The Evolution of Darth Vader (Animated)
Darth Vader might be the most iconic villain of all-time, but his humble beginnings aren't so fondly remembered. From the sand-dunes of Tattooine to the planet destroying Death Stars, let's go through his live-action evolution… animated!
In Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace, a young enslaved Anakin Skywalker – apparently born from immaculate conception – sports a bowl-cut and dirty clothing. After having his blood-tested by a stranger, he earns his freedom by winning a Podrace, abandoning his mother on Tattooine to join the stranger’s space-cult: The Jedi Order. He's then made to wear Padawan robes and sport a braid. After the stranger dies, his apprentice Obi-Wan takes him under his wing. Meanwhile, Anakin develops a crush on Padmé, the Queen of Naboo.
Ten years later in Attack of the Clones, Anakin is taller, with darker hair and darker clothes, and a longer, unrecognizable face. He is assigned to guard the now Senator Padmé, and makes her fall in love with him by means of, uh...creepy stares? After reuniting with his lost mother, she soon passes away, and he avenges her by slaughtering an entire village of Tusken Raiders – but luckily, Padmé is cool with this. Later, Anakin battles against Sith Lord Count Dooku and loses his arm, but he obtains a robotic replacement. He also secretly marries Padmé, despite the Jedi’s code that forbids love.
Three years later in Revenge of the Sith, Anakin's clothes are even darker, his hair is longer, his face is scarred and he's gloved his robo-arm. In an effort to save his pregnant wife after experiencing premonitions of her death, he seeks help from Chancellor Palpatine, a secret Sith Lord who makes Anakin his apprentice: dubbing him Darth Vader. Now evil, Anakin’s eyes turn red and yellow, and he chokes his wife Padmé, ultimately becoming the cause her death. He goes head to head with Obi-Wan, but loses the high-ground, which results in his remaining limbs getting sliced off and being burned in lava. But he's rebuilt with a shiny life-saving black suit, a fancy robe and a perfectly symmetrical mask.
19 years later, in Rogue One, Vader’s cod piece is large and wrinkly, his robe is above his shoulder pads and his control panel is simplified. His helmet is less symmetrical, with a smaller breathing apparatus, red tinted lenses, a stockier neck, and a prominent widows peak. He attacks a rebel fleet carrying Death Star destruction plans, but they just barely escape his grasp.
A New Hope features a more smudged-looking suit, with a normal cod piece, and periodically see-through lenses. Vader manages to defeat Obi-Wan, and then heads into battle, getting knocked into space while chasing a young pilot, narrowly avoiding his battle-station's destruction.
In Empire Strikes Back, Vader is back – and this time, he’s much shinier! His robe is now under his shoulder armour, his control panel is more robotic, and his helmet has a less prominent widows peak, darkened lenses, and a larger breathing apparatus. He learns that the young pilot he chased is actually his son Luke, and decides to turn him to the dark side, but… things don't quite work out.
In Return of the Jedi, Vader sports the same look as Empire, as his son invites him the join the light side – but Vader resists and, once again, loses an arm. Upon seeing Palpatine overpower Luke, Vader overthrows his master, defeating the Sith. He allows Luke to take off his mask in order to see his son with his own eyes. Revealing his pale, burnt face – sometimes with or without eyebrows – and then he passes away. While his remains are burned in ceremony, his force-ghost looks on in peace... or, uh, in angry young angst.
While this would be the end of Vader's story, his mask would appear in the sequel trilogy, guiding Kylo Ren on his own evolution. Can someone grab this guy a cowl?
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