Darth Vader
Darth Vader (41 BBY–4 ABY) is a fictional character in the Star Wars films, ultimately the main character of the series, starting as a hero and becoming a tragic hero and a villain before his ultimate redemption to goodness.
In the first two films released in the series, Vader is the epitome of pure evil—a mass murderer and war criminal who holds the entire galaxy under the boot of an evil Empire; and in doing so, dispassionately commits torture, oversees the destruction of an entire planet, and murders even his own officers. In later films, his redemption, as well as his initial fall from grace, are explored in greater depth. The iconic villain has appeared throughout pop culture and ranks third on the American Film Institute's top 50 villains of all time. [1]
Darth Vader was born Anakin Skywalker, and is the father of twins Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa. He is given the name "Darth Vader" in 19 BBY.
Throughout the six Star Wars films, creator George Lucas employed five different actors to portray the character. Anakin Skywalker is played by Jake Lloyd as a child and Hayden Christensen as a young adult. David Prowse portrayed him in the original Star Wars Trilogy. His voice was supplied by James Earl Jones. Sebastian Shaw portrayed the dying, middle-aged (and redeemed) man behind the mask in the theatrical release of Return of the Jedi and shortly after, as his ghost; however, in the most recent DVD release, Christensen is digitally inserted in Shaw's place. Also, in the closing scenes of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, the fully armored Vader is played by Christensen, again with Jones' voice. In the video game version of Revenge of the Sith, Vader's voice is supplied by Mat Lucas.
The character of Darth Vader also involved several stunt doubles, most notably fencing instructor Bob Anderson, who handled all of Vader's fight sequences in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Mark Hamill (who portrayed Luke in the original trilogy) noted in a 1983 interview: "Bob Anderson was the man who actually did Vader’s fighting. It was always supposed to be a secret, but I finally told George I didn’t think it was fair any more. Bob worked so bloody hard that he deserves some recognition. It’s ridiculous to preserve the myth that it’s all done by one man."
Industrial Light & Magic employee C. Andrew Nelson has also portrayed Vader at a number of events for Lucasfilm, as well as the videogame Rebel Assault II, and in new footage filmed for the Special Edition releases of the Star Wars films in 1997.
There is some question as to when it's more appropriate to refer to the character as "Darth Vader" or "Anakin Skywalker". Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi both asserted at various times that Anakin Skywalker was destroyed and consumed by Vader during the events chronicled in Revenge of the Sith, and the appearance of Anakin's spirit to Luke is meant to portray a Skywalker who had not been corrupted—Shaw's portrayal shows a man with a full head of hair, no burn marks, a less pasty skin color, and a full set of limbs, while Christensen appears as Anakin did before his disfigurement. The substitution of Christensen has been explained by Lucas as reinforcing the view that Anakin truly died prior to the original trilogy, but Star Wars seems to also approach the question with the implication that there is no simple answer to it; as Obi-Wan tells Luke during his explanation of Vader's identity, "Many of the truths we cling to depend greatly upon our own point of view."[2]
Anakin Skywalker
Anakin Skywalker is believed by many, notably Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn, to be the Chosen One of an unfulfilled Jedi prophecy, destined to bring balance to the Force by destroying the Sith, according to Jedi Master Mace Windu in The Phantom Menace. He is taken as a young boy and trained as a Jedi, and becomes a legendary figure during the Clone Wars. However, Anakin's arrogance and emotional insecurities eventually turn him to the dark side of the Force, transforming him into Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith.
Son of Shmi Skywalker, Anakin is born in 41 BBY. Shmi claims that there was no father and that her pregnancy with Anakin resulted from a virgin conception. Some viewers have drawn narrative parallels between this tale and the New Testament stories of Jesus' conception and birth, as well as classic mythological stories. The wise Qui-Gon suggests that Anakin might have been conceived by the midi-chlorians—the implication being that Anakin is a creation of the Force itself. (According to Chancellor Palpatine in Revenge of the Sith, the Sith Lord Darth Plagueis learned to provoke midi-chlorians into producing life—some have viewed this as a clue to Anakin's origins.) Lucas has stated that these issues were left deliberately ambiguous, and that it has been left for the audience to decide how Anakin was created.
In the prequels, and especially in the third episode, Revenge of the Sith, Anakin is a tragic hero whose tragic flaw is his fear of loss.
Childhood and discovery
Anakin first appears as a kind, selfless nine-year-old boy (played by Jake Lloyd). Anakin and his mother are slaves owned by the curmudgeonly scrap-shop owner Watto. A child prodigy, Anakin excels at mathematics and engineering. Even at this young age, he can build or repair anything, evidenced by the creation of his own protocol droid C-3PO and podracer, each from salvaged parts. He is additionally a remarkable pilot with quick reflexes.
