Return of the Jedi: Why does Darth Vader Die???

Shadows of the Empire is one of the most illogical (and badly written) EU book series IMO, and contradicts a lot of the movie and other EU stuff. The Thrawn Trilogy (which I'm sure you've read too) are considered the closest to a direct sequel trilogy, but even they are rather obviously contradicted by prequel movies too. I've always considered EU semi-canon, but Steve Perry's suggestions in SOTE are frankly daft.
 
I think Lucas saw Vader as a 'bad spirit' who took over Anakin's body when he was 22, and since he died as Anakin came back, his ghost appeared as his young form.
Bit disrespectful to the dead man who played the older Anakin, and not really necessary either. But you know George!
 
It is simply the lightning that kills him. It disables his suit.

That is what makes the moment so emotionally powerful - Vader knows that turning against the Emperor will cost him his life, yet he chooses to sacrifice himself to save his son.

Unless he knows the consequences then his decision is not so momentous.

Also, as others said, you can see his skeleton light up, his breathing is damaged afterwarRAB.

Probably also the reason he stayed subservient to Palpatine - you just don't mess!
 
i don't ever remember seeing his skeleton light up and i'm sure that was never in the orig release

it's not his suit being damaged that kills him it's the fact that he has turned back to the good side and the dark side of the force is keeping him alive.. that's the whole point of the films that in the end he gets redeemed even though he will die

will be a bit of a waste of 6 films if at the end it's just his suit getting damaged that kills him
 
It is definitely in the original 1983 edit.


Sorry, I don't buy it at all. Unless you subscribe to the rather daft ideas in Shadows of the Empire, it's quite patently the lightning that fries him and his suit which kills him in the movie.


He sacrifices his life to save his son, and so is redeemed. I don't see how what kills him during these actions affects this.
 
funny enough i saw the trillogy recently after ages of not seeing it, now i can enjoy it on dvd.

yer it was when darth took off his mask that was when he was dieing.

what old actor who plays anakin? or is it darth oh well no idea who ur on about.
 
Yoda: "To Histeria, you listen"


Before any of Lucas' innane revisionism and retroactive reasoning, it was a simple tale of redemption. Vader sacrificed his life.

If the Dark Side is keeping him alive then what is the point of the big life support suit and iron lung that he has to wear?

There is NOTHING in the Original Trilogy to suggest it is anything other than Vader's life support being fried as a result of turning on his master to save his son.
 
The electrics of his suit were fried as he checked the Emperor down the hole. His breathing was mucked up, so he was dying anyway. The mask off just quickened it.

Shame.

Episodes VII-IX could have had Anakin in a white Vader suit, hehe.
 
It's possible they could have saved Vader in the end but he NEEDED to take his mask off and see Luke 'with his own eyes', he knew he should have been naturally dead.
 
Yeah, basically his suit got damaged. You can hear after he chucks the Emperor down the chute that his breathing sounRAB different.

I still think the whole scene where he turns good is one of the most powerful things I've ever seen in a movie. When he was looking back and fourth at Luke and The Emperor you could see so much emotion in him, even though he was in the plain black suit hes always been in.
 
One question thats always puzzled me , is why Obi-Wan allows Darth to kill him in EpIV ?
Is this because it allows him to be absorbed into the force, allowing him to help Luke and act as a guardian ?Is the training that Yodi refers to at the end of Ep III to Obi, Georges hackhanded way of explaining life after death?
 
Yes and yes. Be becomes "one with the force" for exactly that reason. It is explained better in the originally scripted scene in Ep III where Qui Gon's force-ghost talks to Yoda on Polis Masa - something that was cut before filming for no reason anyone can come up with.
 
Be honest - did you really think that the biggest baddie in cinema history WASN'T going to die at the end????

I have to say, I didn't think I was doing anything wrong with my title, considering the fact that the film is 23 years old.

It reminRAB me of that bit in the Simpsons when Homer has a flashback to the early days when he's dating Marge. They come out of the cinema having seen the Empire Strikes Back and Homer says, "Wow! Who'd have thought Darth Vader turns out to be Luke Skywalker's father!" All the people queueing up to see it are really p*ssed off!
 
Back
Top