NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
Following the news that the world lost iconic actor James Earl Jones, it made me think of the character he voiced–Darth Vader. You can love Star Wars or you can hate it. Hell, some of you may be in-between. But one thing most can agree on is that Darth Vader is the baddest mutha****** ever. Throw out any villain, compare them to Vader, and let’s see how they stack up.
It was mentioned to me that Khan from Star Trek was just as cold as Vader and maybe even more ruthless. To be honest, I don’t know too much about Khan. I never filled out the application to become a Trekkie. Captain Kirk and the gang looked cool and all but it was always the allure of Star Wars for me and that started with Darth Vader.
As successful as Star Wars was and still is, the entire franchise is built upon one character. At first, it came across as a story about Luke Skywalker but we soon learned that even he was tied to Vader. The same with Princess Leia and then Obi-Wan Kenobi. All central figures in the story but the common denominator was still Darth Vader.
We would learn his story in the next installment and that made his character that more appealing. Once again, there are other villains worthy of a shot at the crown but c’mon now, Darth Vader is the king.
Some villains will terrorize a town, a country, or even a planet. But Vader was just different. Not only did he have no remorse, he relished in that. He was the most feared man in the galaxy. I was told that Kahn wreaked havoc on Star Trek. But did Khan try to kill his wife? Did Kahn try to take out his kids? What about his mentor? Vader killed his (twice). And let’s not forget that Vader took out the Jedi Council and the ones who survived, he sent them into hiding. He destroyed what was considered the most powerful force ever.
Vader’s ghostly presence was so strong that even now, with the spinoffs, they are trying their best to make him more human. Instead of Vader the threat, Star Wars is attempting to shed light on the good side of him. After all these decades, his imposing figure is still a shadow that the franchise can’t get from under.
While watching Obi-Wan, what was the most anticipated moment fans waited for? It was Vader. Hell, that’s not his show. During Ahsoka, fans waited for the return of Anakin. if there was a villain that people cheered for, it was Vadar. he was and still is an iconic figure in movies and TV. There will never be another Vader.
Before there was even a thought of The Matrix, Vader was the first guy we saw stop lasers with his hand. The first guy we saw choke someone without laying a hand on them. He could lift you off the ground and throw you across a room without breaking a sweat. Who else was doing things like that? I mean damn, the man had his own theme music. And when it was time to get dirty, Vader was in the midst of it all. He feared nothing.
The trials that Luke had to endure, all that was done for what? To face Vader. Even Rey in the dismal new installment was still in a way fighting the ghost and human form of Vader as she dealt with his grandchild Ben. Vader was everywhere even in death. Name another character who pulled that off in any franchise.
