The Best Darth Vader Story From Every Decade of the Star Wars Franchise, Going Back 49 Years

Skip to content When it comes to iconic characters in pop culture, you can’t find many, or even anyone, who sits above Darth Vader. His first appearance came 49 years ago, back in 1977, and he has remained incredibly relevant over the decades. Most people know the former Anakin Skywalker from his appearances on the big screen. He had a captivating arc across the original Star Wars trilogy and his story was expanded upon in the prequel trilogy. However, the character has also been at the forefront of several other great stories, from video games to novels to comic books to episodes of TV and more.

Those tales have helped Darth Vader remain in the public eye and they have deepened his lore while also making him a more well-rounded and intriguing character. Even when major films that featured him weren’t hitting theaters, each of the past six decades has seen a number of stories that expanded the legend of Darth Vader. For longtime fans who want to know more about him or new fans wanting to get the very best of Vader, finding his greatest stories from each decade from a variety of mediums can do just that and give you a better appreciation for the character.

There really couldn’t be another choice for Darth Vader’s best story from the ’70s. The franchise had only just begun, so the big movie that marked his debut, Star Wars: A New Hope, had to be the option. Considering what came next for Vader, this wasn’t the deepest story about him, as the film is more of a tale that sets up the heroes like Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo. For the most part, Vader is a terrifying, looming presence throughout.

His voice is booming, he’s incredibly intimidating, and when we do get to see a show of power from him, it’s clear that he’s a dangerous being. The biggest story element we get for Vader is the connection with Obi-Wan Kenobi, whom he ultimately defeats in a lightsaber duel. It lets us know that they share a past and it shows us how deadly he can be in a fight. For the most part, though, this is all about establishing Vader as a true threat and it works.

There is no story about Darth Vader that is better or more important than what happens in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. The film concludes the initial trilogy in the franchise and, now that we all know he’s actually Luke Skywalker’s father, adds intrigue. He is no longer just a villain whom we must fear. Luke and the audience hope that he can be redeemed and the Emperor being around gives us a bigger bad to root against.

The lightsaber duel between Vader and Luke is great on its own, yet it’s far better when you add in the emotional weight of it all. Watching Vader battle Luke while his son tries to bring out the good in him is captivating. When Vader finally steps up to save Luke and kill Emperor Palpatine, it marks the biggest moment in the franchise. His sad goodbye to his son before his own death completes Vader’s redemption arc, which remains one of the best in Hollywood history.

The ’90s is the toughest decade to find great Darth Vader stories. It’s not that there aren’t any; it’s just that this was the only era where he didn’t really appear in a mainstream movie or TV show. His only big screen appearance came in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, when he was just a young Anakin Skywalker, and it’s not exactly a great story. So, it’s best to look toward the pages of a comic book for Star Wars: Vader’s Quest, which was released in 1999.

The miniseries is set soon after the events of the original Star Wars film and centers on his obsession with finding out who destroyed the Death Star. When he extracts the name “Skywalker,” Vader goes on a mission to kill every bounty hunter who knows the name and doesn’t report the name to Palpatine. It’s a fantastic early look at his connection to Luke and shows that a part of him was still not fully loyal to Palpatine. Vader’s Quest also features the first face-to-face meeting between Vader and Luke.

The only Darth Vader story that can be in the same conversation as his redemption in terms of importance is his ultimate turn to the Dark Side. The prequel trilogy built up to this moment, which finally happens in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. We watch as Anakin murders Count Dooku and lets his obsession with ensuring the survival of Padmé drive him to become Palpatine’s pawn. He allows Palpatine to kill Mace Windu and then massacres the Jedi younglings in cold blood.

The story really grabs you when Anakin confronts Padmé and ultimately engages in a lightsaber battle with Obi-Wan Kenobi. The scenes are a masterful blend of heartbreaking and exciting. Anakin makes a bad decision and gets beaten by Obi-Wan, losing several limbs. That leads to him becoming Darth Vader, who now has to live with the knowledge that Padmé died despite what he did to try and prevent it. It all cements Anakin as the franchise’s most tragic character.

There are so many Darth Vader stories to choose from in the 2010s. Whether as Anakin Skywalker in shows like Star Wars: The Clone Wars or as Darth Vader in Star Wars: Rogue One, the character had some memorable moments. That’s not even including comics and novels involving him from the era. However, it’s hard to top the Season 2 finale of Star Wars: Rebels. “Twilight of the Apprentice” is a two-part story that sees the Rebels crew arrive on Malachor, a Sith world that has been forbidden to Jedi. Darth Vader shows up to stop them and has young Ezra cornered when Ahsoka Tano interrupts.

Ahsoka was Anakin’s apprentice and close friend, and this is their first meeting since he became Vader. Ahsoka confirms that he’s her former master, and the two engage in an intense and emotional battle. It’s the culmination of the Ahsoka/Vader story to that point. When Ahsoka breaks Vader’s mask and she sees Anakin’s eye while hearing his voice, she says that she won’t leave him. It seems like Anakin is breaking through, only for him to snap back into Vader mode and say, “Then you will die.” It’s incredible stuff.

Hayden Christensen finally returned to the role of Anakin Skywalker for the Obi-Wan Kenobi series in 2022, and for the first time, he got to truly play Darth Vader. Christensen did great work opposite Ewan McGregor, as even those who heavily criticized the series admit that the portrayal of Vader was the highlight. The show does a great job of giving us just enough of the Vader and Obi-Wan relationship bits until their big confrontation in the finale.

It marks their first major battle since Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. Pulled straight from “Twilight of the Apprentice”, Vader’s mask breaks during the fight and we get to see a devastated Obi-Wan apologize for failing him, only to also come to terms with how much Anakin has embraced his identity as Vader. The show also has an underrated subplot between Vader and the Inquisitor Reva Sevander. Although Vader gets a great episode in 2023’s Ahsoka, he gets more to do in Obi-Wan, and it’s all well done.

What Darth Vader story is your all-time favorite? Let us know your picks in the comments