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| I?M A LOON?????????????????????????????????????DARTH VADAR IS AWSOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!BUMBUMBUMBUMBUM THE EMPIRE HAS STRUCK!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!!??!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!??!!??!?!!?!?!?!?!?1/1??!?!?!?!!?!??!!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!BALHBLAHBLAHLBLHALHALdhasjfdynooi3qwqudrehthtgiuf4uhxeqgwfgrhtuiwdxcv nmklg,fdkdsmjasnd GFAQSWHY4X8CTO6LGYPH U.; L,NKHGYRFHUTI5JKMGJFHYKTL,,BM | |||
| {{SW Character | |||
| |color=Sith | |||
| |bgcolor=#000 | |||
| |fgcolor=#fff | |||
| |name=Darth Vader | |||
| |position=], Imperial Commander-in-Chief (Military Executor) | |||
| |image=] | |||
| |caption=Darth Vader in ''The Empire Strikes Back'' | |||
| |planet=] (since age of three), ] (planet of residence) | |||
| |species=] (]) | |||
| |gender=] | |||
| |height=1.85 meters (6 ft 1 in) adult; 2 meters (6 ft 7 in) augmented | |||
| |weapon=Red ], dark side of ] | |||
| |affiliation=], ], ], ], crew of the ] | |||
| |portrayer=] <small>(]-])</small><br />] <small>(voice, ]-])</small><br />] <small>(Vader unmasked, ])</small><br /> ] <small>(])</small><br>] <small>(])</small> | |||
| }} | |||
| '''Darth Vader''' is a ] character in the '']'' ]. He is a principal character of ], and '']''. In the original trilogy, he was portrayed by ] and a series of stunt doubles, while his voice was supplied by ]. Vader is one of the most fortuidus] ]s in movie history and was ranked third on ]'s ] list.<ref name="afi100">''", ], last accessed ], ].</ref> | |||
| In '']'' and '']'', Vader is depicted as the epitome of ]. He is the cunning, brutal enforcer of the ]'s rule across ]. A ], Vader serves as ]'s right hand, using the ] of ] to mercilessly pursue the ] and the ] to the ends of the galaxy. The ] recounts the heroic rise of ]; in the last of these, ''Revenge of the Sith'', Anakin is compelled to the dark side and transformed into the iconic ] Darth Vader. | |||
| {{spoiler}} | |||
| ==In the ''Star Wars'' movies== | |||
| <!-- | |||
| What follows should NOT be a complete synopsis of the Star Wars movies, but only that which concerns Darth Vader (and to a lesser extent, Anakin, Luke, and Leia), and enough of the story to make those parts coherent. For example, Han Solo and Chewbacca need not be mentioned at all. | |||
| --> | |||
| ===Original trilogy=== | |||
| In ], Darth Vader is the primary antagonist: a dark, ruthless figure, out to capture, ], or kill the ]s to prevent them from thwarting the Empire. | |||
| ====''A New Hope''==== | |||
| ] | |||
| Darth Vader is introduced in '']'' as a dark, menacing figure whose assault team has just taken control of the '']'' (a consular ship in orbit above the planet ]), in an attempt to retrieve plans for the Empire's new weapon, the ], which have been stolen by the ]. Vader makes his first appearance boarding the ship in order to directly assess the situation. Stormtroopers under his command capture ] (]) of ] (who is secretly a leader of the ]), but not before her ]s ] (]) and ] (]) escape with the plans to the planet below. Vader and his forces, with their prisoner, return to their transport, an ], which subsequently destroys the consular ship. | |||
| Below on Tatooine, ] (]) witnesses the destruction of the ship through macro-]. Later, Luke's ] (]) and ] (]) are killed by stormtroopers who were attempting to track down the missing droids, which the family had purchased as farm help. Meanwhile, Luke (who has the missing droids) learns from "Old Ben" Kenobi (])- a local hermit who once went by the name ] - of Vader's apparent role in the death of Luke's father. Luke and the droids, with Kenobi's help, avoid the stormtroopers, and eventually secure passage on board a smuggling ship known as the '']'', intending on delivering the droids (and thus the plans) to the Rebel Alliance. | |||
| Upon arriving at the Death Star, Vader ]s Princess Leia in an attempt to locate the hidden rebel base. | |||
| Later, at a meeting on the Death Star, ] (]) ridicules Vader's "sad devotion" to the Force, saying that it has not helped in finding the plans, or the rebel base. Vader responds by ] the officer, stopping only when Imperial leader ] (]) intervenes. | |||
| Eventually the ''Millennium Falcon'' is captured by the Death Star's ]. After attempting to disable the tractor beam machinery, Kenobi, who Luke has discovered is a ] master, is forced to face Vader in a ] duel. | |||
| While Vader fights Kenobi, eventually striking him down, the other characters use the opportunity to escape with the recently rescued Princess Leia. However Vader had anticipated this eventuality, and had a homing beacon hidden aboard the ''Millennium Falcon'' in order to trace them to the rebel base. | |||
| Using the plans, the Rebel Alliance makes a desperate attempt to destroy the Death Star through a weakness in its design. Vader and his flight team join the defense of the station, intercepting any rebel fighters attempting to exploit the weakness. At the climax of the film, Vader, in his ], is about to destroy Luke's ] en route to destroy the Death Star, when the ''Millennium Falcon'' intervenes sending Vader's fighter hurtling into space, after which, Luke destroys the Death Star. | |||
