Darth Vader

"He's more machine now than man; twisted and evil."

- Obi-Wan Kenobi

Darth Vader, born Anakin Skywalker in 41.9 BBY and renamed as a Sith in 19 BBY, was a Dark Lord of the Sith and Military Executor in the service of Emperor Palpatine from 19 BBY up until before his death at the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY.

Mission to Mustafar and aftermath
"The Force is strong with you. A powerful Sith you will become. Anakin Skywalker, you are one with the order of the Sith Lords. Henceforth, you shall be known as Darth&hellip; Vader."

- Darth Sidious



Anakin Skywalker, shortly after taking on the mantle of Darth Vader, was ordered by Palpatine (in order to increase the dark side's hold over him) to lead the 501st Legion of clone troopers into the Jedi Temple and kill every Jedi and Padawan inside. Vader did this without question, slaughtering venerable Jedi and younglings alike. Some of the Jedi children approached him, unaware that he was to be their destroyer. The atrocities made by Vader and the 501st Legion resounded in a smoke rising from the pillars easily visible from the Senate building.

Palpatine then commanded Vader to travel to the planet Mustafar, where he was to kill the Separatist Council, including Trade Federation Viceroy Nute Gunray, Sidious's former ally who had invaded and occupied Naboo before being defeated by Anakin during the Battle of Naboo thirteen years before. Until he died, Gunray pleaded with Vader, claiming that Lord Sidious had promised them peace, however, Vader killed him without replying. The Sith Lord silently exited the room. Outside, overlooking the turbulent volcanic terrain, Vader contemplated his transformation and convinced himself that all he had done was for the benefit of the Republic.



After Obi-Wan Kenobi informed Vader's wife, Padmé, of her husband's malefactions and sympathized with her, she went to Mustafar to try to reason with Vader, afraid for him and wanting to leave public life to live together and raise their child. When he heard this, Vader told Padmé that he could remove Palpatine as Emperor and that they could rule the Galaxy together, something that he would later repeat to their son, Luke. Padmé, shocked at this revelation, declined his offer, realizing that her husband was truly gone. Unbeknownst to her, Obi-Wan stowed away on her ship to find Vader. "You underestimate my power!"

- Darth Vader to Obi-Wan Kenobi

Upon seeing Obi-Wan, Vader thought that Padmé had betrayed him and brought Obi-Wan along to kill him. Overwhelmed by his anger and rage, he used the Force to choke Padmé into unconsciousness. Obi-Wan tried to reason with his former pupil, but that was not to be as Obi-Wan thought that Vader was corrupt beyond redemption.



Vader and Obi-Wan fought an intense battle throughout the mining complex and down the river of lava outside. The battle ended on the banks of the lava river, where Obi-Wan leaped towards safety to claim the high ground, pleading with Vader to concede defeat and return from the dark path. Ignoring his fatal tactical disadvantage, together with his overwhelming pride, Vader attempted to catch up with and destroy his former master, only to become severely maimed and immobilized by Obi-Wan's blade.

With his body maimed and his ability to use the Force grievously reduced, Vader tried to claw his way up the talus, using only his remaining prosthetic limb. As he did this, Obi-Wan and Vader exchanged their parting words. "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!" "I HATE YOU!!!" "You were my brother, Anakin. I loved you."

- Obi-Wan and Vader



Shortly after, the heat of the lava ignited Vader's clothing, burning his body severely. He was nearly immolated as he slid down to the edge of the burning river bank. After their last conversation until 0 BBY, Obi-Wan retrieved Vader's lightsaber from the ash-covered beaches of the lava river, and left after witnessing the beginning of the graphic incineration scenario. As the flames started to subside, Vader kept himself alive with the Force and his unbreakable will, Vader clawed his way back up the bank with his still intact mechno-arm, all the while struggling with near-fatal third-degree burns and severe lung damage, not to mention emotional pain.

Darth Sidious arrived and found his apprentice spent of almost all his energy up slope from the lava river. He took him back to Coruscant and repaired the damage to his body through intensive cybernetic enhancement at the Emperor Palpatine Surgical Reconstruction Center. He ordered the medical droids to keep him awake during the process so the pain would fuel his rage and therefore his power. His new robotic arms and legs were an updated version of the same technology that transformed Grievous into a cyborg. Upon his revival as a cyborg, Vader questioned his master about Padmé. Sidious told him that he had killed his wife in his anger.



Overwhelmed by his despair in the belief he had killed his wife and unborn child, which was seemingly a self-fulfilled prophecy, Vader destroyed the medical droids and severely damaged the facility through the Force. He broke his bindings on the operating table and struggled to walk under the sheer weight of his new mechanical legs. Palpatine smiled as he realized that Vader's hatred would serve him well. The only thing that remained in Anakin's life was his service to the new Emperor.

The personality of Darth Vader became even more distinctive from Anakin Skywalker due to the great physical and psychological damage that completely changed his appearance and character. His armor limited his vision, restrained his movement, and caused extreme frustration for Vader (in the early years at least), but he would eventually retool his entire fighting style to make up for the lack of mobility that his armor imposed.

As Darth Vader, Anakin became a powerful asset to the fledgling Empire, serving as an enforcer, Jedi hunter, Supreme Commander of the Imperial Fleet, and Executor of Palpatine's New Order.

Serving the Emperor
"You don't know the power of the dark side. I must obey my Master."

- Vader to his son



Many of Vader's early missions were ordered by the Emperor himself. These early missions included punishing the clone commandos who prevented the execution of Order 66 on Murkhana, slaying a group of Jedi Knights who had tried to set a trap for him on Kessel, apprehending the dissident Senator Fang Zar on Alderaan, and a trip to the planet Kashyyyk to oversee the enslavement of the Wookiees after Vader tracked a group of Jedi there. A notable mission was to the planet Honoghr, devastated by the Separatist toxin Trihexalophine1138 during the Clone Wars. He promised the native Noghri that the Empire would restore Honoghr's ecosystem in exchange for their service to the Empire as assassins.

