Origin
Anakin Skywalker is considered “the Chosen One” of the force; whom is supposed to destroy the Sith. Anakin Skywalker was born without a father and lived most of his life on Tatooine with his mother, Shmi. When Qui-Gon Jinn came to the planet looking for parts for their ship back to the Jedi Council, Anakin won them the parts and also his freedom, but only with one flaw in the plan — his mother had to stay on Tatooine as a slave. Years later, Anakin became the apprentice of Obi-Wan Kenobi and married the ex-queen of Naboo, Padme Amidala.
Near the end of the Clone Wars, Anakin became very obsessed at saving his family. Learning that his wife and unborn child were going to die though a vision, Anakin was determined to find the power save his loved ones. At this moment, Sith Lord Darth Sidious made Anakin join the newfound Empire as his new Sith Apprentice, Darth Vader. Anakin killed most of the last remaining Jedi in the galaxy, except for Yoda and Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan tried to kill Anakin, but only left him near the lava planet of Musafar badly injured. Anakin survived, through the mechanations of Emperor. More machine than man, Anakin forever became Darth Vader and served his master as the Empire’s Mailed Fist.
Creation
Along with the entire Star Wars universe, Darth Vader (or Anakin) was created by George Lucas. However, at the time Darth Vader was the main portrayal of the character, than Anakin Skywalker (but it has been said that George worked on Anakin’s model before they started Vader). Vader’s mask was drawn by Ralph McQuarrie who drew the concept for the Darth Vader space suit. After many alterations to Vader’s mask, Ralph finally got a design that George liked, and soon Brian Muir started to design the rest of Vader from the head down. With the success of Star Wars IV: A New Hope, George Lucas began to look for a writer to help him with the fifth, technically second, movie. Writer Leigh Brackett helped George create the second installment of Star Wars, and everything was perfect, except that the fact that Vader was not going to reveal that he was the father of Luke. Before the movie script was finished, Leigh Brackett died of cancer, so it was left for George to write the script by himself. In the end, Darth did tell Luke that he was his father. George began looking at a backstory for Anakin and created the entire story with Anakin having been the student of Obi Wan Kenobi, and the late Qui-Gon. The story was clear that Anakin would loose himself to the dark side through a series of events, and eventually become Darth Vader after being badly wounded during the final battle against Obi Wan. Which ultimately completed the “Saga” of Star Wars, episodes 1-6.
Portrayal in Movies
The man under Vader’s suit was played by David Prowse, his stunt double (Bob Anderson) preformed all of the fight scenes, Sebastian Shaw played as Vader in the final moments of Darth Vader’s life at the end of Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, and James Earl Jones voiced Darth Vader.
Character Evolution
From Slavery to Freedom
Anakin Skywalker was a young slave boy who lived on the desert planet Tatooine. He lived with his mother Shmi and worked as a slave for a Toydarian junk dealer named Watto. Anakin was an exceptional mechanic, managing to build a protocol droid C-3PO. He was also skilled in piloting. All in all, it was a rather normal life for a slave.
Anakin’s world was shaken up when the Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, Padme Amidala, R2-D2, and Jar Jar Binks came to Tatooine. Master Jinn immediately recognized something massive in Anakin. Deeply connected to the Force and with a high midi-chlorian count, he had the potential to become the strongest Jedi Knight ever. As it turned out, the party was stranded on the planet because their hyperdrive broke down. While searching they went to a repair shop and met Anakin. Anakin agreed to help them by winning a podrace in the Boonta Eve Classic. Qui-Gon Jinn made a bet for Watto, That if Anakin wins he would be free. Watto accepted the bet. After winning the race largely due to his Force skills, Anakin was freed and left to train and become a Jedi. While aboard the ship, he developed a fascination with Padme and gave her a Japor snippet to remember him by. He was then brought before the Jedi Council who, despite his high midi-chlorian count, denied the request because he was too old and emotionally attached. Meanwhile, the evil Darth Sidious had sent his apprentice Darth Maul after the two Jedi Knights. They went to Coruscant, narrowly escaping Maul at each turn. When the time came to strike at the Trade Federation, Anakin took refuge in a starfighter cockpit and was accidentally whisked into the space battle with Artoo. He managed to accomplish what the other Naboo pilots could not; destroy the Droid Control Ship with well-placed proton torpedoes. Unfortunately, Qui-Gon was killed in a duel with Darth Maul. After Obi-Wan killed the Sith Lord, he was made a fully-fledged Jedi Knight and was granted permission from the Council to train the boy.