| ==== ''The Empire Strikes Back'' ==== | |||
| In '']'', Vader is at the forefront of the continuing attempt to suppress the Rebellion, as he orders the fleet to approach the ice world of ] and prepare a full military assault on the hidden rebel base there. ] (]) made the mistake of jumping into the system too close, alerting the rebels to their presence and allowing them to evacuate and escape. While most of the rebels escape to the safety of the rebel fleet, the Millennium Falcon's hyperdrive fails, and after killing Ozzel for his mistake, Vader orders the fleet to pursue the Falcon. | |||
| While in pursuit, Vader receives a new mission from the Emperor (])- to capture Luke Skywalker, the pilot who destroyed the Death Star. Vader suggests that he could be turned to the dark side of the Force, and the Emperor agrees, noting that he could be a "powerful asset". | |||
| Eventually, the Falcon appears and just as quickly disappears, hiding in a blind spot on the back of the tower of a Star Destroyer. Captain Needa (]) takes responsibility for losing them, and apologizes to Vader. After Needa dies at Vader's hand, the fleet disperses and the ''Falcon'' breaks off, escaping by floating away from the Star Destroyer in the midst of its garbage, which it dumped before going into hyperspace. | |||
| Through the aid of a ], ], Vader finds and captures the ''Millenium Falcon''. He tortures Luke's friends, presuming that Luke would be able to sense their suffering through the Force <ref>], Audio Commentary</ref>, essentially using this as bait. This plan works as Luke foresees their suffering and chooses to abandon his training with Jedi Master ] (]) to save them. | |||
| Luke ultimately finds Vader, and they engage in battle. In the end, Vader defeats Luke, cutting off his right hand. Vader then reveals his true identity as Luke's father, and entreats him to turn to the dark side. Although shaken by this stunning claim, Luke refuses to join Vader and instead chooses death by throwing himself down a reactor shaft. However, fate intervenes to allow him to survive and eventually escape. | |||
| ==== ''Return of the Jedi'' ==== | |||
| In '']'', Vader is charged with overseeing the completion of the second Death Star, with ] (]) as his direct subordinate. He meets with Palpatine on board the half-constructed station to plan Luke's turn to the dark side. | |||
| By this time, Luke has nearly completed his Jedi training, and has learned from a dying Yoda that Vader is indeed his father and that Leia is his sister. On a mission to the ], he surrenders to Imperial troops and is brought to Vader. Aboard the Death Star, Luke resists the Emperor's appeals to his anger and fear for his friends, but snaps when Vader ] probes his mind, learns of Leia's existence and threatens to turn her to the dark side instead. Enraged, Luke nearly kills Vader, severing his father's mechanical hand. However, he controls his anger at the last minute as he looks at Vader's mechanical hand and then at his own; he realizes that he is perilously close to suffering his father's fate. As the Emperor approaches, encouraging Luke to finish Vader and take his place, Luke throws down his lightsaber, refusing to perform the killing blow. Seeing that the young Jedi is a lost cause, the Emperor attacks Luke with ]. Luke writhes in agony under the Emperor's assault, begging his father for help. Unable to bear the sight of his son in pain, Vader turns on his master and throws him into a deep shaft, where he explodes in a fury of dark energies. In the process, however, errant bolts of Force lightning struck Vader, shorting out his suit's ] systems. | |||
| ] | |||
| In his dying breaths, Vader begs Luke to remove the hideous breath-mask that has caged his face for more than half his life. Luke complies and, for the first and only time, sees his father's real face — that of a sad, withered man in his mid-40s, ravaged by the dark side, whose sunken eyes look up at his son and back at a lifetime of regret. In death, Anakin Skywalker is finally at peace, having admitted to his son that the good within him was not destroyed after all. Luke barely escapes the doomed battle station before Rebel forces destroy it. Later that night, Luke cremates his father's Sith armor (and whatever remains inside <ref name="body">According to ] of ], the Star Wars Databank entry for Vader , and the script for Return of the Jedi Special Edition, Anakin's body disappears at death in the same way as Obi-Wan's and Yoda's had, though some argue that the movie would have shown his disappearance explicitly if that were the case. The Special Edition script reference that supposedly establishes the disappearance of his body is in text of the scene where Luke cremates his father's armor. The Special Edition script refers to it as empty armor, while the original script refers to it as his father's body. It should also be noted that in the Jedi Academy trilogy '']'' by Kevin J. Anderson, Luke specifically states that his father's body had disappeared in the same way as Yoda's and Obi-Wan's. However, in the commentary for the ''Return of the Jedi'' DVD, Lucas refers to the funeral pyre scene as Luke burning his father's "body."</ref>) in the manner of a Jedi's funeral. During the victory celebration on the forest moon of Endor, Luke is able to see the redeemed spirit of Anakin Skywalker, standing once again with Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi. | |||
