vendredi 25 mars 2016
jeudi 24 mars 2016
Darth Vador
Darth Vader, also known as Anakin Skywalker, is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe.[1][2][3] Vader appears in the original trilogy as a pivotal figure whose actions drive the plot of the first three films while his past as Anakin Skywalker, and the story of his corruption, is central to the prequel trilogy.
The character was created by George Lucas and has been portrayed by numerous actors. His appearances span the first six Star Wars films, and his character is heavily referenced in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. He is also an important character in the Star Wars expanded universe of television series, video games, novels, literature and comic books. Originally a Jedi prophesied to bring balance to the Force, he falls to the dark side of the Force and serves the evil Galactic Empire at the right hand of his Sith master, Emperor Palpatine (also known as Darth Sidious).[4] He is also the father of Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia Organa, grandfather of Kylo Ren, and secret husband of Padmé Amidala.
The American Film Institute listed him as the third greatest movie villain in cinema history on 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains, behind Hannibal Lecterand Norman Bates.[5]
Contents
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Concept and creation
In the first draft of The Star Wars, tall, grim general "Darth Vader" was already close in line with his final depiction,[7] and the protagonist "Anikin Starkiller" had a role similar to Luke Skywalker's as the 16-year-old son of a respected warrior.[8] Vader's mask was originally designed by Ralph McQuarrie as part of Vader's spacesuit and not intended to be part of the regular costume.[7] Brian Muir sculpted Vader's costume based on McQuarrie's design.[6]
After the success of Star Wars, Lucas hired science fiction author Leigh Brackett to write the sequel with him. They held story conferences and, by late November 1977, Lucas had produced a handwritten treatment. The treatment is similar to the final film, except that Vader does not reveal he is Luke's father. In the first draft that Brackett would write from this, Luke's father appears as a ghost to instruct Luke.[9] Lucas was disappointed with the script, but Brackett died of cancer before he could discuss it with her.[10] With no writer available, Lucas had to write the next draft himself. In this draft, he made use of a new plot twist: Vader claiming to be Luke's father. According to Lucas, he found this draft enjoyable to write, as opposed to the year-long struggles writing the first film.[11]
The new plot element of Luke's parentage had drastic effects on the series. Michael Kaminski argues in his book that it is unlikely that the plot point had ever seriously been considered or even conceived of before 1978, and that the first film was clearly operating under an alternate storyline where Vader was a separate character from Luke's father.[12] After writing the second and third drafts in which the plot point was introduced, Lucas reviewed the new backstory he had created: Anakin had been Obi-Wan's brilliant student and had a child named Luke, but was swayed to the dark side by Palpatine. Anakin battled Kenobi on the site of a volcano and was badly wounded, but was then reborn as Vader. Meanwhile, Kenobi hid Luke onTatooine while the Galactic Republic became the tyrannical Galactic Empire and Vader systematically hunted down and killed the Jedi.[13] This change in character would provide a springboard to the "Tragedy of Darth Vader" storyline that underlies the prequels.[14]
After deciding to create the prequel trilogy, Lucas indicated the series would be a tragic one depicting Anakin's fall to the dark side. He also saw that the prequels could form the beginning of one long story that started with Anakin's childhood and ended with his death. This was the final step towards turning the film series into a "saga".[15]
For the first prequel, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Lucas made Anakin nine years old to make the character's separation from his mother more poignant.[8] Movie trailers focused on Anakin and a one-sheet poster showing him casting Vader's shadow informed otherwise unknowing audiences of the character's eventual fate.[16] The movie ultimately achieved a primary goal of introducing audiences to Anakin.[1]
Michael Kaminski, in The Secret History of Star Wars, offers evidence that issues in Anakin's fall to the dark side prompted Lucas to make massive story changes, first revising the opening sequence of the third prequel, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, to have Palpatine kidnapped and his apprentice, Count Dooku, murdered by Anakin as the first act in the latter's turn towards the dark side.[17] After principal photography was complete in 2003, Lucas made even more massive changes in Anakin's character, re-writing his entire turn to the dark side; his fall from grace would now be motivated by a desire to save his wife, Padmé Amidala, rather than the previous version in which that reason was one of several, including that he genuinely believed that the Jedi were plotting to take over the Republic. This fundamental re-write was accomplished both through editing the principal footage, and new and revised scenes filmed during pick-ups in 2004.[18]
Portrayals
Darth Vader was portrayed by bodybuilder David Prowse and by stunt performer Bob Anderson during the character's intense lightsaber fight scenes.[7] James Earl Jones provided Vader's voice, but was initially uncredited in Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back because he felt his contributions were too small to warrant recognition.[7] The character has also been voiced by Scott Lawrence and Matt Sloan for several video games. Hayden Christensen portrays Vader inStar Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Brock Peters provided the voice of Darth Vader in the NPR/USC radio series.