Vader piloted a black-hued Eta-2 Actis-class interceptor during some of his early missions for Palpatine as the Great Jedi Purge continued, sometimes flanked by Alpha-3 Nimbus-class V-wing starfighters. His personal command ship during this time was the Imperial I-class Star Destroyer Exactor.



Vader's most personal tasks were to find and eliminate survivors of Order 66. Among them were Empatojayos Brand, who was forced to live out the remainder of his life inside a pressure suit; An'ya Kuro, whom he knew from the Jedi Temple as "the Dark Woman"; Echuu Shen-Jon, thought to be dead but merely in self-imposed exile following his use of the dark side to defeat Separatist General Sev'rance Tann during the early days of the Clone Wars; and Halagad Ventor, from whom Vader learned the location of other Jedi survivors, including Qu Rahn. He later tracked down three missing Jedi from the planet Murkhana: Jedi Masters Roan Shryne, Bol Chatak, and Chatak's Padawan Olee Starstone, who managed to escape into hiding. However, the object of his most intense wrath, Obi-Wan Kenobi, managed to elude him, as Vader did not return to Tatooine out of fear of reawakening the buried persona of Anakin Skywalker.

Although in possession of great wealth and power, Vader allowed himself few comforts. Among those were his personal retreat on Coruscant and Bast Castle on Vjun. The 501st Legion, the stormtrooper division he led in the extermination of the Jedi at the Jedi Temple, became his personal guard. The actions they undertook in Vader's name over the course of the Civil War earned them the nickname of "Vader's Fist".



In 7 BBY, Vader led a research project on Falleen. His intent was to conduct tests for the construction of a biological weapon. However, there was an accident, which infected all areas surrounding the testing facility. As a precaution, Vader had the circumference of the area "sterilized," which included the destruction of around 200,000 Falleen, including the family of Prince Xizor. In the eyes of the Empire, the death of these Falleen was but a small price to pay, as it prevented the death of millions on the rest of the planet, and prevented a possible multi-planet epidemic.

In 1 BBY, Vader and Palpatine were the targets of a group of treacherous Imperial officers led by Grand Moff Trachta. Trachta saw the Sith as foolish and archaic, and believed that the Empire should not be ruled by a two-man cult. They planned to use a batch of altered stormtroopers loyal only to them to destroy the two Sith Lords. However, their plot failed in part because of internal fighting between the co-conspirators.

The Rebellion
"Palpatine's mailed fist, Dooku's successor, Maul's inheritor."

- Shadday Potkin

With the loss of the stolen Death Star plans during a prison break, Vader was charged by the Emperor himself with retrieving the missing schematics. When word reached him of a possible Rebel Alliance courier en route to the volcanic Sith moon of Kalakar VI with the plans in tow, the Dark Lord investigated, shadowed by his Master. What greeted Vader was unthinkable: a splinter group of Sith fanatics who had actually managed, through their Sith alchemy, to resurrect Darth Maul. It is unknown whether this Maul was created by cloning, or using Sith alchemy to reanimate Maul's actual corpse, or through other means. Whatever the case, the Zabrak was no longer a mere specter like the one Vader had encountered as Anakin Skywalker, and thus the cyborg was pressed into combat with Maul, who sought to supplant him as Palpatine's new apprentice. In Maul and the fanatics' eyes, Vader's time as a Jedi had "tainted" him, and only a pure Sith should rule by Sidious's side. Both Sith Lords seemed to be equals in combat, until Darth Vader cut Darth Maul's lightsaber in two, followed by Darth Maul switching to the Jar'Kai style&mdash;a style Vader had little defense against. Having the advantage of two lightsabers, Darth Maul held off Vader's lightsaber with one of his blades, and cut into his helmet with the other. Feeling assured of a victory, Maul prepared to deliver the final blow and kill Darth Vader. Maul paid for his overconfidence with his life, as Vader stabbed his lightsaber through his own body and into his opponent. Maul gasped:
 * "What could you hate enough to destroy me?"

Vader, his own circuits badly damaged, managed to rasp:
 * "Myself."

As Darth Vader met up once more with a suspiciously unsurprised Palpatine, the badly damaged Dark Lord could not help but suspect that the encounter was yet another test. The distrust between mentor and student, fed by years of such trials, grew.

"I've been waiting for you, Obi-Wan. We meet again at last. The circle is now complete. When I left you I was but the learner; now I am the Master." "Only a master of evil, Darth."

- Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi

With the Kalakar VI mission deemed a wild bantha chase, Vader returned to his twofold priority of both locating the Death Star plans as well as the hidden base of the Rebels. After the 501st Legion's failed attempt to recover the Death Star plans on Polis Massa, Imperials were able to track where they were sent&mdash;Tantive IV, a corvette belonging to Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan. Vader once more lost the plans, but gained a small victory by capturing the Princess. Utilizing an interrogation droid, he tortured Leia regarding the location of the secret Alliance base. At the same time, Vader ordered the execution of Owen and Beru Lars after the couple refused to give any details on the missing droids. Later during her captivity, Vader forced her to look on as Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin obliterated her homeworld during the destruction of the planet Alderaan. Vader also battled the elderly Obi-Wan Kenobi, his former mentor, in their second lightsaber duel. Despite Obi-Wan's vague warning that killing him would make him "more powerful than you can possibly imagine", Vader struck him down, and Obi-Wan became a spirit in the Force who continued to guide Luke Skywalker. To determine the location of the Rebel base, Vader allowed Luke and Han Solo to rescue Princess Leia and escape with the technical readouts of the Death Star.

During the Battle of Yavin, he piloted a distinctive TIE Advanced x1 fighter and almost prevented Luke's attack on the Death Star from being successful. Vader sensed that the young pilot in his sights was Force-sensitive, putting into motion a series of events that culminated in the death of the Empire. When Millennium Falcon shot down one of his two support craft, the other panicked and veered into Vader's fighter, sending him spinning away from the battle station. Vader soon crashed into Vaal, and escaped to Coruscant, from where he launched his personal mission to discover the identity of the one who destroyed the Death Star.

