24 Dark Facts About Darth Vader

January 16, 2018 | Chanell Alexander

24 Dark Facts About Darth Vader


He is the man, the myth, the legend— and one of the mot iconic villains in the galaxy. Darth Vader is one bad guy, but he's also got a tortured past and a hefty share of family disfunction. Let's take a look at the light and dark side of Vader.


24. Preview of Evil

Everyone is well acquainted with Vader’s theme song, "The Imperial March," composed by the legendary John Williams. However, this signature song doesn’t just show up when Vader is an adult. Throughout Star Wars Episode I: Phantom Menace, Anakin Skywalker’s theme shares notes with "The Imperial March."

 Darth Vader facts Medium

23. James Earl Jones Was Not the First Pick

George Lucas struck gold with the velvet voice of James Earl Jones. However, Jones was not the first pick for the biggest baddie of them all. Lucas originally wanted Orson Welles, the legendary voice of radio himself, to play Vader, but eventually felt that Welles was too recognizable.

 Darth Vader facts

22. Take a Breath…

Remember the first time you heard Vader take a deep breath? Sound designer Ben Burtt achieved this effect by unconventional means: a scuba regulator. Burtt is also behind the sounds of R2D2 and the lightsabers.

 Darth Vader facts

21. A Home with Life-preserving Abilities

In Star Wars: Rogue One, audiences got the chance to see Darth Vader in his original evil glory for the first time in a long time. However, art designers put a lot of thought into what Vader's home would look like: It was designed to be a place where Vader could go to meditate, heal, and rejuvenate after his turn to the dark side.

 Darth Vader facts Business insider

20. Initially, Luke Was Not His Son

Vader’s role in the franchise evolved as the story went on. Originally, Vader was meant to die in A New Hope, and Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader were meant to be two different people.

 Darth Vader facts YouTube

19. Spoiler Alert from 1978!

In 1978, David Prowse, the man who donned the suit and represented Vader’s body, had some loose lips. In front of a large local crowd in Berkeley, California, Prowse spoiled the ending of the series by announcing Luke Skywalker’s paternity. Thank goodness social media didn’t exist.

 Darth Vader facts Getty Images

18. The Most Misquoted Line of All Time

It is a rite of passage for every Star Wars fan to act out the most iconic scene in the movie. However, some will probably get the quote wrong. Many people think that Darth Vader says, “Luke, I am your father.” However, the real quote is “No, I am your father.”

 Darth Vader facts New republic

17. Samurai Inspiration

Lucas was inspired by samurai films when creating Star Wars, and Vader’s helmet and amor are a direct reference to the armor samurai wore.

 Darth Vader facts

16. 12 Minutes of Fame

For a guy who is the face of the Star Wars franchise, Vader sure has limited screen time in A New Hope: he is only seen on screen for a minuscule 12 minutes. Clearly, less is more.

 Darth Vader facts Disney Wikia

15. The Uncredited Actors of Darth Vader

James Earl Jones and David Prowse were both uncredited in the first film. Jones later admitted that he did not want to be typecast in the role since he was an up-and-coming actor. Browse, for his part, did not feel the movie was going to do well, and did not want his name attached to the project if it didn’t.

 Darth Vader facts

14. The Voice Never Met the Body

Even though Jones and Prowse worked together to bring everyone’s favorite intergalactic baddie to life, the pair never met. Imagine creating an excellent project with a co-worker and never meeting them to shoot the breeze.

 Darth Vader facts LaPS4

13. Household Supplies = Legendary Weapon

The lightsabers were made from some pretty mundane items. Vader’s lightsaber is composed of a flashgun and windshield wipers for grips; a very similar fashioning to his son Luke's.

 Darth Vader facts The Entertainment Nut

12. Mr. #1

What a way to start off a franchise! As Lucas was initially fleshing out the Star Wars universe, the first character he ever created was Darth Vader. This act foreshadows the considerable significance Vader's role has had on the story.

 Darth Vader facts Polygon

11. Lost in Translation

In Italian releases of Star Wars, Vader had to undergo a name change. In Italian, “Vader” sounds close to a noun the Italian language uses for the toilet bowl. To remedy this, Vader was renamed “Lord Fener.”

 Darth Vader facts Twinfinite

 10. So Much Potential…

Although Vader has the power to use Force Lightning, which his master Darth Sidious, or Emperor Palpatine has used at times in the series, it would likely come at a cost. Since the Force only travels through living things, with the amount of machinery that is now a part of Vader’s body he would likely die if he attempted to use the dark power.

 Darth Vader facts Star Wars

9. From G to PG

After an initial screening, Star Wars was given a G rating (appropriate for general audiences). Lucas was not fond of this, as he thought the majority of moviegoers would see the film as a children’s movie. After inviting the MPAA rating board to another screening, a child began to cry when they saw Darth Vader kill Captain Antilles. This scene gave the film its PG rating.