Anakin is found on Tatooine by Qui-Gon Jinn, who is convinced that he is the Chosen One foretold by prophecy to bring balance to the Force due to his record-high midi-chlorian levels and virgin birth. His incredible abilities are attributed to this unique Force-adeptness; for instance, Qui-Gon attributes Anakin's piloting talent to the Force allowing Anakin to "see things before they happen." Qui-Gon manages to win Anakin's freedom with a clever wager involving the boy being entered in a podrace, which Anakin wins despite multiple setbacks. Having won his freedom, Anakin must leave his mother, and he is brought to Coruscant along with Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Queen Padmé Amidala of Naboo, and the Gungan Jar Jar Binks.
Master Jinn requests that the Jedi Council allow him to train Anakin as his student; this being proposed to take place after Obi-Wan completes the trials necessary to become a Jedi Knight. This request is denied, as Anakin is much older than the usual padawan, and he exhibits much fear and anger left over from his days as a slave, further intensified by the separation from his mother and his home.
- "Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger; anger leads to hate; hate leads to suffering. I sense much fear in you." —Yoda speaking to Anakin in front of the Jedi Council
Ultimately, Anakin helps to lead Naboo and Gungan forces to victory over the Trade Federation by taking a Naboo spacefighter and destroying the Federation flagship, the Droid Control Ship. Later, a dying Qui-Gon, slain by Darth Maul, urges Obi-Wan to train Anakin, and the Council reluctantly approves. Meanwhile, Palpatine, newly-elected as the Republic's Supreme Chancellor, befriends the boy, promising to "watch his career with great interest."
Anakin and Padmé form a strong bond, Padmé being one of his first glimpses of the galaxy beyond Tatooine.
The Clone Wars
Anakin, now played by Hayden Christensen, is now a young adult and Obi-Wan's Jedi apprentice. He has developed into a socially awkward loner in his years of Jedi training, although his natural abilities place him leaps and bounds above his peers. He has a haughty, arrogant demeanor, frequently showing off his talents to both impress and look down upon other people. His relationship with his master is complicated; though he says that Obi-Wan is like a father to him and claims his mentor possesses the wisdom of Master Yoda and the power of Master Windu, he chafes against Obi-Wan's authority and believes he is holding him back. Frustrated, he turns to another teacher for advice: Palpatine, who feeds the young padawan's fragile ego with assurances that he will one day be the greatest Jedi in the galaxy.
Anakin is assigned to guard Padmé, who is now a senator. His childhood fascination with her has now become a powerful infatuation. In conversation, he reveals his affection for her, as well as his distrust of the political process and the need he perceives for there to be one strong leader. Anakin and Padmé ultimately fall in love, although Anakin's pursuit of this relationship is in violation of Jedi tradition, which holds that Jedi must avoid emotional attachment to others.
While still guarding Padmé, Anakin senses that his mother is in danger. After arriving on Tatooine, Anakin finds that his mother had been freed from slavery and was living in the desert with her new husband, Cliegg Lars, when she was captured by Tusken Raiders. Anakin discovers their camp, and slips into the tent that contains his mother, presumably locating her with his Jedi senses. It is too late, however; battered, sleep-deprived, and dehydrated, she dies in his arms. Seized by a blind rage, he slaughters the entire tribe of Tuskens, including the women and children. Yoda, as well as the deceased Qui-Gon's spirit, sense his Force presence turn "dark," and fear that this signals the beginning of the end for Obi-Wan's young apprentice. Padmé is clearly troubled by what he has done, but, being in love with him, she is not truly repulsed, and instead tries to soothe him with sympathy.
Anakin and Padmé learn that Obi-Wan has been taken hostage by the Geonosian-engineered Separatist droid forces, and rush to his rescue — where they are also captured. Faced with their impending demise in a gladiatorial-execution arena, they profess their undying love to one another. Thankfully for the trio, the timely arrival of the Jedi along with new clone troopers allows them to escape and fight in the ensuing Battle of Geonosis. After losing his right forearm in a lightsaber battle with Separatist leader (and fallen Jedi) Count Dooku, Anakin finally marries Padmé in a secret lakeside ceremony on Naboo, to which C-3PO and his counterpart, R2-D2, are the only witnesses.
In Star Wars: Clone Wars, Anakin goes through many battles in the war, earning him the moniker "The Hero With No Fear." One of such major events in it is his battle with Asajj Ventress. He is later made a full-fledged Jedi Knight. During a mission to save the Nelvaanian Braves, Anakin goes through a cave that reveals what would become of him in the future. Despite Anakin's periods of separation from his wife, the twins Luke and Leia are conceived during the Clone Wars.
Transformation into Vader
Anakin and Obi-Wan have returned to fight in the Battle of Coruscant and are performing exquisite aerial maneuvers in their Jedi starfighters. Their mission is to board the Separatist flagship The Invisible Hand, where Dooku appears to be holding Palpatine hostage. After landing on the ship and making their way to where Palpatine is being held, they are confronted by Dooku, who manages to disable Obi-Wan. Anakin defeats Dooku by amputating his hands. Palpatine urges Anakin to kill Dooku, and despite Anakin's reservation, he does. Anakin immediately expresses regret; to kill a foe who surrenders is not the way of the Jedi. Palpatine reassures him that Dooku was too dangerous to be kept alive.