Life as a Jedi
Although Obi-Wan trained him well, Anakin had a natural violence within him. He was rash and unthinking–and he feared losing the ones he loved very much. However, he proved to be a great Jedi Knight, and the greatest star fighter pilot in the galaxy. Speculation arose that he might be the Chosen One–the one who would destroy the Sith Peerage once and for all. As a Padawan, he had a mission to protect Senator Padme Amidala from an attempt on her life by the Confederacy of Independent Systems.
During this, he brooded over his mother Shmi and wanted her, so he traveled to Tatooine to see her. But when he got there, he realized that Tusken Raiders had tortured murdered her. Anakin slaughtered an entire tribe of Tuskens, even the women and children of the tribe, in a blind rage; he was turning to the Dark Side. It was also during this time that he had started a romance with Padme. When Obi-Wan was captured on Geonosis, Anakin and Padme set out to rescue him. However, they were captured along with Obi-Wan and the three were sentenced to death. They managed to hold their own until Mace Windu and his Jedi strike force came and saved them, along with clone troopers. When Anakin and Obi-Wan pursued the Separatist leader Count Dooku, Padme fell and the two Jedi had an brief argument.
Anakin and Obi-Wan soon caught up with the count, but Anakin impatiently charged and was blasted with Dooku’s Force lightning. After Obi-Wan was wounded in a fight, Anakin recovered and saved his Master from Dooku’s attack. The Padawan then fought off the count with two lightsabers before having his right arm severed to Dooku’s blade. The two would have died if it had not been for Yoda‘s intervention. After that skirmish, he married Padme in a secret marriage ceremony with C-3PO and R2-D2 as his only witnesses.
War Hero
During his Padawan years, Anakin would participate in numerous Clone War battles. He would encounter Dark Jedi Asajj Ventress whom he defeated on the temples of Yavin IV. It is during this Clone Wars period that he would be knighted, albeit in a controversial decision. After this, he would have a second encounter with Asajj Ventress and persevere, but not before receiving facial scars in the duel. He would then temporarily be assigned Ahsoka Tano as his new Padawan.
Knightfall
Anakin and Obi-Wan would then be assigned a crucial mission; to save Chancellor Palpatine who had been kidnapped by General Grievous. The Jedi stormed the Separatist flagship Invisible Hand and found the Chancellor there guarded by Count Dooku. The Jedi engaged Dooku in combat and the count managed to render Obi-Wan unconscious. Anakin fought Dooku alone and beat away until he cut off the count’s hands. Palpatine then goaded Anakin into beheading Dooku. The Jedi then were captured by General Grievous before resuming attack. But Grievous had escaped and Anakin managed to pilot the ship to Coruscant. Anakin then met Padme who then told him she got pregnant. However, Anakin feared losing her as he had lost his mother. “Fear leads to anger; anger to hate; hate to suffering,” said Yoda who recognized that the boy might be on the path to the Dark Side. He started to distrust those around him, and he loathed the Jedi Order when he felt they wronged him because even though he got a seat on the Jedi Council, he was not granted the title Jedi Master; a title he needed to access restricted Jedi holocrons to save Padme. He also was taken in by Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, who was secretly a Sith Lord. Palpatine gained Anakin’s trust and loyalty, only to have Anakin learn that he was the Sith Lord Darth Sidious. Palpatine told him, however, that with Sith powers, he could become immortal and stop other people from dying. Anakin reported this discovery to Mace Windu who would lead a strike force to arrest the Chancellor, but then thought about the power promise and flew over to the Chancellor’s office. Master Windu had Palpatine at bladepoint and was barraged by the Sith’s Force lightning. Anakin was torn between loyalty and supposed power to save Padme, but he had made his decision and hastily severed Windu’s sword arm. After Palpatine killed the Jedi Master, he assured Anakin that he was fulfilling his destiny. Anakin then pledged loyalty to the Sith and became Palpatine’s new apprentice Darth Vader.