It was a mission that put him at odds with Imperials (from Imperial Governor Nox Vellam to Emperor Palpatine himself) and Rebels alike. It took him to Yavin IV, Ultaar, the Wheel, Centares, Fondor, and finally back to Centares. His torture of a Rebel pilot there revealed the identity of the individual he sought: Luke Skywalker&mdash;the son he thought lost, information later confirmed by another dying Rebel at a refueling station.

Also during this period, Darth Vader led an Imperial effort to retake the Reytha system, an important food producer, from the Rebellion. He killed the current Moff for allowing the Rebels to thrive on the planet and drove off the Rebellion from Reytha.

Vader was also dispatched to quell Rebellion in the Zaloriis system, where the governor boldly approached Vader and declared independence. Vader Force-choked him to death, saying, "Request denied, governor." Vader then proceeded to lead Imperial forces to destroy the ill-fated independence movement. He also rescued then-Colonel Maximilian Veers from imprisonment. Veers then put his knowledge to work and deployed the next generation of AT-AT walkers, which would be used to great effect in the Battle of Hoth. It was on Zaloriis that Vader learned of possible Rebel contacts in the Elrood system.

The son of Skywalker
"The son of Skywalker must not become a Jedi&hellip;" "If he could be turned, he would become a powerful ally."

- Palpatine and Darth Vader



Vader believed that his unborn child had perished with his wife, Padmé Amidala but Vader eventually deduced that Luke was in fact this child. The Sith Lord became obsessed with hunting down Luke, an objective which neatly coincided with his task of destroying the Rebellion.

Equipped with this information, Lord Vader engineered a number of plans to capture the young Jedi. First, he tracked him to Jazbina, but failed to capture him when the entire planet revolted against the Empire. He soon involved the House of Tagge family of nobles in a plan to capture Skywalker on the world of Monastery. He also used an actor posing as Obi-Wan Kenobi to attempt to lure Luke to the planet Aridus. When Governor Bin Essada learned that Skywalker and Princess Leia were on Mimban in 2 ABY searching a powerful Force relic known as the Kaiburr crystal, he contacted the Dark Lord. Vader traveled to the jungle world, and faced the Jedi in the abandoned Temple of Pomojema. In their first duel, Vader quickly overpowered Luke. As he was about to kill Luke, Leia jumped in and the two briefly dueled. However, because of Vader's experience in lightsaber combat, he quickly subdued Leia. Vader again dueled with Luke, though this time Luke's actions were guided by Obi-Wan Kenobi. In the duel, the Sith Lord lost his right arm and toppled into a sacrificial well, allowing the Rebels to escape.

In 3 ABY, Vader was the target of bounty hunter Awarru Tark's rage aboard Avenger that nearly took his life. As the two combatants embraced each other, Vader reached out into the very mind of Awarru and sensed the source for Awarru's hatred. Vader and Awarru both became paralyzed and shocked due to Vader's telepathic attempt. However, Vader struck first, ending Awarru's suffering. Vader, now with a deep scar across his face caused by one of Tark's lightsaber daggers and his circuits damaged, barely managed to escape. Never before had Vader faced a fearsome warrior like himself.



Vader then dispatched probe droids to remote regions of the Galaxy and eventually detected the Rebel Echo Base on Hoth. Admiral Kendal Ozzel incurred Vader's wrath when he ruined Death Squadron's stealth attack by exiting hyperspace too close to the planet, allowing the Rebels to detect the attack and project shields against planetary bombardment. Vader was forced to wage a terrestrial campaign; its deployment gave some of the Rebel forces time to flee. Vader himself entered Echo Base and reached a hangar in time to see Millennium Falcon escape. When the Falcon's hyperdrive failed, Vader ordered pursuit and followed the Falcon and her apparently unstable pilot into an equally unstable asteroid field.

While his fighters searched the asteroids for the Falcon, Vader received a new mission from the Emperor&mdash;to capture Luke Skywalker, his own son and the pilot who had destroyed the Death Star. The Emperor was seemingly ignorant to Vader's plot, already in motion, to do just that. To deceive the Emperor, and thus allow him to continue making motions towards his own plan, Vader suggested that Luke could be turned to the dark side of the Force. The Emperor agreed, noting that Luke would be a "great asset". Meanwhile, as was the pattern with Sith Lords, particularly the Emperor, Palpatine also began planning to eliminate Vader and take Luke as his apprentice.



Vader continued pursuing the Falcon and resorted to hiring bounty hunters for the task. Ultimately, the Falcon appeared and then quickly disappeared by hiding in a blind spot on the back of the bridge tower of Captain Needa's Star Destroyer Avenger. Captain Needa took responsibility for losing them, and apologized to Vader. The Sith Lord accepted his apology&mdash;but only after Force-choking him to his death. Death Squadron dispersed into hyperspace, each ship dumping its garbage before jumping. The Falcon, released from its perch, floated away amid the debris and then set a sub-light course to Cloud City, a mining colony administered by Han Solo's old friend Lando Calrissian. Boba Fett, one of the bounty hunters hired by Vader, deduced Solo's strategy, alerted Vader to his destination, and followed the Falcon to Cloud City.

Vader landed on Cloud City and threatened Calrissian into an agreement while waiting for the Falcon's arrival. When the Falcon arrived, Vader captured and tortured Han Solo. Luke, training under Yoda on Dagobah, saw a vision of his friend's torture and rushed to Cloud City to save his friends, despite the sternest warnings from Yoda that by doing so, he would risk falling to the dark side. Meanwhile, Vader froze Solo in carbonite as a test subject to see if the method would be viable for the younger Skywalker, much to the chagrin of Boba Fett, who was already seeking Solo for Jabba the Hutt. Luke arrived at Cloud City, but Leia warned him of the trap within the corridors of Cloud City. Lando, Chewbacca, and Leia engineered an escape from Cloud City as Boba Fett took the frozen Han Solo to Tatooine to collect his bounty from Jabba the Hutt.



