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 | The Baddest of the Bad |
 QUESTION
Which one of these movie villains is not like the others:
A) Dr. Evil
B) Darth Vader
C) Emperor Palpatine
D) The Joker
E) The Wicked Witch of the West
ANSWER
B) Darth Vader
Darth Vader is easily one of the top 10 movie villains of all time. He's scary! But why do so many people find him scary? I personally never found him scary. Even when I was a kid, he didn't bother me. The Wicked Witch of the West and Cruella DeVille both scared the bejeezus out of me!
Why?
For the very reason that Darth Vader does not scare me.
What about Palpatine? He was really scary when I saw him on the big screen at age 9 in ROTJ. He cackled his way right into my nightmares.
Dr Evil isn't scary, you say? Well, "being scary" is not the thing that these other villains have in common. But he does share the one common element with answers A, C, D & E that eliminates Vader.
So I've arrived at The Joker. Have you figured it out yet what they have in common? Come on.... you can do it, I know it.... I'll give you 5 more seconds....
Time's up:
Dr. Evil, Emperor Palpatine, The Joker & The Wicked Witch of the West all have a maniacal laugh! And Darth Vader does not.
Darth Vader is one of the baddest on screen villains of all time and yet he does not have an evil laugh like the rest of the ones on my list. So how can he remain such a feared character without a laugh?
Perhaps that's the secret. The other characters prove their insanity by laughing the way they do. While Vader remains cool & collected all the while plotting the takeover of the galaxy. Isn't that more frightening? That he is totally in control of his mental facilities and yet is capable of committing some pretty atrocious acts against humanity?
It's almost expected that the bad guy will be a tad bit crazy, it's what propels them to super-villian status much quicker. No remorse. No second thoughts. But Vader? He's completely sane - his turn to the dark side not a product of being crazy, but a product of being overly in control.
Vader is not defeated by Luke in ROTJ, is he? He isn't so blinded by his power & insanity that he makes a stupid mistake - that's not why he ends up with a missing hand at the end of their duel. He's bested in battle because Luke is truly the better warrior. He doesn't cackle as he throws Palpatine down the exhaust shaft. In fact, isn't Palpatine just laughing his butt off the whole time he's electrocuting Luke?
This one little detail gives us quite a deep insight into Vader's character. He's not a crazed maniac terrorizing the galaxy. This is why he's able to come back from the dark side.
So the next time you're watching a movie & you see a bad guy without a crazy laugh, let me know if he ends up coming around in the end.
As for me..... all I have to say is: mwahahahaha!!!
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http://blogs.starwars.com/oboe-wan/148 |
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SnoopDarthyDarth
Sith point of view related to real world...
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date Posted: Apr 26, 2007 7:16 PM
I agree with you... for the most part 
Another great villian Hannibal Lector... same kinda thing your describing... no evil laugh, doesnt seem insane.
if you didnt know the things he'd done, he could easily pass for a kind and friendly man.
But....
I think where the laugh comes from (at least in Palpatines case) is the fact that the guy was so evil. Palpatine certainly wasnt psychoticly insane. he was always supremely in charge of his faculties, the main was definatly a genious on more then one level.
His laugh came straight from his heart... the man was sane as you and me he was just so monumentaly evil that he enjoyed it.
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SnoopDarthyDarth
Sith point of view related to real world...
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date Posted: Apr 26, 2007 7:19 PM
Plus... Vader didnt even have to talk at all to sound scary.
he had that wicked breathing
anyone who waited 21 years to hear it again... the 3 second clip in ROTS where Vader breaths through the mask for the first time was the most spine-tingling anticipated sound of the whole movie hehe
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Michelle1968
M68- Star Wars Kid at Heart
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date Posted: Apr 26, 2007 7:58 PM
Dr. Evil, Emperor Palpatine, The Joker & The Wicked Witch of the West all have a maniacal laugh! And Darth Vader does not
Oh girl... that just struck me funny because I was seriously wondering. teehee
Sigh
You're absolutely right. I sure have been using that word "absolute" a lot, and I'm not even a sith! Ha!
So how can he remain such a feared character without a laugh?
It's the breathing, and the mask, and his voice, and his height, and.. well he just is. 
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rj_peters
Memos from the Imperial Finance Department
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date Posted: Apr 26, 2007 8:20 PM
Vader is the kind of evil mastermind that would not give away his plan to the hero when he thinks that there's no harm in sharing just a little. That's why makes me so good at being so bad.
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The Stooge
Star Wars Joke-A-Day
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date Posted: Apr 26, 2007 9:19 PM
Y'know, you're an extremely entertaining writer. I loved reading this!
What struck me is how Anakin did have a laugh, especially as a crazy teen in AOTC. Meaning as he got closer and closer to the Dark Side, he became more and more in control of himself. Kinda the opposite of how we normally perceive the Jedi vs. Sith divide as being about "control vs. passion."
