User:DarthVaderfacts2o4i

Darth Vader is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise. He is a primary antagonist in the original trilogy, but, as Anakin Skywalker, is the main protagonist of the prequel trilogy. Star Wars creator George Lucas has collectively referred to the first six episodic films of the franchise as "the tragedy of Darth Vader."[1]

Darth Vader Anakin Skywalker Star Wars character Darth Vader.jpg David Prowse as Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back (1980) First appearance Star Wars (1977) Last appearance Rogue One (2016) Created by George Lucas Portrayed by as Darth Vader: David Prowse (Episodes IV-VI) Bob Anderson (Episodes V-VI, stunts) Hayden Christensen (Episode III) Spencer Wilding/Daniel Naprous (Rogue One) as Anakin Skywalker: Sebastian Shaw (Episode VI) Jake Lloyd (Episode I) Hayden Christensen (Episode II-III, VI) Voiced by as Darth Vader: James Earl Jones (Episodes III-VI, Rogue One, Rebels) Ben Burtt (vocal effects) Matt Sloan (Soulcalibur IV) as Anakin Skywalker: Mat Lucas (Clone Wars) Matt Lanter (The Clone Wars film and TV series, Rebels, Forces of Destiny and Disney Infinity 3.0) Information Full name Anakin Skywalker Alias Darth Vader Nickname Ani Species Human, later cyborg Gender Male Occupation Slave Padawan Jedi Knight Jedi General in the Grand Army of the Republic Dark Lord of the Sith Affiliation Watto's shop Jedi Order Galactic Republic Sith Order Galactic Empire Family Shmi Skywalker (mother) Cliegg Lars (step-father) Owen Lars (step-brother) Spouse Padmé Amidala Children Luke Skywalker (son) Leia Organa (daughter) Relatives Canon: Watto (owner, former) Beru Whitesun (sister-in-law) Han Solo (son-in-law) Ben Solo (grandson) Legends:

Mara Jade (daughter-in-law) Ben Skywalker (grandson) Jacen Solo (grandson) Jaina Solo (granddaughter) Anakin Solo (grandson) Homeworld Tatooine Originally a Jedi prophesied to bring balance to the Force, Anakin Skywalker is lured to the dark side of the Force by Palpatine, who is secretly a Sith Lord. After fighting a lightsaber battle with his former mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi in which he is dismembered, Vader is transformed into a cyborg. He then serves the Galactic Empire as Darth Vader until he redeems himself by saving his son, Luke Skywalker, from Palpatine, sacrificing his own life in the process.[2] He is also the father of Princess Leia, the secret husband of Padmé Amidala, and grandfather of Kylo Ren, the main villain of the Star Wars sequel trilogy.

The character has been portrayed by numerous actors. His cinematic appearances span the first six Star Wars films, as well as Rogue One, and he is referenced in both The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. He also appears in television series (most substantially The Clone Wars) and numerous iterations of the Star Wars Expanded Universe, including video games, novels, and comic books.

Darth Vader has become one of the most iconic villains in popular culture, and has been listed among the greatest villains and fictional characters ever.[3][4] The American Film Institute listed him as the third greatest movie villain in cinema history on 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains, behind Hannibal Lecter and Norman Bates.[5] His role as a tragic hero in the prequel trilogy was met with positive reviews.[6][7]

Contents Creation and development

George Lucas, Vader's creator Name Series creator George Lucas initially wrote the series' main villain as separate from Luke Starkiller's father Annikin [sic]. Various combinations of names for the character were built upon the phrase "Dark Water". Then Lucas "added lots of last names, Vaders and Wilsons and Smiths, and [he] just came up with the combination of Darth and Vader." After the release of The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Lucas said the name Vader was based upon the German/Dutch-language homophone vater or vader, meaning 'father', making the name representative of a "Dark Father".[8] However, there is no evidence that Lucas conceived of Vader as Luke's father before 1978.[9] Other words which may have inspired the name are "death" and "invader".[10]

As no other character with the title "Darth" was introduced until the release of The Phantom Menace (1999),[nb 1] some viewers interpreted it as the character's first name, in part because Obi-Wan Kenobi addresses him as "Darth" in the original film.[11] The moniker is bestowed upon Anakin in Revenge of the Sith (2005) upon his turn to the dark side of the Force.

Director Ken Annakin's films Swiss Family Robinson and Battle of the Bulge influenced the original trilogy,[12] leading some to believe that Anakin was named after him. Lucas's publicist denied this following Annakin's death in 2009.[13] Anakin and Luke's original surname "Starkiller" remained in the script until a few months into filming Star Wars, when it was dropped due to what Lucas called "unpleasant connotations" with Charles Manson and replaced with "Skywalker".[14]

Concept and writing In the first draft of The Star Wars, tall, grim general "Darth Vader" was already close in line with his final depiction, and the protagonist Annikin Starkiller had a role similar to that of his son Luke's as the 16-year-old son of a respected warrior.[citation needed] Originally, Lucas conceived of the Sith as a group that served the Emperor in the same way that the Schutzstaffel served Adolf Hitler. In developing the backstory for The Empire Strikes Back, Lucas condensed this into one character in the form of Darth Vader.[15]

After the success of the original Star Wars (1977), Lucas hired science fiction author Leigh Brackett to write the sequel with him. They held story conferences and, by late November 1977, Lucas had produced a handwritten treatment. The treatment is similar to the final film, except that Vader does not reveal he is Luke's father. In the first draft that Brackett would write from this, Luke's father appears as a ghost to instruct Luke.[16] Lucas was disappointed with the script, but Brackett died of cancer before he could discuss it with her.[17] With no writer available, Lucas had to write the next draft himself. In this draft, he made use of a new plot twist: Vader claiming to be Luke's father. According to Lucas, he found this draft enjoyable to write, as opposed to the year-long struggles writing the first film.[18]