Upon his return to Coruscant, Anakin is reunited with his wife and she informs him of her pregnancy. Despite Padmé's worries, Anakin is overjoyed at this news, and the couple make plans to raise their child. However, Anakin is troubled by visions of Padmé dying in childbirth, visions like those he had of his mother before she died.
Palpatine, who by now has amassed near-dictatorial power in the Senate by playing on its fear of Separatist attack, makes Anakin his representative on the Jedi Council. The other Jedi reluctantly accept Anakin's placement on the Council, but deny him the rank of Jedi Master, stating that they don't approve Palpatine's interference with Jedi affairs. Further, the Jedi Council exhorts him to spy on Palpatine, fearing that there is a disturbance in the Force centered around him. Anakin, angry with the perceived snub, loses his trust in the Jedi Council, and confides to Padmé that he is plagued with uncertainty.
As Anakin continues to meet with Palpatine, the Chancellor offers him the chance to learn the dark side of the Force. Anakin realizes that Palpatine is the Sith Lord Darth Sidious that the Council had been hunting for since the beginning of the war, but Palpatine tells him that only through learning the dark side can he save Padmé from the death he has foreseen. Anakin reports Palpatine's treachery to Windu, who orders him to stay behind and goes with three other Jedi to arrest the Chancellor. Palpatine duels with the Jedi, slaying three of them before engaging Windu in a prolonged battle. Back at the Jedi Temple, meanwhile, Anakin broods over an overwhelming thought: with Palpatine's death, he will lose the chance to save his wife.
Windu apparently comes out on top in the duel, holding his weapon on the disarmed and cowering Sith just as Anakin arrives. Palpatine attacks Windu with Force lightning while pleading to Anakin for help. Windu blocks the Force lightning with his lightsaber, reflecting it back at Palpatine and scarring him horribly. Palpatine begs for his life, but Windu is determined to kill him and destroy the Sith. Anakin demands that Palpatine must stand trial; mirroring his prior afflictions concerning Dooku's right to live, Anakin protests that executing him is not the way of the Jedi. Windu, mirroring Palpatine's assurances to Anakin aboard the Invisible Hand, declares Palpatine too dangerous to keep alive. As Windu raises his blade to kill the Sith Lord, however, Anakin ignites his own and severs Windu's lightsaber-wielding right hand. Before the stunned Windu can respond to this betrayal, Palpatine recovers and attacks Windu with another torrent of Force lightning, sending him plummeting to his death. Anakin is horrified and guilt-ridden, but Palpatine reassures him that he is fulfilling his destiny by embracing the dark side. Anakin says he will do anything Palpatine desires, but he must help save Padmé's life. Palpatine says that he and Anakin, together, can find the secret, tacitly admitting that he does not have the ability to hold back death. Anakin then pledges himself to the dark side and is endowed with a new name: Darth Vader.
In order to increase Lord Vader's power with the dark side, Palpatine orders him to lead a battalion of clone troopers back to the Jedi Temple and kill every Jedi, padawan, and youngling inside. Anakin does this without question, killing venerable Jedi and children alike. Next, he is sent to the planet Mustafar where he assassinates the surviving members of the Separatist Council, including the Trade Federation Viceroy, Nute Gunray, Sidious' former ally who invaded and occupied Naboo and was defeated by Anakin in the Battle of Naboo, ten years before the Clone Wars.
Padmé then travels to Mustafar to reunite with her husband. She is afraid for him and wants to leave public life to live together and raise their child. Anakin refuses, telling her that they no longer have to run because his new powers are enough to not only save her, but to overthrow the Emperor and make the Republic "the way we want it to be." Unbeknownst to Padmé, Obi-Wan has stowed away on her ship to find his former apprentice. Upon seeing his now former master, Anakin suspects betrayal and uses the Force to choke Padmé until she loses consciousness. Obi-Wan tries to reason with Anakin, but once he sees that his old friend has truly gone mad with power and is beyond reaching, the former master and pupil duel throughout the mining complex and down the river of lava outside. The battle ends on the banks of the lava river, where Anakin, overconfident, leaps to strike his former master, only to lose his left arm and both legs to Obi-Wan's lightsaber. Screaming in pain, Anakin is stranded on the embankment, desperately trying to claw his way up with his remaining arm, as Obi-Wan watches from above.
- Obi-Wan: You were the Chosen One! It was said that you would destroy the Sith, not join them! Bring balance to the Force, not leave it in darkness!
- Anakin:(screaming) I hate you!!!
- Obi-Wan: You were my brother, Anakin. I loved you.
Anakin's clothing and body catch on fire and he is nearly immolated. Obi-Wan, having retrieved Anakin's lightsaber (which he later gives to Luke Skywalker in A New Hope), abandons his former apprentice to the flames. Anakin ultimately manages to crawl high enough to prevent falling directly into the lava flow, but is left with near-fatal third-degree burns and severe lung damage. After Obi-Wan and Padmé leave the planet for Polis Massa, where she gives birth, Palpatine arrives and finds his apprentice barely alive next to the lava river.
