Darth Vader is undoubtedly one of the most iconic characters in cinematic history. He’s
captivated fans since he first appeared on the big screen in 1977, and years later, his
transformation, from the young Force-sensitive Anakin Skywalker to the Sith Apprentice of
Sheev Palpatine, was brought to life in the prequel trilogy. They weren’t that bad…
As Disney and Lucasfilm prepare to revitalize the franchise with many more movies set in
a galaxy far, far away, it’s a safe bet that Vader will feature in at least some of
the stories. In this video we will touch on many aspects
of Vader, from the process of his creation to his influence on popular culture, and the
actors who played him. Some of these facts may shock even the most devoted Star Wars
fans… so let’s begin… 1. MANY ACTORS HAVE HELPED TO CREATE DARTH
VADER Vader’s menacing performance in the original
trilogy is thanks to not one, but several different actors. 6 foot 6 inches tall David
Prowse was responsible for wearing the suit, and performing all of his bodily movements,
while James Earl Jones gave Vader his iconic voice.
Sebastian Shaw played Vader in Return of the Jedi, and let’s not forget Bob Anderson,
who played Vader in most of the major fight scenes in the original trilogy.
But there’s more… Jake Lloyd played the young Anakin Skywalker in The Phantom Menace,
while “I hate sand” Hayden Christensen, played him in Attack of the Clones and Revenge
of the Sith. Additionally, in video games and television
shows, he has been voiced by Thomas Morley ,Scott Lawrence ,Kirby Morrow, Matt Levin,
Mat Lucas, Matt Sloan and Matt Lanter. Lots of Matts…
In total, this means that there were six actors who played Anakin / Vader in the movies, and
an additional seven actors who have contributed to his voice.
Finally, there is also Ben Burtt, the sound engineer who designed Vader’s ominous breathing
by placing a microphone inside of a SCUBA tank regulator.
2. HE NEVER POOPS
Some of you may have been wondering how Vader goes to the toilet? No? Well I’ll tell you
anyway… Vader doesn’t need to poop as his mobile life support system serial number:
E-3778Q-1, handles all of the waste disposal. He relies on the catheters, collection pouches,
and recyclers within his armour to deal with liquid and solid waste.
Though liquids are preferable, he still has the capacity to chew if he wishes, though
a nutrient feed provides Vader with all the nourishment he requires. In the event that
he did desire oral consumption, he would ingest RepMed vitapaste via straws located inside
the grills of his facemask… he’s got straws inside of his facemask… OK… this is canon
by the way. In public, Vader was known to claim that he never ate or drank.
3. ORSON WELLES WAS ALMOST VADER’S VOICE When George Lucas was trying to decide on
the voice of Vader, he originally had Orson Welles, the director of Citizen Kane and star
of The Third Man and, uh, Transformers: The Movie, in mind for the role. However, it was
later decided that Welles’s voice was too recognizable, so they went with James Earl
Jones instead. While other voice actors have gone on to be the voice of Vader in animated
shows and video games, Jones is remembered for pioneering the Sith Lord’s iconic voice.
Jones’ name did not appear in the credits until The Return of the Jedi. He has said
in multiple interviews that he believed that his contribution to the movies was too small
to deserve credit, and that he considered it a special effect, rather than an acting
role. Finally, he allowed the filmmakers to include him after they asked him for the third
time. What a humble guy… 4. HE DIDN’T ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET
Vader is known for his iconic helmet, but this did not feature in the early designs.
George Lucas originally imagined the Sith Lord as wearing a black silk scarf over his
face. Nice! Ralph McQuarrie, who drew concept art for many of the beloved characters, designed
the helmet as an alternative, imagining that Vader would wear the helmet when moving between
ships, sort of like an astronaut suit. Eventually it was decided that the character would wear
the helmet all the time. A variety of inspirations contributed to how
the helmet was designed. Lucas suggested a samurai influence in the shape of the back
of the helmet. Costume designer John Mollo also took inspiration from Nazi uniforms.
5. DAVID PROWSE DIDN’T KNOW HIS VOICE WOULD BE REPLACED
As mentioned earlier, David Prowse is the body actor of Vader in the original trilogy.
