Darth Vader

Last updated

Darth Vader
Star Wars character
Darth Vader.png
Darth Vader, as he appeared in the original Star Wars film
First appearance Star Wars (1977)
Created by George Lucas
Portrayed by
Voiced by
In-universe information
Full nameAnakin Skywalker
AliasThe Chosen One
Occupation
Affiliation
Weapon Lightsaber
Family Shmi Skywalker (mother)
Spouse Padmé Amidala (wife)
Children Luke Skywalker (son)
Leia Organa Solo (daughter)
Relatives Ben Solo (grandson)
Master
Apprentice
Homeworld Tatooine
Extended Family
Canon
Legends

Darth Vader is a character in the Star Wars franchise. Vader is the secondary antagonist of the original trilogy and, as Anakin Skywalker, is the protagonist of the prequel trilogy. Star Wars creator George Lucas has collectively referred to the first six episodic films of the franchise as "the tragedy of Darth Vader". [1] Darth Vader has become one of the most iconic villains in popular culture, and has been listed among the greatest characters. [2] [3] His masked face and helmet, in particular, is considered one of the most iconic character designs of all time.

Contents

Originally a slave on Tatooine, Anakin Skywalker is a Jedi prophesied to bring balance to the Force. He is lured to the dark side of the Force by Chancellor Palpatine and becomes a Sith Lord, assuming the name of Darth Vader and helping his new master all but destroy the Jedi Order. After a lightsaber battle with his former mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi on Mustafar, in which he is severely injured, Vader is transformed into a cyborg. Now Palpatine's right-hand, he serves the Galactic Empire for over two decades, hunting down the remaining Jedi as well as the Rebel Alliance. Vader ultimately redeems himself by saving his son, Luke Skywalker, and killing Palpatine, sacrificing his own life in the process. [4] He is also the secret husband of Padmé Amidala, the biological father of Princess Leia, and the maternal grandfather of Kylo Ren (Ben Solo). In the non-canonical Star Wars Legends continuity, he is also the grandfather of Luke's son Ben, and Leia's sons Anakin and Jacen and daughter Jaina, and the great-grandfather of Jacen's daughter Allana.

The character has been portrayed by numerous actors: David Prowse physically portrayed Vader in the original trilogy, while James Earl Jones has voiced him in all of the films and some television shows. Sebastian Shaw portrayed the unmasked Anakin in Return of the Jedi , as well as the character's spirit in the original release of that film. [lower-alpha 6] Jake Lloyd played Anakin Skywalker as a child in The Phantom Menace , the first film of the prequel trilogy, while Hayden Christensen played him as a young adult in the following two films, post-2004 releases of Return of the Jedi, [lower-alpha 9] and the television series Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka .

In addition to the first six Star Wars films, the character appears in the anthology film Rogue One . He also appears in television series (most substantially The Clone Wars ) and numerous iterations of the Star Wars Expanded Universe, including video games, novels, and comic books. Due to Vader's popularity, various merchandise of the character, such as action figures and replicas of his lightsaber, has been produced.

Creation and development

Name

George Lucas, who created Vader's character George Lucas 1986 (cropped).jpg
George Lucas, who created Vader's character

According to Star Wars creator George Lucas, he experimented with various combinations of names for the character built upon the phrase "Dark Water". He then "added lots of last names, Vaders and Wilsons and Smiths, and ... just came up with the combination of Darth and Vader". After the release of The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Lucas stated that the name Vader was based upon the German/Dutch-language word vater or vader ('father'), suggesting "Dark Father" and the character's relationship with original-trilogy protagonist Luke Skywalker. [5] Other words which may have inspired the name are "death" and "invader", [6] as well as the name of a high-school upperclassman of Lucas's, Gary Vader. [7] [8]

As no other character with the title "Darth" was introduced until the release of The Phantom Menace (1999), [lower-alpha 22] some viewers interpreted it as the character's first name, in part because Obi-Wan Kenobi addresses him as "Darth" in the original film. [9] [lower-alpha 23] The moniker is bestowed upon Anakin in Revenge of the Sith (2005) upon his turn to the dark side of the Force.

Director Ken Annakin's films Swiss Family Robinson and Battle of the Bulge influenced the original trilogy, [10] leading some to believe that Anakin was named after him. Lucas' publicist denied this following Annakin's death in 2009. [11] Anakin and Luke's original surname "Starkiller" remained in the script until a few months into filming Star Wars, when it was dropped due to what Lucas called "unpleasant connotations" with Charles Manson and replaced with "Skywalker". [12] [lower-alpha 24]

In other countries

In France, the character's name was changed to "Dark Vador" starting with the original film. The names of other characters were changed too, but his is the only name that has been maintained even in the most recent films. The title "Dark" was used in place of "Darth" for the other Sith lords as well. [14]

In the Italian-language editions, Darth Vader is named "Dart Fener". In 2005, before the release of Episode III, an online survey asked Italian fans whether they would rather maintain the Italian name or switch it to the original: the first option won. In 2015, when Episode VII had to be released, the Italian localisation decided to change the name to the English "Darth Vader". [15]

In Iceland his name is "Svarthöfði" (which means "blackhead").

Concept and writing

In the first draft of The Star Wars, tall, grim general "Darth Vader" was already close in line with his final depiction, and the protagonist Annikin Starkiller had a role similar to that of his son Luke's as the 16-year-old son of a respected warrior. [16] Originally, Lucas conceived of the Sith as a group that served the Emperor in the same way that the Schutzstaffel served Adolf Hitler. In developing the backstory for The Empire Strikes Back, Lucas condensed this into one character in the form of Vader. [17]

After the success of the original Star Wars film, Lucas hired science-fiction author Leigh Brackett to write the sequel with him. They held story conferences and, by late November 1977, Lucas had produced a handwritten treatment. He wrote, "When we kill [Vader] off in the [third film], we'll reveal ... [h]e wants to be human—he's still fighting in his own way the dark side of the Force." Lucas considered introducing a new lair for Vader to replace the Death Star; these included an Imperial City, a cave, "a little castle on a rock in the middle of the ocean", and "a tall, dark tower, very narrow in a lava flow". [18] [lower-alpha 25]

In Brackett's draft, Luke's father appears as a ghost to instruct him. [19] Lucas was disappointed with Brackett's script, but she died of cancer before he could discuss it with her. [20] Amongst other issues, Lucas found Vader's characterization unsatisfactory, e.g. expository dialogue near the beginning. [18] [lower-alpha 26] With no writer available, Lucas wrote the next draft himself. In this script, dated April 1, 1978, he utilized a new plot twist: Vader claims to be Luke's father. [21] According to Lucas, he found this draft enjoyable to write, as opposed to the year-long struggles writing the first film. [22] Lucas has said that he knew Vader was Luke's father while writing the first film, [23] though the relationship is not explicitly evidenced before said draft of The Empire Strikes Back. [21] [24] [25] Although Lucas kept Vader's identity secret, even to the cast and crew of The Empire Strikes Back, Vader's physical portrayer, David Prowse, stated to the press in 1978 that in the sequel, "Luke learns that Darth is, in fact, his long-lost father." [26]

The new plot element of Luke's parentage had drastic effects on the series. Author Michael Kaminski argues in The Secret History of Star Wars that it is unlikely that the plot point had ever seriously been considered or even conceived of before 1978, and that the first film was clearly operating under a storyline where Vader was a separate character from Luke's father. [27] After writing the second and third drafts in which the plot point was introduced, Lucas reviewed the new backstory he had created: Anakin had been Obi-Wan Kenobi's brilliant student and had a child named Luke, but was swayed to the dark side by Palpatine. Anakin battled Obi-Wan on a volcano and was badly wounded, but was then reborn as Vader. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan hid Luke on Tatooine while the Galactic Republic became the tyrannical Galactic Empire and Vader systematically hunted down and killed the Jedi. [28] An early draft of Return of the Jedi ended with Luke taking Vader's helmet and declaring, "Now I am Vader." [29]

