What's Palpatine's Most Evil Moment? The Time He Killed Anakin Over and Over Again
Anakin Skywalker’s life was anything but simple. From being born into slavery to struggling to rationalize the Jedi way with his personal feelings, Anakin suffered greatly. His rebirth as Darth Vader was built on that suffering, but no amount of pain compared to the moment Palpatine doled out tortuous punishment.
Darth Vader (2020)--written by Greg Pak, with art by Raffaele Ienco--highlights Vader’s struggles with trying to deny that any bit of Anakin Skywalker still exists after nearly two decades. Though he survived thanks to Palpatine’s self-serving intervention on Mustafar, Vader harbors resentment and trauma inside, which manifests as unbridled rage.
When Vader learns the shocking truth that he was not responsible for Padmé’s death and his son was very much alive and the rebel pilot who was responsible for the destruction of the Death Star, he begins to track down anything related to Padmé’s death to learn the truth of his son’s survival.
After Twenty Years, Vader Finally Learns How Padmé Really Died
Darth Vader; Written By Greg Pak, With Art By Raffaele Ienco
In Darth Vader #5, Vader’s journey to the truth takes him to Polis Massa—the asteroid planet in the Outer Rim where Padme gave birth to her and Anakin’s twin children. While searching the birthing facility, Vader discovers a midwifery droid with a memory bank recording of Luke and Leia’s birth and Padmé’s last desperate words to Obi-Wan: There’s good in him. Upon realizing that Padmé died in childbirth and not at his hands, Vader returns to the Emperor to seek vengeance for the twisted lie he used to truly break Anakin Skywalker and lead to the rise of Vader.
Palpatine Didn't Design Darth Vader's Body, the Truth Is Far More Depressing
Of the many earth-shattering changes that Anakin discovers upon reawakening as Vader is the first version of his infamous mechanical suit.
Vader and Palpatine quickly engage in a fierce battle that ends with Palpatine destroying Vader’s robot body and delivering him to Mustafar, leaving Vader to die on the same fiery shore where Obi-Wan left Anakin. Palpatine instructs Vader to prove his strength by surviving again, and as he walks away, Vader is brought back to the heartache of watching Obi-Wan, leaving him behind in the same place and just as vulnerable. A broken and battered Vader trying to drag himself away from the lava is a hauntingly striking moment, allowing the reader to feel Vader’s (and Anakin’s) utter torment.
Palpatine's Mental Manipulation Only Feeds Vader's Hatred More
Vader Wants To Destroy Palpatine More Than Anyone Else
Imagine having to physically experience the worst moment of your life for a second time; a moment filled with heartbreak, fear, and a struggle for survival; a moment where you have no idea what happened to your pregnant wife and child. Anakin lost everything in the first battle of Mustafar, and throughout the series, glimpses of regret can be seen in Vader’s choices. Palpatine’s actions are perhaps the cruelest out of every terrible thing he’s done over the course of his life, particularly his reign as Emperor.
This cyclical torment underscores the Emperor's calculated cruelty and the depth of Vader's enduring agony.
In essence, Vader's reliving his Mustafar defeat serves as a brutal reminder of Anakin Skywalker’s fall, amplifying the tragedy of his manipulation. The revelation of Padmé's true demise shatters the foundation of Palpatine's control, yet the Emperor's response is to inflict further suffering, forcing Vader to relive his most traumatic moment. This cyclical torment underscores the Emperor's calculated cruelty and the depth of Vader's enduring agony. By compelling Vader to confront his past in such a haunting way, Darth Vader exposes the true cost of Palpatine's power and the enduring, broken humanity trapped within the armor.
- Created By
- George Lucas
- Cast
- Bob Anderson, Hayden Christensen, James Earl Jones, Matt Lanter, Matt Lucas, Jake Lloyd, David Prowse, Sebastian Shaw
- First Appearance
- Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
- Died
- Star Wars: Episode VI - Return Of The Jedi
- Alliance
- Jedi, Sith
- Race
- Human
