Darth Vader/Relationships

The relationships of Darth Vader from the Star Wars universe.


 * See also: Anakin Skywalker/Relationships

Padmé Amidala
Even as Darth Vader, Anakin still loved Padmé very much but felt great guilt for his actions against her. Despite his love for his wife, Padmé's life and their children was one of the main reasons Anakin had become the ruthless Sith Lord Vader in the first place. After her husband became Vader, Padmé was heartbroken, but still tried to reason with Vader to stop his crusade. Vader believed she had sided with Obi-Wan (unaware that she did not know the latter had been on her starship and she did not betray Vader) and, blinded by his anger, he Force- choked her. However, he released her from it when she lost consciousness, but was still horrified to see what he had done afterwards. Before her death, Padmé still believed there was still good left in Vader, and that one day he could be redeemed. During his time as the Emperor's enforcer, Vader continued to suffer from grief over Padmé's death and guilt over his supposed hand in it; his guilt and shame was so great that he developed a deep self-loathing and even nearly committed suicide at one point. Ultimately, Padmé's belief in her husband proved right when he sacrificed himself to save their son Luke.

Luke Skywalker
"No, I am your father."

- Vader reveals himself as Luke's father

Though unaware that his unborn child was actually going to be twins, Anakin sought after a way to save them and Padmé after seeing a vision of their deaths. After Anakin had become Vader, the twins were miraculously born before Padmé died. After being told that Padmé had died, Vader becomes devastated by the death of his wife and apparent death of his unborn child, ultimately completing his transformation into a Sith.

Vader did not meet his son until nineteen years later when he sensed that his connection to the Force was unusually powerful. The two would become mortal enemies over their differing viewpoints of freedom and the Force, both unaware of the other's true identity as Luke had believed Vader had murdered his father. However, when Vader discovered the truth behind his ties with Luke, their relationship as enemies took a different turn; the discovery rekindled the love he had as Anakin for his family and sought to protect Luke from Palpatine, but Vader's influence still led him to desire turning Luke to the dark side. Luke had a hard time coming to terms that Vader was his father, but wished to redeem him instead, even though Anakin was believed to be lost forever. Seeing Luke tortured at the hands of Palpatine was the catalyst that revived Anakin from Vader and, in an act of love, Anakin killed Palpatine to save his son. Luke, presented with Anakin in his last moments, saw who his father was at last and Anakin thanked him for never giving up hope in saving him.

Leia Organa
Leia is the second twin born without Vader's knowledge; Vader did not meet his daughter until she was in her late teens. By the time he met her on the Death Star, the encounter with his daughter was a cruel twist of fate, as Vader, unaware that Leia was his own child, treated her as an enemy to the Empire and severely tortured her aboard the Death Star, all before letting Wilhuff Tarkin destroy her surrogate home Alderaan. Leia in turn saw Vader as a monster that was willing to destroy the weak. However, after learning of his connection to Leia when he probed Luke's mind, Vader came into shock that he had two children who survived, but used this information to threaten Luke by promising to corrupt Leia if Luke refused to join him, despite this, he secretly felt extremely guilty and remorseful for what he had previously done to Leia (severely tortured her aboard the Death Star). Before dying, Vader told Luke to tell his sister that he was right that there was still good left in him, as Vader did not want Leia to believe he was a monster, but as a man who had now redeemed himself for the freedom of the galaxy.

Kylo Ren/Ben Solo
Vader died before Ben was born. However his grandson would come to admire and revere his power, however, Ben also came to fear that he may never be as powerful as the Chosen One, he admire and revere more of his maternal grandfather's dark aspects, then his light aspects.

Like his maternal grandfather before him, Ben fall to the Dark side of the Force, becoming known as Kylo Ren, Kylo has seemingly become far worse then his grandfather, although Vader was brutal, and ruthless, he he at least cared about his family, as well as having compassion and sympathy for them, as Vader would never kill a member of his own family in cold blood, not even for power.

Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin
Even as Darth Vader, Anakin and Tarkin still had a mutual respect for each other, although Vader had a good working relationship with Tarkin and considered him an ally. The pair mutual respected each other, but they secretly did not trust or personally like each other.

Emperor Sheev Palpatine/Darth Sidious
"What is thy bidding, my master?"

- Whenever Vader is in Palpatine's presence

Even as a Sith Lord, Vader respected Palpatine. After becoming Palpatine's apprentice, Vader obeyed his master's orders usually without question. He did briefly consider overthrowing the new Emperor, but this idea evaporated after he became a cyborg since the Galactic Emperor saved his life instead of leaving him for dead and because after Padme died, the Emperor was all he had left.

However, when Palpatine was torturing and attempting to kill Vader's son, Luke Skywalker, he broke away from the Dark side of the Force; he ended up turning on his master and killing him. Vader also realized that Palpatine was a heartless monster who had been using him for years to gain power for himself, the same realization his wife made; prior to her death.

Obi-Wan Kenobi
"Your powers are weak, old man."

