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 | the Appeal of Darth Vader |
 I recently got done watching the prequel trilogy. Of my family, my hubby is the only one who really can't get into it. Maybe it takes time-- I don't know. I have asked him several times on the subject, and the only answer I keep getting is that he doesn't know either.  . Then last weekend, I started messing around on the computer and found a way to put Star Wars wallpaper on my profile. Why didn't I do this before, you ask??? Mostly because we just used one user profile on it. Now that I have my own user profile, I can put it on!!  . Who do you think is on my wallpaper??? If you guessed Darth Vader, you are correct!!! ![]:)](http://blogs.starwars.com/share/img/emoticons/devil.gif) .
Now I have to ask you what is the appeal of Vader???? . I've been pondering that myself lately. I am not sure I have a single definitive answer for that. Is it because as a little girl growing up, Vader struck me as a dark menacing character. (Trust me on this-- at 7 years old, watching him board the Tantive IV for the first time ever in 1977 does leave an impression on you). Or is it the backstory of how Anakin Skywalker became a Sith Lord, taking the name Darth Vader??? Each of us fans look at him differently, I'm sure. All I know is that to my family, Vader has an appeal to this family. We like him in the OT better (I like Anakin, too, ladies!! Don't get me wrong!). Or is is because Vader is such a kick butt character???? Maybe. It's just that there is something about that tall, dark figure in black armorweave bodysuit and flowing black cloak and helmet, carrying a crimson blade. Just ask our own WifeofVader. She and I have been brought together as friends on the internet because of our ties to Vader. Even my husband admits he prefers the character of Vader over Anakin. And my oldest son sees Vader's appeal. All I know is, when it comes to my family, I can always count on them to watch the OT because we love Vader. In my house, VADER ROCKS!!!   Nuff said!! .
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http://blogs.starwars.com/vadersgirl_reflections/46 |
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WifeofVader
Tales from the Death Star
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date Posted: Aug 02, 2007 7:12 AM
It's just that there is something about that tall, dark figure in black armorweave bodysuit and flowing black cloak and helmet, carrying a crimson blade. Just ask our own WifeofVader.
Wifey snaps out of her drooling stupor....
Good morning! What a way to start the work day!
I happen to love the pic here. When it was released in 2005 I wanted to get it but, alas, it is still on a wish list somewhere!
As most know, I am a Vader fan rathen than an Anakin fan. Ok, ok, I admit, Anakin is HOT in RoTS but, other than the eye candy he is just a self-satisfying, whining little man! 
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WifeofVader
Tales from the Death Star
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date Posted: Aug 02, 2007 7:16 AM
Ahh, VG, you bring up the boarding of the Tantive IV in 1977 (we were just talking about this - weren't we?).... Yeah, that did it for me too. I was five but, whoa.... what an impression! Such a strong, definitive figure.... a Force not to be reckoned with.
A bad boy... no wonder I still like bad guys to this day!
Wifey goes back into her drooling stupor....
Nice blog, VG. I will try and write more thoughts on our man later....
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vadersgirl33
vadersgirl_reflections
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date Posted: Aug 02, 2007 8:02 AM
Vader is awesome.
You get no argument from me!!  . Thanks for the comment, Sarlacc-Pit.
Wifey snaps out of her drooling stupor...
Knew that scene would get your attention!!
Wifey goes back into her drooling stupor...
Can I join you in that??? 
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hansgirl3
Invoking the Squee
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date Posted: Aug 02, 2007 10:56 AM
Ah, Vader (not Anakin), the ultimate bad guy...
He still gives me a chill when I think about his menacing presence.
Great blog, VG!
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Granny-Wan
I Am NOT an Old Fossil!
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date Posted: Aug 02, 2007 11:19 AM
Vader has been a favorite bad guy for 30 years now.... I was awed back in 1977 when he first appeared, and I wasn't a kid.... the menacing presence, the aura of evil, the idea that he was once a man and was now mysteriously locked in "the suit"...
Then in ESB he was THE MAN... ordering everyone around, executing people on the spot... pure evil, but in a breathtaking way... a modern incarnation of the classic movie monster...
Personally, I don't like Anakin... well, when he was 9 he was cute and sweet, but in 2 & 3 I just want to slap him silly for being such a baby... I think it would have added more to Vader's mystique if he'd been a stronger man before his fall...
