Darth Vader is one of the most iconic characters in cinematic history, and the face of the Star Wars franchise. With his imposing silhouette and signature breathing, he is a fictional figure that has managed to transcend his origins as the ultimate villain in George Lucas's Skywalker Saga and become a character known to even the most casual movie goer. Yet despite being a huge box office draw and a fan favorite, he's never received his own stand-alone film.
Some fans would argue a character that has already shaped the Star Wars Universe so much doesn't need one, but if his appearance in series like Star Wars: Rebels, games like Jedi: Fallen Order, comics like Marvel's Star Wars: Darth Vader, or movies like Rogue One have proven anything, it's that he's the one character fans will never tire of.
10 DESERVES IT: TO REVEAL WHAT HAPPENED IN THE 20 YEARS BEFORE STAR WARS
The period of time between Star Wars: Episode III -Revenge of the Sith and the original Star Wars includes the nearly two decades Darth Vader spent hunting down the remaining vestiges of the Jedi Order, as well as helping the Emperor control star systems and plunder their resources.
Though some of it has been highlighted in animated series like Star Wars: Rebels and stand-alone films like Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Vader fans have always hankered to see Vader dominate the galaxy as the Emperor's scourge in all his dark side glory.
9 DOESN'T DESERVE IT: HE'S BETTER WHEN HE'S MYSTERIOUS
Vader first electrified movie screens in 1977 when the original Star Wars premiered, an imposing and intimidating figure that emanated mystery. Over the course of the original trilogy, fans learned pieces of Vader's backstory, but never enough to truly dismantle his mystique.
For some fans, the Dark Lord of the Sith works best as a peripheral antagonist and a narrative foil, and a physical embodiment of the conflict the hero must overcome to prove victorious.
8 DESERVES IT: TACKLING VADER'S POV IS PROVING A HIT IN THE COMICS
For any Star Wars fan wondering if knowing what's going on underneath the iconic black helmet would break Vader's mystique, they need only pick up a copy of Marvel's Star Wars: Vader - Dark Visions or Star Wars: Darth Vader series. Highlighting some of Vader's most personal thoughts and ruminations, the success of the comics has only proved that fans are intrigued by what the Dark Lord thinks.
How did Darth Vader work through Padme's death? Did he ever wonder what happened to his master, Obi-Wan Kenobi? These sorts of questions are hinted at in the comics, and prompt some pretty explosive situations from the Dark Lord based on his tumultuous feelings.
7 DOESN'T DESERVE IT: HE ALREADY HAD THREE FILMS
One of the biggest complaints of fans opposing a Vader film have is that the Emperor's apprentice has already gotten a chance for his story to be told over three films. The Prequel Trilogy focused on the rise of Darth Vader and the figurative death of Anakin Skywalker, ensuring that no further ground needs to be covered.
In addition, those same fans feel that the original trilogy also highlights Vader to the extent that his character, when viewed between six films, dominates the Skywalker Saga more than any other.
6 DESERVES IT: ROGUE ONE
Whatever fans think of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, there's no denying the impact when Darth Vader displayed one of the most exciting and terrifying examples of his powers for 19 electrifying seconds. Vader's raw power wasn't seen very much in George Lucas's original Star Wars trilogy, when age, time, and infirmity seem to have dampened his ferocity.
Having seen him struck down in his prime in Revenge of the Sith, when he was one of the greatest Force users -and duelists- the galaxy had ever seen, fans conceded Vader would always be a hulking, lurching figure until Rogue One. For them, 19 seconds deserved to be stretched out into a feature film.
5 DOESN'T DESERVE IT: DISNEY NEEDS TO FOCUS ON NEW CHARACTERS
In recent years, Disney has infused the Star Wars franchise with a myriad of new characters, from the fresh faces in the Sequel Trilogy to those that span the breadth of series available on its streaming platform. Some that fans have taken a shine to are even getting their own series.
With rumors that new Star Wars films could be set a thousand years before the events of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, there's an opportunity for even more new characters than ever before, with no need for the franchise to cling to its foundational figures.
4 DESERVES IT: ANAKIN'S STORY ISN'T THE SAME AS VADER'S STORY
While the tragedy of Anakin Skywalker's rise and fall in the Force was spread over an entire trilogy, he didn't fully become "Darth Vader" until halfway through Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. And when he acquired his new moniker, he wasn't wearing his signature suit, which fans only got to see in the last five minutes of the film.
Revenge of the Sith ended just as Darth Vader's true story began, and from that time until fans see him again, a mysterious chasm of his exploits goes undocumented.
3 DOESN'T DESERVE IT: DISNEY NEEDS TO LEAVE THE SKYWALKER SAGA BEHIND
The Skywalker Saga has dominated the Star Wars franchise for over forty years, with the travails of the galaxy's most famous family dynasty shaping audiences's perspectives about the parameters of the Star Wars Universe.
By presenting a stand-alone film about Darth Vader, Disney would once again be tethering the franchise to a storyline that ended with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, when it should focus on developing new adventures that contribute to its world-building.
2 DESERVES IT: IT WOULD BE A STORY FROM THE DARK SIDE'S PERSPECTIVE
So far, the Star Wars franchise hasn't made a film or series told from the perspective of the dark side, which makes it all the more intriguing. Disney has already established a precedent for films from villain perspectives with the popular Maleficent series, and Vader has a significantly bigger fanbase.
Beyond just hunting down Jedi, Vader no doubt had his hands full dealing with scheming Imperial officials, the Emperor's backstabbing cronies, and commanding legions of troops to pacify the Empire's enemies, all of which make for an alluring way to expand behind-the-scenes.
1 DOESN'T DESERVE IT: HE'LL CONTINUE TO BE FEATURED IN OTHER SERIES
Disney+ is turning its attention to continuing the Star Wars franchise with The Mandalorian while it takes a step back from producing any new films, and the success of its flagship series has allowed it to greenlight both the Obi-Wan Kenobi series and the Cassian Andor series.
Both of the new shows take place in the time period between Revenge of the Sith and the original Star Wars, allowing for plenty of scenes involving Darth Vader. Hayden Christensen, who portrayed Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode II- Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith is already scheduled to return to the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, though it's not been confirmed if he'll be in the suit.
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September 08, 2020 at 05:30AM