After deciding to create the prequel trilogy, Lucas indicated that the story arc would be a tragic one depicting Anakin's fall to the dark side. He also saw that the prequels could form the beginning of one long story that started with Anakin's childhood and ended with his death, in what he has termed "the tragedy of Darth Vader". [1] This was the final step towards turning the film series into a "saga". [30] For the first prequel, Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999), Lucas made Anakin nine years old [31] [lower-alpha 27] to make the character's separation from his mother more poignant. [33] Movie trailers focused on Anakin and a one-sheet poster showing him casting Vader's shadow informed otherwise unknowing audiences of the character's eventual fate. [34] The movie ultimately achieved a primary goal of introducing audiences to Anakin, [30] as well as introducing the concept that he is the Chosen One of an ancient Jedi prophecy, destined to bring balance to the Force. Lucas states in an interview recorded around the time of the third prequel, Revenge of the Sith (2005), that "Anakin is the Chosen One. Even when Anakin turns into Darth Vader, he is still the Chosen One." [35] [36] Hayden Christensen spoke about Darth Vader's role in the six-film saga: "He believes that he's the Chosen One. He's not doing wrong things knowing that it's having a negative impact. So there's that sort of naivety to him now that wasn't there before, and it makes him more human in a lot of ways." [36]

Michael Kaminski offers evidence that issues in Anakin's fall to the dark side prompted Lucas to make fundamental story changes, first revising the opening sequence of Revenge of the Sith to have Palpatine kidnapped and his apprentice, Count Dooku, killed by Anakin in cold blood as the first act in the latter's turn towards the dark side. [37] After principal photography was complete in 2003, Lucas re-wrote Anakin's turn to the dark side; Anakin's fall from grace would now be motivated by a desire to save his wife, Padmé Amidala, rather than the previous version in which that reason was one of several, including that he genuinely believed that the Jedi were plotting to take over the Republic. This fundamental re-write was accomplished both through editing the principal footage, and new and revised scenes filmed during pick-ups in 2004. [38]

During production of the animated The Clone Wars television series, Ahsoka Tano was developed to illustrate how Anakin develops from the brash, undisciplined Padawan apprentice in Attack of the Clones (2002) to the more reserved Jedi Knight in Revenge of the Sith. [39] Clone Wars supervising director and Star Wars Rebels co-creator Dave Filoni said that giving Anakin responsibility for a Padawan was meant to place the character in a role that forced him to become more cautious and responsible. It would also give him insight into his relationship with Obi-Wan and depict how their relationship matured. Ahsoka and Anakin's relationship was seen as an essential story arc spanning both the animated film and Clone Wars television series. [40] Filoni began thinking about the final confrontation between Ahsoka and Vader ever since he created the former; [41] different iterations had different endings, [42] including one in which Vader kills Ahsoka just as she slashes open his helmet to reveal his scarred face. [43] A similar scene is included in an episode of Rebels, in which Ahsoka slashes Vader's helmet open, and the Sith Lord recognizes her. [44] According to Filoni, Ahsoka's presence in the series allows Vader to encounter the show's lead characters without the latter being "destroyed", as Ahsoka can "stand toe-to-toe" with her former master. [45]

Design

Ralph McQuarrie incorporated samurai armor into his conceptual designs for Vader's costume in 1975. MAP Expo Casque XVI 06 01 2012.jpg
Ralph McQuarrie incorporated samurai armor into his conceptual designs for Vader's costume in 1975.

Vader was not initially conceived of as wearing a helmet. The idea that he should wear a breathing apparatus was first proposed by concept artist Ralph McQuarrie during preproduction discussions for Star Wars with Lucas in 1975. According to McQuarrie, Lucas directed him to portray a malevolent figure in a cape with samurai armor, stating, "George just said he would like to have a very tall, dark fluttering figure that had a spooky feeling like it came in on the wind." [46] Because the script indicated that Vader would travel between spaceships and needed to survive in the vacuum of space, McQuarrie proposed that Vader should wear a space suit. Lucas agreed, and McQuarrie combined a full-face breathing mask with a samurai helmet, thus creating one of space-fantasy cinema's most iconic designs. [47] [46] McQuarrie's 1975 production painting of Vader engaged in a lightsaber duel with Deak Starkiller (a prototypical Luke Skywalker) depicts the former wearing black armor, a flowing cape and an elongated, skull-like mask and helmet. This initial design by McQuarrie was relatively close to Vader's final depiction. [48]

Darth Vader designers

Working from McQuarrie's designs, costume designer John Mollo devised an outfit that could be worn by an actor onscreen using a combination of clerical robes, a motorcycle suit, a German military helmet and a military gas mask. [49] The prop sculptor Brian Muir created the helmet and armor used in the film. [50] Vader's chest plate includes Hebrew characters, some of which are upside down, and may constitute gibberish or jabber about redemption. [51]

The sound of the respirator function of Vader's mask was created by Ben Burtt using modified recordings of scuba breathing apparatus used by divers. [52] The sound effect is trademarked in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office under Trademark #77419252 and is officially described in the documentation as "The sound of rhythmic mechanical human breathing created by breathing through a scuba tank regulator." [53]

Commentators have often pointed to the influence of Akira Kurosawa's films such as The Hidden Fortress (1958) on George Lucas, and Vader's samurai-inspired costume design is held up as a significant example of the Japanese influences on Star Wars. [54]

It has long been rumored that the warrior on the front cover of Wishbone Ash's 1972 album Argus was the main inspiration behind Darth Vader. Vocalist and guitarist Andy Powell acknowledged this rumor although he himself cannot confirm if it is true as he had nothing to do with the conception of the cover art. [55]

Portrayals

As Vader

David Prowse physically portrayed Vader in the original film trilogy. David Prowse 2013 (cropped).jpg
David Prowse physically portrayed Vader in the original film trilogy.

Darth Vader was portrayed by bodybuilder David Prowse in the original film trilogy, with fencer Bob Anderson performing the character's lightsaber fight scenes. [56] [57] George Lucas thought that the 6-foot-6-inch (1.98 m) Prowse "brought a physicality to Darth Vader that was essential for the character ... with an imposing stature and movement performance to match the intensity and undercurrent of Vader's presence." [58]

Lucas chose to have a different actor be the voice of Vader, since Prowse had a strong West Country English accent that led the rest of the cast to nickname him "Darth Farmer". Lucas originally intended for Orson Welles to voice Vader, but after deciding that Welles's voice would be too recognizable, he cast the lesser-known James Earl Jones instead. [59] [60] Jones initially felt his contributions to the films were too small to warrant recognition and his role was uncredited at his request until the release of Return of the Jedi (1983). [56] When Jones was specifically asked if he had supplied Vader's voice for Revenge of the Sith—either newly or from a previous recording—Jones answered, "You'd have to ask Lucas about that. I don't know." [61] Hayden Christensen and Gene Bryant alternately portray Vader in Revenge of the Sith. [62] [63] [64] [lower-alpha 28] During the production of Revenge of the Sith, Christensen asked Lucas if a special Vader suit could be constructed to fit his own body, rather than have a different actor don one of the original sets of Vader armor worn by Prowse. [65] Brock Peters provided the voice of Darth Vader in the NPR/USC radio series. Both Spencer Wilding [66] and Daniel Naprous portrayed Vader in Rogue One (2016), with Jones reprising his role as the character's voice. [67] [68]

James Earl Jones voiced Darth Vader for the character's portrayals in film and television. James Earl Jones (8516667383).jpg
James Earl Jones voiced Darth Vader for the character's portrayals in film and television.

Vader's character has also been portrayed in several video games; in games such as Rebel Assault II: The Hidden Empire and Dark Forces , visual effects artist C. Andrew Nelson appears in short sequences in the Vader costume, voiced by Scott Lawrence. Matt Sloan, who appeared in the YouTube parody Chad Vader , provided the voice of Darth Vader in The Force Unleashed . [69] As a result of his video game appearances, Nelson was cast to appear as Vader in brief sequences inserted into the Special Edition of The Empire Strikes Back, in which Vader is seen boarding his shuttle. [64]

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 Obi-Wan Kenobi using artificial intelligence, and Jones later signed over the rights to his performance for future Star Wars productions. [70] [71]

As Anakin

Hayden Christensen portrayed Anakin Skywalker in the latter two episodes of the prequel trilogy and other minor film appearances. In 2022, he took over the portrayal of Vader as well. Hayden-cfda2010-0004(1) (cropped).jpg
Hayden Christensen portrayed Anakin Skywalker in the latter two episodes of the prequel trilogy and other minor film appearances. In 2022, he took over the portrayal of Vader as well.

