Anakin Skywalker

**Darth Vader**

Anakin Skywalker was a Force-sensitive human male and a Jedi Knight of the Galactic Republic. He was the prophesied Chosen One of a Jedi prophecy and was destined to bring balance to the Force by destroying the Sith.

## Biography

### Early life

Anakin was born to the slave Shmi Skywalker, and believed to have been conceived by the Force itself, as there was no father. He was listed as having been born on Tatooine, though in reality, he was born on another planet and brought to Tatooine at a young age. His mother, Shmi, was a slave owned by Gardulla Besadii the Elder until she lost them in a bet to the junk dealer, Watto, when Anakin was just 3 years old.

### Rise of Darth Vader

Although Vader survived the ordeal on Mustafar, he emerged horrifically scarred, both physically and mentally. Shortly after Kenobi's departure, his master, Darth Sidious, arrived on Mustafar with several shock troopers and took the injured Vader back to Coruscant in a medical capsule. Because of Vader's value, the Emperor turned to the Republic's best scientists, including Cylo, to save him. Vader was put in a life-sustaining black suit of armor and given three new prosthetic limbs. After two days of nonstop labor, he was finally sealed into his new armor.

Upon completion, Vader asked what had become of his wife, to which Palpatine answered that he had killed her in his anger. Overwhelmed by depair that he had lost Padmé and their child, Vader destroyed the medical droids and much of the room. He broke out of his bindings on the medical table and let out a cry of despair.

Vader's despair then turned to rage and he telekinetically slammed the Emperor against a wall in the surgical bay, snarling that his master had promised to save Padmé. The Emperor, as Vader attempted unsuccessfully to strangle him with the Force, responded that in death Padmé had provided Vader a gift: Pain. The Emperor continued by giving Vader a choice; to either accept and use that gift or to die. After a moment, Vader replied that he would live. The Emperor then immediately launched a barrage of Force lightning at his apprentice, and demanded that Vader use his lightsaber to defend himself, but Vader replied that his lightsaber had been taken by Kenobi at the conclusion of their duel on Mustafar.

As he continued his barrage, the Emperor angrily shouted that the weapon Vader spoke of was not his. Rather, it had belonged to a Jedi, and Vader was now a Sith. Ceasing his Force-based assault, the Emperor drew his own lightsaber. He put the blade to Vader's throat and stated that he understood how traumatic the last few days had been for his apprentice, but warned that should Vader ever use the Force against him again, he would finish what Kenobi could not. The Emperor then deactivated his weapon and stated that, as friends, he hoped that the two of them would never find themselves in a similar situation. He instructed Vader to put aside his rage and lust for revenge against the Jedi for the time being, for the two of them had a great deal of work to accomplish.

### Hunt for a Kyber Crystal

Palpatine then took Vader to a balcony overlooking the Jedi Temple. There, he and Vader watched as Mas Amedda directed a ceremonial burning of the lightsabers of all the Jedi who had been killed in the Temple. As they listened to Amedda's speech, the Emperor asked if his apprentice knew how or why Sith lightsaber blades were red in color. Vader replied that he did not, as the Temple's information on the subject had been "incomplete." The Emperor laughed and mused that the Jedi had been uncomfortable with the information and had buried it as a result. He then explained that kyber crystals felt pain just like any living being, and could be made to bleed by pouring rage, pain, and hate into them. He asked Vader if he understood, to which Vader replied that he did, stating that he could have given him any of the burning Jedi lightsabers to corrupt, even Yoda's. But he had not, as Vader realized that the crystal of a Sith's lightsaber should be taken directly from a Jedi by that Sith.

### Battle of Otavon XII

Several months after the Proclamation of the New Order, Emperor Palpatine assigned Vader to protect Tremor Base on Otavon XII from the native Ovoni while the facility produced AT-AT walkers. During an attack on the base, the Ovoni resistance fighters were taken by surprise by Vader, who killed many and forced a retreat into the forest. After the failed assult, General Crik shared his concern over the attacks with Vader, who dismissed his concerns and ordered him to focus on the production of AT-AT walkers. A wounded stormtrooper emerged from the forest and reported the presence of a Jedi among the Ovoni. Vader immediately marched into the jungle to hunt down the surviving Jedi.

Shortly thereafter, Vader discovered a Jedi and several Ovoni in the jungle. He cut down several Ovoni rebels before the Jedi joined the fight. The Jedi, soon revealed to be a Padawan, dueled the dark lord to no avail, being killed quickly, though not before revealing he was only buying time for his master to escape the planet. Vader took the Padawan's lightsaber with him as he left to hunt down the master.

Vader encountered a native Sugati creature which he could not kill by force, though he quckly realized the creature was simple-minded and controlled it with a mind-trick. Vader used the creature as a ride to track down the Jedi and soon found Jedi Master Hylon sitting on top of Mount Dijandi.

Hylon and Vader conversed briefly before the Jedi struck out at Vader with his lightsaber. The Sith Lord quickly recovered and destroyed Hylon's lightsaber. The Jedi remarked on Vader's precision before drawing a metal blade, disarming Vader. Before he could capitalize on the advantage, Vader stabbed the Jedi with his Padawan's lightsaber. The Jedi revealed his name before being executed by Vader on the mountaintop.

His ride having left, Vader walked on foot through the jungle to return to Tremor Base. Upon arriving at the facility, he found it destroyed by the Ovoni natives who had used the Jedi as bait to lure Vader away from the base so they could strike. Palpatine soon arrived and, seeing the disastrous state of the base, punished Vader by leaving him on the planet as he departed.

## Appearances

* Episode I — The Phantom Menace
* Episode II — Attack of the Clones
* Episode III — Revenge of the Sith
* Rogue One
* Episode IV — A New Hope
* Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back
* Episode VI — Return of the Jedi

## Sources

* The Star Wars Book of Headcanon Changes
* Star Wars: Timelines

## Notes and references

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 *Episode I — The Phantom Menace*
2. ↑ *Star Wars: Timelines*
3. ↑ *Episode VI — Return of the Jedi*
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 *Episode IV — A New Hope*
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 *Episode III — Revenge of the Sith*