Summary
Darth Vaderis one of the most iconic characters inStar Wars, and a big part of his legendary status comes from the mystery surrounding his helmet, what it does, and what he looks like beneath it. Very fewcharacters knew Darth Vader was Anakin Skywalkerlong before he became one ofthe most powerful Sith ever. That’s partially because while they may be the same person, Anakin and Vader looked almost nothing alike. The most obvious difference was Vader’s armor and helmet, but there were also changes to Anakin’s body and face. Vader’s helmet made him fearsome, but it had a much bigger role as well.
When Anakin Skywalker turned to the dark side and became Vader, there was only a short amount of time before he was forced to wear a helmet for the rest of his life. He was defeated in a lightsaber duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi on Mustafar, and he sustained several life-threatening injuries. Emperor Palpatine gave him medical attention and put him into his iconic black armor and helmet, which he would wear for many of theStar Warsmovies. Vader wore them so much that his real appearance, and his life as Anakin Skywalker, was all but forgotten for much oftheStar Warstimeline.
Star Wars: The 30 Most Powerful Darth Vader Quotes
As one of the most iconic villains of all time, Star Wars' Darth Vader has spoken a lot of famous lines. But what are the best Darth Vader quotes?
We Saw Darth Vader’s Full Face In Return Of The Jedi
Vader’s face was rarely seen inStar Warscanon, but there was one major reveal of what he looked like under his helmet.InReturn of the Jedi, after Vader returned to the light side and saved Luke Skywalker’s life, Luke took his father’s helmet off. That moment showed that Vader had pale, damaged skin and provided a look at his full face without the helmet. Since he turned back to the light, Vader also became Anakin once again.Return of the Jediwouldn’t show Anakin and Vader’s full face for long, though, as he died just moments after he finally saw his son with his own eyes.
Darth Vader Can Survive Without His Helmet… But Not Without The Respirator
Vader could survive without his helmet, but not without one crucial part of it: his respirator. Vader’s helmet had quite a bit of technology in it, from a voice modulator to lenses that gave him red vision and multiple displays, but it also contained a crucial part of his life-support system.Vader couldn’t breathe normally because the burns he received during his duel with Obi-Wan on Mustafar damaged his lungs and other internal organs, and the respirator in his helmet kept him alive. His meditation chamber allowed him to breathe without the respirator, but without it or the helmet’s steady supply of oxygen, he would suffocate.
Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader
Conceived by the will of the Force itself, Anakin Skywalker was the prophesied Chosen One, destined to bring the Force into balance. Anakin struggled to balance competing attachments to the Jedi Order and his wife Padmé Amidala, and ultimately fell to the dark side, becoming Darth Vader. For years he served as Palpatine’s right hand man, but he was ultimately redeemed by the faith of his son, Luke Skywalker. Now a Force Ghost, Anakin continues to act as an agent of balance.
The respirator was important, but as long as it went undamaged, Vader could live without his helmet. There were multiple times throughout theStar Warstimeline where Vader’s helmet was damaged and he survived.In bothStar Wars RebelsandObi-Wan Kenobi, one of the eyes on Vader’s mask was destroyed by a lightsaber, revealing a glimpse of his face beneath. He was able to keep fighting despite that damage, though, because his respirator still worked. There were also times when Vader removed his helmet, like inDarth Vader (2017), and was able to survive.
Darth Vader’s Suit Keeps Him Alive, But Also Makes Him Vulnerable
Vader’s helmet saved him from certain death on Mustafar, but it also made him extremely vulnerable. If he sustained any damage to his respirator, he would die within minutes, which is how he eventually did meet his end.When Vader threw Palpatine into the New Death Star’s reactor, he was being hit by Palpatine’s Force lightning. That short-circuited Vader’s respirator and most of his suit’s other life support functions, which ultimately took his life. It was a glaring design flaw, and anyone with knowledge of Vader’s suit - like Palpatine - would have been able to exploit it quite easily.
Emperor Palpatine / Darth Sidious
The senator for Naboo, Palpatine rose to power and influence during the dying days of the Republic. In reality, his public persona was just a mask; he was really Darth Sidious, greatest of the Sith Lords, and he used his political skills and Machiavellian cunning to bring down both the Republic and the Jedi. Palpatine ruled his Galactic Empire for decades, until he was betrayed by his apprentice, Darth Vader. Even this wasn’t enough to stop the Emperor, however, as he was resurrected by his followers - only to be defeated once again.
There were also several ways Vader’s armor weakened him in general, in addition to the massive vulnerability of being his life support. Palpatine specifically designed Vader’s armor to keep him in constant pain, as the robotic limbs would pull at his synthetic skin and his helmet had needles that connected his head to the suit. Palpatine also had a fail-safe system built in that could completely shut down Vader’s suit remotely. Because of those defects,Darth Vader’s helmet did much more than simply hide his appearance, it also kept him alive, and caused his eventual death.
Star Wars
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.
