Darth Vader


 * This article is about Darth Vader. You may be looking for the character's original persona.

Darth Vader (formerly known as Anakin Skywalker) is a central character in the Star Wars saga, appearing as one of the main antagonists in all three original Star Wars trilogy films alongside his master, and as the main protagonist in the prequel trilogy before he joined the Sith.

Revenge of the Sith
After Anakin turned to the Dark Side and became Palpatine's new apprentice Darth Vader, he led an army of Clone Troopers to the Jedi Temple and killed all the Jedi including the younglings. After all the Jedi in the temple were executed, Palpatine sent Vader to the Mustafar System and eliminated Viceroy Gunray and the other Separatist Leaders.

Anakin was soon to engage his former master Obi-Wan Kenobi in a blood thirsty lightsaber duel and was defeated. His left arm and legs were cut off and Obi-Wan left him to burn to death beside the lava rivers. Vader was able to keep himself alive with the Force, his unbreakable will and sheer hatred. He was soon rescued by Palpatine (now emperor of the Galactic Empire) and was taken back to Coruscant for medical treatment where he would be concealed behind a mask for the rest of his life.

He is last seen beside Emperor Palpatine viewing the construction of the Death Star.

A New Hope
When plans for the Empire's new weapon, the Death Star were stolen by Rebel spies, Vader was assigned to retrieve the plans. His ship and men captured a Rebel Tantive VI star ship where they captured Princess Leia Organa. When they couldn't find the plans aboard the ship, Vadar assumed they were hidden in the escape pod that R2-D2 and C-3PO were in and sent a squadron of Troopers down to retrieve them while he returned to the Death Star.

Vader tortured Princess Leia in making her tell where Rebels secret base is but she would not give in. When the Empire captured the Millennium Falcon, Vader ordered scanning crew to check every inch of the ship. He felt the presence of Obi-Wan Kenobi near and after many years he engaged him in second lightsaber duel and killed him.

When the Rebels commenced their attack on the Death Star, Vader joined the fight with two Pilots beside him. He easily took out many of the fighters by himself and just when he was about destroy Luke, Han and Chewbacca appear out of nowhere and fire on the Imperials, sending Vader spiralling away. When the Rebels succeeded in destroying the Death Star, Vader managed to gain control of his ship and fled the scene.

The Empire Strikes Back
A couple years later, Vader tracks the location of the Rebels' new secret base on the Ice Planet, Hoth. From space, aboard his Imperial Starfighter, he oversaw the Battle of Hoth, dispatching Imperial AT-AT and AT-ST walkers against Luke Skywalker and Rogue Squadron. Vader was later summoned by Emperor Palpatine via hologram, where Palpatine confirmed that Luke is the offspring of Anakin Skywalker, and thus plans to seduce him to the Dark Side of the Force, as well.

At Cloud City, on the Planet Bespin, Vader arranged a trap for Han Solo, Princess Leia, and Chewbacca, aided by Boba Fett, as well as Han's friend Lando Calrissian. Vader then began to arrange for Luke Skywalker to be frozen in a carbonite chamber and delivered to the Emperor, but chose to test it first on Solo. Afterwards, he handed him over to Boba Fett, who flew Han to Jabba's Palace on Tatooine, aboard Boba's ship, Slave I. Vader then engaged Luke in a fierce lightsaber duel, where he cut off Luke's right hand, and then revealed to Luke that he is his father. He made a proposal for Luke to join him, where he would complete Luke's training, and have him rule the galaxy alongside him, but Luke refused and narrowly escaped Cloud City.

Return of the Jedi
On the second Death Star, Vader awaited the arrival of Emperor Palpatine, who had decided to personally oversee the completion of the new space station. Through the Force, Vader anticpated that Luke, in his compassion for him, would ultimately surrender himself, and attempt to turn him back to the Light Side of the Force, determined to rekindle the spirit of his true self, Anakin Skywalker.

