Darth Wiki / Darth Vader

NOTE: The following incorporates elements from both the Disney Canon, the current Expanded Universe, and the Legends continuity.

Behold, the face of the Dark Side. And soon, the face of the Empire as well.

Darth Vader is a central antagonist in, and the Series Mascot of, the Star Wars Franchise. He is— *ack* *koff* *snap* *thud*

KSSSHHH HOOOOOOOOOHHHH... KSSSHHH HOOOOOOOOOHHHH...

(The following should be read in the voice of James Earl Jones. Reading this as Matt Sloan, Scott Lawrence or Eddie Pittman is also acceptable, but do not fail him)

You Have Failed Me for the last time, narrator. You lack the strength in the Force to truly understand and thus introduce me. Therefore, I will do so myself. I am Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith and Supreme Commander of the Galactic Empire. If you dare oppose me or my Empire, I will ensure that you meet an appropriate fate.

I was born Anakin Skywalker to a slave woman, Shmi Skywalker, on the planet Tatooine. I was conceived by the Force due to the Dark Lord Darth Plagueis's manipulations, though I did not know it at the time. There, on this planet, I grew up hearing tales of the great Republic and the Jedi Order. During this time, I myself served as a slave to one of the Hutts, named Gardulla. However, she proved to be a slave to her own podrace gambling and lost my mother and me to a Toydarian junk dealer named Watto. I myself was a pod racer, using a pod owned by Watto. My connection to the Force allowed me brief glimpses of things that had yet to occur, and this power allowed me to prevent the total destruction of Watto's pod.

I was allowed a second chance at racing when a Jedi Knight named Qui-Gon Jinn persuaded Watto to allow me to race in Mos Espa's Boonta Eve Classic. I did not know at the time, but Jinn had sensed my potential in the Force, believing me to be the Chosen One who would bring balance to the Force. Jinn manipulated Watto to award my freedom and take me to the Jedi himself. I won the race and won my freedom, but was thereby forced to leave my mother and travel with the Jedi to the planet Coruscant. There, the Jedi Council denied me an opportunity to train among them, sensing that there was already much fear and anger in my heart. I was left no choice but to stay with Jinn as he returned to Naboo.

During the Battle of Naboo, I stumbled into a N1 Naboo Starfighter and, with the help of the Force, I was able to destroy the Trade Federation Droid Control Ship. Jinn was murdered by the Sith Lord Darth Maul, but Obi-Wan Kenobi slew Maul in combat. The Council allowed Kenobi to train me, honoring Jinn's dying wish, and I was inducted into the Jedi Order.

It was during this time I met my future wife, Padmé Naberrie, queen of Naboo. As I grew, I thought fondly of our brief time together. During that time, Kenobi trained me well in the Force, and Supreme Chancellor Palpatine taught me to deal with the masses. In many ways, while Obi-Wan was a brother to me, Palpatine was a father. He encouraged me when no one else would, and he recognized my ability even when the Council willfully neglected to award me for it. Unbeknownst to me, Palpatine had trained with Darth Plagueis, and he planned to usurp the rule of the galaxy from the Galactic Republic as emperor.

Ten years after my training began, I once again encountered Padmé Amidala, who then served as Naboo's senator to the Galactic Senate. She had grown more beautiful over that time. Howbeit, she had been the victim of an attempted terrorist attack, and I was assigned her bodyguard. We hunted down the bounty hunter responsible, but another bounty hunter killed her before she could reveal her secrets. Obi-Wan went after this second bounty hunter while I was tasked with protecting Amidala. I took her back to Naboo. As time went on, the two of us grew attached to each other.

During this time, I began to have nightmares involving my mother. We journeyed to Tatooine, where I met my stepfather, Cliegg Lars, and my stepbrother Owen, who revealed that my mother had been taken by the Tusken Raiders. Determined to find and rescue her, I pursued the party of raiders back to their camp and found my mother, but she died in my arms. Enraged, I tasted the power of the Dark Side for the first time, effortlessly slaughtering the tribe and returning to bury my mother's body.

Padmé and I journeyed to Geonosis upon receiving word that Obi-Wan had been captured by the Separatists. However, both of us were captured. The Separatists attempted to execute us, but the arrival of Master Windu and the Jedi, as well as the arrival of Master Yoda and the Clone Army, spared us. We pursued the Separatist leader and my predecessor as the Emperor's apprentice, Dooku, Count of Serenno, and the Sith Lord Darth Tyranus, as he attempted to flee. We had him cornered, but my immaturity got the better of me and it cost me my right arm and prevented Master Yoda from taking him alive.

Because of his escape and the battle that had broken out on Geonosis, the Clone Wars had begun. Padmé and I married shortly thereafter, but my duties as a Jedi kept me away from her many nights. During the Clone Wars, I accomplished many great feats and was elevated from the status of Jedi Padawan to full Jedi Knighthood. Chancellor Palpatine continued to guide me, and Kenobi continued to train me even after my elevation, as I trained my own apprentice, the Togruta female Ahsoka Tano. At this time, General Grievous entered the fray. After several encounters with the general over the course of the war, he abducted Chancellor Palpatine directly from Coruscant while Kenobi and I were off-world.

Kenobi and I returned as quickly as we could, and we managed to infiltrate Grievous's ship, where I killed Count Dooku and freed the Chancellor. The General managed to escape, but our mission was accomplished nonetheless. On our return to Coruscant in the wreckage of Grievous's ship, I met my wife, who revealed to me that she was pregnant. However, I began to have nightmares similar to those of my mother concerning her, and I longed to save her from the same fate. Palpatine offered help by promoting me to be his representative to the Jedi Council. The Council accepted, but they did not promote me to the rank of Jedi Master, only if I were to act as their spy. When we discovered General Grievous's location, Obi-Wan journeyed to Utapau to deal with him, leaving me on Coruscant with Palpatine, who revealed to me that he was the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, both Dooku's and Maul's master. He challenged me to kill him, but I could not, for Sidious claimed that he alone knew the secret that would save Padmé's life.