The grave injuries Anakin sustains during this duel greatly reduce his power with the Force; while he remains a formidable warrior, second only to Palpatine in his dark side potential, he is a shadow of his former Jedi self.
Meanwhile, Padmé dies in childbirth, just as Anakin had feared. Obi-Wan, knowing Luke and Leia would never be safe from the Sith if anyone knew who they truly were, gives Leia to Senator Bail Organa of Alderaan and Luke to Owen Lars (Cliegg's son), along with his wife, Beru, to raise on Tatooine.
Palpatine learns of Padmé's death as he returns with Anakin to Coruscant and repairs the damage to Anakin's body through intensive cybernetic enhancement, including an artificial respirator, a voice modulator, and a fearsome breath mask. Palpatine then revives him as a cyborg in a manner reminiscent of the monster in the 1931 film Frankenstein.
- Darth Sidious: Lord Vader, can you hear me?
- Darth Vader: Yes, master. Where is Padmé? Is she safe? Is she all right?
- Darth Sidious: It seems, in your anger, you killed her.
- Darth Vader: I-I couldn't have! She was alive! I felt it! Nooo!
He shakes the room with the Force, breaks his bindings on the operating table and struggles to walk under the sheer weight of his new legs. Overwhelmed by his despair in the belief he has killed his wife and unborn child, the only thing that remains in his life is his service to his master, the new Emperor of the galaxy.
Darth Vader
Within the Empire, Vader is viewed as a cruel and frightening figure, frequently utilising his ability to choke people using the Force. In A New Hope, Vader's aggressive instincts are somewhat restrained by orders to serve under Grand Moff Tarkin for that time; when Admiral Motti challenges Vader's "sad devotion" to the Force, Tarkin does not allow Vader to choke Motti to death, only long enough to make his point. The death of Tarkin aboard the Death Star removes any apparent check on Vader's power, however; throughout the rest of the trilogy, Imperial officers universally react with fear and dread at Vader's presence. This fear is not unwarranted, as both Admiral Ozzel and Captain Needa die by Vader's hand in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. Admiral Piett curiously survives, despite failing to recapture the Millennium Falcon. In the DVD commentary, Lucas states that this is because Vader feels ambivalent about his son, Luke.
Fighting the rebellion
Vader is on a mission to retrieve the stolen plans of the Death Star, and to locate the hidden base of the Rebel Alliance. He boards the Tantive IV, choking its captain, Raymus Antilles, to death while sending teams of Imperial stormtroopers to search the ship for the plans. Princess Leia is captured and brought to the Death Star, only to be tortured by Vader and to see her home planet destroyed under Tarkin's orders. The elderly Obi-Wan Kenobi, along with Luke, Han Solo, and Chewbacca, are in the meantime engineering Leia's rescue and escape from the Death Star aboard Solo's captured ship, the Millennium Falcon.
Obi-Wan disengages the tractor beam holding the Falcon in one of the Death Star's hangar bays. On his way out, Vader stops him and engages him in a lightsaber duel. Obi-Wan vaguely warns Vader that striking him down will make him "more powerful than you can possibly imagine." As Obi-Wan sees that Luke and company have escaped, he leaves himself open to Vader's attack and becomes a spirit in the Force in order to guide Luke.
To determine the location of the rebel base, Vader allows Luke and Han to rescue Leia and escape with the technical readouts of the Death Star, which follows them to Yavin IV. During the Rebel attack on the Death Star, Vader pilots a distinctive TIE/Advanced fighter in pursuit of the Rebel X-Wing starfighters. Vader gets a lock on Luke's X-wing, noting that "the Force is strong with this one." Just as Vader is about to shoot Luke down, Han flies the Millennium Falcon into the fray and shoots down one of Vader's two support wingmen. This causes the other to veer into Vader's fighter, which is sent spinning away from the Death Star. Vader regains control and escapes.
Battling his son
Vader is at the forefront of the continuing attempt to suppress the Rebellion. He orders the Imperial fleet to prepare a full military assault on the rebel base hidden on the ice world of Hoth. Admiral Ozzel makes the mistake of jumping into the system too close, alerting the rebels to their presence and allowing them to activate their shield generator. This forces the Imperials into launching a ground assault, delaying them long enough for some of the rebel ships to escape. While surviving rebel ships gather at their rendevous point, the Millennium Falcon's hyperdrive fails and tries desperately to escape through an asteroid field. Vader, obsessed with capturing the Falcon, orders the fleet to follow, despite the inherent risks and the ultimate loss of life.
While on this pursuit, the Emperor contacts Vader via hologram, giving him a new mission: to capture Luke Skywalker, "the son of Skywalker." Vader suggests that he could be turned to the dark side of the Force, and the Emperor agrees, noting that he would be a "great asset."
Vader continues pursuing the Millennium Falcon, resorting to hiring bounty hunters. Ultimately, the ship appears and just as quickly disappears, hiding in a blind spot on the back of the bridge tower of Captain Needa's Star Destroyer. Captain Needa takes responsibility for losing them, and apologizes to Vader. After Needa dies at Vader's hand, the fleet disperses and the Millennium Falcon breaks off, floating away as the Star Destroyer it was attached to dumps its garbage before going to hyperspace. The Falcon then sets course to Cloud City, a mining colony administered by Han's old friend, Lando Calrissian. Boba Fett, one of the bounty hunters hired by Vader, had deduced their strategy and followed them to Cloud City, alerting Vader.
