Why It Was Absolutely Imperative For a Darth Vader Return in Rogue One

With exactly 173 days away from the next Star Wars feature, the world is preparing for its most unique and abstract storyline yet.

The first of its kind, Star Wars: Rogue One will take place immediately before A New Hope as the Rebellion scrambles to acquire plans for the Empire’s newest and most sinister weapon, the Death Star.

With a familiar feel of an original trilogy return, we are bound to see old friends and foes as they grace the screen with their fantastic presence.

Might we see a young Han Solo? Possibly.

A regal Princess Leia? Could be.

But that one character who we all can’t get enough of? Yes, he has officially been confirmed.

Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, fallen Jedi and the faceless visage of evil will be a mainstay in Rogue One.

I’m not one to keep up with the endless swirl of rumors surrounding Star Wars but when this broke and the news was out that Vader will return, I found myself fist pumping and jumping to the skies.

It’s no secret that the popularity of Darth Vader has him forever etched in the pantheon of all-time movie greats but what does this do for Rogue One?

Does this change things?

To be honest and to put it rather bluntly, I think a lot of us knew this was coming for quite some time.

Regardless when it would announced however, this most definitely catapults this movie into rarefied air.

Darth Vader is to Star Wars as fireworks are to the Fourth of July.

He is the most important quintessential piece to Star Wars in any capacity.

Hey, there is a reason why the next trilogy (Ep. VII, VIII, IX) is based on Vader’s legacy…

What he brings to the table that the minds behind all Star Wars material realized is pure, untapped entertainment that can revitalize a previously visited time period that needed an extra spark.

Don’t get me wrong, even without Vader in Rogue One I still think the film would have been extremely successful.

But with the man in the suit donning the screens again Star Wars recaptures some of that original flare that made this franchise so dynamic.

In the last couple of months there has been talk of a “darker” Star Wars movie.

Something where brutality and mutilation are rampant and shrill screams of agony stained with the stench of fear are everywhere.

 

So I’ll say it again…Why is it important that Vader is in Rogue One?

Simple. Vader is fear, Vader is death, Vader is the human representation of all these emotions bundled together in a wrecking ball of a cyborg-like human being.

He brings to the table what the movie needs. Without reinventing the wheel, Rogue One has their swashbuckling villain all warmed up and ready to go.

Movies like these, and when I say “movies like these” I mean movies that are part of a longstanding series that are all in a single direction and then a new one comes along marching on a different path.

A movie like Rogue One needs a galvanizing force.

It needs someone who moviegoers will continuously sit on the edges of their seats desperately waiting for the first appearance of this attention-grabbing character.

Vader owns this factor and so much more.

Not to mention the fact that he is the perfect hunter to go after these “plan stealing Rebels” but hey, he ties the whole story together!

Darth Vader’s presence will elevate everything related to Rogue One and then some…

He’s a man of torture and results. Someone who enjoys others pain.

Ever since he was birthed by the fiery brimstone and molten lava rivers of Mustafar Vader has craved the brutal destruction of others.

With the Dark Lord, everything just adds up.

If you start to analyze what the movie would look like without a Darth Vader and maybe someone that is similar to Darth Vader in the form of a punisher, things start to look a little strange.

For starters, the timeline of the movie would mean that Vader is in his absolute prime. He’s at the height of his killing and mangling.

It would be at the point in time when he is still unaware of his offspring’s survival which therefore wouldn’t take up his time, the wounds and the death of Anakin Skywalker would still be relatively fresh in his mind and his orders by the Emperor would still be to spread fear.

Is it just me or does that almost sum up the Empire’s approach to Rogue One perfectly!?

I know I’m supposed to make a case why he must be in this movie but it’s virtually impossible to omit Vader from the script.

I mean, during this time in the Galaxy Vader is the face of the Empire emanating vile hatred.

To many of the people around the universe he is public enemy number one.

With that being said, of course Darth Vader will be in it!

If by some terrible mistake Vader was not in Rogue One, in being a Star Wars superfan I would see the movie no matter what.

But when you tell me that it’s going to be a “darker” more visual movie and Darth Vader will be a mainstay, you can count me in every day of the week.

-Sith Pacify out

 

Official Sith Pacify Power Rankings: #1

The 1st and top character for the Official Sith Pacify Power Rankings is…Anakin Skywalker!

Anakin Skywalker Overall = 99

For this case, I consider this version of Anakin Skywalker to be the man before he donned the suit. 

He is the chosen one, he is what the prophecy speaks of, he is the greatest.

From the very first time Anakin Skywalker was introduced to us, we knew he was beyond special.

With the highest midi-chlorian count ever recorded in a force-user, Skywalker had the necessary foundation to launch himself to supreme dominance of cataclysmic proportions.

With fluidity and poise matched with never ending potential, Anakin was a light that was brighter than any other.

Yet with all his prowess, he was constantly tormented with relentless demons.

At the center of perfect irony, Skywalker was forced to make difficult choices. Choices that he would always regret.

From leaving his mother behind on Tatooine to struggling with his connection to Padmé as well as his undying quest to prove himself, Anakin Skywalker’s life would continue the trend of ups and downs.

But with all his pain he continued to progress in his abilities.

Day after day, week after week, Anakin’s command of the Force paired with his athleticism was truly eye opening.

Unfortunately for Anakin because of his lacky of humility and eccentric personality, his progress was met with cautious apprehension amongst his peers.

Always looking to be appreciated and loved Anakin inevitably fell in with the wrong crowd.

Of course it’s easy for us to say, considering Palpatine came across as nothing but a genuinely sweet and caring elderly man, he would inevitably be the final nail in the coffin that would be Anakin Skywalker and the birth of Darth Vader.