Anakin Skywalker has been portrayed by Sebastian Shaw in Return of the Jedi, Jake Lloyd in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace,[19] and Hayden Christensen in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Christensen appears briefly reprising the role in the final scene of Return of the Jedi. The character has also been voiced by Mat Lucas for the 2003 micro-series Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Matt Lanter in theCGI animated film Star Wars: The Clone Wars and television series of the same name.
Appearances
Darth Vader appears in six of the seven live-action Star Wars films and The Clone Wars. He has a recurring role in Star Wars expanded universe literature.
Original trilogy
Darth Vader makes his first appearance in the first installment of the original Star Wars trilogy, Star Wars. He is a ruthless cyborg serving the Galactic Empirewho is tasked along with Imperial commander Grand Moff Tarkin to recover the secret technical plans of the Death Star, which were stolen by the Rebel Alliance. Princess Leia Organa has secretly hidden the plans inside the Astromech droid R2-D2 and has sent it to find Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi on the nearby planet of Tatooine. Vader tortures Leia, but she resists revealing anything. During Leia's rescue, Vader fights and kills Obi-Wan in a lightsaber duel and later attempts to kill Luke when the Death Star is about to fire on the Rebel base in Yavin 4. However, Han Solo sends Vader spiraling off course, allowing Luke to destroy the Death Star.[20]
The second film appearance is the 1980 sequel The Empire Strikes Back. Vader leads the Imperial starfleet's invasion of the Rebel base on Hoth, whereafter the Rebels escape. He later confers with the Emperor, who tells him that Luke has become a threat to the Empire and must not become a Jedi. Vader persuades the Emperor that Luke can be turned to the dark side of the Force. Vader negotiates with Cloud City administrator Lando Calrissian to capture Han, Leia,Chewbacca, C-3PO and R2-D2 on Cloud City, and lure Luke into a trap. He tortures Han, freezes him in carbonite and delivers him to bounty hunter Boba Fett, but Calrissian helps Leia, Chewbacca and the droids flee. This leads to a lightsaber duel in which he subdues Luke. Vader reveals that he is Luke's father, and entreats him to come to the dark side so they can to rule the galaxy together. After Luke escapes with his allies, Vader telepathically tells Luke that it is his destiny to join the dark side.[20]
His third film appearance is the 1983 sequel Return of the Jedi. Traveling to the second Death Star, Vader orders its commander, Moff Jerjerrod, to advance its construction. He meets with the Emperor, who assures him that they will together turn Luke to the dark side. Hoping that he can turn Vader back "to the light side", Luke surrenders to Vader. Vader brings Luke onto the Death Star, where the Emperor tempts Luke to the dark side. This leads to another lightsaber duel between Vader and Luke, in which Vader learns that Leia is Luke's twin sister and threatens to turn her to the dark side if Luke will not submit. Luke subdues Vader, cuts his prosthetic hand off and nearly kills him. The Emperor orders Luke to kill Vader and take his place, but Luke refuses, declaring himself a Jedi. In response, the Emperor attacks Luke with Force lightning. Unwilling to let his son die, Vader kills the Emperor by throwing him down the Death Star's reactor shaft, but is mortally wounded in the process. With his dying breath, the redeemed Anakin Skywalker asks Luke to remove his mask, and tells his son that there was good left in him after all. Luke escapes the Death Star with his father's remains, which he later ceremonially burns in a pyre. As the Rebels celebrate the destruction of the Death Star and the fall of the Empire, Luke sees his father's spirit, standing alongside those of Obi-Wan and Yoda.[21]
Prequel trilogy