During production of Return of the Jedi, the casting crew sought an experienced actor for the role of Anakin Skywalker since his death was unquestionably the emotional climax of the film, and Sebastian Shaw was selected for the role. [72] [lower-alpha 29] When Shaw arrived at the set for filming, he ran into his friend Ian McDiarmid, the actor playing the Emperor. When McDiarmid asked him what he was doing there, Shaw responded, "I don't know, dear boy, I think it's something to do with science-fiction." [74] His presence during the filming was kept secret from all but the minimum cast and crew, and Shaw was contractually obliged not to discuss any film secrets with anyone, even his family. The unmasking scene, directed by Richard Marquand, was filmed in one day and required only a few takes, with no alteration from the original dialogue. [72] Lucas personally directed Shaw for his appearance in the final scene of the film, in which he plays Anakin's Force spirit. Shaw's likeness in this scene was replaced with that of Christensen in the 2004 DVD release. This attempt to tie the prequel and original trilogies together was one of the most controversial changes in a Star Wars re-release. [75] [76] [lower-alpha 28] Shaw received more fan mail and autograph requests from Return of the Jedi than he had for any role in the rest of his career. He later reflected that he enjoyed his experience on the film and expressed particular surprise that an action figure was made of his portrayal. [72]

When The Phantom Menace was being produced, hundreds of actors were tested for the role of young Anakin [78] before the producers settled on Jake Lloyd, who Lucas considered met his requirements of "a good actor, enthusiastic and very energetic". Producer Rick McCallum said that Lloyd was "smart, mischievous and loves anything mechanicaljust like Anakin." [79] [80] During production of Attack of the Clones, casting director Robin Gurland reviewed about 1,500 other candidates for the role of the young Anakin before Lucas eventually selected Hayden Christensen for the role, [81] reportedly because he and Natalie Portman (the actress who plays Padmé Amidala) "looked good together". [82] When Revenge of the Sith was being produced, Christensen and Ewan McGregor began rehearsing their climactic lightsaber duel long before Lucas would shoot it. They trained extensively with stunt coordinator Nick Gillard to memorize and perform their duel together. As in the previous prequel film, McGregor and Christensen performed their own lightsaber fighting scenes without the use of stunt doubles. [83]

Anakin has also been voiced by Mat Lucas for the 2003 micro-series Clone Wars , and by Matt Lanter in the CGI animated film The Clone Wars , the television series of the same name and for Anakin's small roles in the animated series Rebels and Forces of Destiny . [84] James Earl Jones reprised the voice role for Vader's appearances in Rebels. [85] [86] Both Lanter and Jones contributed their voices for the second-season finale of Rebels, at times with identical dialogue spoken by both actors blended together in different ways. [87]

Characteristics

In Attack of the Clones, Anakin Skywalker feels "smothered" by Obi-Wan Kenobi and is incapable of controlling his own life. [88] By Revenge of the Sith, however, his "father–son" friction with his master has matured into a more equal, brotherly relationship. [89] Once he becomes Darth Vader, each evil act he commits shatters any hope or connection towards his previous life, which makes it harder for him to return to the light, [90] but he ultimately escapes the dark side and redeems himself by sacrificing his life to save his son, Luke Skywalker, and kill the Emperor in Return of the Jedi. [91]

Eric Bui, a psychiatrist at University of Toulouse Hospital, argued at the 2007 American Psychiatric Association convention that Anakin Skywalker meets six of the nine diagnostic criteria for borderline personality disorder (BPD), one more than necessary for a diagnosis. He and a colleague, Rachel Rodgers, published their findings in a 2010 letter to the editor of the journal Psychiatry Research. Bui says he found Anakin Skywalker a useful example to explain BPD to medical students. [92] In particular, Bui points to Anakin's abandonment issues and uncertainty over his identity. Anakin's mass murders of the Tusken Raiders in Attack of the Clones and the young Jedi in Revenge of the Sith count as two dissociative episodes, fulfilling another criterion. Bui hoped his paper would help raise awareness of the disorder, especially among teens. [92]

Appearances

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

Skywalker saga

Original trilogy

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

Darth Vader first appears in Star Wars [lower-alpha 23] as a ruthless cyborg Sith Lord serving the Galactic Empire. [56] 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. [93] 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 [93] 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. [93] 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). [93] 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. [93]

In Return of the Jedi , Vader and the Emperor supervise the final stages of the second Death Star's construction. [93] 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. [93] 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. [93] [94] 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. [94] 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. [94]

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

A wax sculpture at the Madame Tussauds Star Wars exhibit in London depicting Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker from the prequel trilogy Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker.jpg
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 [33] 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. [94] 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. [94] 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. [94] 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. [94]

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

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. [lower-alpha 30] At one point, his helmet was considered as the film's MacGuffin. [95] 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. [96] [97] 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

The Clone Wars (film)

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. [94] 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

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. [98] 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." [99] 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. [100] In an earlier storyline, Vader would also have killed Krennic for his failure to prevent the Rebels from stealing the Death Star plans. [101] 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. [102]

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

Clone Wars (2003–2005)

Anakin is a lead character in all three seasons of the Clone Wars micro-series, which takes place shortly after the conclusion of Attack of the Clones. Anakin becomes a Jedi Knight and is quickly promoted to a General of the Republic's Clone Army, due in part to Palpatine's (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)

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. [103] 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. [104] 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)

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. [105]

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, [106] 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. [42] 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)

Anakin Skywalker appears in multiple episodes of the 2D animated online micro-series Forces of Destiny [84] with Matt Lanter reprising his role.

Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022)

Hayden Christensen returned as Darth Vader, both in and out of armor, in the Disney+ streaming series Obi-Wan Kenobi [107] 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. [108] 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)

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. [109] 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. [110]

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. [111] 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. [112]

Video games

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 . [113]

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. [114]

Darth Vader is also a playable character and boss in Disney Infinity 3.0 , [115] and is available as a playable character to unlock for a limited time in Disney Magic Kingdoms . [116]

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

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. [117] 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, [118] while the last was released on November 21, 2019. [119] The game was later ported to the Oculus Rift. On August 25, 2020, all three episodes were also released on PlayStation VR. [120]

Canon literature

Star Wars: Lords of the Sith was one of the first four canon novels to be released in 2014 and 2015. [121] In it, Vader and Palpatine find themselves hunted by revolutionaries on the Twi'lek planet Ryloth. [122] [123]

Comics

In 2015, Marvel released a 25-issue series called Darth Vader (2015–16), [124] 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, [125] and introduces franchise fan favorite character Doctor Aphra. [126] This series takes place parallel to the comic book series Star Wars, in which Vader and Luke meet; [127] the two series have a crossover titled Vader Down. [128] A continuation set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi debuted in 2020, written by Greg Pak. [129] 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. [130] A subsequent story arc depicts Vader being tested by the Emperor and incorporates elements created for The Rise of Skywalker. [131] [132]

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". [133]

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). [134] 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 , [135] as some had theorized that Revenge of the Sith indicates. [136] [lower-alpha 31] A Lucasfilm story group member later clarified that "This is all in Anakin's head". [138] [lower-alpha 32]

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". [139] 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. [140]

Legends

In April 2014, most of the licensed Star Wars novels and comics produced since the originating 1977 film Star Wars were rebranded by Lucasfilm as Legends and declared non-canon to the franchise. [121] [141]

Books

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. [56] 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. [142] In Brown's series, a hapless Vader sets out to be a father to a young Luke and Leia, with some scenes portraying light-hearted versions of their darker film counterparts. For example, one scene shows Vader, Luke and Leia at the carbonite freezing chamber on Bespin, with Vader pronouncing the freezer adequate for making ice cream.

Comics

Vader appears in several comic books such as Marvel Comics' Star Wars (1977–1986). In Dark Empire II , he is revealed to have had a castle on the planet Vjun. [143] 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. [lower-alpha 33] 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. [145]

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

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. [146]

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. [147] [148]

Vader appears in Star Tours – The Adventures Continue , where he is once again voiced by Jones. [149]

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). [150] 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. [151] [152]

Cultural impact

In 2003, the American Film Institute listed Vader as the third greatest movie villain in cinema history on AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains, behind Hannibal Lecter and Norman Bates. [153] His role as a tragic hero in the saga has also met with positive reviews. [154] [155] Contrarily, in 1977, a New Journal and Guide writer criticized the lack of racial diversity in the original Star Wars film, pointing out that "the force of evil ... is dressed in all black and has the voice of a black man." [156] George Lucas felt hurt at such accusations. [157]

Psychiatrists have considered Vader to be a useful example for explaining borderline personality disorder to medical students. [92] Anakin's origin story in The Phantom Menace has been compared to signifiers of African American racial identity, particularly his being a slave, [158] and his dissatisfaction with his life has been compared to Siddartha's before he became Gautama Buddha. [159] A Mexican church advised Christians against seeing The Phantom Menace because it portrays Anakin as a Christ figure. [160]

Darth Vader grotesque on the northwest tower of the Washington National Cathedral (Episcopal Church) in Washington, D.C. Darth vader grotesque.jpg
Darth Vader grotesque on the northwest tower of the Washington National Cathedral (Episcopal Church) in Washington, D.C.