Vader lands on Cloud City, making a deal with Lando and awaiting the arrival of the Millennium Falcon. When it arrives, Vader captures and tortures Han to create a disturbance in the Force for Luke to sense and lure the Jedi learner to him. Sure enough, Luke, training under Yoda on Dagobah, sees a vision of his friends in pain and rushes to Cloud City to save them, despite a stern warning from both Yoda and Obi-Wan's Force ghost that he would risk falling to the dark side. Meanwhile, promising to compensate Fett if the experiment fails, Vader successfully places Han in cryogenic hibernation as a test subject to see if the method would be viable for Luke Skywalker. Luke arrives at Cloud City, but Leia warns him of the trap. Fett escapes with Han's frozen body, transporting him to Jabba the Hutt, to whom Han owes a large debt.
Luke finds his way to the carbonite freezing facility, where Vader is planning to freeze him for transport to the Emperor. Vader appears behind Luke, and Luke turns to confront him. Vader and Luke battle until Luke falls into the freezing chamber, but he uses the Force to make an extraordinary leap to escape from the chamber just as Vader activates it. Attempting an escape from Cloud City, Luke is ultimately cornered by Vader. As Yoda and Obi-Wan warned, the inadequately trained Luke is in the end no match for the powerful and experienced Vader, who ultimately defeats him, cutting off his right hand.
- Vader: "There is no escape. Don't make me destroy you. Luke, you do not yet realize your importance. You have only begun to discover your power. Join me, and I will complete your training. With our combined strength, we can end this destructive conflict and bring order to the galaxy."
- Luke: "I'll never join you!"
- Vader: "If you only knew the power of the dark side... Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father."
- Luke: "He told me enough! He told me you killed him."
- Vader: "No. I am your father."
Vader then tries to persuade Luke to join him so that they can destroy the Emperor and rule the galaxy as father and son. Luke, although shaken by this stunning claim, refuses to join Vader and escapes.
As the Millennium Falcon tries to escape with Luke aboard, Vader plans to recapture it, his troops having disabled the hyperdrive. He telepathically asks Luke again to join him, while Luke struggles with his own conflicting feelings and wonders aloud why Obi-Wan Kenobi didn't tell him the truth about his father. R2-D2 repairs the hyperdrive at the last moment and the Falcon escapes, leaving Vader uncharacteristically drained.
The redemption of Anakin Skywalker
Vader is charged with overseeing the completion of the second Death Star, with Moff Jerjerrod as his immediate subordinate. Still a fearsome presence, Vader visibly intimidates Jerjerrod, who promises that the construction crew would double their efforts. Vader ominously replies: "The Emperor is not as forgiving as I am." He later meets with Palpatine onboard the half-constructed battle station to plan turning Luke to the dark side.
Luke, by now an almost full-fledged Jedi, helps Leia, Lando and Chewbacca rescue Han from Jabba's clutches, and then returns to Dagobah, where both Yoda and Kenobi tell him that Vader is indeed his father. He then joins Han, Leia, and Chewbacca on their mission to the forest moon of Endor. On the sanctuary moon, he surrenders to Imperial troops and is brought to Vader. Luke acknowledges Vader as his father and continues trying to turn him away from the dark side, but Vader ultimately refuses, and delivers Luke to the Emperor onboard the new, incomplete Death Star.
Aboard the Death Star, the Emperor tells Luke that the rebel attack on the Death Star at Endor is a trap he had set to destroy the Rebellion once and for all. Luke resists the temptation to anger with the patience of a Jedi, but ultimately attempts to attack the Emperor. Vader draws his weapon to protect his master, engaging Luke in a lightsaber battle.
Eventually, however, Luke decides to hide instead of fight, not wanting to destroy his father. Vader uses the Force to discover that Leia is Luke's sister, and thus his own daughter, and threatens to turn her to the dark side if he should fail with Luke. Realizing the threat to his sister, Luke's rage is finally unleashed, and he attacks his father, driving him back with a whirlwind of blows. Vader collapses on a causeway, allowing Luke to finally sever his right hand.
Luke's fury is suddenly cut short— as he stares at his own cybernetic hand, he realizes with a visceral horror that he has done the same thing that Vader once did to him, and has already begun transforming into Vader's successor. As the Emperor approaches, encouraging Luke to finish Vader and take his place, Luke throws down his lightsaber, refusing to perform the killing blow.
Enraged, the Emperor uses Force lightning to attack Luke. Luke writhes in agony under the Emperor's torture, begging his father for help. Unable to bear the sight of his son in pain, Vader turns on his master and saves his son by throwing Palpatine into a deep shaft, where he explodes in a fury of dark energies. In the process, however, he is mortally wounded by the Emperor's lightning.
