Why Darth Vader Is Star Wars’ Best Villain (& 5 Alternatives)
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Darth Vader is one of the most iconic movie villains of all time, but the Star Wars franchise has some equally entertaining bad guys like Moff Gideon.
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The Star Wars universe has blessed popular culture with some of the most iconic villains ever created. George Lucas’ galaxy far, far away is crawling with nefarious baddies. Unforgettable heroes like Luke Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano need equally unforgettable villains to do battle with.
Arguably the greatest villain in the Star Wars saga — and maybe even the greatest villain in film history — is Darth Vader. But from the cold-hearted Grand Admiral Thrawn to the sinister Darth Maul, the fallen Jedi has plenty of competition for that title in the wretched hive of scum and villainy that is the Star Wars universe.
10 Vader Is The Best: He’s Introduced As The Embodiment Of Pure Evil
When he follows his stormtroopers onboard Tantive IV at the beginning of the original 1977 Star Wars movie, Darth Vader is instantly characterized as a faceless symbol of pure evil.
He has an undeniably terrifying presence, lifting a Rebel troop off the floor by his throat and taking Leia back to his ship to be tortured. From the second he was introduced, Vader was one of the most memorable villains in movie history.
9 Alternative: Jabba The Hutt
While most Star Wars villains are either Sith Lords or Imperial bureaucrats, Jabba the Hutt is unique in that he’s a ruthless gangster with a widespread criminal empire that runs Tatooine’s seedy underbelly.
Jabba’s death scene is one of the most satisfying in the entire saga, as an enslaved Leia uses her chains to strangle him in the midst of the Battle of the Great Pit of Carkoon.
8 Vader Is The Best: The “I Am Your Father” Twist Humanized Him
After the original Star Wars movie made Vader an instant icon as a faceless embodiment of evil, The Empire Strikes Back humanized him with the revelation that he’s the biological father of Luke Skywalker. Luke thought he was fighting the ruthless Sith Lord who murdered his father.
Revealing Vader to be the fallen Jedi that fathered Luke humanized him — there’s a once-good man beneath that mask. The twist also significantly raised the stakes, because it suggested Vader could be redeemed, setting the stage for Return of the Jedi’s immensely satisfying finale.
7 Alternative: Grand Admiral Thrawn
While a lot of Star Wars’ most iconic villains have mystical abilities, Grand Admiral Thrawn doesn’t need any special powers to be a terrifying baddie in a galaxy far, far away. He’s just a ruthless, cold-blooded military strategist. In this regard, he’s more like a Star Trek villain than a Star Wars villain.
Since The Mandalorian episode “Chapter 13: The Jedi” teased Ahsoka Tano’s search for Thrawn, the character is seemingly being set up as the big bad of Disney+’s ever-expanding universe of Star Wars streaming content, which is certainly promising.
6 Vader Is The Best: The “Imperial March” Gave Vader An Unforgettable Theme
Few movies have music as memorable as that of the Star Wars saga. John Williams composed some of the greatest film scores of all time for the Star Wars movies, from awe-inspiring pieces like “Binary Sunset” to epic pieces like “Duel of the Fates.”
Arguably the most instantly recognizable piece of music in the saga — apart from the main theme — is “Imperial March,” Darth Vader’s theme. As soon as that march plays, the audience knows Vader’s not too far away.
5 Alternative: Darth Maul
There was a lot about The Phantom Menace that rubbed Star Wars fans the wrong way back in 1999, from the interminably boring discussions of trade routes to the so-called comic relief provided by Jar Jar Binks.
But one thing that all fans could agree was awesome was Darth Maul, the movie’s softly spoken Sith villain, most notable for his double-bladed lightsaber and martial arts prowess.
4 Vader Is The Best: The Combination Of David Prowse’s Physicality And James Earl Jones’ Booming Voice
Throughout the original trilogy, the unforgettable presence of Darth Vader was created through the combination of David Prowse’s intimidating physique and James Earl Jones’ rich, booming voice.
Also, Sebastian Shaw deserves props for his portrayal of the redeemed Anakin in Return of the Jedi’s heartbreaking unmasking scene. His delivery of the “with my own eyes” line was spot-on.
3 Alternative: Moff Gideon
Although The Mandalorian is just two seasons in and a lot of its story arcs are just getting started, Moff Gideon has already become one of Star Wars’ best villains. He’s a classically smarmy Imperial bureaucrat who wants to acquire Grogu’s blood to please his fascistic overlords.
The producers knew what they were doing when they cast Giancarlo Esposito. After playing Gus Fring in Breaking Bad, Esposito is Hollywood’s go-to guy for nuanced TV villains.
2 Vader Is The Best: His Redemption Is The Emotional Crux Of The Entire Saga
Ultimately, the Star Wars saga is the tragedy of Anakin Skywalker. His transformation from a bright-eyed young Jedi prodigy to the most powerful Sith Lord in the galaxy, commanding an evil empire, is the backbone of the Star Wars story.
While Vader was introduced as a straightforward villain in the initial 1977 movie, his subsequent framing as a tragic hero went on to become the emotional crux of the entire saga.
1 Alternative: Emperor Palpatine
A close second to Darth Vader for the title of Star Wars’ greatest villain is Vader’s master, Emperor Palpatine, who manipulated wayward Jedi prodigy Anakin Skywalker’s fragile emotions as a kind of fatherly puppetmaster and managed to turn him to the dark side.
Ian McDiarmid’s pitch-perfect performance made a timeless icon out of this character. Palpatine’s combination of classical villainy and deceptive campness makes him one of the most memorable and unique villains ever created.
Link Source : https://screenrant.com/star-wars-darth-vader-best-antagonist-other-choices/