Many films and television series have paid homage to Darth Vader. The 1982 movieCosmic Princess, compiled from parts of Space: 1999 episodes, contains several Star Wars references including a character named "Vader". [161] Marty McFly in Back to the Future (1985), dressed in a radiation suit, calls himself "Darth Vader from the planet Vulcan" in one scene. Vader is parodied as "Dark Helmet" (Rick Moranis) in the Star Wars parody Spaceballs (1987). A primary antagonist in Final Fantasy IV (1991) was stated by game creator Takashi Tokita to be based on Vader. [162] In Chasing Amy (1997), Hooper X (Dwight Ewell) speaks at a comic book convention about Darth Vader being a metaphor for how poorly the science fiction genre treats Black people; he is especially offended that Vader, the "Blackest brother in the galaxy", reveals himself to be a "feeble, crusty old white man" at the end of Return of the Jedi. Vader, especially his role as a father, is parodied as Emperor Zurg in Toy Story 2 . [163] The character of Dark Mayhem in The Thundermans is also a parody of Vader, especially in his original depiction. The Warner Bros. animated show Loonatics Unleashed has a Sylvester the Cat-type character named Sylth Vester, a play on Vader and his name.

Chewing lice; the one on the right, with a Vader-esque head, is Ricinus vaderi. Parasite150059-fig1 - Chewing lice of genus Ricinus.tif
Chewing lice; the one on the right, with a Vader-esque head, is Ricinus vaderi.

The slime-mold beetle Agathidium vaderi is named after Vader, [164] as is the louse Ricinus vaderi . [165] Several buildings across the globe are regularly compared to him. [166] [167] [168] [169] [170] A grotesque of Darth Vader looms over the east face of the Washington National Cathedral's northwest tower. [171] During the 2007–08 NHL season, Ottawa Senators goaltender Martin Gerber performed so well in an all-black mask that fans endearingly termed him "Darth Gerber". [172]

Many commentators and comedians have also evoked Vader's visage to satirize politicians and other public figures, and several American political figures have been unflatteringly compared to the character. In response to Ronald Reagan's proposed Strategic Defense Initiative (dubbed "Star Wars" by his political opponents), German news magazine Der Spiegel portrayed the president wearing Vader's helmet on its cover in 1984. [173] In 2005, Al Gore referred to Tele-Communications Inc.'s John C. Malone as the "Darth Vader of cable", [174] and political strategist Lee Atwater was known by his political enemies as "the Darth Vader of the Republican Party". [175] Native American artist Bunky Echohawk portrayed General George Armstrong Custer as Vader in his painting Darth Custer. [176] In 2015, a statue of Vladimir Lenin in Odesa, Ukraine, was converted into one of Vader due to a law on decommunization. [177]

In 2006, while discussing the war on terror, US Vice President Dick Cheney stated, "I suppose, sometimes, people look at my demeanor and say, 'Well, he's the Darth Vader of the administration.'" [178] In January 2007, Jon Stewart put on a Vader helmet to address Cheney as a "kindred spirit" on The Daily Show . [179] Cheney's wife, Lynne, presented Stewart with a Darth Vader action figure on her October 2007 appearance on the show. Both Stewart and Stephen Colbert have occasionally referred to Cheney as "Darth Cheney". In the satirical cartoon show Lil' Bush , Cheney's father is portrayed as Vader. At a presidential campaign event in September 2007, Hillary Clinton also referred to Cheney as Vader. At the 2008 Washington Radio and Television Correspondents' Association Dinner, Cheney joked that his wife told him that the Vader comparison "humanizes" him. In 2009, George Lucas stated that Cheney is more akin to Palpatine, and that a better stand-in for Vader would be George W. Bush. [180] 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. [181]

An Iraqi Fedayeen Saddam helmet in the Army Flying Museum Fedayeen Saddam helmet.JPG
An Iraqi Fedayeen Saddam helmet in the Army Flying Museum

The Fedayeen Saddam, an Iraqi paramilitary organisation, was issued with fiber glass Darth Vader-style helmets from 1995, apparently at the instigation of their commander, Uday Hussein, who was said to have been an avid Star Wars fan. A number of them were brought to the United States and the United Kingdom as souvenirs following the 2003 invasion of Iraq. [182]

In 2010, IGN ranked Darth Vader 25th in the "Top 100 Videogame Villains". [183]

In Ukraine, the Internet Party of Ukraine regularly lets people named Darth Vader take part in elections. [184] [lower-alpha 34]

In 2019, an original Vader helmet from The Empire Strikes Back was sold for $900,000 in an online auction. [192]

On December 2, 2020, a figurine of Vader appeared on the plinth where the statue of Edward Colston once stood in Bristol, United Kingdom, in what was seen as a tribute to David Prowse, who died on November 29, 2020. [193]

Relationships

Family tree

Skywalker family [194] tree
Aika Lars [n 1] Cliegg Lars Shmi Skywalker-Lars Jobal Naberrie [n 2] Ruwee Naberrie [n 2] House of Organa
Beru Whitesun Owen Lars Anakin Skywalker
Darth Vader
Padmé Amidala Bail Organa Breha Organa
Luke Skywalker Leia Organa Han Solo
Ben Solo
Kylo Ren
Notes:
  1. Appears in Pablo Hidalgo's Star Wars Character Encyclopedia: Updated and Expanded (2016)
  2. 1 2 Attack of the Clones (2002) and Revenge of the Sith (2005)

Mentorship tree

Jedi Order master-apprentice relationship
Yoda
Count
Dooku
Mace
Windu
Qui-Gon
Jinn
Depa
Billaba
Younglings
Obi-Wan
Kenobi
Kanan
Jarrus
Anakin
Skywalker
Luke
Skywalker
Ezra
Bridger
Ahsoka
Tano
Leia
Organa
Sabine Wren Ben Solo
[n 1]
Rey
[n 1]
Din Grogu
Notes:
  1. 1 2 Ben Solo and Rey are a Force dyad.

Related Research Articles

Jedi, Jedi Knights, or collectively the Jedi Order are fictional characters, and often protagonists, featured in many works within the Star Wars franchise. Working symbiotically alongside the Old Galactic Republic, the Jedi Order is depicted as a religious, academic, meritocratic, and military (peacekeeping) organization whose origin dates back thousands of years before the events of the first film released in the franchise. The fictional organization has inspired a real-world new religious movement and parody religion: Jediism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luke Skywalker</span> Character in Star Wars

Luke Skywalker is a fictional character and the protagonist of the original film trilogy of the Star Wars franchise created by George Lucas. Portrayed by Mark Hamill, Luke first appeared in Star Wars (1977), and he returned in The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983). Over three decades later, Hamill returned as Luke in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, cameoing in The Force Awakens (2015) before playing a major role in The Last Jedi (2017) and The Rise of Skywalker (2019). He later played a digitally de-aged version of the character in the Disney+ series The Mandalorian, appearing in the second-season finale, which premiered in 2020, and The Book of Boba Fett, in the sixth episode, released in 2022.

<i>Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith</i> 2005 film by George Lucas

Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith is a 2005 American epic space opera film written and directed by George Lucas. It stars Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Ian McDiarmid, Samuel L. Jackson, Christopher Lee, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, and Frank Oz. The sequel to The Phantom Menace (1999) and Attack of the Clones (2002), it is the sixth film in the Star Wars film series, the final installment in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, and third chronological chapter of the "Skywalker Saga". The film was the final movie in the Star Wars franchise that George Lucas worked on, with subsequent films being made without Lucas' involvement following his selling of Lucasfilm to The Walt Disney Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Obi-Wan Kenobi</span> Fictional character in the Star Wars franchise

Obi-Wan Kenobi is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise. Within the original trilogy, Obi-Wan is a Jedi Master as a supporting character and is portrayed by English actor Alec Guinness. In the later-released prequel trilogy, a younger version of the character serves as one of the two main protagonists, alongside Anakin Skywalker, and is portrayed by Scottish actor Ewan McGregor. In the original trilogy he is introduced as Ben Kenobi, an alias he uses while in hiding from the Empire. He is a mentor to Luke Skywalker, to whom he introduces the ways of the Jedi. After sacrificing himself in a duel against Darth Vader, Obi-Wan guides Luke through the Force in his fight against the Galactic Empire. In the prequel trilogy, set two decades earlier, he is initially a Padawan (apprentice) to Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, and later mentor and friend of Luke's father Anakin, who falls to the dark side of the Force and becomes Vader. The character briefly appears in the sequel trilogy as a disembodied voice, speaking to protagonist Rey, and serving as the namesake of Ben Solo. He is frequently featured as a main character in various other Star Wars media, including the streaming television miniseries Obi-Wan Kenobi, in which McGregor reprised the role.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Count Dooku</span> Fictional character in Star Wars

