Darth Vader’s Power Came From Hating Palpatine, Not Serving Him

Spoilers ahead for Darth Vader #10 from Greg Pak and Raffaele Ienco

In the latest issue of Marvel Comics’ Darth Vader, the Dark Lord reconnects with the dark side of the Force after having become unbalanced due to the rejection of his son Luke Skywalker during the events of The Empire Strikes Back. In doing so, Vader once more traveled down the emotional path leading to the dark side, beginning with fear. That fear then turned to anger, which then becomes hate, which turns into power for Vader himself as it does for all Sith Lords. However, this time, Vader’s power now comes from his absolute hatred of his master above all, and not from his years of service as the Emperor’s dark apprentice.

In recent issues of Darth Vader from writer Greg Pak and Raffaele Ienco, Darth Vader’s personal journey into his past after Luke rejected him created massive amounts of turmoil, leaving him unbalanced when he returned to his master’s side. As a result, the Emperor created a punishment for his wayward apprentice, breaking down his cybernetic limbs, taking away his lightsaber, and dumping him on the same lava riverbank on the planet of Mustafar where the Emperor found him at the end of Star Wars: Episode III- Revenge of the Sith. He also refused to let Vader use the Force, promising to kill him if he tried to do so before reconnecting with his rage and hate once more. As a result, Vader has been fighting a literal gauntlet to rebuild himself literally and figuratively, completely focused on revenge. He also found a Sith Wayfinder to lead him to Exegol, the very planet where the Emperor holds his secrets as seen in The Rise of Skywalker.

Now, Darth Vader #10 not only sees the Dark Lord facing a massive Summa-Verminoth in one direction, guarding the Red Nebula and the way to Exegol, but also a legion of TIE fighters on the other, tasked by the Emperor to kill Vader. As a result, Vader chooses the Verminoth, one of the greatest and most powerful predators in the entire galaxy. Not only does is features a mass of teeth and grasping tentacles, but it’s revealed that it can deliver phycological attacks to break the mind as well. Upon entering the nebula, Vader sees visions of his past, particularly his duels with his old master Obi-Wan Kenobi, as well as his more recent battle with his son on Cloud City. However, this vision sees Vader being defeated by Luke himself. Not only that, but Vader’s true fear is revealed by the Summa-Verminoth, showing the Emperor corrupting Luke as his new apprentice, leaving Vader slain and forgotten.

Upon exiting the nebula and crash-landing onto Exegol’s surface, Vader faces the Verminoth, and Vader uses the Force to make it submit to his will. While his captive Ochi of Bestoon is surprised that Vader would seemingly break his master’s rules, Vader no longer cares, choosing not to fear death or his master. After all, fear leads to anger, and anger leads to hate, and Vader’s power is now fueled by his intense hatred of his master. Darth Vader #10 then ends with the Dark Lord riding upon the great beast, determined to make the Emperor fear him instead.

Despite Vader’s indifference as to whether or not he defied the command of his master by using the Force, this moment, in particular, could be exactly according to the Emperor’s design. Why else would he send the Sith assassin Ochi and the Imperial Navy if only to push Vader in the right direction (or face death for being unworthy)? At the beginning of Vader’s punishment, the Emperor told his Grand Vizier that his apprentice needed to relearn the primacy of his power and find himself once more. What better way to regain his hatred and rage than by focusing it on the Emperor himself, while also reminding him of his own seemingly greater power by letting Vader discover his secrets on Exegol? Regardless, the apprentice will soon face his master as Darth Vader continues from Marvel Comics.

About The Author

Kevin Erdmann
(2531 Articles Published)

Kevin Erdmann is one of Screen Rant’s staff writers. With a major in Cinema Studies and a minor in Comics and Cartoon Studies from the UofO, Kevin is pretty sure he’s writing for the right site. While Kevin is a huge Marvel fan, he also loves Batman because he’s Batman and is a firm believer that Han shot first. Disney also shares a big part of his fan patronage. Kevin lives in Oregon with his wonderful wife and sinister cat who is no doubt currently plotting his demise.

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