Gads, I have no idea what this all means, but now I'm fascinated!
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JediMelindaWolf
Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try.
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date Posted: Apr 26, 2007 9:23 PM
Great blog, oboe-wan! I loved it. Never thought of this aspect before, but now that you bring it to light, it is perfect! (even though I couldn't get to the link  )
Yes, I'd say his CCC (calm, cool, collected) manner makes him even more terrifying.
I will admit that I never really found DV scary either. Likewise with Palpatine, the Wicked Witch of the West and the rest of the ilk you listed. I just don't scare easily, I guess. (Don't anyone go getting any ideas!  )
MTFBWY
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Jedi Master Mina
Another Galaxy, another time
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date Posted: Apr 26, 2007 10:23 PM
Dude, my first impression of this blog was that you actually lost another bet to DV.
But I truly think this piece came from your beautiful, twisted little mind.
Fun blog. 
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Oboe-Wan
Oboe-Wan's Hive of Scum & Villainy
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date Posted: Apr 26, 2007 10:46 PM
no evil laugh, doesnt seem insane.
And has a GREAT fashion sense!!
that just struck me funny because I was seriously wondering.
THanks! I tried very hard to mask my true intentions with that list!
Vader is the kind of evil mastermind that would not give away his plan to the hero when he thinks that there's no harm in sharing just a little.
Although he did "invite" Han & Leia to dinner on Cloud City.
Haha
How cute are you?! Your laugh is so not evil. 
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Oboe-Wan
Oboe-Wan's Hive of Scum & Villainy
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date Posted: Apr 26, 2007 10:48 PM
Y'know, you're an extremely entertaining writer. I loved reading this!
HaHa! *ahem* I mean MWAHAHA! Glad you liked it.
What struck me is how Anakin did have a laugh, especially as a crazy teen in AOTC. Meaning as he got closer and closer to the Dark Side, he became more and more in control of himself.."
See? You say these things & you make it impossible for me to hate you. And I hate you Harry, I mean Stooge, I really hate you. Your comment is going to keep me up wondering how I can write a better blog on the subject!
Dude, my first impression of this blog was that you actually lost another bet to DV.
Mwahaha! Nope. But he does have an exceptionally evil laugh in real life.
That guy is scary.
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Sarlacc-Pitt
Slowly Digested Over A Thousand Blogs
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date Posted: Apr 26, 2007 11:15 PM
Fun entry! The only time Vader ever scared me, as a kid, was when he killed Antilles in ANH (enter chicken bone crunching noise). Other than that, he was cool with me.
Although he did "invite" Han & Leia to dinner on Cloud City.
And there wasn't even anything on the table! Bad service.......
Come to think of it, just how long was Boba Fett waiting behind that wall?
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Rogueish
W.I.E.R.D.
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date Posted: Apr 27, 2007 1:33 AM
Super blog, Obe. I have to admit that I don't recall mentioning maniacal laughing in this related blog, but there are certainly some on my list who do so (Ming the Merciless, Davros, Malificent).
My favourite maniacal laugh has to be Megatron from the 80s Transformers cartoons!
Ah, villains and Vader...my day is complete.
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amidalooine
The Emotional Galaxy
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date Posted: Apr 27, 2007 6:38 AM
I
LOVE
THIS
ENTRY.
Sooooo weird, but I was thinking along similar lines just this morning..."There's Something About Vader" and it's not funny at all. That's it. He doesn't laugh. In fact, there's not one second that we see DV in the suit that makes us think this villian is anything but tortured, and it's in his sense of pain that he truly remains human.
Not sure if I'm going to write the entry I was thinking about now! You did it much better!!
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ketal13
HanAnWan
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date Posted: Apr 27, 2007 7:09 AM
I agree with Stooge, you did a nice job on this blog.
I always thought that Darth was evil because he could take a life and just walk away, or destroy a planet and not even bat an eyelash (I know, he probably didn't have eyelashes and even if he did I couldn't see them, but...)--but what made him the evilest of the evil was his being so in control, he never exposed any weaknesses. He wasn't insane he was truly evil. Such a good point Oboe!
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ketal13
HanAnWan
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date Posted: Apr 27, 2007 7:17 AM
I remember Georgie once saying how surprised he was by the reaction to Darth Vadar after Ep IV, he never thought that people would see Darth as being sooo evil.
If we had known the back story we wouldn't have hated Vadar so much George, we would have understood him, but you failed to supply us with that information!!!
Sorry, I still feel bad for hating Darth so much, because (sniff, sniff) I looooved Anakin  . If I had only known...
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Oboe-Wan
Oboe-Wan's Hive of Scum & Villainy
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date Posted: Apr 27, 2007 7:50 AM
just how long was Boba Fett waiting behind that wall?