The new plot element of Luke's parentage had drastic effects on the series. Author Michael Kaminski claims and argues in his book that it is unlikely that the plot point had ever seriously been considered or even conceived of before 1978, and that the first film was clearly operating under an alternate storyline where Vader was a separate character from Luke's father.[19] After writing the second and third drafts in which the plot point was introduced, Lucas reviewed the new backstory he had created: Anakin had been Obi-Wan Kenobi's brilliant student and had a child named Luke, but was swayed to the dark side by Palpatine. Anakin battled Obi-Wan on the site of a volcano and was badly wounded, but was then reborn as Vader. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan hid Luke on Tatooine while the Galactic Republic became the tyrannical Galactic Empire and Vader systematically hunted down and killed the Jedi.[20] This change in character would provide a springboard to the "tragedy of Darth Vader" storyline that underlies the prequel trilogy.

After deciding to create the prequel trilogy, Lucas indicated the series would be a tragic one depicting Anakin's fall to the dark side. He also saw that the prequels could form the beginning of one long story that started with Anakin's childhood and ended with his death. This was the final step towards turning the film series into a "saga".[21] For the first prequel, Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999), Lucas made Anakin nine years old[22][nb 2] to make the character's separation from his mother poignant.[citation needed] Movie trailers focused on Anakin and a one-sheet poster showing him casting Vader's shadow informed otherwise unknowing audiences of the character's eventual fate.[24] The movie ultimately achieved a primary goal of introducing audiences to Anakin.[25]

Author Michael Kaminski, in The Secret History of Star Wars, offers evidence that issues in Anakin's fall to the dark side prompted Lucas to make massive story changes, first revising the opening sequence of the third prequel, Revenge of the Sith (2005), to have Palpatine kidnapped and his apprentice, Count Dooku, killed by Anakin in cold blood as the first act in the latter's turn towards the dark side.[26] After principal photography was complete in 2003, Lucas made even more massive changes in Anakin's character, re-writing his entire turn to the dark side; Anakin's fall from grace would now be motivated by a desire to save his wife, Padmé Amidala, rather than the previous version in which that reason was one of several, including that he genuinely believed that the Jedi were plotting to take over the Republic. This fundamental re-write was accomplished both through editing the principal footage, and new and revised scenes filmed during pick-ups in 2004.[27]

During production of the Clone Wars TV series, Ahsoka Tano was developed to illustrate how Anakin develops from the brash, undisciplined Padawan apprentice in Attack of the Clones (2002) to the more reserved Jedi Knight in Revenge of the Sith.[28] Clone Wars supervising director and Rebels co-creator Dave Filoni said that giving Anakin responsibility for a Padawan was meant to place the character in a role that forced him to become more cautious and responsible. It would also give him insight into his relationship with Obi-Wan and depict how their relationship matured. Ahsoka and Anakin's relationship was seen as an essential story arc spanning both the animated film and Clone Wars television series.[29] Filoni began thinking about the final confrontation between Ahsoka and Vader ever since he created the former;[30] different iterations had different endings,[31] including one in which Vader kills Ahsoka just as she slashes open his helmet to reveal Vader's scarred face.[32]

Ahsoka's presence in Rebels was necessary to allow Darth Vader to encounter the show's lead characters without the latter being "destroyed"; Ahsoka can "stand toe-to-toe" with Vader.[33]

Design

Ralph McQuarrie incorporated Samurai armor into his conceptual designs for Vader's costume in 1975. The original design of Darth Vader's costume did not originally include a helmet. The idea that Vader should wear a breathing apparatus was first proposed by concept artist Ralph McQuarrie during preproduction discussions for Star Wars with George Lucas in 1975. McQuarrie stated that Lucas's artistic direction was to portray a malevolent figure in a cape with Samurai armor. "For Darth Vader, George just said he would like to have a very tall, dark fluttering figure that had a spooky feeling like it came in on the wind."[34] McQuarrie noted that the script indicated that Vader would travel between spaceships and needed to survive in the vacuum of space, and he proposed that Vader should wear some sort of space suit. Lucas agreed, and McQuarrie combined a full-face breathing mask with a Samurai helmet, thus creating one of the most iconic designs of space fantasy cinema.[35][34] McQuarrie's 1975 production painting of Darth Vader engaged in a lightsaber duel with Deak Starkiller (a character prototype for Luke Skywalker) depicts Vader wearing black armor, a flowing cape and an elongated, skull-like mask and helmet. Its similarity to the final design of Vader's costume demonstrates that McQuarrie's earliest conception of Vader was so successful that very little needed to be changed for production.[36]

Darth Vader designers Ralph McQuarrie Ralph McQuarrie Brian Muir Brian Muir Working from McQuarrie's designs, the costume designer John Mollo devised a costume that could be worn by an actor on-screen using a combination of clerical robes, a motorcycle suit, a German military helmet and a gas mask.[37] The prop sculptor Brian Muir created the helmet and armour used in the film.[38][39]

The sound of the respirator function of Vader's mask was created by Ben Burtt using modified recordings of scuba breathing apparatus used by divers.[40] The sound effect is trademarked in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office under Trademark #77419252 and is officially described in the documentation as "The sound of rhythmic mechanical human breathing created by breathing through a scuba tank regulator."[41]

Commentators have often pointed to the influence of Akira Kurosawa's films such as The Hidden Fortress (1958) on George Lucas, and Vader's Samurai-inspired costume design is held up as a significant example of the Japanese influences on Star Wars.[42]