As the Death Star crumbles under Rebel attack, the dying man pleads with Luke to remove his mask.
- Vader: "Luke, help me take this mask off.""
- Luke: "But you'll die."
- Vader: "Nothing can stop that now. Just for once… let me look on you with my own eyes."
Luke removes Vader's mask and sees the ghostly pale visage of a sad and withered man in his mid-forties. His head is bald, his skin is pasty white from not having been exposed to sunlight for more than two decades, and his face still carries the scars of the tragic duel with Obi-Wan. His weary eyes stare out from dark, sunken sockets at his son, and back at a life filled with sorrowful regret. In his dying breaths, Anakin Skywalker is redeemed, finally admitting to Luke that the goodness within him was not destroyed after all.
- Anakin: "Now go, my son. Leave me."
- Luke: "No. You're coming with me. I'll not leave you here, I've got to save you.""
- Anakin: "You already have, Luke. You were right. You were right about me. Tell your sister you were right."
- Luke: "Father… I won't leave you."
That night, Luke burns his father's Sith armor (and whatever remains inside) in the manner of a Jedi's funeral. During the victory celebration on the forest moon of Endor, Luke is able to see the redeemed spirit of Anakin Skywalker, standing once again with Obi-Wan and Yoda.
Talents
Darth Vader is a brilliant strategist and one of the greatest pilots in the galaxy. Vader still possesses his former persona's amazing engineering skills, having overseen the design of the TIE/Advanced fighter. His talent with the lightsaber is legendary. All of these skills, however, are secondary to his incredible mastery of the Force. He is born with the greatest known midi-chlorian count (a measure of Force-aptitude) in the galaxy, surpassing that of both Yoda and the Emperor.
However, Lucas states that his injuries on Mustafar cost Vader much of his Force potential. Lucas claims that, as a masked and suited Darth Vader, Anakin has roughly 80% the power of the Emperor. Had he sustained none of his injuries on Mustafar, he would have been about twice as powerful. The Visual Dictionary of Star Wars, Episode III (ISBN 0756611288) states that his lack of physical hands is the direct reason he cannot create Force lightning, as Dooku and Palpatine could. His mechanical life support system, however, is vulnerable to Force lightning, contributing to his death in Return of the Jedi.
In The Empire Strikes Back, Vader was able to block Han Solo's blaster bolts with his hand. One explanation is that Vader used the Force, while an Expanded Universe novel states that Vader's right glove was indestructible; however, many regard those series of books to be non-canonical. The novel "I, Jedi" describes the technique as "energy absorb."
Vader also has great physical strength, which he demonstrates in his first and last appearances in the original trilogy: lifting a Rebel captain by the throat with one hand in A New Hope, and picking up the Emperor and hurling him to his death in Return of the Jedi. The Expanded Universe has shown him punching through the skull of a savage predator or bludgeoning opposing Jedi onto their knees with one blow.
In battle, Darth Vader has a very precise and powerful fighting style. Because of his great strength, his blows have great power and unexpected speed, even when using only one arm to fight. He is precise and calm when fighting, rarely using acrobatics. He strikes to kill and uses psychology and his appearance to intimidate his foes. When striking with both hands on the grip of his lightsaber, he is able to pound his enemies with an onslaught of strong but somewhat slow strikes. This fighting style contrasts with Anakin's style before his disfigurement, a style that utilized more speed and acrobatics. Anakin was often rash, even reckless in battle, a factor that contributed to the loss of his right arm to Count Dooku and the loss of his remaining limbs to Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Armor and life-support system
Darth Vader's suit follows ancient Sith tradition, when the warriors of the dark side would adorn themselves in heavy armor. Vader's armor is built around a plastoid girdle that protects his organic and synthetic internal organs. More visible durasteel plates cover his shoulders, upper body and shins. He wears a suit of quilted, flexible, blast-dampening, multi-ply padding, and a cloak of armor weave. His gloves are made with a unique micronized iron that can deflect anything short of a lightsaber blow.
Vader's life support system includes a chest-worn, computerized control panel unit that regulates his respiratory functions. Three slot-like dataports offered diagnostic checks of his pulmonary, respiratory and neural systems. On his belt, Vader wears two small system function boxes. The one on his right featured a temperature regulation system. On his left, he wears a respiratory sensor matrix. The center buckle features an audio enhancement unit built into the electromagnetic clasp. The armor also enables him to breathe in vacuum while protecting him from the coldness of space.
Besides the life support it provides his ravaged body, Vader's armor may also offer some moderate degree of protection against lightsabers. In the climactic duel of The Empire Strikes Back, a blow from Luke's lightsaber appears to bounce off Vader's armor, eliciting a yell of pain from the Sith Lord.
Appearance
Anakin is a human of normal appearance. As an adult, he stands 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 metres) in height. His hair goes from straight and blond as a child to wavy and light brown as an adult. After Count Dooku severs his dominant right arm between the shoulder and elbow, he is fitted with a cybernetic prosthetic replacement that is later enhanced and covered with a black leather glove. During the Clone Wars, he acquires a vertical scar near his right eye, as a result of a duel that pitted him against Asajj Ventress. [3]
Anakin dresses in traditional Jedi garb, though he ominously wears darker colors than most Jedi (dark brown and black), with a tunic made partially of synthetic leather.