The Chancellor then gave him a mission to assault the Jedi Temple in Operation: Knightfall. Vader did this without question, leading the 501st Legion in the raid. Many Jedi and younglings were slaughtered in the brutality. Vader’s next mission was to travel to Mustafar and kill the Separatist leaders, including Nute Gunray.
He would later reveal his dark motives for the future to Padme. Due the unfortunate arrival of Obi-Wan, Vader violently attacked his wife with the Force and engaged his former master in a lightsaber duel. Despite his great skill, Vader lost to Obi-Wan, losing his legs and his left arm as a result. He was also burnt by the lava and suffered burns that nearly killed him. It was the timely arrival of his new master, Emperor Palpatine, that saved his life. Vader would be transported to a medical facility on Coruscant where he was rebuilt in to a cyborg. Believing he was the one responsible for killing his wife and child, Vader would forever become devoted to the Emperor and the Dark Side, with his heart as cold as ever.
Major Story Arcs
Iron Fist of the Empire
For almost twenty years, Vader became known as the legendary face of the Galactic Empire, his reputation forever known and feared throughout the galaxy. Vader has spent most of the years hunting down the last of the Jedi knights and masters, while (just like in Sith tradition) secretly plotting to overthrow his master…
Unbeknownst to Vader, Padme died giving birth to twins, Luke and Leia. Luke was watched over by his Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru (and secretly Obi-Wan), while Leia was taken under the care of Bail Organa and became a princess of Alderaan.
Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin
When Darth Vader murders the son of a very wealthy man, he pledges to pay his revenge to the Dark Lord.The man paid eight assassins to kill Vader and all of them failed. Darth Vader disposed of them each with ease. The man decided to dig deep into his pockets to pay for one the most expensive assassins in the galaxy when he hired the man only known as the ninth assassin. The ninth assassin proved to be a worthy foil to Vader and even impressed the Dark Lord himself who repetitively offered him a position with the Empire. The ninth assassin ultimately failed and Darth Vader moved on having escaped another attempt on his life.
Rise of the Rebellion
Darth Vader found a secret apprentice during the reign of the Empire. On a mission from Palpatine on suspicions of a Rouge Jedi on the planet Kashyyyk, Vader discovered this apprentice. His father Kento Marek, the Rouge Jedi, had escaped Order 66 and had traveled through many planets on his way to Kashyyyk were the Rouge had eventually stayed. After confronting Kento and killing him, Vader took the boy from the prying eyes of Palpatine. After years of training, Vader saw it fit to let his apprentice to hunt down the last of the Jedi. When Starkiller completed his tasks, Vader was ready to initiate his plan to destroy the Emperor. Unfortunately, the Emperor found out and had tailed Starkiller’s plane until reaching Vader’s private spacecraft. When the Emperor arrived, Vader betrayed and killed his Starkiller to show his loyalty to his master. He left his Apprentice alive though and when the Emperor left, Vader retrieved Starkiller from the depths of space.
He then revived his apprentice and explained his plan for the next attempt which was to start a rebellion. Then he sent his apprentice off. He did not realize though that his Apprentice had feelings for the Pilot Juno Eclipse who had been labeled a traitor to the Empire. Starkiller then broke Juno out of the restraints she was hidden in and started on his mission. Eventually, Starkiller would discover that Vader never planned to overthrow Palpatine at all (or at least with him). It was all part
of the Emperor’s plan to expose the Empire’s enemies. Vader would later capture the Rebel Alliance and defeat his apprentice once more, but that would prove to be his undoing. Starkiller survived and confronted Vader and the Emperor in the Death Star, sacrificing his life to allow the Rebels to fight another day. Because of Starkiller’s actions, the Rebel Alliance was formed and ready to engage the Empire in a vicious Galactic Civil War.
For the next few years, Vader would be tasked by the Emperor to quell the attacks from the Rebel Alliance, with little effort.
