This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 173.30.66.24 (talk) at 00:55, 5 March 2010 (→Depiction). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 00:55, 5 March 2010 by 173.30.66.24 (talk) (→Depiction)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)See also: Anakin Skywalker
Template:SW Character Darth Vader is a fictional character in the Star Wars saga, George Lucas' epic six-film space opera. Vader originally appeared as the Empire's villainous enforcer in the Star Wars Original Trilogy (Episodes IV, V, VI), and briefly turns up as a tragic figure near the end of Revenge of the Sith, the third and final film of the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy (Episodes I, II, III). Lucas, in the audio commentary for Revenge of the Sith, says that he considers both trilogies together to be The Tragedy of Darth Vader. In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Lucas states he "made a series of movies about one thing: Darth Vader." Lucas reiterated this in a May 2008 interview with Total Film: "The Star Wars story is really the tragedy of Darth Vader. That is the story."
In the original Star Wars trilogy, Vader is embodied by David Prowse, though Sebastian Shaw makes a brief appearance as the unmasked Vader in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. In Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Vader is played by Hayden Christensen. In the original trilogy and Episode III, James Earl Jones provides Vader's voice when he is masked, although Jones was originally uncredited for this role.
In the original trilogy, George Lucas depicts Darth Vader as a fearsome cyborg who acts as the supreme commander of the brutal Galactic Empire. Throughout the films, Vader oppresses the galaxy and hunts down the members of the Rebel Alliance in the service of his master, Emperor Palpatine. In Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, the series' final chronological installment, Vader redeems himself by killing Palpatine and saving his son Luke (Mark Hamill), sacrificing himself in the process.
In the prequel trilogy, Lucas shows Vader as his former self, Anakin Skywalker, a slave boy who eventually becomes a Jedi Knight, and later, a hero in the Clone Wars. Palpatine manipulates Anakin into betraying the Jedi, and Anakin falls to the "dark side" of the mystical Force.
gay
Production and publication
Creation and concepts
The character's image was created when concept artist Ralph McQuarrie drew the opening scene where Vader and his stormtroopers board a Rebel ship. It was initially imagined that Darth Vader would fly through space to enter the ship, necessitating a suit and breathing mask. This equipment was later made permanent and incorporated in the story.
The iconic sound of the character's respirator breathing was created by sound designer Ben Burtt, who created the sound by recording himself breathing into a scuba regulator.
Darth Vader's costume is one of the areas in which Lucas' interest in feudal Japan—particularly samurai warriors—is most clearly manifested. According to Star Wars wardrobe master John Mollo, "Darth Vader's helmet started as a World War I German Stahlhelm helmet".
Portrayals
David Prowse played Darth Vader during filming of A New Hope. Prowse was originally given the choice between the roles of Chewbacca and Darth Vader, and chose the latter because he said "people would remember him." After filming, James Earl Jones was hired to read Vader's lines over Prowse's performance, in part due to Prowse's strong West Country accent. Lucas eventually chose Jones to provide Vader's voice for all the original trilogy films; Jones has since been closely identified with the role. In 1978, Jones returned as the voice of Darth Vader in The Star Wars Holiday Special, which used A New Hope footage of Prowse in the character's costume. When National Public Radio commissioned writer Brian Daley to adapt Star Wars as a radio series, actor Brock Peters was hired to provide the voice of Darth Vader when Jones was not available. For the scene in which Luke unmasks Vader at the end of Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, Lucas turned to Sebastian Shaw to portray the newly reformed Sith Lord.
Vader was also played by several stunt doubles, most notably fencing instructor Bob Anderson. Anderson handled all of Vader's fight sequences in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Mark Hamill, 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.
Recognition of Anderson's Vader fight choreography for the original series was highlighted in the film Reclaiming The Blade, where he was recognized by Karl Urban and others as being "in Darth Vader's costume, doing all the lightsaber work".
For Revenge of the Sith, Hayden Christensen, who played Anakin Skywalker in the film as well as the preceding film, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, wore the Vader armor. However, as Christensen is shorter and smaller than Prowse, Lucas employed certain perspective trickery 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 forced perspective. No one was credited for the briefly heard voice of Darth Vader at the film's end. When asked if he had supplied the voice, either newly or from a previous recording, James Earl Jones told Newsday, "You'd have to ask Lucas about that. I don't know".