Portrayals

David Prowse physically portrayed Vader in the original film trilogy. Darth Vader was portrayed by bodybuilder David Prowse in the original film trilogy, and by stunt performer Bob Anderson during the character's intense lightsaber fight scenes.[43][44] Lucas originally intended for Orson Welles to voice Vader (after dismissing using Prowse's own voice due to his English West Country accent, leading to the rest of the cast nicknaming him "Darth Farmer").[45] After deciding that Welles's voice would be too recognizable, he cast the lesser-known James Earl Jones instead.[46][47] Jones initially felt his contributions to the films were too small to warrant recognition and his role was uncredited at his request until the release of Return of the Jedi (1983).[43] When Jones was specifically asked if he had supplied Vader's voice for Revenge of the Sith—either newly or from a previous recording—Jones answered, "You'd have to ask Lucas about that. I don't know".[48] Hayden Christensen and Gene Bryant alternately portray Vader in Revenge of the Sith.[49][50][51] During the production of Revenge of the Sith, Christensen asked Lucas if a special Vader suit could be constructed to fit his own body, rather than have a different actor don one of the original sets of Vader armor worn by Prowse.[52] Brock Peters provided the voice of Darth Vader in the NPR/USC radio series. Both Spencer Wilding[53] and Daniel Naprous portrayed Vader in Rogue One (2016), with Jones reprising his role as the character's voice.[54][55]

Vader's character has also been portrayed in several video games; in games such as Rebel Assault II: The Hidden Empire and Dark Forces, visual effects artist C. Andrew Nelson appears in short sequences in the Vader costume, voiced by Scott Lawrence. Matt Sloan, who appeared in the YouTube parody Chad Vader, provided the voice of Darth Vader in The Force Unleashed.[56] As a result of his video game appearances, Nelson was cast to appear as Vader in brief sequences inserted into the Special Edition of The Empire Strikes Back, in which Vader is seen boarding his shuttle.[51]

During production of Return of the Jedi, the casting crew sought an experienced actor for the role of Anakin Skywalker since his death was unquestionably the emotional climax of the film, and Sebastian Shaw was selected for the role.[57][nb 3] When Shaw arrived at the set for filming, he ran into his friend Ian McDiarmid, the actor playing the Emperor. When McDiarmid asked him what he was doing there, Shaw responded, "I don't know, dear boy, I think it's something to do with science-fiction."[59] His presence during the filming was kept secret from all but the minimum cast and crew, and Shaw was contractually obliged not to discuss any film secrets with anyone, even his family. The unmasking scene, directed by Richard Marquand, was filmed in one day and required only a few takes, with no alteration from the original dialogue.[57] Lucas personally directed Shaw for his appearance in the final scene of the film, in which he is a Force Ghost of Anakin. Shaw's image in this scene was replaced with that of Christensen in the 2004 DVD release. This last attempt to tie the prequel and original trilogies together proved to be possibly the most controversial change in the Star Wars re-releases.[60][61] Shaw received more fan mail and autograph requests from Return of the Jedi than he had for any role in the rest of his career. He later reflected that he very much enjoyed his experience filming for Return of the Jedi and expressed particular surprise that an action figure was made of him from the film.[57]

James Earl Jones voiced Darth Vader in the original trilogy, Revenge of the Sith, and Rogue One. When The Phantom Menace was being produced, hundreds of actors were tested for the role of young Anakin[62] before the producers settled on Jake Lloyd, who Lucas considered met his requirements of "a good actor, enthusiastic and very energetic". Producer Rick McCallum said that Lloyd was "smart, mischievous and loves anything mechanical—just like Anakin."[63][64] During production of Attack of the Clones, casting director Robin Gurland reviewed about 1,500 other candidates for the role of the young Anakin before Lucas eventually selected Hayden Christensen for the role.[65] When Revenge of the Sith was being produced, Christensen and Ewan McGregor began rehearsing their climactic lightsaber duel long before Lucas would shoot it. They trained extensively with stunt coordinator Nick Gillard to memorize and perform their duel together. As in the previous prequel film, McGregor and Christensen performed their own lightsaber fighting scenes without the use of stunt doubles.[66]

Anakin has also been voiced by Mat Lucas for the 2003 micro-series Clone Wars, and by Matt Lanter in the CGI animated film The Clone Wars, the television series of the same name and for Anakin's small roles in the animated series Rebels and Forces of Destiny.[67] James Earl Jones reprised the voice role for Vader's appearances in Rebels.[68][69] Both Lanter and Jones contributed their voices for the second-season finale of Rebels, at times with identical dialogue spoken by both actors blended together in different ways.[70]

Appearances

Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker appears in seven of the live-action Star Wars films, the animated series The Clone Wars (including the film), Rebels, and the micro-series Clone Wars and Forces of Destiny. He also has a main and recurring role in games, comics, books and the non-canon Star Wars Legends material.

Feature films Original trilogy Darth Vader first appears in Star Wars (later retitled A New Hope) as a ruthless villain serving the Galactic Empire.[43] He is tasked, along with Grand Moff Tarkin, with recovering the secret plans for the Death Star superweapon, which were stolen by the Rebel Alliance. Vader captures and tortures Princess Leia, who has hidden the plans inside the droid R2-D2 and sent it to find Vader's former Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi on the planet below them, Tatooine. During Leia's rescue by Obi-Wan's allies Luke Skywalker and Han Solo, Vader strikes down Obi-Wan in a lightsaber duel. Having placed a tracking device aboard their ship, the Millennium Falcon, Vader is able to track down the Rebel base on the planet Yavin 4.[71] During the Rebel attack on the Death Star, Vader boards his TIE fighter and attempts to shoot down Rebel X-wing fighters, but Solo intervenes and sends Vader's ship spiraling off course, allowing Skywalker to destroy the Death Star.