I returned to Master Windu with the knowledge, and Windu took three Jedi with him to confront Palpatine. But I could not lose my wife. I entered the Chancellor's chamber just in time to stop Windu from striking down Palpatine, allowing Palpatine to kill Windu. Overcome with guilt, I submitted myself to my master's rule and was granted the name Darth Vader. My first act was to lead my loyal troops, the 501st Legion, on a march against the Jedi Temple, where we killed everyone inside, including the younglings. After that, I ventured to Mustafar to deal with the Separatist leaders that had fled there before Kenobi could kill Grievous on Utapau, all the while Palpatine transformed the Republic into the First Galactic Empire. I slaughtered all of the Separatists and sent a shutdown code to the Droid Army, but as I was about to leave the planet and return to Coruscant, Padmé's ship landed outside the facility.

She had heard of the abhorrent things I had done and wanted to see if they were true. I told her that I was doing it all to keep her safe and alive, but she didn't believe me. At the time, I thought that Obi-Wan had warped her and had taken her away from me for himself, but I realize now that this was not the case. Nevertheless, I strangled her for her treachery. Obi-Wan had stowed away on the ship and commanded me to let her go. I did, only to engage my former master in battle. I was by far the more powerful combatant, but Obi-Wan used his tactics well, taking the higher ground and goading my pride into becoming my undoing. He cut off my legs and my other arm, leaving me trapped by Mustafar's rivers of lava, where I was immolated by the extreme heat.

The Emperor arrived shortly after and saved my life, having me placed within the suit you are no doubt familiar with, and naming me Supreme Commander of the Galactic Empire, a position which I have served faithfully ever since. As Supreme Commander, I answer to no one except my master, the Emperor, unless he places me under someone else's watch temporarily, such as Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin on the Death Star. Yet, I do not agree with his methods—he simply seeks out power for his own pleasure while I desire power and authority simply because I wish to bring order and peace to the galaxy. For this reason, I wish to one day surpass him and rule as Emperor myself. This is a task far easier said than done, as he is both more intelligent and powerful than myself and always finds a way to stay ahead. According to some, even when I took on a hidden apprentice of my own, I was still frustrated in my efforts, although depending on who is asked, this may have never happened. Seeing how said apprentice was amongst the few to have ever bested me, it is probably for the best.

Perhaps most notable are my exploits surrounding the theft of the Death Star plans and the Battle of Yavin, as depicted in the films Rogue One and A New Hope, as well as the subsequent events of the Galactic Civil War. Shortly before that fateful battle, I reminded one of the Empire's more self-entitled officers that they best temper their ambitions around me. Afterwards, I had to clean up his mess and slaughtered my way through a group of Rebel soldiers to retrieve the plans of the Empire's latest Super Weapon. As swift as my elimination of the Rebel scum was, the plans eluded me, forcing me to give chase to the rebels across the galaxy. I captured Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan and attempted to coerce her to reveal the location of the hidden Rebel base on Yavin 4. We used mind probes and the Death Star to pressure her into giving us its coordinates, but she resisted our efforts despite Tarkin's decision to make an example of Alderaan to all who oppose the Empire. The Princess was rescued by a smuggler and an aspiring Jedi in an unforeseen infiltration of the station, which I quickly turned to the Empire's advantage by allowing the perpetrators to escape with a homing beacon aboard their ship. Obi-Wan Kenobi sacrificed himself to allow them to escape. They led us right to their base, yet despite my best efforts to compensate for Grand Moff Tarkin's regrettable tactical errors defending the station in battle, the Rebels, particularly the aforementioned aspiring Jedi, emerged triumphant. But this would not be the end.

I took an interest in Luke Skywalker- my son, and the aspiring Jedi— whom I learned to be alive and well. I felt his strength in the Force as I attempted to destroy his ship during the battle. My master wished to find him too, but only to replace me as his Sith apprentice. Three years after the Battle of Yavin, in The Empire Strikes Back, the Emperor charged me with finding him and bringing Skywalker before him. As my master believed, his love for his friends led him straight into my trap. But his connection to the Force had improved significantly since our last encounter, allowing him to escape the carbon-freezing chamber. With that trap defeated, I was prepared to face him in lightsaber combat. Yet, after subduing him in battle, I attempted to persuade my son to join the Dark Side and the Sith under my tutelage, with the belief that we can overthrow the Emperor together and bring order to the galaxy as father and son. He rejected my offer, choosing to plunge into Cloud City's undersection to be rescued; but while my initial plan was unsuccessful, the Emperor's plan had advanced sufficiently to reach the next stage.

Soon, I shall seek out Skywalker again, and observe the outcome. Perhaps the threat of a second Death Star will be enough to crush the Rebellion and leave Luke with no choice.

KSSSHHH HOOOOOOOOOHHHH... KSSSHHH HOOOOOOOOOHHHH...

And yes, I can indeed dampen the sound of my breathing. No, I do not do so most of the time. Consider yourself fortunate that I have done so merely for your convenience.

If you wish to make edits to this page, such as adding more tropes, make sure that it is accurate to who I am and to what I would say. You Are in Command Now, tropers. Do not fail me again...

---

The following tropes are brought to you by the Dark Side of the Force:

• 0% Approval Rating: There are few in the Empire that approve of my more aggressive approach to enforcing order throughout the Empire. It matters little to me what they think, for it has assured none will dare to cross my master.
• 24-Hour Armor: My suit is the only thing that keeps me alive. As such, I am forced to wear it constantly, only escaping from its release in special chambers designed to accommodate my injuries.
• Abusive Parents: Many people have accused me of being this, citing my removal of Luke's hand as proof, but these were necessary actions to make him realize his true potential. Luke was a known enemy of the Empire, and although that normally merited death, I went out of my way to persuade the Emperor that he was worth more alive than dead, and during that fateful duel, I gave Luke several chances to surrender peacefully, which he refused, forcing me to swiftly end the battle before it could turn deadly.
• Abstract Apotheosis: I am told the Sand People view me as some sort of god. Ironic, considering it was I who slew many of their numbers.
• Ace Pilot: Even after being fitted with cybernetics, I retain my expert piloting skills. This was enough for me to bring my Black Squadron to a near-victory during the Battle of Yavin despite being outnumbered.
• Achilles' Heel: Force Lightning damages my prosthetics severely, and as such, I cannot use it nor can I successfully defend against it. This is one reason why it is so difficult to overthrow my master. He knew this would happen as a side effect of my transformation into a cyborg. In fact, he counted on it to prevent me from rebelling against him. Unfortunately for him, I suspect I will not need Force lightning to kill him in the end.
• Action Dad: In my visions, I have foreseen my attempts to rescue Luke when my master brings him harm.
• Act of True Love: Further visions have revealed my betrayal of the Emperor came out of care for my son.
• Actually, I Am Him: I was the one who revealed to Luke the truth about his parentage. Obi-Wan claimed that I killed his father. I am his father.
• Adaptational Angst Upgrade: Some accounts have claimed that my guilt and injuries have weakened my capabilities in the force, and my master had spent his days working new ways to use it to torment me from within. Likewise, he had fitted me with antiquated cybernetics to keep me from posing a threat. While I do harbor a great deal of guilt for my actions, I have also accepted that my strength comes from such guilt, and have used it to destroy all who oppose me. My master indeed rarely torments me with the only means of my survival and has allowed me to make changes as needed. However, he still utilized outdated technology in my reconstruction.
• Adaptational Badass: Some tales of old often make it seem as if I am a weakling, capable of being defeated by those far weaker in the force. However, other stories have shown a more realistic outcome. Indeed, many that I have faced fell, one way or another. Ancient Sith, entire squadrons, platoons of rebel soldiers, and those who had failed me were slaughtered with ease. The galaxy at large knows who I am and what I am capable of, and none doubt that I can make their lives as miserable as possible.
• And I Must Scream: I absolutely detest the cybernetic suit that I am forced to wear. While it makes me look menacing and powerful, it reduces me to a mere mechanical instrument and limits my force powers to make it easier for my master to control me. Unfortunately, it remains my only means of staying alive.
• Anti-Villain: As stated above, my intentions are much purer than my master's, although it is unwise to underestimate me, especially in the case of failure.
• Arch-Enemy: The number of personal opponents I have faced belies my power and status.
  • Although I hope my son, Luke Skywalker, will one day accept things from my point of view and join me, for now, he is still a dangerous threat who could potentially destroy The Empire if left unchecked. He personally destroyed the Death Star, killed Grand Moff Tarkin, and threw the galaxy into chaos, which earned him my personal attention even before I discovered his identity.
  • Before young Skywalker, I had Obi-Wan Kenobi, my former master, who was the reason I am trapped in this wretched suit, and whom I spent years trying to locate so that I could exact my revenge - before finally succeeding when I faced him on board the Death Star.
  • To a lesser extent, I have that traitor, Princess Leia Organa, a corrupt former Senator who abused her political influence to aid the Rebels and undermine the Empire, eventually enabling the aforementioned destruction for the Death Star, crimes for which she will be brought to justice for.
  • Ahsoka Tano, my former apprentice, opposed me during the early days of the Rebellion, and the two of us dueled on Malachor. She actually managed to damage me during that duel (by contrast, Ahsoka's Jedi allies, Ezra Bridger and Kanan Jarrus, were hardly even a challenge to me).
  • In The Force Unleashed, I had my former secret apprentice, Galen Marek/Starkiller, whose father I killed, and who managed to defeat me in combat and sacrificed his life to rescue the Rebel leaders I captured after I turned on him when he outlived his usefulness. In the sequel, a clone of Starkiller I commissioned as an experiment also held this role for me after he turned on me at the beginning of the game, and I spent the entire game trying to recapture him, culminating with the new Starkiller defeating me in a Roaring Rampage of Revenge when he believed I killed his Satellite Love Interest, the traitor Juno Eclipse.
  • Third Sister, formerly known as Reva Sevander, saw me as this, though she was an Unknown Rival in my eyes. After she survived my attack on the Jedi Temple, she joined the Inquisitorius in order to infiltrate it and kill me. I foresaw her treachery and defeated her after she made a pathetic attempt on my life. I then stabbed her and left her for dead. I have heard rumors she survived and attacked my son when he was a boy.
• Archnemesis Dad: Skywalker is foolish enough to view me as his greatest foe rather than his gateway to a life he could only dream of.^note Wait, There Is Another who fits the trope?
• Aroused by Their Voice: I've been told many times that some find my deep voice... delightful. But this only started after my life-saving cybernetic reconstruction. Again, I have to repeat my statement on finding these beings… baffling, to say the least. Those who take this to far may wind up like the Imperial nurse I killed for making advances on me.
• Artificial Limbs: After losing my right arm to Count Dooku (whom I later beheaded in revenge) I then lost three more to Obi-Wan on Mustafar.
• Authority Sounds Deep: The voice amplifier in my mask produces a very deep, synthetic tone. Although it may strike fear into the hearts of Rebels, I wish to hear my true voice once again. My synthetic voice is that of James Earl Jones.
• Badass Cape: It is a symbol of my authority, and it gives some dignity to this heavy frame held together by cybernetics.
