Darth Vader is one of the most iconic villains in cinematic history. His image is easily recognizable, and the phrase “Luke, I am your father” has firmly entered our lives, becoming a meme and the reason for numerous parodies and jokes. Now the next film from the Star Wars series has been released - Rogue One, and in it we will see Darth Vader again. Here are 15 interesting and little-known facts about the Dark Lord of the Sith for anyone who loves this saga. And may the Force be with you!
15. He had a military rank
Everyone knows that Darth Vader is the right hand of Emperor Palpatine, but not everyone is aware that the title of “Emperor's Emissary” was created specifically for him. It gave him enormous military powers. That is why he had the right to take command of the Death Star battle station, despite the fact that it already had a commander - Wilhuff Tarkin. As the emperor's apprentice and emissary, Vader essentially became the second-in-chief of the empire, with titles such as Dark Lord of the Sith and Warlord. And later, after taking control of the Executor, the largest Imperial warship, he apparently officially became the Supreme Commander.
14. Imperial propaganda claims that Anakin Skywalker died in the Jedi Temple
James Luceno's science fiction book "Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader" tells that after the events of Episode 3 ("Revenge of the Sith"), everyone in the galaxy was sure that the Jedi Anakin Skywalker - the Chosen One - died heroically on Coruscant during time of the battle in the Jedi temple. Imperial propaganda also supported this official story, and Vader spent the next twenty years trying to forget the past and erase his previous identity.
Most of the inhabitants of the galaxy, ruled by the new Galactic Empire, are also convinced that the Jedi Order not only rebelled against Councilor Palpatine, forcing him to take drastic measures and destroy the Jedi, but also had a hand in starting the Clone Wars. Almost no one knows the truth that Anakin turned to the dark side and betrayed his comrades in the temple (only survivors like Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda). This is what the situation looks like at the beginning of the original trilogy.
13. After learning about his children, he planned to betray the emperor
Although fans know that Vader betrayed the Emperor at the end of Episode 6 (Return of the Jedi), his motivation was never explained. After the Battle of Yavin, Vader tasked bounty hunter Boba Fett with finding out everything about the Rebel who destroyed the Death Star. It was then that he was informed that the man's name was Luke Skywalker. Realizing that Palpatine has been lying to him all these years and that his children are alive, Vader becomes enraged. This explains his motivation and offer to help Luke overthrow the Emperor in The Empire Strikes Back. Vader planned this in full accordance with the Sith code of conduct: a student will never rise higher until he gets rid of his master.
12. He had three teachers and many secret students
After Skywalker transformed into Darth Vader, he trained the Sith. Thus, according to the plot of the video games "Star Wars: The Force Unleashed", Vader, planning a plot to overthrow Palpatine, secretly took on several students. The first of these was Galen Marek, nicknamed Starkiller, a descendant of the Jedi killed by Vader during the Great Purge. Vader trained Marek from childhood, but Marek died on the Death Star shortly before the Rebel Alliance was founded. Vader then created a perfect and much more powerful clone of Marek using his genetic sample. This clone - the Dark Disciple - was supposed to take Marek's place. The next student after him was Tao, a former Jedi Padawan (this story is considered non-canonical today). Vader then took on several more students - Kharis, Lumiya, Flint, Rillao, Hethrir and Antinnis Tremaine.
11. He tried to learn to breathe without a helmet
Many people remember the scene from the episode "The Empire Strikes Back" when at one point Vader is shown in the meditation chamber - he is without a helmet and the wounded back of his head is visible. Vader often used this special pressurized chamber to practice breathing without a protective helmet or breathing apparatus. During such sessions, he felt unbearable pain and used it to intensify his hatred and dark power. Vader's ultimate goal was to gain such power from the Dark Side that he could breathe without a mask.
But he could do without it for only a few minutes, since he was too happy at the opportunity to breathe on his own, and this joy was not combined with dark power. This is also why he so wanted to unite with Luke, so that their common strength would help him not only throw off the power of the emperor, but also free himself from his iron armor.
10. Even the actors didn’t know during filming that Vader was Luke Skywalker’s father.
The twist when Darth Vader turns out to be Luke Skywalker's father is perhaps one of the most famous in movie history. During the filming of The Empire Strikes Back, this plot device was kept strictly secret - only five people knew about it: director George Lucas, director Irwin Kershner, screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan, actor Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) and actor James Earl Jones. voice of Darth Vader.
Everyone else, including Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) and Harrison Ford (Han Solo), only learned the truth after attending the film's premiere. When the confession scene was filmed, actor David Prowse spoke the line given to him, which sounded like "Obi-Wan killed your father", and the text "I am your father" was written over it later.
9. Darth Vader was played by seven actors
Voice actor James Earl Jones gave Darth Vader his famous deep, booming voice, but in the original Star Wars trilogy, Vader was played by David Prowse. The six-foot-tall British champion weightlifter was perfect for the role, but had to be re-voiced due to his thick Bristol accent (which made him furious). The stand-in for the fight stunts was Bob Anderson, as Prowse kept breaking lightsabers.
Vader without a mask in Return of the Jedi was played by Sebastian Shaw, young Anakin in The Phantom Menace by Jake Lloyd, and mature Anakin in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith by Hayden Christensen. Spencer Wilding plays Darth Vader in the new Rogue One movie.