Luke found Vader, and they dueled, Luke not knowing his opponent's true identity. As Yoda and Obi-Wan had warned, the inadequately trained Luke was no match for the powerful and experienced Vader, who ultimately defeated him and cut off his right hand. "Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father." "He told me enough! He told me you killed him." "No. I am your father."

- Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker

Vader asked Luke to join him so that they could destroy the Emperor and rule the Galaxy as father and son, harkening back to what he'd hoped to have with Luke's mother. Profoundly shaken by the news that he was Vader's son, Luke refused to join his father and plunged into the gas vents of Cloud City. He hung from a weather vane along the bottom of the city, using the Force to call out to Leia. Luke was able to survive long enough to be rescued by her in Millennium Falcon. It has also been noted that, while Vader killed two of his subordinates, he let Admiral Piett live even though he failed to capture Luke and Millennium Falcon.

In the following months, Lord Vader found himself in a complex game of strategy against the scheming crime lord of Black Sun, Prince Xizor. The Falleen, who had long hated Vader due to a planetary bombardment ordered by the Dark Lord on his homeworld of Falleen, was attempting to discredit Vader in eyes of the Emperor. Xizor had long been a rival of Vader. He sought to foil Vader's plan to capture Luke Skywalker for the Emperor by having Luke assassinated first. Vader discovered Xizor's plot and killed him in an assault high over Imperial Center.

Redemption
"It is the name of your true self. You have only forgotten. I know there is good in you. The Emperor hasn't driven it from you fully."

- Luke Skywalker

Shortly thereafter, around 4 ABY, the Death Star II was nearing completion under the command of Moff Jerjerrod as an elaborate trap for the Rebellion. Vader was sent to oversee the later stages of the construction. Vader soon sensed Luke Skywalker on board a shuttle heading for the forest moon of Endor, while the Emperor, present during the final stages of construction, did not.



On Endor, Vader once again attempted to persuade Luke to join the dark side, but this time Vader's interests were tinged by a desire to protect his son. When this failed, Vader took him to Emperor Palpatine himself on the incomplete Death Star II. Luke reluctantly fought a lightsaber battle with Vader, all the while attempting to persuade his father into renouncing the dark side of the Force.

During a lull in the fighting, Vader telepathically examined Luke's mind and discovered that Leia Organa was Luke's twin sister. Having figured out that his wife Padmé had twins just before she died, he correctly concludes that Luke and Leia were siblings. Vader threatened to turn her to the dark side if he should fail to do so with Luke.



Hearing this threat to his sister, Luke's rage was finally unleashed, and he attacked Lord Vader using the dark side of the Force, driving him back with a whirlwind of blows. Severing Vader's right hand, Luke's fury was suddenly cut short. Staring at his own cybernetic hand, Luke realized with a visceral horror that he had already begun transforming into Vader's successor.

As the Emperor approached, Luke threw down his lightsaber and refused to join the dark side. Palpatine, his hate for the Jedi resurging, struck Luke down with Force lightning.

Luke writhed in agony as the Emperor slowly tortured him. He begged his father for help; Vader turned and, with his remaining hand, lifted the Emperor and threw him down a shaft into the Death Star's reactor core, where he exploded in a storm of dark energies. As Vader did this he was hit with the full power of Palpatine's force lightning. This shorted out his life support systems. In his final moments, he pleaded with Luke to remove his mask so that he could look on him with his own eyes. Vader found redemption in the light side of the Force. Darth Vader was no more; Anakin Skywalker, the Chosen One, had returned and brought balance to the Force by killing Palpatine and himself. These were the final words spoken between father and son:

"Luke, help me take&hellip; this mask off." "But you'll die." "Nothing&hellip; can stop that now&hellip; Just for once&hellip; let me&hellip; look on you, with my own eyes. Now&hellip; go, my son. Leave me." "No, you're coming with me. I'll not leave you here, I've got to save you!" "You already have, Luke. You already have. You were right. You were right about me. Tell your sister, you were right."

- Anakin and Luke

Post mortem
Luke escaped the dying Death Star with Anakin's body, which he cremated that night on the forest moon of Endor. "Maybe Vader had died heroically, but ten minutes of contrition did not make up for years of atrocities."

- Leia Organa, after her first and only visitation from the Force ghost of her father

As a redeemed Jedi, his organic body dematerialized and became one with the Force; what Luke cremated was just Vader's suit. Though Anakin did not know about Qui-Gon Jinn's secret of joining the Force, and was surprised when Obi-Wan's body vanished right before he killed him, he was still able to retain his personality when joining the Force. Qui-Gon Jinn had been outspoken in life about the living force, and taught Yoda on Dagobah that the secret to eternal life via the force, was with love. Thus, a Sith can never truly attain it. As he passed from life, Anakin's love for his son consumed him completely, transforming him into a spirit like his master had before him.



Later that night, during the celebration on Endor, Luke was able to see the spirit of the redeemed Anakin Skywalker, once again standing alongside his old friends, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda.

Vader appeared only a few times more after his death to his children. One of these times was during the crisis at Bakura, when he visited Leia to ask for her pardon.

When Kyp Durron visited the remains of the funeral pyre of Vader, he felt a "dark presence" there, noticed that animals avoided the area, and, even after seven years, the jungle refused to swallow Vader's final resting place, though nothing but black scraps of fabric, wires, and melted plasteel were left.

After his death, the Empire refused to believe Vader murdered Palpatine. They claimed that Luke killed both Sith Lords, and Vader had died heroically defending his master. After Emperor Palpatine's resurrection, the details became clear, and the Imperials saw Vader as a symbol of ultimate treachery. On the rare occasion that his name was spoken by those loyal to the Emperor, "Darth Vader" was said with disgust. In Bast Castle on Vjun, a statue once stood of Vader, which was ordered destroyed by the reborn Palpatine, indicative of Vader's reputation after his death.