In The Empire Strikes Back, Vader becomes obsessed with finding the Force-sensitive Luke[71] and leads an Imperial attack on the Rebel base on Hoth, which the Rebels escape. While conversing with Emperor Palpatine via hologram, Vader convinces him that Luke would be a valuable ally if he could be turned to the dark side. Vader hires a group of bounty hunters to follow Luke's friends, and negotiates with Bespin administrator Lando Calrissian to set a trap for them in order to bait Luke.[71] After Han, Leia, Chewbacca, and C-3PO arrive, Vader tortures and freezes Han in carbonite and gives him to the bounty hunter Boba Fett.[71] When Luke arrives, Vader overpowers him in a lightsaber duel, severing his hand. Vader tells Luke that he is his father, and tries to persuade him to join forces and help him overthrow the Emperor. Horrified, Luke escapes through an air shaft. Vader telepathically tells Luke that it is his destiny to join him.[71]

Sebastian Shaw as the redeemed Anakin Skywalker in Return of the Jedi In Return of the Jedi, Vader and the Emperor supervise the final stages of the second Death Star's construction.[71] Thinking that there is still good in his father, Luke surrenders to Vader and tries to convince him to turn from the dark side. Vader takes Luke to the Death Star to meet the Emperor. While there, Palpatine tempts Luke to give in to his anger, which leads to Vader dueling with Luke once again.[71] Realizing that Leia is Luke's twin sister, Vader threatens to turn her to the dark side if Luke will not. Furious, Luke overpowers Vader and severs his father's robotic hand. The Emperor entreats Luke to kill Vader and take his place. Luke refuses and the Emperor tortures him with Force lightning. Unwilling to let his son die, Vader throws the Emperor down a reactor chute, but is mortally electrocuted in the process.[71][72] At his last request, Luke removes the redeemed Anakin's mask. As he dies peacefully in Luke's arms, Anakin confesses that there was still good in him after all.[72] Luke escapes the Death Star with his father's body and cremates it in a pyre on Endor. Anakin's spirit reunites with those of Obi-Wan and Yoda to watch over Luke and his friends as the Rebels celebrate the Death Star's destruction.[72]

Prequel trilogy In Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, which takes place 32 years before the original Star Wars film, Anakin appears as a nine-year-old slave[73] living on Tatooine with his mother Shmi. Also a gifted pilot and mechanic, Anakin has built his own protocol droid, C-3PO. Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn meets Anakin after making an emergency landing on Tatooine with Queen of Naboo Padmé Amidala. Qui-Gon learns from Shmi that Anakin was conceived without a father and can sometimes foresee the future. Qui-Gon senses Anakin's strong connection to the Force and becomes convinced that he is the "Chosen One" of Jedi prophecy who will bring balance to the Force. After winning his freedom in a podrace wager, Anakin leaves with Qui-Gon to be trained as a Jedi on Coruscant, but is forced to leave behind his mother. During the journey, Anakin forms a bond with Padmé. Qui-Gon asks the Jedi Council for permission to train Anakin, but they sense fear in the boy and refuse. Eventually, Anakin helps end the Trade Federation's invasion of Naboo by destroying their control ship. After Qui-Gon is killed in a lightsaber duel with Sith Lord Darth Maul, Qui-Gon's former apprentice Obi-Wan promises to train Anakin, with the Council's reluctant approval.[72] Palpatine, newly elected as the Galactic Republic's Chancellor, befriends Anakin and tells him that he will watch his career "with great interest".

Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker in Revenge of the Sith In Episode II: Attack of the Clones, which takes place 10 years after The Phantom Menace, Anakin is still Obi-Wan's Padawan apprentice. After rescuing Padmé from an assassination attempt, Anakin travels with her to Naboo as her bodyguard, and they begin to fall in love. Sensing that Shmi is in pain, Anakin travels with Padmé to Tatooine to rescue his mother. While there, Anakin learns from Shmi's husband Cliegg Lars that she was kidnapped by hostile Tusken Raiders. Anakin locates Shmi at a Tusken campsite, where she dies in his arms. Anakin, enraged, massacres the Tusken village and returns to the Lars homestead to bury Shmi.[72] Anakin then travels with Padmé to Geonosis to rescue Obi-Wan from Sith Lord Count Dooku. Dooku captures the trio and sentences them to death. However, a battalion of Jedi arrives with the Grand Army of the Republic to halt the executions. Obi-Wan and Anakin confront Dooku, but the Sith Lord beats them both in a lightsaber duel and severs Anakin's arm. Master Yoda intervenes and rescues the Jedi. Anakin is fitted with a robotic arm and secretly marries Padmé.

In Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, set three years after Attack of the Clones, Anakin is now a Jedi Knight and a hero of the Clone Wars. He and Obi-Wan lead a mission to rescue Palpatine from Separatist commander General Grievous. The two Jedi battle Count Dooku, whom Anakin executes on Palpatine's command. They rescue Palpatine and return to Coruscant. Anakin reunites with Padmé, who tells him that she is pregnant. Although initially excited, Anakin has prophetic visions of Padmé dying in childbirth and his worry steadily grows.[72] Later, Palpatine reveals to Anakin that he is the Sith Lord, Darth Sidious, and says that only he has the power to save Padmé from dying. Anakin reports Palpatine's treachery to Jedi Master Mace Windu, who subdues him. Desperate to save Padmé, Anakin disarms Windu, allowing Palpatine to cast him out the window. Anakin pledges himself to the dark side and becomes Palpatine's new Sith apprentice, and his new master bestows upon him the name "Darth Vader".[72]

Vader then leads a band of clones to murder the last Jedi before he kills the remaining Separatist leaders on the volcanic planet Mustafar, ending the war. Padmé travels to Mustafar and implores Anakin to abandon the dark side, but he refuses and asks her to help him overthrow Palpatine so they can rule the galaxy together. Upon realizing Obi-Wan is with her, Vader chokes Padmé into unconsciousness, thinking that she brought Obi-Wan to kill him. Obi-Wan duels and defeats Vader, severing his arm and both of his legs, and leaving him for dead at the bank of a river of lava, where he is horribly burned. Palpatine finds Vader and brings him to Coruscant, where his apprentice is resuscitated and covered in the black armor first depicted in the original trilogy. Palpatine tells Vader that he himself killed Padmé in his rage, devastating him. At the end of the film, Vader supervises the construction of the first Death Star alongside Palpatine and Grand Moff Tarkin.

Sequel trilogy Vader's melted helmet appears in The Force Awakens (2015), in which Vader's grandson Kylo Ren is seen addressing him, though Vader does not appear in the film. At one point, his helmet was considered as the film's MacGuffin.[74] Footage of the upcoming Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) shown at a Disney shareholders event also includes the helmet.[75]

The Clone Wars (film) In the 2008 3D animated film The Clone Wars, Yoda assigns Ahsoka Tano as Anakin's Padawan apprentice, which initially frustrates Anakin. Anakin calls her "Snips" for her "snippy" attitude and Ahsoka calling him "Skyguy" as a pun on his surname.[72] After earning Anakin's respect during a dangerous mission, Ahsoka joins him on a quest to rescue Jabba the Hutt's infant son, Rotta. Her impetuousness both annoys and endears her to her master, and Anakin develops a friendly affection for his apprentice.

Anthology films In the first anthology film Rogue One, Vader makes a cameo appearance in which he meets with Imperial weapons engineer Orson Krennic, who asks him for an audience with the Emperor regarding the Death Star which Krennic lost command of to Tarkin. Vader refuses, however, using the Force to humiliatingly choke him, and ordering him to ensure that the Death Star project has not been compromised. At the end of the film, Vader boards the disabled Rebel flagship Profundity with a cadre of Imperial stormtroopers and kills several Rebel soldiers as he attempts to recover the plans. However, the docked blockade runner Tantive IV escapes with the plans, setting up the events of A New Hope.

Television series Clone Wars (2003–2005) Anakin is a lead character in all three seasons of the Clone Wars micro-series, which takes place shortly after the conclusion of Attack of the Clones. Anakin becomes a Jedi Knight and is quickly promoted to a General of the Republic's Clone Army, due in part to Palpatine's influence. Among other missions, he fights a duel with Dooku's apprentice Asajj Ventress, helps Obi-Wan capture a Separatist-controlled fortress and rescues Jedi Master Saesee Tiin during a space battle. During the third season, Anakin frees a planet's indigenous species from Separatist control and sees a vision of his future as Darth Vader. In the season finale, Anakin and Obi-Wan go on a mission to rescue Palpatine from General Grievous, leading to the opening of Revenge of the Sith.

The Clone Wars (2008–2014) Anakin is a lead character in all seasons of The Clone Wars. As a Jedi Knight, he goes on several missions with both Obi-Wan and Ahsoka throughout the war. While continuing to teach Ahsoka the ways of the Jedi, Anakin has developed a close bond with her and they take risks to protect or save one another. Some of Anakin's actions taken out of concern for Ahsoka violate the Jedi code, such as torturing prisoners who may know her location when she goes missing.[76] During the third season, Anakin experiences a vision of his future as Darth Vader.[77]

Rebels (2014–2018) Darth Vader appears in multiple episodes of the first season of Star Wars Rebels, which takes place 14 years after The Clone Wars concludes.[78] Vader leads a squadron of Force-sensitive Imperial Inquisitors who actively search for and kill any remaining Jedi and Force-sensitive children. In the second-season premiere, Vader discovers that Ahsoka has joined the Rebel Alliance, and the Emperor orders him to hunt her down.

During their first confrontation in years, Ahsoka is overwhelmed when she recognizes Anakin under "a layer of hate" in Darth Vader.[31] Later in the season, Ahsoka has a vision in which Anakin blames her for allowing him to fall to the dark side. In the season finale, Ahsoka duels with her former master inside a Sith Temple, allowing her friends to escape Vader and the temple's destruction. As the episode concludes, Vader escapes from the temple's ruins. Vader makes a final voiceless cameo in the late fourth-season episode "A World Between Worlds", in which it is revealed that Ahsoka escaped from her previous duel with Vader by entering a Force-realm. Shortly afterward, quotes from Vader are heard echoing in the void.

