Darth Vader

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Darth Vader
Star Wars character
First appearanceStar Wars (1977)
Created byGeorge Lucas
Portrayed by
Voiced by
More
In-universe information
Full nameAnakin Skywalker
SpeciesHuman
Occupation
  • Slave
  • Jedi Apprentice
  • Jedi Knight
  • Jedi General
  • Sith Lord
Affiliation
Family
Master
ApprenticeAhsoka Tano
HomeworldTatooine

Darth Vader (/dɑːrθ veɪdər/) is a character in the Star Wars franchise created by George Lucas. He is the primary antagonist of the original film trilogy and, as Anakin Skywalker, is a protagonist of the prequel trilogy. Born into slavery, he eventually becomes a powerful Jedi.[1] He is lured to the dark side of the Force by Chancellor Palpatine, and transforms from Anakin into the Sith Lord Darth Vader. After being severely wounded in a lightsaber battle, he becomes a cyborg. He is the husband of Padmé Amidala, the father of Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, and the grandfather of Ben Solo.[2][3][4][5]

David Prowse physically portrays Vader in the original trilogy, while James Earl Jones provides his voice in all of the films and some television series. Jake Lloyd and Hayden Christensen portray Anakin in the prequel trilogy, and Christensen also plays him in the series Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022) and Ahsoka (2023). In the standalone film Rogue One (2016), Vader is portrayed by Spencer Wilding and Daniel Naprous. The character also appears in novels, comics, and video games. He has become an iconic villain of cinema.[a]

Creation and development[edit]

Darth Vader[edit]

As part of the development for the original Star Wars film,[b] Lucas hired the artist Ralph McQuarrie to create conceptual images for characters. For Vader, Lucas asked McQuarrie to depict a "very tall, dark fluttering figure that had a spooky feeling like it came in on the wind."[10] Because the script described Vader traveling between spaceships, McQuarrie suggested that he should wear a space suit. Lucas agreed, and McQuarrie created Vader's iconic mask by combining a full-face breathing mask with a samurai helmet.[10][11] A 1975 production painting by McQuarrie depicts Vader engaged in a lightsaber duel with Deak Starkiller, who later became Luke Skywalker. Vader is shown wearing black armor, a flowing cape and a skull-like mask and helmet. This early design was similar to Vader's final appearance.[12]

Working from McQuarrie's concepts, the costume designer John Mollo devised an outfit that combined clerical robes, a motorcycle suit, a German military helmet and a military gas mask.[13] The prop sculptor Brian Muir created the helmet and armor.[14] The sound of Vader's breathing was created by the film's sound designer, Ben Burtt, using modified recordings of a scuba breathing apparatus.[15] The sound effect is trademarked at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.[16]

Lucas has provided differing accounts of how the name "Darth Vader" originated. In a 2005 interview with Rolling Stone, he claimed it was a modified version of "Dark Father."[17] On another occasion, he said it was inspired by the phrase "Dark Water".[18] It is also possible that "Darth Vader" originated from the name of Gary Vader, a boy who went to high school with Lucas.[19] In France, Darth Vader's name was changed to Dark Vador starting with Star Wars.[20][21] He was called Dart Fener In Italian-language versions of Star Wars films until 2015, when his name was reverted to the English version.[22] In Iceland, his name is Svarthöfði, which means "black-head".[23]

Anakin Skywalker[edit]

The films Swiss Family Robinson (1960) and Battle of the Bulge (1965) influenced the original Star Wars trilogy, but Lucas's publicist has denied that Anakin Skywalker was named after Ken Annakin, the director of those films.[24][25] The original surname of Anakin and Luke was "Starkiller", and it remained in the script until a few months into filming Star Wars. It was dropped due to what Lucas called "unpleasant connotations" with Charles Manson, who became a "star killer" in 1969 when he murdered the well-known actress Sharon Tate.[26][27] Lucas replaced the problematic name "Starkiller" with "Skywalker".[28]

After completing principal photography for Revenge of the Sith in 2003, Lucas made changes to Anakin's character by rewriting his turn to the dark side. Lucas accomplished this through editing the principal footage and filming new scenes during pickups in London in 2004. In previous versions of the script, Anakin had several reasons for turning to the dark side, including his sincere belief that the Jedi were plotting to take over the Republic. Although he retains this belief in the finished film, Lucas's changes emphasized his desire to rescue Padmé from death. Thus, in the theatrical version of Revenge of the Sith, Anakin falls to the dark side primarily to save Padmé.[29]

Portrayals[edit]

Darth Vader[edit]

David Prowse
James Earl Jones
Left to right: David Prowse, James Earl Jones, and Hayden Christensen

David Prowse, a 6-foot-6-inch (1.98 m) bodybuilder and actor, portrays Vader in the original trilogy. Prowse was originally offered the role of Chewbacca, but turned it down, as he wanted to play the villain.[30] Bob Anderson, a former Olympic fencer, portrays Vader during lightsaber fight scenes in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.[31] Lucas chose to have a different actor provide Vader's voice, because he felt Prowse's West Country English accent was inappropriate for the character.[32] The director originally considered Orson Welles for the role, but selected James Earl Jones instead after deciding that Welles's voice would be too recognizable to audiences.[33][34] Jones initially felt his role was too small to warrant recognition, and he chose to be uncredited in Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back. He was finally credited in Return of the Jedi in 1983.[35][32]

When filming the scene in The Empire Strikes Back in which Vader confesses he is Luke's father, Prowse was given modified dialogue to read that did not exist in the script. He was known for repeatedly leaking information to the public, and the filmmakers wanted to keep Vader's revelation a secret until the film was released. Prowse was asked to read the line "Obi-Wan Kenobi is your father" instead of "No, I am your father."[36] Only the director, the producers, and Mark Hamill knew the actual line, which was dubbed in later by Jones.[36][37] Prowse did not know the real line until he viewed the finished film.[38]

Hayden Christensen portrays Vader in Revenge of the Sith, while Brock Peters provides his voice in the Star Wars radio series.[39][40] Scott Lawrence voices Vader in video games, including the 2019 virtual reality series Vader Immortal.[41] Matt Sloan voices the Sith Lord in both video games and television productions.[42] Both Spencer Wilding and Daniel Naprous portray Vader in Rogue One, with Jones providing the voice.[43] Jones also voices Vader in the Star Wars Holiday Special (1978) and the animated series Star Wars Rebels.[44][45] In September 2022, it was confirmed that Jones would retire from voicing the character. His voice was digitally recreated by the company Respeecher for use in the series Obi-Wan Kenobi, and he later signed over the rights to his voice for future Star Wars productions.[46][47]

Anakin Skywalker[edit]

Near the end of Return of the Jedi, Luke removes Vader's mask. Although Prowse had portrayed the Sith Lord throughout the trilogy, the filmmakers wanted a more experienced actor to play the unmasked Vader.[48] Sebastian Shaw was selected for the role, which appears as "Anakin Skywalker" in the credits.[49] Shaw's presence on set was kept secret from all but the minimum cast and crew, and Shaw was contractually obligated not to discuss any film secrets with anyone, even his family.[50][51] In the final scene of the film, Shaw portrays Anakin's Force spirit. His likeness in this scene was replaced with that of Hayden Christensen in the 2004 DVD release.[52]

When The Phantom Menace was being developed, hundreds of actors were auditioned for the role of young Anakin before Jake Lloyd was cast.[53] Rick McCallum, the film's producer, said that Lloyd was "smart, mischievous and love[d] anything mechanical—just like Anakin."[54][55] When casting the role of 19-year-old Anakin for Attack of the Clones, the filmmakers reviewed about 1,500 candidates before selecting Hayden Christensen.[56] The Canadian actor reprised the role in Revenge of the Sith and in the series Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka.

