Summary
- Vader's death in Return of the Jedi may not have been due to Force lightning.
- Vader survived severe injuries before, suggesting Force lightning alone may not have killed him.
- Vader may have chosen to die because he had fulfilled his purpose as the Chosen One and had little role in the future galaxy.
This the Skywalker family tree.
Specifically, Return of the Jedi shockingly revealed that Leia was Luke Skywalker's sister, but it also confirmed that Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker truly did still have good in him, just as Luke had suspected. Sadly, though, this revelation came right before Darth Vader died. Yet, Darth Vader's death in Return of the Jedi may be more than it seems. In fact, one Star Wars theory suggests that the very nature of Darth Vader's death in the original trilogy might be largely misunderstood.
Star Wars: 10 Best Darth Vader Stories, Ranked
Darth Vader is one of the most crucial characters in all of Star Wars, and these 10 stories from the comics, movies, and TV shows are the very best.
Vader Needed His Mask To Breathe
There have been many Sith helmets in Star Wars, several with immense power, but Darth Vader's helmet was much more than a Sith mask. As Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith revealed, Vader's helmet was a key part of his life-sustaining suit; without this helmet, Vader couldn't breathe. This was precisely the reason for the iconic labored breathing that is so heavily associated with Darth Vader both within the franchise and outside it.
Without this helmet, Vader couldn't breathe.
In fact, Star Wars has gone out of its way in recent years to reveal just how necessary this helmet was. In Obi-Wan Kenobi, for example, Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi engaged in an epic battle, during which Vader's helmet was broken, revealing half his face underneath. Once the helmet had broken, though, that was effectively the end of the fight. Vader could be heard struggling to breathe, and Obi-Wan was able to simply walk away, even as Vader stood before him.
Vader Had Sustained Injuries, But He'd Survived Worse
It's true that Vader had been significantly injured in Return of the Jedi before his death. After all, he had risked his own life to save Luke from Palpatine, stepping in and taking on the Force lightning Palpatine was trying to shoot at Luke. Undoubtedly, this did cause considerable damage, particularly as Vader had already been subjected to so much grave injury throughout his life. However, Darth Vader had survived much worse before.
For one, Obi-Wan Kenobi had left Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader effectively for dead on Mustafar after their epic battle in Return of the Sith. Not only did Obi-Wan dismember Anakin, cutting off all his remaining flesh limbs, but he also watched as he was burnt nearly to death by lava. Presumably, Anakin/Vader only survived this because of his immense strength in the Force. Yes, Vader was about 20 years older and had already suffered other injuries in Return of the Jedi, but it's nevertheless odd that Force lightning would kill him after he survived all that happened on Mustafar.
Moreover, Anakin had already survived being blasted with Force lightning. In Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, Anakin took on Count Dooku for the first time, and, during this encounter, Dooku attacked him with Force lightning. Palpatine's Force lightning was no doubt much more powerful than Dooku's, but, again, it's strange that Anakin would have survived this attack—in this case, relatively unharmed—but he died due to Force lightning in Return of the Jedi.
Vader Asked Luke To Take His Helmet Off
Notably, Vader also directly told Luke to remove his helmet for him in Return of the Jedi. In part, this was a sweet moment between father and son. After all, Vader did specifically say he wanted his helmet off so that he could look upon his son with his own eyes for the first (and last) time. Some have even added to this scene by suggesting Anakin/Vader also wanted to see Pé's traits in their son with his own eyes in particular, to have this connection to her as he died.
Vader knew that Luke removing his helmet would kill him.
However, Vader knew that Luke removing his helmet would kill him. As has been established, Vader needed his helmet to live; he would suffocate without it. Yes, Vader was likely severely injured, but by asking Luke to remove his helmet, he knew he was sealing his fate. This raises questions about the true cause of Darth Vader's death. Was Darth Vader truly already dying from the Force lightning, or was there another reason he asked Luke to remove his helmet, beyond just the desire to see his son without his helmet on?
Vader Had Accomplished What He Needed To
This Star Wars theory instead suggests that Darth Vader may have been able to survive in Return of the Jedi, but he decided to die because he knew it was his time. Specifically, Darth Vader had accomplished all that he had set out to accomplish, and he had little role in the galaxy that would form following the fall of the Empire. For one, Vader had saved the life of his son and returned to the light side of the Force. Moreover, though, Anakin/Vader had ultimately fulfilled the Chosen One prophecy.
Darth Vader had accomplished all that he had set out to accomplish, and he had little role in the galaxy that would form following the fall of the Empire.
The prophecy stated that the Chosen One would bring balance to the Force, and, by returning to the light side of the Force and destroying Palpatine (or so it seemed at the time), Anakin/Vader had fulfilled the prophecy. While these were incredible victories, they don't change the fact that Anakin/Vader wouldn't have truly had a place in the new galaxy. Luke was perfectly positioned to rebuild the Jedi, and Leia was primed to help establish the New Republic.
Essentially, Anakin's children were the future, and although he had been redeemed, it would not have made sense for him to be part of rebuilding the Jedi or the Republic. Redemption can only go so far, and while Luke may have been ready to forgive him, others—including Leia—would not have been. Perhaps for that reason, Vader decided that it truly was his time to go, causing him to have Luke remove his mask even if he could have lived longer without it.
Of course, this remains only a theory, but it certainly makes sense. As the Chosen One, Anakin would have succeeded in the task he was born to do, and he had safeguarded the future of the galaxy through Luke and Leia. Although it would have been heartwarming to see father and son have more time together and perhaps even father and daughter find some common understanding, at the end of Return of the Jedi, Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker's Star Wars story was truly over.
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi
- Release Date
- May 25, 1983
- Runtime
- 132 minutes
- Director
- Richard Marquand
Cast
Luke Skywalker
Han Solo
WHERE TO WATCH
Return of the Jedi concludes George Lucas's original Star Wars trilogy with Luke Skywalker and his allies seeking to rescue Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt and facing a renewed threat as the Emperor attempts to obliterate the Rebellion through a second Death Star, broadening the epic battle between good and evil.
- Writers
- George Lucas
- Franchise(s)
- Star Wars
- Studio(s)
- Lucasfilm
- Distributor(s)
- 20th Century
- Budget
- $32.5-42.7 Million
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