We lost an icon yesterday in James Earl Jones—the man behind the iconic Darth Vader voice and above all else, an incredible human being. We look at the top 5 best Darth Vader moments in live-action to pay homage to his legacy.
Please note, these are in no particular order.
1. “I am your father”
It’s probably the most iconic Darth Vader scene in Star Wars history. The iconic “I am your father” line. Chills, each time I watch this. Not only is this such a pivotal moment for Luke, but it’s also a moment for Vader in the sense that he thinks he could turn his son to his side.
Honestly, I can only imagine what this reveal would have been like in the theaters when it was first released. Throughout this entire scene Vader is just not even trying to fight Luke, he’s just playing with him to use his connection to turn Luke.
2. Rogue One
Rogue One is a film loved by so many around the world. It’s often regarded as the best product Disney has put out since they took over Star Wars. This scene in particular is reason 1 out of maybe 100 as to why we need a show or movie showing Darth Vader is his prime. Quite frankly, it doesn’t get much better than this.
We see the events leading to him boarding the ship in Episode 4. It’s brutal and it’s what Vader is all about. No fear, using his saber, deflecting blasters, and using force with little to no effort. It’s easily the best scene of the entire film and I remember watching this in the theatres just sitting in awe.
3. 3-point shot with Emperor Palpatine
Honestly, this scene deserves a mention. Cause this was Vader using like 50% of his power to fight Luke, let’s be honest. The connection that Luke makes with Vader in this scene just screams perfection. We get to see “The Chosen One” story come full circle from what Qui-Gon spoke about. Anakin did destroy the Sith… for a few years.
The slow reveal of Vader into Anakin is truly special. You felt that the moment Vader grabbed Palpatine and picked him up. You know this moment will forever be important. You knew that this was the death of Vader and the rebirth of Anakin.
4. Vs. Reva
Say what you want about the Kenobi series but it had some incredible moments in it. This one is one of those moments and for me, it shows how Vader is levels above Reva. A Third Sister. An Inquisitor. He made it look easy. He didn’t even use his lightsaber because he didn’t have to. He literally disarmed her, took half of her saber, and beat her that way instead.
In reality, Reva never really stood a chance. From the moment she decided she was going to betray Vader, he was 10 steps ahead of her the whole time and I think that as well is what makes Darth Vader one of the best villains to ever exist.
5. “I am what you made me”
Another scene from Kenobi that hits hard. “I am what you made me” is a line that ran straight through my spine when I watched it for the first time. You can see the fear in Obi-Wan’s eyes as Vader approaches him time and time again but that line alone is the best part in that entire scene.
He then straight up tries to return the favor to Kenobi by attempting to burn him alive the same way Anakin did. It’s twisted and it’s brutal but I think the developers and showrunners got this entire scene perfect. I don’t think there’s a way this could’ve been done better. Perfection.
Honorable mention – Cloud City
A scene that goes under the radar for Vader is the Cloud City scene where the doors open and Vader is standing there with a table full of food and Han Solo beginning to blast him but Vader being the powerful character and a hint of special gloves blocks the shot with his hand. I’ve always loved this scene. It’s very underrated in the Vader catalog of scenes.
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