As the Dark Lord of the Sith, Anakin's irises turn fiery yellow when he intensely experiences the dark side; however, in his redemption, the coloration returns to normal. After turning to the dark side, he continues to dress as a Jedi to hide his new identity.
After he is revived as a cyborg following his disfigurement on Mustafar, Vader must wear his armor at all times when he is not meditating in his pressurized containment-chamber. A towering figure, the suited Darth Vader is nearly 6 feet 8 inches (2.02 metres) tall. Ahead of his portentous footfalls, the cold, raspy breathing issuing from his respirator sends chills down the spine as it heralds his villainous presence. He wears a chestplate with lights and switches, presumably to manage his cybernetic components. Upon closer examination, the chestplate has Hebrew lettering which has been translated as, "His deeds will not be forgiven, until he merits." [4]
Behind the scenes
The character of Darth Vader was not originally planned to be a suited cyborg. The current image of Vader was created when concept artist Ralph McQuarrie drew the opening scene where the Rebel ship Tantive IV was being boarded. It was initially imagined that Darth Vader would fly through space to enter the ship, necessitating a suit and breathing mask. This was later made permanent and incorporated in the story. Vader's head gear resembles a Japanese kabuto (兜), which is consistent with the samurai-like order of the Jedi and kendo-like lightsaber duels. It also resembles a German World War II-era Stahlhelm. Vader's leitmotif is The Imperial March. The characteristic breathing sound of his respirator was created by sound designer Ben Burtt, who created the sound by simply recording himself breathing into an old Dacor scuba regulator.
It is interesting to note that "Vader" is the Dutch word for "father" and that the German word for "father" (Vater) is similar. Thus, it may be tempting to read the character name "Darth Vader" as "Dark Father," a word-play that may well be the root of the Sith title. However, judging by the origin of the other Sith names, Vader may also possibly be a derivative of the word "invader." In the movie's novel, the name was given to Darth Sidious from the Dark Side, and is supposed to mean him, supposedly a nod to his status as the Chosen One. It is worth noting that in the original scripts for Star Wars, the name "Darth Vader" was given to a normal Imperial general.
Lucas took the name "Anakin" from his friend and fellow film director, Ken Annakin.
As Vader fits the classic stock character of the Black Knight, some have noted that Vader bears more than a passing resemblance to other villains. One is the classic Marvel Universe supervillain Doctor Doom. (This is further alluded in Stephen King's Dark Tower novels in which so-called "Doombots" appear that wear green hoods and iron wolf masks, much like Doom, and carry lightsabers.) Mark Hamill noted that when he saw the preliminary designs for Vader, he temporarily confused him for Doom.
Similarities have also been noted with the evil brother Hakaider, from the manga and tokusatsu series Kikaider, and the Mule, a villain in Isaac Asimov's Foundation Trilogy. A resemblance has also been noted to the Lord of the Nazgûl, also called the Witch-King of Angmar, from J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings; both Vader and the Witch-King dress in black, have a supernaturally fearsome presence and a hidden, pale form, are kept alive unnaturallly, and serve at the hands of Dark Lords.
Expanded Universe
Ever since the very beginnings of the Expanded Universe, Vader has had his role in it. In the comic book Vader's Quest we see him hiring bounty hunters seeking for information about the author of the destruction of the Death Star. One captured rebel pilot, brought by one of the bounty hunters, informs him of the pilot's identity, and Vader sets up a plan for catching him, which eventually fails. It is in this comic book where Luke and his father meet for the very first time. Later on, according to the Alan Dean Foster novel Splinter of the Mind's Eye (which takes place shortly after the events in A New Hope), Vader meets Luke for a second time, and combats him on the planet Mimban. Luke puts up a valiant fight, but is no match for Vader, although he does manage to cut off the Dark Lord's mechanical arm. Vader's victory is near, but he trips over his own severed arm and falls into a well, though he soon escapes Mimban and recovers from his duel. It has been adapted as a comic book by Dark Horse Comics.
In the Star Wars Holiday Special, Vader goes on a search for the Rebels responsible for the destruction of the Death Star. After intercepting the Millennium Falcon on its way to Kashyyyk, Vader orders the blockade of the planet, in hopes of capturing Han and Chewbacca, who were partly responsible for the Death Star's destruction. Han and Chewbacca have the goal of reaching Kashyyyk in order for Chewie to reach his family for Life Day. Under the leadership of Vader, Chief Bast, one of the Imperial officers who survived the destruction of the Death Star, institutes the blockade. After a search of Chewbacca's home, the Imperials are unable to find a trace of the Rebels, and return to base.