| ===Anakin Skywalker (Prequel trilogy)=== | |||
| {{main|Anakin Skywalker}} | |||
| ] | |||
| Following up on the revelation in ''The Empire Strikes Back'' that Vader was once Anakin Skywalker, the ] (consisting of '']'', '']'', and '']'') focus on his life before he became Darth Vader, both his heroic rise and tragic fall. | |||
| ====''The Phantom Menace''==== | |||
| In ''The Phantom Menace'', Anakin (]) is introduced as a nine-year-old boy, living on ] with his mother, ] (]), as a slave to the trader ]. He has no father, and is apparently a ]; it is suggested that he is a creation of the ], but his exact origins are left ambiguous. Even at his young age, he is a gifted pilot and a talented engineer, having built his own protocol droid, ]. He is discovered by Jedi Master ] (]) and his apprentice, the young ] (]), who are convinced that Anakin is the "]" foretold by the prophecy to bring balance to the Force. Qui-Gon wins Anakin's freedom to take him on as an apprentice Jedi (a "padawan learner".) The ] rejects him, however, sensing in him a great deal of fear and anger. Shortly afterward, Qui-Gon is killed in the ], and, in his dying breaths, pleads with Obi-Wan to train the boy. The Council reluctantly approves, and Anakin is apprenticed to Obi-Wan. Palpatine, newly elected as the Republic's Supreme Chancellor, befriends the boy, promising to "watch his career with great interest." | |||
| ====''Attack of the Clones''==== | |||
| In ''Attack of the Clones'', set 10 years after Anakin is initially discovered, he is assigned to protect Senator ] (]) from the ], aka the Separatists. The two eventually fall in love, even though Jedi are forbidden to form emotional attachments. | |||
| After suffering visions of his mother dying in agony, he travels to Tatooine and discovers that his mother has been kidnapped by ]. He finds her, but it is too late; she dies in his arms. Anakin is seized by a violent rage and he slaughters the entire camp, including the women and children. He confesses to Padmé, who forgives him. They later go to ] to save Obi-Wan, who has been kidnapped by the Separatists, but are themselves captured and sentenced to death. Moments from execution, they pledge their love to each other. They are saved at the last moment, however, by a cadre of Jedi reinforcements led by ] (]), who do battle with the Separatists in the opening salvo of the ]. Anakin fights Separatist leader (and fallen Jedi) ] (]), but is easily defeated, losing his right forearm. Back on Coruscant, he is fitted with a ], and marries Padmé in a secret ceremony on Naboo. | |||
| ==== ''Revenge of the Sith'' ==== | |||
| In ''Revenge of the Sith'', which is set three years after ''Attack of the Clones'', Anakin has been made a full-fledged Jedi Knight, and his exploits in the Clone Wars have earned him the title "The Hero With No Fear." | |||
| During the ], Anakin and Obi-Wan attempt to rescue Palpatine from ] (]), a Separatist warlord who has (apparently) ]ped him. In the course of this rescue on Grievous' flagship ''Invisible Hand'', the two confront Count Dooku, a battle in which Obi-Wan is knocked unconscious, consequently forcing Anakin to fight Dooku alone. Anakin gives into his anger and takes both hands off his opponent. At Palpatine's urgings, Anakin kills Dooku in cold blood. Anakin is instantly ]ful, but Palpatine reassures Anakin that Dooku "was too dangerous to be kept alive." | |||
| Anakin returns to Coruscant, where Padmé tells him she is ]. He is initially overjoyed, but is later tormented by prophetic visions of her death in ] — similar to those he had of his mother just before her death. Meanwhile, Palpatine appoints Anakin to the Jedi Council, but the Council, suspicious of Palpatine, in turn denies Anakin the rank of Jedi Master, and asks him to spy on Palpatine. Sensing Anakin's impatience and anger, Palpatine tempts him further with "hidden" secrets of the Force, including the ability to prevent death indefinitely — which could thus save his wife. | |||
| These tempations reach a boiling point when Anakin finally realizes that Palpatine is in fact Darth Sidious, the Sith Lord that the Jedi have been searching for since the beginning of the war. He reports this treachery to Mace Windu, but he then intrudes on Windu's attempt to apprehend an apparently helpless Palpatine. He pleads for his mentor's life, but Windu says the Sith Lord must be immediately destroyed, as he is too politically powerful to receive a fair trial. As Windu is about to kill Palpatine, Anakin cuts off Windu's saber arm, leaving him defenseless for Palpatine's sudden burst of Force lightning, which sends Windu plummeting to his death in the streets of Coruscant. Anakin then pledges himself to the dark side, and is given the ] '''Darth Vader'''. | |||