• Bad Boss: I frequently dispose of underlings when they displease me. Some of them have even plotted to overthrow me due to this. However, any who actually analyze my behavior more closely (or acknowledges lesser-known accounts) will see that I am actually a Benevolent Boss to the Stormtroopers under my command as long as they are of use. In addition, I value a man who makes astute observations and has the forthrightness to express them intelligently and respectfully. Such officers like Commander Jir are an asset to me. I must also add that Emperor Palpatine is far less understanding than I am.
• Bald of Evil: All my hair was burned off on Mustafar.
• Battle Rapping: Thrice, I have been seen participating in your world's verbal sparring matches against a particularly infamous dictator from your planet. Each time, I put the blustering fool in his place, besting him lyrically before physically torturing him once his idiocy started to bore me.
• Being Evil Sucks: Had I not turned to the Dark Side, I would not have killed Padmé or become trapped in this suit and the Emperor's service. Unfortunately, it is too late for me now, as everyone I once cared about in my past life is either dead or determined to destroy me.
  • It is through my self-hatred that I tap the Force most strongly now.
• Big Bad: I will occasionally take the initiative in planning and carrying out operations with little to no direct involvement from Palpatine or Tarkin:
  • In A New Hope, I am arguably in a Big Bad Duumvirate with Tarkin, as even then, he rarely gave me direct orders, and he usually left me to my own devices, trusting me to find the Death Star plans without him, and even listening to my Batman Gambit that allowed the Empire to locate the Rebel Base on Yavin IV. During the final battle, I took the initiative to take down the Rebels fighters attacking the station, which Tarkin did not seem to notice or care about, simply waiting for the Death Star to be in a position to destroy Yavin IV.
  • In The Empire Strikes Back, I orchestrated both the Battle of Hoth and the gambit to lure Luke Skywalker to Cloud City by capturing his friends. The Emperor briefly appears in a single scene to order me to turn Luke into another asset for him, but my agenda for turning Luke does not line up with his interests.
  • In Season 2 of Star Wars Rebels, my master and Tarkin do send me to Lothal System to restore order, but they leave me to my own devices. In the Season 2 debut "Star Wars Rebels: The Siege of Lothal", I was able to discredit and crush the Rebel presence on Lothal, inflicting heavy losses on them and restoring Lothal under firm Imperial control. At the Emperor's behest, I send the Fifth Brother to go after the Rebels for the remainder of the season, with the Seventh Sister showing up shortly afterwards in an attempt to gain my approval. After both their deaths in the Season 2 finale "Twilight of the Apprentice Part II", I am once again forced to deal with them personally.
  • In the Legends game The Force Unleashed II I am hunting Starkiller on my own, without the Emperor's involvement, and I am the Final Boss he confronts. After all, I don't want the Emperor to find out that I continued the Starkiller program behind his back.
  • I was this in the Legends novels Splinter of the Mind's Eye and Dark Lord—The Rise of Darth Vader, the former of which detailed my first encounter with Skywalker while the latter explored me coming to terms with my status as a Sith Lord. I also served as this in the comics Purge and Dark Times, set around the same period.
• Big "NO!": Although I may seem stoic, I tend to have emotional outbursts of this type when faced with great emotional distress, for example upon learning I was the reason for Padmé's death.
• Bilingual Bonus: According to some of you Terrans from impressively developed flatlands, my Sith moniker means "father" in the tongue of your region, which alludes to my...complicated relationship with Luke Skywalker.
• Black Knight: This 'armor' does not protect me in the traditional sense, nor do I purposefully hide my identity with it, nor that of who I serve. The association with strength and prowess are fitting, I must admit, and, unfortunately, so is that with me being second to master working behind the scenes.
• Blood Knight: If there is one pleasure that I can indulge, it's when I find an enemy on the battlefield that I deem worthy of my time and attention.
• Body Horror: You do not want to see what lies beneath my suit — I have many nightmarish scars.
• Born into Slavery: As I have stated above, I was born into slavery. There is no need to reiterate this.
• The Brute: How many of the high-ranking Imperial officers see me, most notably General Tage who saw me as nothing more than a weapon. I was quick to show him how much of a mistake that was.
• Bullying the Dragon: After my master told me of Padmé's death, I tried to kill him. In my anger I underestimated his powers as he easily repelled my attacks before torturing me with his Force Lightning, also demonstrating my suit's weakness to electricity. He made his point. I could not defeat him in this state, and to challenge him on my own was running to my death.
• Cold Ham: I rarely need to raise my voice to command anyone's attention. My mere presence inspires awe, if not dread. My opinions on my subordinates' performance come through quite clearly, and even my execution methods boil down to a fairly low-key hand gesture.
• Combat Pragmatist: Contrasting with my master, who often lets his sadistic tendencies get the better of him, I prefer to deal with my enemies as quickly as I can.
• Cool Helmet: It resembles a Human skull, or perhaps a kabuto, a helmet worn by your samurai order.
• Consummate Liar: I lie when I need to in order to achieve my aims, but I'm quite skilled at it, and many easily fall for it. Most notably with Galen Marek, who continued to believe my manipulations of him when I fooled him into thinking I faked his death to hide him from Palpatine.
• Cool Starship: My personal ship - the Executor, the first Star Dreadnaught of its class - has earned a great deal of respect for its design and size. In your measurements, the ship is 19 kilometers long and remains among the largest starships ever constructed in any medium.
• Comically Serious: Some of what I've said with a straight face, such as my dismissal of Admiral Ozzel as being "as clumsy as he is stupid," or my interactions with Triple-Zero, have been perceived as humorous. It would be unwise, however, to laugh at me in my presence.
• Cosmic Plaything: As much of this page can attest, my life has been of continuous misery even before I turned to the Dark Side, and afterward, it seems as though something pulling the strings of the universe desires my misery as even death is denied to me when I'm prepared for it.
• Cyborg: Prior to becoming a Sith Lord, I had one prosthetic arm. Then after being nearly burned to death, I received a disproportionate amount of cybernetic implants to ensure I survived.
  • Cybernetics Eat Your Soul: As I hear, Obi-Wan even described me as "more machine now than man; twisted and evil."