8. He originally had a different name and a different voice.
Since Darth Vader is the central character of Star Wars, it is not surprising that when the script was created, this character was written in first. But at first his name was Anakin Starkiller (this is the name, according to the plot of the video game "The Force Unleashed" of his secret student). The original Star Wars trailer was written by legendary director Orson Welles in 1976. It was Wells' voice that George Lucas wanted to voice Darth Vader, but the producers did not approve of this idea - they thought that the voice would be too recognizable.
7. According to one theory, it was created by Palpatine and Darth Plagueis
Anakin Skywalker's mother, Shmi Skywalker, says in The Phantom Menace that she carried and gave birth to Anakin without a father. Qui-gon is understandably puzzled by this statement, but after testing Anakin's blood for the presence of midi-chlorians, he becomes convinced that it is indeed the result of a virgin birth, solely under the influence of the Force. Then everything else is logical: Vader’s power, the high level of midi-chlorians in the blood and the status of the Chosen One - the one who must bring the Force into balance.
But one fan theory suggests a darker and more realistic possibility of Anakin being born. In Revenge of the Sith, Advisor Palpatine tells Anakin about the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise, who knew how to use midi-chlorians to create life. According to this theory, either Plagueis himself or his student Palpatine could experiment and create Anakin in an attempt to obtain a powerful ruler of the Force.
6. A whole team worked on the costume and sound effects
In Lucas's original design, Darth Vader did not have any helmet - instead, his face was wrapped in a black scarf. The helmet was intended only as part of a military uniform - after all, you need to somehow move from one starship to another. As a result, it was decided that Vader would wear this helmet permanently. The creation of both the helmet and the rest of the equipment of Vader and the Imperial military was inspired by the uniforms of the Nazis and the helmets of Japanese military leaders. Vader's famous heavy breathing was created by sound producer Ben Burtt. He placed a small microphone in the mouthpiece of the scuba regulator and recorded the sound of his breathing.
5. Actor David Prowse and director George Lucas hate each other
The feud between Lucas and Prowse is legendary among the Star Wars crew. Firstly, Prowse thought that his voice was being used for the film and was terribly upset by the voice acting. During the filming of episodes 5 and 6, Prowse was making life miserable for everyone on set by not bothering to say the lines that were written for his role, and instead talking some nonsense. For example, you had to say “Asteroids don’t bother me, I need this ship,” and he calmly said: “Hemorrhoids don’t bother me, I need to take a shit.”
Prowse was also upset that he was replaced as a stunt double for action scenes, despite being physically fit. But he kept breaking lightsabers. Lucas later accused Prowse of revealing secret information that Vader was Luke's father. The actor also really didn’t like the fact that viewers wouldn’t see his face on the screen: Vader without a mask was played by another actor. The strained relationship between Lucas and Prowse came to a head when Prowse starred in the 2010 anti-Lucas film The People vs. George Lucas. This was the end of the director's patience and he removed Prowse from all future Star Wars productions.
4. There was an alternate ending where Luke becomes the new Vader
Return of the Jedi ends with the good guys winning and everyone rejoicing. But Lucas originally envisioned a darker ending to his sci-fi saga. According to this alternate ending, the battle between Skywalker and Vader and the subsequent scene with Vader and the Emperor's death lead to a different outcome. Vader also sacrifices himself to kill the emperor, and Luke helps him remove the helmet - and Vader dies. However, then Luke puts on his father's mask and helmet, says "Now I am Vader" and turns to the dark side of the Force. He defeats the rebels and becomes the new emperor. This is the ending that would have been logical, according to Lucas and his screenwriter Kasdan, but in the end Lucas decided to make a happy ending, because the film was intended for a children's audience.
3. Alternative ending from the comics: again a Jedi and all in white
While we're on the topic of alternative endings, here's another one from the Star Wars comics. According to this version, both Luke and Leia stand before Palpatine, and the Emperor orders Vader to kill Leia. Vader is stopped by Luke, they fight with lightsabers and as a result of the duel, Vader is left without an arm, and Luke reveals to him the truth that he and Leia are his children, after which he boldly announces that he will no longer fight Vader.
This is where the fun begins: Vader falls to his knees and asks for forgiveness, returning to the light side of the Force and becoming Anakin Skywalker. The Emperor manages to escape, the second Death Star is destroyed, but Leia, Luke and Vader manage to leave it together. They later meet aboard the Command Frigate Home One, with Anakin Skywalker still dressed as Darth Vader, but all in white. The Skywalker family of Jedi decide to hunt down and kill the Emperor, which they most likely succeed because they are a gang.
2. This is the most profitable Star Wars character
The creators of Star Wars managed to make great money from their characters by selling related products, toys and the like. The army of fans of this saga is huge. There is a special “Wookiepedia” on the Internet - a Star Wars encyclopedia, with detailed articles about everyone and everything that anyone can edit. But no matter how much other heroes of the saga are loved, Darth Vader is the most popular, iconic character and, of course, it is from this image that one can make the most money. With merchandising revenues totaling over $27 billion in 2015, for example, Darth Vader is worth billions—after all, he's a big piece of that pie.
1. On one of the cathedrals there is a chimera in the form of Darth Vader’s helmet
Believe it or not, one of the towers of the Washington Cathedral is decorated with a gargoyle in the shape of Darth Vader's helmet. The sculpture is located very high and is difficult to see from the ground, but with binoculars you can. In the 1980s, the National Cathedral, together with National Geographic magazine, announced a children's competition for the best decorative chimera sculpture to decorate the northwest tower. A boy named Christopher Rader took third place in this competition with his drawing of Darth Vader. After all, a chimera must be evil. And this sketch was brought to life by sculptor Jay Hall Carpenter and stone carver Patrick Jay Plunkett.
