There’s little doubt that Darth Vader is one of the best villains in all Star Wars movies and TV shows, if not the single greatest villain overall. From the moment he was introduced in A New Hope, Vader was a terrifying, intimidating presence and a major threat. Even when The Empire Strikes Back introduced Emperor Palpatine and revealed that Vader was actually a second in command who was heavily controlled by another, he remained a cinema villain truly unlike any other.
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In the decades since, that hasn’t really changed. The prequel trilogy, especially Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace humanized him, and audiences have gotten to see quite a bit more about how and why he ultimately fell to the dark side. Yet, even with that additional context, Vader hasn’t gotten less scary—if anything, his power has only become even clearer, making him all the more dangerous and terrifying. His most recent appearance in Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord contributed to this, and one sequence in particular confirmed why he’s a brilliant villain and the perfect Jedi killer.
Darth Vader’s Lightsaber Style in Maul – Shadow Lord Was Vicious
Darth Vader had a chilling entrance in Maul – Shadow Lord—something that has really become his signature. After a buildup throughout the whole season that seemed to signal that Darth Vader was coming, the Sith Lord finally arrived toward the end of episode 9. At first, it wasn’t clear what was happening as one character was dragged screaming into the woods. However, just after that, Vader’s iconic labored breathing from his mask could be heard.
In the final episode of Maul – Shadow Lord season 1, Vader had a much more significant amount of screen time. In fact, Vader ended up battling Maul, Devon, and Jedi Master Eeko-Dio Daki, and he killed the latter in a brutal onslaught. In that scene in particular, Vader’s lightsaber form was on full display, and rather than the artistry of a duelist like Mace Windu, Vader’s attack was nothing but vicious. He essentially battered Eeko-Dio Daki repeatedly, slamming his lightsaber down, until he was victorious.
In part, this reflects Vader’s raw power; he doesn’t even need skill or a specific lightsaber form, because he is simply going to use his strength to take down his enemies. Along with that power, though, Vader’s lightsaber form reflects what he had become at this point. Already, Vader was really more machine than man, and he was specifically a Jedi killing machine. With his suit in particular, Vader could execute this almost mechanical attack, hitting Eeko-Dio Daki again and again until he broke. And that, in part, is what made him so perfect for Palpatine’s plans.
Darth Vader’s Only Purpose Was Destruction
Anakin Skywalker may have been the Chosen One, and Vader was certainly a complex, compelling villain, but neither thing changed the fact that Palpatine really had just one intention when it came to his Sith apprentice. All Palpatine truly wanted was a subservient, powerful Force user who would do his bidding and wipe out his enemies, be they the Jedi survivors of Order 66, new Force-sensitive beings discovered throughout the galaxy, or anyone who dared to oppose the Empire. Anything more would have threatened him as the Sith master.
For that reason, Vader really was just a Jedi killing machine throughout the Dark Times. Yes, he had his Imperial Inquisitors, and there were other things he did in that era beyond just going out and killing Jedi. However, his true purpose was to carry out any form of destruction that Palpatine deemed necessary, and he had (literally) been built to do exactly that in a way that made him, effectively, an incredibly powerful executioner. Clearly, he was quite good at what he did, which raises some questions about whether this was Anakin/Vader at the height of his power.
Was This Anakin Skywalker At His Best?
Much has been said about when Anakin/Vader had more power, before or after his fall to the dark side. Granted, this discussion isn’t just about Anakin’s power on the dark side versus his power on the light, as the biggest impact to Anakin’s overall strength was his nearly-dead status at the end of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith and then his restriction to the Darth Vader suit. In light of those injuries, there can be no doubt that Vader was weaker than Anakin in terms of his physical abilities.
However, Vader’s skill and ability to ruthlessly cut down Jedi can’t be overlooked, and as mentioned, the precision and power with which he killed Jedi were in part by nature of his suit. In a way, having nothing to lose and no longer having anything in his life beyond serving Palpatine and the Empire made him an even greater villain, and his appearance in Maul – Shadow Lord demonstrates just how robotic and cold-blooded he had become—and what a powerful villain that made him.
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