Forces of Destiny (2017–2018) Anakin Skywalker appears in multiple episodes of the 2D animated online micro-series Star Wars Forces of Destiny.[79]

Comics In 2015, Marvel released a 25-issue series called Darth Vader (2015),[80] which focused on the title character in the aftermath of the destruction of the Death Star, as well as his life after learning about the existence of his son.[81] The series happens parallel to the comic book series Star Wars (2015), with which it has a crossover titled Vader Down.[82]

The five-issue mini-series Obi-Wan & Anakin, written by Charles Soule, depicts the lives of the titular Jedi between The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones. At New York Comic Con 2015, Soule described the story as "pretty unexplored territory."[83] A second series written by Soule called Darth Vader (2017) begins moments after Vader wakes up in his black suit at the end of Revenge of the Sith. The series focuses on exploring the titular character's emotional transformation upon learning of Padme's death, his adjustment to his mechanical suit, how he creates his red-bladed lightsaber, and his hunting of Jedi in the Inquisitor program introduced in Rebels.[84] Its final issue indicates that Palpatine may have used the Force to conceive Anakin in utero,[85] as some fans have theorized that Revenge of the Sith implies.[86][nb 4]

Canon literature Star Wars: Lords of the Sith was one of the first four canon novels to be released in 2014 and 2015.[87] In Lords of the Sith, Vader and Palpatine find themselves hunted by revolutionaries on the Twi'lek planet Ryloth.[88][89]

Virtual reality game In the 2015 Star Wars Celebration, it was announced David S. Goyer is helping to develop a virtual reality game based on Darth Vader. As a observer with limited influence, the player will be able to walk, pick up, push and open things, and possibly effect the story.[90] There will be three episodes overall, set between Revenge of the Sith and Rogue One, with the first available with the launch of Oculus Quest.[91]

Legends In April 2014, most of the licensed Star Wars novels and comics produced since the originating 1977 film Star Wars were rebranded by Lucasfilm as Legends and declared non-canon to the franchise.[87][92]

Literature Vader is featured prominently in novels set in the Star Wars universe. In the 1978 novel Splinter of the Mind's Eye by Alan Dean Foster, Vader meets Luke Skywalker for the first time and engages him in a lightsaber duel that ends with Luke cutting off Vader's arm and Vader falling into a deep pit.[43] (In 1999's Vader's Quest, however, Vader encounters Luke for the first time after hiring a bounty hunter to find the pilot who destroyed the Death Star.) Shadows of the Empire (1996) reveals that Vader is conflicted about trying to turn his son to the dark side of the Force, and knows deep down that there is still some good in him.

Anakin Skywalker's redeemed spirit appears in The Truce at Bakura (1993), set a few days after the end of Return of the Jedi. He appears to Leia, imploring her forgiveness. Leia condemns him for his crimes and exiles him from her life. He promises that he will be there for her when she needs him, and disappears. In Tatooine Ghost (2003), Leia learns to forgive her father after learning about his childhood as a slave and his mother's traumatic death. In The Unifying Force (2003), Anakin tells his grandson Jacen Solo to "stand firm" in his battle with the Supreme Overlord of the Yuuzhan Vong.

Upon the release of the prequel films, the Expanded Universe grew to include novels about Vader's former life as Anakin Skywalker. Greg Bear's 2000 novel Rogue Planet and Jude Watson's Jedi Apprentice and Jedi Quest series chronicle Anakin's early missions with Obi-Wan, while James Luceno's 2005 novel Labyrinth of Evil, set during the Clone Wars, depicts Anakin battling Separatist commander General Grievous. In Luceno's Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader (2005), set a few months after the events of Revenge of the Sith, Vader disavows his identity as Anakin Skywalker as he systematically pursues and kills the surviving Jedi and cements his position in the Empire. The novel reveals that Vader plans to eventually overthrow Palpatine and that he betrayed the Jedi because he resented their supposed failure to recognize his power.

In the Dark Nest trilogy (2005), Luke and Leia uncover old recordings of their parents in R2-D2's memory drive; for the first time, they see their own birth and their mother's death, as well as their father's corruption to the dark side. In Bloodlines (2006), Han and Leia's son Jacen – who has himself turned to the dark side – uses the Force to "watch" Darth Vader slaughter the children at the Jedi Temple.

Vader also appears in a series of tongue-in-cheek children's books by Jeffrey Brown.[93] In Brown's series, a hapless Vader sets out to be a father to a young Luke and Leia, with some scenes portraying light-hearted versions of their darker film counterparts (for example, one scene shows Vader, Luke and Leia at the carbonite freezing chamber on Bespin, with Vader pronouncing the freezer adequate for making ice cream).

Comics Vader appears in several comic books such as Dark Horse Comics' Star Wars Tales and Marvel Comics' Star Wars (1977–1986) series.

Anakin Skywalker is a major character in Dark Horse's Star Wars: Republic series (1998–2006).

Video games Darth Vader and Anakin Skywalker appear in a variety of video games such as the Lego Star Wars series and the Battlefront series. Vader plays a central role in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (2008). He is a playable character in the first level of the game, where he and his armies invade Kashyyyk to hunt down a Jedi who had survived the Order's destruction. Vader kills the Jedi and kidnaps the man's young Force-sensitive son, whom he raises as his secret apprentice, Starkiller. Vader sends Starkiller on various missions throughout the galaxy, with an ultimate goal to assassinate Palpatine so that Vader can rule the galaxy himself. Toward the end of the game, however, it is revealed that Vader isn't planning to overthrow Palpatine at all; he is merely using his apprentice to expose the Empire's enemies. At the game's climax, the player chooses between attacking Palpatine to help his Rebel friends escape the Death Star or killing Vader to become the Emperor's new apprentice. He also appears in the sequel Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II as the final boss. He, Starkiller and Yoda serve as guest characters for Soulcalibur IV (2008), with Vader available for the PlayStation 3 edition and downloadable content for the Xbox 360 edition.