While Darth Vader may have been redeemed, he still left a dark legacy in the form of Dark Lady Lumiya. Upon his death and the death of Palpatine, Lumiya assumed the title of Dark Lady of the Sith and would eventually corrupt Vader's grandson, Jacen Solo. Thus, while Vader did fulfill the ancient Jedi prophecy, he allowed the Sith to rise once more, as per the prophecy of the Sith'ari.

Physical appearance
"Curse you, Skywalkers, both of you! I'll tell you the truth about your father! The great Darth Vader was a sick man in an iron mask! Yes, that mask inspired terror throughout the Galaxy!"

- Palpatine to Luke Skywalker

As the Dark Lord of the Sith, Vader's irises would turn fiery yellow when he immersed himself fully in the dark side and the passions of hate and anger, but return to normal in his remorse. At first, Vader continued to dress as a Jedi to hide his new identity.

After losing an epic duel with his former master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Vader was horribly disfigured by injuries and burns suffered on the lava-planet Mustafar. In addition to his horrific scars and maimed torso, Darth Vader's lungs were seared, leaving him barely able to breathe. Much like Darth Sion thousands of years before, only his burning hatred and lust for revenge kept his will to live intact.

After his rescue by Darth Sidious, it was realized that a cybernetic life support system would be required to sustain his newest apprentice. New mechanical limbs were attached and a breathing modulator was incorporated into an imposing obsidian armored suit. He was forced to wear the armor at all times, except for when meditating or healing in his pressurized meditation chamber.



Also making him even more intimidating than his ruthless reputation alone, the suited Darth Vader was a towering figure, standing 2.02 meters tall. Even amongst his Imperial subordinates, Vader's frightful presence invoked terror. Ahead of his portentous footfalls, Lord Vader's distinctive, raspy breathing sent chills down the spine as it heralded his villainous presence. Early in his adjustments to the suit, Vader suspected that it intentionally limited his abilities. He found that he had to use the Force as a sort of crutch to walk during the first few weeks in the suit. The suit was also incredibly uncomfortable to wear.

In addition to maintaining his life, Vader's armor provided him with a constant flow of addictive Sith stimulants which enhance both his physical strength and his resilience. Vader had regular treatments, whether in his chambers or through his suit, and these chemicals were given out as Palpatine saw fit. This venomous concoction was produced by the Emperor's acolytes and was a major factor in maintaining Vader's loyalty.

Personality
"You are in command now, Admiral Piett." "Thank you, Lord Vader."

- Vader and Admiral Firmus Piett

Prior to wearing the suit, Vader was a rattled man, shaken by the perceived betrayal of his dearest friend, his former comrades-in-arms, and his wife. Upon donning the armor that kept him alive, Vader remained uncertain, but became more self-confident following his killing of Roan Shryne on Kashyyyk. Vader did not suffer fools lightly, and did not get on well at all with the higher-ups in the Imperial military, choking Admiral Kendal Ozzel to death following his blunder at Hoth, and likewise for Admiral Motti when he challenged the power of the force, though the latter survived due to the intervention of Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin. Despite his rather rocky relationship with the officers in the military, Vader got on quite well with the clone troopers, once remarking, "I was rather fond of Commander Appo," following the latter's death at the hands of Roan Shryne. Another military officer to be taken under Vader's wing was Firmus Piett, who succeeded Ozzel as admiral of Death Squadron, and notably survived being under the Sith Lord's command having erred not once, but twice during his tenure under Vader, although both of these failures were caused by unforeseeable factors, not errors in judgment.

Talents
"You will not stop me&hellip; Darth Vader will become more powerful than either of us." "Faith in your new apprentice, misplaced may be, as is your faith in the dark side of the Force."

- Darth Sidious and Yoda



Darth Vader was a brilliant strategist and one of the greatest pilots in the Galaxy. He still possessed his former persona's amazing engineering skills, having personally overseen the design of both his TIE Advanced x1 fighter and the second Death Star's construction. In addition, his restoration of C-3PO from three separate discarded droids to a creation that outlived him is a fact known only to himself. Unfortunately, C-3PO's memory wipe following his transfer of ownership to Raymus Antilles made the droid unaware of his creator's identity. His skill with the lightsaber was legendary and was even further honed through the Jedi that he dueled following the Purge. All of these abilities, however, were secondary to his incredible mastery of the Force.

As Anakin, he had the greatest known midi-chlorian count in the Galaxy, surpassing the count of both Yoda and Palpatine. However, after his limbs were severed and his body severely burned on Mustafar he lost much of his Force potential. As Darth Vader, Anakin was believed to have had roughly eight-tenths of the strength of the Emperor. But even still, Vader wielded tremendous power and skill. Had he sustained none of his injuries on Mustafar, he would have most likely been twice as powerful as the Emperor. "Sith power resided not in the flesh but in the will."

- Emperor Palpatine

The Emperor, having gone out of his way to keep Vader alive, took an alternative viewpoint. Though it was true to say that he had not bargained for an apprentice "more machine now than man", Palpatine was of the opinion that most of the limitations on Vader's potential power were not physical but psychological. He believed that were Vader to fully confront his choices and disappointments, to completely shake himself out of his despair, that he would have been able to "reawaken the incredible power within him". Yet, while Vader made progress in this regard, he was never fully able to accept who, and what, he had become.

Vader was able to block Han Solo's blaster bolts with his gauntleted hands. One explanation for this ability is that Vader used the Force to dissipate their energy, while another states that his gloves (said to be made of micronized iron) absorbed the blast. Yoda, Corran Horn, and Jacen Solo demonstrated the ability to channel energy from outside attacks into Force power in similar ways. "I wasn't strong enough to beat Obi-Wan."

- Darth Vader to Emperor Palpatine

Darth Vader seemed to favor the Force choke ability, as he demonstrated it numerous times throughout his life.

