We all know that in the real world, George Lucas and a team of designers created what the world now knows as Darth Vader. We all know his breathing, his shadow... in every way he is recognizable, each trait singularly his. But in the Star Wars Universe, why did Palpatine chose to make Vader look like he did? Did he chose at all, or is it all a necessary life support system? Let's see what we can come up with...

First of all, Palpatine must have decided how he wanted Vader to look simply because Darth Vader wears a cape and he is wearing it immediately after the surgery at the end of ROTS. If the Vader suit were merely a means of life support then the cape would not be necessary.

So Palpatine decided and planned what he wanted Vader to look like. We all know that Palpatine never did anything brashly or without thought, so as far as I'm concerned he chose every aspect of Vader's costume for a reason. Though the movie doesn't show it, it would also be a perfect thing for a Sith lord to do- leave your apprentice writhing in agony as you carefully plan a suit that will become their life long prison. So how deep did Palpatine think about it? I believe he planned every single detail- including the breathing that has become so renowned.

Star Wars takes place in a universe filled with technologies more advanced than ours. Surely Vader's breathing could have been made to sound normal, or at least a lot quieter than it is. But it is his most memorable feature- and advance notice of his arrival. How would you feel as a worker on the Death Star if you heard that breathing approaching? And it is disturbing enough that even Vader's enemies would remember it and feel fear just from hearing it. This would make those in Vader's command more attentive and etch Vader into the memories of his enemies. So I believe that Vader's breathing was a direct decision of Palpatine's in creating the ultimate dark lord.

And that is exactly what Palpatine was trying to do: he needed a posterboy for the empire, someone that everyone thought of as the strong, rigid master. Obviously the image of a weak, old man just wouldn't do. So he gave Vader a suit that made him look big, strong, intimidating. Beneath the dome part of his helmet, Vader looks almost like a skeleton, or a lifeless robot, with large round eyes and slits for his mouth. There is no mercy to be found there. The dome part of the helmet and the cape are both displays of his absolute power and authority. Everything is black and crisp and clean, a symbol of pure evil strength.

The whole outfit lends itself to Vader's power except the box on his chest. This and this alone reminds us that Vader is in someone else's control, that someone else controls this powerful monstrosity. I believe this is what Palpatine intended, so that everyone knew that even Vader was under the control of the emperor, thus lending himself power.

But Palpatine went even beyond making the ultimate dark lord- he also went out of his way to create it as a prison for Anakin and a place in which Vader could forget that he once truly lived. The entire suit is extremely rigid, even in a world in which they can make mechanical hands operate like real ones, and it completely hides Vader's true appearance. Due to this, the suit makes it easy for Vader to become the heartless robot the emperor desired him to be and forget his humanity.

So Palpatine created Vader as the ultimate dark lord, a being who struck fear into the hearts of men with his very shadow, but he also designed the Vader outfit as an intentional prison and a reminder that even Vader served a higher master. As usual, his plan succeeded brilliantly in both his world- and in ours.

Until Next Time,
Darth Jeks