The final entry in the Skywalker saga is in production. With the new characters still unknown and largely shrouded in mystery, speculation season has officially begun. One of the rumors is the return of Darth Vader. Could it happen?
If J.J. Abrams is indeed looking to wrap up the nine films and just not the sequel trilogy, Anakin Skywalker in some capacity should be considered. With the original films, Darth Vader was the most recognizable character and has become a face of the franchise.
Though he hadn’t crossed over to the dark side yet, Anakin was still at the center of the prequels. The first six films were devoted to the rise and fall.
It would undoubtedly benefit Disney’s marketing goals to have Darth Vader in the film. But could it fit into the plot of the film?
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Anakin Skywalker is dead. He died at the end of Return of the Jedi. In dying trying to save his son from Emperor Palpatine, he was effectively redeemed.
It’s thus very likely we could see a force ghost of Anakin Skywalker. Hayden Christiansen could reprise his role and perhaps appear as a Force Ghost to a conflicted Kylo Ren.
But Darth Vader?
Given that Vader was redeemed, it’s unlikely we see him return as a Sith lord. If we do, it will likely be some sort of hallucination. There is precedent here.
In The Clone Wars animated series, Yoda ventured to the Sith homeworld of Moraband. While there, he encountered a specter of the late Darth Bane. Bane, who lived a thousand years before the Clone Wars, was responsible for the Rule of Two.
The specter wasn’t a legitimate Force Ghost, however. It was just a specter conjured up by the Force Priestesses.
Dave Filoni noted that he and George Lucas both opposed the idea that Sith lords could return as spirits. A scene was shot for an episode of Clone Wars that would have introduced spirits of Darth Revan and Bane, but was ultimately cut because of the implications it would have on the force.
This course could always be reversed by Disney, but it’s already established in canon this cannot happen with Sith lords. Even if it were possible, the problem remains that Anakin Skywalker was redeemed.
Darth Vader is popular and his cameo in Rogue One was certainly popular. Any time he appears, it’s a hit. But this alone isn’t enough to bring him back in Episode IX. We may see a redeemed Anakin Skywalker, but a return of Darth Vader is not likely.