Vader also appeared to have great physical strength, lifting Captain Antilles by the throat with one hand, and picking up the Emperor and hurling him to his death. Whether these feats result from his use of the Force, or from the power of his cybernetic limbs, is unknown. However, it seems most likely to be a resultant of his mechanical appendages, as when he choked Obi-Wan in their battle on Mustafar.

Besides the life support it provides his ravaged body, Vader's Sith armor also offered some protection against the blades of lightsabers. In a climactic duel with his son in the depths of Cloud City, a quick blow from Luke's lightsaber appeared to cut the armor only shallowly, although this was enough to draw a surprised cry from the Sith Lord.



In battle, Darth Vader lacked the mobility and ease he once had, but his bionic suit supplied him with additional strength. His blows were forceful even when using only one arm to fight. He was calm when fighting, rarely resorting to feats of acrobatics. He struck to kill and used psychology and his appearance to intimidate his foes. When striking with both hands on the grip of his lightsaber, he was able to pound his enemies with an onslaught of strong but somewhat slow strikes. This fighting style contrasted with Anakin's style before his disfigurement, which utilized more speed and acrobatics. "&hellip; you are so far less now than what you were, you are more than half machine, you are like a painter gone blind, a composer gone deaf, you remember where the power was but the power you can touch is only a memory&hellip;"

- Anakin's thoughts after the revelation of Padmé's death

Because of his decreased mobility, he was at a disadvantage when dueling against beings using faster and quicker combat styles like Ataru. To counter fast-moving opponents, he would use the Force to pull out anything from his surroundings that wasn't nailed to the ground and fling the improvised missiles at his opponent. Without moving a muscle, anything from the venue of the battle could be used as a weapon to crash against Vader's opponents from all directions in a neverending barrage. Darth Vader first used this tactic in the Duel on Mustafar, slicing shards of metal from the walls and shooting them at Obi-Wan Kenobi. Darth Vader also used this tactic to bring down Jedi Knight Roan Shryne, and most famously Luke Skywalker in their first duel on Bespin.

It should be noted that Darth Vader, despite being a powerful Sith Lord, was unable to generate or deflect Force lightning. This was due to his cybernetic implants, any attempt by Vader to generate it would electrocute his life-support system. Due to the fact that Vader's Sith powers were limited because of his artificial limbs, Darth Sidious found him less than satisfactory as his heir to the Sith legacy, despite the effort Sidious spent for more than a decade to recruit Skywalker. Upon the discovery of Luke Skywalker, Palpatine set all of his hopes on Vader's own son.

Lightsaber training


Anakin Skywalker was trained by the Order's most promising Jedi Knight, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Through him, Anakin would inherit a rich tradition of lightsaber pedigree. Anakin's style featured elements of many masters that made him outstandingly talented at a very young age.

Anakin Skywalker was trained in the style Shien, the classic Form V lightsaber combat. An aggressive style which focuses on physical strength and lightsaber attack moves, Shien takes the defensive principles of Form III (Soresu), the style practiced by Obi-Wan Kenobi, and converts them to offensive moves. With Anakin's exceptionally high concentration of midi-chlorians, he mastered Shien faster than any other Padawan in the Order. By the time of the Battle of Geonosis, Anakin began to believe he was one of the best swordsmen in the Order. However, Anakin's frequent application of Form V, a style that tends to foster an inappropriate focus on dominating others, clouded his judgment and pulled him to the dark side of the Force frequently during his numerous battles in the Clone Wars.

Ultimately, Anakin would learn his lesson against Count Dooku at the Battle of Geonosis. The overconfident Padawan ceased using Shien and switched to the Jar'Kai application of Ataru after receiving an extra lightsaber from Kenobi, though these were not his strongest styles. Finally, even the Chosen One proved no match for the seasoned focus and skills of Dooku's Form II: Makashi swordplay, a style of elegance and precision, Anakin lost his right forearm and was only saved by Master Yoda's timely appearance.



Appreciative at last of how much he had to learn, Anakin spent the next three years of the Clone Wars honing his Form V skills. Apart from Shien, Skywalker mastered Djem So during the Clone Wars, a Form V style beyond the classic Shien. According to Count Dooku onboard Invisible Hand, Anakin's mastery of Djem So was the greatest he had ever seen in his life.

In the rematch with Count Dooku at the Second Battle of Coruscant, Anakin's mastery in Djem So, combined with his young age, better physical condition, impressive strength, and considerable reserve of Force energy, enabled Anakin to tear through the precision and elegance of Makashi and break through Dooku's tenacious defense. By defeating Dooku when Kenobi had failed twice, Anakin seemed to have proven his mastery of the Force, and established himself as one of the greatest swordsmen in the Order, next to only Yoda and Mace Windu.

Anakin's fatal flaw in combat was his rage. Though younger, more athletic, a greater swordsman, and gifted with more raw Force power than Obi-Wan, he lacked the experience, calmness, and focus which his master possessed. Though Anakin could call on the dark side to overpower his opponents, his mounting emotions could also distract him from executing as well as his master. Whereas Anakin's strength lay in his offensive barrage, Kenobi's resided in his defense. Obi-Wan was regarded as the greatest master of the defensive style Soresu in the Order and his absolute dedication to it would prove vital to his victory. Frustrated by his inability to break this defense, Anakin would make mistakes that he wouldn't have made had he been able to remain focused and patient. Like his duel with Grievous, Kenobi would rely on his "wait them out" philosophy. That is to rely on Soresu entirely until the opponent got frustrated or tired and their offensive barrage would grow sloppy, and then immediately slash away with some broad Ataru strokes. In both cases this resulted in the detachment of his opponent's limbs.



In his mechanical life-support suit, it would be difficult to engage in the energetic acrobatics of Ataru. For the remainder of his life, he would maintain his mastery of Form V Djem So and Shien. Vader then introduced more elements from Form III Soresu and Form IV Ataru swordplay into his customized style, as witnessed by Jedi Master Roan Shryne when Bol Chatak dueled with the Dark Lord. It was noted that he would often employ powerful&mdash;yet sometimes clumsy&mdash;vertical strikes to wear an opponent down.

