Darth Vader
Darth Vader was once Anakin Skywalker, a powerful Jedi Knight. He became Darth Vader after he was turned to the Dark Side by Emperor Palpatine. His first task for Palpatine was to lead an army of Clone Troopers to wipe out all the Jedi in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. He did so coldly and efficiently, even slaying the youngest Padawans. Palpatine next dispatched Vader to the volcanic moon of Mustafar, where (as Darth Sidious) he had sent the leaders of the Separatists. Just before leaving, Vader went to see Padme Amidala, telling her that the Jedi Council had tried to overthrow the Republic, and that only he had remained loyal.
As Vader traveled to Mustafar, his treachery was discovered by Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda. Amidala followed Vader to Mustafar, where- fully infused with the Dark Side- he had just finished slaying the Separatists. Unfortunately, the former Anakin's new callousness and lust for power repulsed Amidala, even as he suggested overthrowing Palpatine and ruling the galaxy together. When Vader saw Obi-Wan on Amidala's shuttle (he stowed away to find Vader), he became enraged, assuming that his former friend and mentor had turned his love against him. He choked Amidala with the Force, then engaged Obi-Wan in a fierce battle. The two combatants fought over a sea of magma, until finally, Obi-Wan defeated Vader. Legless and hideously burned, Vader was left for dead by Obi-Wan.
However, Darth Vader's rage and determination kept him alive long enough for Palpatine to find him. Palpatine rebuilt Vader as a cyborg, and told Vader that, in his rage, he killed Padme. (Which was basically true.) Overwhelmed with grief and anger, Vader nevertheless continued to serve Palpatine as he consolidated his power. Vader hunted down and slew many of the remaining Jedi, and took on a prominent role in the fledgling Imperial military. After the Galactic Civil War began, Vader was in the forefront of the battle against the Rebellion. He was also assigned to oversee the Death Star.
Nearly two decades after his fall to darkness and the rise of the Empire, Vader was assigned to locate and destroy the Rebels' secret base. To that end, he captured Princess Leia Organa (who- unknown to him- was his own daughter). The Death Star was soon infiltrated by a band of rogues and rebels- including his son Luke- led by Obi-Wan Kenobi. The former student and the master battled, with Vader apparently victorious (Obi-Wan actually merged with the Force). Not long afterward, a Rebel strike was able to destroy the Death Star, although Vader survived.
Three years later, Darth Vader was dispatched to find the Rebels reponsible for destroying the Death Star. He tracked them to Hoth, and devastated their base there. However, the particular rebels he wanted- Leia, Han Solo and company- escaped in the Millennium Falcon. Vader's new goal became the capture of his son, Luke, so that he could be turned to the Dark Side. To that end, he dispatched a small army of bounty hunters to find Skywalker's friends, and eventually managed to corner Luke and company in Cloud City, with the unwilling help of Lando Calrissian. After turning Han Solo over to Boba Fett, Vader battled Luke, slicing off his son's right hand before revealing to Luke the truth- that he was his father. Vader offered him a place at his side, but Luke, in denial, plunged to what he thought was his death (but actually turned out to be his escape).
A year later, Vader was rejoined by the Emperor, who wanted to oversee the construction of the second Death Star. They also collaborated to try and pull Luke over to the Dark Side. They nearly succeeded after Vader learned about Leia being his daughter, and threatened to corrupt her instead- Luke gave in to his rage, and nearly killed Vader, slicing his mechanical right hand off. However, Luke, stronger-willed than his father, refused to take the final step into darkness by killing his father. When an enraged Emperor tried to kill Luke, Vader finally found the will to turn on his dark master, throwing him into the Death Star's reactor core. Unfortunately, Vader's life-support systems were badly damaged by the Emperor's force lightning.
Luke tried to take his father off the Death Star, but Vader was dying. Asking Luke to take his mask off, he saw his son with his real eyes before- having redeemed himself- he merged with the Force. Luke burned Vader's armor on a funeral pyre on Endor. After he did so, he saw the spirit of his father, restored to health, as part of the Force with the spirits of Obi-Wan and Yoda.
Expanded Universe
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