- Vader battling Obi-Wan

Prior to his conversion to the dark side, Obi-Wan was Anakin's mentor and friend. Obi-Wan was also responsible for Vader's later condition as their epic battle against each other caused him to lose three of his limbs and sustain severe burns that led to his requirement of the suit.

When Anakin fell to the dark side and became Darth Vader, killing many Jedi and younglings, Obi-Wan was heartbroken and at first refused to confront Vader, but reluctantly agreed to do so when Yoda insisted that he needed to put his "brother" out of his misery. When it appeared that Padme had led Obi-Wan to Mustafar to kill him, Vader mortally choked the former and engaged the latter in combat, his previous love for his former master replaced by pure hatred. During their duel, Obi-Wan kept trying to find a trace of his former pupil in the monster that he had become, but as Vader coldly rebuffed all his pleas and made vicious attempts to murder his former master, he eventually accepted that Anakin was gone. After Obi-Wan dismembered Vader and won the battle, he could not bring himself to murder his defenseless enemy in cold blood and remorsefully left Vader to be consumed by the fires of Mustafar.

Over the years, Vader's burning hatred for Obi-Wan intensified as he became obsessed with revenge against him and all Jedi. Vader was so obsessed that he became dedicated to locating him, but did not succeed because Palpatine was convinced that Obi-Wan was not worth the effort. He finally encountered Obi-Wan nineteen years later on the first Death Star. Vader engaged Obi-Wan in a final lightsaber duel, expressing contempt for his former mentor because of his advancing age. When Obi-Wan left himself wide open, Vader cut down his former friend without mercy or remorse.

It was very likely that Vader became enraged when he discovered that Obi-Wan had deprived him of his children, Luke and Leia, upon learning of their existence.

Yoda
Prior to his conversion to the dark side, Anakin was Yoda's friend and greatly respected him.

When Anakin fell to the dark side and became Darth Vader, killing many Jedi and younglings, Yoda was saddened. However, instead of attempting to reason with Vader, he ordered Obi-Wan to hunt down and kill him, firmly and incorrectly believing that Vader was beyond redemption.

Vader never discovered his location, either this was because Yoda never revealed his homeworld to anyone or because Vader was more focused on finding Obi-Wan; the very person who was responsible for him becoming a cyborg in the first place. Yoda continue to believe that Vader was irredeemable and there was no good left in him, even at the moment of his death. However, this was disproved when Vader's son, Luke, was being tortured by Palpatine, and Vader broke away from the Dark side of the Force, becoming the good person he once was, and sacrificed himself to save his son; thus redeemed by the love he had for his son.

Ahsoka Tano
"Then you will die!"

- Vader breaks the bond he and his student once shared

While Vader still acknowledged Ahsoka as his former apprentice, by the time he had found his long-lost apprentice he was so distanced from his past self that he had no qualms against eliminating the Rebels or any Jedi he came across, both of which Ahsoka was apart of. Vader only felt antipathy for Ahsoka's existence as a relic of Anakin Skywalker. Because of this, he was willing to hunt her down in order to permanently remove any remainder from his past. Ahsoka was unaware of Anakin's transformation after the Clone Wars, and when she discovered the truth, she was left heartbroken and in shock that her former mentor was the Sith threat she was facing. However, she still aided the Rebel fleet against Vader, despite their past friendship.

In "Twilight of the Apprentice", Vader finally comes face-to-face with his former friend. Despite them now being enemies, Vader apparently still has some respect for his former apprentice, as he offers to spare her life if she tells him where the other lost Jedi are hiding. Ahsoka refuses, stating that there are no more Jedi and refusing to believe that Anakin is Vader. Vader coldly claims that Anakin Skywalker was weak and that he (Vader) destroyed him. Ahsoka then says that she is going to avenge the death of her former mentor; Vader reminds her that revenge is not the way of the Jedi, to which she coldly retorts "I am no Jedi". Former mentor and apprentice then engage in a fierce lightsaber duel.

After Ahsoka slashes off part of Vader's mask, she sees Anakin's disfigured face beneath it; she is shocked and saddened, but finally accepts that Anakin and Vader are the same person and offers him compassion, firmly stating she will not leave him. Vader briefly falters and stares at her for a long moment, seemingly touched by her compassion. But then, embracing his inner darkness, he cruelly resolves to kill her and attacks her again. Despite his cruelty, Ahsoka stays behind on Malachor to give Kanan and Ezra time to escape. As the pair resume their battle, the Sith Temple collapses and explodes around them.

It is unknown who ultimately came out on top in their duel; Vader survived the Temple's destruction, but it remains unknown if Ahsoka survived the Temple's destruction or if Vader had her killed.

Nute Gunray
Even as Darth Vader, Anakin still hated Nute. When Palpatine dispatched Vader to kill the Separatist Council, Vader cruelly made Nute's death as frightening as possible; Vader forced Nute to watch him kill his colleges and then killed him.