Actor and former Industrial Light & Magic visual effects artist C. Andrew Nelson has also portrayed Vader at Lucasfilm events, in the Rebel Assault II and Dark Forces video games (both of them were voiced by Scott Lawrence), and in footage filmed for the 1997 Special Edition releases of the original three Star Wars films. Nelson has also appeared as Vader on various television shows and in numerous commercials. Chad Vader's Matt Sloan provided the voice of Darth Vader in the video games Soulcalibur IV and The Force Unleashed, and appeared in-person as the character in one episode of Deal or No Deal.
In other countries
Like several other characters, Darth Vader's name was changed in the French and Italian versions of the films ("Dart Fener" in Italian and "Dark Vador" in French). More recently, some material in both languages has used the original name; for instance, the Quebec French dubbing of Episode III.
In popular culture
 | This article may contain irrelevant references to popular culture. Please help Misplaced Pages to improve this article by removing the content or adding citations to reliable and independent sources. (August 2009) |
Due to his role as the central antagonist in the Star Wars saga, Darth Vader has become a quintessential villain in the public's consciousness. His powerful bass voice, imposing armored figure, and cold mechanized breathing, have become oft-parodied trademarks of the character. Darth Vader's iconic status has made him a synonym for evil in popular culture. The American Film Institute listed him as the third greatest movie villain in cinema history on "AFI's 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains", behind Hannibal Lecter and Norman Bates. Darth Vader was also ranked number two on Empire's 2008 list of the "100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time"
Politics
Many commentators and comedians evoke his visage to satirize politicians and other public figures, and several American political figures have been unflatteringly compared to the character.
On June 22, 2006, U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney referred to himself as the Darth Vader of the Bush administration. Discussing the administration's philosophy on gathering intelligence, he said to CNN's John King, "It means we need to be able to go after and capture or kill those people who are trying to kill Americans. That's not a pleasant business. It's a very serious business. And I suppose, sometimes, people look at my demeanor and say, 'Well, he's the Darth Vader of the administration.'"
Jon Stewart put on a Darth Vader helmet to address Dick Cheney as a "kindred spirit" on The Daily Show on January 25, 2007. Cheney's wife, Lynne, presented Stewart with a Darth Vader action figure on her appearance on the show on October 10, 2007. Both Stewart and Stephen Colbert have occasionally referred to Cheney as "Darth Cheney". In the satirical cartoon show Lil' Bush, Dick Cheney's father is portrayed as being Darth Vader. At her presidential campaign event on September 19, 2007, Hillary Rodham Clinton also referred to Cheney as Darth Vader. At the 2008 Washington Radio and Television Correspondents' Association Dinner, Cheney joked that his wife Lynne told him that the Vader comparison "humanizes" him. George Lucas has told New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd, however, that Cheney is more akin to Emperor Palpatine, and that a better stand-in for Vader would be George W. Bush. An issue of Newsweek referenced this quote, and compared Bush and Cheney to Vader and Palpatine, respectively, in a satirical article comparing politicians to various Star Wars and Star Trek characters.
Then-Vice President Al Gore referred to Tele-Communications Inc.'s John C. Malone as the "Darth Vader of cable." Political strategist Lee Atwater was known by his political enemies as "the Darth Vader of the Republican Party."
Film and television
The prevalence--and longevity--of Vader parodies in television and film shows the strong influence the character has had on popular culture. Many of these parodies are quite simple, which is evidence of the high recognizability of Vader's attributes. For instance, merely adding the title "Darth"--or a derivative thereof--in front of a characters name immediately brings to mind Vader.
