Anakin Skywalker vs. Sarah Kerrigan : Edges

*Done!

  Close Range: Kerrigan's body vs. Anakin's lightsaber, limited hand to hand combat:


  Unarmed combat, being the closest type of combat featured in this battle, will be the starting point for this comparison. Both warriors possess formidable hand to hand fighting techniques along with some other impressive attributes ; Anakin can augument his attacks with the force, and Kerrigan brings two deadly sets of claws to this battle . In addition  both are capable of utilizing their hand-to-hand skills to strengthen their close quarter weaponry (lightsaber and wings).

 In a direct comparison at this extremely close range level I find myself shifting toward Kerrigan's side. I have doubts that even force augmented kicks and punches will be able to finish Kerrigan, though along with hilt smashes they could be part of a strategy that could accomplish this task. Kerrigan's claws are easily capable of disemboweling Anakin, and her martial arts emphasize lethality, while Anakin has little training in hand-to-hand combat. Should he try to choke her with his metal arm(not force choke)  like he tried to do with Obi-Wan he swiftly find himself thrown off, with his neck broken.

   Now that that little side venture is done its time for the main attraction, Lightsaber vs. Kerrigan's biological wings.  Right off the bat we see some obvious advantages; Kerrigan's wings out-ranges the lightsaber, Kerrigan has six blades to Anakin's one, and Anakin's lightsaber is clearly the most versatile weapon here.  The Strength of her wings against enemy flesh and bone, as well as armor, can hardly be called into doubt, and if she successfully reaches the flesh of Anakin or his allies  then whoever she hits will soon be a goner.  That said Anakin is incredibly skilled with his lightsaber, arguably more skilled then Kerrigan is with her wings as he has been utilizing them his entire life, and will be very skilled at deflecting/blocking/evading melee strikes.  As Zeratul proved the wings are not invincible and his lightsaber possesses enough power to cut clean through them, along with Kerrigan's armor.   Though capable of swiftly regenerating the time it takes to do so could be fatal for Kerrigan, and she is unlikely to know/have the opportunity of destroying the lightsaber by dousing it in water.

 Anakin's skills  with  the powerful lightsaber ultimately net him the edge and a rare perfect score, though it was a hard fought one.


Edge Anakin



Mid Range: Psi Blast vs. Lightsaber throw: 


 Finally after a rather difficult edge we come to a rather easy one. The Lightsaber throw has a great * surprise* factor going for it, but little else . Sure it can be guided towards the enemy, but in the case of Kerrigan her phenomenal agility and own psionic powers make it unlikely that the saber will manage to score a hit. Anakin is also vulnerable while controlling the thrown saber, as he will have nothing to deflect Hydralisk spines or really fend himself at all.

 The Psi blast on the other hand is a definite killer, capable of rendering flesh and ignoring armor, and she isnt defenseless while casting it. The rapid fire rate and difficulty of dodging such a blast, in addition to the Lightsaber throw's problems give Kerrigan a solid edge.

Edge Kerrigan
Long range: Kerrigan's C-10 Mk. VI sniper rifle vs. DC-15x Sniper Rifle(clone sharpshooter) 


  In a cat and mouse sniper match between the two, I have little doubt the Kerrigan would prevail. Through her cloaking and lifetime of experience training with this weapon, she acquired a master's skill with it and I can hardly see her missing. While both are deadly, the only real advantage the DC-15x is going to have in this battle is range, and he will most certainly get the first shot in. Kerrigan is more skilled, her clip size 3x larger then the Clone Sniper's and her rifle can go full auto for close quarter battles. Both weapons have powerful rounds armor piercing rounds capable of delivering an early death blow to leader of the enemy team in the opening seconds of the fight.

 Kerrigan's cloaking will  make her a difficult shot for Anakin's sniper to hit, and Anakin is going to need to use the force to evade the C-10, as his lightsaber won't help much( in Star Wars universe, guns are a anti-Jedi weapon) .

These Factors combine to give Kerrigan a slight Long Range edge.

Special: Psionic Powers vs. Force powers: 

    This is going to be a very long and difficult edge, so bear with me.

 First up both warriors are masters of Telekinesis, and though Kerrigan's might be more powerful based on the accounts of a less powerful fellow ghost (Nova) Anakin's is more well refined(being split into different categories) , and more in everyday use. Kerrigan partially makes up for this with her ability to disable the clone's rifles, but I don't think she will be able to easily disable the lightsaber. Both are going to be throwing heavy shit at each other throughout this entire fight.