• Daddy Had a Good Reason for Abandoning You: I had assumed that Luke had died along with Padmé herself, hence why I had no choice but to completely ignore his existence for nineteen years.
• Dark Is Evil: A great many across the galaxy think of me and my goals as evil, but I do not see my aims in this way. Palpatine is truly evil, and I have lost much of my morality, but it is too late for me to turn back. I simply wish to use the Dark Side as the means to justify an end.
• Dark Lord on Life Support: After my duel with Obi-Wan, I required a life support suit to sustain me. While I am not the first example of this trope, I am the best-known example.
• The Dark Side Will Make You Forget: Inevitably. The more extreme actions I committed towards preserving peace and saving Padmé, the more I fell to the Dark Side, and the more extreme my acts became, to the point where I even caused Padmé's death in a fit of rage (her cause of death has brought some confusion; what I have learned is that the faulty medical droid failed to notice the damage I did to the inside of her throat).
• Deadpan Snarker: When I was a Jedi, I had a quip ready for every occasion. While I have become more serious after joining the Sith, I still occasionally quip when it suits me, as with my last meeting with the bumbling Director Krennic. The fool seemed to be choking on his own aspirations, so I merely decided to do the honors.
• Dispense with the Pleasantries: When I am attending to important affairs, I will not tolerate having my time wasted with pointless flattery.
• Do Not Taunt Cthulhu: As a Lord of the Sith and the apprentice to the Emperor, the proper respect is my due. With that in mind, Admiral Motti's insolence merited death, but I had to accommodate Grand Moff Tarkin's sense of propriety on that occasion. Despite witnessing the price of Motti's insolence with his own eyes, another officer, General Tagge, went out to belittle me as soon as the Emperor promoted him to Grand General, thinking his rank would protect him. Needless to say, as soon as Tagge's new rank was revoked, I wasted no time in exacting my punishment on Tagge, and unlike with Motti, there was no one around to save him. And let's not forget how Director Krennic certainly regretted using me to deliver his grievances.
• The Dreaded: I am the symbol of fear in The Empire.
• The Dragon: Much to my dismay, I am forced to obey Palpatine's bidding. However, I have had a few Dragons of my own: Galen Marek, Lumiya, Boba Fett, Admiral Piett, General Veers, the Grand Inquisitor, the Fifth Brother, the Seventh Sister, Agent Kallus, and others have directly served as my right-hand or as a powerful asset at various points in time.
  • Dragon-in-Chief: My master's role having not been established yet, I played this role more clearly to Grand Moff Tarkin during the Battle of Yavin. On the Death Star, he outranked me, but I presented the main threat during the battle and proved myself far more competent than him.
  • The Starscream: As detailed above, my ultimate plan is to overthrow Palpatine. I have attempted this with Luke and plan to attempt this again. It must end in success, and I somehow sense that it definitely will.
• Dub Name Change: Humans in some areas of Terra interpret my title as "Dark Vador" or "Dart Fener" in their native languages. The idea of a singular planet with dozens of different languages is certainly a foreign concept to me. Then again, even your spaceflight is in its most primitive stages—you even remember the names of your first space flier and of the first person to walk on your world's moon.
• Eldritch Abomination: The Sand People view me as a spirit of vengeance, and offer sacrifices in the ruined camp. They even know about the lightsaber. It has been said that even after I am dead and gone, one of my childhood friends will be very nearly sacrificed to my memory.
• Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: Oh mother..... I still miss you.
• Even Evil Has Standards: I would not tolerate slavery, due to some bad experiences of it in the past. Something I even had to call out my master on.
• Everything's Better with Samurai: Perhaps coincidentally, my armor resembles that of those warriors who fought on some volcanic islands off the east coast of a supercontinent on your planet hundreds of years ago. In fact, in Soulcalibur IV, such a warrior proved himself a Worthy Opponent to me - Master Swordsman Heishirō Mitsurugi, a "samurai" as you may call him.
• Evil Former Friend: Obi-Wan and I were friends during my Jedi days. Most people claim I am this, but from my point of view, Obi-Wan is the one who is evil.
• Evil Is Bigger: My cybernetics allow me to tower over most other humans. In your units of measurement, I stand 2.02 meters tall and weigh three hundred pounds.
• Evil Is Cool: My mere presence has commanded respect from your people and has also inspired you to create other so-called "evil" beings who attempt to live up to my influence and power. For the trope image, I see you have decided to use a comical image of me, wielding two lightsaber chainsaws and shouting, in Terran slang, "I'M BUTT-SLAPPIN' AWESOME!". Your habits… confuse me, to say the least.
• Evil Is Hammy: Due to my mask, I often have to rely on hand gestures and body movements to emote, which results in this trope.
  • Cold Ham: Although I'll admit my choice of words in most conversations is grandiose, I seldom raise my voice to speak them.
• Evil Laugh: In my ending of Soulcalibur IV, I did this when I claimed the power of both Soul Edge and Soul Calibur. Unlike my master, I am too stoic to see any real reason to do so, and I never do so otherwise. Of course, Soul Edge is said to corrupt and control the mind and soul of its wielder, and Soul Calibur was eventually revealed to be not so different, so I guess it does make sense that I acted Out of Character when I wielded the two blades.
• Evil Makes You Ugly: As soon as I joined the Dark Side, Obi-Wan made me get burned and disfigured. Not that you will see the results, the mask stays on for a reason.
• Evil Mentor: To Galen Marek/Starkiller in The Force Unleashed. As of late, I have also recruited various potential apprentices such as the Imperial agent Lumiya.
• Evil Overlord: Despite the fact that I am not the Emperor, I maintain a position of high command, with many of the Empire's finest serving directly under me.
• Evil Sounds Deep: As a consequence of my mask's vocal amplifier. Even before my transformation, I would speak in a slightly deeper tone after turning to the Dark Side.
• Exact Words: Princess Trios begged me not to kill her father as I broke into his throne room. I informed her I wouldn't because I had already sent the assassin droids Triple-Zero and BT-1 to kill him. By the time I broke in, they had done their work and he was already dead.
• The Faceless: No one but my master knows what I now look like beneath this mask. Apparently, this makes me even more intimidating.
• Finger Poke of Doom: I prefer using Force Grip to off unneeded and incompetent underlings.