Anakin is voiced by Mat Lucas and Frankie Ryan Manriquez in the 2003 animated micro-series Clone Wars, and is voiced by Kirby Morrow in several television productions.[57][58] Matt Lanter provides the character's voice in video games and in various television productions, including The Clone Wars, Rebels, Forces of Destiny and Star Wars: Tales.[59] Lanter also voices Anakin in the film version of The Clone Wars. During the second-season finale of Rebels, Lanter's voice is sometimes blended with the voice of James Earl Jones.[60]

Vader and Anakin also appear in novels and comics, some of which are part of the official Star Wars story canon, and some of which are part of the separate Star Wars Legends narrative universe.[c][d][76]

Appearances[edit]

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.

Skywalker saga[edit]

Main article: Skywalker saga

Original trilogy[edit]

David Prowse as Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Darth Vader first appears in Star Wars[e] as a ruthless cyborg Sith Lord serving the Galactic Empire.[77] He is tasked, along with Grand Moff Tarkin (Peter Cushing), with recovering the stolen plans for the Death Star battle station, which were stolen by the Rebel Alliance. Vader captures and tortures Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), who has hidden the plans inside the droid R2-D2 (Kenny Baker) and sent it to find Vader's former Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness) on the planet Tatooine. During Leia's rescue by Obi-Wan's allies Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford), 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.[78] During the Rebel attack on the Death Star, Vader boards his TIE Advanced and shoots down Rebel X-wings, but Solo intervenes and sends Vader's ship spiraling off course, allowing Luke to destroy the Death Star.

In The Empire Strikes Back, Vader becomes obsessed with finding the Force-sensitive Luke[78] and leads his stormtroopers to attack on the Rebel base on Hoth, but the Rebels escape. While conversing with the Emperor (Ian McDiarmid) via hologram, Vader convinces him that Luke would be a valuable ally if he could be turned to the dark side of the Force. Vader hires a group of bounty hunters to follow Luke's friends, and negotiates with Bespin administrator Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams) to set a trap for them to bait Luke.[78] After Han, Leia, Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew), and C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) arrive, Vader tortures and freezes Han in carbonite and gives him to the bounty hunter Boba Fett (Jeremy Bulloch).[78] 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 the dark side and help him overthrow the Emperor. Horrified, Luke escapes through an air shaft. Vader telepathically tells Luke that it is his destiny to join the dark side.[78]

In Return of the Jedi, Vader and the Emperor supervise the final stages of the second Death Star's construction.[78] 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 second Death Star to meet the Emperor. While there, the Emperor tempts Luke to give in to his anger, which leads to Vader dueling with Luke once again.[78] Realizing that Leia is Luke's twin sister, Vader threatens to turn her to the dark side if Luke will not submit. Furious, Luke overpowers Vader and severs his father's cybernetic hand. The Emperor entreats Luke to kill Vader and take his place. However, Luke refuses, and the Emperor tortures him with Force lightning. Unwilling to let his son die, Vader seizes the Emperor and throws him down a reactor shaft to his death, but is mortally wounded by his master's lightning in the process.[78][79] The redeemed Anakin Skywalker asks Luke to remove his mask, and admits that there was still good in him after all as he dies peacefully in his son's arms.[79] Luke escapes the second Death Star with his father's body and cremates it in a pyre on Endor. As the Rebels celebrate the second Death Star's destruction and the Empire's defeat, Luke sees the spirits of Anakin, Yoda (Frank Oz), and Obi-Wan watching over him.[79]

In the original trilogy, David Prowse physically portrayed Vader, while James Earl Jones provided the character's voice. Sebastian Shaw portrayed the unmasked Anakin in Return of the Jedi, as well as the character's spirit prior to the 2004 re-release, when he was replaced by Hayden Christensen as Anakin's Force spirit.

Prequel trilogy[edit]

A wax sculpture at the Madame Tussauds Star Wars exhibit in London depicting Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker from the prequel trilogy

In Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, which takes place 32 years before A New Hope, Anakin appears as a nine-year-old slave[80] living on Tatooine with his mother Shmi (Pernilla August). In addition to being a gifted pilot and mechanic, Anakin has built his own protocol droid, C-3PO. Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) meets Anakin after making an emergency landing on Tatooine with Queen of Naboo Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman). Qui-Gon learns from Shmi that Anakin was conceived without a father and can 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 his mother behind. During the journey, Anakin forms a bond with Padmé. Qui-Gon asks the Jedi Council for permission to train Anakin, but they refuse, concerned that the fear he exhibits makes him vulnerable to the dark side. Eventually, Anakin helps end the corrupt Trade Federation's blockade of Naboo by destroying their control ship. Qui-Gon is mortally wounded in a lightsaber duel with Sith Lord Darth Maul (portrayed by Ray Park, voiced by Peter Serafinowicz), and with his dying breath asks his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) to train Anakin, which he does with the council's reluctant approval.[79] Palpatine, newly elected as the Galactic Republic's Chancellor, befriends Anakin and tells him he will "watch [his] career with great interest".

In Episode II: Attack of the Clones, which takes place 10 years after The Phantom Menace, 19-year-old Anakin is still Obi-Wan's Padawan apprentice. Over the years, he has grown powerful but arrogant, and believes that Obi-Wan is holding him back. After rescuing Padmé, now a senator, from an assassination attempt, Anakin travels with her to Naboo as her bodyguard, and they fall in love, which is against the Jedi Code. Sensing that Shmi is in pain, Anakin travels with Padmé to Tatooine to rescue his mother. While there, Anakin learns that Shmi had been freed by and married farmer Cliegg Lars (Jack Thompson) a few years after he left. He then visits Cliegg and learns from him that she was kidnapped by Tusken Raiders. Anakin locates Shmi at a Tusken campsite, where she dies in his arms. Overcome with grief and rage, Anakin massacres the Tusken tribe and returns to the Lars homestead to bury Shmi.[79] Anakin then travels with Padmé to Geonosis to rescue Obi-Wan from Sith Lord Count Dooku (Christopher Lee). Dooku captures the trio and sentences them to death. However, a battalion of Jedi arrives with an army of clone troopers 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. After being rescued by Yoda, Anakin is fitted with a robotic arm and marries Padmé in a secret ceremony.