Taking the proper lessons from his loss to Kenobi, he apparently learned how to control his emotions when in combat, finding a way to call upon the power of the dark side while not being blinded by emotions run amok.

Around 3.5 ABY, Vader had ordered ASP-19 droids, lightsaber combat droids based off the ASP-series droid, produced to fight him in sparring matches. They were faster and stronger than an ordinary man, and programmed with the knowledge of a hundred sword masters and a dozen fighting styles. Vader defeated them time and again, and ordered a new, improved batch of them. They were getting too easy to defeat, even in a two-on-one match.

Vader's son, Luke was able to hold up against the Dark Lord for some time on Bespin. Onboard the second Death Star, Luke mirrored Darth Vader's own Form V technique and responded with his own furious demonstration of Form V's raw power. The sudden increase in his son's power caught Vader off guard and overwhelmed the Dark Lord. Finally, Luke was able to duel Vader on an even footing, and defeated the experienced Dark Lord.

The Chosen One
"You refer to the prophecy of the one who will bring balance to the Force. You believe it's this&hellip; boy?"

- Mace Windu

The Jedi Prophecy is a frequent source of debate among fans. In particular, Anakin's status as the Chosen One is regularly disputed. His role in the destruction of the Jedi was an ancillary one, as much of the plan was already underway long before Anakin's fall; indeed, it began with the invasion of Naboo, when he was only a child. Still, Anakin's pivotal role is undisputable, ranging from his intervention in Windu and Sidious's duel in the Chancellor's office, to the enormous influence that his progeny wield in the original trilogy as well as the Expanded Universe.

Many fans argue that Anakin fulfilled the Jedi Prophecy by bringing a new "balance" to the Force by nearly eliminating the Jedi. In this viewpoint, the Jedi and the Sith metaphorically represent two opposing weights on a scale, with an excess of either disrupting the balance of the Force. Adherents of this view find it particularly noteworthy that, by the end of Episode III, there is a precisely equal number of Jedi and Sith: Obi-Wan and Yoda, Sidious and Vader, although this does not count the EU survivors. Frequently cited as evidence for this interpretation is Yoda's warning to Obi-Wan that the prophecy "misread, could have been." In the Episode III DVD featurette "The Chosen One," Lucas summarizes as follows: "The Prophecy is that Anakin will bring balance to the Force and destroy the Sith. He becomes Darth Vader; Darth Vader does become the hero, Darth Vader does destroy the Sith; meaning himself and the Emperor. He does it because he is redeemed by his son." Lucas gave a similar explanation in the final VHS release of the original trilogy in November 2000: "[In] Episodes IV, V and VI,&hellip; Anakin's offspring redeem him, and allow him to fulfill the Prophecy, and bring balance to the Force by doing away with the Sith, and getting rid of evil in the universe."

It is presumed that the Chosen One of the Jedi Prophecy must be born of a virgin mother (as Anakin allegedly was), since Yoda for instance, despite his historical number of midi-chlorians, is never regarded as a candidate for the prophecy. However, the exact text of the prophecy is never revealed in the films, so it may not be possible to conclude that the Chosen One must be born of a virgin. One possible piece of evidence supporting this theory comes from an early draft of A New Hope. A quote was originally to precede the "A long time ago" text: "&hellip; and in a time of greatest despair, there shall come a savior, and he shall be known as the SON OF THE SUNS."

- Journal of the Whills 3:127

Indeed, at the conclusion of Episode I and Episode VI, a voice in the cheering crowd can be heard to cry out "The Son of the Suns!", thus giving weight to this being a possible portion of the prophecy.

Yet another view held by only a small amount of fans claims that the idea of "balance" in the Force has nothing to do with either there being an equal number of Jedi and Sith or necessarily just the destruction of the Sith. Instead advocates of this particular view believe that the "balance" in the Force is the balance between positive and negative energy throughout the universe. They claim that the average sentient being contributes a sizable amount of negative energy to the universe throughout their lifetime by means of what we would call normal and natural emotions like anger, jealousy, etc. Multiplied by the trillions of beings in the Star Wars universe, this amounts to a massive dark side shift in the cosmic balance. Theoretically, a relatively small number of beings dedicated to pure good and service of the light side of the Force are able to balance against all the negative energy contributed by everyone else and maintain relative balance in the universe. The presence of the Sith, it is believed, serves to once again tip the cosmic scale in favor of the dark side. Therefore the claim that in order to have "balance" in the Force that there should be no Sith is relatively justified based on this particular viewpoint. Another possibility is that through his actions Vader brings balance to the Force through simultaneously fulfilling his destiny as both a Sith (by killing his master) and as a Jedi (by dying on the light side).

Some claim the manipulation of the Force is what causes the imbalance, regardless of one's motivations. Perhaps true balance is found in trust of the Force, and not bending it to one's creative will.

The Sith'ari
"One who has freed themselves from all restrictions has reached perfection, their potential fulfilled. Perfect strength, perfect power, perfect destiny. Imagine it."

- Yuthura Ban

Similar to the Jedi prophecy of the Chosen One, the ancient Sith Lords also foresaw a savior in the prophecy of the Sith'ari. Inspired by the legendary King Adas of the ancient Sith Empire, this legend foretold the coming of a perfect being, free from all restrictions, who would rise to the height of Sith power. The culmination of this meteoric rise would be the very destruction of the Sith Order itself&mdash;an act which, the ancient Lords felt, would make the Sith stronger than ever.



Like the Sith'ari of legend, Anakin Skywalker was indeed genetically "perfect", having been conceived by the very midi-chlorians themselves, and he is also credited with the destruction of the Sith. It can also be viewed that, in the killing of his Master, Vader not only destroyed the Sith but made them more powerful than ever; the deaths of Palpatine and Vader effectively ended the restrictive Rule of Two, paving the way for the unprecedented reign of a new order of Sith Lords. These Sith, led by Darth Krayt, would be legion in number and rise to a level of influence and power unseen since the golden age of the Sith Empire.