| =====Anakin Skywalker as Darth Vader===== | |||
| Vader's first task as a Sith Lord is to assault the Jedi Temple with the ] and kill all of the Jedi inside, even the ]s. He does this without question. He is then sent to ] to assassinate ] (]) and the other members of the Separatist Leadership. | |||
| ] on Mustafar]] | |||
| After completing this task, he is met by Padmé, who pleads with him to flee Palpatine's grasp with her. He refuses, saying that he can overthrow Palpatine and the two of them can rule the galaxy together. Obi-Wan, who had hidden himself on Padmé's ship, suddenly emerges and confronts Vader. Suspecting betrayal, Vader angrily uses the Force to choke Padmé, leaving her unconscious on the landing platform. The former partners and friends then engage in a ferocious lightsaber duel throughout the mining complex and onto the banks of a lava river. Vader tries to further pursue his master with a ] despite Obi-Wan's superior positioning. Obi-Wan severs his remaining organic limbs in midair, and leaves him to the "will of the Force." Vader then catches fire, sustaining near-fatal burns and ] damage. He uses his last strength to reach higher ground until he is rescued by Palpatine, who sensed Vader's impending defeat after his own duel with Yoda. | |||
| {{-}} | |||
| ] | |||
| Palpatine revives Vader with extensive cybernetic enhancements, including a respirator, black body armor, and a fearsome breathing mask that alters his weakened voice into an intimidating mechanical ]. Palpatine then tells Vader that, in his anger, he had killed his own wife (Padmé had in fact died in childbirth on ] after delivering healthy twins). Overwhelmed with ] and bitterness by the belief that he had killed his wife (and, presumably, his unborn child), Vader breaks out into a rage which destroys most of the medical droids in the room. Consequently, the only thing that remains in his life is his service to his master, the new Emperor of the galaxy. | |||
| ===Portrayals=== | |||
| During filming of ''A New Hope'', ] played the role of Darth Vader. To his dismay<ref>http://theforce.net/jedicouncil/editorials/012399.asp</ref>, after filming, ] was hired to read Vader's lines over Prowse's performance. Prowse was originally given the choice between the roles of ] and Darth Vader. He chose Darth Vader because he said "people would remember him." Prowse wore the Vader suit and Jones provided Vader's voice for all of the films in the original trilogy. Jones has since been closely identified with the role. | |||
| The character of Darth Vader was also played by several stunt doubles, most notably fencing instructor ]. Anderson handled all of Vader's fight sequences in ''The Empire Strikes Back'' and ''Return of the Jedi''. ] (who portrayed Luke Skywalker in the original trilogy) noted in a 1983 interview in Starlog #72: "Bob Anderson was the man who actually did Vader’s fighting. It was always supposed to be a secret, but I finally told George I didn’t think it was fair any more. Bob worked so hard that he deserves some recognition. It’s ridiculous to preserve the myth that it’s all done by ''one'' man." <ref>http://www.theforce.net/jedicouncil/editorials/012399.shtml</ref> | |||
| In 1978, Jones returned as the voice of Darth Vader (footage of Prowse in the suit is actually unused footage from ''A New Hope'') in '']'', as well as to shoot new footage that was released with the '']'', when it was released in 1996. | |||
| Actor and former ] visual effects artist C. Andrew Nelson has also portrayed Vader at a number of events for ], as well as the video games '']'' and '']'', and in new footage filmed for the Special Edition releases of the original three ''Star Wars'' films in 1997. Over the years Nelson has also appeared as Vader on various television shows and in numerous commercials. | |||
| For ''Revenge of the Sith'', ] (who had played Anakin Skywalker since ''Attack of the Clones'') wore the Vader suit, instead of Prowse. However, as he is shorter than Prowse, certain perspective trickery was used to make him seem as physically large as Prowse: a slightly scaled-down costume was created for him; the costume had extensions built into the boots and helmet; and some of the shots of Vader standing next to Palpatine were filmed using ]. While the body actor had changed, James Earl Jones still served as the voice of Vader. | |||
| === Behind the scenes === | |||
| ], from Episode I.]] | |||
| The character of Darth Vader was not originally planned to be a suited cyborg. The current image of Vader was created when concept artist ] drew the opening scene where the ] ''Tantive IV'' was being boarded. It was initially imagined that Darth Vader would fly through space to enter the ship, necessitating a suit and breathing mask. This was later made permanent and incorporated in the story. | |||