In the 1999 prequel The Phantom Menace, set 32 years before Star Wars, Anakin is depicted as a nine-year-old slave from the planet Tatooine, who lives with his mother Shmi. Anakin has no father[22] and he can foresee the future. In addition, Anakin is a gifted pilot and mechanic, and creates a protocol droid called C-3PO. Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn meets him when he makes an emergency landing on Tatooine. After discovering that Anakin's blood has an unusually high number of midi-chlorians, which is a measure of Force potential, Qui-Gon becomes convinced the boy is the "Chosen One" of Jedi prophecy who will bring balance to the Force. Anakin wins his freedom in a podrace, but is forced to leave his mother behind. Qui-Gon asks the Jedi Council to train Anakin as a Jedi, but the Council are concerned that the boy is vulnerable to the dark side and they decline. During the voyage, Anakin forms a close bond with Padmé Amidala, the young queen of Naboo. During the invasion of Naboo, Anakin helps thwart the Trade Federation's invasion by destroying their command ship. After Qui-Gon is killed in a battle with Sith lord Darth Maul, his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi promises to train Anakin, a proposal the Council reluctantly accepts. Palpatine, the Galactic Republic's newly elected Chancellor, befriends Anakin, telling him that he will "watch [his] career with great interest".[23]
His fifth film appearance is the 2002 sequel, Attack of the Clones. Anakin and Obi-Wan are assigned by Palpatine to investigate a failed assassination attempt on Padmé. Anakin travels with her to Naboo, where they fall in love. Sensing that Shmi is in pain, Anakin goes to Tatooine, where he learns that she was kidnapped by Tusken Raiders. Arriving at the Tusken campsite, Anakin reunites with Shmi as she dies from wounds inflicted by the tribe's torture. Anakin loses his temper and kills all of the Tuskens. Returning with Shmi's corpse, Anakin tells Padmé what he has done. Soon after, Anakin and Padmé travel to Geonosis to rescue Obi-Wan from the Sith lord Count Dooku, who leads a movement of planets in seceding from the Republic to form the Confederacy of Independent Systems. However, Dooku captures the two and sentences them to death. Anakin and Padmé profess their love for each other before being rescued by an army of clone troopers and Jedi. During the opening salvo of the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan and Anakin fight Dooku, but the Sith Lord easily subdues them and Anakin loses his right arm in the process. After he is rescued by Yoda and fitted with a prosthetic arm, Anakin marries Padmé in a secret ceremony.[24]
Anakin makes his final film appearance in Revenge of the Sith (2005). Having been promoted to a Jedi Knight, Anakin, accompanied by Obi-Wan, lead a mission to rescue Palpatine from Count Dooku and Separatist commander General Grievous. A duel ensues in which Dooku gets subdued by Anakin. Although initially hesitant, Anakin kills him on Palpatine's orders. Returning to Coruscant, he meets with Padmé, who reveals that she is pregnant with his child. He is soon troubled by visions of Padmé dying in childbirth. Meanwhile, Palpatine appoints Anakin as his personal representative on the Jedi Council. While they allow him a seat, the Council refuses to grant Anakin the rank of Jedi Master, and instruct him to spy on Palpatine; Anakin begins to lose faith in the Jedi as a result. Palpatine eventually tells Anakin that he is the Sith lord Darth Sidious and that the dark side holds the power to save Padmé's life. Anakin reports Palpatine's treachery to Jedi Master Mace Windu, who eventually subdues the Sith Lord. Over Windu's objections, Anakin follows Windu to the Chancellor's office to ensure Palpatine is captured alive. Fearing that he may lose Padmé, Anakin intervenes on Palpatine's behalf, allowing him to kill Windu. Anakin pledges himself to Palpatine, who dubs him Darth Vader.
