Warning: contains SPOILERS for episode 2 of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Why does Darth Vader look the way he does in Obi-Wan Kenobi? Episode 2 of Disney+'s new Star Wars series Obi-Wan Kenobi gives a glimpse of the Sith lord without his suit. While his appearance may appear surprising to some, it does make sense considering what befell Anakin Skywalker in the prequel trilogy.

Set ten years after the events of after Order 66. Obi-Wan has made a quiet life for himself on Tatooine, keeping watch over Luke, though he's frequently haunted by memories of the past. In the first two episodes alone, Obi-Wan narrowly avoids capture from Inquisitors, tentatively accepts a plea to save young Princess Leia, and finds out that Anakin survived their duel on Mustafar.

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Darth Vader looks the way he does because of the injuries he sustained on Mustafar ten years before. He lost three limbs during his battle with Obi-Wan and was left to burn alive on the banks of a lava river. Though Palpatine rescued him, Anakin's wounds were too extensive to truly heal and he was doomed to spend the rest of his days encased in armor. In Obi-Wan Kenobi, Return of the Jedi when Luke unmasks his father.

Anakin Skywalker becoming Darth Vader in Revenge of the Sith

Darth Vader's ravaged looks are similar to another glimpse of him throughout Star Wars films. In Anakin's pursuit of the dark side has taken on him.

While many fans anticipated Hayden Christensen's reprisal of Anakin / Darth Vader in Obi-Wan Kenobi, his latest unrecognizable performance confused some and likely means he will be in prosthetics for the remainder of the show. That is not to say that Christensen won't make another appearance as Jedi Anakin Skywalker, in a new flashback or memory of Obi-Wan's. For now, Vader's bacta tank scene in Obi-Wan Kenobi serves as a haunting reminder of his ruined body and how Obi-Wan left him a decade ago.

Next: Why Is Flea In Obi-Wan Kenobi?

Obi-Wan Kenobi releases new episodes on Wednesdays on Disney+.

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