It is unlikely that among fans of cinema and pop culture there will be a person who does not know, He became a symbol of the space epic “Star Wars” and its main antagonist. Despite the fact that he is a negative character, fans elevate him to the rank of their favorite heroes. However, once one of the greatest villains in the history of the Galaxy (ours and the fictional one) was an ordinary boy who, for many reasons, became a servant of the dark side.
Childhood
Once upon a time, the most controversial character in the Star Wars film saga, Darth Vader, was called Anakin Skywalker. Viewers first meet him on the sand planet Tatooine, where he and his mother are enslaved by a parts salesman named Watto. From early childhood, the boy had high intelligence and extremely developed technical abilities. Already at the age of 9, he assembled his own droid C-3PO and a real racing car. Qui-Gon Jinn immediately sensed enormous Power in the young slave. The Jedi's feelings did not fail him when he learned that the number of medichlorians in Anakin was much greater than that of Master Yoda. He tries to find out from his mother Shmi who the father of the child was, but she says that besides her, he never had anyone else. This leads Qui-Gon to think about a prophecy that says that a man will be born from the Force, called upon to restore balance to the world. Then he decides to take the young technician as his Padawan, which becomes possible when he wins a bet with Watto, the condition of which was that Anakin would win the race.
Clone War
After ten years of training, Anakin masterfully masters Jedi techniques and is distinguished by special talents. Obi-Wan Kenobi becomes his teacher, as this was Qui-Gon Jinn's dying request. In this part of Star Wars, Darth Vader begins to awaken within the young Skywalker. He is accompanied everywhere by stubbornness and vanity, and the patronage of the Sith Lord, who is Chancellor Palpatine, further strengthens his sense of his own superiority. The first step taken towards the transition is the mass execution of an entire Tusken tribe in the name of revenge for the captivity and subsequent death of the mother. At the same time, he developed strong feelings for the former queen of Naboo. He learns that his love is not unrequited, and contrary to the strict rules of the Jedi, he marries his chosen one in secret from everyone. Due to the inextricable connection with his wife, a strong fear of losing her arises in him, which also condones the development of the Sith.
Going to the dark side
The next significant move in the internal war between Darth Vader and Anakin Skywalker is murder on the orders of Chancellor Palpatine, which violates the Jedi principle of not executing unarmed prisoners. Almost immediately after this, he learns about Padmé’s pregnancy, but his joy at this news is replaced by intense fear, overshadowing everything around him. The Force shows him a future in which his wife dies in childbirth. Disturbed by this vision, he shares it with Palpatine, which speaks of the young Jedi's unconditional trust in his patron. He is unaware of the skillfully thought-out plan of the future Emperor to make Ani a Sith and his devoted student. Thus, the seeds of the dark side he sowed begin to germinate rapidly. When Skywalker learns that the Chancellor is Darth Sidious, he tells the Jedi Council, where he sits as Palpatine's representative. However, he soon begins to realize that the latter is able to protect Padme from death. In the decisive battle between Mace Windu and the Sith Lord, Anakin takes the side of the latter, as a result of which the master dies. From that moment on, he becomes Sidious's student and, on his orders, kills all young Jedi and Separatists. It is the new trilogy that reveals to viewers the truth about who Darth Vader is and gives insight into how he became a villain.
Years of Sith rule
At the end of the new trilogy, Obi-Wan cuts off both of Anakin's legs and an arm, and his body is completely burned in the fire. However, the self-proclaimed Emperor Palpatine manages to save his student from death with the help of a special suit. Since then, Darth Vader's sword turns red, and he himself commands the armed forces of his teacher while on the Death Star. He captures Princess Leia Organa, who is his daughter, but does not yet know about it. In order to reveal the location of the rebel base, as well as return the circuits to his space station, he destroys Alderaan. At this time, the Millennium Falcon is pulled towards them, along with Han Sol, Chewbacca, an aged Obi-Wan, Luke and the droids on board. They flee, but Vader manages to kill his former teacher. He later encounters Luke as he attempts to destroy the Death Star and senses that the young man is full of the Force. As a result, he has to flee, and the planet destroyer explodes thanks to young Skywalker.
Meeting with my son
In the next episode, Luke will reveal a terrible secret about who Darth Vader is. He ends up on Dagobah, where he studies with Master Yoda. However, at this time the dark lord captures his friends in order to lure Skywalker into a trap. He succeeds, and during a lightsaber battle, he cuts off the young Jedi's hand, after which he admits that he is his father. Vader invites his son to choose his side and together overthrow the Emperor in order to rule the Galaxy. Luke takes this news painfully and jumps into the garbage compartment, where he is picked up by the escaped crew of the Millennium Falcon.
Repentance
In the next part of the popular space opera Star Wars, Darth Vader builds a new Death Star, which should be more powerful than the previous one. Together with the Sith Lord, he develops a plan to lure Luke to the dark side, because his skills could be very valuable to the Empire. Thus, he once again captures his son, who firmly decided not to resist, because he hopes that there is goodness left in his father. Vader soon learns that he has a daughter, also endowed with the Force. Then he threatens Luke that he will lure her to his side. The young Jedi succumbs to anger and tries to defeat Vader with a lightsaber. The Emperor encourages him to kill his father and take his place, but Skywalker does not give in and throws away his weapon. While Palpatine inflicts heavy lightning strikes on Luke, Darth Vader realizes that he cannot allow his son to die and throws his master into the mine, where he dies. However, Anakin's life support is damaged. Removing his helmet, he speaks his last words, and his healed soul finds peace.
