When it comes to movie villains, one has stood tall about the rest since his introduction in 1977:Darth Vader. It is difficult to image movies without him, and since his debut, he has become the ultimate symbol of evil on cinema, despite his character’s turn toward the light at the end ofReturn of the Jedi. He is one of the greatest movie villains of all time. He has depth, a tragic anddetail-rich backstory, and is ultimately redeemed when it’s time for that. It’s not a simple case of letting a mad dog off the chain after his or her enemies or violence for fun. There is more to his motives and heart than sheer brutality and destruction. He’s a deeply conflicted character who walks just over the edge of a fine line into the Dark Side.
We hadn’t seen much of him sinceThe Revenge of the Sithand a few brief but standout scenes inRogue One.That is until Disney+ graced our presence withObi-Wan Kenobi.The series not only brought back the beloved titular character portrayed by fan-favorite Ewan McGregor, but it also got us the most fleshed-out and meaty Darth Vader scenes inStar Warshistory. While Disney has a new slate ofStar Warsfilms set for the big screen, they are still heavily investing in their Disney+ slate with upcoming series likeSkeleton Crew,The Acolyte, and upcoming seasons for bothAndorandAhsoka.
Star Warshas already given the Disney+ spin-off series to fan-favorite characters like Obi-Wan Kenobi, Boba Fett, Ahsoka Tano, and Cassian Andor, so why not the most famous character in the franchise? While some would say that the entire Skywalker Saga is about Darth Vader, after all, it is his name in the saga, and Anakin appeared in six of the nine films; Darth Vader actually only got sparingly used. As outlined by the YouTube channel Nerdwriter,Darth Vader only appeared in 34 minutes of screen time across the original trilogy. Even with the additional material in the prequels, animated series, and spin-off series, there is still much for the character to explore. Here is why Darth Vader should get his own Disney+ series.
Update June 20, 2025: This article has been updated with more information about why Disney+ should make a Darth Vader series.
No Shortage of Material
TheStar Warslore has spread far beyond the Outer Rim. It has evolved and grown incredibly far past the bounds of a few movies in recent years, as well as the times before Disney dropped a pile of money on George Lucas for the rights. Between animated series, comics, and novels, there are awealth of storiesto be told or adapted. This would mean expanding on a character that doesn’t need an introduction or a follow-up to understand him, but his status as the icon is strong enough to make him the most commercial figure in the current status of the Star Wars franchise.
The recent run of MarvelStar Warscomics is probably the best source for this expansion. Just the stories that take place betweenA New HopeandEmpire Strikes Backnot only give a more in-depth look at theStar Warsgalaxy at large but follow Darth Vader closely in his maneuverings on behalf of and out of sight of Emperor Palpatine.
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Vader Downis a prime example of showing the sheer brute force in which Vader deals, crashing down on a rebel planet and taking on and taking out an entire battalion of rebels. “You’re surrounded!” the rebel commander shouts at Vader. “The only thing I am surrounded by is fear…and dead men,” Vader coldly replies before igniting his lightsaber. This was only a miniseries, but it explored in great detail the absolute force that is Vader (no pun intended) and furthers his relationship with Luke leading up toThe Empire Strikes Back. Vader Downbarely scratches the surface.Darth Vader Vol 1, Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith,and the generalStar Warsseriesare all packed with quality material to be mined for a Vader series script.
If Disney did not want to adapt pre-existing material, there are plenty of unexplored stories to cover. Most notably there is the massive block of time betweenRevenge of the SithandA New Hope. Obi-Wan Kenobiexplored a bit of this, but with over 19 years worth of story betweenEpisode IIIandIVthere are likely many stories that Vader got into that could be explored.Audiences could see the Rise of the Empirethrough the eyes of Darth Vader, as not only does Vader need to hunt down former Jedi, but he also needs to come to terms with his decisions inRevenge of the Sith. He will see the galaxy transition and explore the recent trauma of losing Padme.