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 (voiced by Matthew Wood). The two Jedi battle Count Dooku, whom Anakin overpowers and decapitates in cold blood at Palpatine's urging. They rescue Palpatine and return to Coruscant. Anakin reunites with Padmé, who tells him that she is pregnant. Although initially excited, Anakin soon begins to have nightmares about Padmé dying in childbirth.[79] Palpatine also appoints Anakin to the Jedi Council as his personal representative. Suspicious of Palpatine, the Council allows Anakin as a member, but declines to grant him the rank of Jedi Master and instead instructs him to spy on Palpatine, shaking Anakin's faith in the Jedi. Later, Palpatine reveals to Anakin that he is the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, the mastermind of the war, and says that only he has the power to save Padmé from dying. Anakin reports Palpatine's treachery to Jedi Master Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson), who confronts and subdues the Sith Lord. Desperate to save Padmé, Anakin intervenes on Palpatine's behalf and severs Windu's hand, allowing Palpatine to kill him. Anakin then pledges himself to the Sith, and Palpatine dubs him Darth Vader.[79]

On Palpatine's orders, Vader leads the 501st Legion to kill everyone in the Jedi Temple, including the children, and then goes to the volcanic planet Mustafar to assassinate the Separatist Council. After learning what her husband has done, a distraught Padmé goes to Mustafar and pleads with Vader to abandon the dark side, but he refuses. Sensing Obi-Wan's presence, and thinking that they are conspiring to kill him, Vader angrily uses the Force to strangle Padmé to unconsciousness. Obi-Wan engages Vader in a lightsaber duel that ends with Obi-Wan severing Vader's limbs and leaving him for dead on the banks of a lava flow, where Vader catches fire and sustains severe burns. Palpatine finds a barely alive Vader and takes him to Coruscant, where his mutilated body is treated and covered in the black suit first depicted in the original trilogy. When Vader asks if Padmé is safe, Palpatine says that he killed her out of anger, and Vader screams in agony. At the end of the film, Vader supervises the construction of the first Death Star alongside Palpatine and Tarkin (Wayne Pygram).

Jake Lloyd played Anakin Skywalker as a child in The Phantom Menace, while Hayden Christensen played him as a young adult in the following two films. James Earl Jones reprised his role as the voice of Vader in Revenge of the Sith.

Sequel trilogy[edit]

Thirty years after the Galactic Civil War, Darth Vader's melted helmet appears in The Force Awakens (2015), in which Vader's grandson Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) – who has followed in his grandfather's footsteps by falling to the dark side and betraying the Jedi – is seen addressing him, though Vader does not appear in the film.[f] At one point, his helmet was considered as the film's MacGuffin.[81] The helmet appears again in The Rise of Skywalker (2019), when Kylo briefly meditates with it, and during the film's first duel between Kylo and Rey (Daisy Ridley). The helmet is last seen on the planet Kijimi, which is later destroyed by a Sith Star Destroyer. The film also reveals that the voice which Ren perceived coming from Vader's helmet in The Force Awakens was generated by a resurrected Palpatine.

In The Rise of Skywalker, Anakin makes a vocal cameo appearance, along with other "voices of Jedi Past", where he encourages Rey to "bring back the balance... as [he] did" before she faces Palpatine and his Sith forces.[82][83] Palpatine uses the voice of Darth Vader to telepathically speak to Ren.

He is voiced by James Earl Jones as Vader and Hayden Christensen as Anakin.

Other Star Wars films[edit]

The Clone Wars (film)[edit]

In the 2008 3D animated film The Clone Wars, Yoda (voiced by Tom Kane) assigns Ahsoka Tano (voiced by Ashley Eckstein) as Anakin's Padawan apprentice, a responsibility Anakin is at first reluctant to accept. Anakin calls her "Snips" for her "snippy" attitude, while Ahsoka calls him "Skyguy" as a pun on his surname.[79] 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.

He is voiced by Matt Lanter.

Rogue One[edit]

In the anthology film Rogue One (2016), Darth Vader makes an appearance in which he summons Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn), the Imperial Director of Advanced Weapons Research, to his castle on Mustafar. He confronts him about his handling of the Death Star project and the destruction of Jedha City, while Krennic asks Vader for an audience with the Emperor regarding the Death Star, which he lost command of to Tarkin. Vader refuses, ordering him to ensure that the Death Star project has not been compromised.[84] When Krennic asks him if he would still regain command of the Death Star, Vader uses the Force to choke him, telling him, "Be careful not to choke on your aspirations, Director."[85] At the end of the film, Vader boards the disabled Rebel flagship, the MC75 Star Cruiser Profundity, with a cadre of 501st Legion troopers 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.

Darth Vader had a much different role in early versions of the film's story. Screenwriter Gary Whitta stated that in his initial pitch, Vader would appear on Scarif and slaughter the Rebel blockade there.[86] In an earlier storyline, Vader would also have killed Krennic for his failure to prevent the Rebels from stealing the Death Star plans.[87] An image of a deleted scene featuring Vader was revealed in February 2021 by Industrial Light & Magic visual effects animator Hal Hickel, who added that Vader was supposed to have a conversation with Tarkin in that scene.[88]

James Earl Jones also reprises his role from previous films as the voice of Darth Vader, who is physically portrayed by Spencer Wilding during the meeting with Krennic and aboard the Star Destroyer, and by Daniel Naprous for the end scene.

Television series[edit]

Clone Wars (2003–2005)[edit]

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 (voiced by Nick Jameson) influence. Among other missions, he fights a duel with Dooku's apprentice Asajj Ventress (voiced by Grey DeLisle), helps Obi-Wan (voiced by James Arnold Taylor) capture a Separatist-controlled fortress and rescues Jedi Master Saesee Tiin (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker) during a space battle. During the third season, Anakin frees a planet's indigenous species from Separatist control and sees a cryptic vision of his future as Darth Vader. In the series finale, Anakin and Obi-Wan go on a mission to rescue Palpatine from General Grievous, leading to the opening of Revenge of the Sith.

He is voiced by Mat Lucas as an adult and Frankie Ryan Mariquez as a child.

The Clone Wars (2008–2014, 2020)[edit]

Anakin is a lead character in all seasons of The Clone Wars. As a Jedi Knight, he leads the 501st Legion on missions with both his master Obi-Wan and apprentice Ahsoka Tano throughout the war. 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.[89] Throughout the series there are several references to Anakin's eventual fall to the dark side, including visions of his future as Darth Vader in the third season, and disillusion with the Jedi Council after they wrongly accuse Ahsoka of bombing the Jedi Temple in the fifth season. While she is later forgiven after the true culprit is found, she nonetheless chooses to leave the Jedi Order.[90] Anakin appears as Vader in the final scene of the series finale, set some time after Revenge of the Sith. He investigates the crash site of the Venator-class Star Destroyer Tribunal, which was destroyed during Order 66. Finding one of Ahsoka's lightsabers among the wreckage, Vader assumes that his former Padawan has perished and leaves in silence.

