Darth Vader
Standing two meters tall, dressed
in flowing
black robes and
black body armor, Darth Vader
is a tangibly evil symbol
of the Emperor's
doctrine of
rule through fear and terror. With the
Emperor's
favor Vader has risen through the
Imperial ranks to become
a fearsome and
dreaded military commander,
now one of the
most highly placed individuals
in the
NewOrder.
His face locked behind
a hideous metal breath
screen, Vader cannot survive
without the
artificial support of
his suit, which functions like
a walking "iron lung,"
breathing for his crushed
lungs and keeping his shattered
body alive. In
spite of these injuries,
Vader is a powerful and
dangerous figure. Ruthlessly
employing torture
and brutal violence to
achieve his objectives,
Darth Vader commands fear within
his own
troops as well as among
his Rebel enemies.
While there are those
within the military who
despise his weird
"sorcerer's ways" and his
eccentric and dramatic
behavior, as Vader's
power has grown
these objections have
become
fewer.
Once
a Jedi Knight, Vader was formerly the
pupil of Obi-Wan
Kenobi in the days of the Old
Republic, learning the
ways of the Force for the
purpose of defending truth
and justice
throughout the galaxy.
Impatient with Obi-Wan's
teachings, Vader chose
a different way of using
the Force, and followed
the temptations of the
dark side of this power.
Corrupted and turned
evil, he betrayed his
mentor and helped the
Emperor hunt down and destroy
the Jedi,
leaving the terrible regime
of the New Order unopposed.
When Grand Moff Tarkin's
Death Star was
destroyed by the Rebels,
it was believed that
Vader had been lost to
the void. But he did
survive, piloting a special advanced
prototype
fighter equipped with hyperspace
engines.
Vader returned from deep
space more powerful
than before, to take command
of the Imperial
Star Destroyer fleet assigned
to track down
Luke Skywalker.