Palatine dispatches Vader to kill everyone inside the Jedi Temple and then assassinate the Separatist leaders on Mustafar. Later, Padmé travels to Mustafar and asks Vader to flee with her. He says that they can overthrow Palpatine and rule the galaxy, much to Padmé's horror. When Obi-Wan appears from Padmé's ship, however, Vader accuses her of conspiring against him and uses the Force to choke her into unconsciousness. This leads to a lightsaber duel between Obi-Wan and Vader. Vader eventually loses his legs and left arm, and is significantly burned by one of the planet's lava flows. Obi-Wan takes his former apprentice's lightsaber and leaves him for dead.
Sensing that his new apprentice is in danger, Palpatine travels to Mustafar and finds Vader near death. After returning to Coruscant, he rebuilds Vader's ruined body with the black armored suit from the original trilogy. Palpatine then tells Vader that Padmé was killed in the heat of Vader's anger, breaking what remains of his apprentice's spirit. Vader is last seen watching the original Death Star's construction, with Palpatine and Wilhuff Tarkin at his side.[25]
Animation
Anakin Skywalker is a central character in the 2003–05 animated microseries Star Wars: Clone Wars, in which he has becomes a full-fledged Jedi Knight and has adventures such as battling Dark Jedi Asajj Ventress and liberating the planet Nelvaan from the Confederacy.
In the 2008 animated film Star Wars: The Clone Wars and the later television series of the same name, Anakin decides to teach a young Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, after becoming a Jedi. The two of them have many adventures, such as saving Jabba the Hutt's son from the Separatists. The responsibility of a Padawan helps Anakin become a better leader and a wiser man.
Both of these series include a scene in which Anakin sees a cryptic vision of his future as Darth Vader. The film and the two series are set in the time between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith.
Darth Vader occasionally appears in the television series Star Wars: Rebels, once again voiced by James Earl Jones. In this series, set during the early days of the Rebel Alliance, he leads a squadron of Force-sensitive Imperial Inquisitors who are actively searching for and killing any remaining Jedi and Force-sensitive children. Vader later discovers that Ahsoka Tano (who left the Jedi Order before the events of Revenge of the Sith) has joined the Rebels, and the Emperor orders him to hunt her down.
Literature
Darth Vader appears numerous times in comic books such as Dark Horse Comics's Star Wars Tales and Marvel Comics' Star Wars series (1977–1986).
In James Luceno's Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader (2005), set a few months after the events of Revenge of the Sith, Vader disavows his identity as Anakin Skywalker as he systematically pursues and kills the surviving Jedi and cements his position in the Empire. The novel also reveals that Vader plans to eventually overthrow Palpatine, and that he betrayed the Jedi because he resented their supposed failure to recognize his power.
Vader's Quest (1999) depicts Vader hiring a bounty hunter to bring him information about the pilot who destroyed the Death Star, ultimately meeting Luke for the first time. In the novel Splinter of the Mind's Eye (1978), Vader and Luke duel for the first time, and Luke cuts off Vader's right arm.[7] Shadows of the Empire (1996) reveals that Vader is conflicted about trying to turn his son to the dark side of the Force, and knows deep down that there is still some good in him.
Anakin's redeemed spirit appears in The Truce at Bakura (1993), set a few days after the end of Return of the Jedi. He appears to Leia, imploring her forgiveness. Leia condemns him for his crimes and exiles him from her life. He promises that he will be there for her when she needs him, and disappears. In Tatooine Ghost (2003), Leia learns to forgive her father after learning about his childhood as a slave and his mother's traumatic death. In The Unifying Force (2003), Anakin tells his grandson Jacen Solo to "stand firm" in his battle with the Supreme Overlord of the Yuuzhan Vong.
In The Dark Nest trilogy (2005), Luke and Leia uncover old recordings of their parents in R2-D2's memory drive; for the first time, they see their own birth and their mother's death, as well as their father's corruption to the dark side. In Bloodlines (2006), Jacen—who has himself turned to the dark side—uses the Force to "watch" Darth Vader slaughter the children at the Jedi Temple.