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vadersgirl33
vadersgirl_reflections
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date Posted: Aug 02, 2007 11:26 AM
Can I join you in that???
LOL- have a towel...
He still gives me a chill when I think about his menacing presence.
Me, too!! That's why I like him so darn much!!!
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vadersgirl33
vadersgirl_reflections
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date Posted: Aug 02, 2007 11:32 AM
Granmy-wan, you summed it up nicely. Thank you!!
Vader is the dark side! That's why he's my avatar!
Nuff said!! Thanks 21!!
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jedilily1026
Years Matter Not (Gone Crazy...Be Back Soon)
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date Posted: Aug 02, 2007 11:35 AM
think it would have added more to Vader's mystique if he'd been a stronger man before his fall...
Maybe if he was stronger he would never have fallen to The Dark Side???? The Dark Side made him strong???? or made him think he was strong!!
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Qui-Tom Servo loves Padme
You Must Unlearn What You Have Learned
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date Posted: Aug 02, 2007 12:07 PM
For what it's worth, GL thinks that much of Vader's appeal lies in the fact that he appears to be almost completely powerful. He has this aura of being able to bend everything to his will, and appears to have almost complete control over every situation. What's interesting to me is how the prequels, ROTS
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Qui-Tom Servo loves Padme
You Must Unlearn What You Have Learned
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date Posted: Aug 02, 2007 12:09 PM
For what it's worth, GL thinks that much of Vader's appeal lies in the fact that he appears to be almost completely powerful. He has this aura of being able to bend everything to his will, and appears to have almost complete control over every situation. What's interesting to me is how the prequels, ROTS especially turn this notion upside down.
While Vader may not have had the complete control and power we thought he did, he's still very, very cool. Personally, I think it's the helmet and the voice. As a side note I own James Earl Jones reads the New Testament on CD. I always feel a rush when he intones "Luke" while reading from the Book of Luke.
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Granny-Wan
I Am NOT an Old Fossil!
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date Posted: Aug 02, 2007 12:29 PM
Maybe if he was stronger he would never have fallen to The Dark Side????
Perhaps I should have said "If he'd been a stonger, BETTER man"... so that his fall would have been more dramatic and less expected... of course, with a prequel it's hard to be unexpected! LOL
But you are right Lily, if he'd been stronger, perhaps with maturity, he wouldn't have fallen so easily...
BTW, my youngest grandson won't watch a SW movie unless Vader's in it... I think he identifies.... ROFL
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vadersgirl33
vadersgirl_reflections
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date Posted: Aug 02, 2007 12:33 PM
Leia, I like your thinking!! That's why Vader rocks!!
Maybe if he was stronger he wouldn't have fallen to the dark side??? The Dark Side made him strong??? or made him think he was strong!!!
Hmmm................meditate on this I will!!
I pretend the PT never happened, so in my world Vader is as cool as ever.
My hubby and I think so too!! Anakin was too whiny!
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vadersgirl33
vadersgirl_reflections
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date Posted: Aug 02, 2007 12:41 PM
Vader takes the cake! (figuratively speaking...)
Nuff said!! Thanks for commenting, Skywalker's Fury. Much appreciated.
Very true, Qui-Tom. He was very cool. Still is, to me!! . James Earl Jones' voice just makes it even better, imo.
Granny-wan, my hubby won't watch a Star Wars movie unless he's in it!! He doesn't care for Anakin. Too whiny. Now he will watch Ani's transformation on Mustafar!!
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WifeofVader
Tales from the Death Star
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date Posted: Aug 02, 2007 12:51 PM
Now he will watch Ani's transformation on Mustafar!!
And what a moving scene that is.
Then in ESB he was THE MAN...
Ok, Granny-wan... I have to admit that at the ripe age of 8 this confused the bejeebies out of me! I remember the first time I saw the (for my birthday of course b/c the movies always come out around my birthday) "Luke, I am your father" scene I looked my Dad dead in the eyes and said "HOW??!!?!"
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WifeofVader
Tales from the Death Star
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date Posted: Aug 02, 2007 12:58 PM
As far as Anakin goes, I am honestly not interested in him - until he fully turns to Vader.
The look he gives over his shoulder after the killing at the Jedi Temple - spectacular!
He is just more appealing as Vader. He is more confident, more evil, more menacing....