Armor
It is thanks to the black cloak and helmet that most people know who Darth Vader is. This armor was designed specifically to keep a wounded Skywalker alive; without it, he would almost immediately be unable to breathe. Sith traditions dictate that heavy black suits be worn. In total, 2 different outfits were created for each of the trilogies. Their design and construction took a lot of time and effort, which ultimately paid off.
Actors
As many as 4 actors participated in creating the image of Darth Vader. In the first part of the new trilogy, little Anakin was played by Jake Lloyd, and in the next two, Skywalker’s place was taken by Hayden Christensen, who also appears in the sixth episode in the guise of a ghost. With the original trilogy the situation is more complicated. In all three parts, the suit was replaced by British swordsman Bob Anderson during sword fights. The voice of Darth Vader belongs to James Earl Jones, and in parts 3 to 6. And when his hero takes off his mask, the face of actor Sebastian Shaw is revealed to the audience. This is probably one of the few characters in the history of cinema, whose image was embodied simultaneously by so many performers and became truly iconic.
After the enchanting release of the first part of the fantastic epic “Star Wars”, the image of Darth Vader became an idol for young people of several generations. In 2017, the producers of Star Wars celebrated their anniversary - it was exactly 40 years since TV viewers became acquainted with the fate of Anakin Skywalker.
Story
Darth Vader, whose real name is Anakin Skywalker, is a character in the Star Wars franchise. Darth appears in the film as the main negative character, through whose fault the conspiracy occurred, and the hero's past in the form of Anakin Skywalker and the history of apostasy play a major role in the prequel narrative.
The character was developed by an American film director and brought to life on screen by several actors. He appears in six Star Wars episodes, including Rogue One. A Star Wars Story and is mentioned in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Vader is a character in the universe of the Star Wars television series, video games, literary works and comic books.
Originally prophesied by a Jedi, Anakin Skywalker embraced the dark side and became a servant of the negative Galactic Empire to bring balance to the Force. Vader became the father of Luke Skywalker and his twin sister Leia, the secret husband of Padmé and the grandfather of Kylo Ren.
George Lucas, Darth Vader's "father" Darth Vader has become one of the most badass villains in popular culture and is even included in the list of the greatest fictional villains. According to the American Film Institute, Darth Vader took third place in the ranking of the greatest villains in the history of the film industry over the last 100 years out of hundreds of scoundrels and scum, losing the leadership positions to Hannibal Lecter and Norman Bates. However, other film critics consider Vader to be a tragic hero, as his motives are initially aimed at achieving the greater good, before falling to the dark side.
Image
Darth Vader is initially a 9-year-old boy played by Jake Lloyd. Other actors worked in the remaining parts of the saga.
In Attack of the Clones, Anakin Skywalker is strangled by Kenobi and has no control over his life. When he transforms into Darth Vader, every negative action he takes destroys any hope or connection to his former life, making the path to the light more difficult.
Then Vader is forced to put on a suit designed specifically for him. The main element of the costume is a complex mechanism that ensures breathing - it determines the specific sound when the hero enters and exhales. Vader never appeared on screen without his special mask.
As a result, Vader returns to the side of good and atones for his guilt by sacrificing his life to save his son and destroy the Emperor. The deceased character was buried along with the suit, observing the traditions of the Jedi.
Movies
In the first Star Wars series, the tall, dark Vader was already close to his final image, and the main character Anakin Skywalker resembled the Luke Skywalker who appeared in later series.
Following the success of the first Star Wars, released in 1977, director Lucas Jr. hired science fiction author Lee Douglas Brackett to collaborate on the script for the subsequent installments. At the end of 1977, the script for the next part was ready, strongly reminiscent of the last film, except that Vader is introduced not as Luke’s father, but as a teacher.
In the first draft of the script, written by Brackett, Luke's father appears as a ghost, luring the boy to the side of evil. George Lucas didn't like the script, but Brackett died of cancer before the director discussed the comments with her. Having lost his screenwriter, Lucas had to write the next project himself. In the new script, the director used a new plot twist: Vader declares that he is Luke's father.
The new plot twist about Luke's origin had a major impact on the film. Michael Kaminsky (author of a book on the history of the creation of Star Wars with elements of the biography of George Lucas) claims that such a plot twist was not seriously considered or even contemplated until 1978, and the first part of the film was filmed under an alternative plot, where Darth Vader acted a separate character rather than Luke's father.
While writing drafts of the second and third series, which introduced a different storyline, Lucas reflected a new backstory that he himself came up with: Anakin became Kenobi's apprentice, had a son, Luke, but was seduced by the side of evil. Anakin fought Kenobi at the volcano, receiving serious injuries, but was then revived as Darth Vader. Kenobi hid Luke on the fantasy planet Tatooine when the Galactic Republic became the Empire and Vader hunted and destroyed the Jedi. This change in character became the springboard for the development of another plot, “The Tragedy of Darth Vader,” which lies at the heart of the prequel film.
Deciding to create a prequel, Lucas indicated that the series would be tragic, depicting Anakin's transition to the side of evil. He assumed that the prequels would be the beginning of a single story that began with Anakin's childhood and ended with death. This was the final step towards turning the series into a saga.