| Vader's headgear resembles a ]ese '']'', which is consistent with the ]-like order of the Jedi and ]-like lightsaber duels. It also resembles a ]. An American ] made by Riddell<ref>http://www.riddell.com/MainFrame.aspx?src=AboutUs.aspx</ref>, with a distinctive middle seam (approx. 3cm wide and elevated by approx 3 millimeters) that connected the two shell halves and accommodated air valves, was most likely used as the basis for Vader's helmet<ref>http://www.r2-d2.org/My%20Room/Vader%20Mini.JPG</ref> | |||
| The iconic breathing sound of his respirator was created by ] ], who created the sound by simply recording himself breathing into an old Dacor ] regulator. | |||
| Vader's musical ] is '']''. A likely inspiration for this famous theme was the similar-sounding leitmotif composed by ] for the villainous Nazi spy Quive-Smith (played by ]) in the 1941 ] thriller '']''. | |||
| In a 2005 interview, George Lucas was asked the origins of the name "Darth Vader", and replied: "Darth is a variation of dark. And Vader is a variation of father. So it's basically Dark Father." ('']'', ], ]). "Vader" is the ] word for "father" (the Dutch word is instead pronounced ''"fah-der"''), and the ] word for "father" (''Vater'') is similar (fans also believe that the Vader is meant to sound like Invader). However, in the earliest scripts for ''Star Wars'', the name "Darth Vader" was given to a human Imperial general. | |||
| Some believe that the revelation of Vader as the father of Luke Skywalker in ''The Empire Strikes Back'' is a case of ]{{Fact|date=January 2007}}. As originally depicted in the first film, Vader was a student of Obi-Wan Kenobi's who was seduced by the dark side of the Force, betraying and murdering Luke's (then unnamed) father, who seemed at that time to be a separate character from Vader. Much of the criticism from skeptics of Lucas is aimed at the fact that Obi-Wan's story about the death of Luke's father in ''A New Hope'' became either an outright lie after the later films were produced. It is unclear when Lucas decided to merge Luke's father and Darth Vader into one character. Some accounts have indicated that ''Empire'' screenwriter ] was the first to suggest that Vader was Luke's father during story meetings{{Fact|date=January 2007}}. As it stands, there is currently no behind-the-scenes evidence that Vader was intended to be Luke's father from the very start, meaning that concept may have originated after the original theatrical release of ''A New Hope''. Lucas has claimed in recent years that Vader's ] (being revealed as Luke's father and then being redeemed) was planned from the beginning{{Fact|date=January 2007}}. Certainly the 'motif' of the villain turning out to be the hero's father is present in the 'Star Wars' outline as early as 1974 ('The Adventure of Anikin Starkiller'){{Fact|date=January 2007}} although the 'hero' and 'villain' of this outline are not necessarily Vader or Luke in the forms that the audience currently understands them. | |||
| Vader's revelation to Luke that he is his father is one of the most famous movie plot twists of all time. An ] poll on ] ]<ref>http://www.imdb.com/poll/results/2003-11-10</ref> asked users to choose which one of a set of movie spoilers was too infamous to be considered a spoiler anymore; Vader's true identity was a clear winner, by a 40% margin. | |||
| In ], Vader is known as ''Dark Vador'' (and, therefore, ''Dark'' replaces Darth for the French names of all other Sith Lords). One explanation could be that the French use ''le water-closet'' as slang for "bathrooms", and ''aller aux waters'' for "going to the bathrooms". Since the French pronounciation of "water" sounds somewhat similar to "Vader", the name was changed to avoid puns. However, ] does not use the aforementioned slang terms, and so Vader keeps his original name in ]. | |||
| == Armor and cybernetic enhancements == | |||
| Even before his transformation into Vader, Anakin was a ]: he had a ] hand installed after his natural right ] was severed while dueling with ] on Geonosis in '']''. Before the release of ''Attack of the Clones'', the 1994 Expanded Universe novel '']'' by ] claimed that Vader's hand had been ] by ] as punishment for the destruction of the first ]. However, in ], it is declared that ] severed Vader's sword arm. Until ''Attack of the Clones'', this was the canonical version of why Vader had a prosthetic arm during '']''. As a result of his later disfigurement on ], Vader was substantially augmented with cybernetic implants: he is depicted as wearing his armor at all times when he is not meditating in his pressurized containment-chamber. A towering figure, the suited Darth Vader is nearly 6 ] 7 ] (2.03 ]) tall. This transformation is apparently essential to ]'s judgment, cemented after the fight on Mustafar and expressed to Luke in ''Return of the Jedi'', that Vader is "more machine now than man, twisted and evil." | |||
