Darth Vader

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Darth Vader

File:Vader ANH.png
Darth Vader as he appears in A New Hope.
Portrayed by	David Prowse (in suit) James Earl Jones (voice) Sebastian Shaw (unmasked in ROTJ) Hayden Christensen (in suit in ROTS & Obi-Wan Kenobi)
First appearance	Star Wars: A New Hope
Last appearance	Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
Affiliation	Galactic Empire, Sith
Signature Artifacts	Darth Vader's Armor, Darth Vader's Lightsaber, TIE Advanced x1 Starfighter, The Executor, Meditation Chamber, Sith Wayfinder
External Links
Wikipedia	Link
IMDb	Link

Darth Vader, born Anakin Skywalker, is a Dark Lord of the Sith and one of the most iconic villains in cinematic history. Serving as the apprentice to Emperor Palpatine, he is the primary antagonist of the original Star Wars trilogy. His menacing presence is defined by his black armor, deep voice, and mastery of the dark side of the Force.

Character Overview

Following his defeat on Mustafar, the horribly burned Anakin Skywalker was rebuilt by his new master, Darth Sidious. Encased in a mobile life-support suit, he became Darth Vader, the supreme commander of the Imperial fleet and the Emperor's ruthless enforcer. For two decades, he hunted down the remaining Jedi and crushed any opposition to the Empire's rule. His journey culminates in a final confrontation with his son, Luke Skywalker, where he ultimately rediscovers his humanity and fulfills the prophecy of the Chosen One by destroying the Sith.

Film & Television Appearances

Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005)

Vader is "born" in the final act of the film. After being placed in his iconic armor, his first act is to ask about Padmé Amidala. When told by Palpatine that he killed her in his anger, his grief-stricken rage solidifies his turn to the dark side. He is last seen overseeing the construction of the first Death Star alongside the Emperor.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-2020)

In a vision sequence in the Season 3 episode "Ghosts of Mortis," Anakin Skywalker is shown a glimpse of his horrific future as Darth Vader. Later, in the final scene of the series finale, "Victory and Death," Vader makes a silent appearance, visiting the crash site of a Venator-class Star Destroyer and recovering the lightsaber of his former Padawan, Ahsoka Tano.

Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022)

Ten years after Revenge of the Sith, Vader becomes obsessed with hunting his former master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, after learning he is alive. He dispatches the Inquisitors to find him. Vader engages Kenobi in two brutal duels. In their final confrontation, Kenobi damages Vader's helmet, revealing a portion of Anakin's scarred face. For a moment, Anakin's voice emerges, absolving Kenobi of his fall before being consumed by Vader's persona once more, who declares that he himself killed Anakin Skywalker.

Star Wars Rebels (2014-2018)

Vader serves as a primary antagonist in Season 2. He is dispatched by the Emperor to hunt down the growing Rebel cell on Lothal, which includes his former Padawan, Ahsoka Tano. He demonstrates his immense power by single-handedly defeating the heroes' starfighters with his own TIE Advanced. His story culminates in a long-awaited and tragic duel with Ahsoka in a Sith temple on Malachor, which ends ambiguously as the temple collapses around them.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

Set just before A New Hope, Vader is shown at his fortress on Mustafar and later arrives to quell the Rebel attack on Scarif. In a now-famous hallway scene, he single-handedly slaughters a platoon of Rebel soldiers in a terrifying display of his power, attempting to retrieve the stolen Death Star plans.

Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977)

Vader is introduced as the merciless fist of the Empire, capturing Princess Leia Organa and interrogating her for the location of the Rebel base. He strikes down his former master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, in a duel. During the Battle of Yavin, he pilots his own TIE fighter and nearly shoots down Luke Skywalker before being sent spinning into space by the Millennium Falcon.

Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Obsessed with finding Luke Skywalker, Vader leads the Imperial fleet in a relentless pursuit of the Rebels. He uses Luke's friends as bait to lure him into a trap on Cloud City. In their climactic duel, he reveals the shocking truth: "I am your father."

Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983)

Vader is shown to be conflicted, torn between his loyalty to the Emperor and the love for his son. He brings Luke before the Emperor, hoping to turn him to the dark side. When the Emperor tortures Luke with Force lightning, Vader cannot stand to watch his son die. He grabs the Emperor and hurls him down a reactor shaft, sustaining fatal damage to his life-support system in the process. In his final moments, he asks Luke to remove his mask, and he dies as Anakin Skywalker once more.