In the first prequel, George Lucas introduced Anakin as a nine-year-old child to make the hero's separation from his mother seem poignant and painful. Anakin's movie trailers and movie posters showing him casting Vader's shadow hinted at the character's possible fate to unsuspecting viewers. Ultimately, the film achieved its goal of demonstrating Anakin's transformation into Darth Vader.
Michael Kaminsky, in The Secret History of Star Wars, provides evidence that problems with Anakin's turn to evil prompted Lucas to make major changes to the story, first by revising the original sequence of the third prequel so that Anakin would destroy Count Dooku, which served as the first step towards the transition to the side of evil.
After completing the main work in 2003, Lucas again made changes to Anakin's character, rewriting his transition to the dark side: Anakin's transition from grace to the Dark Side is now driven by a desire to save his wife Padmé, whereas in the previous version this was one of several reasons, including that Anakin believed the Jedi were planning to take over the Republic. These fundamental adjustments were made by editing basic footage and adding new scenes filmed during the 2004 pickups.
Darth Vader is first introduced in Star Wars as a ruthless cyborg serving the Galactic Empire. He is tasked with Tarkin to restore the classified technical designs of the Death Star, stolen by the rebels. Vader captures and tortures Leia, who hid the plans inside the droid and sent it to find Kenobi. By placing a tracking device aboard the Millennium Falcon, Vader is able to track the Rebel base. During the Jedi attack on the Death Star, Vader attempts to shoot down Luke, but Han Solo intervenes, giving Luke the opportunity to destroy the Death Star.
David Prowse played Darth Vader in the first three installments of the Star Wars saga. In The Empire Strikes Back, Vader becomes obsessed with finding Luke. In a conversation with the Emperor, Vader convinces him that Luke can be lured to the dark side. Vader lures his son into a trap and wins the duel, tearing off his arm. Vader tells Luke that he is his father and asks for his help in overthrowing the Emperor so they can rule the galaxy together. Horrified, Luke runs away, and Vader telepathically tells his son that it is his destiny to turn to the dark side.
In the next part, Vader and the Emperor oversee the creation of a new Death Star. Vader brings Luke before the Emperor and threatens to lure Leia (Luke's sister) to the side of evil if Luke does not comply. In a fit of anger, Luke defeats Vader and rips off his father's robotic arm. The Emperor orders Luke to kill his father and take his place. Luke refuses, and the Emperor tortures him with the power of lightning. Hearing Luke's pleas for help, Vader kills the Emperor; but he himself is mortally wounded.
After asking Luke to remove his mask, a redeemed Anakin Skywalker tells his son that he is fine before he dies. Luke escapes the Death Star with his father's remains and ceremoniously burns them in a pyre, Anakin's spirit rejoins the spirit of Obi-Wan and Yoda to watch over Luke and his friends as the Rebels celebrate the destruction of the Death Star and the fall of the Empire.
Lucas then directed a prequel trilogy that explored the backstory and character of Darth Vader. Anakin first appears in the Prequel Trilogy in Episode I, which took place 32 years before the original Star Wars. The young slave Anakin lives on the planet Tatooine with his mother Shmi. Anakin was born without a father and has the ability to foresee the future. In addition, the young man is a talented pilot and mechanic who built his own droid C-3PO. Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn meets Anakin after an emergency landing on Tatooine.
Qui-Gon senses Anakin's strong connection to the Force and becomes convinced that the boy is the "Chosen One" of Jedi prophecy, who will bring balance to the Force. Then Anakin is forced to leave Shmi and go to study with the Jedi. During the journey, Anakin falls in love with Padme, the young queen of Naboo. Qui-Gon asks the Jedi Council for permission to train Anakin, but they sense fear in the boy and refuse. Ultimately, Anakin helps prevent the Trade Federation from invading Naboo. After Qui-Gon is killed in battle with the Sith spirit, Obi-Wan promises to train Anakin.
In Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, Anakin becomes Obi-Wan's apprentice. Anakin goes on a journey with Padme to Naboo. But feeling the pain of Shmi's mother, Anakin goes to Tatooine to save her, but is too late. Anakin, enraged, kills the Tuskens responsible for his mother's death and returns to Lars's estate to bury Shmi. By the end of the film, Anakin, who lost his arm in the battle with Count Dooku, is equipped with a robotic arm and secretly marries Padmé.
In Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, Anakin becomes a Jedi Knight and hero of the Clone Wars. He and Obi-Wan led a mission to rescue Palpatine from Separatist commander General Grievous aboard their ship. When the Jedi confronts Dooku, Anakin defeats the Sith Lord and, following Palpatine's persuasion, kills him in cold blood. They rescue Palpatine and return to Coruscant, where Anakin learns that Padmé is pregnant. Anakin has a vision of Padmé dying during childbirth and tries to prevent it.
Palpatine tells Anakin that the dark side has the power to cheat death and eventually reveals that he is the Sith Lord Darth Sidious. Although Anakin informs Jedi Windu of Palpatine's betrayal, he follows Windu to ensure that Palpatine is alive. When he realizes that Windu wants to kill Palpatine, Anakin intervenes, allowing Palpatine to kill Windu.
Desperate to save Padmé, Anakin turned to the side of evil and became Palpatine's apprentice, Darth Vader. Under Palpatine's orders, Vader is to kill all the Jedi and Separatist leaders who are hiding on the planet Mustafar. Padmé confronts Vader and begs him to return to the side of good, but Vader refuses. When Obi-Wan disembarks from Padmé's ship, Vader accuses his wife of plotting and uses the Force to strangle her into unconsciousness and rage.