| According to ''Star Wars Technical Commentaries'', Vader's armor is built around a plastoid girdle that protects his organic and synthetic internal organs. More visible durasteel plates cover his shoulders, upper body and shins. He wears a suit of quilted, flexible, blast-dampening, multi-ply padding, and a cape of armour weave. His gloves and hands are made with a unique micronized iron that can deflect anything short of a ] blow. His famous mask and helmet, resembling the head of an ancient ] droid, contain various vision- and auditory-enhancing equipment, as well as the respirator that causes the Dark Lord's ominous breathing sound. | |||
| Vader's life support system includes a chest-worn, computerized control panel unit that regulates his respiratory functions. Three slot-like dataports offered diagnostic checks of his ], ] and ] systems. On his belt, Vader wears two small system function boxes. The one on his right featured a temperature regulation system. On his left, he wears a respiratory sensor matrix. The center buckle features an audio enhancement unit built into the electromagnetic clasp. The armor also enables him to breathe in vacuum while protecting him from the coldness of space. The reason for his cloak is to protect a small oxygen pack he wears on his back.<ref name="zap">''The Visual Dictionary of Star Wars, Episode III'' (ISBN 0-7566-1128-8)</ref> | |||
| At first, Vader found his new cybernetics and armor to be bulky and unresponsive, especially in comparison to the Force-enhanced athletic ability he enjoyed as Anakin Skywalker. In '']'', his first steps as Vader are awkward and uncoordinated; in the novel ''Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader'', Vader struggles to adapt his combat skills to the new limitations imposed by his prosthetics. In the course of ''Dark Lord'', Vader is depicted considering various improvements to his support systems to improve their mobility and responsiveness, drawing on the engineering and electronic skills that he has possessed since childhood. | |||
| == Expanded Universe == | |||
| The ] micro series '']'' chronicles Anakin's adventures and trials in the many battles of the Clone Wars. The series, which covers the period between just after ''Episode II'' and just before ''Episode III'', sees Anakin become a Jedi and galaxy-renowned war hero, and foreshadows the temptations to power and fear of loss that would transform him into Darth Vader. | |||
| In the young adult series '']'', Boba Fett, at the age of 14, is hired by Imperial leader Inquisitor Malorum to investigate Padmé Amidala's death at Vader's request. Vader is expected to at least make ] in the upcoming ], which is slated for either a 2007 or 2008 release and will run 100 episodes. | |||
| As chronicled in ]'s book '']'', Vader sheds his identity as Anakin Skywalker shortly after incurring his injuries on Mustafar; in the months afterward, he systematically pursues and kills the survivors of the ] (save Obi-Wan and Yoda) and, in the process, fully embraces his new identity as a Sith Lord and disavows any connection to his former Jedi self. The novel also reveals that Vader plans to eventually overthrow Palpatine and rule the Empire himself, and that his primary motivation for betraying the Jedi was that he resented their supposed failure to recognize his power. | |||
| In the ] '']'', he hires bounty hunters to bring him information about the pilot who brought about the destruction of the Death Star, ultimately meeting his son Luke for the very first time. Later on, in the ] novel '']'' (which takes place shortly after the events in ''A New Hope''), Vader meets Luke for the second time and combats him in a lightsaber duel on the planet ]. On Mimban, in an impressive display of adaptation (showing Luke is very much like his father) Luke nearly defeats Vader in a duel, afterwards Vader suffers massive injuries when he falls into a pit. The extent as to which these new injuries may have worsened his condition (if at all) is somewhat disputed among the ''Star Wars'' fanbase. | |||
| In '']'', Vader searches for the Rebels responsible for the destruction of the Death Star, almost thwarting Han and ]'s goal of reaching ] in order for Chewie to reach his family for ]. | |||
| Vader also has a prominent role in the 1996 novel/comic/video game '']'', which takes place between ''The Empire Strikes Back'' and ''Return of the Jedi''. In the story, ], leader of the crime organization ], plots to overthrow Vader and take his place as the Emperor's second in command. The story also gives more insight into Vader's thoughts and ambitions as it reveals that he knows there is some good left in him and that he wishes to heal his body through the Force in an attempt to return his physical appearance to that of his former self, Anakin Skywalker. At one point in the novel, Vader is in his chamber with his suit completely removed as he attempts to heal his body. | |||
| Vader also makes occasional appearances in Dark Horse's ''Star Wars'' comic books set between the movies, especially ''Star Wars: Empire''. | |||
| In the ], it is explained that Darth Vader was the first representative of the Empire to find the ], a race with exceptional combat skills, whom he manipulated into serving as his personal commandos and revering him as their master. Later, Vader transferred their services to ]. | |||