FETT: Can i come out yet?
VADER: Not yet. But I hear footsteps. Look lively people!
it's in his sense of pain that he truly remains human.
Yes! And you should definitely write your blog because mine was just supposed to be funny, but yours sounds like it has real inspiration.
he never thought that people would see Darth as being sooo evil.
I'm always surprised, too! He's just SO cool to me!
What brought this blog on? We were watching "Lion King" last night & Mufasa was laughing & I said to Hubby-Wan "it's weird to hear 'Darth Vader' laughing..."
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Kenobi-fan
The Jundland Wastes Journal
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date Posted: Apr 27, 2007 9:08 AM
Ha!
I've always seen laughter as a measure of the evil guy's arrogance. The hardier the laugh, the more they look at life and those around them as pitiful, irrelevant, and expendable. Basically, you're a joke and I'm laughing at you.
As for Vader, he's in pain. He's suffered as a result of the lessons he's learned. Life is not a joke nor are those that participate in it. They might be important or necessary to the grand scheme of things, but they are still a part of the Force, and as such, deserve a modicum of respect. And Vader still believed in the Force, not like Palps, to whom it was merely 'a tool'.
Nice one, Oboe...original!
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Hranitel Arhiva
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date Posted: Apr 27, 2007 9:13 AM
hehehehehe. *cackle*cackle* hehehehe. Wait this isnt the cackle club? sorry.
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Pablo Wan
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date Posted: Apr 27, 2007 9:23 AM
Dr. Evil, Emperor Palpatine, The Joker & The Wicked Witch of the West all have a maniacal laugh! And Darth Vader does not.
I knew it from the beginning, DV was the only one who remained cool all the time (since you gave the answer in this entry's description I just thad to find out why).
just how long was Boba Fett waiting behind that wall?
FETT: Can i come out yet?
VADER: Not yet. But I hear footsteps. Look lively people!
Great entry Oboe-Wan!
MTFBWY
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Darth_Hiram
A Journey into The Force
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date Posted: Apr 27, 2007 9:59 AM
Terrific entry! I have always associated the laughter of a villain as their defining feature too. I mean, Dr. Evil was so over the top with his it was funny, which was his character. But Jeez, the Wicked Witch of the East always scared the crap out of me as a kid. It was just soooo evil sounding it gave me chills each time. She definitely sounded mean, uncaring and psychotic all with that laugh (and voice).
But I agree, Vader more fascinated rather than scared me.
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jkelly
There Is No Conflict
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date Posted: Apr 27, 2007 1:29 PM
Vader doesn't have time to laugh and enjoy the moment as those other evil-doers can. He hasn't the luxury to do so. What with killing his wife, hunting down his children, avenging his mother, overthrowing the Emperor and taking over the galaxy and all.
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Oboe-Wan
Oboe-Wan's Hive of Scum & Villainy
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date Posted: Apr 27, 2007 4:46 PM
Life is not a joke nor are those that participate in it.
You know... DV really fascinated me even more after reading ANH novelization. With the destruction of Alderaan, he takes a moment to think about the people who had just been going about their business with no idea they were about to die.
since you gave the answer in this entry's description I just thad to find out why
LOL! Glad you figured it out from all the clues!
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Oboe-Wan
Oboe-Wan's Hive of Scum & Villainy
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date Posted: Apr 27, 2007 4:47 PM
Wicked Witch scared the crap out of me as a kid
Yeah, she's way over the top!
What with killing his wife, hunting down his children, avenging his mother, overthrowing the Emperor and taking over the galaxy and all.
He's swamped!
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mirax7
The Saga Begins
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date Posted: Apr 27, 2007 5:27 PM
you have waaaaay too much time on your hands.
my answer was that the others were the top bad guy in their films while dv was not (the emperor is soooo much more evil vader).
What with killing his wife, hunting down his children, avenging his mother, overthrowing the Emperor and taking over the galaxy and all.
He's swamped!
princess bride sighting!! princess bride sighting!!
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DJ Maul: Got Feet?
DJ Maul's Dancin' Cantina Party
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date Posted: Apr 28, 2007 10:57 AM
excellent point. Vader is indeed calm, cool, collected...he gets ANGRY, and yeah he kills people on a whim...but he NEVER seems totally OUT of control like say the Joker or even Palpatine, who was prone to more vocal emotional outburts ("UNLIMITED POWWWWWEEEERRRR!!!!") and yes, on occasion crazed laughter.
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jediprincess77
I Know...
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date Posted: May 04, 2007 3:27 PM
Your laugh is so not evil.
Or...is it? Mwu-Heehee! Mwuaaa-hee! Mwuaaaa-*giggles*
Dang it. I'll practice and get back to you.
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