Star Wars: Details On Darth Vader's Castle Revealed

12/20/2016 08:47 am EST

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story has given fans of the franchise an expanded look into the Original Trilogy, era; the story of the mission to steal the Death Star plans also allows us to see so much more of the background and foundation that makes Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope such a game-changing chapter of the saga.

One of biggest OT staples re-introduced to fans in Rogue One is the character of Darth Vader, who is very much active (and terrifying) in the days leading up to Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker's faithful first meeting. Thanks to Rogue One tie-in materials, as well as other recent canonized Star Wars works (like the Darth Vader comic book from Marvel), we now have further details on Vader's life in period between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope - including the place he called home.

We already reported our breakdown of why Darth Vader was on the fiery planet Mustafar (from RotS) during Rogue One: He was placed there by The Emperor to live in a constant state of reminder of his anger at Obi-Wan and The Jedi Council's "betrayal," and how he was hurt by his former master. Well, /Film has the added update of just where Vader hung his hat on Mustafar.

The website references Pablo Hidalgo's Star Wars: Rogue One: The Ultimate Visual Guide, which contains the following info on Darth Vader's castle (you read that right) on Mustafar:

"Dark Monolith: Vader's personal abode is an obsidian tower on an inhospitable world. It is the Emperor's design that Vader lives in such an unforgiving environment. Vader's attendant, Vanee, visits Vader as he meditates within a rejuvenation chamber. The stark, modern structure is built over an ancient castle full of dark secrets."

The castle was actually designed from a piece of concept art by Star Wars icon Ralph McQuarrie; George Lucas thought about using it in Empire Strikes Back, but never did.

The Bacta tank rejuvenation scene in Rogue One was both a fun OT callback, and a visually stunning introduction to Vader's castle. In the Art of Rogue One book, we get more details of the fortress's layout from production designer Doug Chiang, who revealed, "We don't see it all right now, but the idea was that Vader's castle was built over a natural cave — a Sith cave deep down below, in the lava world."

On a final note, Chiang lets Star Wars fans know that (within this new connected universe) we will likely see new canon staples like Vader's castle pop up in other Star Wars projects. As the book states, "Vader's Mustafar castle in Rogue One would be concepted, designed, and explored beyond even the narrative needs of Rogue One itself." As Chiang elaborates, "We were building worlds, so we always had to keep in mind the broad strokes and the big picture, in case they were needed for the story."

Do you want to see more of Darth Vader's castle in future Star Wars storylines? Let us know you thoughts in the comments!

From Lucasfilm comes the first of the Star Wars standalone films, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, an all-new epic adventure. In a time of conflict, a group of unlikely heroes band together on a mission to steal the plans to the Death Star, the Empire's ultimate weapon of destruction. This key event in the Star Wars timeline brings together ordinary people who choose to do extraordinary things, and in doing so, become part of something greater than themselves.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is directed by Gareth Edwards and stars Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Yen, Mads Mikkelsen, Alan Tudyk, Riz Ahmed, Jiang Wen and Forest Whitaker. Kathleen Kennedy, Allison Shearmur and Simon Emanuel are producing, with John Knoll and Jason McGatlin serving as executive producers.

MORE: Rogue One: Five Best Moments | How The Force Changed in Rogue One| Cut Footage From Original Star Wars Used In Rogue One | Rogue One Big Opening Box Office | Who are the Characters in Rogue One? | Why Darth Vader's Costume Changed for Rogue One

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story opens in U.S. theaters on December 16, 2016.

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