When Random House Worlds announced a new Adam Christopher book earlier this year -- Master of Evil -- some were hesitant to celebrate the emergence of yet another Darth Vader story. Sure, he's a cool character -- but haven't we had enough in the past 50 years?
Let's not dismiss the fact that Star Wars books are a lot different than other forms of media in the franchise. They exist to deepen readers' knowledge of the universe, its characters, events, and locations. A Darth Vader novel may seem like it would have nothing new to say. But that's where such assumptions become faulty.
How much Darth Vader is too much?
Regardless of how you feel about Darth Vader -- and whether or not you're among those who think we don't need more stories about him, which is a fair opinion -- it's impossible to ignore his place in pop culture history. His villainy is so iconic that if you mention his name to a random group of people, most will have heard of him even if they've never actually seen Star Wars before.
The distinct sound of his artificial breathing, the immediately recognizable shape of his helmet, and even his deep voice aren't enough to warrant making him the main character of yet another Star Wars story. We must instead look specifically at what more his character has to offer. Darth Vader isn't just a symbol of power or a cautionary tale about what happens when you lean too heavily into negative emotions such as hate or anger. Vader -- formerly Anakin Skywalker -- is also a man plagued by grief, pain, and regret. He seeks knowledge. He desperately wants to change what he cannot control.
Master of Evil and Vader's harrowing quest
Christopher's upcoming novel, Master of Evil, takes place between the events of Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. Specifically, it takes place at a single point during Charles Soule's 2017 Darth Vader comic book series. The book sees Vader on a quest, closely monitored by Emperor Palpatine, to learn more about the Force and the role it plays in "the secrets of life and death," according to the official book listing on Penguin Random House's website.
We've seen Vader try to bring back the love he lost; we've seen him do a lot of things over the course of many stories throughout canon. Star Wars very rarely tells stories in order, however. We haven't actually seen much of Vader this soon after he became Vader in Sith. This is something different -- a desperate man's chase of a vision he's not sure he can trust. Vader hasn't actually appeared extensively in many Star Wars novels over the last 10 years or so. It's about time we were given a novel written by a storyteller with a pretty stellar track record of doing their job quite well.
The future of Vader in Star Wars canon
Some of the best Darth Vader moments of the past decade have involved smaller roles in TV shows such as Star Wars Rebels and Obi-Wan Kenobi. He doesn't necessarily have to be the main character at this point in order to make a huge impact on a story or its characters.
As iconic as Vader is, he seems to be most effective across Star Wars media when used sparingly but effectively. The more he appears, the less impactful he becomes. There have been many excellent Vader-centered stories in recent years, and there will likely be many more in the near and distant future. Used strategically, Vader can be a powerful character metaphorically rather than just physically.
Star Wars: Master of Evil by Adam Christopher releases on November 11, 2025.