At 6 foot 6, the British bodybuilder towered over his co-stars. But during A New Hope,
Prowse thought that he was also performing the muffled voice of Vader. The results were,
well, cringey… “Start tearing this ship apart piece by
piece until you find those tapes! Find the passengers in this vessel! I want them alive!"
Carrie fisher even refereed to him as darth farmer, due to his accent...
After discovering that his voice had been replaced with that of James Earl Jones, Prowse
was so frustrated that he stopped learning his lines for The Empire Strikes Back and
Return of the Jedi. It is said that he would improvise his lines, sometimes speaking complete
gibberish, forcing his co-stars to respond as if he had said the lines correctly.
6. HE HAS NO FATHER Vader’s mother, Shmi Skywalker, claims that
there was no father. If she is telling the truth to Qui-Gon Jinn, as The Phantom Menace
leads its audience to believe, then Anakin Skywalker was conceived purely by the Force,
or by midi-chlorians. Eurgh. This would explain his extraordinary powers, his notable high
midi-chlorian count, and would further cement his status as “The Chosen One” who would
go on to destroy the Sith and bring balance to the Force.
On the other hand, maybe she’s lying… 7. HIS CHILDREN WERE A WELL-KEPT SECRET
J. J. Abrams isn’t the only Star Wars director to try to keep the plot of his movie secret.
It is hard to imagine now, but the fact that Vader was Luke Skywalker’s father was a
big secret that the filmmakers went to great lengths to protect from getting leaked. According
to Hamill, only George Lucas, Irwin Kershner, and himself knew when they were filming, in
addition to James Earl Jones, who would later speak the famous lines.
Hamill claimed that he needed to know so that his reaction would be believable, but was
warned by Kershner that if he told anyone, including his co-stars Carrie Fisher and Harrison
Ford, they would know that it was him who leaked the story. On set, David Prowse had
been instructed to say “Obi-Wan killed your father,” so a majority of the technicians,
actors, and crew members did not know the truth until the film debuted…
8. HE TIES FOR “MOST LIMBS LOST”
Over the course of the six films, the loss of a limb is a repeated motif. Someone loses
a limb in every film, from Luke Skywalker in Empire Strikes Back to the Wampa on Hoth.
Vader is tied with C-3PO for the loss of the most limbs, each totalling five lost limbs
over the course of the six films. Interestingly, C-3PO and Vader are two of only four characters
who appear in all six films, the other two being Obi-Wan Kenobi, who appears briefly
as a Force ghost in Episode V and Episode VI, and R2-D2.
In Vader’s case, he loses all of his limbs to lightsabers: one arm to Count Dooku in
Attack of the Clones, the other arm and both legs to Obi Wan Kenobi in Revenge of the Sith,
and finally a cybernetic arm in a duel aboard the Death Star II with Luke in Return of the
Jedi. C-3PO loses an arm against the Tusken Raiders in A New Hope and then all of his
limbs to Stormtroopers in Cloud City in The Empire Strikes Back.
9. HE IS THE MOST PROFITABLE STAR WARS CHARACTER
Lucasfilm has said that Vader is the most popular and profitable character in all of
the Star Wars universe. Immediately recognizable, his likeness has inspired a variety of popular
Star Wars merchandise, including some outlandish items from burgers to toasters to luxury watches…
However, it is unclear how much money Vader has made on his own. Lucasfilm did not go
as far as to release a number, but Star Wars profits are estimated to be worth over $27
billion total when accounting for the various forms of merchandise. Given those numbers,
chances are that Vader’s monetary worth is in the billions.
10. HIS STORY ISN’T OVER
Just because he died, Vader’s story isn’t over yet – he’s already a legend in the
Force Awakens, we’ve seen him wreak havoc in Rogue One, and he may even appear as a
force ghost in episode 8. There’s ever-increasing chances of new appearances for him in the
new expanded universe, where much of his story, especially between Episode III and Episode
IV is still unclear. Vader also appears as an antagonist in the
ongoing Star Wars: Rebels television show, and he is the central character in the Marvel
Vader comic. More Vader is never a bad thing…
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