Summary
- Darth Vader's complexity makes him a fantastic character to explore in a great number of Star Wars stories.
- From how Darth Vader defeated the Jedi as a whole, to how he became worthy of his ultimate redemption.
- Darth Vader's Star Wars history is charted through Legends and canon storylines alike - these are the 10 best, ranked!
Star Wars canon, as he’s not just a despicable antagonist, but also a complex character whose internal duality ensures every decision he makes across his many storylines is the wrong one, perpetuating his unending suffering. Sometimes Darth Vader is far more evil than anyone destined for redemption has the right to be, while other times the small fraction of him that is still Anakin Skywalker shines through, causing him even more pain and anguish.
No matter the storyline, any Star Wars comic featuring Darth Vader is guaranteed to be absolutely phenomenal. That being said, given the sheer number of Darth Vader storylines in the comics, there are some that are definitely more noteworthy than others. From the Legends continuity of Dark Horse Comics, to the canonical continuity of modern Marvel Comics, here are the 10 best Darth Vader stories in Star Wars history, ranked!
Palpatine Underestimated Darth Vader in 1 Huge Way, Foreshadowing His Return of the Jedi Defeat
Emperor Palpatine just foreshadowed his own Return of the Jedi defeat in the current Star Wars canon, and he did so by underestimating Darth Vader.
10 Darth Vader Doesn’t Die After His Return of the Jedi Redemption
Star Wars: Infinities - Return of the Jedi by Adam Gallardo and Ryan Benjamin
Darth Vader famously dies after finding redemption in Return of the Jedi, but one Star Wars Legends story poses the question: what if he didn’t? This was a part of the Star Wars: Infinities comic line, which was essentially a ‘What If?’ for the original Star Wars trilogy. When Return of the Jedi got the Infinities treatment, it ended with Darth Vader surviving his original fate, and becoming a Jedi once more with the Rebellion - complete with a bold alteration to his iconic suit.
This Darth Vader story is more of a novelty than anything else, as it allowed fans to see what would have happened if Darth Vader didn’t die after he turned back to the light side of the Force. It’s an exciting concept, and ittedly something every Star Wars fan has been wanting to see since Return of the Jedi, but its lack of a wider impact on Vader’s larger storyline places it firmly as one of Darth Vader’s least important stories (despite being one of his best).
9 Star Wars: Dark Droids Proves Darth Vader Doesn’t Need the Force to be Deadly
Star Wars: Darth Vader #37-41 by Greg Pak and Raffaele Ienco
Star Wars: Dark Droids marked the franchise’s dive into the horror genre, as it detailed the rise of a droid hivemind/’zombie virus’ known as the Scourge, which infected droids and cyborgs across the galaxy - and one of its victims was Darth Vader. However, when the Scourge infected Vader’s cybernetics, the Sith Lord was given the opportunity to flex his mechanical genius. He used the Scourge’s systems to create his own isolated droid/cyborg hivemind, which Vader had complete control over.
Dark Droids takes place during a time when Darth Vader’s grasp on the Force was tenuous (due to the events of the previous storyline, Hidden Empire). Vader being weaker in the Force at a time when he was facing an enemy who couldn’t be defeated by the Force alone gave Darth Vader a chance to prove how deadly he was through other means - that being his mechanical and tactical genius - and Darth Vader more than rose to the occasion.
8 Rise of the Schism Imperial Makes Darth Vader Overcome His Greatest Shortfall: Deception
Star Wars: Darth Vader #42-present by Greg Pak and Raffaele Ienco
In Darth Vader’s most recent ongoing storyline, he has become the leader of an Imperial faction calling themselves the Schism Imperial that stands against Emperor Palpatine. They want to see the Emperor usurped, and they believe Vader is the one to do it. To that end, Vader and the Schism invade Exegol to steal Palpatine’s reserve of kyber crystal in order to create their own ‘Death Star’-like weapon. Darth Vader is successful in stealing the kyber after utilizing deception, something that he’s been famously bad at throughout his career - marking a major development in his character.
Darth Vader is currently proving that he does have what it takes to be a Sith Lord of the same caliber as Palpatine, giving more meaning to the offer he made to Luke Skywalker in Episode V, “together we can rule the galaxy as father and son”, as this storyline proves Vader actually has what it takes to do so.
