After his ill-dated duel on Mustafar with Obi-Wan, Anakin Skywalker was reborn asDarth Vader– but as Marvel’sStar Warsconfirmed, he still could have found redemption if he had sought it, even after everything he had done. This recontextualizes so much ofStar Warslore, making the tragedy of Anakin even more heartbreaking than it already way.
In Marvel’s 2017-2018 ongoingDarth Vaderseries– written by Charles Soule, with art by Giuseppe Camuncoli –the newly assembled Sith Lord expresses regret over his situation,confirming that Darth Vader could have found redemption even without the influence of his son Luke, if only he had tried.
Repeatedly throughout the series, and Marvel’s subsequentDarth Vadercomics, Soule and other writers have tragically teased that Vader could have come back to the light well beforeReturn of the Jedi, leading fans to reevaluate what they know about him.
Marvel Confirmed That Vader Could Have Become Anakin Once More With The Help Of Obi-Wan
Darth Vader– Written By Charles Soule; Art By Giuseppe Camuncoli; Released In 2017
As the events ofDarth Vadertake place immediately following Anakin’s transformation, Darth Vader himself is still not fully equipped to be the Sith lord that Palpatine recruited. One of the most important things both a Jedi and Sith need is a lightsaber, and Vader lost his when he wasdefeated by Obi-Wan on Mustafar. As such,Palpatine sends Vader on a missionto find an Order 66 survivor and win that Jedi’s lightsaber in order to make it Vader’s own. Though Vader’s target put up a mighty fight, Vader ultimately came out on top with the lightsaber to prove it.
In order for the lightsaber to truly become Vader’s, he had to disassemble it and bend the kyber crystal to his will and the will of the Dark Side. The process essentially bled the crystal, making it red. While Vader was fighting with the kyber crystal through the Force,the crystal shows him a vision of the life he could have at that very moment if he turned back to the Light Side.The vision shows thatVader would have been able to return to Obi-Wan,even after the events of Order 66 and Mustafar.
Anakin Returned BEFORE Return of the Jedi, Influencing a Key Darth Vader Decision
Darth Vader famously found redemption and became Anakin Skywalker again in Return of the Jedi, but the seeds of that redemption sprouted beforehand.
For Vader to have that specific life still available to him at that very moment mean that that there was still good inside of him, and that he was fully capable of redemption only a very short time after the fall of the Republic.Anakin Skywalker was still struggling against Vaderand could have come back, if only his mind wasn’t clouded by hatred and rage; the same emotions that swayed him to the Dark Side. Ultimately, this makes it all the more tragic that it took untilReturn of the Jedito be redeemed.
Darth Vader’s Redemption Arc Is At The Heart Of Star Wars – But It Could Have Been Very Different
The events leading to Anakin’s return duringReturn of the Jedihad been in motion since Anakin was first reborn as Darth Vader.Yet one of the most striking things about Marvel’s canonStar Warscomics is how they emphasize that there were many different times redemption was at hand, but Vader was either too afraid or too filled with rage to take that path. It took a moment as serious as watching his son–his child with his beloved Padmé – dying at the hands of the Emperor for Vader to finally die and Anakin to find himself again.
This Jedi Knight Was Seconds Away From Killing Darth Vader, And Crippling The Empire As Soon As It Formed
During his first mission after the fall of the Republic, Vader is not as powerful as he once was as Anakin Skywalker - or would eventually become.
All told, this makes the tragedy of Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader so much more potent. There are many complex characters inStar Wars,but perhaps none as tortured and complicated as Anakin Skywalker. When broken down on a basic level, it’s easy to understand how his slow descent to the dark side happened; he was only a man who was searching for a way to prevent his wife’s death. However, Palpatine preyed on Anakin’s desperation and led him down a dark path.
Marvel’s “Darth Vader” Series Highlighted What Makes The Expanded Universe So Vital
Making The Galaxy More Immersive
Darth Vaderbegins exactly whereEpisode III: Revenge of the Sithends,with Vader learning of Padmé’s deathand realizing what he had become. He lashes out in his rage, which Palpatine uses as a weapon to attempt to make Vader stronger. But the sorrow of losing Padmé is palpable, even through the anger and destruction he unleashes. The series progresses with that tremendous loss lingering in the shadow of everything Vader does. Each terrible act is a reflection of a man in agony who has nothing left to lose.
The 2017Darth Vadercomic [is] one of the bestDarth Vaderstories of all time, and more than that, it [is] a story that emphatically validates the way theStar WarsExpanded Universe improves on the franchise’s core cinematic story.
In one ofPalpatine’s many attempts to manipulate Vader, he informs Vader that he has a “gift” for his apprentice. The gift turns out to be Padmé’s royal transport ship from when she was the Queen of Naboo. Once Vader boards the craft and is in hyperspace, he examines the vessel that represented his wife and brings him back to their first meeting. He has a vision of himself as a nine-year-old Anakin from behind, butwhen the fictional child turns around, it shares the haunting breathing apparatus as Vader.
The fact that Vader not only thinks about his younger self, but still sees him – or at least a half version of him – shows that Anakin Skywalker is not truly dead, as Vader claims. That same child lives inside of him, harkening back to Padme’s final words on her deathbed: “there’s still good in him.” Ultimately, this is what makes the 2017Darth Vadercomic one of thebestDarth Vaderstories of all time, and more than that, makes it a story that emphatically validates the way theStar WarsExpanded Universe improves on the franchise’s core cinematic story.
The 2017Darth Vaderseries is available now in its entirety from Marvel Comics.