Video games
Darth Vader plays a central role in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (2008). He is a playable character in the first level of the game, where he and his armies invade Kashyyyk to hunt down a Jedi who had survived the Order's destruction. Vader kills the Jedi and kidnaps the man's young Force-sensitive son, whom he raises as his secret apprentice. Vader sends Starkiller (the game's protagonist) on various missions throughout the galaxy, with an ultimate goal to assassinate Palpatine so that Vader can rule the galaxy himself. Toward the end of the game, however, it is revealed that Vader isn't planning to overthrow Palpatine at all; he is merely using his apprentice to expose the Empire's enemies. At the game's climax, the player chooses between attacking Palpatine to help his Rebel friends escape the Death Star or killing Vader to become the Emperor's new apprentice. He also appears in the sequel Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II as the main antagonist and final boss.
Vader is also a playable character in the video games Lego Star Wars: The Video Game, Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy, Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga, Soulcalibur IV, Star Wars: Battlefront II,Star Wars: Empire at War, Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption, Star Wars Commander, and Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds. He also is an active but non-playable character in Star Wars Galaxies, Star Wars: Battlefront, (as an evil pig) is a non-playable character in Angry Birds Star Wars and is a playable character in Angry Birds Star Wars II. Vader's helmet and mask appear as a selectable attire for created superstars in WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth.[26]
Anakin Skywalker is a playable character in the video games Star Wars: Battlefront II, Lego Star Wars: The Video Game, Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy, Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga, Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Lightsaber Duels, Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Jedi Alliance, Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Republic Heroes and is featured (as an Angry Bird) in Angry Birds Star Wars II.
Other
Vader is featured as a combatant in the popular series Death Battle, in which he is pitted against Marvel Comics villain Doctor Doom. He loses the fight due to Doom's superior weaponry and abilities.
Characteristics
In Attack of the Clones, Anakin Skywalker feels "smothered" by Obi-Wan Kenobi and is unable to control his life.[27] By Revenge of the Sith, however, his "father-son" friction with his master has matured into a more equal, brotherly relationship.[28] Once he becomes Darth Vader, each evil act he commits makes it harder for him to return to the light,[29] but he ultimately escapes the dark side and redeems himself by sacrificing his life to save his son Luke Skywalker and kill Palpatine in Return of the Jedi.[30]
Eric Bui, a psychiatrist at University of Toulouse Hospital, argued at the 2007 American Psychiatric Association convention that Anakin Skywalker meets six of the nine diagnostic criteria for borderline personality disorder (BPD), one more than necessary for a diagnosis. He and a colleague, Rachel Rodgers, published their findings in a 2010 letter to the editor of the journal Psychiatry Research. Bui says he found Anakin Skywalker a useful example to explain BPD to medical students.[31] In particular, Bui points to Anakin's abandonment issues and uncertainty over his identity. Anakin's mass murders of the Tusken Raiders in Attack of the Clones and the young Jedi inRevenge of the Sith count as two dissociative episodes, fulfilling another criterion. Bui hoped his paper would help raise awareness of the disorder, especially among teens.[31]
Cultural impact
Darth Vader's iconic status has made the character a synonym for evil in popular culture; psychiatrists have even considered him as a useful example to explain borderline personality disorder to medical students.[31] Anakin's origin story in The Phantom Menace has been compared to signifiers of African American racial identity,[32] and his dissatisfaction with his life has been compared to Siddartha's before he became Gautama Buddha.[33] A Mexican church advised Christians against seeing The Phantom Menacebecause it portrays Anakin as a Christ figure.[34] The slime-mold beetle Agathidium vaderi is named after Vader,[35] and several buildings across the globe are regularly compared to him.[36][37][38][39][40][41] A grotesque of Darth Vader looms over the east face of the Washington National Cathedral's northwest tower.[42] During the 2007–08 NHL season,Ottawa Senators goaltender Martin Gerber performed so well in an all-black mask that fans endearingly termed him "Darth Gerber".[43] In 2015, a statue of Vladimir Lenin inOdessa, Ukraine, was converted into one of Darth Vader due to a law on decommunization.[44]