• Fountain of Expies: I have apparently exercised enough influence on your people for them to create countless other individuals who exhibit many of my traits - including Doctor Doom, who was known to you even before I was, and a pilot of large, droid-like machinery by the name of Char Aznable, who appears to have his own influence on creating further individuals. According to some of my premonitions, a descendant, "Kylo Ren" as he appears to be, will attempt to mimic my masked image on a superficial level. According to other visions I have experienced, another descendant of mine would also take after me, to the point various others would draw comparisons even before he became a Sith Lord himself.
• Fountain of Memes: You Terrans take an odd amusement in the things I say. I find this disturbing.
• From Nobody to Nightmare: If I must speak of my past, yes, I was at first nothing more than a child slave on the Wretched Hive known as Tatooine. If not for a chance meeting with a damaged ship, none of you would have ever heard of me.
• Frontline General: I have no objections to leading a charge myself, especially during my younger days of the Clone Wars. I still fight alongside my loyal 501st Legion when given the chance.
• Genius Bruiser: While I am a very physically powerful swordsman, I am also a brilliant strategist and was a child prodigy, having built a protocol droid at the age of nine. I remain a master tinkerer; every fighter I fly bears my own modifications.
• Glowing Eyes of Doom: Due to my immersion in the dark side, my eyes are yellow, similar to other Sith such as my master's, but my mask prevents anyone from seeing them.
• Greater-Scope Villain: Despite my usual role as The Heavy, sometimes my involvement is usually less direct.
  • In Rogue One, the main antagonist is Director Orson Krennic. However, I do take the time to lecture Krennic for his mistakes and order him to safeguard the integrity of the Death Star, and I put him in his place when he asked me to have his command of the Death Star reinstated. Afterwards, I only appear in the final minutes of the film, following Krennic's defeat, where I slaughter a squad of Rebels and came seconds close to retrieving the Death Star plans.
  • The opening act of Return of the Jedi focuses on the Rebels' attempt to rescue Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt, but the only reason Jabba was able to hold Solo prisoner in the first place was that I allowed Boba Fett to deliver him to Jabba.
  • In Star Wars Rebels Season 1, the Grand Inquisitor is the main threat to Ezra Bridger and Kanan Jarrus, but I was the one who sent him to hunt force-sensitive children in the first place. Even in Season 2, where I take a more active role, I only ever confront them in the season premiere and the finale, and instead, I have the Fifth Brother and the Seventh Sister continuing the hunt on my behalf.
• Guest Fighter: In an alternate universe of some sort, I have traveled to your planet and battled mystical warriors (with many of the females sporting indecent and impractical attire) to retrieve the two so-called Soul Swords: Soul Edge and Soul Calibur. My former teacher, Master Yoda, was also present on your planet during this time, as was Galen Marek, who was operating under my orders to find the swords as well.
• Handicapped Badass: All my limbs are prosthetic, and I wear a walking life-support system that consists of outdated medical technology. Despite this, I remain one of the most powerful Force users in the galaxy.
• Heartbroken Badass: Padmé's death only increased my internal struggle and, subsequently, made me stronger.
• The Heavy: During the Galactic Civil War, I have served a more proactive role than my master. For all intents and purposes, I typically serve as the primary antagonist in most of my appearances.
• Heel–Face Turn: I have heard rumors among your people that, upon encountering Luke again, my fatherly love for him will cause me to turn back to the Light Side and rescue him from Palpatine - as seen in your film Return of the Jedi. Although a perplexing conclusion, I would prefer alternative methods of achieving my goals. As far as I am concerned, ...It is too late for me.
• Hero Killer: I have killed countless Jedi and Rebels, although if you consider these people to be heroes, you are either a fool or a traitor.
• Horrifying the Horror: The Grand Inquisitor was a former Jedi Knight and the best of my Inquisitors. And he preferred death over reporting his failures to me. Likewise, the former Sith Darth Maul knew he couldn't hope to face me and either fled or tried to gather allies. The Inquisitor Reva Sevander was an intimidating presence but still hated and feared me. Not that it stopped her from carrying out an ill-advised assassination attempt.
• I Have Your Wife: When Starkiller returned to Kamino, I took his love interest, Juno Eclipse, hostage, and threatened to kill her unless he turned to the Dark Side and submitted to my orders.
• I Lied: To Galen Marek after I revealed The Plan to start a rebellion to divert Palpatine's intentions with a rebellion to get a chance to overthrow him. I told him I did intend to rule the galaxy when he realized my deception, but not with him.
• Immune to Bullets: Granted, Captain Solo was impressively coolheaded, swift, and accurate with his sidearm when he faced me so suddenly; his desertion was a great loss for the Imperial Navy. However, Solo could shoot at me as much he liked until I decided I wanted to move on to other matters and disarmed him.
  • According to supplementary materials, the shields built into my armor can be pierced by sustained blaster fire. But by the time they have been worn down enough, I will have killed everyone fool enough to shoot at me.
• Ironic Hell: As a young Jedi, I was a passionate man. Emotional, yes. Impulsive, perhaps. I have even been called...immature. My emotions were my guide. Now...I am more machine than man. I can feel nothing...except pain.
• Jerkass: My tendencies to off those who prove themselves a hindrance have cemented me as this in the eyes of many.
• The Juggernaut: In battle, I am virtually unstoppable, and very few individuals have managed to even come close to defeating me.
• Jumping Off the Slippery Slope: I always stand a narrow line towards the Dark Side, and during the Clone Wars, my fear of losing those closest to me would lead to actions that stood as very extreme compared to the rest of the Jedi, even before I grew desperate enough to embrace the Dark Side.
• Large and in Charge: Subverted due to my master outranking me and he's clearly smaller than I am, but I still tower over the majority of the empire.
• Large Ham: Many note that I tend to be rather... theatrical... in my presentation.
  • Milking the Giant Cow \ Head Bob: This includes gesturing.
• Leitmotif: My official military theme, the "Imperial March", is a very menacing and masterful piece of music. For composing it, I intend to reward John Williams handsomely.
• A Lighter Shade of Black: Compared to the other officers in the Empire who seek power and their own advancement like Tarkin and Krennic, or worse, my master in his absolute sadism, you'll find me more favorable as my aim to bring order to the galaxy.