Signature Artifacts

Darth Vader's Armor

• Description: A full-body, black armored suit that serves as a mobile life-support system. The costume was designed by Ralph McQuarrie and John Mollo, with the iconic helmet sculpted by Brian Muir. It includes a chest-mounted control box and a flowing black cape.
• Relevance to Character: The armor is Vader's prison, a constant reminder of his failure and his dependence on the dark side. It is designed to be intimidating and dehumanizing, stripping away his former identity and replacing it with a symbol of Imperial terror. The rhythmic, mechanical breathing created by the suit's respirator is one of the most recognizable sound effects in film history.
• Relevance to Plot: The armor is what allows Vader to survive. Its menacing appearance is a key part of his power, striking fear into his enemies. The removal of the helmet in Return of the Jedi is a pivotal moment, symbolizing his return to the light and his final reconciliation with his son.

Darth Vader's Lightsaber

• Description: A Sith lightsaber that produces a crimson blade. The hilt is similar in design to his previous Jedi weapon but is constructed with darker materials and a more functional, less elegant aesthetic.
• Relevance to Character: The red blade is the traditional color of a Sith Lord's weapon, created by making the kyber crystal "bleed" through the dark side. It is a stark visual representation of his corruption and his rejection of the Jedi way.
• Relevance to Plot: This is Vader's primary weapon in his duels against Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker. It is a symbol of his oppressive power and his role as the Emperor's enforcer.

TIE Advanced x1 Starfighter

• Description: Vader's personal starfighter, a prototype TIE fighter featuring bent wings, a reinforced hull, and a hyperdrive system, unlike standard Imperial fighters. The design was created by Joe Johnston.
• Relevance to Character: This superior starfighter sets Vader apart from his own pilots, showcasing his elite status and his exceptional piloting skills, which are a remnant of his past life as Anakin Skywalker.
• Relevance to Plot: Vader pilots this ship during the Battle of Yavin. It is the vessel he uses to pursue Luke down the Death Star trench, and its unique design makes it instantly recognizable in the chaos of the battle.

Meditation Chamber

• Description: A pressurized, spherical chamber where Vader can remove his helmet and mask to breathe without the aid of his suit's respirator. The top half of the sphere lowers over the base to seal him inside.
• Relevance to Character: This is the only place where Vader can show vulnerability. It is a private sanctuary where the man inside the machine can be revealed, showing his scarred, pale head. This artifact provides the first glimpse of the damaged human being beneath the terrifying exterior.
• Relevance to Plot: Introduced in The Empire Strikes Back, the chamber is used for private communications with the Emperor. The scene where an officer interrupts Vader in his chamber, only to be Force-choked, powerfully establishes his authority and intolerance for failure.

The Executor

• Description: An Executor-class Star Dreadnought, serving as Darth Vader's personal flagship. At 19,000 meters long, it is one of the largest ships in the Imperial Navy. The filming model was a complex, 8-foot-long creation built by Industrial Light & Magic.
• Relevance to Character: The Executor is a symbol of Vader's immense power and authority. Its colossal size dwarfs standard Star Destroyers, just as Vader's power overshadows his subordinates. It is a physical manifestation of the Empire's "rule through fear" doctrine.
• Relevance to Plot: The ship serves as Vader's base of operations for much of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Its destruction during the Battle of Endor, when a crashing A-wing slams into its bridge, is a major turning point that signals the imminent collapse of the Imperial fleet.

Sith Wayfinder

• Description: A pyramidal holocron-like device that reveals the location of the hidden Sith world of Exegol.
• Relevance to Character: This artifact represents the Emperor's deepest secrets, a contingency plan kept even from his most trusted apprentice. Vader's possession of it, as revealed in canon comics, shows his own quest for power and his desire to understand his master's ultimate endgame, hinting at his ambition to one day usurp him.
• Relevance to Plot: While not seen in the original trilogy, Vader's Wayfinder becomes the central MacGuffin for Kylo Ren in The Rise of Skywalker. Its discovery in the ruins of Vader's Mustafar castle directly links the original and sequel trilogies, making Vader's legacy the key to finding the resurrected Emperor.

Behind the Scenes

George Lucas envisioned Vader as a "dark lord riding on the wind." Early concept art by Ralph McQuarrie established his masked, armored look. The physical performance was provided by the 6'6" bodybuilder David Prowse, while the character's iconic, booming voice was performed by James Earl Jones. The decision to have a separate actor for the voice was made in post-production.

Trivia

• The sound of Vader's breathing was created by sound designer Ben Burtt by breathing through an old Dacor scuba regulator.

See Also

• Anakin Skywalker
• The Emperor
• Galactic Empire