Matt Lanter reprised his role as Anakin from the movie.

Rebels (2014–2018)[edit]

Darth Vader appears in Star Wars Rebels, which takes place 14 years after The Clone Wars concluded. He makes minor appearances throughout the first season, and serves as the main antagonist for most of the second season.[91]

At the beginning of the series, Vader leads a squadron of Force-sensitive Imperial Inquisitors who actively search for and kill any remaining Jedi and Force-sensitive children. In the first season, he dispatches the Grand Inquisitor to hunt a Rebel cell causing trouble for the Empire on Lothal, and personally arrives on Lothal to deal with the Rebel threat after the Inquisitor is killed.

In the second-season premiere, Vader orchestrates the murder of Imperial Minister Maketh Tua, who tried to defect to the Rebellion, and confronts the Jedi Kanan Jarrus and Ezra Bridger. When he later attacks the fleet of the Phoenix Squadron, Vader discovers that Ahsoka is still alive and has joined the Rebel Alliance,[92] while Ahsoka is overwhelmed when she recognizes Anakin under "a layer of hate" in Darth Vader. The Emperor orders Vader to dispatch another Inquisitor to capture her.[93] 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 while Ahsoka's fate is left unknown. 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 that exists outside of time and space. Shortly afterward, Vader's voice (archival audio from Return of the Jedi) is heard echoing in the void.

Matt Lanter reprised his role from The Clone Wars as Anakin and James Earl Jones as Vader. Both Lanter and Jones contributed their voices for the second-season finale, at times with identical dialogue spoken by both actors blended together in different ways.

Forces of Destiny (2017–2018)[edit]

Anakin Skywalker appears in multiple episodes of the 2D animated online micro-series Forces of Destiny[94] with Matt Lanter reprising his role.

Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022)[edit]

Hayden Christensen returned as Darth Vader, both in and out of armor, in the Disney+ streaming series Obi-Wan Kenobi[95] with Dimitrious Bistrevesky serving as performance artist for the character, while James Earl Jones returns to voice the character. The series reveals that for a decade after their duel on Mustafar, Obi-Wan believed his fallen apprentice to be dead, only for the Imperial Inquisitor Reva (Moses Ingram) to reveal to him that Anakin Skywalker is alive.[96] After Reva draws out Kenobi, Vader begins hunting his former master, seeking to exact revenge on Kenobi for the injuries he inflicted upon him back on Mustafar. Christensen also returns in flashback sequences, both as a newly minted Darth Vader carrying out the massacre at the Jedi Temple, and as Padawan Anakin Skywalker, training with Kenobi in the years preceding the Clone Wars.

Ahsoka (2023)[edit]

In October 2021, The Hollywood Reporter reported that, according to undisclosed sources, Christensen would reprise his role as Anakin in the Ahsoka series, which is set after the original trilogy.[97] Industrial Light and Magic used "de-aging" technology to make the 42-year-old Christensen look the same age as Anakin was in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith.[98]

In Ahsoka, Anakin is a spirit in the Force, appearing to his former apprentice, Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson), in the World Between Worlds, an ethereal realm that exists outside of time and space.[99] He leads her through visions of their shared past together, from training her and fighting alongside her in the Clone Wars to her exile from the Jedi Order and his own fall to the dark side.[100]

Video games[edit]

Darth Vader and Anakin Skywalker have appeared in a number of Star Wars since the earliest days of the franchise, though rarely as a playable character. He plays a central role in the Legends game Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (2008), where he is playable in the first level and later serves as the penultimate boss (and potentially the final boss as well, if the player chooses the Dark Side ending). He also appears in the sequel, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II (2010), as the final boss.

Darth Vader makes a minor appearance at the end of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (2019), after the main antagonist, the Second Sister, is defeated. Vader kills the Second Sister for her failure to secure a Jedi Holocron that could lead the Empire to a number of Force-sensitive children, and then attempts to take the Holocron himself from the protagonist, Cal Kestis, who barely manages to escape from him. Vader returns as a boss in the sequel, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (2023), where he leads an Imperial assault on a Jedi hideout on the planet Jedha and duels Cere Junda, whom he manages to slay after a prolonged battle.

Both Darth Vader and Anakin Skywalker have appeared as playable characters in every Lego Star Wars video game to date, most recently in The Skywalker Saga.[101]

A bird version of Darth Vader, represented by Red, appears as a playable character and a boss in Angry Birds Star Wars and its sequel. In both games, he can use the Force to attract blocks and other objects, which are then fired out at various angles.[102]

Darth Vader is also a playable character and boss in Disney Infinity 3.0,[103] and is available as a playable character to unlock for a limited time in Disney Magic Kingdoms.[104]

In video games, Darth Vader is often voiced by Scott Lawrence or Matt Sloan, while Anakin is voiced by Mat Lucas and Matt Lanter.[citation needed]

Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR series[edit]

Main article: Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series

At the 2015 Star Wars Celebration, it was announced David S. Goyer was helping to develop a virtual reality game series based on Darth Vader. As an observer with limited influence, the player is able to walk, pick up, push and open things, and possibly affect the story.[105] The game, titled Vader Immortal, is set between Revenge of the Sith and Rogue One and comprises three episodes, the first of which became available with the launch of the Oculus Quest on May 21, 2019,[106] while the last was released on November 21, 2019.[107] The game was later ported to the Oculus Rift. On August 25, 2020, all three episodes were also released on PlayStation VR.[108]

Canon literature[edit]

Star Wars: Lords of the Sith was one of the first four canon novels to be released in 2014 and 2015.[109] In it, Vader and Palpatine find themselves hunted by revolutionaries on the Twi'lek planet Ryloth.[110][62]

Comics[edit]

See also: Star Wars comics

In 2015, Marvel released a 25-issue series called Darth Vader (2015–16),[111] written by Kieron Gillen. It focuses on the Sith lord in the aftermath of the Death Star's destruction, as well as his life after learning about his son's existence,[112] and introduces franchise fan favorite character Doctor Aphra.[113] This series takes place parallel to the comic book series Star Wars, in which Vader and Luke meet;[114] the two series have a crossover titled Vader Down.[115] A continuation set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi debuted in 2020, written by Greg Pak.[116] The first few issues deal with Vader carrying out his revenge on those who concealed Luke; he also visits Padmé's tomb on Naboo and encounters her handmaidens.[117] A subsequent story arc depicts Vader being tested by the Emperor and incorporates elements created for The Rise of Skywalker.[118][119]

The five-issue limited series Obi-Wan & Anakin (2016), 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".[120]

Between 2017 and 2018, Soule wrote a prequel-era series, also called Darth Vader (sometimes subtitled Dark Lord of the Sith). It begins immediately after Vader wakes up in his armor at the end of Revenge of the Sith and explores his emotional transformation upon learning of Padmé'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).[121] Its final arc, which deals with the construction of Vader's fortress on Mustafar, implies that Palpatine used the Force to conceive Anakin in utero,[122] as some had theorized that Revenge of the Sith indicates.[123][g] A Lucasfilm story group member later clarified that "This is all in Anakin's head".[125][h]

A five-issue limited series written by Dennis Hopeless, Vader: Dark Visions, was released in 2019. According to Marvel, the series "sheds new light on the many sides of the galaxy's greatest villain".[126] Vader Down writer Jason Aaron wrote part of the upcoming anthology miniseries Darth Vader: Black, White & Red, an extension of a Marvel event highlighting fan-favorite characters.[127]

Legends[edit]

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.[109][128]

Books[edit]

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 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.[77] Shadows of the Empire (1996) reveals that Vader is conflicted about trying to turn his son to the dark side, and knows deep down that he still has good in him.