• Lightning Bruiser: In my younger years before my cybernetics. I remain one in the cockpit of a TIE fighter; just ask the Empire's greatest non-Force-sensitive TIE pilot Vindoo Barvel, with whom I once faced off in a simulation.
• The Lost Lenore: Though it has been many years since her death, I still mourn for Padmé. I will find our son and bring him to my side.
• Love Makes You Evil: My love for Padmé was what tempted me to turn to the Dark Side. Apparently, she was so disappointed that she even sang about it.
• Luke, I Am Your Father: Somehow, the moment where I revealed this to Luke became one of my most iconic moments among your people. Although I am often misquoted as saying these exact words, I clearly remember saying "No, I am your father". It seems that this was meant for context when referring to that moment.
• Made of Iron: I have survived massive injuries that would kill lesser examples. Even aside from the injuries I sustained on Mustafar, I have lived through my body being crushed, my armor being damaged, and even my mask being torn off. Although my armor and cybernetics are certainly a factor in my durability, The Power of Hate, which fuels my connection to the Dark Side, has truly kept me alive time after time.
• Magic Knight: The Force is not magic, but the same principle applies.
• Magnificent Bastard: I am almost always a step ahead of the Rebels, and everyone else barring The Emperor himself.
• Manipulative Bastard: Not as skilled as my master, but I did nonetheless manipulate much of the actions of Galen Marek, though Palpatine was manipulating me in turn.
• Mighty Glacier: While my cybernetics grant me great physical strength, they also hamper my movement, and as such, I am not as agile as I was before Mustafar.
• Master Swordsman: I had long established myself as one of the finest lightsaber duelists in the Jedi Order. After Mustafar, I managed to compensate for my lessened Force potential by tempering my anger.
• Misaimed Marketing: It seems that my image is so heavily ingrained in Terran culture that even younglings can see my wretched mask on everything from cereal boxes◊ to printed coloring books. I can't imagine why any youngling would look up to a tormented, irredeemable crippled man such as myself; that said, it may prove useful to indoctrinate them into respecting the Empire, and me as a war hero, from such an early age.
• Momma's Boy: While I frown on the derogatory wording, it is true I was close to my mother. The pain I felt from her death at the hands of the Sand People drove me to brush with the Dark Side for the first, but far from the last time.
• Mook Horror Show: Most of my victims are filled with dread upon witnessing what I am capable of. A notable example was during the Battle of Scarif, where I effortlessly slaughtered a group of rebels after the door to their escape was jammed shut. The mere sound of my breathing and the activation of my lightsaber sent them into a panic before the slaughter even began. Sometimes, even Jedi have fled from me in fear upon realizing how great my powers truly are.
• Morality Pet: During most of my years as a Jedi, I did some dark deeds, but was a far kinder man. This was before my wife's death and Ahsoka's abandonment.
• Moving the Goalposts: I am open to bargains with the Emperor's subjects, but I reserve the right to adjust the terms whenever I deem it called for. Lando Calrissian learned this the hard way and betrayed me as a result.
• Narm: In my younger years, as portrayed by the Terran Hayden Christensen, I tended to emote in… bizarre ways that many of you Terrans found laughable. Even shortly after being fitted with my cybernetics, my anguished outburst of "NOOOOOOOOO!" has been a subject of much mockery. I despise your insensitivity.
• Neck Lift: To an unfortunate rebel officer on Princess Leia Organa's ship when I tried to learn the location of the Death Star plans. When I had enough of his lies, I crushed his neck in my grip.
• Never Live It Down: I did not order the usage of the Death Star on Alderaan. Destroying the planet to spite Leia for her deviance was Tarkin's decision. In truth I informed him that his gambit on threatening to destroy the planet wouldn't work, though I concede I didn't have any moral qualms about the plan.
• Obviously Evil: Give it to the Imperial designers to make my armor perfect for an instrument of fear.
• One-Man Army: I am the most powerful warrior in the galaxy, barring only the Emperor himself. One of the best examples was during the Battle of Vrogas Vas, where an entire army of Rebels surrounded me in a foolish attempt to subdue me. It did not go well for them.
• Pragmatic Evil:
  • You'll notice I did not allow Boba Fett to simply shoot the Wookie when he was having his tantrum in Cloud City's carbon freezing chamber. I did that because I knew Solo would be able to calm him down and that was useful considering a dead hostage is useless to me.
  • Princess Trios aided in her father's plot against the Empire, but she was still part of her planet's royal family and I needed someone that would be recognized as a legitimate ruler, so I spared her life despite her attempts on mine.
• Prophecy Twist: Obi-Wan frequently told me there was a prophecy that I would bring balance to the Force. It would be an understatement to say that he was shocked to find out that I did so by murdering all the Jedi until there was the exact same number of them as there were Sith.
• Psychic Strangle: How I frequently dispose of any incompetent subordinates or any officers foolish enough to mock me. I famously gesture while doing so, but I do not need to. Many other Sith, my master more famously, opt for electrocuting them, but I'm unable to as such powers require functioning organic limbs, something I lack, and even if I had them the lightning would still fry my own life-support systems. Besides, using Force-Lightning requires close proximity to my target, whereas I can Force-Choke someone through a viewscreen as I did with Ozzel.
• A Pupil of Mine Until He Turned to Evil: How my former master once described me, though I can't say I agree with his definition of "evil".
• Rank Scales with Asskicking: Even before joining the Sith Order, as a Jedi I served as a general in the Republic Grand Army. Upon becoming my master's apprentice, I became the highest-ranking officer in the Empire^note though there are others such as Grand Admirals and Grand Moffs who still only take orders from the Emperor, and barring Palpatine himself, I am the strongest warrior in the Empire.
• Readings Are Off the Scale: When they measured my Force-sensitivity, I blew the top off the scale.
• Religious Bruiser: I am a two-meter-tall cyborg "killing machine", and a faithful disciple of the Dark Side of the Force.
• Rescued from the Scrappy Heap: I had no idea what you Terrans mean by a 'Scrappy', having to be informed how it was named after a small animal that was mainly despised by the audience for his many flaws and that my former ally Jar Jar Binks is a major example of this term. However, it appears that fans seem to like my previous self more after that Terran Filoni showed a far more extensive showing of my past exploits as a Jedi Knight, so I assume it is not a good thing. For that, when I inevitably dethrone my master with my son at my side and take over your world, I will spare his life and reward him greatly.