Excuse me.... VG, can I borrow your towel?
Anyway, the fact remains that my dear GFFA Hubby is an intriguing, menacing, evil, bad guy hottie. He is listed as one of the best villans of all time over and over again. Problem is no-one can quite put their finger on the reason why.
Perhaps GL meant it to be just that way.
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Blizzard Two
LET'S BLOW THIS THING AND GO HOME...!
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date Posted: Aug 02, 2007 2:44 PM
BTW, my youngest grandson won't watch a SW movie unless Vader's in it... I think he identifies.... ROFL
That's okay; it covers all the good ones!
As to why he's so scary/cool, I think the epressionless mask, the voice, the fact he's like nine feet tall and the fact that he can throttle you from across the room probably have a lot to do with it.
I remember my shock the first time I watched TESB:
'Darth Vader has a boss?!'
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vadersgirl33
vadersgirl_reflections
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date Posted: Aug 02, 2007 2:50 PM
He is just more appealing as Vader. He is more confident, more evil, more menacing...
Excuse me... VG, can I borrow your towel?
So we can both drool together??? . Me first!!
He is listed as one of the best villians of all time over and over again. Problem is no-one can quite put their finger on the reason why.
Perhaps GL meant it to be just that way.
I like to think so, WoV. I don't know why, but I'm having Vader dreams tonight!! LOL!!
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vadersgirl33
vadersgirl_reflections
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date Posted: Aug 02, 2007 2:56 PM
As to why he's so scary/cool, I think the expressionless mask, the voice, the fact he's like nine feet tall and the fact that he can throttle you from across the room probably have a lot to do with it.
Actually, he's two meters tall. I do agree, though, that his mere presence in the room is awe-inspiring!!
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Granny-Wan
I Am NOT an Old Fossil!
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date Posted: Aug 02, 2007 6:08 PM
Granny-wan, my hubby won't watch a Star Wars movie unless he's in it!! He doesn't care for Anakin. Too whiny. Now he will watch Ani's transformation on Mustafar!!
I watch AOTC and ROTS to see Obi-Wan, I just skip over the Anakin parts...
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vadersgirl33
vadersgirl_reflections
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date Posted: Aug 02, 2007 7:45 PM
I watch AOTC and ROTS to see Obi-Wan, I just skip over the Anakin parts...
I like Obi-Wan, too. I just happen to prefer Anakin after his Vader transformation. Especially in the OT!!
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ketal13
HanAnWan
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date Posted: Aug 02, 2007 7:48 PM
I felt impressed by Darth Vadar, but I did not love him. I actually wanted him dead after ANH,(SORRY!!! ) but all that changed after EPV, and especially after EPVI.
Now after PT, I love Vadar. I know many hate Anakin, but I felt he was such a tragic character, who just needed to be loved, comforted and understood. When he became Vadar, I understood why he did what he did, and that made me finally fall head over heels in love with the big guy, Darth Vadar.
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ketal13
HanAnWan
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date Posted: Aug 02, 2007 7:49 PM
I'm sorry, you may have answered this already, but I'm too sleepy to read everyone else's comments, so... Did your feelings about Darth change at all after watching PT or were you just thankful he was no longer Anakin?
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vadersgirl33
vadersgirl_reflections
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date Posted: Aug 03, 2007 5:30 AM
When he became Vader, I understood why he did what he did, and that made me fall head over heels in lov with the big guy, Darth Vader.
Yippee!! Another one for loving our great Sith Lord!!
As far as Anakkin goes, I am honestly not interested in him - until he fully turns to Vader.
Oh, you like those bad boy types...
Too true!!! . Oh, well. Like I said, there's something about him that some girls just like!
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21212121212
"So be it.......21212121212"
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date Posted: Aug 03, 2007 12:06 PM
I think that Darth Vader really isnt a bad guy. He never does all these bad things without knowing that it will have a negative impact on him, We all must understand that even when Anakin is Vader, he is still the Chosen One, and he knows that what he is doing is wrong. Vader is just a victim to the treachery of the Sith and must live with it for the rest of his life.
Just remember folks, Vader is still that little boy from Tatooine, even as a Sith, That's what the PT has taught me about Vader.
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vadersgirl33
vadersgirl_reflections
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date Posted: Aug 03, 2007 4:12 PM
Vader is just a victim to the treachery of the Sith and must live with it for the rest of his life.