Vader's supposedly indestructible glove is the MacGuffin of the young-reader's book The Glove of Darth Vader (1992). 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 Anakin for his crimes and banishes 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. Greg Bear's 2000 novel Rogue Planet and Jude Watson's 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 as he hunts down surviving Jedi and cements his position in the Empire.

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 turned to the dark side—uses the Force to envision Vader slaughtering the children at the Jedi Temple.

Vader also appears in a series of tongue-in-cheek children's books by Jeffrey Brown.[129] 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[edit]

Vader appears in several comic books such as Marvel Comics' Star Wars (1977–1986). In Dark Empire II, he is revealed to have had a castle on the planet Vjun.[130] Anakin Skywalker is a major character in Dark Horse Comics' Star Wars: Republic series (1998–2006). In Boba Fett: Enemy of the Empire (1999), Vader hires Fett a few years before the events of A New Hope. In Vader's Quest (1999), set soon after A New Hope, the dark lord encounters Luke for the first time.[i] Star Wars: Empire (2002–2005) spans from about a year before A New Hope to several months afterwards. Anakin and Vader appear in the non-canonical Star Wars Tales (1999–2005); in the story Resurrection, Darth Maul is resurrected and faces Vader in battle.[132]

Vader-centric comics released and set just after Revenge of the Sith include Dark Times (2006–2013), Darth Vader and the Lost Command (2011), Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison (2012), and Darth Vader and the Cry of Shadows (2013–14).

Other[edit]

The Star Wars Holiday Special, a television special broadcast by CBS in 1978, features a brief appearance of 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.[133]

The character appears in various Lego Star Wars shorts, voiced by Matt Sloan as Vader and by Kirby Morrow as Anakin.

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.[134][135]

Vader appears in Star Tours – The Adventures Continue, where he is once again voiced by Jones.[136]

Darth Vader has also appeared in non-Star Wars video games as a guest character, for example Soulcalibur IV (2008). An action figure of Vader comes to life alongside RoboCop and Jurassic Park toys in The Indian in the Cupboard (1995).[137] Vader also had a brief cameo in Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009), in which he and Oscar the Grouch try unsuccessfully to join the army formed by Ivan the Terrible, Napoleon and Al Capone.[138][139]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Attributed to multiple references:
    [6][7][8][9]
  2. ^ Originally titled Star Wars, it was later retitled Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope.
  3. ^ Canon novels include:
    Canon comics include:
    • Star Wars [64]
    • Darth Vader [65]
    • Vader Down [66]
    • Obi-Wan & Anakin [67]
    • Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith [68]
    • Vader: Dark Visions [69]
    • Star Wars: Darth Vader [70]
    • Darth Vader: Black, White & Red [71]
  4. ^ Legends novels include:
    Legends comics include:
  5. ^ Later titled Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope
  6. ^ This was due to his demise in Return of the Jedi when he sacrifices his life for his son, Luke Skywalker.
  7. ^ 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 tells Anakin upon his fall to the dark side, "I arranged for your conception. I used the power of the Force to will the midi-chlorians to start the cell divisions that created you. ... You could almost think of me as your father."[122][124]
  8. ^ Soule elaborated that "The Dark Side is not a reliable narrator."[125]
  9. ^ In Marvel's 1977 series, Vader learns Luke's surname from a Rebel deserter, before later obtaining his first name.[131] Vader's Quest sees him learning Luke's surname from a captured Rebel. In 2013's Star Wars, Vader hears Luke's name in a vision of his duel with Kenobi on the Death Star. In the current comic canon, Boba Fett tells Vader Luke's surname.[112]

References[edit]

Citations[edit]

  1. ^ Hidalgo & Sansweet 2008c, p. 167.
  2. ^ "Anakin Skywalker". StarWars.com. Archived from the original on April 20, 2020. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
  3. ^ "Darth Vader". StarWars.com. Archived from the original on June 19, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
  4. ^ Hidalgo & Sansweet 2008c, p. 163.
  5. ^ Shkoukani, Emily. "Like Grandfather, Like Grandson". StarWars.com. Archived from the original on May 9, 2024. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  6. ^ Diaz, Jesus (July 31, 2018). "How Darth Vader became the most iconic evil figure in film history". Fast Company. Archived from the original on April 2, 2024. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  7. ^ "Darth Vader – #1 Top 100 Villain". IGN. Archived from the original on November 9, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
  8. ^ Shea, Andrea (February 18, 2008). "Darth Vader: The Tragic Man Behind the Mask". NPR. Archived from the original on April 1, 2024. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
  9. ^ Warmann, Amon (February 28, 2024). "Hayden Christensen: The Master Of The Dark Side Speaks". Empire. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
  10. ^ a b Casey, Dan (2015). "Ralph McQuarrie, the Conceptual Mastermind". 100 Things Star Wars Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die. Triumph Books. ISBN 978-1-63319-345-1. Archived from the original on January 15, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
  11. ^ "The Old Master: Ralph McQuarrie on Designing Star Wars". Star Wars Insider (76). June 2004.
  12. ^ "Ralph McQuarrie's Most Memorable Masterpieces". StarWars.com. August 16, 2016. Archived from the original on June 22, 2017. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
  13. ^ Gilbey, Ryan (November 1, 2017). "John Mollo obituary: Star Wars costume designer who dressed Darth Vader". The Guardian. Archived from the original on March 30, 2019. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
  14. ^ "Insider Excerpt: Vader Sculptor Brian Muir". StarWars.com. March 24, 2010. Archived from the original on August 9, 2011.
  15. ^ Rinzler 2010b.
  16. ^ O'Reilly, Terry (January 5, 2017). "The Crazy World of Trademarks". Under the Influence. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on January 6, 2017. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
  17. ^ Edwards, Gavin (June 2, 2005). "George Lucas and the Cult of Darth Vader". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 27, 2024. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
  18. ^ Rinzler 2007, p. 564.
  19. ^ Jones, Brian Jay (2016). George Lucas: A Life. New York City: Little, Brown and Company. p. 213. ISBN 978-0-316-25744-2.
  20. ^ Llana, Sara Miller (December 16, 2015). "Darth Vader or Dark Vador? France gives Star Wars a Gallic twist". The Christian Science Monitor. Archived from the original on March 28, 2024. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
  21. ^ "Z6PO? How the French originally translated the names of Star Wars characters". The Local France. May 4, 2017. Archived from the original on March 29, 2024. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  22. ^ Frati, Lorenzo. "La Guerra delle stelle: Il doppiaggio e l'adattamento italiano di Star Wars del '77". Star Wars Athenaeum (in Italian). Archived from the original on February 24, 2016. Retrieved November 21, 2018.
  23. ^ Holdsworth, Nick (August 31, 2015). "Icelandic Capital to Rename Street After Darth Vader". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 28, 2024. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
  24. ^ Young, Bryan (January 21, 2014). "The Cinema Behind Star Wars: Battle of the Bulge". StarWars.com. Archived from the original on September 21, 2020. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  25. ^ McLellan, Dennis (April 24, 2009). "Ken Annakin dies at 94; British director of 'Swiss Family Robinson' and others". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. Archived from the original on April 27, 2009. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
  26. ^ Serratore, Angela (July 25, 2019). "What You Need to Know About the Manson Family Murders". Smithsonian Magazine. Archived from the original on August 18, 2020. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  27. ^ Hedash, Kara (February 18, 2020). "Star Wars: Here's Why George Lucas Changed Luke Skywalker's Original Name". ScreenRant. Archived from the original on November 5, 2022. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  28. ^ Rinzler 2008, p. 191.
  29. ^ "Within a Minute" (2005). Star Wars: Episode III—Revenge of the Sith DVD documentary.
  30. ^ "David Prowse, the Towering Figure Behind the Armor of Darth Vader, Passes Away". StarWars.com. November 29, 2020. Archived from the original on March 29, 2024. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  31. ^ O'Connell, Mikey (January 2, 2012). "'Darth Vader' Swordsman Bob Anderson Dies at 89". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 24, 2024. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  32. ^ a b Lucas, George (2004). Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope DVD Commentary (DVD). 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.
  33. ^ Russo, Tom. "The Force Wasn't With Them". Premiere. Archived from the original on May 8, 2006. Retrieved October 3, 2006.
  34. ^ Montine, Olivia (February 11, 2019). "Orson Welles Almost Played Darth Vader in Star Wars". Mental Floss. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  35. ^ Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy (DVD). 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. 2004.
  36. ^ a b Nathan, Ian (May 20, 2020). "The Empire Strikes Back at 40: The making of a Star Wars classic". Empire. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  37. ^ Ross, Dalton (September 16, 2004). "10 things we learned from the Star Wars DVDs". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 22, 2016. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  38. ^ Rinzler 2010a, p. 1595.
  39. ^ Parker, Ryan (June 13, 2022). "'Obi-Wan Kenobi' Star Hayden Christensen Explores His Latest Darth Vader Incarnation and Talks Anakin's (Much-Memed) Sand Feelings". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 6, 2024. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  40. ^ John, Derek (December 18, 2015). "That Time NPR Turned 'Star Wars' Into A Radio Drama — And It Actually Worked". NPR. Archived from the original on June 20, 2016. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  41. ^ "Scott Lawrence (visual voices guide)". Behind the Voice Actors. Archived from the original on April 8, 2024. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
  42. ^ "Matt Sloan (visual voices guide)". Behind the Voice Actors. Archived from the original on November 27, 2019. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  43. ^ Butler, Tom (December 14, 2016). "Rogue One: Why it took multiple actors to play Darth Vader (exclusive)". Yahoo Movies. Archived from the original on December 16, 2016. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
  44. ^ Child, Ben (November 17, 2023). "The 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special was genuinely dire – how on earth did it happen?". The Guardian. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  45. ^ "Darth Vader Voice – Star Wars Rebels (TV Show)". Behind the Voice Actors. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  46. ^ Frost, Caroline (September 24, 2022). "James Earl Jones Signs Over Rights To Voice Of Darth Vader, Signalling Retirement From Legendary Role". Deadline. Archived from the original on September 24, 2022. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  47. ^ Brezincan, Anthony (September 23, 2022). "Darth Vader's Voice Emanated From War-Torn Ukraine". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on September 23, 2022. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  48. ^ Rinzler 2013, pp. 582, 628.
  49. ^ Rinzler 2013, p. 582.
  50. ^ Rinzler 2013, p. 634.
  51. ^ Pirani, Adam (July 1987). "Sebastian Shaw: The Return of Anakin Skywalker". Starlog. Vol. 11, no. 120. pp. 56–57, 96.
  52. ^ Young, Bryan (October 4, 2023). "Ahsoka Made George Lucas's Most Controversial Star Wars Change Pay Off". SlashFilm. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  53. ^ "Star Wars Episode I Production Notes: The Actors and Characters – Part I". StarWars.com. May 1, 1999. Archived from the original on October 23, 2004. Retrieved November 9, 2016.
  54. ^ "Star Wars Episode I Production Notes: The Actors and Characters – Part II". StarWars.com. May 1, 1999. Archived from the original on October 23, 2004. Retrieved April 5, 2009.
  55. ^ "The Man (Literally) Behind C-3PO". StarWars.com. November 2, 1999. Archived from the original on November 2, 2007. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
