Summary
- Darth Vader's armor is composed of durasteel and obsidian alloy, making it tough and resistant to lightsaber blades.
- The armor includes a breathing apparatus and vocabulator inside the helmet, allowing Vader to breathe and speak.
- The armor is heavy, weighing 264 lbs, and required cybernetics for Vader to move. He had a backup armor and repaired it using parts from droids.
Darth Vader's iconic armor makes him one of the most powerful Sith Lords in the galaxy, and here are some of its greatest secrets. Many Sith have worn masks and armor, often steeped in the dark side of the Force. But Darth Vader's armor is the most intimidating of them all, allowing him to loom over his enemies. He cuts a terrifying figure when he storms into battle, as seen in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Darth Vader's armor was created after he was badly injured in battle against his old master Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. From the moment he donned the mask, Anakin Skywalker effectively ceased to be; all that was left was Darth Vader, second to the Emperor, a powerful Dark Lord of the Sith. But Darth Vader's armor was far more than just a symbol - it was also tremendously effective.
10 Darth Vader's Armor Is As Tough As A Starship's Hull - And Steeped In The Dark Side
Darth Vader's armor is composed of fairly common materials from the Star Wars galaxy. While some components are made of plasteel - a standard substance used for helmets and masks - a lot more is made of durasteel. This is typically used for starship plating, explaining why Darth Vader's armor makes him the perfect Jedi killer - it can even resist a lightsaber's blade. Other parts of Vader's armor are made of an obsidian alloy, a material often strong in the dark side of the Force. Obsidian is often found on Mustafar, and Fortress Vader is itself made entirely of obsidian.
9 Darth Vader's Mask Allows Him To Breathe
Darth Vader is well known for his rasping breaths; his lungs were weakened after his injuries on Mustafar, and he cannot breathe without his helmet on. Vader's breathing apparatus is located inside the helmet itself, along with a vocabulator to help him project his voice. The damage to Darth Vader's helmet is the cause of his death in Return of the Jedi.
8 Darth Vader's Armor Was Heavy Enough To Bring Him To His Knees
Darth Vader weighed 120kg (264 lbs), and most of that weight is because of the armor's steel and obsidian components. This means Darth Vader is unable to move at all at speed, and he needs the assistance of cybernetics. He is connected to the suit via needles that project from his helmet into his neck, allowing him to have a full range of motion while wearing such a heavy piece of machinery.
7 Anakin Skywalker First Saw The Vader Armor During The Clone Wars
Anakin Skywalker may not have become a Sith Lord until later in his life, but he first saw a vision of his iconic armor during the Clone Wars. Anakin's future was laid before him during a vision in Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 3, when he visited the planet Mortis. Here, Anakin was shown every detail of his future, culminating in the ghastly sight of Vader's helmet, but his memory of the experience was erased.
6 Darth Vader Continued To Upgrade His Armor, Making It Ever More Dangerous
Darth Sidious was the one who commissioned Darth Vader's armor. While this was fine at first, Anakin Skywalker was always known for his knowledge of mechanics, and he continued to upgrade the suit as time went on. Upgrades included whole new armor systems, which he once tested in a duel with the Grand Inquisitor. Once Darth Vader knew his upgraded armor would hold up against such an enemy, and more importantly against another lightsaber, he swiftly disarmed the Grand Inquisitor.
5 Darth Vader Always Had A Backup Armor
Darth Vader was always prepared for the worst. No matter what vessel he was on, he always made sure that he had another suit of armor at the ready in case something went wrong—and it often did. Many of his suits have been damaged in fights over the years, including against his former apprentice Ahsoka Tano and former master Obi-Wan Kenobi. This has resulted in iconic shots of the man behind the mask, showing how much Anakin has been contorted by the dark side.
4 Darth Vader's Armor Could Survive Dangerous Environments
Darth Vader's armor has been damaged on many occasions, but that's a mark of the skilled opponents the Dark Lord of the Sith has often faced. It's actually incredibly durable, able to withstand the most dangerous environments, and even shielding Vader from harm in the vacuum of space. It could even withstand several atmospheres of pressure underwater. It's likely Darth Vader improved his armor's durability due to the injuries he sustained in the harsh environment on Mustafar.
3 Darth Vader Repaired His Armor With Parts From Droids
Many parts of Order 66 survivor Kirak Infil'a, he used the Jedi's own droid Arex to repair him - and then killed the Jedi Master himself.
2 Darth Vader's Armor Had One Major Vulnerability - Hacking
Darth Vader's armor gave him many advantages in battle, but it had some shortsighted limitations as well. Its computer systems could actually be hacked, allowing enemies to puppeteer Darth Vader from afar. Naturally, once Vader realized this problem he manually changed the codes, making his armor a lot more difficult to hack in future. Marvel's ongoing Dark Droids event looks set to explore this problem further, revealing he was vulnerable to AIs that can affect machinery.
1 Darth Vader Initially Hated Wearing The Suit
Darth Vader's armor made for a lonely experience, and it took the Dark Lord of the Sith years to become used to the suit. Palpatine probably didn't mind this at all; he knew that hatred, anger, and rage serve as fuel to the dark side. Darth Vader was one of the most powerful Sith Lords of all time, and that's likely in part because he hated his own life so much.
