Summary
Darth Vader’s roles in the original and prequelStar Warstrilogies are identical, yet the franchise’s two timelines –canon and Legends– each portray the iconic Dark Lord of the Sith differently. Darth Vader is one of the most important characters in theStar Warssaga, serving as one of the main antagonists of the original trilogy and the tragic hero of the prequels.The story follows his fall from grace as he trades his true identity of Anakin Skywalker and his humanity in a Faustian bargain for the power of the dark side of the Force.
TheStar WarsLegends continuity – previously known as the Expanded Universe – used to be the franchise’s official canon until its partial reboot in 2014, making way for the modern canon. The original and prequel trilogies are overlapping canon for both timelines, so although the various spinoff movies, the sequel trilogy, and a plethora of books, comics, and video games differ in their portrayal of theStar Warsgalaxy’s history and characters, the original six movies are immovable objects.The modern canon and Legends properties provide Vader with different characterization and lore outside the trilogies in the following ways.
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6Darth Vader Trusts His Troops Far More In Star Wars Legends
From Sparing Admirals to Slaying Clone Troopers
Among the earliestStar WarsLegends-era properties are the classic Marvel comics, which continue the adventures of the original trilogy’s heroes and villains, keeping viewers satiated in the three-year gaps between films and after the trilogy’s conclusion. Notably,Darth Vader’s key traits as a leader and a Dark Lord of the Sith are portrayed excellently in these comics, whose creators kept Vader’s direct interactions with the main Rebel heroes few and far between. Darth Vader trusted the competence of the Imperial military, despite his infamous practice of executing incompetent officers on the spot.
The Legends continuity’s Darth Vader is closer toGrand Admiral Thrawnthan one might suspect. Vader had no tolerance for the many megalomaniacs within the Imperial military and swiftly executed those who he felt were liabilities – such as Admiral Ozzel – but he also spared those who demonstrated a certain level of leadership skill and proper conduct. In the Marvel comics,Vader spared (but demoted) Mils Giel for displaying “courage and integrity,” despite his failures. Darth Vader’s trust in his underlings would continue to be depicted in other Legends-era works, with one character – Erv Lekauf – exemplifying Vader’s leadership.
Although Vader inspired terror among his own men in the Legends continuity, he also inspired true loyalty in many
Erv Lekauf was a lieutenant in the Imperial Army, but he noted that Darth Vader never commanded his forces in any branch of the Imperial Military to do anything he himself was unwilling to do. Lekauf was a highly competent and loyal officer who could even be considered a friend to Darth Vader. Although Vader inspired terror among his own men in the Legends continuity, he also inspired true loyalty in many.The modern canon, however, portrays Vader’s relationship with his troops quite differently.
Marvel’s modernStar Warscomics reveal Darth Vader’s earliest days as a Sith Lord and Imperial leader. The unrefined Vader slew many of his own troops – brainwashedclone troopersat this point in the timeline – over misunderstandings and mistakes.While Vader notably killed one brainwashed Clone Commander in the Legends timeline – Commander Vill – this was to keep his knowledge of a secret contingency secret from Emperor Palpatine. The more “fully formed” Darth Vader of the original trilogy era was similarly eager to kill his own troops frivolously, using them as human shields or executing them for seeing him unmasked.
5Star Wars Canon Made Darth Vader More Eager To Fight His Enemies
From Rare Battles in Legends to Frequent Showdowns in Modern Canon
In their effort to keep Darth Vader at a distance from the original trilogy’s heroes, Marvel’s Legends-eraStar Warscomics made it rare for Darth Vader to ignite his lightsaber and battle his enemies. In-universe, this is due almost entirely to Vader’s trust in his troops, but for readers, this had the added effect of making the few times that Vader fought an opponent far more meaningful. Typically, it took a particularly worthy opponent to make Vader battle an enemy. In more recent comics, Darth Vader has been shown defeating Jedi and massive contingents with little difficulty.
The modernStar Warscanon makes Darth Vader far more eager to engage in battle. This includes a famous moment in theStar Wars: Vader Downcomic event, which sees theDark Lord destroy a massive formation of Rebel troopers and tanks.Rogue One: A Star Wars Storygives Darth Vader his most famous action sequence in the modern canon, with Vader brutally cutting through Rebel troopers as they try to flee the Profundity with the Death Star plans. While the Legends continuity treated Vader’s combat skills with restraint, the modern canon shows them as often as possible.
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4Star Wars Legends Made Darth Vader A Tactical Genius & Manipulator
Outmaneuvering the Rebellion Through Deception and Strategy
While Darth Vader’s skills as a tactician are already shown multiple times inThe Empire Strikes Back, original trilogy-era Legends properties, particularly Marvel’sStar Warscomics, make them even more prominent.Darth Vader is depicted as a tactical genius who is nearly as difficult to best in strategy as he is in combat. Darth Vader manipulated Princess Leia during Operation Third Law, resulting in the Empire’s theft of the Crown Jewels of Alderaan, and planted a double agent within Rogue Squadron in a plot to shake Luke Skywalker’s faith in the Force, always remaining one step ahead of the heroes.