  56. ^ "Robin Gurland – Don't Call Her; She'll Call You". StarWars.com. Archived from the original on June 28, 2011. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
  57. ^ "Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003 TV Show)". Behind the Voice Actors. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  58. ^ "Kirby Morrow (visual voices guide)". Behind the Voice Actors. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  59. ^ "Matt Lanter (visual voices guide)". Behind the Voice Actors. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
  60. ^ Star Wars Celebration Europe 2016 (July 15, 2016). Ahsoka's Untold Tales Panel. YouTube. Event occurs at 59m25s. Archived from the original on July 31, 2016. Retrieved July 16, 2016.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  61. ^ Keane, Sean (November 3, 2014). "REVIEW: Star Wars: Tarkin brings us into the Empire's dark heart". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on December 23, 2021. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
  62. ^ a b Goldman, Eric (May 9, 2015). "Star Wars: Lords of the Sith Review". IGN. Archived from the original on June 6, 2016. Retrieved May 18, 2024. Cite error: The named reference "IGN" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  63. ^ Liptak, Andrew (July 25, 2018). "Star Wars Author Timothy Zahn on Thrawn: Alliances and Toxic Fandom". The Verge. Archived from the original on May 23, 2019. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
  64. ^ "Luke Skywalker Comes Face to Face with Darth Vader in Marvel's Star Wars #75 – Exclusive". StarWars.com. November 13, 2019. Archived from the original on July 26, 2020. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  65. ^ "Darth Vader (2015 – present) | Comics". Marvel. Archived from the original on February 20, 2016. Retrieved December 20, 2016.
  66. ^ Schedeen, Jesse (November 17, 2015). "Star Wars: Vader Down #1 Review". IGN. Archived from the original on July 12, 2017. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
  67. ^ Brooks, Dan (October 12, 2015). "Obi-Wan & Anakin Interview with Charles Soule". StarWars.com. Archived from the original on July 30, 2016. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
  68. ^ Brooks, Dan (March 10, 2017). "In Marvel's New Darth Vader Series, We Will See the Sith Lord's Rise, the Construction of His Lightsaber, and More". StarWars.com. Archived from the original on November 10, 2017. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
  69. ^ "Star Wars: Vader – Dark Visions (2019) #1 | Comic Issues". Marvel Entertainment. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  70. ^ "Star Wars: Darth Vader (2020 - Present)". Marvel. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  71. ^ "Star Wars: Darth Vader - Black, White & Red (2023) #1". Marvel Entertainment. Archived from the original on October 3, 2023. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  72. ^ "Star Wars: Vader's Quest (1999)". Marvel. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
  73. ^ Tardive, Ambrose (October 25, 2023). "The 5 Best Stories From the Legends-Era Star Wars: Tales Anthology". ScreenRant. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
  74. ^ "Star Wars: Empire (2002 - 2006)". Marvel. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
  75. ^ "Star Wars: Dark Times". Marvel. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
  76. ^ Dinsdale, Ryan (May 4, 2023). "The Star Wars Canon: The Definitive Guide". IGN. Archived from the original on May 3, 2024. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  77. ^ a b "Darth Vader". Star Wars Databank. Lucasfilm. Archived from the original on November 8, 2010. Retrieved August 12, 2010.
  78. ^ a b c d e f g h "Darth Vader". StarWars.com. Archived from the original on June 19, 2022. Retrieved September 23, 2016.
  79. ^ a b c d e f g h "Anakin Skywalker". StarWars.com. Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved September 23, 2016.
  80. ^ Houghton, David (May 4, 2016). "George Lucas nearly wrote a perfect prequel trilogy. He just didn't notice". Gamesradar. Archived from the original on March 31, 2017. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
  81. ^ Szostak, Phil (2015). The Art of 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'. New York City: Abrams Books. p. 79. ISBN 978-1-4197-1780-2.
  82. ^ Breznican, Anthony; Robinson, Joanna (December 20, 2019). "25 Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Cameos You Might Have Missed". Vanity Fair. New York City: Condé Nast. Archived from the original on December 1, 2020. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  83. ^ Miller, Matt (December 21, 2019). "How Palpatine Returned In 'The Rise of Skywalker'". Esquire. New York City: Hearst Magazines. Archived from the original on December 25, 2019. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  84. ^ Agar, Chris (December 16, 2016). "Star Wars: Darth Vader's Rogue One Role Explained". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on November 4, 2022.
  85. ^ Leadbeater, Alex (December 21, 2016). "Darth Vader's Rogue One Pun Was Very Much In Character". Screen Rant. Montreal, Quebec, Canada: Valnet, Inc. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020.
  86. ^ Stone, Sam (July 24, 2018). "Darth Vader's Role in Rogue One Was Almost Very Different". Comic Book Resources. Montreal, Quebec, Canada: Valnet, Inc. Archived from the original on January 25, 2021.
  87. ^ Breznican, Anthony (March 21, 2017). "'Rogue One' Almost Featured a Bonus Scene With Darth Vader — Killing a Major Character". Entertainment Weekly. New York City: Time, Inc. Archived from the original on January 13, 2021.
  88. ^ Dumaraog, Ana (February 2, 2021). "Rogue One's Deleted Darth Vader Death Star Scene Image Revealed". Screen Rant. Montreal, Quebec, Canada: Valnet, Inc. Archived from the original on February 3, 2021.
  89. ^ Davis, Lauren (December 16, 2015). "Why Ahsoka Tano Is the Best Thing to Happen to Star Wars in 20 Years". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on December 4, 2021. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  90. ^ "This Week in The Clone Wars: Anakin Meets Darth Vader". Wired. February 11, 2011. Archived from the original on November 20, 2016. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
  91. ^ Fowler, Matt (October 2, 2014). "Everything You Need To Know About Star Wars Rebels". IGN. San Francisco, California: j2Global. Archived from the original on September 19, 2016. Retrieved September 23, 2016.
  92. ^ Keane, Sean. "Star Wars Rebels Season 2 premiere Recap: The 'Siege of Lothal' begins as a Sith Lord tightens his grip". nydailynews.com. Archived from the original on June 16, 2018. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
  93. ^ Brooks, Dan (August 30, 2016). "Fates Fulfilled: Dave Filoni Reflects on Star Wars Rebels Season Two, Part 1". StarWars.com. Archived from the original on December 4, 2021. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
  94. ^ Breznican, Anthony (April 13, 2017). "Star Wars highlights female heroes in Forces of Destiny". Entertainment Weekly. New York City: Meredith Corporation. Archived from the original on July 3, 2018. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
  95. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 10, 2020). "'Obi-Wan' Disney+ Series: Hayden Christensen Returning As Darth Vader". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 10, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  96. ^ Taylor, Drew (May 27, 2022). "'Obi-Wan Kenobi' Episodes 1 and 2 Recap: Unexpected Characters and Brand New Worlds". www.thewrap.com. The Wrap. Archived from the original on May 27, 2022. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
  97. ^ Kit, Borys (October 22, 2021). "Hayden Christensen Returning to Star Wars With 'Ahsoka' Series (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 22, 2021. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
  98. ^ Bacon, Thomas (October 22, 2023). "Hayden Christensen's Anakin Skywalker De-Aging Explained By VFX Artists". Screen Rant. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  99. ^ Coggan, Devan (September 5, 2023). "Ahsoka sees the return of a major Star Wars character". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  100. ^ Walsh, Michael (September 13, 2023). "What Happened Between Anakin and Ahsoka in the World Between Worlds". Nerdist. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  101. ^ "Every Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga Playable Character Revealed So Far". Game Rant. March 16, 2021. Archived from the original on February 12, 2022. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  102. ^ "[Update] The ultimate guide to Angry Birds Star Wars II – walkthroughs, achievements, items". PocketGamer. October 7, 2014. Archived from the original on June 17, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  103. ^ Robertson, Andy (May 8, 2015). "Everything We Know About 'Disney Infinity 3.0' 'Star Wars'". Forbes. Archived from the original on March 11, 2016. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
