It is unlikely that among fans of cinema and pop culture there is a person who does not know who Darth Vader is. He became a symbol of the cosmic epic Star Wars and its main antagonist. Despite being a negative character, fans elevate him to the rank of their favorite heroes. However, once upon a time one of the greatest villains in the history of the Galaxy (ours and the fictional) was an ordinary boy who, for many reasons, became a servant of the dark side.
Childhood
Once the most controversial character in the Star Wars movie saga, Darth Vader was called Anakin Skywalker. For the first time, viewers meet him on the sandy planet Tatooine, where he, along with his mother, was enslaved to a parts dealer named Watto. From early childhood, the boy possessed high intelligence and highly developed technical abilities. Already at 9 years old, he assembled his own droid S-3RO and a real racing car. The Qui-Gon Jinn immediately felt a tremendous Strength in the young slave. The Jedi did not fail when he found out that the number of medichlorians in Anakin was much greater than that of Master Yoda. He is trying to find out from his mother Shmi who was the father of the child, but she says that, besides her, he never had anyone else. This prompts Qui-Gon to the idea of a prophecy, which states that a person will be born from the Force, called to restore balance in the world. Then he decides to take the young technician to himself in the Padawans, which becomes possible when he wins the bet with Watto, the condition of which was Anakin's victory in the races.
Clone war
After ten years of training, Anakin masterfully masters the Jedi techniques and is distinguished by special talents. Obi-Wan Kenobi becomes his teacher, as it was the dying request of Qui-Gon Jinn. In this part of Star Wars, Darth Vader begins to wake up inside a young Skyuker. Everywhere he is accompanied by obstinacy and vanity, and the patronage of the Sith lord, who is Chancellor Palpatine, further strengthens his sense of superiority. The first step taken to move to the dark side of the Force is the mass execution of a whole tribe of Tuskens in the name of revenge for the capture and subsequent death of the mother. At the same time, he was inflamed with strong feelings for Padma Amidala, the former queen of Naboo. He learns that his love is not unrequited, and contrary to strict Jedi rules, he will marry his chosen one secretly from everyone. Due to the inextricable connection with his wife, a strong fear arises in him to lose her, which also condones the formation of the Sith.
Go to the dark side
The next significant move in the internal war of Darth Vader and Anakin Skyukoeur is the assassination of Count Dooku by order of Chancellor Palpatine, which violates the principle of the Jedi not to execute unarmed prisoners. Almost immediately after that, he learns about Padme’s pregnancy, but his joy from this news is replaced by a strong fear that overshadows everything around him. Strength shows him a future in which his wife dies during childbirth. Worried by this vision, he shares this with Palpatine, which indicates the unconditional trust of the young Jedi to his patron. He is unaware of the elaborate plan of the future Emperor to make Eni a Sith and his devoted disciple. Thus, the seeds of the dark side sown by him begin to sprout rapidly. When Skywalker finds out that the Chancellor is Darth Sidious, he talks about this to the Jedi Council, where he sits as the representative of Palpatine. However, he soon begins to realize that the latter is able to save Padme from death. In the decisive battle between Mace Windu and the lord of the Sith, Anakin takes the side of the latter, as a result of which the master dies. From that moment on, he becomes a disciple of Sidious and, on his orders, kills all young Jedi and separatists. It is the new trilogy that reveals to the audience the truth about who Darth Vader is and gives an idea of how he became a villain.
The years of the reign of the Sith
At the end of the new trilogy, Obi-Wan cuts off both Anakin’s legs and arm, and his body completely burns in flames. However, the self-proclaimed Emperor Palpatine manages to save his student from death with a special costume. Since then, the sword of Darth Vader turns red, and he himself commands the armed forces of his teacher, being on the Death Star. He captures Princess Leia Organa, who is his daughter, but still does not know about it. In order to uncover where the rebel base is located, as well as return the schemes of his space station, he destroys Alderaan. At this time, the Millennium Falcon was attracted to them, along with Han Sol, Chewbacca, the aged Obi-Wan, Luke, and droids on board. They flee, but Vader manages to kill his former teacher. Later, he encounters Luke when he is trying to destroy the Death Star, and feels that the young man is full of Strength. In the end, he has to escape, and the planet fighter explodes thanks to the young Skywalker.
Meeting with son
In the next episode, Luke will reveal a terrible secret about who Darth Vader is. He ends up in Dagoba, where he studies with Master Yoda. However, at this time, the dark lord captures his friends, in order to lure Skywalker into a trap. He succeeds, and during the lightsaber battle, he cuts off the hand of the young Jedi, after which he admits that he is his father. Vader invites his son to choose his side and topple the Emperor together in order to rule the Galaxy. Luke painfully carries the news and jumps into the garbage bin, where he is picked up by the escaped crew of the Millennium Falcon.
Repentance
In the next part of the popular space opera Star Wars, Darth Vader is building a new Death Star, which should become more powerful than the previous one. Together with the lord of the Sith, he develops a plan on how to lure Luke to the dark side, because his skills can be very valuable for the Empire. Thus, he once again captures his son, who firmly decided not to resist, since he hopes that goodness remains in his father. Vader soon learns that he has a daughter, also endowed with Power. Then he threatens Luke, which will entice her to his side. The young Jedi succumbs to anger and tries to defeat Vader with a lightsaber. The emperor encourages him to kill his father and take his place, but Skywalker does not succumb and throws weapons. While Palpatine inflicts heavy lightning strikes on Luke, Darth Vader realizes that he cannot allow his son to die and dumps his master in the mine, where he dies. However, Anakin's life support is damaged. Having removed his helmet, he pronounces the last words, and his healed soul finds peace.
Armor
It is thanks to the black cloak and helmet that most people know who Darth Vader is. These armors were specially designed to support the life of a wounded Skyuker, without them, he almost immediately loses the ability to breathe. Traditions of the Sith are ordered to wear heavy black costumes. In total, 2 different robes were created for each of the trilogies. Their design and construction took a lot of time and effort, which ultimately paid off.
Actors
As many as 4 actors participated in the creation of the image of Darth Vader. In the first part of the little trilogy of little Anakin, Jake Lloyd played, and in the next two, Skywalker was taken by Hayden Christensen, who also appears in the sixth episode in the guise of a ghost. The original trilogy is more complicated. In all three parts, David Prosez was in a suit , replaced by British fencer Bob Anderson during the sword battles. The voice of Darth Vader belongs to James Earl Jones, and in parts from 3rd to 6th. And when his hero takes off his mask, the audience reveals the face of actor Sebastian Shaw. Probably, this is one of the few characters in the history of cinema, the image of which was embodied at the same time by so many artists and became truly cult.