Count Dooku of Serenno, also known by his Sith name Darth Tyranus, is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise, created by George Lucas. He is an antagonist in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, appearing in both Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002) and Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005), played by Christopher Lee, as well as associated media, such as books, comics, video games, and television series. Actor Corey Burton has voiced Dooku in most of his animated and video game appearances, most notably Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003–2005), Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and the miniseries Tales of the Jedi (2022). Lee reprised the role in the 2008 animated film that launched The Clone Wars series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yoda</span> Fictional character in the Star Wars universe

Yoda is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe, first appearing in the 1980 film The Empire Strikes Back. He is a small, green humanoid alien who is powerful with The Force and is a leading member of the Jedi Order until its near annihilation. In The Empire Strikes Back, Yoda was voiced and puppeteered by Frank Oz, who reprised the role in Return of the Jedi, the prequel trilogy, and the sequel trilogy. Outside of the films, the character was mainly voiced by Tom Kane, starting with the 2003 Clone Wars animated television series until his retirement from voice acting in 2021. Yoda is an iconic figure in popular culture due to his distinct pattern of speech and role as a wise mentor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skywalker family</span> Fictional family in the Star Wars series

The Skywalker family is a fictional legendary human family in the Star Wars franchise. Within the series' fictional universe, the Skywalkers are presented as a bloodline with strong inherent capabilities related to the Force and sometimes lightsaber skills. Luke Skywalker, his twin sister Princess Leia Organa, and their father Darth Vader are central characters in the original Star Wars film trilogy. Darth Vader, in his previous identity as Anakin Skywalker, is a lead character in the prequel film trilogy and so is his wife and the twins' mother Padmé Amidala; while his mother Shmi is a minor character in the first and second films respectively. Leia and Han Solo's son, Ben Solo, renamed himself Kylo Ren and is the main antagonist in the sequel film trilogy, while they and Luke serve as supporting characters. Shmi, Padmé, and Han are the only members who are not Force-sensitive. The Skywalker bloodline, alongside the Palpatine bloodline, are the two bloodlines that are the strongest with the Force.

Clone Wars (<i>Star Wars</i>) Fictional war in Star Wars

The Clone Wars are a series of fictional conflicts in the Star Wars franchise by George Lucas. Though mentioned briefly in the first Star Wars film, the war itself was not depicted until Attack of the Clones (2002) and Revenge of the Sith (2005). The Clone Wars are also the setting for three eponymous projects: a 2D animated series (2003–2005), a 3D film (2008), and a 3D animated series. They have featured in numerous Star Wars books and games.

"The Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme)" is a musical theme present in the Star Wars franchise. It was composed by John Williams for the film The Empire Strikes Back. Together with "Yoda's Theme", "The Imperial March" was premiered on April 29, 1980, three weeks before the opening of the film, on the occasion of John Williams' first concert as official conductor-in-residence of the Boston Pops Orchestra. One of the best known symphonic movie themes, it is used as a leitmotif throughout the Star Wars franchise.

<i>Labyrinth of Evil</i> 2005 novel by James Luceno

Star Wars: Labyrinth of Evil is a 2005 novel by James Luceno set in the fictional Star Wars universe. The novel serves as a lead-in to Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, and was loosely adapted into Volume Two of the Star Wars: Clone Wars microseries.

<i>Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader</i> 2005 novel by James Luceno

Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader is a novel set in the non-canonical Star Wars Legends continuity, written by James Luceno, that was published by Del Rey on November 22, 2005. Dark Lord takes place in the immediate aftermath of the events in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, and focuses on Darth Vader and his rise to power in the newly inaugurated Galactic Empire.

<i>Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith</i> (novel) 2005 novelization of the film of the same name

Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith is a novelization of the film of the same name, written by Matthew Stover and published on April 2, 2005, by Del Rey Books.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sith</span> Organization in the Star Wars series

The Sith are the main antagonists of many works in the fictional universe of the Star Wars franchise. They are the antithesis and ancient enemies of the Jedi. The Sith Order is depicted as an ancient cult of warriors who draw strength from the dark side of the Force and use it to seize power by any means necessary, including terrorism and mass murder; their ultimate goals are to destroy the Jedi and rule the galaxy. The various antagonistic factions in the franchise, namely the Confederacy of Independent Systems, the First Galactic Empire, the Imperial Remnant and the First Order all originated, with the Sith. Sith, known individually as Sith Lords, are, by nature, ruthless. At any point a single individual assumes absolute authority amongst their kind and is granted the honorific Dark Lord of the Sith. Sith culture is based on perpetual treachery and betrayal. The fate of Sith Lords is, typically, to be murdered and replaced by their own apprentices. Sith teach their apprentices to revere the dark side of the Force, to give full reign to aggressive emotions such as rage and hatred, and to believe that others are expendable in the pursuit of power, it makes the Lords' demise inevitable.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ahsoka Tano</span> Fictional character in the Star Wars franchise

Ahsoka Tano is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise. She was introduced as the 14-year-old Togruta Jedi Padawan of Anakin Skywalker in the animated film Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) before appearing in the subsequent animated television series ; the sequel series Star Wars Rebels (2014–2018); in the live-action film Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) as a voiceover cameo; and in the miniseries Tales of the Jedi (2022), voiced by Ashley Eckstein. In 2020, Ahsoka made her live-action debut in the second season of the Disney+ series The Mandalorian, portrayed by Rosario Dawson. Dawson reprised the role in a 2022 episode of the spin-off series The Book of Boba Fett, and the 2023 series, Ahsoka.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palpatine</span> Fictional character and Star Wars antagonist

Sheev Palpatine, also known by his Sith name Darth Sidious, is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise created by George Lucas. He first appears on screen in the original trilogy films The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983), in which he is credited as The Emperor, and is the overarching antagonist of the nine-film Skywalker saga, in which he is portrayed by Ian McDiarmid. In creating Palpatine, Lucas was inspired by real-world examples of democratic backsliding during the rise and rule of dictators such as Julius Caesar, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Adolf Hitler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darth Maul</span> Star Wars character

Darth Maul, later known simply as Maul, is a character in the Star Wars franchise. He first appeared in the 1999 film Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace as a powerful Sith Lord and Darth Sidious' first apprentice. Though seemingly killed by Obi-Wan Kenobi at the end of the film, Darth Maul returned in the 2008 animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Star Wars creator George Lucas had intended for the resurrected Maul to serve as the main antagonist of the sequel film trilogy, but these plans were abandoned when Disney acquired Lucasfilm in 2012. The character nonetheless reappeared in the 2014 animated series Star Wars Rebels and the 2018 film Solo: A Star Wars Story, voiced again by Witwer; Park physically reprised the role in Solo. Since his initial defeat in The Phantom Menace, Maul has become an independent criminal mastermind and endured as Obi-Wan's archenemy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mace Windu</span> Fictional character in Star Wars

Mace Windu is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise, portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson in the prequel trilogy. Jackson later reprised the role with voice only in the 2008 animated film Star Wars: The Clone Wars and the 2019 sequel film The Rise of Skywalker, whilst Terrence C. Carson voiced the character in other projects, such as The Clone Wars animated television series. The character also appears in various canon and non-canon Star Wars media like books, comics, and video games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Padmé Amidala</span> Fictional character in the Star Wars franchise

Padmé Amidala is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise, appearing in the prequel trilogy and portrayed by Natalie Portman. First indirectly mentioned in Return of the Jedi, she is introduced in The Phantom Menace as the teenage Queen of Naboo, and after her reign, becomes a senator and an anti-war activist in the Galactic Senate. She secretly marries Anakin Skywalker, a Jedi Knight, then later dies while giving birth to twins Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa. Anakin's fear of losing Padmé serves as the catalyst in driving him to the dark side of the Force and becoming Darth Vader.

<i>Star Wars</i> Transformers Toyline

Star Wars Transformers is a Hasbro toy line started in 2006. The line features robot versions of various characters from the Star Wars franchise that transform into vehicles from the same series.

