Is This The Best Darth Vader Scene In Star Wars?
[Possible Spoilers Ahead] Speculation about the story beats for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker — a.k.a. Episode 9 — abounds. And, beyond musing about the meaning of Emperor Palpatine’s laugh and the view of Death Star wreckage (?), much of the theorizing centers around the possible participation of Darth Vader (Anakin Skywalker) either in Force ghost or flashback form.
I’m fine with all of that, and it was good to jump back into thinking about Star Wars cinema after obsessing about Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
However, am now obsessed with the question posed by Erik Voss over on New Rockstars: Is the below scene from Rogue One the best Darth Vader moment in the Star Wars flims?
The Best Darth Vader Scene: Tantive IV
I am certain most Star Wars fans have seen the below. Why not watch it again!?
Now check this out. Beware hard spoilers for Rogue One (?) and possible spoilers for Episode IX (?).
Darth Vader: The Ghost Story of the Star Wars Universe?
After watching both videos, I think I’m inclined to agree with Voss in principle – it’s a very important scene.
But I will parse the statement by saying the Rogue One: A Star Wars Story “rage” scene is Darth Vader at his scariest, not his best.
I like to think Vader’s finally confronting Emperor Palpatine on Death Star 2 (hmmm) in Star Wars: The Return of the Jedi is his best scene.
But as Voss said in the New Rockstars breakdown, the Tantive IV scene “restored the best villian of Hollywood cinema to his iconic silhouette. And it allowed that shadow to ‘show off’ the horror that made him the ghost story of the Star Wars universe.”
Oh, and I agree that Rogue One (and Solo — the two Star Wars Story films — for that matter) are much better than people give them credit for. But that’s a discussion for another blog.
So, what do you think about the Vader scene in Rogue One? One of the best? Unecessary? Let us know in the comments.