After a brutal battle, Obi-Wan defeats Vader, damaging his legs and arm, and leaves his body on the banks of a lava river, where he burns. Palpatine finds Vader and brings him back to Coruscant, where his mutilated body is healed and covered in the black armored suit first seen in the original trilogy. When Vader asks about Padmé's whereabouts, Palpatine explains to him that he killed Padmé in anger; Vader screams in agony, his spirit broken.
- Eric Buie, a psychiatrist at the University Hospital of Toulouse, argued that the American Psychiatric Association's convention describes Anakin's personality as having six diagnostic features of borderline personality disorder, which constitutes grounds for diagnosis. Booi argues that Anakin Skywalker is a useful example for demonstrating borderline personality disorder to students.
- Anakin's origins in The Phantom Menace are compared to African-American identity, and his dissatisfaction with life to Siddhartha before he became Gautama Buddha.
- In 2015, the statue of Vladimir Lenin in Odessa was remade into Darth Vader due to the decommunization law.
In the original trilogy, Vader is presented as the cunning and cruel leader of the army of the Galactic Empire, which rules the entire Galaxy. Vader appears as Emperor Palpatine's apprentice. He uses the dark side of the Force to destroy the Rebel Alliance, which seeks to restore the Galactic Republic. The prequel trilogy chronicles the heroic rise and tragic fall of Vader's original personality, Anakin Skywalker.
The name “Darth Vader” is similar to the name “Dar Veter” from the novel by I.A. Efremov “Andromeda Nebula” (1957).
Appearances
Original trilogy
In the original trilogy Star Wars Darth Vader is the main antagonist: a dark, ruthless figure willing to capture, torture, or kill the film's heroes to prevent the collapse of the Empire. On the other hand, Darth Vader (or, as he is otherwise known, the Dark Lord) is one of the greatest figures in the Star Wars universe. As one of the most powerful Sith, he is endeared to many fans of the anthology and is a very charismatic character.
New Hope
Vader is tasked with recovering the stolen Death Star plans and finding the Rebel Alliance's secret base. He captures and tortures Princess Leia Organa and is present when Death Star commander Grand Moff Tarkin destroys her home planet of Alderaan. Soon after, he fights with lightsabers with his former master Obi-Wan Kenobi, who arrived on the Death Star to save Leia, and kills him (Obi-Wan becomes a Force spirit). He then meets Luke Skywalker at the Battle of the Death Star, and senses his great ability in the Force; this is confirmed later when the youth destroys the battle station. Vader was about to shoot down Luke with his TIE Fighter (TIE Advanced x1), but an unexpected attack Millennium Falcon, piloted by Han Solo, sends Vader far into space.
The Empire Strikes Back
After the destruction of the rebel base "Echo" on the planet Hoth by the Empire, Darth Vader sends bounty hunters. bounty hunters) in search of the Millennium Falcon. Aboard his Star Destroyer, he executes Admiral Ozzel (who was a completely incompetent commander) and Captain Niida for the mistakes they made. Meanwhile, the Mandalorian Boba Fett manages to discover the Falcon and track its progress to the gas giant Bespin. Finding that Luke is not on the Falcon, Vader captures Leia, Han, Chewbacca, and C-3PO to lure Luke into a trap. He makes a deal with Cloud City administrator Lando Calrissian to hand Han over to bounty hunter Boba Fett, and freezes Solo in carbonite. Luke, who at this time is being trained in the use of the Light Side of the Force under the guidance of Yoda on the planet Dagobah, senses the danger threatening his friends. The young man goes to Bespin to fight Vader, but is defeated and loses his right hand. Vader then reveals to him the truth: he is Luke's father, and not Anakin's killer, as Obi Wan Kenobi told young Skywalker, and offers to overthrow Palpatine and rule the Galaxy together. Luke refuses and jumps down. He is sucked into a trash chute and thrown towards Cloud City's antennas, where he is rescued by Leia, Chewbacca, Lando, C-3PO and R2-D2 in the Millennium Falcon.
Return of the Jedi
Vader is tasked with overseeing the completion of the second Death Star. He meets with Palpatine aboard the half-completed station to discuss Luke's plan to turn to the Dark Side.
At this time, Luke had practically completed his training in the art of the Jedi and learned from the dying Master Yoda that Vader was indeed his father. He learns about his father's past from the spirit of Obi-Wan Kenobi, and also learns that Leia is his sister. During an operation on the forest moon of Endor, he surrenders to Imperial forces and is brought before Vader. Aboard the Death Star, Luke resists the Emperor's call to give vent to his anger and fear for his friends (and thus turn to the dark side of the Force). However, Vader, using the Force, penetrates Luke's mind, learns of Leia's existence and threatens to turn her into a servant of the Dark Side of the Force in his place. Luke gives in to his rage and nearly kills Vader by cutting off his father's right hand. But at that moment the young man sees Vader's cybernetic hand, then looks at his own, realizes that he is dangerously close to his father's fate, and curbs his anger.
Vader's costume design was influenced by the costume worn by Lightning, a villain in the television series Fighting the Devil's Hounds, and the masks of Japanese samurai, but also featured similarities between Vader's armor and the costume of Marvel Comics supervillain Dr. Death.