• Series Mascot: Arguably, I am the most well-known being to have existed in my galaxy among you Terrans.
• Sole Survivor: I am among the only survivors of the first Death Star^* Along with a TIE pilot, a medical officer, a civilian contractor who ran a bar, and two prisoners from Despayre, who promptly went over to the Rebels; somehow word of Tarkin's spite motive for destroying Alderaan leaked all over the station along with General Tagge, and for this, my master has blamed me entirely for the fiasco, as anyone who he might have been held responsible is dead.
• Super Prototype: My TIE Advanced X1, one of the few ships of its kind, which was durable enough to withstand one of my wingmen crashing into it and still operate. I later modified it and eventually replaced it with a far more powerful TIE Defender.
• The Starscream: I would not be too displeased if Palpatine were to suffer an unfortunate death. But I know I am no longer strong enough to kill him on my own.
• The Stoic: However, I am prone to fits of rage and emotional distress, especially considering my current condition.
  • Not So Stoic: When Tarkin realized that Leia Organa had lied about the location of the rebel base, I did take some amusement in telling him that she would never reveal it.
• That Man Is Dead: Anakin Skywalker? That name means nothing to me now. This was what Obi-Wan meant when he told Luke that I had destroyed him. I killed that man myself — not Obi-Wan.
• Tragic Monster: Some Terran named Joseph Campbell would have a field day with my biography.
• Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny: Once, I did battle with the man calling himself Doctor Doom. Regretfully, Doom managed to best me, but that should not matter. I shall continue to run this empire, regardless of whosoever approaches me. The scientist and his crude companion who orchestrated that battle would later pit me against Obito Uchiha, whose story is remarkably similar to my own. Apparently I lose again. This double loss disturbs me. I shall seek those two terrans out and make them pay for my horrible depiction.
• Vader Breath: I have lent my name to this trope, in that my ominous amplified breathing has inspired countless other examples in your works of fiction.
• Villain Protagonist: By your standards, I have been this in materials that have focused on me after my turn to The Dark Side.
• Villain Respect: To Princess Trios when she attempted to kill me by luring me into a tunnel her father was going to fill with lava. She was willing to give her own life for what she saw as the greater good, even if it was to resist the Empire. This is an admirable trait I wish more officers of the Empire would display.
• Villainous Rescue: In Shadows of the Empire, when I learn that Prince Xizor was plotting against me and attempting to kill Luke, I immediately took the Executor and demanded he cease his attack on the Millennium Falcon with Luke still aboard. When he refused by transmissions, I destroyed his Skyhook and presumably took the crimelord with it.
• Villainous BSoD: This is my perpetual state of existence, and has been ever since the day I learned I killed my beloved Padmé.
• Villainous Friendship: Grand Moff Tarkin became one of the closest things I had to a friend, with Tarkin himself even referring to me as such. We first met while I was still a Jedi, and we got along well after we realized that we held similar military philosophies. After the rise of the Empire, we worked together on various missions, and we have developed a mutual respect for each other's capabilities. Tarkin was one of the few Imperial officers who didn't view me with disgust.
  • I found Grand Admiral Thrawn to be quite intelligent and personable as soon as I realized the Emperor did not intend to replace me with him.
• We Can Rule Together: This was how I attempted to tempt Luke to join me, and join the greater good, along with Padmé before him years before that. Neither saw things from my point of view.
• What the Hell Is That Accent?: Apparently my voice has sounded very different throughout my life.
• Wrestler in All of Us: I occasionally watch your professional wrestling during my training sessions. During my time in the Soul Universe, I would sometimes use a Gorilla Press Slam on my weaker opponents.
• What Could Have Been: I am tormented by this in my dreams; possibilities of how great I would have become if not for that fateful duel on Mustafar (I may well have usurped Palpatine, as I wanted to do all along) or my blind willingness to turn to the Dark Side to save Padmé.
• Worthy Opponent: I have dealt with the Bounty Hunter, Boba Fett, in the past. In that regard, his cunning and fighting skill against me without the aid of the Force is most impressive. Thus, when we were dealing with the Rebels on Cloud City, a situation made possible only through Fett's consummate hunting talents, his irreverent tone with me was a small price to pay for his services.
• Would Hurt a Child: When I became Darth Vader, I led a siege on the Jedi Temple sparing no one, not even the younglings. One such youngling who survived would attempt to infiltrate the Inquisitorius in order to avenge them.
• Yandere: I adamantly seek out young Skywalker, for he is my son and my likely gateway to becoming Emperor. During my time as a Jedi, I behaved this way towards Padmé as well, accusing her of infidelity with Rush Clovis and Obi-Wan. Your association of this trope with young, poorly-behaved adolescent girls from bizarre cartoons highly disgusts me. Along with how some of these types of people were not as forgiving or remorseful as I was.
• You Are in Command Now: I am the Trope Namer. While I was executing Admiral Ozzel for his blunder which alerted the rebel base on Hoth, ruining the initial plan for assaulting it, I promoted Captain Piett to admiral in his place.
• You Have Failed Me: I am the Trope Namer for this as well. I'm most famous amongst you Terrans for my execution of Admiral Ozzel, but I will not hesitate to execute any other officers for their incompetence. You think this is cruel? My master is even less forgiving. I provide failures with a quick death, he takes the chance to make them suffer.
• You Killed My Father: For a time, Luke falsely believed this of me, thanks to Obi-Wan's omitting of certain details regarding my turn to the Dark Side. I have, however, been the target of revenge by several individuals over the deaths of their loved ones at my hands over the decades, most notably Prince Xizor of the Black Sun criminal organization.

---

...The preceding tropes are brought to you by the Dark Side of the Force.

---

KSSSHHH HOOOOOOOOOHHHH... Join me. It is... your... destiny... KSSSHHH HOOOOOOOOOHHHH...

---

Ugh, what happened? Ow, my neck... Oh, right. Thank you, Lord Vader, you did an excellent job yourself. I shall go hunt down the rebel scum instead. It's very likely to be where I really fail you for the last time...