A New Hope
The ruthless cyborg pursued Princess Leia and the Rebels for the stolen Death Star plans. The Empire pursued the Rebels straight back to Vader’s homeworld, which the princess was able to transfer plans to an astromech droid and send it off to the planet. Vader captured the princess and later brought her to the Death Star, where he and Grand Moff Tarkin interrogated her on the location of the hidden Rebel base. Vader tortured his daughter and forced to see her home planet of Alderaan destroyed. Vader also played a part in the execution of Owen and Beru Lars. As Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Obi-Wan, and Chewbacca were captured by the Death Star tractor beam, Vader sensed his former master’s presence. He eventually confronted his master in one final duel. Despite Obi-Wan’s warning, Vader struck him down but not before Obi-Wan became a spirit of the Force. Vader allowed Luke and his comrades to escape so he could finally locate the hidden Rebel base. Once the plan worked, the Imperials prepared for battle and confronted the incoming Rebel fleet. During the Battle of Yavin, Vader decided to personally destroy the Rebel starfighters himself. The Sith Lord nearly destroyed the entire Rebel fleet and was close to destroying Luke Skywalker, but interference from the Millennium Falcon would cause one of his support fighters to swerve into Vader’s fighter, sending him spiraling away into space.
The Civil War Escalates
Vader would return to the Empire and continue his efforts to hunt down the Rebel Alliance and the mysterious Luke Skywalker, who started to plague his mind with so many questions. He would never come into account that Luke and Leia were his children until much later.
The Empire Strikes Back
Three years after the Death Star had been destroyed, the Empire destroyed the Rebel Base on Hoth VI. The Empire had gained strength, so as Luke traveled to Dagobah, in whose swamps Yoda now made his home, to become Yoda’s apprentice and continue his training in use of the Force, Han Solo and Leia Organa traveled to Cloud City, in the Bespin system, to meet Han’s old friend Lando Calrissian. However, Vader had tracked the heroes to Cloud City with the help of the Mandalorian bounty hunter Boba Fett and forced up a deal that meant that the Baron Administrator betray them, and the Dark Lord captured them. Vader, wanting to capture Skywalker, decided to test the carbonite freezing on Han Solo, who proved to have a price on his head thanks to Jabba the Hutt, and Fett took him to Jabba.
Luke reached Cloud City to save Han or Leia — but he would eventually engage Vader in a lightsaber battle. Vader’s power was much more vast than Luke’s, but he did not kill Luke because he wanted Luke to turn to the Dark Side and become an ally of the Empire. They fought, and Vader eventually slashed off Luke’s hand at the wrist, over a balcony, causing Luke to lose the lightsaber that Anakin had meant for him long ago. Vader eventually revealed to Luke his true parentage, but Luke chose death over life as Vader’s son, and he let go and fell. He barely survived and escaped Vader and the Empire, much to the Dark Lord’s dismay.
Return of the Jedi
More than six months passed. The Emperor formulated a trap to destroy the Rebel Alliance and convert Luke into the Dark Side of the Force. When Luke traveled to the moon of Endor where Vader and the Emperor were, he revealed his acceptance of the fact that Vader had once been Anakin Skywalker, his father, and tried to draw his father back where Kenobi had failed. But aboard the unfinished second Death Star, the Emperor proved to be a dark influence to Luke even when the father and son engaged in their final lightsaber duel. Vader gains the upper hand until Luke taps into the Dark Side to subdue his father in combat, slicing of his arm. When Luke refused to turn, the Emperor fired Force lightning at him, and was about to kill him as Vader watched. As Luke was being electrocuted, he moaned, “Father, please help me!”
All the while, Anakin Skywalker had been fighting that which made him Darth Vader. Successfully overcoming what had made him Vader, Anakin seized the Emperor and threw him into the Death Star’s power core. Unfortunately, the lightning short-circuited Anakin’s cybernetics. He then died after killing the Emperor and saving his son, who unmasked him to find that his father had still been essentially human all the time.
No matter how evil Darth Vader had been, Anakin Skywalker died a hero. His ghost was seen at the Endor celebration.
Powers and Abilities
Lightsaber skill
Originally one of the most skilled duelists during the Clone Wars, Anakin Skywalker was a prodigy at a young age who mastered Form V of lightsaber combat; Djem So in particular. In his first serious lightsaber battle against Count Dooku, he impressed the count as he demonstrated knowledge of Jar’Kai and outperformed his master, Obi-Wan. Later on, Anakin would fight the Dark Sider Asajj Ventress on Yavin 4 and would beat the skilled assassin. He’d frequently spar with his old master Obi-Wan as well as do rematches with Asajj Ventress and Count Dooku
As a Sith, Vader had to rebuild his style due to his new suite, using a more hybrid form. He was much stronger and much more pain and damage resistant, but he significantly lacked the agility and speed he once had, two skills indispensable for a style such as Djem So.