Together, Vader and Luke met the Emperor in his throne room aboard the Death Star, where the Emperor started playing upon Luke's fear for his friends' safety. Intent on using Luke as a pawn to kill his own father, and thus take his place at Palpatine's side, he provokes Luke to engage Vader in a lightsaber duel. Even Vader made an attempt to provoke Luke, which caused him to retailiate in anger, but after cutting off his father's right hand and noticing mechanical wires underneath that match his own right hand, Luke throws away his lightsaber and tells the Emperor that he refuses to turn to the Dark Side.

Vader then watches as the Emperor slowly tortures Luke with fierce Force Lightning attacks. Writhing in agony, Luke pleads for Vader to save him. Seeing that his son is dying, Vader ultimately betrays his Sith Master who was really the true traitor and enemy of the Galactic Republic that Mace Windu warned him in the Clone wars by picking him up and hurling him down a reactor shaft, thus fulfilling the ancient Jedi Prophecy of the 'Chosen One' and redeeming himself. Luke drags Anakin to the ramp of an Imperial Shuttle, where Anakin has Luke remove his helmet and mask, wanting to see him with his own eyes. Anakin tells Luke to leave him, though Luke doesn't want to. Anakin tells Luke that he was right about him, and with his dying words, he says for Luke to tell his sister he was right. After a final smile, Anakin dies.

On Endor, Luke cremates his father's armor, mask, and helmet, and during the Rebel Alliance's celebration, Luke sees Anakin's spirit appear beside fellow Jedi Masters Yoda and Obi-Wan.

Star Wars Rebels
Darth Vader appears in the Disney XD animated series Star Wars Rebels, Once again voiced by James Earl Jones who originally provided his voice in the Original Trilogy and Revenge of the Sith. In the series he tasks the Empire's Inquisitor to hunt down the remaining Jedi Knights who may have survived the Great Jedi Purge.

Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion
In the extended cut of the television pilot, Darth Vader makes a brief appearance during the opening of the film where he is briefing his fateful servant, The Inquisitor with new orders from the Emperor.

Even though the Jedi have been wiped out, the Sith have foreseen a new threat; the children of the force. Under the command of his Master, the Emperor, Vader gave the Inquisitor the task to hunt down this new enemy and if they do not serve the Empire they should be eliminated along with any surviving Jedi who will attempt to train them.

Attractions
Darth Vader is featured in the show Jedi Training Academy at Disneyland and Disney's Hollywood Studios. He is also meetable during Star Wars Weekends.

He also appears in Star Tours: The Adventures Continue.

Trivia

 * Vader is briefly mentioned in the DuckTales episode "All Ducks on Deck", when the Phantom Blot is comparing himself to other villains: "I make Darth Vader look as scary as the hood ornament of a '53 Buick!" At the time the episode aired, Disney had not acquired the rights to Star Wars yet.
 * In Toy Story 2, there is a spoof of Vader's famous line (No, I am your father) when Emperor Zurg reveals himself to Buzz Lightyear. The same film also briefly had Buzz Lightyear mimicking Darth Vader's breathing in the beginning. In addition, Zurg, when encountering Buzz Lightyear in the beginning of the same film also paraphrases Darth Vader's line when about to duel Obi-Wan Kenobi from A New Hope.
 * In the sequel, Toy Story 3, Big Baby throwing Lotso into the dumpster, similar to Vader's redemption by defeating Emperor Palpatine.
 * Vader's line to Leia when ordering for her arrest was also parodied with Bad Buzz in the same film. Coincidentally, both Bad Buzz and Darth Vader were seduced by the bad guy (Lotso and Palpatine, respectively), although in the former's case, it was closer to being brainwashed.
 * In Wreck-It Ralph, which was released in theaters only 4 days after Lucasfilm was bought by Disney, Ralph mimics Vader's breathing when he breathes through a candy straw while hiding out in a chocolate pond.
 * His voice actor, James Earl Jones, would later go on to voice Mufasa in The Lion King.
 * A scuba mask was used to make Darth Vader's infamous breathing noise.
 * In the extended version of Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion, Darth Vader's character design is close to the original concept that was used during the early production of A New Hope.