  104. ^ "Update 49: STAR WARS™ Episode IV: A New Hope | Livestream". YouTube. April 16, 2021. Archived from the original on October 17, 2022. Retrieved October 18, 2022.
  105. ^ "A Star Wars film based on Darth Vader is on the way". The Independent. July 17, 2016. Archived from the original on November 11, 2017. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
  106. ^ Kris, Holt (April 12, 2019). "'Star Wars' VR game 'Vader Immortal' teases story details in trailer". Engadget. Archived from the original on April 28, 2019. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
  107. ^ "Vader Immortal: Episode III". Oculus.com. November 21, 2019. Archived from the original on March 4, 2020. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  108. ^ Vincent, James (August 25, 2020). "Vader Immortal, a former Oculus exclusive, is available now on PlayStation VR". The Verge. Archived from the original on August 29, 2020. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  109. ^ a b "Disney and Random House announce relaunch of Star Wars Adult Fiction line". StarWars.com. April 25, 2014. Archived from the original on May 14, 2016. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  110. ^ Keane, Sean (April 28, 2015). "REVIEW: Star Wars: Lords of the Sith throws Darth Vader and the Emperor onto the battlefield". Daily News. New York City: Tribune Publishing. Archived from the original on August 8, 2016. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
  111. ^ "Darth Vader (2015 – present) | Comics". Marvel. Archived from the original on February 20, 2016. Retrieved December 20, 2016.
  112. ^ a b Schedeen, Jesse (June 3, 2015). "Star Wars Delivers Huge Change for Han Solo". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on April 12, 2017. Retrieved December 20, 2016.
  113. ^ Lavorgna, Bria (April 26, 2018). "Doctor Aphra Creator Kieron Gillen, Co-Writer Si Spurrier Discuss What's Next for the Fan Favorite". StarWars.com. San Francisco, California: Lucasfilm. Archived from the original on May 3, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  114. ^ "Luke Skywalker Comes Face to Face with Darth Vader in Marvel's Star Wars #75 – Exclusive". StarWars.com. November 13, 2019. Archived from the original on July 26, 2020. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  115. ^ Schedeen, Jesse (November 17, 2015). "Star Wars: Vader Down #1 Review". IGN. San Francisco, California: j2 Global. Archived from the original on July 12, 2017. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
  116. ^ Celestino, Mike (February 5, 2020). "Comic Review – "Star Wars: Darth Vader" (2020) #1". Laughing Place. Archived from the original on February 29, 2020. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  117. ^ "The Sith Lord's Quest Leads to Padmé's Tomb in Darth Vader #4 – Exclusive". StarWars.com. August 5, 2020. Archived from the original on August 16, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  118. ^ McGuire, Liam (August 25, 2021). "Star Wars: Darth Vader's Sith Assassin Was His Deadliest Sidekick". ScreenRant. Archived from the original on November 4, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  119. ^ Bradley, Ryan (November 12, 2020). "Star Wars: Darth Vader Met Rise of Skywalker's CREEPIEST Unused Monster". CBR. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  120. ^ Brooks, Dan (October 12, 2015). "Obi-Wan & Anakin Interview with Charles Soule". StarWars.com. Archived from the original on July 30, 2016. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
  121. ^ Brooks, Dan (March 10, 2017). "In Marvel's New Darth Vader Series, We Will See the Sith Lord's Rise, the Construction of His Lightsaber, and More". StarWars.com. Archived from the original on November 10, 2017. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
  122. ^ a b Young, Bryan (December 28, 2018). "Does a New 'Star Wars' Comic Book Reveal Darth Vader's Father?". /Film. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved March 17, 2019.
  123. ^ Gunn, Callum (2019). "Star Wars comic finally reveals Anakin's father". Dork Side of the Force. Archived from the original on April 11, 2019. Retrieved March 17, 2019.
  124. ^ Patterson, Jordan (February 23, 2023). "Revenge of the Sith Almost Had a Very Different 'I Am Your Father' Reveal". CBR. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  125. ^ a b Lovett, Jamie (November 14, 2020). "Star Wars: Original Prequel Plans Confirm Fan Theory About Anakin's Father". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
  126. ^ "Star Wars: Vader – Dark Visions (2019) #1 | Comic Issues". Marvel Entertainment. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  127. ^ Baver, Kristin (January 12, 2023). "Marvel's Star Wars: Darth Vader – Black, White & Red Revealed". StarWars.com. Archived from the original on January 13, 2023. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
  128. ^ "The Legendary Star Wars Expanded Universe Turns a New Page". StarWars.com. April 25, 2014. Archived from the original on September 10, 2016. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  129. ^ "Goodnight Darth Vader By Jeffrey Brown – Exclusive Reveal". StarWars.com. February 10, 2014. Archived from the original on May 14, 2016. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  130. ^ Sansweet, Stephen J. (1998). Star Wars Encyclopedia (1st ed.). New York: Ballantine. p. 23. ISBN 0-345-40227-8. OCLC 36960986.
  131. ^ Beard, Jim (June 13, 2019). "The Crucial Darth Vader Moment Not Seen in the Movies". Marvel Entertainment. Archived from the original on July 26, 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  132. ^ d, Tristan (June 8, 2020). "Star Wars: Darth Maul Was Originally Killed (Again) by... Darth Vader!?". CBR. Archived from the original on June 21, 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  133. ^ Hayes, David C. (2015). "The Star Wars Holiday Special". In Rausch, Andrew J.; Riley, R.D. (eds.). Trash Cinema: A Celebration of Overlooked Masterpieces. Albany, Georgia: BearManor Media. Archived from the original on January 15, 2023. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  134. ^ McKinney, Brandon; Kolins, Scott; Wallace, Daniel (1998). Star Wars: the Essential Guide to Planets and Moons. New York City: Ballantine Publishing Group. p. 157. ISBN 978-0-345-42068-8.
  135. ^ John, Derek (December 18, 2015). "That Time NPR Turned 'Star Wars' Into A Radio Drama – And It Actually Worked". NPR.org. NPR. Archived from the original on July 11, 2017. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  136. ^ "James Earl Jones Disney legend". D23. Walt Disney. Archived from the original on January 25, 2020. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  137. ^ Squires, John (March 30, 2017). "Remember When 'Indian in the Cupboard' Brought Together Darth Vader, RoboCop and 'Jurassic Park'?!". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on December 14, 2019. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  138. ^ Sciretta, Peter (April 30, 2009). "New Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian Movie Trailer". /Film. Archived from the original on July 26, 2020. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  139. ^ Castro, Adam-Troy (December 14, 2012). "How'd Darth Vader and Oscar the Grouch end up in Museum 2?". SYFY WIRE. Archived from the original on August 8, 2020. Retrieved February 11, 2020.

Works cited[edit]

  • Hidalgo, Pablo; Sansweet, Stephen (2008a). The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia. Vol. I (First ed.). New York: Del Rey. ISBN 9780345477637.
  • Hidalgo, Pablo; Sansweet, Stephen (2008c). The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia. Vol. III (First ed.). New York: Del Rey. ISBN 9780345477637.
  • Rinzler, J.W. (2013). The Making of Return of the Jedi (eBook v3.1 ed.). New York: Del Rey. ISBN 978-0-345-54358-5.
  • Rinzler, J.W. (2007). The Making of Star Wars: The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film (eBook v3.1 ed.). New York: Del Rey. ISBN 978-0-345-54286-1.
  • Rinzler, J.W. (2008). The Making of Star Wars: The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film (2008 ed.). Ebury Press. ISBN 978-0-09-192499-7.
  • Rinzler, J.W. (2010a). The Making of The Empire Strikes Back (eBook v3.1 ed.). New York: Del Rey. ISBN 978-0-345-54336-3.
  • Rinzler, J.W. (2010b). The Sounds of Star Wars. London: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-0-85720-076-1.


Wikiquote has quotations related to Darth Vader.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Darth Vader.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Darth_Vader&oldid=1227319710"