Darth Vader terrified us all for the first time in 1977's Star Wars: A New Hope. After serving as the lead villain in George Lucas' original trilogy, his origin story was later revealed in the prequels, a series of movies recounting Anakin Skywalker's fall to the Dark Side.
Since then, we've seen him return in the likes of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Star Wars Rebels, and Ahsoka. But you knew that already, right? In this feature, we've rounded up some facts about everyone's favourite Sith Lord that we're pretty sure you won't know.
From his suit's secrets to little-known behind-the-scenes stories and even how he uses the bathroom, Darth Vader is a character who continues to fascinate Star Wars fans. In this feature, you might just learn something new about him!
Check out these unbelievable facts about Darth Vader by clicking on the "Next" button below.
8. Darth Vader Can Use Force Lightning (But It's Also His Weakness)
While we never see Darth Vader use Force Lightning, it's been established that he is able to use it. However, in doing so, it severely damages the suit keeping him alive, hence why it's not a regular - or even infrequent - part of the Sith Lord's arsenal.
The one time Vader did unleash Force Lightning, it was to corrupt the Kyber Crystal which he used for his red lightsaber. However, the impact that had on his suit nearly killed him, something Emperor Palpatine is well aware of.
The villain ensured Vader's life support system was vulnerable to Force Lightning, ensuring he would always have the upper hand over his powerful apprentice. This obviously explains why Anakin failed to survive the events of Return of the Jedi.
7. He Didn't Always Wear A Helmet
Darth Vader's silhouette is instantly recognisable, and the villain's iconic black helmet is a big part of the reason why. However, there was a time when he looked completely different, with the helmet used solely as part of a spacesuit he'd don when travelling from ship to ship.
In place of that intimidating helmet, George Lucas' original plan was to have Vader cover his face with a scarf. That's not exactly the stuff of nightmares.
Somewhere along the way, the scarf idea was dropped (likely thanks to Ralph McQuarrie's incredible concept art) and we ended up with the Vader we all know and fear. Needless to say, without the helmet, this would have been a very different character.
6. His Suit Causes Constant Pain
Revenge of the Sith finally revealed what it was that left Anakin trapped within that suit, and it was clear he'd been left in immense pain after losing an arm and two legs on top of being horrendously burned by Mustafar's lava.
We've since learned that Vader regularly uses a Bacta Tank to ease his suffering, but the suit does help...at least to some extent. With so much of the armour literally hard-wired into his body, a neurotoxin is deployed that makes it easier to bear.
However, the suit itself was designed by Emperor Palpatine with Vader's continued discomfort in mind. He wanted to leave his apprentice in a status of continued anger and frustration, ensuring he'd remain loyal to the Dark Side.
5. Orson Welles Nearly Voiced The Sith Lord
When David Prowse learned his strong South West accent wouldn't be heard in theaters around the globe, the actor was understandably unhappy with George Lucas. While he'd played Darth Vader on set (and continued to do so), American actor James Earl Jones was later brought in to lend his voice to the Sith Lord.
It's now hard to imagine anyone else playing Vader, but Lucas did consider other actors. Among them was the legendary Orson Welles.
While the Citizen Kane and War of the Worlds star sounded suitably formidable, the filmmaker reportedly decided he was simply too well-known. However, we also can't help but wonder whether he'd even want to be part of what was then a weird, relatively low-budget sci-fi flick!
4. Luke Skywalker Was Supposed To Become Darth Vader
George Lucas was making up the Star Wars trilogy as he went, an approach Disney attempted to take with the sequels which, unfortunately, didn't pay off. The writer and director had a lot of wild ideas over the years, including making Luke Skywalker the new Darth Vader.
One early version of Return of the Jedi called for Vader's death to be followed by Luke picking up his father's helmet and picking up right where Anakin had left off.
"Luke puts it on and says, 'Now, I am Vader.' Surprise! The ultimate twist," Lucas once suggested to co-writer Lawrence Kasdan. "'Now I will go and kill the [Rebel] fleet, and I will rule the universe.'" Thankfully, the idea was very quickly dropped.
3. How He Learned His Son Was Alive
With the Expanded Universe no more, Star Wars fans soon found themselves wondering how the Disney-canon Vader discovered he had a son. The answer came in a comic book of all places after the vengeful Sith Lord tasked a number of bounty hunters with bringing him the pilot responsible for destroying the Death Star.
Boba Fett came close to capturing Luke but ultimately failed. However, he was able to at least deliver a name for Vader: "Skywalker."
Vader's mind returns to Padme telling him about her pregnancy, realising she must have somehow given birth after he mortally attacked his wife. Enraged, the Sith Lord shatters the glass before him and vows to take everything from Emperor Palpatine, making the Empire his own.
2. The Significance Of His Broken Helmet
In Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Vader battles his former Master who ultimately cuts open the left side of his former friend's helmet. Prior to that, Ahsoka Tano broke it open on the right side and, both times, Anakin reverted to his Vader persona and remained loyal to the Dark Side.
However, there's actually a pretty good reason why his master and apprentice broke each respective side of Vader's sinister mask.
While they were able to expose half of Anakin to the light again, it was only his son, Luke, who could remove the helmet and fully bring Anakin back. Those encounters with Obi-Wan and Ahsoka remain incredibly important but Luke was always the one destined to save Anakin Skywalker.
1. How Does Vader Use The Bathroom?
We've dealt with some pretty heavy facts here for the most part, so let's end things on a slightly lighter note. Have you ever wondered how Darth Vader uses the bathroom?
It's surely crossed your mind on at least one occasion, and in the critically acclaimed novelisation of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, it's strongly hinted that the lower half of Anakin Skywalker's body was damaged beyond repair. So, what does that mean for his ability to relieve himself?
According to Lucasfilm's Pablo Hidalgo, "You didn't hear it from me, but I think the relevant anatomy got burned off and Vader relies on the suit." We're not sure whether this fact is canon, but it does make sense!