Vader's iconic breathing noise was created by Ben Burtt, who breathed through an underwater mask with a small microphone in the regulator. He initially recorded many variations of breath sounds, from rattling and asthmatic to cold and mechanical. The more mechanical version was mostly chosen, and the more rattling version was chosen in Return of the Jedi, after Vader was fatally damaged by Sidious' Force lightning. Originally, Vader was supposed to sound like an emergency room, with clicks and beeps while he was in frame. However, it turned out that this was too distracting, and all this noise was cut down to just breathing.
One of the canon changes regarding the suit was that by 4 ABY, Vader's left shoulder was completely artificial, and in 3 ABY, after his encounter with Luke on Bespin, he noted that his right shoulder had healed well. Since the bionic shoulder could not heal, Vader's right shoulder must have still been made of his own flesh, although earlier, on Mimban, Vader's right arm was amputated from the shoulder. Such information may be somewhat incorrect, as throughout the 2nd and 3rd of his Episodes, we see how Anakin Skywalker first lost his right arm below the elbow (in a fight with Dooku (replaced with a prosthetic in the same Episode 2), and then lost his left arm below the elbow, and both legs below the knees (duel with Obi-Wan), which were also replaced with prosthetics at the end of Revenge of the Sith, during Anakin's final transformation into Darth Vader. However, whether Vader was talking about this healing literally, sarcastically, or metaphorically is unknown. Another change was that in Episode III the suit Vader, completely new, was made different from the original design, albeit only slightly, to give him a new, newly created look.A few small changes to the length of the neck and shoulder joints gave Vader's movements a more mechanical appearance. Another change in canon is that Vader's chest panel changed slightly from III to IV and from IV to V and VI. The canonical reason for this has not yet been stated. Additionally, this control panel contained ancient Jewish symbols, which some fans believe translate to "His deeds will not be forgiven until he deserves it."
The costume has been referenced several times in the Expanded Universe. For example, in the Star Wars Legacy comics, Cade Skywalker appears wearing a pair of pants very similar to some of Vader's clothing. Also in Star Wars Unification, when Mara tries on wedding dresses, one of them resembles Vader's armor. Leia tells the designer that the reason Mara rejected him is because "The bride doesn't want to dress like the groom's father."
Secret student
According to the Star Wars: The Force Unleashed project, immediately after the events of Episode 3, Darth Vader took as his apprentice the son of a Jedi, whose potential in power far exceeded his own. Vader wanted, with the help of his student, to overthrow the Emperor and seize power in the Empire, and in order for the student to become stronger, Darth Vader ordered him to destroy the 66 Jedi who remained alive after the order was executed. Later, the secret student, nicknamed Starkiller, realized his mistake and switched to the light side. After this, having received the trust of the rebels, he vowed to lead them in this battle, but they were found by Darth Vader, who captured the rebels, but Starkiller was able to escape. He vowed revenge on his former teacher. Arriving at the Death Star, he fought with the Sith Lord, severely maiming him, but still died at the hands of Emperor Palpatine and thereby saved the rebels.
Links
- Gallery “The Return of Darth Vader” on the website GoodCinema.ru (Russian)
- Family tree of Darth Vader on the MyTree website
Notes
Ajanta Poll | Datka Graush | Tulak Khord | Darth Andeddu | Seamus | Mark Ragnos | Naga Sadow | Ludo Kresch | Freedon Nadd | Exar Kun | Darth Revan | Darth Malak | Darth Ruin | Dark Lord | Belia Darzu | Darth Rivan | Lord Kaan | Lord Kordis | Lord Kopesh | Lady Jitani | Kaox Krul | Services Vaa | Darth Bane | Darth Zannah | Darth Millennial | Darth Plagueis | Darth Sidious | Darth Maul | Darth Tyranus | Darth Vader| Lady Lumiya | Lord Flint | Carnor Jacks | Darth Caedus | Darth Crait
| Star Wars Universe | |
|---|---|
| Characters: | C-3PO R2-D2 Ajanta Poll Admiral Ozzel Boba Fett General Grievous Count Dooku Darth Vader Darth Malak Darth Maul Darth Plagueis Darth Revan Darth Sidious Jabba the Hutt Jango Fett Jar Jar Binks Yoda Qui-Gon Jinn Leia Organa Solo Luke Skywalker Mace Windu Nute Gunray Obi-Wan Kenobi Padmé Amidala Naberrie Sipho Dias Wilhuff Tarkin Watto Freedon Nadd Han Solo Chewbacca Shmi Skywalker Anakin Skywalker |
| Organizations: | Jedi Sith Galactic Republic New Republic Galactic Senate Trade Federation Rebel Alliance |
| Planets: | Tatooine Alderaan Coruscant Naboo Korriban Yavin IV |
| Technique: | The Force Star Destroyer Swoop AT-AT Death Star Droids Blaster TIE Fighter X-wing Star Forge Lightsaber Millennium Falcon |
Preliminary Note: This article is intended for the voracious fans of the Star Wars film epic and is not to be taken too seriously, it is simply a different perspective on this classic franchise, as well as one of the most revered villains to ever appear on the silver screen.
Darth Vader undoubtedly used the dark side of the Force to strangle a number of his fellow soldiers, as well as those who stood in the way of the Empire seeking complete dominance in Star Wars. But was he, in fact, 100% villain, or more of a powerful pawn caught in the middle of an intergalactic chess game that began thousands of years earlier between the Jedi and the Sith?
