rhodrymavelyne

One of Darth Vader’s compelling traits as a villain isn’t just his iconic armor, the sinister sound of his breathing; although those things are compelling. Nor is it the fact that he took a suit meant to compensate for life-threatening disabilies and turned it into an expression of power; complementing his formidable mastery of the Force.

All of these traits make him one of the most memorable villains of all time. I’m struck by a quality which drives the plots with Darth Vader, making him again a force to be reckoned with.

This character is obsessive to the point of madness. He directs all of his considerable strength; personal and temporal towards his obsession.

When he was Anakin Skywalker, he was obsessed with Padme. When he became Darth Vader, he became obsessed with Obi-Wan Kenobi. No longer was he restained by morality or anything else. He was set up finding his old master, defeating him, and triumphing over him.

Neither of these obsessions ever left Vader, not completely. They rekindled and became one when he discovered Padme had children, a child Obi-Wan had been training. They became fixated upon Luke Skywalker, his son. Luke was the only legacy of his love for Padme (or so he thought). Young Skywalker had been Obi-Wan’s remaining triumph over Vader, the hope he died for.

An obsession with reclaiming his son threatened to tear the galaxy apart, completely focused upon Luke and anyone in his way.

Maybe the very thought of Leia enduring being the focus of that dangerous obsession drove Luke to fight his father with all his checked rage in Return of the Jedi. In the end, Luke stopped himself, stopped his rage.

Did Vader ever stop himself? Did he let others stop him? I’ve wondered at the way Obi-Wan, Padme, Luke, and even Leia have slipped through his fingers in the movies and the series.

Vader told Obi-Wan that he betrayed and murdered Anakin Skywalker in his battle with his former master at the end of Obi-Wan Kenobi; a lie Ben chose to embrace and pass on to Luke.

This turned out to be a lie in more ways than one. Maybe Anakin was always there, making Vader hesitate at crucial moments, rather than lashing out with his full power.

It’s something I find myself thinking about, after seeing the movies and certain series multiple times.
Yes, I’ve seen them multiple times. I’ve got something in common with Darth Vader; I can be obsessive.

I’ve sometimes imagined having the power to push aside or rip apart anything which stands between myself and what I want. When I was a child, I used to imagine having such power.

As an adult, I sometimes still visualize such an ability vibrating in my entire body, wanting to get out, wanting to lash out.

It’s just as well I don’t have such a power. Such a power could very difficult to stop. You might need others to help stop you.

Perhaps Vader did have those people, even if he didn’t realize it at the time.

It’s something to wonder about.