| Leia Organa Solo, who was initially horrified to learn that Vader was her father, eventually forgave him after learning her family's full history, as chronicled in the book '']''. She named her youngest son ] in remembrance of her father's redemption.{{Fact|date=January 2007}}<!--I don't dispute this is true, but it needs to be cited to a book/series/whatever. -AMIB, Jun. 3, '05--> | |||
| In the novel '']'' of the '']'' series, set 30 years after the ] in '']'', Anakin's voice would speak to his grandson, ], telling him to "Stand firm" in his battle with the Supreme Overlord of the ]. | |||
| == Archetypes and role models for Darth Vader == | |||
| {{Original research}} | |||
| {{Unreferenced|date=January 2007}} | |||
| There are many well-known mythological and literary precedents that may have provided George Lucas with the inspiration for Darth Vader. | |||
| The work of ] is known to have been a major influence on Lucas in the conception of the ''Star Wars'' saga,{{Fact|date=January 2007}} and it is highly likely that he drew on Campbell's writings when creating Anakin/Vader. In ''Creative Mythology'', the fourth and final volume of his masterwork '']'', Campbell examines at some length the numerous myths and stories involving the ] and the legends of ]. ''Star Wars'' of course draws heavily on these mythic archetypes. Of particular interest are Campbell's discourses on the densely interconnected complex of legends about the ] including the famous tales of the "star-crossed lovers" ] and ] and ], and the real-life medieval tale of ] and Hèloise.{{Fact|date=January 2007}} | |||
| Vader's physical size, power and unnatural ] nature have obvious parallels with the famous Creature of ]'s ], who is an aberration against nature, yet who also similarly possesses a redeeming spark of humanity in spite of his monstrous attributes. | |||
| Another probable inspiration/referent from modern popular culture is the character of the evil scientist ] in ]'s classic silent film '']''. In the original storyline (which was heavily altered in most post-1927 edits of the film) Rotwang is insanely obsessed by the death of his wife Hel, who dies in childbirth, like Anakin's wife Padmé. Notably, Rotwang loses his right hand in his scientific quest to create a female cyborg replica of Hel and he reconstructs the missing limb with a prosthetic replacement, which is always shown covered by a sinister black glove. | |||
| In the realm of graphic design, another source of inspiration for Darth Vader might be Winslow Leach, a.k.a. "The Phantom", the main character from ]'s 1974 movie '']''. In "Paradise Regained", a documentary included in the French special edition of the Phantom of the Paradise DVD, De Palma, an old friend of Lucas', claims that some design elements of Darth Vader's suit of armor might have been inspired by the Phantom.{{Fact|date=January 2007}} De Palma specifically refers to the control panel unit worn by Vader on his armor, which is reminiscent of the Phantom's synthetic voice speaker. It shall also be noted that Winslow is disfigured in a freak accident and his voice destroyed, forcing him to hide his appearance under a dark costume and mask, and to use a voice synthesizer to speak (making him, effectively, a cyborg). Also, the Phantom has to ally himself with the evil record producer Swan, a scheming, power-hungry villain much like Palpatine, all that for the sake of his loved one Phoenix (similarly to what Anakin does for Padmé in '']''). | |||
| In addition, some have noted that Vader bears more than a passing resemblance to other fictitious villains.{{who}} One is the classic ] ] ] (who also had a face mask that obscured disfiguring burns). That this appears true to the observer, is suggested by ]'s '']'' novels in which so-called "Doombots" appear that wear green hoods and iron wolf masks, much like Doom, and carry lightsabers. Another is ], a former member of the ] of the ] who was corrupted by his power. Third, the ] supervillain ] from ]'s ] storyline resembles Vader in a number of ways; like Vader, his home base is a black, metallic planetoid (]), and the name ''Darkseid'' itself prefigures ''Star Wars'' terminology. Darkseid is also eventually challenged by his son, who is unaware that he is fighting his father. | |||
| == Cultural figure == | |||
| ]) in ]' 1986 ''Star Wars'' spoof '']''.]] | |||
| Due to his central role, Vader has entered the public consciousness as the quintessential villain. His powerful baritone voice, coupled with his heavy breathing, is easily recognizable, and the ]'s list of the ] placed him third, after ] and ]. He has been ] by such figures as "]" from '']'', "Duck Vader" from '']'', "Dearth Nadir" as played by ] on ]'s "Pigs in Space" sketch, "Girth Plotz" from an episode of '']'' that parodied the first trilogy, "]" from ]'', "Dark Laser" from '']'', an episode of '']'' where ] dressed in black and, now devoted to evil, takes over the school and country singer Darth Brooks in '']''. Also, ] from ] became Darth Chef in ]. Another kind of tribute to Darth Vader comes from '']'', in which there are similarities between ] and Vader, played for both dramatic and comic effect (complete with Death Star-esque spaceship and superweapon), and his name is mentioned when the issue of ] immaculate birth is brought up. ] in '']'' (dressed up in a radiation suit) pretended to be "Darth Vader from the planet ]" in an effort to get his ]-loving dad to date his mom. | |||