 Though it sounds powerful, Psychic Attack has some serious problems in dealing with psionic-ally powerful enemies. Psionics (and presumably force users) have resistance to this power, and Kerrigan was only able to kill Lieutenant Rumm with it after she threw him around for a while ,weakening him. While it may be a viable finisher, I cant see being used to finish this fight right off the bat. Psionic Bolt is another dubious power that can only be used to stop a powerful opponent's attack, though for minor ones it could be used to blow them back.

 Animal Befriend is a great power, but not one that's often going to be fatal to Kerrigan. She is ruthless, and used to her opponents occasionally taking over her brood (both Jim Raynor and the U.E.D. possessed such technology). Thus as soon as one of her  Hydralisk minions turns against her, she is going to floor him and even if they get a couple of strikes in her healing powers will enable her to survive. . If he converts the baneling, well that is a little bit trickier  and most of this power's kills will be from that possibility.

  Ensnare has no lethality whatsoever, but it is never-the-less  one of Kerrigan's most important spells. By covering Anakin and crew in a coating sticky, slimy encumbersome goo Kerrigan decreases their movement speed to a crawl , and makes it less likely that they will be able to move out of the way of her devastating Psi/Razor storm. Force Scream is a potent weapon of last resort which will blast back everyone around him, as it will destroy allies as readily as enemies. In addition it may not be able to kill Kerrigan who is used to battling powerful psionic foes.

  Finally we come to the WMD's of these two Sci-Fi legends arsenal. The Psionic Implosion is a powerful tool in Kerrigan's hand; able to be used to destroy capital ship with a devastating gravity well. On the individual level its not very effective, and she will be able to only directly use it against Anakin's hand/trooper's guns. However if their is an adjacent piece of metal around that Anakin or one of his clones may get sucked in the ensuing gravity well, so this power could have fatal applications. The force choke and grip/crush are extremely good powers to use on a single person and I don't think she would be able to regenerate a crushed windpipe/neck fast enough to save herself, though this power also leaves Anakin open to Hydralisk spines and Kerrigan's own psionic powers. Anakin also has underdeveloped lightning, which will be able to electrocute the biological Zerg with ease.  In terms of devastation these pale in comparison to the flesh ripping Razor storm and brain frying Psionic storm, without a doubt the two most powerful spells  here.  Anakin and his crew will have mere seconds to get out of the area of effect before the spell becomes fatal, and though Anakin can use the fore to propel himself out of there his allies are going to have difficult doing so.

 So who gets the final edge? This was very hard for me to decide, but in the end I gave it to Kerrigan for the pure-squad destroying devastation of her powers. While Anakin's powers are good only really against individuals , Sarah possess powers that are good against individuals AND squads. Sarah gets to keep this critical category by the narrowest of edges

Edge Sarah Kerrigan 

Explosives: Baneling vs. Thermal detonator


 In terms of explosive damage and lethality the baneling triumphs over the handheld detonator. It is like a heat seeking missile that will follow Anakin and his clones until it either is blown up by their rifles or it blows up by itself. The Thermal detonator can be avoided by a quick burrowing Hydralisk, and Kerrigan can simply run out of harms way before the thing detonates. She may even be able to toss it back at her foes using her Telekinesis! The baneling is not without a glaring weakness either, namely its very  susceptible to animal befriend. I have no doubt that Anakin will seek to turn the allegiance of this obviously explosive little creature, in which case Kerrigan is going to have a serious dilemma on her hands.

 Though on a pure weapon on weapon basis Kerrigan's baneling would get the edge, once you factor in psionic in the equation the edge is neither. The baneling is just to dubious of an ally to rely on 100 percent of the time.
Edge: Neither!
Allies: 


Primary Weapons: Spines vs. DC-15S Blaster:


    Spines have the advantage in terms of armor penetrability, range and lethality, while the Clone blaster has it with rate of fire and maneuverability, as well as quick draw. In my opinion both weapons are fairly even in terms of the usual criteria of judging weapons, so we will have to think  out of the box a little bit.  

 Both weapons will be unsettling though deal able to the commanders of this skirmish: Kerrigan's armor  and regeneration will be able to take all but high setting blasts, while Anakin can use his lightsaber to block a great deal of spines. I cant say either get a real edge here in taking down commanders.

  The Clones are known for being able to use their weapon anywhere; from scaling down cliffs to hiding in wait behind cover. Hydralisks have to rear themselves up to fire-giving their opponent critical to take them out. In addition they never really use cover, while clones often rely on cover. A Hydralisk is essentially just a dumb, dangerous beast that needs outside direction to be truly formidable , while the clones are trained troopers cloned from a powerful bounty hunter.

 Once the warriors behind the weapons are assessed, the Clones come out with a slight edge.

