Darth Vader

Though believed to have once been a power for good in the galaxy, Darth Vader had obviously succumbed to the Dark Side of the Force. Standing nearly two meters tall and dressed in black robes and body armor, Vader was the epitome of the Emperor’s Now Order. He was dark, armored evil, obsessed with power and consumed with hatred. . . the embodiment of the Dark Side.

Now the servant and emissary of the Emperor and executor of his plans for his galactic subjugation, Vader was once a Jedi Knight. He was friend and student of Obi-Wan Kenobi, battling alongside him against the enemies of the Old Republic. Under Kenobi’s tutelage, Vader learned to use the Force to increase his own considerable skills as a warrior and pilot.

But the power didn’t come quick enough learning Kenobi’s way. Vader learned of another road to power, a path which offered great power quickly, easily, at a fraction of the effort required learning Kenobi’s way. A path called the Dark Side. To attain this power all he had to do was give in to anger, fear, and aggression. Ambitious and headstrong, Vader stepped into its bloody embrace.

Darth Vader betrayed and murdered many of the Old Republic’s Jedi Knights, assisting the Emperor in his bid for total power. Obi-Wan, enraged by his betrayal battled Vader in an epic clash of lightsabers. Kenobi emerged victorious, sure that his one time companion and student were destroyed. But the force was strong in Vader, stronger that even Kenobi knew about and somehow overcame the horrible wounds inflicted by Kenobi’s weapon.

Vader survived, but not unscarred. His shatter body held together by iron will and the pulsing current of the Dark Side of the Force to live, Vader was forced to wear special life-supporting armor and a breath mask. In spite of these handicaps, Vader thrived. In fact he found a way to turn this to his advantage. He had his breath mask crafted into a sinister black helmet and donning a black cloak over his black armor; he became a figure from a nightmare. From the ashes, Vader emerged even stronger that before.

Aided by the Emperor, Vader continued his own twisted Jedi training, perfecting his control over the force. In return, Vader served the Emperor well, hunting down and killing the remaining Jedi Knights. In recognition he receieved the title "Dark Lord of the Sith and is addressed as Lord Vader by any who dared to speak to him.

As he grew in strength, the Emperor gave him more and more authority and responsibility. Needing a trusted servant to watch over the construction of the Empire’s deadly new weapon, the Emperor assigned to aid Governor Moff Tarkin with the development and testing on the new Death Star battle station. Like most of Vader’s evil acts, this was to prove extremely unfortunate for the Rebellion. It was unlikely that Tarkin would have dared, without Vader’s support to destroy Alderaan. In addition, during the rescue of Princess Leia from the Death Star by Skywalker, Solo, and Kenobi, Vader’s old teacher. In one last massive duel, Obi-Wan was lost, struck down by Vader.

Shortly thereafter, Vader went to Circarpous V to investigate the appearance of Leia Organa on the planet, as well as to locate the Kaiburr crystal. In an amazing duel with Luke Skywalker, Vader was hard-pressed to defeat Luke. Luke succeeded in defeating Vader, and even cut off the Dark Lord's right arm with his own lightsaber. In his dazed state, Vader fell into a sacrificial weel on the Temple of Pomojema and was lost. He survived, however, drawing on the Dark Side of the Force for support and strength.

Once Palpatine was aware that Anakin Skywalker's son had survived and posed a possible threat to the Empire, he told Vader of the existence of Luke Skywalker, in an effort to completely gain control of any vestiges of Anakin Skywalker and convert them to Darth Vader. However, this plan backfired on Palpatine, as the remnants of Anakin began to surface. Following the relevation of Luke's relationship to Anakin, and the loss of Luke at Cloud City, Palpatine began to give Vader menial tasks, and tried to keep him away from Luke. He could not, however, and the part of Vader that was still Anakin continued to assert itself. The Battle of Endor was a turning point for Darth Vader. It was then that Luke Skywalker surrendered to Vader, and began to try and turn the Dark Lord back to the Light Side. The darker parts of Vader resisted, but Luke's love and devotion to his father strengthened the spirit of Anakin.

When the Emperor was forced to kill Luke, Anakin was awakened, and with Vader's mechanized strength, he threw the Emperor into a power shaft, destroying Palpatine and the Empire. Darth Vader also ceased to exist at this point, as Anakin was able to return from the Dark Side. However, the struggle with the Emperor left the life support systems inoperable, and Anakin died before Luke could save him.

Researched and written by Student Swoop