Other In the Star Wars Holiday Special, a television special broadcast by CBS in 1978, features a brief appearance by Darth Vader, who appears on-screen speaking with Imperial officer "Chief Bast" in footage cut from the original 1977 film. The sequence is dubbed with new dialogue, performed by James Earl Jones. In the story, Vader colludes with Boba Fett to entrap the Rebels.[94]

Darth Vader features in the 1981 radio drama adaptation of Star Wars, voiced by the actor Brock Peters. Vader makes his first appearance on the planet Ralltiir, where he treats Princess Leia with suspicion. In later extended scenes, he is heard interrogating and torturing Leia on board his Star Destroyer and aboard the Death Star.[95][96][97]

Vader appears in Star Tours – The Adventures Continue, where he is voiced by Jones. Vader is featured as a combatant in the popular series Death Battle, in which he is pitted against Marvel Comics villain Doctor Doom.

An action figure of Vader comes to life alongside RoboCop and Jurassic Park toys in The Indian in the Cupboard (1995).[98] Vader also had a brief cameo in Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009), in which he and Oscar the Grouch try to join the army formed by Ivan the Terrible, Napoleon, Al Capone, and a pharaoh, but they judge him only a futile robot, as he does not speak, but tries to Force-choke them, with a gesture they interpret as a sort of greeting not unlike a Vulcan salute.

Characteristics

In Attack of the Clones, Anakin Skywalker feels "smothered" by Obi-Wan Kenobi and is incapable of controlling his own life.[99] By Revenge of the Sith, however, his "father-son" friction with his master has matured into a more equal, brotherly relationship.[100] Once he becomes Darth Vader, each evil act he commits shatters any hope or connection towards his previous life, which makes it harder for him to return to the light,[101] but he ultimately escapes the dark side and redeems himself by sacrificing his life to save his son, Luke Skywalker, and kill the Emperor in Return of the Jedi.[102]

Eric Bui, a psychiatrist at University of Toulouse Hospital, argued at the 2007 American Psychiatric Association convention that Anakin Skywalker meets six of the nine diagnostic criteria for borderline personality disorder (BPD), one more than necessary for a diagnosis. He and a colleague, Rachel Rodgers, published their findings in a 2010 letter to the editor of the journal Psychiatry Research. Bui says he found Anakin Skywalker a useful example to explain BPD to medical students.[103] In particular, Bui points to Anakin's abandonment issues and uncertainty over his identity. Anakin's mass murders of the Tusken Raiders in Attack of the Clones and the young Jedi in Revenge of the Sith count as two dissociative episodes, fulfilling another criterion. Bui hoped his paper would help raise awareness of the disorder, especially among teens.[103]

Cultural impact

Fan cosplay of Darth Vader is frequently seen at Star Wars events. See also: Cultural impact of Star Wars Darth Vader has gained much positive reception as a classic film villain. The character ranked number two on Empire magazine's 2008 list of The 100 Greatest Movie Characters.[104] Premiere magazine also ranked Vader on their list of The 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.[105] On their list of the 100 Greatest Fictional Characters, Fandomania.com ranked Vader at number 6.[106] Darth Vader was also the No. 1 supervillain on the Bravo series Ultimate Super Heroes, Vixens and Villains,[107] and No. 1 in IGN's list of top 100 Star Wars characters.[108] Furthermore, Darth Vader's quote in The Empire Strikes Back—"No, I am your father" (often misquoted as "Luke, I am your father"),[109]—is one of the most well known quotes in cinema history. The line was selected as one of the 400 nominees for the American Film Institute's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes, a list of the greatest American movie quotes.[110] Vader received the Ultimate Villain recognition at the 2011 Scream Awards.[111]

The Darth Vader Grotesque sculpted into the Washington National Cathedral Darth Vader's iconic status has made the character a symbol for evil in popular culture. For example, a three part series of episodes of the YouTube series Epic Rap Battles of History has Darth Vader facing off against Adolf Hitler.[112] Psychiatrists have considered Vader to be a useful example for explaining borderline personality disorder to medical students.[103] Anakin's origin story in The Phantom Menace has been compared to signifiers of African American racial identity,[113] and his dissatisfaction with his life has been compared to Siddartha's before he became Gautama Buddha.[114] A Mexican church advised Christians against seeing The Phantom Menace because it portrays Anakin as a Christ figure.[115] The slime-mold beetle Agathidium vaderi is named after Vader,[116] and several buildings across the globe are regularly compared to him.[117][118][119][120][121] A grotesque of Darth Vader looms over the east face of the Washington National Cathedral's northwest tower.[122] During the 2007–08 NHL season, Ottawa Senators goaltender Martin Gerber performed so well in an all-black mask that fans endearingly termed him "Darth Gerber".[123] In 2015, a statue of Vladimir Lenin in Odessa, Ukraine, was converted into one of Darth Vader due to a law on decommunization.[124]

Many films and television series have paid homage to Darth Vader. The 1982 compilation movie Cosmic Princess, compiled from parts of Space: 1999 episodes, contains several Star Wars references including a character named "Vader".[125] Marty McFly in Back to the Future (1985), dressed in a radiation suit, calls himself "Darth Vader from the planet Vulcan" to convince the past version of his father to ask his mother to a dance. Rick Moranis plays "Dark Helmet" in the Star Wars parody Spaceballs (1987). In Chasing Amy (1997), Hooper X speaks at a comic convention about Darth Vader being a metaphor for how poorly the science fiction genre treats black people; he is especially offended that Vader, the "blackest brother in the galaxy", reveals himself to be a "feeble, crusty old white man" at the end of Return of the Jedi. The character was also parodied in the Nickelodeon cartoon Rocko's Modern Life in the episode "Teed Off".[126] On another Nickelodeon cartoon, Jimmy Neutron, Darth Vader's infamous line, "I am your father", was interpolated in the mini-episode "New Dog, Old Tricks".[127] The line was also alluded to in Toy Story 2, which also introduces Emperor Zurg (a parody of Vader) to the Disney media franchise.[128] The character of Dark Mayhem in The Thundermans is also a parody of Vader, especially in his original depiction, while his later appearances changed the character to a comical supervillain usually working with incompetent henchmen.