Several facts suggest that Darth Vader could have been the Sith'ari, while others facts reject him. The Sith'ari was said to be the "perfect being", and Darth Vader originally was indeed genetically "perfect" with an unmatched connection to the Force. However, the "free from all restrictions" prophecy clearly contradicts that Vader needed a life support system to stay alive which further restricted the use of some of his Force powers.

Another interpretation is that the Sith'ari would "rise to the height of Sith power". The Galactic Empire, which was controlled by the Sith, was arguably the peak of Sith power: the complete elimination of the Jedi Order, absolute control of the Galaxy, and unrivaled in power. It was lead by the Sith, but despite this, the Galactic Empire was not truly a "Sith empire", thus further rejecting Darth Vader as the Sith'ari.

The final prophetic interpretation was that "the culmination of this meteoric rise would be the very destruction of the Sith Order itself&mdash;an act which, the ancient Lords felt, would make the Sith stronger than ever." For this, it can be assumed that Darth Vader fulfilled this by killing the Emperor and then himself in the process. Further supporting this, it can be seen that the Rule of Two was abandoned by future Sith, which resulted in the Sith power growing to "a level of influence and power not seen since the golden age of the Sith Empire".

When taking the clues into account, despite clear contradictions, Darth Vader is a popular candidate, although other candidates exist, such as Darth Revan, Darth Bane, and Jacen Solo.

Behind the scenes
"However, after all of his limbs were severed and he was extremely burned on Mustafar he lost much of his Force potential. As Darth Vader, Anakin was believed to have had roughly 80% of the strength of the Emperor. Had he sustained none of his injuries on Mustafar he would have been twice as powerful."

- George Lucas




 * The character of Darth Vader was not originally planned to be a suited cyborg. This was created when the concept artist drew the opening scene where 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.


 * It is also worth noting that vader is the Dutch word for father (as well as an Old English variant for "father" cf. OED), and 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. Furthermore, it is also worth noting that in the original scripts for A New Hope, the name "Darth Vader" was given to a normal Imperial general.


 * In order to keep the "big secret" of The Empire Strikes Back under wraps from potential film spies, George Lucas actually used a diversion technique: actor Dave Prowse was instructed to say, "Obi-Wan killed your father" during filming. This was later dubbed in by James Earl Jones, revealing the actual truth of Vader's progeny in the famous line, "I am your father."


 * Vader's leitmotif is The Imperial March.

Darth Vader as a cultural figure


Due to his central role, Vader has entered the public consciousness as the quintessential frightening villain; the American Film Institute's list of the greatest movie villains placed him third, after Hannibal Lecter and Norman Bates. Lord Vader's powerful, basso profondo voice coupled with his heavy breathing is easily recognizable to moviegoers&mdash;it is symbolic of his transformation from a man of the light to an evil cyborg. 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 Super Mario Bros. (TV), as well as imitated, one example would be "Death's Hand" from the video game Jade Empire (who was similarly imprisoned in a suit of armor, including a masked helmet, although using magic rather than cybernetics), and his name has become a synonym for frightening evil. During the later phase of its construction, Washington National Cathedral held a competition for children to design new gargoyles for the west towers. One winner was a design featuring Darth Vader.

Darth Vader's head gear appears to be modeled on a Japanese kabuto, 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.

Many people say that Darth Vader is loosely inspired by the Marvel Universe villain Doctor Doom. Considered by many to be one of the greatest comic-book villains of all time, Doom and Vader share some similarities. Both have a commanding presence, both are physically deformed due to tragic accidents that cause them to wear armor, both are highly intelligent, and both were, in a way, good once. There is also a costume similarity with The Lightning, the first costumed supervillain from the serial Fighting Devil Dogs. However, Lucas himself once mentioned in an interview that he based Darth Vader on the android villain Hakaider from the 1972-73 live action Japanese television series Jinzo Ningen Kikaider, which he watched while visiting Japan in the early 1970s.

Portrayal


The distinctive voice of Darth Vader was played by James Earl Jones in the Original Trilogy and in Revenge of the Sith. Brock Peters performed the voice of Vader in the NPR radio dramatizations.

In Episodes IV-VI, David Prowse played the body of Vader, and his face (as his redeemed self), seen only in Return of the Jedi, was portrayed by Sebastian Shaw. Legendary fencer Bob Anderson stood in as a stunt double for David Prowse in Episodes V and VI. In new footage shot for the Special Edition of the Original Trilogy, actor and former Industrial Light & Magic visual effects artist C. Andrew Nelson played the infamous Dark Lord.

In Revenge of the Sith, Hayden Christensen wore the suit, which was specifically designed to fit his body. The few lines of the suited Vader speaking are of James Earl Jones, but at one time, there was some debate over this. Some fans believed that Jones didn't participate at all, since his name doesn't appear in the official credits of Revenge of the Sith, and the voice heard in the first trailer for the movie was that of Christensen's, albeit altered digitally. The false claim was settled with a Summer 2005 issue of Starlog in which producer Rick McCallum stated they had James Earl Jones for a partial day of work on EP3.

For many of the Star Wars video games, including Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds, Star Wars: Force Commander, and Star Wars: TIE Fighter, he was voiced by Scott Lawrence.

In Italy and France, Darth Vader's name was changed to Dart Fener and Dark Vador, respectively. During 2004, Italian fans were asked to vote a poll regarding the choice to use Darth Vader's original name instead of "Dart Fener" in the film Revenge of the Sith. "Dart Fener" was approved by roughly 55% of the voters. One of the reasons for this was that the modern Italian language did borrow the word "water" (from "water closet") as a synonym for "lavatory" and "vader" was probably too close-sounding to that to avoid the chance of embarrassing misunderstandings and wordplays. George Lucas created the name "Darth Vader" to suggest "dark father" because the German word for father is "vater."

Appearances



 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
 * Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
 * Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
 * Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi