity Gauntlet
Of course, if Thanos happens to regain control of the Infinity Stones, the situation changes. All of those gems in one place make him omnipotent. Plus, Thanos can eliminate half the galaxy's population with a snap of his fingers.
The Dark Side of the Force isn't that strong. There's no way to eliminate whole populations unless it's done through conventional weaponry. While Vader and his fleet have that capability, it takes a lot of energy to make it happen. In other words, they'd quickly be eliminated from the galaxy.
4 Vader: Skill With A Lightsaber
Would the Infinity Gauntlet be as potent against Vader's lightsaber? He's certainly not a slouch in its use. With the combined training of Obi-Wan and Emperor Palpatine, along with his utilization of the Force, Vader is enormously skilled with the focused energy weapon.
In a fight, Thanos wouldn't see an incoming attack due to Vader's agility. Thus, the Marvel conqueror would probably be struck down before he heard the hum of the weapon. He wouldn't be killed outright — as mentioned, he's banished from Death's domain. Nevertheless, he'd be weakened.
3 Thanos: Willing To Sacrifice His Children
Thanos' goal with the Infinity Gauntlet to gain a sense of peace. To do this, he needs to collect all the stones. In Avengers: Infinity War, acquiring one stone required a sacrifice. So, he let his daughter Gamora handle it.
Vader isn't so cold as to sacrifice a child for the larger cause. Somewhere inside that machinery is a heart, which is the reason he couldn't kill Luke. This compassion is one thing Thanos could take advantage of in a fight.
2 Vader: Piloting
Before he became Darth Vader, Anakin Skywalker was an adept 10-year-old pilot. Put him in a pod racer or starfighter and he'd be right at home. It's one reason why he decided to take on some of the rebels himself in the climactic battle of A New Hope.
Thanos isn't a pilot. He's a fighter, and an excellent one at that. Still, it's hard to win if you're being strafed by a Tie Fighter piloted by an individual who taps into the universe's energies. Vader would have the advantage here.
1 Thanos: Has An Endgame
The Sith doesn't see an end to their battle for dominance. Once the Rebel Alliance is defeated they'll continue beyond its borders. This means more ships and personnel. As a result, their resources are stretched thin. This is a disadvantage when seeking to rule the galaxy.
Conversely, Thanos knows what he wants to do. Once half of the population is eliminated, he's done. No more conquests, no more armies. This endgame mentality gives him the power to push through battle to reach his goal. As a result, Thanos would plow through Darth Vader and the other Sith forces to get to another stone.