 Darth Vader facts Starwars Wikia

8. You’re the Father!

Star Wars is such an expansive universe, many people wonder about essential details that were left out of the original story. In the DVD-released version of the films, Vader finds about about Luke’s existence in the Empire Strikes Back. In a comic book issue treated as canon, Boba Fett informs Vader of his son’s identity long before Empire Strikes Back.

 Darth Vader facts Youtube

7. Some Intergalactic Bad Blood

Prowse was reportedly very angry that his voice was dubbed over when he played Vader. Lucas dubbed Prowse because of his strong Bristol accent; the cast of Star Wars called him "Darth Farmer" while filming.

 Darth Vader facts The Richest

6. Vader Moonlights as a Gargoyle

In 1980, a contest was held to decide the Gargoyle decorations that would be added to the Washington National Cathedral. Third place winner Christopher Rader submitted a drawing of Darth Vader that was included as one of the gargoyles; he is still there to this day.

 Darth Vader facts Culture Trip

5. He Knows More Than He Lets On

Vader is known for his signature Force choke. However, he's not a one trick pony: Vader can use the force to increase run speed, levitate, become invisible, absorb shots from blasters, and breathe without his mask.

 Darth Vader facts Star Wars Wikia

4. 20 Years of Evil

Star Wars travels in and out of different timelines, so it can be confusing to know when specific events take place. A New Hope’s events occur nearly 20 years after Luke and Leia are born.

 Darth Vader facts Star Wars

3. The Almost Missing Piece

Originally, costume designers and Lucas were only going to have Vader wear his now-iconic mask in space, but the menacing mask completed the look so well, they decided to have it become a permanent signature.

 Darth Vader facts NPR

2. Vader Ties for An Awful Record

Vader ties with C3PO for the most limbs lost in the Star Wars universe. This guy has lost five limbs throughout the films. Five. Wow, talk about horrible luck.

 Darth Vader facts

1. Biblical Inspiration?

In Vader’s former life as Anakin Skywalker, his mother Shmi Skywalker claimed that Vader had no father. This admission by Shmi has some similarities to the Nativity story in the New Testament.

 Darth Vader facts Official Star Wars Costumes

Sources:  1234567891011121314


More from Factinate

Featured Article

My mom never told me how her best friend died. Years later, I was using her phone when I made an utterly chilling discovery.

Dark Family Secrets

Dark Family Secrets Exposed

Nothing stays hidden forever—and these dark family secrets are proof that when the truth comes out, it can range from devastating to utterly chilling.
April 8, 2020 Samantha Henman

Featured Article

Madame de Pompadour was the alluring chief mistress of King Louis XV, but few people know her dark history—or the chilling secret shared by her and Louis.

Madame de Pompadour Facts

Entrancing Facts About Madame de Pompadour, France's Most Powerful Mistress

Madame de Pompadour was the alluring chief mistress of King Louis XV, but few people know her dark history—or the chilling secret shared by her and Louis.
December 7, 2018 Kyle Climans

More from Factinate

Featured Article

I tried to get my ex-wife served with divorce papers. I knew that she was going to take it badly, but I had no idea about the insane lengths she would go to just to get revenge and mess with my life.

These People Got Genius Revenges

When someone really pushes our buttons, we'd like to think that we'd hold our head high and turn the other cheek, but revenge is so, so sweet.
April 22, 2020 Scott Mazza

Featured Article

Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIII’s rejected queen—but few people know her even darker history.

Catherine of Aragon Facts

Tragic Facts About Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s First Wife

Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIII’s rejected queen—but very few people know her even darker history.
June 7, 2018 Christine Tran



Dear reader,


Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? We’re always looking for your input! Please reach out to us to let us know what you’re interested in reading. Your suggestions can be as general or specific as you like, from “Life” to “Compact Cars and Trucks” to “A Subspecies of Capybara Called Hydrochoerus Isthmius.” We’ll get our writers on it because we want to create articles on the topics you’re interested in. Please submit feedback to contribute@factinate.com. Thanks for your time!


Do you question the accuracy of a fact you just read? At Factinate, we’re dedicated to getting things right. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. We want our readers to trust us. Our editors are instructed to fact check thoroughly, including finding at least three references for each fact. However, despite our best efforts, we sometimes miss the mark. When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. Please let us know if a fact we’ve published is inaccurate (or even if you just suspect it’s inaccurate) by reaching out to us at contribute@factinate.com. Thanks for your help!


Warmest regards,



The Factinate team




Want to learn something new every day?

Join thousands of others and start your morning with our Fact Of The Day newsletter.

Thank you!

Error, please try again.