7 Age of Rebellion Explores Darth Vader’s Role as an Imperial & a Sith
Star Wars: Age of Rebellion - Darth Vader by Greg Pak and Ramón Bachs
A great number of Darth Vader’s personal stories deal with his Sith corruption or are examples of his immense power in the dark side of the Force, but there are only a few that explore his role as an Imperial as well as a Sith. That’s what makes Star Wars: Age of Rebellion - Darth Vader stand out from the rest, as it shows how even Darth Vader has to bow down before a powerless Imperial bureaucrat by order of the Emperor. This forces Darth Vader to think like an Imperial, which ultimately makes him a more powerful Sith.
Darth Vader being used as a weapon wielded by a power-hungry bureaucrat is a striking depiction of a character who usually bows to no one aside from the Emperor himself. However, even Darth Vader has to play by the rules of his Empire (until he doesn’t), and Age of Rebellion explores that aspect of Vader’s life brilliantly.
5 Reasons Anakin Skywalker Would Win Against Darth Vader (And 5 Reasons Darth Vader Would)
Although Darth Vader and Anakin Skywalker are the same person, each has their own strengths and weaknesses, which would mean an incredible battle.
6 Star Wars Legends Details Exactly How Darth Vader Eradicated the Jedi
Star Wars: Purge - The Tyrant’s Fist by Alexander Freed, Marco Castiello, and Andrea Chella
Darth Vader is trying to kill a single Jedi who is starting an uprising against the Empire. This Jedi is from the planet Vader tracked him to, making him an extremely elusive target. However, when Darth Vader does finally kill the Jedi, he doesn’t simply murder him. Vader weakens the Jedi before allowing him to stumble into town, where he’s murdered in the street by a common Stormtrooper. This utterly destroyed the all-powerful mystique of the Jedi, which crushed the insurgency this particular one was raising - and it was all Darth Vader’s master plan.
Darth Vader’s eradication of the Jedi has ittedly yet to be explored to its fullest extent in Star Wars, as there are plenty of Jedi that survived the initial strike marked by Order 66, and killing Jedi was Darth Vader’s first major mission upon the rise of the Empire. However, while there are certainly more stories to tell during that Star Wars era, this one does a phenomenal job at capturing what happened to the Jedi as a whole upon the rise of the Empire, and how Darth Vader championed that mission.
5 Star Wars Brutally Shows Exactly How Darth Vader Became a Jedi-Killing Legend
Star Wars: Purge by John Ostrander and Doug Wheatley
Darth Vader is lured into a trap set by a squad of Jedi who survived Order 66 after he received intel that Obi-Wan Kenobi would be at their location. The Jedi knew that letting it slip that Obi-Wan would be there (even when he wasn’t) would not only attract Vader, but it would inspire him to show up alone. Unfortunately for the Jedi, they didn’t know who they were messing with. While the Jedi put up a good fight, Darth Vader eventually murders all of them in increasingly brutal ways. And this battle was the one that made Darth Vader a legend across the galaxy.
Darth Vader has always had a reputation in Star Wars as the ultimate Jedi killer, despite the fact that fans have barely seen him kill any himself. However, this storyline changes that dramatically, as Star Wars: Purge features Darth Vader taking on a small squadron of Jedi Knights and Masters, and coming out on top - a story that cements him as a Jedi-killing legend.
4 “Dark Heart of the Sith” Confirms Darth Vader’s Lasting Love for Pé (& Explains His Ultimate Redemption)
Star Wars: Darth Vader #1-5 by Greg Pak and Raffaele Ienco
After discovering that Luke Skywalker was his son, and subsequently cutting off his hand in combat (as seen in Episode V), Darth Vader goes to the gravesite of his late wife, Pé. It’s here when he meets Sabé, Pé former handmaiden, and even flexes his more heroic side while helping Sabé. While the storyline itself is the perfect introduction to a new era of Darth Vader comics, it also stands out as being one of the most emotional, as it displays Darth Vader as a man who’s facing an immeasurable loss as opposed to a being of immense dark power.
“Dark Heart of the Sith” makes Darth Vader’s eventual redemption in Return of the Jedi far more believable, as his lasting love for Pé is extended to his son in the final moments of Darth Vader’s life - and that ‘lasting love’ for his late wife is confirmed and explored in this story.