References

Notes

  1. Episodes IV–VI
  2. Episodes V–VI, stunts
  3. Rogue One
  4. Obi-Wan Kenobi
  5. Obi-Wan Kenobi (In-suit Performance Artist)
  6. 1 2 Shaw's appeared as Anakin's Force spirit prior to the 2004 re-release of Return of the Jedi, when he was replaced by Hayden Christensen as Anakin's Force spirit.
  7. Episode VI [lower-alpha 6]
  8. 1 2 Episode I
  9. 1 2 Christensen also replaced Shaw's appearance as Anakin's Force spirit in the 2004 DVD re-release of Return of the Jedi.
  10. Episodes II–III, Ahsoka [lower-alpha 9]
  11. Episodes III–VI, IX, Rogue One, Rebels , Obi-Wan Kenobi
  12. various video games, Lego Star Wars series
  13. Episode IX; archive audio on Rebels and The Clone Wars TV series
  14. Clone Wars and various video games
  15. The Clone Wars film and TV series, Rebels, Forces of Destiny and various video games
  16. Episode II
  17. Episode III, The Clone Wars
  18. Episode III
  19. The Clone Wars
  20. Episodes III–VI, Rogue One, Rebels, Obi-Wan Kenobi
  21. Episodes III–VI, Rogue One, Rebels, Obi-Wan Kenobi
  22. The names of characters in the prequel trilogy such as Darth Sidious, Darth Maul, and Darth Tyranus reveal that Darth is a title for Sith lords.
  23. 1 2 Later titled Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope
  24. The name "Skywalker" first appeared as Luke's surname in Lucas' 1973 treatment of the film. [13]
  25. Vader is mostly based on his Star Destroyer in the final film, but some of these ideas later resurfaced, e.g. Imperial City being the galactic capitol planet Coruscant and (as seen in Rogue One ) Vader's castle on volcanic planet Mustafar. Additionally, in the sequel trilogy Luke hides on ocean planet Ahch-To.
  26. "[Luke Skywalker] disabled my fighter and sent me spinning off into space with all my systems dead, even the radio ... but I knew. I knew when he destroyed the Death Star, using the Force to find the target. I had much time to consider Master Skywalker while I was waiting to be rescued. He's too much like his father ..." [18]
  27. Making the character 14 years younger by the time of the original film than A Guide to the Star Wars Universe previously stated [32]
  28. 1 2 Christensen also stood in as Vader while McDiarmid was filming the new Emperor hologram footage for The Empire Strikes Back. [77]
  29. Director Richard Marquand wanted a famous actor like Laurence Olivier to play the role. [73]
  30. This was due to his demise in Return of the Jedi when he sacrifices his life for his son, Luke Skywalker.
  31. 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." [135] [137]
  32. Soule elaborated that "The Dark Side is not a reliable narrator." [138]
  33. In Marvel's 1977 series, Vader learns Luke's surname from a Rebel deserter, before later obtaining his first name. [144] 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. [125]
  34. Two men named Darth Vader were candidates at the 2014 Kyiv mayoral election and the Odesa mayoral election of the same day. [185] [186] [187] A man named Darth Vader earlier had submitted documents to be registered as a presidential candidate in the 2014 Ukrainian presidential election, but his registration was refused because his real identity could not be verified. [188] [189] [190] In the 2014 Ukrainian parliamentary election, Darth Vader and Star Wars characters such as Chewbacca, Padmé Amidala and Yoda ran for seats in the Ukrainian parliament. [184] Candidates named Darth Vader reappeared in the 2015 Ukrainian local elections. [191]

