Darth Vader uses Force lightning in a new piece of Star Wars fan art. Darth Vader is undoubtedly the most recognizable character from the Star Wars universe. Force lightning played a key role in Darth Vader’s rise and fall, but Vader himself never utilized the dangerous lightning during his appearances in the Star Wars films.
Force lightning was at the crux of two major choices in Darth Vader’s life, the first presenting itself when Vader was still Anakin Skywalker. In Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, Jedi Knight Mace Windu dueled Palpatine after the chancellor was revealed to be a Sith Lord. Windu used Palpatine’s own Force lightning against him, forever scarring the Emperor. Palpatine presented Anakin with a choice in that moment: choose Windu and the Jedi, or choose Palpatine’s knowledge of how to keep Padme from dying in childbirth. Anakin chose Palpatine and severed Windu’s hand, allowing Palpatine to kill Windu with Force lightning. Anakin’s choice cemented his turn to the dark side, and Darth Vader was officially born.
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Instagram user Ultraraw26 took inspiration from a rare moment in the Star Wars comics where Vader actually used Force lightning himself. As the graphic artist notes in their caption, Vader never tried to use Force lightning again after an attempt nearly killed him. Check out the incredible piece of fan art below.
While Vader never utilized Force lightning himself in the films, he did end up facing it once more in Return of the Jedi. Once again, Vader was forced to choose between Palpatine and another member of his family. However, this time Palpatine was moments away from killing Vader’s own son Luke. Vader’s decision to betray Palpatine by tossing him down a reactor shaft resulted in Vader being hit with the deadly electricity. Vader’s sacrifice may not have undone all the damage that had occurred since his first encounter with Force lightning, but his choice certainly helped him revert to the light side. Although it would’ve been cool to see Darth Vader using Force lightning in the movies, his signature Force choke was still frighteningly effective on its own.
Although it’s highly unlikely fans will see Darth Vader in any new Star Wars films, his story continues in the pages of the comics. As mentioned above, Vader never used Force lightning in the movies, but that is just one of many things that the comic books have revealed about the character. Despite the original and prequel trilogy being completely devoted to Anakin’s story, the comics have managed to develop his character arc even further, making him an even more memorable villain than he already was.
Source: Ultraraw26