I think GL went back and did the PT for that reason. He wanted to show all of us just what a victim he really was. Yes, Vader paid for it for the rest of his life. My family just prefers the character of Vader over the character of Anakin. I still watch the PT, but I grew up on the OT. Vader was cool growing up, and he is still cool today. Which is why I chose to have his name in my screen name and online.
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jediprincess77
I Know...
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date Posted: Aug 06, 2007 6:59 PM
Sorry I'm late! Better late than never, right?
Each of us fans look at him differently, I'm sure.
That probably adds to his coolness. Especially before the PT, Vader was soooo mysterious. (I think the same qualities have made Boba Fett such a well-loved character as well.) I didn't understand him or why he did the things he did...and he scared the CRAP outa me when I was a kid! My mom, even when I got over the scary factor, refused to buy me Vader figures for years. Heck, I still think she would refuse if I asked for one for Christmas. As soon as I got a job & had my own money to spend, I kinda went Vader crazy, buying LOTS of DV figures & things. Funny, huh?
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vadersgirl33
vadersgirl_reflections
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date Posted: Aug 07, 2007 5:37 AM
Each of us fans look at him differently, I'm sure.
That probably adds to his coolness. Especially before the PT, Vader was soooo mysterious.
As soon as I got a job & had my own money to spend, I kinda went Vader crazy, buying LOTS of DV figures & things. Funny, huh?
Yes, JP, that he was. And he's still cool today, after thirty years!! Who'da thunk, huh???
VADER ROCKS!!!
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mastersaurkon
The Four Nerf Herders of the Apocalypse
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date Posted: Aug 08, 2007 3:31 PM
I don't see the appeal of Vader. Except he's like Iron Man. Just wrote an entry on that. And Iron Man is my fav superhero. And he has a Lupine style mask except it looks like a coal bucket (Nazi helmets). So now I see the appeal. But Iron Man rocks more. And now I'm rambling. Except he looks better on The Splineter of the Mind's Eye cover. So I should probably shut up and stop rambling.
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mastersaurkon
The Four Nerf Herders of the Apocalypse
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date Posted: Aug 08, 2007 3:35 PM
Oops. Spelled splinter wrong. Must be that typing to fast thing I do. Vader would look better with spiked boots and Mandalorian gauntlets except black ones. But Vader could actually have come out of a Marvel Comic. Which makes me like him even more. Except he's kind of anti-wookie and a bit anti-Jedi until ROTJ and I'm pro both. So I'll stop rambling.
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vadersgirl33
vadersgirl_reflections
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date Posted: Aug 09, 2007 12:04 PM
I don't see the appeal of Vader.
Some people don't like him. That's ok. Each of us likes different characters from different movies. Nobody said you had to like him. Some people think Vader is cool (like me!! ), while others don't. I appreciate your comment anyway.
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Sith-hata
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date Posted: Aug 10, 2007 8:14 AM
Vader is cool because not your run of the mill cat stroking mwah ha ha cackling villain. He has charisma (albeit negative type) and there is a method to his madness. I also like his sarcasm and command of the English (Basic) language. And what about his strut? That stride just screams "I'ma bad mofo!"
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vadersgirl33
vadersgirl_reflections
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date Posted: Aug 10, 2007 9:10 AM
Vader is cool because not your run of the mill cat stroking mwah ha ha cackling villain. He has charisma (albeit negative type) and there is a method to his madness. I also like his sarcasm and command of the English (Basic) language. And what about his strut? That stride just screams "I'm a bad mofo!"
So true!! And that's one reason we like him soooo much. He just looks so cool when he comes onscreen. Thank for the comment, Sith-hata.
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Sith-hata
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date Posted: Aug 10, 2007 7:54 PM
Thank you for the blog. That's why I can't wait for the Force Unleashed to come out on the 360. It supposed to shed more light on Vader and everything that happens during and after the game is going to be cannon too.
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Vader'sKid
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date Posted: Feb 29, 2008 11:56 PM
Darth.....Vader! It took me a long time to get a clear view into him. I hated him as a child when he struck down Obi wan. Then as I got older, I was able to slowly analized things.
There really is something powerfully, commanding and maybe.......sexy about him.
He's authorize, commanding, no non-sense, and it goes his way or the death way (force choke).
One wonder's what goes on sometimes in that head of his.
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