3 “Into the Fire” Reaffirms Darth Vader’s Commitment to the Sith, & His Strength in the Dark Side
Star Wars: Darth Vader #6-11 by Greg Pak and Raffaele Ienco
Immediately following Darth Vader’s somber journey through his greatest regrets in “Dark Heart of the Sith”, he is tested in his commitment to the Sith by Emperor Palpatine in “Into the Fire”. This storyline shows Palpatine ripping Vader’s robotic limbs off before dropping him on the lava banks of Mustafar (where he found him) and hiring an assassin to hunt Vader. This test would either end with Darth Vader becoming stronger and more committed to the Sith than ever, or it would end in his death - either way, the Emperor would be pleased.
“Into the Fire” is a fantastic exploration into Darth Vader’s original journey from Jedi to Sith Lord, as it parallels his original fall to the dark side by essentially forcing Vader to undergo Sith corruption all over again - with all-new challenges in front of him (indeed, Vader was without his limbs and wasn’t allowed to use the Force). Aside from how impactful this storyline is on Darth Vader as a character, “Into the Fire” is also one of the most badass portrayals of Vader in recent memory.
After 47 Years, Darth Vader Flips One of His Most Iconic Quotes of All Time
Darth Vader flips an iconic Star Wars quotes that he first uttered 47 years ago, and it may have just laid the groundwork for his ultimate betrayal.
2 Darth Vader is Presented as a Divine Savior
Star Wars: Vader - Dark Visions #1 by Dennis “Hopeless” Hallum and Peolo Villanelli
When Darth Vader crash-lands on a far-away planet with the inhabitants completely cut off from the society of the larger galaxy (including the Empire that rules it), he finds himself stranded. In the village where he landed, Darth Vader encounters a leviathan that has plagued these people for generations. Vader cares not about their strife, only that this beast presents a clear and present danger to him. So, Darth Vader kills the kaiju, and in doing so, becomes like a divine savior for these people.
This planet doesn’t know about the countless atrocities committed by Darth Vader and his Empire. All they know is that a ‘black knight’ fell from the sky and destroyed the monster that has been terrorizing them throughout their isolated history. This story is a fantastic look at how Darth Vader is perceived across the galaxy - a villain to most, but to others, a true hero.
1 “All I am Surrounded By is Fear. And Dead Men”: Darth Vader has Never Been More Badass
Star Wars: Vader Down by Jason Aaron and Mike Deodato
When Darth Vader’s TIE Advanced x1 starfighter is shot down, the Rebellion thinks this is the best chance they’ll ever get to kill the Sith Lord, which would be a great victory for the Rebel Alliance against the Empire. However, even when Darth Vader is completely alone and totally surrounded by enemy forces, he still has the utmost confidence that he will make it out alive, uttering the most badass line of dialogue he’s ever delivered, “All I am surrounded by is fear. And dead men”.
While stories that explore Darth Vader’s humanity, or his tactical/mechanical genius, or his brief acts of heroism make for interesting chapters in the character’s extensive Star Wars history, Darth Vader is first and foremost a major villain, and an absolute powerhouse. And “Vader Down” captures the unadulterated badassery that is Darth Vader better than any other Star Wars
- Created by
- George Lucas
- Cast
- Pedro Pascal
- First Film
- Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
- TV Show(s)
- The Mandalorian, Andor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, The Acolyte, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, Lando, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Star Wars: Resistance, Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures, Star Wars: Visions
- Movie(s)
- Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi, Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi, Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise of Skywalker, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi, Star Wars: New Jedi Order
- Character(s)
- Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Rey Skywalker, Emperor Palpatine / Darth Sidious, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka Tano, Grand iral Thrawn, Grand Inquisitor, Reva (The Third Sister), The Fifth Brother, The Seventh Sister, The Eighth Brother, Yoda, Din Djarin, Grogu, Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, Leia Organa, Ben Solo/Kylo Ren
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise that started in 1977 by creator George Lucas. After the release of Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope (originally just titled Star Wars), the franchise quickly exploded, spawning multiple sequels, prequels, TV shows, video games, comics, and much more. After Disney acquired the rights to the franchise, they quickly expanded the universe on Disney+, starting with The Mandalorian.