This is certainly the case with such figures as "Duck Vader" from Tiny Toon Adventures; "Darth Benkyou" in an episode of Doraemon; "Dearth Nadir" as played by Gonzo for The Muppet Show's "Pigs in Space" sketch; "Girth Plotz" (Thaddeus Plotz) in the Animaniacs episode "Star Warners"; Bowser's alter-ego "Darth Koopa" from The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!; "Dark Helmet' from the movie Spaceballs, "Dark Laser" and another unnamed Vader-like character portrayed by Cosmo from The Fairly OddParents; "Evil Emperor Zurg" from the Toy Story films, "Dark Vegan", the leader of the planet Vegandon on Johnny Test; an episode of Codename: Kids Next Door where President Jimmy dresses in black and takes over the school; Stewie Griffin's portrayal of the character in the Family Guy episode "Blue Harvest" and it's sequel Something, Something, Something Dark Side; "Dark Star" from the Wii game No More Heroes; and Chef from South Park as Darth Chef in the episode "The Return of Chef".from Butt Attack Punisher Girl Gautaman they renamed Dark Vader. Also he is Chad Vaders older brother in the series Chad Vader Day Shift Manager by Matt Sloan and Aaron Yonda on youtube.
Many popular films pay homage to the character. Marty McFly in Back to the Future (dressed in a radiation suit) calls himself "Darth Vader from the planet Vulcan" to convince the past version of his father to ask his mother to a dance. At the beginning of Kevin Smith's Chasing Amy, the character Hooper X gives a speech at a comic convention on how Darth Vader is a metaphor for how poorly sci-fi treats black people; he is especially offended that Vader (the "blackest brother in the galaxy") reveals himself to be a "feeble, crusty old white man" at the end of Return of the Jedi. In the film Robots, a mute robot tries several discarded voice boxes, one of which gives him Vader's voice (provided by James Earl Jones) and a Vader-like mouth grill. In the film Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, Vader makes a non-speaking appearance next to Oscar the Grouch. He tries to demonstrate his Force abilities, only to fail due to the non-existence of the Force outside of the Star Wars universe.
In other contexts
The influence the iconic character has had on the public psyche has extended far beyond mainstream television and film. Indeed, the wide array of things named after the character--everything from buildings to beetles--shows that Sith Lord has permeated everyday American life.
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 Agathidium vaderi after Darth Vader.
In the last years of construction, Washington National Cathedral held a competition for children to design new grotesques for the western towers. The third-place winner was a design featuring Darth Vader, which looms over the southern side of the northwest tower.
Brisbane, California, has an ominous-looking building made of dark reflective glass and the architecturally acclaimed Dakin Building, a white futuristic antithesis–these buildings are known as the "Darth Vader building" and "Luke Skywalker building", respectively.
The Fourth and Blanchard Building in Seattle, Washington is informally dubbed the 'Darth Vader building'.
The BNZ Tower (now State Insurance Tower) in Wellington, New Zealand, was once nicknamed "Darth Vader's pencil box."
During the 2007-08 NHL season, Ottawa Senators goaltender Martin Gerber wore an all black mask while his other mask was being painted; he did so well in the black mask that he felt no need to replace it, and wore it for the remainder of the season. Fans endearingly termed him "Darth Gerber". In response Gerber tried out a new Darth Vader inspired mask design to begin the 2008–09 season when he was still a member of the Senators.
See also
References
- ^ "The Cult of Darth Vader". Rolling Stone. 2005. Retrieved 16 February 2010.
... I made a series of movies that was about one thing: Darth Vader. Originally, people thought it was all about Luke. The early films are about Luke redeeming his father, so Luke's the focus. But it's also about Princess Leia and her struggle to re-establish the Republic...
{{cite web}}: Text "Rolling Stone: George Lucas interview" ignored (help) - Thornton, Mark. "What is the "Dark Side" and Why Do Some People Choose It?", Ludwig von Mises Institute, 05-13-2005. Retrieved 05-05-2007. "From little boy/pilot, to apprentice Jedi, to Jedi turned Sith, to Darth Vader, and death: Star Wars is the story of Darth Vader, one of the greatest fictional 'bad guys' of all time."
- ^ "Embrace the dark side with this Epic Force Darth Vader figurine!". Hasbro Star Wars - Epic Force: Darth Vader Review. Viewpoints Network. 2008. Retrieved 16 February 2010.
... you probably know that Darth Vader isn't just the iconic villain of the space-fantasy series created in the late 1970s by writer-director George Lucas, but he's also the saga's keystone character. Indeed, in the audio commentary on the DVD of Star Wars - Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Lucas says that he envisioned both trilogies as The Tragedy of Darth Vader.