Citations

  1. 1 2 Wakeman, Gregory (December 4, 2014). "George Lucas Was Terrible at Predicting The Future Of Star Wars". CinemaBlend. Archived from the original on January 14, 2020. Retrieved December 2, 2018.
  2. "Darth Vader – #1 Top 100 Villain". IGN . San Francisco, California: J2 Global. Archived from the original on August 31, 2016. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
  3. "Why Darth Vader Is The Best Villain Ever". Comicbook.com. June 29, 2015. Archived from the original on April 12, 2016. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
  4. Thornton, Mark (May 13, 2005). "What is the 'Dark Side' and Why Do Some People Choose It?". mises.org. Auburn, Alabama: Ludwig von Mises Institute. Archived from the original on April 14, 2009. Retrieved May 5, 2007.
  5. Murphy, William (November 28, 2017). "Did German Speakers Understand The Darth Vader Reveal Before Anyone Else?". Forbes . New York City. Archived from the original on May 27, 2020. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  6. Jordan, John-Erik (December 17, 2015). "The real-world origins of the names and languages in 'Star Wars'". Business Insider Australia. Victoria, Australia: Pedestrian Group. Archived from the original on July 26, 2020. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  7. Jones, Brian Jay (2016). George Lucas: A Life. New York City: Little, Brown and Company. p. 213. ISBN   978-0-316-25744-2.
  8. Macek, J. C. III (May 27, 2015). "Obi-Wan Kenobi LIVES! (and other deleted intentions)". PopMatters . Retrieved October 11, 2019.
  9. Hill, Amelia (April 16, 2018). "The Definition of the Word 'Darth' in the Star Wars Universe". ThoughtCo. New York City: Dotdash. Archived from the original on April 18, 2019. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  10. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. Eisenberg, Eric (October 26, 2015). "Why George Lucas Had To Change Luke Skywalker's Name in Star Wars". Cinema Blend. Portland, Oregon: Cinema Blend LLC. Archived from the original on February 11, 2019. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
  13. Jones, Brian Jay (2016). George Lucas: A Life. New York City: Little, Brown and Company. p. 171. ISBN   978-0-316-25744-2.
  14. Star Wars : Quand Chewbacca s'appelait Chiktaba et Luke Skywalker Luke Marcheciel Archived November 30, 2020, at the Wayback Machine .
  15. 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.
  16. Serafino, Jay (November 17, 2016). "8 Major Changes From the Original Star Wars Trilogy Drafts". Mental Floss . London, England: Dennis Publishing. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  17. Kaminski 2008, p. 184.
  18. 1 2 3 Rinzler, J. W. (2010). The Making of The Empire Strikes Back. London: Del Rey. pp. 24, 39–40. ISBN   978-1-84513-555-3. OCLC   506251987.
  19. Saavedra, John (May 21, 2018). "Star Wars: Leigh Brackett and The Empire Strikes Back You Never Saw". Den of Geek . London, England: Dennis Publishing. Archived from the original on January 15, 2023. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  20. Bouzereau 1997, p. 144.
  21. 1 2 @PhilSzostak (August 3, 2019). "2. "Darth Vader, a tall, grim-looking general" appears in the May 1974 The #StarWars rough draft 3. Darth Vader is not Luke Skywalker's father until the April 1, 1978 second draft of #EmpireStrikesBack 4. "Darth" doesn't mean anything in Dutch or German MYTH BUSTED" (Tweet) via Twitter.
  22. The Empire Strikes Back (DVD). 20th Century Fox. 2004.
  23. Sunstein, Cass R. (2016). The World According to Star Wars. New York City: HarperCollins. ISBN   978-0062484222.
  24. Kaminski 2008, p. 211.
  25. Pierce-Bohen, Kayleena (December 31, 2021). "Star Wars: 10 Subtle Clues About The Identity Of Luke Skywalker's Father". Screen Rant . Archived from the original on January 15, 2023. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  26. Roark, Nathaniel (October 25, 2023). "15 Wild Details Behind The Making Of The Star Wars Original Trilogy". ScreenRant. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  27. Kaminski 2008 , pp. 120–21
  28. Kaminski 2008 , pp. 164–165
  29. Winarski, Jessica (September 28, 2021). "Star Wars Was Almost Destroyed by One Weird Line – and an All-New Darth Vader". CBR. Archived from the original on September 30, 2021. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  30. 1 2 Kaminski 2008 , pp. 299–300
  31. "Anakin Skywalker". Star Wars Databank . Los Angeles, California: Lucasfilm. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved August 12, 2010.
  32. Slavicsek, Bill (1994). A Guide to the Star Wars Universe (2nd ed.). London, England: Del Ray. p. xix. ISBN   0-345-38625-6.
  33. 1 2 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.
  34. Bowen 2005 , p. 22
  35. Greenberg, Glenn (2019). Star Wars: Age of Republic – Heroes. New York City: Marvel Comics. p. 26. ISBN   978-1-302-91710-4. OCLC   1090434485.
  36. 1 2 "El Elegido | Documental de Star Wars: Episodio III (Subtitulado)" via www.youtube.com.
  37. Kaminski 2008 , pp. 380–384
  38. Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith documentary "Within a Minute" (DVD documentary). 2005.
  39. TV Guide Article August 11, 2008
  40. Minkel, JR (August 11, 2008). "When Clones Attack: Q&A with Clone Wars Director David Filoni". Scientific American . New York City: Springer Nature. Archived from the original on June 4, 2016. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  41. "From Apprentice to Adversary: Vader vs. Ahsoka featurette". Star Wars Rebels season 2. Archived from the original (Blu-ray) on September 21, 2016.
  42. 1 2 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.
  43. Whitbrook, James (September 14, 2016). "The Art That Inspired Ahsoka and Darth Vader's Epic Duel in Star Wars Rebels". Gizmodo . Archived from the original on December 4, 2021. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  44. Vargas, Alani (December 27, 2019). "Here's Why Anakin Comes Back For 1 Moment In Ahsoka and Darth Vader's Duel in 'Star Wars Rebels'". Showbiz Cheat Sheet. Archived from the original on November 3, 2020. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
  45. Gross, Ed (September 30, 2016). "Star Wars: Dave Filoni talks Rebels as well as Rogue One connections". Empire . London, England: Bauer Media Group. Archived from the original on November 5, 2016. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
  46. 1 2 "The Old Master: Ralph McQuarrie on Designing Star Wars". Star Wars Insider (76). June 2004.
  47. Casey, Dan (2015). "64. 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.
  48. "Ralph McQuarrie's Most Memorable Masterpieces". StarWars.com. August 16, 2016. Archived from the original on June 22, 2017. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
  49. 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.
  50. "Insider Excerpt: Vader Sculptor Brian Muir". StarWars.com. March 24, 2010. Archived from the original on August 9, 2011.
  51. Seibold, Whitney (August 13, 2023). "What Does The Lettering On Darth Vader's Chest Plate Mean In Star Wars?". /Film. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  52. Rinzler, J.W. (2010). The Sounds of Star Wars. Foreword by Ben Burtt. London: Simon & Schuster. ISBN   978-0-85720-076-1.
  53. 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.
  54. Barder, Ollie (December 21, 2015). "Understanding The Japanese Influences Behind 'Star Wars'". Forbes. New York City. Archived from the original on December 29, 2017. Retrieved November 10, 2016.
  55. Ling, Dave (April 28, 2014). "Wishbone Ash: The making of the almighty Argus". Classic Rock. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  56. 1 2 3 4 "Darth Vader". Star Wars Databank . Lucasfilm. Archived from the original on November 8, 2010. Retrieved August 12, 2010.
  57. "British Darth Vader fighter dies aged 89". BBC News. January 2, 2012. Archived from the original on September 13, 2015. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
  58. Lovett, Jamie (November 29, 2020). "Star Wars Creator George Lucas Releases Statement on Death of Darth Vader Actor David Prowse". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on November 30, 2020. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  59. Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy. Star Wars Trilogy Box Set DVD documentary. [2005]
  60. Russo, Tom. "The Force Wasn't With Them". Premiere . Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. Archived from the original on May 8, 2006. Retrieved October 3, 2006.
  61. Lovece, Frank (March 12, 2008). "Fast Chat: James Earl Jones". Newsday . New York. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  62. The Star Wars Trilogy (Bonus Material)[Episode III Preview: The Return of Darth Vader] (DVD). 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. 2004.
  63. Johnson, Zac (June 24, 2016). "Darth Vader Confirmed to Appear in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story: All the Details". E! News. Archived from the original on December 4, 2021. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  64. 1 2 Britt, Ryan (December 14, 2016). "The Most Menacing Figures Who Played Darth Vader". Inverse. Archived from the original on December 27, 2017. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
  65. "Star Wars – Lucas Made Vader Suit Extra Awkward". Contactmusic.com . May 16, 2005. Archived from the original on January 15, 2023. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
  66. "Rogue One: Darth Vader storms Rhyl for Star Wars showing". BBC Wales. December 22, 2016. Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved December 22, 2016. While the actor has the body role, just like his predecessor in the original Star Wars films David Prowse, the voice of Lord Vader is actor James Earl Jones.
  67. 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.
  68. Owen, Luke (April 11, 2016). "Star Wars Exclusive: Rogue One's Darth Vader casting revealed". Flickering Myth. Archived from the original on January 15, 2023. Retrieved April 18, 2016.
  69. DiGiacomo, Frank (January 1, 2010). "The Game Has Changed". The Hive. Archived from the original on December 27, 2017. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
  70. Frost, Caroline (September 24, 2022). "James Earl Jones Signs Over Rights To Voice Of Darth Vader, Signalling Retirement From Legendary Role". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on September 24, 2022. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  71. 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.
  72. 1 2 3 Pirani, Adam (July 1987). "Sebastian Shaw: The Return of Anakin Skywalker". Starlog . Vol. 11, no. 120. pp. 56–57, 96.
  73. Anders, Charlie Jane (September 25, 2013). "10 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Star Wars: Return of the Jedi". Gizmodo . Archived from the original on December 4, 2021. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  74. Chernoff, Scott (April–May 1998). "Ian McDiarmid: An Interview with the Emperor". Star Wars Insider . No. 37. p. 33.
  75. Johnson, Derek (September 22, 2005). "Star Wars fans, DVD, and cultural ownership: an interview with Will Brooker; Interview". Velvet Light Trap . pp. 36–44.
  76. Ebert, Roger (May 1, 2005). "Anakin's fans strike back". Chicago Sun-Times . Chicago, Illinois: Sun-Times Company. p. 3.
  77. J.W. Rinzler's Skywalker Ranch Stories. Rebel Force Radio. November 30, 2020. 19 minutes in. Archived from the original on December 11, 2021. Retrieved May 10, 2021 via YouTube.
  78. "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.
  79. "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.
  80. "The Man (Literally) Behind C-3PO". StarWars.com. November 2, 1999. Archived from the original on November 2, 2007. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
  81. "Robin Gurland – Don't Call Her; She'll Call You". StarWars.com . Archived from the original on June 28, 2011. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
  82. "Hot Rods & Droids: A George Lucas Profile (Part 5)". Flickering Myth. July 6, 2011. Archived from the original on January 15, 2023. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  83. Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith DVD documentary It's All for Real: The Stunts of Episode III, [2005].
  84. 1 2 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.
  85. "James Earl Jones to Voice Darth Vader in Star Wars: Rebels' Premiere on ABC!". Star Wars Episode VII News. October 9, 2014. Archived from the original on February 25, 2015.
  86. Caron, Nathalie (April 21, 2015). "James Earl Jones confirmed as Darth Vader". Blastr.com. Archived from the original on April 22, 2015. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  87. "Ahsoka's Untold Tales Panel | Star Wars Celebration Europe 2016". July 15, 2016. Archived from the original on December 11, 2021. Retrieved July 15, 2016 via YouTube.
  88. Bortolin 2005 , p. 17
  89. Kapell, Matthew; Lawrence, John Shelton (2006). Finding the force of the Star wars franchise: fans, merchandise, & critics. New York City: Peter Lang. p. 137. ISBN   978-0-8204-8808-0.