The pre-corrupted Anakin Skywalker is the protagonist of The New Droid Army, a video game made for Game Boy Advance. In the game, Anakin is sent to investigate rumors of the Separatists making a new type of droid, superior to other droids and invulnerable to lightsabers. Anakin travels to Tatooine, but is hunted down by Aurra Sing and eventually held in the captivity of Jabba the Hutt. Anakin breaks out, and is called to Coruscant. There, Anakin chases and defeats a Dark Jedi named Trenox, and uncovers Count Dooku's plot to destroy the Jedi Archives. Anakin stops him, but Dooku escapes. Anakin is next sent to Metalorn, where he is to destroy the Cortosis Droid Factory and capture Wat Tambor, the leader of the Techno Union. Anakin completes both objectives, but has to face a clone of Count Dooku while leaving the factory. Anakin defeats this false Dooku, and moves on.
In the young adult series The Last of The Jedi, Boba Fett, at the early age of fourteen, is hired by Imperial leader Inquisitor Malorum to investigate Padmé's death at Vader's request. Fett travels to Polis Massa (the small moon where Padmé gave birth shortly before her own death) and Naboo to gather this information. Fett fails to procure any information pertaining to Padmé's last moments. We can only assume that Vader was not satisfied with the Emperor's explanation of Padmé's demise. These events take place a year or two after Revenge of the Sith.
Vader also has a prominent role in the 1996 novel/comic/video game Shadows of the Empire, which took place between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. He also makes occasional appearances in Dark Horse's Star Wars comic books set between the movies, especially Star Wars: Empire.
In the Thrawn trilogy, it is explained that Darth Vader was the first representative of the Empire to find the Noghri, a race with exceptional combat skills whose planet had been devastated by a battle between orbitting space ships. They attacked Vader's party, and it was only through Vader's personal intervention that his soldiers survived. Vader pretended to help them restore their planet, and in exchange they served as his personal commandos, and came to revere him as their master. Later, Vader transferred their services to Grand Admiral Thrawn.
Leia Organa Solo named her youngest son Anakin in remembrance of her father's redemption.
In the novel The Unifying Force of the New Jedi Order series, set 30 years after the Battle of Yavin in A New Hope, Anakin's voice would speak to his grandson, Jacen Solo, telling him to "Stand firm!" before Jacen eventually defeats Onimi, the true Supreme Overlord of the Yuuzhan Vong.
Cultural figure
Due to his central role, Vader has entered the public consciousness as the quintessential villain; the American Film Institute's list of the greatest movie villains placed him third, after Hannibal Lecter and Norman Bates. His powerful, baritone voice coupled with his heavy breathing is easily recognizable to moviegoers. He has been parodied by such figures as "Dark Helmet" from Spaceballs and countless other parodies from cartoons, such as "Duck Vader" from Tiny Toon Adventures and "Darth Koopa" from The Super Mario Bros. Super Show. Another kind of tribute to Darth Vader comes from Stargate SG-1, in which there are similarities between Anubis and Vader which are sometimes chilling and other times hilarious.
Vader's name has become a synonym for evil; for example, political strategist Lee Atwater was known as "the Darth Vader of the Republican Party." Vader's leitmotif, "The Imperial March," is sometimes used as the leitmotif for Mr. Burns on The Simpsons to show a comical comparison between the two fictional characters. George Lucas has pointed to Vader's iconic status as a reason he made the prequel movies, since he felt the icon overshadowed the fact that Vader was intended to be a tragic character.
Vader's revelation to Luke that he is his father is one of the most famous movie plot twists of all time. An IMDb poll on 10 November 2003 asked users to choose which one of a set of movie spoilers was too infamous to be considered a spoiler anymore; Vader's true identity was a clear winner, by a forty-percent margin. (Other choices included the "secret identities" of Keyser Soze in The Usual Suspects; the killers in Psycho, Basic Instinct and Jagged Edge; the planet in Planet of the Apes; "Rosebud" in Citizen Kane; and the contents of the delivery box in Se7en.)
During a major renovation, Washington National Cathedral held a competition for children to design new gargoyles for the west towers. One winner was a design featuring Darth Vader. [5]
The professional wrestler Leon White wrestled under the names "Big Van Vader," "The Man Called Vader," and just "Vader." The name and gimmick, which originally included a large gargoyle-like helmet worn to the ring, were based on Darth Vader. Vader wrestled in Japan and WCW, where he was their world champion, and in the WWF (now WWE).
With the release of Revenge of the Sith, Vader's popularity has seen an increase. His exaggerated and mournful howl of "NOOO!" also achieved notoriety.
Notes and references
- ^ "AFI's 100 Years…100 Heroes and Villains", American Film Institute, last accessed October 20, 2005.
- ^ The complexity of this question and the occasional need to make definitive statements within this article poses some difficulties to maintaining the neutral point of view. For instance, some may argue that the character's "true" name throughout the series is Anakin Skywalker, suggesting that this article be placed under that title. Due to Wikipedia policies and guidelines, the title of the article is "Darth Vader". For references within the article text, this article defers to the shooting scripts, available here for Return of the Jedi and here for Revenge of the Sith.
- ^ Hayden Christensen only appears in the 2004 DVD release of Return of the Jedi, in which he replaces actor Sebastian Shaw in the final scene of the movie.
See also
External links