Since he became the enforcer of Palpatine, Vader’s main task would be to fight Jedi. But his new body, and his new way of living never stopped him, as he already, few weeks after he got himself into his new suite, killed dozens of jedi, including a jedi master. Over the course of his career as a Sith Lord, Vader would come into conflict with renowned Jedi like Roan Shryne and Dark Woman, uncovered the ancient Jedi Celeste Morne whom he then proceeded to best in combat, and stalemate his son – Luke Skywalker.
Force powers
Vader had the highest midi-chlorian count in the galaxy, surpassing 20.000. With this, he had the potential to surpass Emperor Palpatine and Grandmaster Yoda. However, after his injuries on Mustafar, Vader lost most of his potential. He was still amazingly powerful. it should be mentioned that Darth Vader had an ancient sith amulet build in his armored glove. The amulent allowed him to use the force more efficiently, making him significantly more powerful in the force than he originally was.
He could send out Force Waves of outstanding magnitude, sending people flying through the air; could telepathically probe Jedi; can, while amped, form Kinetite; can use Tutaminis to deflect blaster bolts; can heal himself through his sheer rage.
His favored ability, however, is Force Choke, which he can use from across the galaxy.
Known masters
Known students
Other Media
Novel Appearances
Darth Plagueis
“Darth Plagueis: one of the most brilliant Sith Lords who ever lived. Possessing power is all he desires. Losing it is the only thing he fears. As an apprentice, he embraces the ruthless ways of the Sith. And when the time is right, he destroys his Master—but vows never to suffer the same fate. For like no other disciple of the dark side, Darth Plagueis learns to command the ultimate power . . . over life and death.
Darth Sidious: Plagueis’s chosen apprentice. Under the guidance of his Master, he secretly studies the ways of the Sith, while publicly rising to power in the galactic government, first as Senator, then as Chancellor, and eventually as Emperor.
Darth Plagueis and Darth Sidious, Master and acolyte, target the galaxy for domination—and the Jedi Order for annihilation. But can they defy the merciless Sith tradition? Or will the desire of one to rule supreme, and the dream of the other to live forever, sow the seeds of their destruction?”
Published by: Del Rey Books
Writer: James Luceno
Video Games
Darth Vader has appeared in many video games.
Soul Calibur IV
Vader appears as a playable character in Soul Calibur IV for PS3.
Super Star Wars (SNES)
Darth Vader is one of the main villains in this video game.
LEGO Star Wars : The Video Game
Darth Vader and Anakin Skywalker both appear in this video game as separate, playable characters.
LEGO Star Wars II : Original Trilogy
Darth Vader and Anakin Skywalker both appear in this video game as separate, playable characters.
LEGO Star Wars III : The Clone Wars
Darth Vader and Anakin Skywalker both appear in this video game as separate, playable characters.
LEGO Star Wars : The Complete Saga
Darth Vader and Anakin Skywalker both appear in this video game as separate, playable characters.
Star Wars : The Force Unleashed
Darth Vader has also appeared in the Force Unleashed series, featured as the master of the powerful Force wielder, Galen Marek. In the first game, the Dark Lord trained him to hunt down the last of the Jedi and root out any enemies to the Empire. Marek would betray his master and inspire the rise of the Rebel Alliance. Vader is only playable in the first tutorial level of Star Wars : The Force Unleashed.
Star Wars : The Force Unleashed II
In the second game, he attempted to clone his apprentice so he can once more be in control, but the clone would betray him and become his greatest enemy once more.
Characteristics
Eyes: Blue (yellow and red in Dark Side)
Hair: None (formerly brown)
Height: 6’1″ (185 cm) as human, 6’8″ (202 cm) as cyborg
Weight: 185 lbs (84 kg) as human, 300 lbs (136 kg) as cyborge
David Prowse played Darth Vader In Episode IV, V and VI, while he was voiced by James Earl Jones. Anakin was played by Sebastian Shaw at the end of Return of the Jedi, when Luke removed his helmet.