The Final Fantasy IV character Golbez, who spent most of the game as the main antagonist, was stated by Takashi Tokita to be based on Vader, with his following a similar character arc.[129] In 2010, IGN ranked Darth Vader 25th in the "Top 100 Videogame Villains".[130]

Many commentators and comedians have also evoked his visage to satirize politicians and other public figures, and several American political figures have been unflatteringly compared to the character. In response to Ronald Reagan's proposed Strategic Defense Initiative (dubbed "Star Wars" by his political opponents), German news magazine Der Spiegel portrayed the president wearing Vader's helmet on its cover in 1984.[131] In 2005, Al Gore referred to Tele-Communications Inc.'s John C. Malone as the "Darth Vader of cable",[132] and political strategist Lee Atwater was known by his political enemies as "the Darth Vader of the Republican Party".[133] Native American artist Bunky Echohawk portrayed General Custer as Vader in his painting Darth Custer.[134]

In 2006, US Vice President Dick Cheney referenced Darth Vader in an interview with CNN's John King. While discussing the George W. Bush administration's dogma on gathering intelligence, Cheney said, "It means we need to be able to go after and capture or kill those people who are trying to kill Americans. That's not a pleasant business. It's a very serious business. And I suppose, sometimes, people look at my demeanor and say, 'Well, he's the Darth Vader of the administration.'"[135] Following this interview, many pop culture celebrities referred to Cheney in this manner during and after his vice presidency. On January 25, 2007, Jon Stewart put on a Darth Vader helmet to address Dick Cheney as a "kindred spirit" on The Daily Show.[136] Cheney's wife, Lynne, presented Stewart with a Darth Vader action figure on her appearance on the show on October 10, 2007. Both Stewart and Stephen Colbert have occasionally referred to Cheney as "Darth Cheney". In the satirical cartoon show Lil' Bush, Dick Cheney's father is portrayed as being Darth Vader. At her presidential campaign event on September 19, 2007, Hillary Clinton also referred to Cheney as Darth Vader. At the 2008 Washington Radio and Television Correspondents' Association Dinner, Cheney joked that his wife Lynne told him that the Vader comparison "humanizes" him. George Lucas told The New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd, however, that Cheney is more akin to Emperor Palpatine, and that a better stand-in for Vader would be George W. Bush.[137] An issue of Newsweek referenced this quote, and compared Bush and Cheney to Vader and Palpatine, respectively, in a satirical article comparing politicians to various Star Wars and Star Trek characters.[138]

In Ukraine, the Internet Party of Ukraine regularly lets people named Darth Vader take part in elections.[139][nb 5]

Family tree

Main article: Skywalker family References

Footnotes

^ Characters in the prequel trilogy such as Darth Sidious, Darth Maul, and Darth Tyrannus reveal that Darth is a title for Sith Lords. ^ Making the character 14 years younger by the time of the original film than A Guide to the Star Wars Universe previously stated[23] ^ Director Richard Marquand wanted a famous actor like Laurence Olivier to play the role.[58] ^ In the film, Palpatine tells Anakin about Darth Plagueis the Wise, "a Dark Lord of the Sith so powerful and so wise, he could use the Force to influence the midi-chlorians to create life." This was preceded by the rough draft of Revenge of the Sith, in which Palpatine says to Anakin, "I arranged for your conception. I used the power of the Force to will the midichlorians to start the cell divisions that created you."[85] ^ Two men named Darth Vader were candidates at the 25 May 2014 Kiev mayoral election and the Odessa mayoral election of the same day.[140][141][142] A man named Darth Vader earlier had submitted documents to be registered as a presidential candidate in the 25 May 2014 Ukrainian presidential election, but his registration was refused because his real identity could not be verified.[143][144][145] In the 2014 Ukrainian parliamentary election, Darth Vader and Star Wars characters such as Chewbacca, Padmé Amidala and Yoda ran for seats in the Ukrainian parliament.[139] Candidates named Darth Vader reappeared in the 2015 Ukrainian local elections.[146] Citations

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Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace Novelization, 1st edition paperback, 1999. Terry Brooks, George Lucas Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones Novelization, 2003. R. A. Salvatore, ISBN 0-345-42882-X Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith Novelization, 1st edition hardcover, 2005. Matthew Woodring Stover, George Lucas, ISBN 0-7126-8427-1 The New Essential Guide to Characters, 1st edition, 2002. Daniel Wallace, Michael Sutfin, ISBN 0-345-44900-2 Vader: The Ultimate Guide, 2005. Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary, hardcover, 1998. Dr. David West Reynolds, ISBN 0-7894-3481-4 Star Wars: The Phantom Menace: The Visual Dictionary, hardcover, 1999. Dr. David West Reynolds, ISBN 0-7894-4701-0 Star Wars: Attack of the Clones: The Visual Dictionary, hardcover, 2002. Dr. David West Reynolds, ISBN 0-7894-8588-5 Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith: The Visual Dictionary, hardcover, 2005. James Luceno, ISBN 0-7566-1128-8 "Darth Vader in Games: A Visual History". IGN. October 28, 2010. External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to: Darth Vader Wikimedia Commons has media related to Darth Vader. Darth Vader in the StarWars.com Databank Anakin Skywalker in the StarWars.com Databank Anakin Skywalker / Darth Vader on Wookieepedia, a Star Wars wiki Darth Vader on IMDb "Darth Vader". Encyclopædia Britannica.