Darth Vader used deceptive tactics as a Force-user as well, making him truly worthy of Darth Bane’s post-Ruusan Sith dynasty. Using Force-generated illusions,Vader deceived Luke Skywalker, who struck down Orman Tagge, thinking the Imperial Baron was Vader himself. Darth Vader also convinced the young and idealistic Flint to join the Empire (and the Sith Order), manipulating him following the tragic death of his mother (in an unintentional reference to Shmi Skywalker’s death in the eventual prequel trilogy).
3Darth Vader’s Lightsaber Has A New Origin In Star Wars Canon
From Synthetic Crystals in Legends to “Bleeding” in Modern Canon
Darth Vader’s red-bladed lightsaber is the first Sith lightsaber seen in theStar Warsfranchise, and the Legends and modern canon continuities each give the weapon a different origin. In its original Legends incarnation, Darth Vader’s lightsaber has a simple origin.After Obi-Wan stole Vader’s Jedi lightsaber on Mustafar, the Sith Lord built a new weapon, giving it a similar design to his first blue-bladed Jedi weapon. This new Sith lightsaber was powered by a synthetic lightsaber crystal, which was created with the dark side of the Force and given the traditional red hue of a Sith weapon.
The modernStar Warscanon changed the lore of lightsaber crystals, establishing that useable kyber crystals cannot be synthesized and that they can only turn red as a result of “bleeding,”a Sith ritual that corrupts the gem with the dark side. As shown in modern MarvelStar Warscomics, Darth Vader tracked down the Jedi Master Kirak Infil’a and murdered him with the dark side, taking his green kyber crystal and bleeding it. After using the fallen Jedi’s lightsaber hilt for a time, Vader constructed a new hilt for the corrupted crystal, finalizing the weapon seen in the movies.
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2Star Wars Legends Gave Darth Vader Many Sith Apprentices
Breaking the Rule of Two in Legends vs. Bending it with Inquisitors in Modern Canon
Like Palpatine, Darth Vader knowingly broke the Rule of Two in the Legends timeline. Although there were only two official Sith Lords during the reign of the Empire,Darth Vader trained numerous Dark Acolytes, with some being true Sith and others being Sith in all but name. Among Vader’s disciples are Galen Marek fromThe Force Unleashedand Kharys from Marvel’sStar Warscomics. Of all Vader’s apprentices, Shira Brie had the most profound impact on the galaxy. Brie eventually became the Dark Lady of the Sith, Lumiya, and founded the next iteration of the Sith Order after Palpatine’s death.
In the modernStar Warscanon, Darth Vader never broke the Rule of Two, but he and Palpatine certainly bent the rule in the original trilogy era via the Inquisitor program.Imperial Inquisitorsare functionally Sith Lords (with their organization essentially being a Sith offshoot) but are intentionally kept weaker than the Dark Lords to prevent them from becoming a threat to their power.Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader both oversaw the training of the Inquisitors, but none affected galactic history quite like Lumiya and the Legends-era Inquisitors.
1Star Wars Canon Put Darth Vader’s Castle On Mustafar (Not Vjun)
From Bast Castle in Legends to Fortress Vader in Modern Canon
Darth Vader’s castleoriginated as a rejected concept forThe Empire Strikes Back, yet the idea was canonized by theStar Wars: Dark Empire IIcomic series, by Tom Veitch and Cam Kennedy.Located on the ancient Sith world of Vjun in the Outer Rim Territories, Bast Castle became Darth Vader’s personal fortress, where he meditated, trained, and studied the Sith arts when not actively serving as theGalactic Empire’s second-in-command. After Darth Vader’s death, Bast Castle would be co-opted by the Dark Side Elite (on behalf of the Dark Empire) and later the Disciples of Ragnos (a Sith cult).
Darth Vaderwould receive a castle in the modernStar Warscanon as well. Debuting inRogue One, Fortress Vader would serve the same purpose as the Legends continuity’s Bast Castle, only this new iteration of the fortress would be located on Mustafar.The castle’s history – and connection to an ancient Sith cave on Mustafar – would be explored in detail by Marvel’s modernDarth Vadercomics, tying it to the ancient Sith Lord Darth Momin.
Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader
Conceived by the will of the Force itself, Anakin Skywalker was the prophesied Chosen One, destined to bring the Force into balance. Anakin struggled to balance competing attachments to the Jedi Order and his wife Padmé Amidala, and ultimately fell to the dark side, becoming Darth Vader. For years he served as Palpatine’s right hand man, but he was ultimately redeemed by the faith of his son, Luke Skywalker. Now a Force Ghost, Anakin continues to act as an agent of balance.