The Character’s Conflict
As mentioned and as we already know, Darth Vader is an extremely measured character constantly being pulled in two directions between the darkness and the light. He’s not a pure villain in any sense of the word or concept. He shows flickers of mercy, patience, and at times, even forgiveness, at least compared to his boss in the big chair, who is all depravity and iron fists. Exploring the good in Vader, as well as the darkness, would make for a fascinating series arc.
Obi-Wan Kenobishowed what his rage and thirst for revenge would do, like force-snapping the neck of a villager and dragging another cruelly through the dirt. Here, we see him at his worst, hoping to draw out Kenobi to serve his own personal dark side. But what about the side that longs to destroy the Emperor and reunite with his long-lost son? “There is good in him,” we heard ad nauseam from Luke. And there was, even though it burst through at thevery end of the character’s journey.
Similar toAndor, the series could cut between two timelines. Audiences could see flashbacks to Anakin’s adventures as a Jedi Knight during the Clone Wars and how they parallel Vader’s story. Through the force, Vader could even confront his former self through a psychological battle and able to dramatically show what the theme of the story is: how Darth Vader has killed the memory of Anakin Skywalker and what will lead Anakin to defeat his dark side persona in the end.
We Already Have a Sample
Put simply, we’ve already seen extensive Vader in a series, and it was awesome. It was near perfect, from the booming pipes of James Earl Jones, who has since retired but given Lucasfilm his voice likeness to be recreated with AI, and the searing scenesfrom Hayden Christensen. From Vader’s first ugly lightsaber duel with Obi-Wan, to his pulling a starship out of the sky with the force, right on down to his embarrassing final defeat at the hands of his former master,Obi-Wan Kenobiwould not have been the same without Darth Vader. McGregor’s Kenobi was the engine of the series, but Vader was the adrenaline of the ride.
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Disney and Lucasfilm also brought back Christensen for a role inAhsoka, showing that they clearly want to tell more stories with this character. Disney+ needs to recapture that feeling in a dedicated Darth Vader series becauseObi-Wan Kenobi’s run was important yet limited. The series garnered attention, but a follow-up would have been overkill. Yet a Darth Vader spin-off series could allow the creators to explore the same corner of the franchise without needing to pull McGregor back for another round and also giving audiences more of Darth Vader.
It Is An Obvious Winner
Darth Vader is easily the most popular character inStar Wars. He is a character that generations have come to adore. Easily, the biggest task the sequel trilogy had to deal with was not having Darth Vader to fall back on. While the reports of Star Wars as a brand are failing, it has been greatly over-exaggerated asThe Mandalorianwas the most streamed show of 2023, andAhsokawas number nine. It is no secret that certain series do better than others.AndorandAhsokaare very niche series in theStar Warsfranchise, based on lesser-known characters, and while they do well in terms of views, they don’t draw the same numbers thatObi-Wan Kenobidid.The Mandalorianis the most mainstream of theStar Warsseries as it is accessible to everyone, which is what makes it a bonafide hit.
Yet everyone knows Darth Vader, and if Disney+ announced a Darth Vader series it is one that would draw in hardcore fans and casual audiences alike. Lucasfilm and Disney seem to be trying to play it safe with Star Wars, as is obvious by the next Star Wars movie isfocused on its recent success,The Mandalorian,and Darth Vader is a safe bet.
Because it is a safe bet that everyone will watch it, that means Darth Vader is the series where the franchise can take some real big swings and risks. It could be a darkerStar Warsseries likeAndor, exploring the banality of evil. It could get very trippy with the force, like aStar Warsversion ofLegion. It could also just be various adventures in the life of Darth Vader as he does evil things across the galaxy, and the audience roots for him because, at the end of the day, sometimes audiences love villains. It is such an obvious move for Lucasfilm to make a Darth Vader series.
To follow up on the success of Disney+ and their series taking place in theStar Warsuniverse, here’s a video about fun fact of theAhsokaseries:
