Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Darth Vader #50Princess Leia becomes the apprentice of Darth Vader himself. In Return of the Jedi, Darth Vader believed that Leia could perhaps be turned to the dark side should Luke continue refusing the Emperor. In that vein, it's now been revealed what Leia might actually look like as Vader's new Sith pupil.

In the epilogue of Marvel's canonical Darth Vader #50 by Greg Pak and Luke Ross, Pé Amidala's former handmaid Sabé temporarily kidnaps none other than Leia Organa between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Sabé reveals to the Rebellion leader her own experiences with Darth Vader, and how she wasn't strong enough to give into the darkness required to bring about galactic peace in the name of the Empire. However, Sabé does believe that Leia could be strong enough to stand at Vader's side, and could even become a new galactic empress:

Naturally, Leia argues that ing Darth Vader is something she'd never want (which gives Sabé great hope for the future). Regardless, it's no less fascinating to see what dark Leia Organa could look like in an alternate Star Wars timeline where she does agree to become Vader's apprentice.

Sabé Feared Leia Could Inherit Darth Vader's Darkness

Becoming Empress Organa

As seen in the rest of 2020's Darth Vader series prior to this final issue, Sabé eventually comes to learn that Darth Vader was once Anakin Skywalker, the Jedi who loved the former Queen and senator she once served. Likewise, Sabé also learned from a partial recording that Pé gave birth before her death. This led to her confirmed knowledge of Luke (whom she's already met and interacted with in this series).

That being said, the major implication from this short epilogue is that Sabé also learned about Leia's birth and true parentage as the daughter of Darth Vader. At the very least, Sabé had strong enough suspicion to warrant this brief kidnapping before she eventually leaves an unconscious Leia for the Rebellion to retrieve. At any rate, it seems as though Sabé feared Leia had inherited the same darkness carried by her father, just as Sabé had feared with Luke Skywalker before she got to meet and see the young Jedi Knight in action.

Leia Proved She'd Take After Pé Amidala

Like Mother, Like Daughter

By the end of Sabé's interaction with Leia, the former handmaid to Organa's birth mother is more than satisfied that Leia will bring about a galaxy at peace by remaining in the light. To that end, readers also get to see a new vision Sabé has of Leia. Rather than being sourced in the dark as a new apprentice for Darth Vader, this new image of Princess Leia sees her truly embodying her mother as a major force for positive change in the galaxy far, far away, something she very much fulfills in the canonical Star Wars timeline.

Darth Vader #50 is on sale now from Marvel Comics