  90. Bortolin 2005 , p. 115
  91. Bortolin 2005 , p. x
  92. 1 2 3 Hsu, Jeremy (June 8, 2010). "The Psychology of Darth Vader Revealed". LiveScience . New York City: TopTenReviews. Archived from the original on August 26, 2010. Retrieved June 8, 2010.
  93. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Darth Vader". StarWars.com. Archived from the original on June 19, 2022. Retrieved September 23, 2016.
  94. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Anakin Skywalker". StarWars.com. Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved September 23, 2016.
  95. Szostak, Phil (2015). The Art of 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'. New York City: Abrams Books. p. 79. ISBN   978-1-4197-1780-2.
  96. 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.
  97. 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.
  98. Agar, Chris (December 16, 2016). "Star Wars: Darth Vader's Rogue One Role Explained". Screen Rant . Archived from the original on November 4, 2022.
  99. 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.
  100. 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.
  101. 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.
  102. 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.
  103. 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.
  104. "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.
  105. 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.
  106. 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.
  107. 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.
  108. 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.
  109. 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.
  110. Bacon, Thomas (October 22, 2023). "Hayden Christensen's Anakin Skywalker De-Aging Explained By VFX Artists". Screen Rant . Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  111. Coggan, Devan (September 5, 2023). "Ahsoka sees the return of a major Star Wars character". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  112. Walsh, Michael (September 13, 2023). "What Happened Between Anakin and Ahsoka in the World Between Worlds". Nerdist . Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  113. "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.
  114. "[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.
  115. 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.
  116. "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.
  117. "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.
  118. 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.
  119. "Vader Immortal: Episode III". Oculus.com. November 21, 2019. Archived from the original on March 4, 2020. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  120. 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.
  121. 1 2 "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.
  122. 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.
  123. Goldman, Eric (May 9, 2015). "Star Wars: Lords of the Sith Review". IGN . Los Angeles, California: j2 Global. Archived from the original on June 6, 2016. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
  124. "Darth Vader (2015 – present) | Comics". Marvel. Archived from the original on February 20, 2016. Retrieved December 20, 2016.
  125. 1 2 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.
  126. 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.
  127. "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.
  128. 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.
  129. 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.
  130. "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.
  131. 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.
  132. 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.
  133. 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.
  134. 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.
  135. 1 2 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.
  136. 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.
  137. Patterson, Jordan (February 23, 2023). "Revenge of the Sith Almost Had a Very Different 'I Am Your Father' Reveal". CBR. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  138. 1 2 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.
  139. "Star Wars: Vader – Dark Visions (2019) #1 | Comic Issues". Marvel Entertainment. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  140. 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.
  141. "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.
  142. "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.
  143. Sansweet, Stephen J. (1998). Star Wars Encyclopedia (1st ed.). New York: Ballantine. p. 23. ISBN   0-345-40227-8. OCLC   36960986.
  144. 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.
  145. 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.
  146. 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.
  147. 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.
  148. 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.
  149. "James Earl Jones Disney legend". D23. Walt Disney. Archived from the original on January 25, 2020. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  150. 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.
  151. 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.
  152. 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.
  153. "AFI's 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains" (PDF). afi.com. Los Angeles, California: American Film Institute. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 7, 2011. Retrieved May 21, 2010.
  154. "Tragic hero: Anakin Skywalker from Return of the Jedi (1983)". Filmsmarts.com. Archived from the original on October 19, 2018. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
  155. Kinnaird, Brian A. (November 15, 2015). "Darth Vader: The Value of Redemptive Sacrifice". Psychology Today . New York City: Sussex Publishers. Archived from the original on January 15, 2023. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  156. Bremond, Walter (October 1, 1977). "Star Wars and Blacks". New Journal and Guide .
  157. Jones, Brian Jay (2016). George Lucas: A Life. New York City: Little, Brown and Company. p. 249. ISBN   9780316257459. Archived from the original on January 15, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  158. Nama, Adilifu (2008). Black space: imagining race in science fiction film. Austin, Texas: University of Texas Press. pp. 63–64. ISBN   978-0-292-71745-9. Archived from the original on January 15, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  159. Bortolin 2005 , p. xiii
  160. Bowen 2005 , p. 97
  161. "Cosmic Princess". catacombs.space1999.net. Archived from the original on October 31, 2019. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
  162. "A Conversation With the Creator of Final Fantasy IV". 1UP.com. Archived from the original on April 4, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  163. "Toy Story references to the Star Wars films". In a far away Galaxy. December 7, 2013. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved December 26, 2015.
  164. Lang, Susan S. (April 5, 2005). "Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld are now species of slime-mold beetles – but strictly in homage". Cornell News. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University. Archived from the original on May 3, 2008. Retrieved April 27, 2008.
  165. Valan, Miroslav; Sychra, Oldrich; Literak, Ivan (2016). "Chewing lice of genus Ricinus (Phthiraptera, Ricinidae) deposited at the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg, Russia, with description of a new species". Parasite. 23: 7. doi: 10.1051/parasite/2016007 . ISSN   1776-1042. PMC   4763114 . PMID   26902646.
  166. "An architectural Star Wars clash at Sierra Point". San Francisco Chronicle . San Francisco, California: Hearst Publishing. April 17, 1986. p. 4.
  167. Egan, Timothy (June 29, 1986). "Focus: Seattle; Creating An Office Empire". The New York Times . New York City. Archived from the original on November 6, 2012. Retrieved May 8, 2008.
  168. "the bell awards – Tom Graff (interview)". Belltown Messenger. June 2007. Archived from the original on June 17, 2007. Retrieved May 8, 2008.
  169. "Search – panels – Dayout New Zealand". Dayout.co.nz. Archived from the original on January 12, 2009. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
  170. "Window falls from high rise". Stuff. December 31, 2014. Archived from the original on August 14, 2015. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  171. "About Darth Vader". Washington National Cathedral. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved April 27, 2008.
  172. "Sens' Gerber has new mask, new outlook on season". The Sports Network. September 24, 2008. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
  173. Woods, Bob, ed. (1997). "It Took the World by Force". Star Wars: Official 20th Anniversary Commemorative Magazine. New York City: Topps. p. 57.
  174. Gunther, Marc (August 22, 2005). "Al Gore Battles Old Cable Demons". CNN . Atlanta, Georgia: Turner Broadcasting Systems. Archived from the original on May 24, 2008. Retrieved April 27, 2008.
  175. "Harvey Leroy "Lee" Atwater, was a Republican political consultant". Netscape . November 7, 2006. Archived from the original on January 6, 2007. Retrieved April 27, 2008.
  176. Steele, Robin (October 5, 2007). "Bunky Echo-Hawk takes the stage with live painting". The Brown Daily Herald . Providence, Rhode Island: Brown University. Archived from the original on June 22, 2017. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  177. Worland, Justin (October 25, 2015). "Ukrainian Lenin Statue Turned into Darth Vader". Time . New York City: Meredith Corporation. Archived from the original on October 25, 2015. Retrieved October 25, 2015.
  178. Dick Cheney (June 22, 2006). "Interview With Dick Cheney". The Situation Room (Interview). Interviewed by John King. CNN. Archived from the original on April 3, 2007. Retrieved April 27, 2008.
  179. "The Daily Show: Cheney Camera 3". Comedy Central. January 25, 2007. Archived from the original on December 4, 2021. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  180. Dowd, Maureen (April 19, 2009). "The Aura of Arugulance". The New York Times . Archived from the original on June 15, 2013. Retrieved April 19, 2009.
  181. "'Star Wars' vs. 'Star Trek'". Newsweek. Vol. 153, no. 18. May 4, 2009. pp. 54–55. Archived from the original on May 9, 2009. Retrieved November 24, 2017.
  182. "Helmet (1995) for Fedayeen Saddam". royalarmouries.org. Royal Armouries. Retrieved August 22, 2022.[ permanent dead link ]
  183. "Darth Vader is number 25". IGN . Los Angeles, California: j2 Global. Archived from the original on December 3, 2010. Retrieved December 6, 2010.
  184. 1 2 "Darth Vader Is Running for Prime Minister of Ukraine, Vowing to Take on Putin". Newsweek . October 24, 2014. Archived from the original on October 24, 2014. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
  185. "Kyiv Election Commission Registers Darth Vader As Candidate For Kyiv Mayor". Ukrainian News Agency. May 1, 2014. Archived from the original on May 2, 2014. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
  186. "Darth Vader candidate for mayor of Odesa" (in Russian). Espreso TV. May 1, 2014. Archived from the original on May 2, 2014. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
  187. "Tsushko to compete for post of Odesa mayor". Interfax-Ukraine . March 29, 2014. Archived from the original on April 3, 2014.
  188. "Ukraine's Darth Vader presidency bid rejected". Euronews . March 4, 2016. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016.
  189. Momtaz, Rym; Jovanovic, Dragana (October 26, 2014). "Pro-Western Parties, Not Darth Vader, Set to Win Ukrainian Elections". ABC News . New York City: ABC. Archived from the original on September 25, 2015. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  190. Cooper, Geraldine (October 26, 2014). "Ukraine's Darth Vader candidate denied vote after refusing to remove mask". The Telegraph . London, England: Telegraph Media Group. Archived from the original on October 27, 2014. Retrieved September 24, 2015. Darth Alekseyevich Vader, an official candidate in Ukraine's parliamentary elections, is turned away from a Kiev polling station after refusing to remove his mask
  191. "Putin headed for victory in Odesa as Darth Vader clouds farcical election". Ukraine Today . October 23, 2015. Archived from the original on October 24, 2015. Retrieved October 24, 2015.
  192. "Darth Vader's Actual 'The Empire Strikes Back' Helmet Sold for $900K at Auction". Man of Many. September 29, 2019. Archived from the original on October 23, 2020. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  193. Murray, Robin; Farell-Roig, Estel (December 2, 2020). "Darth Vader figure appears on Colston plinth in Bristol". Bristol Post . Archived from the original on December 5, 2020. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
  194. The Star Wars Book (2020) pg. 200

Sources

Further reading