In fact, Vader at the end of the film Return of the Jedi fulfilled the “prophecy”, again tilting the balance in favor of the Force, killing the Emperor, who represented the forces of evil, and saving the life of his son Luke. It probably took him 30 years, but he returned back to the person he was before he put on the mask, Anakin Skywalker, and perhaps during that time he discovered what was wrong with the Jedi , and among the Sith.
The debate here is not about whether Vader was a saint, we are talking about something else altogether - simply that the Jedi and Sith are just as guilty of his unholy actions as the war that is waged everywhere in these films, even in the most distant parts of this galaxy."
Now, before the internet rebels against this theory, let's look at the facts.
New direction
As we head toward the December release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the second installment in a new trilogy, there may be a different perspective on the Jedi, even from the now-iconic Luke Skywalker. They may not be seen as the completely pure heroes they have always been perceived to be.
Even in the first trailer for The Last Jedi, Luke (played by Mark Hamill) says, “The time of the Jedi is coming to an end.” This phrase can have a huge number of meanings, although it is part of just a two-minute teaser. However, it is quite consistent with the debate that has been going on on the Internet since the return of Star Wars in 2015 with The Force Awakens.
Context
What could the title "The Last Jedi" mean?
The Telegraph UK 01/26/2017What we learn from the new Star Wars trailer
Süddeutsche Zeitung 04/19/2017Current themes of our time in Star Wars
Dagens Nyheter 12/15/2016Star Wars is being sucked out of thin air
Süddeutsche Zeitung 12/14/2016Why Star Wars is a great movie
The Economist 06/10/2016This film suggests that the new "Emperor-like" character Snoke is neither a Jedi nor a Sith, and the same applies to his apprentice Kylo Ren. But why is that? Shouldn't there be a division between light and darkness?
There are rumors, supported by some of the footage in the trailer (from here on out it's all about the subtleties and details for the very big fans), that in this film we'll probably learn more about the first Jedi, who existed thousands of years before those introduced events. They are neither light nor dark, and the perceived balance in the Force will be different from what we saw in the first six films.
It also seems that Luke - perhaps having learned that his father first joined the Dark Side and then began training to become a Jedi - had doubts about whether a person, including a Jedi, could be completely on the side of good or evil. There are shades of gray, and if you take them out of life, then you end up with Darth Vader.
Anakin Skywalker
Let's take a look back a little at the time leading up to Luke's birth and focus on Darth's life in previous episodes.
Anakin Skywalker (played by Hayden Christiansen) was apprenticed to the Jedi, who told him that various kinds of attachments and emotions were not characteristic of their kind. They were peacemakers who did not have the right to marry or have children. They had a more important calling - to protect the galaxy from those whose sole purpose was to rule.
Everything is fine if we talk about feelings, but in life everything did not happen quite like that, and young Skywalker noticed this.
First of all, Anakin Skywalker married Padme (Natalie Portman) and then discovered that she would have a child with him. He also had a dream in which she died in childbirth, and so he began to search for a way to save his love and his unborn children. He was unable to do this with the help of the Jedi code and the advice of Master Yoda, but at that moment one of his mentors told him to spy on his friend. Does anyone see a problem here? Later, when Anakin himself is about to tell Mace Windu (Samuel Jackson) that his close friend and mentor, the Emperor, was the dark-powered Sith Lord they were looking for, he realizes that Mace instantly made the decision to have him kill him rather than bring him to court and give him a chance to face the law because, in his words, "he is too powerful to remain alive." And so Anakin takes action, overthrows Windu and declares his allegiance to the Emperor. He did some questionable things later (cough, cough, killed babies), but it was all in the name of love.
By no means did the Jedi act completely unbiased and only in accordance with their teachings, and he knew it. He may have been manipulated by Palpatine, but he was not helped much by his observations of what the other Jedi were doing. In his opinion, he made a choice in favor of the lesser of two evils.
"Anakin, Chancellor Palpatine is a villain!" - Obi-Wan tells him during their great battle on the planet Mustafar - this is the same battle in which Ovi-Wan cuts off all his limbs and leaves him at the moment when he is already engulfed in fire.
“In my opinion, the Jedi are the villains,” Anakin replies.
Return of the Jedi
Now let's look at Luke's journey and how the events of Return of the Jedi ended.
In the films leading up to Jedi, Luke was misled about what happened to his father and then told not to save his friends because he needed to continue his studies with Yoda. “Let them die, and you should improve your lightsaber skills,” was basically what he was told.
While he fights and defeats his father - now Darth - he again refuses to kill him or let him die and takes his place next to the Emperor based on the Sith code. After which the Emperor tries to kill Luke, but at this moment Darth intervenes in the events taking place.
Instead of watching his enemy (his son) die, he intervenes, ignoring both the Sith and Jedi codes and acts as his heart tells him. He kills his mentor, then dies himself, but saves his boy. That is, Darth Vader does all this for the sake of love, which was prohibited by the Jedi code, and thus he returns balance to the Force and the Galaxy. In addition, he may be creating a model for a new way of life - this is no longer the Sith or the Jedi, but the Grays.
It's similar to what Kylo Ren says in The Force Awakens when he looks at Darth's melting mask: "I will finish what you started, grandfather."
Ren is the son of Han Solo and General Leia, and in addition, he rebels against the teachings of the Jedi, leaves Luke's new academy and tries to eradicate the Jedi once and for all.
Wait, but he killed his own father. So what, he's clearly a bad guy. But is it? Only time will tell.
InoSMI materials contain assessments exclusively of foreign media and do not reflect the position of the InoSMI editorial staff.