| When Episode 1: The Phantom Menace DVD was released, "]" was also released. It’s a parody of Episode 4, only that all the characters in the film are human thumbs with digitally added faces. In this film Darth Vader is represented as Black Helmet Man. | |||
| In 2006, Blame Society Productions created a series of short videos that became popular on the Internet featuring ]. Chad Vader is ostensibly the younger brother of Darth Vader, who wears the same armor and cape, and uses phrases and concepts associated with Darth Vader in the context of a modern-day grocery store. | |||
| ===The name ''Darth Vader'' as a cultural metaphor=== | |||
| Vader's name has become a ] for evil. Lucas has pointed to Vader's iconic status as a reason he made the prequel movies, since he felt the icon overshadowed the fact that Vader was intended to be a tragic character. | |||
| *In 2005, former Cornell University entomologists Quentin Wheeler and Kelly Miller named 65 new species of slime-mold beetle of the genus Agathidium, with one named after Darth Vader<ref>http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/April05/slime-mold.Bush.Cheney.ssl.html</ref>. | |||
| *During a major renovation, ] held a competition for children to design new ]s for the west towers. One winner was a design featuring Darth Vader. | |||
| *Two significant office buildings in ] are highly visible landmarks by the ]. The ominous looking one made of all dark reflective glass has been dubbed the Darth Vader building. The other is the architecturally acclaimed ], a brilliant white futuristic ], and is known in the San Francisco Bay area as the Luke Skywalker building. | |||
| *Then-Vice President ] referred to ]'s ] as "Darth Vader of ]."<ref>http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2005/08/22/8270018/index.htm</ref> | |||
| *In 1990 ]'s band ] released the album ''Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know'', featuring the song "Penetration Guru", which has the line "Contact me, I'm no Darth Vader" in the verse before each chorus <ref>http://www.oldielyrics.com/lyrics/the_cross/penetration_guru.html</ref>. | |||
| *Political strategist ] was known by his political enemies as "the Darth Vader of the ]".{{Fact|date=January 2007}} | |||
| *In the ] episode entitled Crusade (Season 9, episode 19), ] tells of how she was impregnated immaculately by the ] and asks if SG-1 has ever encountered such an occurrence. After an awkward pause, Mitchell begins to say something (seemingly to tell her about ]), but ] simply says "Darth Vader." Vala asks how that turned out, but SG-1 chose not to tell her Darth Vader's story (Vala feared that her child would be an evil servant of the Ori.) | |||
| *In ] the chamber used to study psychic dream experiments bears a passing resemblance to the meditation chamber on Vader's ship. The protagonist, Alex, upon seeing it asks "Who's your decorator? Darth Vader?" | |||
| *In 1982 ] pilot episode of ], ] (]) stated, "This looks like Darth Vader's bathroom." when entered ] for the first time. | |||
| == See also == | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| ==References== | |||
| <div class="references-small"> | |||
| <references /> | |||
| </div> | |||
| == Sources == | |||
| *'']'', 1st edition paperback, 1999. ], ], ISBN 0-345-43411-0 | |||
| *'']'', 2003. ], ISBN 0-345-42882-X | |||
| *'']'', 1st edition hardcover, 2005. Matthew Woodring Stover, George Lucas, ISBN 0-7126-8427-1 | |||
| *''The New Essential Guide to Characters'', 1st edition, 2002. Daniel Wallace, Michael Sutfin, ISBN 0-345-44900-2 | |||
| *''The ] Sourcebook'', ], 1st printing, 2001. Bill Slavicsek, J. D. Wiker, ISBN 0-7869-1849-7 | |||
| *''Vader: The Ultimate Guide'', 2005. | |||
| *''Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary'', hardcover, 1998. Dr. David West Reynolds, ISBN 0-7894-3481-4 | |||
| *''Star Wars: Attack of the Clones: The Visual Dictionary'', hardcover, 2002. Dr. David West Reynolds, ISBN 0-7894-8588-5 | |||
| *''Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith: The Visual Dictionary'', hardcover, 2005. James Luceno, ISBN 0-7566-1128-8 | |||
| *Shooting script of '']'' as available at | |||
| *Shooting script of '']'' as available at | |||
| *''Star Wars Technical Commentaries'', Dr. Curtis Saxton, 1995-2005. Available at | |||
| *''Star Wars Databank''. , | |||
| == External links == | |||
| {{wikiquote}} | |||
| {{wiktionary}} | |||
| * at the ''Star Wars'' ] | |||
| *{{sww|Darth Vader}} | |||
| {{Episode III}} | |||
| {{Episode IV}} | |||
| {{Episode V}} | |||
| {{Episode VI}} | |||
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Revision as of 01:57, 9 February 2007
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