Many commentators and comedians have also evoked his visage to satirize politicians and other public figures, and several American political figures have been unflatteringly compared to the character, including General George Custer, the subject of the acrylic painting Darth Custer by Native American artist Bunky Echohawk.[45] In 2005, Al Gorereferred to Tele-Communications Inc.'s John C. Malone as the "Darth Vader of cable",[46] and political strategist Lee Atwater was known by his political enemies as "the Darth Vader of the Republican Party".[47]
On June 22, 2006, US Vice President Dick Cheney referred to himself as the Darth Vader of the Bush administration. Discussing the administration's philosophy on gathering intelligence, he said to CNN's John King, "It means we need to be able to go after and capture or kill those people who are trying to kill Americans. That's not a pleasant business. It's a very serious business. And I suppose, sometimes, people look at my demeanor and say, 'Well, he's the Darth Vader of the administration.'"[48] Jon Stewart put on a Darth Vader helmet to address Dick Cheney as a "kindred spirit" on The Daily Show on January 25, 2007.[49] Cheney's wife, Lynne, presented Stewart with a Darth Vader action figure on her appearance on the show on October 10, 2007. Both Stewart and Stephen Colbert have occasionally referred to Cheney as "Darth Cheney". In the satirical cartoon show Lil' Bush, Dick Cheney's father is portrayed as being Darth Vader. At her presidential campaign event on September 19, 2007, Hillary Rodham Clinton also referred to Cheney as Darth Vader. At the 2008 Washington Radio and Television Correspondents' AssociationDinner, Cheney joked that his wife Lynne told him that the Vader comparison "humanizes" him. George Lucas told The New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd, however, that Cheney is more akin to Emperor Palpatine, and that a better stand-in for Vader would be George W. Bush.[50] An issue of Newsweek referenced this quote, and compared Bush and Cheney to Vader and Palpatine, respectively, in a satirical article comparing politicians to various Star Wars and Star Trek characters.[51]
Many films and television series have paid homage to Darth Vader. Marty McFly in Back to the Future (1985), dressed in a radiation suit, calls himself "Darth Vader from the planet Vulcan" to convince the past version of his father to ask his mother to a dance. Rick Moranis plays "Dark Helmet" in the Star Wars parody Spaceballs (1987). In Chasing Amy (1997), Hooper X speaks at a comic convention about Darth Vader being a metaphor for how poorly the science fiction genre treats black people; he is especially offended that Vader, the "blackest brother in the galaxy", reveals himself to be a "feeble, crusty old white man" at the end of Return of the Jedi. The character was also parodied in the Nickelodeon cartoon Rocko's Modern Life in the episode "Teed Off".[52] On another Nickelodeon cartoon, Jimmy Neutron, Darth Vader's infamous line was interpolated in the mini-episode "New Dog, Old Tricks".[53] The line was also alluded to in Toy Story, a film franchise also owned by Disney.[54]
The character has gained much positive reception as a classic film villain. Darth Vader ranked number two on Empire magazine's 2008 list of The 100 Greatest Movie Characters.[55] Premiere magazine also ranked Vader on their list of The 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.[56] On their list of the 100 Greatest Fictional Characters, Fandomania.com ranked Vader at number 6.[57] Darth Vader was also the #1 supervillain on the Bravo series Ultimate Super Heroes, Vixens and Villains.[58] Darth Vader was also ranked as #1 in IGN's list of top 100 Star Wars characters.[59] Furthermore, Darth Vader's quote in The Empire Strikes Back — "No, I am your father" (often misquoted as "Luke, I am your father"),[60] — is one of the most well known quotes in cinema history. The line was selected as one of the 400 nominees for the American Film Institute's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes, a list of the greatest American movie quotes.[61] Vader received the Ultimate Villain recognition at the 2011 Scream Awards.[62]
In Ukraine the Internet Party of Ukraine regularly lets people named Darth Vader take part in elections.
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