- Leyland, Matthew (May 2008). "TF Interview: George Lucas". Total Film. Future plc. p. 138.
The Star Wars story is really the tragedy of Darth Vader. That is the story.
- http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000469/ James Earl Jones filmography
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
sw.combtswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - Burns, Kevin and Edith Becker (2004). Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy (Documentary).
- black-lacquered gusoku armor
- Henderson, Mary (1997). Star Wars: The Magic of Myth. Bantam Books.
- Ingram, Richard (2007). Buying and Selling Wartime Collectibles: An Enthusiast's Guide to Militaria. Crowood. p. 17.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - Darth Vader actor David Prowse treated for prostate cancer
- Not specified (1983), Starlog #72, Starlog Magazine, text available at TheForce.net
- IMDb Reclaiming the Blade 2009-01-22
- "Fast Chat: James Earl Jones". Newsday. 2008-03-16.
- http://www.fantascienza.com/magazine/notizie/5230/vader-o-fener-ecco-il-responso/
- http://doublage.qc.ca/showMovie.php?id=519
- AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes and Villains", American Film Institute, last accessed April 17, 2008
- "Transcripts". The Situation Room. CNN. Retrieved 2008-04-27.
- "The Daily Show: Cheney Camera 3". Comedy Central. 25 January 2007. Retrieved 6 December 2008.
- "The Aura of Arugulance". Retrieved 2009-04-19.
- Newsweek
- Gunther, Marc (2005-08-22). "Al Gore Battles Old Cable Demons". CNN. Retrieved 2008-04-27.
- "Harvey Leroy "Lee" Atwater, was a Republican political consultant". Retrieved 2008-04-27.
- "Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld are now species of slime-mold beetles -- but strictly in homage". Cornell News. Cornell University. Retrieved 2008-04-27.
- "About Darth Vader". Washington National Cathedral. Retrieved 2008-04-27.
- An architectural Star Wars clash at Sierra Point, San Francisco Chronicle, News Page 4, April 17, 1986
- Egan, Timothy (1986-06-29). "Focus: Seattle; Creating An Office Empire". NY Times. Retrieved 2008-05-08.
- "the bell awards - Tom Graff (interview)". Belltown Messenger. June 2007. Retrieved 2008-05-08.
- Day Out Results: BNZ Building.
- "Grand Canyon Scale for Wellingtonians" Wayward Wellingtonians, 11 July 2008.
- http://www.tsn.ca/story/?id=250552
Further reading
- Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace Novelization, 1st edition paperback, 1999. Terry Brooks, George Lucas, ISBN 0-345-43411-0
- Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones Novelization, 2003. R. A. Salvatore, ISBN 0-345-42882-X
- Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith Novelization, 1st edition hardcover, 2005. Matthew Woodring Stover, George Lucas, ISBN 0-7126-8427-1
- The New Essential Guide to Characters, 1st edition, 2002. Daniel Wallace, Michael Sutfin, ISBN 0-345-44900-2
- The Dark Side Sourcebook, Wizards of the Coast, 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: The Phantom Menace: The Visual Dictionary, hardcover, 1999. Dr. David West Reynolds, ISBN 0-7894-4701-0
- Star Wars: Attack of the Clones: The Visual Dictionary, hardcover, 2002. Dr. David West Reynolds, ISBN 0-7894-8588-5
- Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith: The Visual Dictionary, hardcover, 2005. James Luceno, ISBN 0-7566-1128-8
- Shooting script of Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi as available at Internet Movie Script Database
- Shooting script of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith as available at Internet Movie Script Database
- Star Wars Technical Commentaries, Dr. Curtis Saxton, 1995-2005. Available at TheForce.net
- Star Wars Databank. Skywalker, Anakin, Vader, Darth
External links
- Darth Vader in the StarWars.com Databank
- Anakin Skywalker on Wookieepedia, a Star Wars wiki
- Darth Vader at The World of Star Wars
- Darth Vader and Date Masamune
- Darth Vader on Darthipedia, the Star Wars Humor Wiki
- Darth Vader on Soulcalibur Wiki
Template:Episode III Template:Episode IV Template:Episode V Template:Episode VI Template:Star Wars The Force Unleashed
Categories:
