It’s been 7 years since the last big Darth Vader moment and Star Wars has no idea what to do with the iconic villain

I often think of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Actually every day. The incredible images from cinematographer Greig Fraser, which make the opening sequence look like a samurai film. The moment when Michael Giacchino’s music accompanies the countdown to the Death Star’s arrival in the finale. And of course the scene in which a… red lightsaber in the dark lights up and pure terror takes over the film.

Darth Vader’s appearance in the Rogue One finale still gives me goosebumps, even seven years after its theatrical release. Director Gareth Edwards conjures up a monster that mercilessly slaughters its way through the narrow corridors of a spaceship with a glowing blade. It is one of the best because of the most outrageous scenes the entire saga. But to date, Lucasfilm hasn’t found a way to follow suit.

Star Wars has a great villain and no idea what to do with it

Vader’s shadow has been hanging over the Star Wars universe for years, but no one dares to let him off the leash. Kylo Ren worships the Sith in the sequel trilogy. In the Ahsoka series, Darth Vader’s silhouette flashes through the fog of war. Last year he faced his former master Obi-Wan Kenobi twice. But even here, perhaps the most iconic Star Wars character seems wasted.

Of course there are two or three strong moments. Overall, however, the impression is that Darth Vader is currently only being treated with kid gloves, even though he is most robust character in the franchise is. There isn’t much of the scary villain from Rogue One. Tamed instead of unscrupulous: Could this Vader actually take over and destroy entire planetary systems on behalf of the Emperor?

Vader is given the most popular motive for character development at the moment: trauma. Almost every major character has trauma that needs to be dealt with these days, especially when it’s a legacy character that comes with a long franchise past. Now we see a Vader who consumed by his self-hatred and mourning at Padmé’s grave – actually a strong image.

When I first saw the above comic panel, it gave me goosebumps. Now it seems like that Extension of a meme, which found its way from the reception into the actual story being told. Vader is dug up for short-lived moments of nostalgia that are meant to mean something profound. In reality, they are extremely shallow and meaningless, as Ahsoka recently proved.

Ahsoka shows Darth Vader for a split second and then immediately locks him away again

The fifth episode of Ahsoka takes us back to the Clone Wars, where Vader’s figure briefly takes Anakin’s place in the war. A tempting horror idea whose playfulness is entirely dedicated to the magic of cinema. Afterwards: emptiness. Vader will taken out for a trick. He must not create a threatening presence. Everything works solely through the memory of a past Star Wars.

The trauma label conveys a depth that is neither narratively nor staged. It’s just about showing the character. I know what she looks like. I want to see how she moves. Just like in the last minutes of Rogue One, where an avalanche of pent-up Star Wars fantasies overwhelms us. Vader as a warlord who can really be a villain and not just a merchandise memory.

There’s nothing bad about tragic characters at all, on the contrary, especially in Star Wars they are sometimes responsible for the best stories. The problem is, that Vader’s tragedy not developed further becomes. Essentially, George Lucas set the parameters of the character decades ago with Anakin’s fall in Revenge of the Sith and his redemption in Return of the Jedi. She hasn’t been able to move since then.

The Vader problem is representative of a larger Star Wars problem: Lucasfilm doesn’t dare to scratch the legacy, but also doesn’t manage to break away from it. Will be again and again Figures taken out of the display case and locked away again behind the safe glass wall as quickly as possible in order to maintain the balance of power. The truth is: This is deeply unsatisfactory.

Star Wars is just about showing what characters you have, although much more could be done

The digital rejuvenations of popular characters like Luke Skywalker are the best example of this. A brief wow effect and then… nothing. Star Wars can’t tell good, let alone new, stories with these cameo-based characters in the uncanny valley. And new casts have been avoided since the flop of Solo: A Star Wars Story. Darth Vader is actually the perfect Joker.

The costume and mask make the character immortal. Over time, Vader became… 14 different actors brought to life. In the Obi-Wan series alone, four names are listed in connection with Vader in the credits. Do we need more Vader? Probably not. But if Star Wars can’t break away from its legacy, then it should at least have a character to unleash properly.

Darth Vader: Fury Road. A villain at the height of his reign of terror, who gives free rein to his hatred without us immediately returning to the character’s familiar tragedy. Vader as a villain who really takes a path, where we cannot follow him, because it leads to the abyss. In such an uncompromising story, visiting Padmé’s grave would have a completely different weight.

Rogue One briefly showed us how exciting this Star Wars could look.

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