Characteristics

• Athletic Ability (Strength, 100/100)- Perhaps only rivaled by his own son, no one could reach the heights of Anakin when it came to the feats that his body was capable of. Lean muscle absolutely pulsating with tremendous ability, strength, speed and power were all powerful tools that the young man was able to call upon. Even at such a young age he was keeping pace with legendary, grizzled Jedi veterans with little to no effort. The skill set of Anakin’s wasn’t unique, it was his age with his skill set that made him unique. It just goes to show, the talented Anakin Skywalker was one of a kind.
• Force Unleashed (Strength, 100/100)- Characters like Yoda or the Emperor might have had more discipline or knowledge of the Force but it’s those like Anakin who are the most unpredictable and deadly. You know how some people have different levels of how hard they are battling? As in they’re about to “go into an extra gear”? Well Skywalker had no ceilings or limitations. Even when he didn’t know exactly what he was doing, he could still call upon the Force and unleash hell on anything that stood in his path to what he desired. 
• Art of the lightsaber (Strength, 100/100)- As if the very weapon was an extension of himself, Anakin’s mastery of a lightsaber is the epitome of impressive. His dazzling performances on the battlefields of the Clone Wars made the bloody conflict look almost like a performance of a musical presentation. The flowing light of the weapon, the gracefulness mixed with violent hammering was a thing of beauty. Also, because he was so physically gifted, he could truly call upon any form and dominate. That’s pretty rare, but when you find out it’s Anakin Skywalker who owns that ability, it’s almost expected.   
• Gift of Influence (Strength, 98/100)- Skywalker had the ability that allowed everyone around him to rise to the occasion. In the thick of battle Anakin just made those around him better. Through his energy and constant heart, his allies would subconsciously put in the extra effort and turn the dynamic of the team around from an already force to be reckoned with to an unstoppable wave. That’s what the great ones do, they allow those around them to grow and make no mistake, Anakin is the greatest.
•  Emotional Ties (Weakness, 0/100)- As if it was a terminal illness, Anakin was the epitome of an emotional being. As I stated earlier, the losses of his mother, his embattled relationship between Padmé and the Jedi as well as his friendship with the Supreme Chancellor would eventually be his undoing. There was no escaping it. The moment young Skywalker, looking disheveled as ever, walked away from his mother on his home planet of Tatooine, a ticking time bomb initiated. His relentless search for love, belonging and appreciation would prove to be too much in the end as he would ultimately be consumed by his thirst for power and practically self destruct. 
• Youth and Ignorance (Weakness, 15/100)- To understand this weakness in Anakin’s character you have to look at him as a whole. He was a young teenager who was thrown into a position of real power and importance as he entered the Clone Wars. Never lacking confidence Anakin did his best and tried his hardest to always succeed. Of course someone as young as he was was bound to eventually fail. Now when this failure arrived, Anakin did not have the mental maturity to look at it as natural and inevitable. Instead he pushed himself to never fail, never lose and never be anything but the best. The effect this mindset had on Skywalker was devastating. Because Anakin knew and understood how exceptional he was, he was no stranger to insubordination. In fact, the young Jedi was often at odds with his superiors or just authority in general. Never able to appreciate his greatness as well as failing to follow simple orders, this was a recipe for disaster. 

Intangibles

• Rage (Strength/Weakness, 95/100)- Even though Anakin belonged to the Jedi, he always belonged more to his own ideals than anything else. Emotion or more specifically anger and hatred is something that is obviously frowned upon within the Order. But with Anakin, when pushed past his limits he would fully give in to his feelings and emotions and he would emerge as a fire-spitting, hate engulfed man hellbent on destroying anything in his way. We saw it when his mother was discovered and dies in his arms, we saw it when he returns to the temple after Order 66 initiates and we see it during his fateful bout with his longtime friend and former Master, Kenobi. The thing is, when Anakin would go into his rage mode, he lost touch with his Jedi side and almost became a rogue symbol of the Force itself. Although it gave him great power and extended his already amazing abilities tenfold, the overconfidence it instilled in him as well as the distorting of his reality might have turned this attribute into a weakness rather than a strength.

Final Word

At long last, the Sith Pacify Power Rankings are complete! To be honest, from the very beginning I had Anakin Skywalker locked in to the number 1 spot. Although I toyed with the idea of having Luke, Yoda and the Emperor at the top, Anakin was the final victor. I look at Anakin Skywalker and see two parts. I see someone who was so immensely powerful. Someone who could have gone on to be a Grand Master of the Jedi Order and not only have gone on to do great things for the Jedi but create a real sense of inclusiveness within the Galaxy. I could see him opening up relations between Force-users and everyday people. Skywalker could have bridged the gap between curious and fear-filled citizens to younglings and Jedi Masters. This would have been tremendous and could very possibly have guaranteed the public’s support for the Jedi and thus making them an all-time stalwart in society. The second part that I see when I look at Anakin is shameful disappointment. He was the most gifted Force-user ever, he was the most athletically inclined Force-user and he was incredibly intelligent! However, with all those abilities, he achieved very little. His record in battle was fantastic and he was of course known as this guy who was one of the best but raw. Yet, so little of his achievements were actually recognized mostly due to the fact that he was in his early 20’s when he left the Jedi Order. With Anakin you get the ultimate tale of irony. Someone who craved attention, who wanted to be loved and respected and when he finally gets what he’s always wanted, he cracks. If there’s one short line you should think of when Anakin Skywalker’s legacy is at hand it’s this: “Oh what could have been.”

-Sith Pacify out