Edge Anakin Skyawlker


Secondary Weapons: Claws, Teeth vs. DC-17 hand blaster


   The old adage "don't bring a knife to a gun fight" holds true here. Though formidable, the claws and teeth of the Hydralisk cannot compete with the range and firepower of the blaster. Both weapons have one in a million chance of killing the leaders , but the blaster in better weapon on weapon.


Edge Anakin


Allied Defense: Zerg Carapace, Burrow vs. Clone Trooper Phase 2 Armor, Cover


   I cant really judge between the environmental abilities.   Cover, though it can keep you safe from Hydralisk spines, will be completely useless agaisnt something like a psionic or razor storm. Should it be a metal cover Kerrigan may be able to suck them up in a gravity well. Burrow is fine from escaping from the heat of the surface and for ambushes, but as we will soon establish it is rather difficult to ambush in this match, and if you burrow in front of an enemy a well placed Thermal charge could easily be thrown down the hole, where the Hydralisk will have no where to run.

 in terms of personal armor, I believe the Hydralisk will have the edge here. I can only really see the clone armor protecting against claws, while the carapace will be of some help against blasters of the clones. Slight edge to the Hydralisks

Edge Sarah 
Personal defense : Zerg Carapace, hardened skin, Deep Tunnel and Burrow  and tunnel vs. Anakin's personalized Attire, Force Protection


           In terms of personal armor Kerrigan wins easily. Her carapace and hardened skin  actually gives her some protection and great mobility , while Anakin's attired only offer a mobility advantage. Kerrigan's armor was far from perfect however , and at best the most it could hope to stop are low-power blaster bolts.

   Now for the tricky part; comparing Kerrigan's "get out of jail free card" to Anakin's psionic stopping force protection.  Anakin has a advantage in that he will be able to repel most of Kerrigan's deadly psionic arsenal(except the Psionic/Razor Storm) , but Kerrigan can use her power to come back from the brink of death if she is quick enough. She can also use Burrow should the air become too thick with laser bolts for her liking. Still burrow is a extremely effective defense as Anakin will be able to sense the holes and have his men throw thermal detonators down there, and Kerrigan only carries a single "get out of jail free card" in this battle.

  Though Kerrigan takes it in personal defense, I feel that Anakin has a slight edge with his powers. Overall even.

Edge: Even


Agility: Very Agile, Psionic speed vs. Very agile, Force Enhanced Attributes, Force Jump


 Needless to say, both are naturally agile through years of training and experience, as well as commendable personal fitness. Neither's agility are inhibited by their armor at all.  While both score naturally high, Anakin can use the Force to "cheat" his way a little higher in this fitness comparison, while Kerrigan generally only uses her psionics to increase her speed. Anakin was a legendary master of the Force Jump, and he uses this power to leap over Kerrigan in this comparison.

Edge Anakin

Regeneration: Mastery of Regeneration vs. Force healing

This edge  can be summed up in a single sentence; Anakin can heal moderate-minor wounds, Kerrigan can regrow limbs.

Edge Kerrigan


Misc Abilities and Passive powers: Sense Psionics, Psionic sight, Extremely powerful Telepathy, Cloaking vs. Force Senses(Force Sight, Force Hearing and Force Sense), Force Rage, Dun Moche  


 Lets start off by acknowledging one fact; in all likelihood, both will always be able to see/sense each other. That takes care of the first two of Kerrigan's and first of Anakin's. Now lets skip over the next one for both characters to talk about their passive powers. In my view neither Dun Moche nor Cloaking are going to be particularly useful. Cloaking is something that Anakin will be able to see through immediately, and the only benefits this power will give Kerrigan is sneak up on the clones should Anakin disappear, and helping her win a sniper duel with the sharpshooter. Dun Moche was basically a system of taunts designed to get your opponent to forget himself , rush at you and leave himself open to attacks. In my mind this will only be of occasional benefit against Kerrigan, as she was rather skilled in psychological warfare herself and may not fall for this obvious ruse. Should she however Anakin had better remember that he is holding a red flag before a pissed-off bull, and he'll need to get out of the way quickly less he comes face-to-face with the horns. 


 Now for the only two powers that are going to be really powerful to their users: Anakin's force rage and Kerrigan's extremely powerful Telepathy. By flying into a rage, Anakin will be able to attack with mroe ferocity, be faster and probably sustain a few more wounds then he normally could . Like Adrenaline this power drains the body, and he can't utilize this power for very long. In addition, as his duel with Obi-Wan proved, he is more prone to making mistakes while pissed, and such a mistake in this battle could cost him his life (as it should of on Mustafar). 


  Kerrigan's telepathy is powerful enough to read the minds of even powerful Protoss, who can naturally read all Terran's minds. This gives her the obvious benefit of knowing of her opponents's strategies and adjusting her own to counter them. Her extreme telepathy isn't a permanent power though, and both Protoss and Terrans (like Mengsk) have shown the ability to block her out of their minds. I have no doubt that Anakin, once he realizes that Kerrigan is reading him, will be able to do so. While the clones may not Anakin has the option of simply  keeping them out of the loop .


    Neither set of powers are overwhelming enough to give either character the edge, and I am forced to call it a draw. 


Edge Neither


X-factors: 
Tactics: Kerrigan vs. Anakin(see bios) 


 In a clash of minds both villains share a number of characteristics; both are aggressive, brave, confident individuals with front-line experience. Both have led more victories then defeats, and both are considered the height of their respective potentials (psionic for Kerrigan, force for Anakin) . There are some notable advantages here which decide the edge...




  Anakin has a preference on straightforward tactics(though capable of the opposite as well) , while Kerrigan usually goes for a more sly, unsuspecting  approach, though also known for straightforward 'Zerg rushes" that make her brood so horrifying. While her deceitfulness and manipulations may have a greater effect on the grand scheme of things then a small battle, they may help her lead her opponent in a trap in this battle.  With Anakin more often then not you know what you are getting, with Kerrigan you are not always sure. Both have been outnumbered before, though Kerrigan probably had the toughest battle when she fought the coalition forces above Char. Kerrigan has the ability to communicate to her minions through a sort of hive mind. So far not even the most powerful Psionics of the Starcraft universe have been able to access Zerg communication completely, and I do not believe Anakin will be able to do so. 


 Another factor to consider is how long each character has been commanding; for Kerrigan about 6-7 years (including her time with Acturus) and for Anakin about 3-4. Based on  the experience clause and surprise factor, I feel that Kerrigan gets a slight edge over Anakin in this category. 


Edge Sarah Kerrigan


Motivation: Maximizing her potential, Vengeance, unknown looming threat,   lordship over all creation, Blood vs. Power and Padme


 Both can be said to have fought for relatively similar goals, as Anakin certainly wanted vengeance and blood when he went after Nute Gunray, and in his madness sought to "protect" the Empire from demagogues like the Emperor.  Anakin has one a key factor that  sets him apart from Kerrigan, and that is that he is literally doing it for love. Anakin's arguably noble goal to protect Padme- NO MATTER THE COST- has inspired the young Sith to do legendary and terrible feats, like wiping out the entire Jedi Order! 


 Anakin's borderline insane passion for his girl nets him a perfect score in this category


Edge Anakin!


Training/Experience/Quality of Enemies: Anakin vs. Sarah (see bios) :


  Again many similarities between the two.  Both fought against a great variety of enemies and were successful against most  opponents. Both led from the Front with their troops. Similarities end when you look at their training regimen. 


    Anakin was trained by the Jedi, an order that espoused the idea that violence was only a last resort, and taught the Jedi alternatives for solving a fight before it even began. His training program taught of all aspects of the force, not just offensive powers and how to best use a lightsaber (though there was plenty of that too). Anakin's was also longer then his rival, spanning over a decade while Kerrigan's Ghost Training ended after 8 years. While Anakin was taught all sorts of miscellaneous subject in addition to, Kerrigan's was all about how best to kill. She was trained to kill without thinking by brutal experiments such as when she had to kill a guard who already had a gun to her head. Infiltration, strategy , and stealth were all part of the Program.Once she graduated she went on to perform many high profile assassinations against difficult to reach targets. 


  As Kerrigan's training emphasizes more lethality, I feel that her program would help her more then the Jedi's will Anakin. Had he been raised as a Sith however, this edge would have changed. 


Edge Sarah Kerrigan


Martial Arts/Fighting Style: Extensive martial Art training,  renowned duelist, superb knife fighter vs. Talented martial Artist,  Form V: Shien/Djem So, Excellent Duelist


 A rather easy edge to give compared to the rest . Both are formidable duelists capable of taking on multiple foes at once and winning. While Sarah exceeds her opponent in hand-to-hand combat , Anakin overdoes her in skill with close range weaponry. Due to the power of the lightsaber and the fact that he was allegedly the most powerful form five fighter in existence, I am going to give it to Anakin. 


Edge Anakin
Personal Weakness: Arrogant, Impetious, Blood-lust vs. Arrogance, easy to piss off, Rage


  Sorry Annie but when it comes to Personal Weakness you fail  here. Though Kerrigan has imperfections despite her attempts to say otherwise she has never made as profound a tactical mistake as you did on Mustafar. To me this is a easy edge


Edge Sarah Kerrigan (edge meaning that she gets the least points subtracted)



   So who do you think will win between these colossal Sci-Fi giants?