Jab’s Builds! (Miss Piggy! The Swedish Chef! Sweetums! Gonzo!)

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Jabroniville
Posts: 24695
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Darth Fucking Vader

Post by Jabroniville »

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DARTH VADER
Role:
The Baddest of the Bad, The Black Knight
Group Affiliations: The Empire, The Jedi Knights
PL 12 (236)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 5 PRESENCE 5

Skills:
Close Combat (Lightsaber) 3 (+14)
Deception 2 (+7)
Expertise (Military) 10 (+14)
Insight 5 (+10)
Intimidation 10 (+15)
Investigation 2 (+7)
Perception 8 (+13)
Ranged Combat (Debris) 2 (+14)
Technology 4 (+8)
Vehicles 8 (+13)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Beginner's Luck, Benefit 4 (Sith Lord- The Emperor's Apprentice), Daze (Intimidation), Defensive Attack, Diehard, Equipment (Armor +3), Extraordinary Effort, Fascinate (Intimidation), Fast Grab, Fearless, Improved Critical (Lightsaber) 3, Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Improved Smash, Languages (A Few), Leadership, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 6, Seize Initiative, Startle, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Mastery of The Force"
"Force Senses"
Senses 16 (Detect The Force- Ranged 5, Acute & Analytical; Detect Life- Ranged 5, Danger Sense) [16]
Enhanced Skill 2: Vehicles 2 (+15) [1]
Senses 4 (Precognition) (Flaws: Uncontrolled) [2]
Enhanced Advantages 2: Defensive Roll, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment) [2]

"Force Choke" Affliction 8 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Feats: Accurate, Subtle, Split) (Extras: Sustained +2, Ranged) (Flaws: Distracting) (27) -- [36]
  • AE: "Viewscreen Choke" Affliction 8 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- Visual Perception, Selective) (Flaws: Distracting) (16)
  • AE: "Jedi Laser Deflection" Deflect 14 (Extras: Multiattack, Reflect, Redirection) (Flaws: Limited to Lasers, Lightsaber-Based, Multiattack Requires Multiple Lasers -1/2) (21)
  • AE: "Use The Force" Move Object 9 (Feats: Subtle) (19)
  • AE: "Force Push" Damage 5 (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) Linked to Affliction 8 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Stunned) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Extra Condition, Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (20.5)
  • AE: "Force Wave" Damage 5 (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) Linked to Affliction 6 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Stunned) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Extra Condition, Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (24)
  • AE: "Force Crush" Blast 6 (Feats: Accurate, Subtle) (Extras: Penetrating) (20)
  • AE: "Jedi Mind Trick" Affliction 6 (Will; Dazed/Compelled) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- Audio Perception, Selective) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (13)
  • AE: "Stops Lasers LIKE A BOSS" Deflect 14 (14)
  • AE: "Force Communication" Communication (Mental) 3 (12)
"Lightsaber" (Flaws: Easily Removable) (Feats: Restricted to Those Trained) [9]
Strength-Damage +6 (Extras: Penetrating 7) (13 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Lightsaber +14 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Force Push +5-8 Area (+5 Damage & +8 Affliction, DC 20 & 18)
Force Wave +5-6 Area (+5 Damage & +6 Affliction, DC 20 & 16)
Mind Trick +6 Area (+6 Affliction, DC 16)
Force Crush +13 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Force Choke +13 (+6 Ranged Affliction, DC 16)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +15 (DC 25), Parry +16 (DC 26), Toughness +4 (+7 Armor, +8 D.Roll), Fortitude +7, Will +10

Complications:
Responsibility (The Empire)- Vader is the loyal Apprentice of Emperor Palpatine. However, when he discovers that the mysterious Jedi boy who confounds him is his own son, he realizes that the old man has been lying to him. Vader's new mission: To take the Empire for himself.
Relationship (Luke Skywalker)- Darth Vader wishes to turn Luke to the Dark Side, training the boy as his own Apprentice. "JOIN ME!- we will rule the galaxy together as father and SON!"
Vulnerable (Magnetic & Electric Attacks)- As a cyborg, Darth Vader is vulnerable to certain kinds of attacks that work on metals.
Vulnerable (Out of Armor)- Vader requires his specialized bodysuit in order to breath, eat, and live. He will quickly die without it.

Total: Abilities: 80 / Skills: 54--27 / Advantages: 37 / Powers: 66 / Defenses: 26 (236)

Darth Vader- The Villain By Which All Others Are Judged:
-DARTH VADER. The first Star Wars movie did such an amazing job at making this guy look like a threat: he calmly walks into a hallway, strangles some poor schmuck, threatens everyone with a voice so deep it can rattle your fillings, and then reveals that he's basically the best fighter in the Universe as well. In less than two minutes, he basically made every villain before him bow their heads in shame, and made every villain AFTER desperately attempt to equal him. Eventually adding The Imperial March, the most bad-ass sounding Leitmotif in history, and combining numerous sources together to create a Black Samurai Cyborg Space Wizard, Lucas successfully created the measuring stick by which all other villains are measured.

-HOW much of a boss is Vader? Look at what happened in Cloud City- he not only threatens Lando into doing his bidding, but when Han Solo spots him? Han unloads IMMEDIATELY with a precision Laser Blast... and Vader just stops it WITH HIS FREAKING HAND, then casually disarms Solo- removing the entire threat. In less than a round, he up-ended one of the best fighters of the entire Rebellion. It's made clear that Vader could basically whup everyone in the Alliance- he only fails in the FIRST film because of a surprise attack from Han Solo, and he's also the only named survivor amongst all of the villains. THEN, in The Empire Strikes Back, he coldly executes the incompetent who f*cked up the Hoth invasion by giving them away too quickly (again, even the Empire's failures are made to never be Vader's fault), and near-effortlessly defeats a Yoda-trained Luke Skywalker: Vader tosses huge pieces of scenery at the youngster, casually avoids all of his best Lightsaber strikes, then ruins his weapon and SLICES OFF HIS HAND. The only thing that prevents the whole story from ending right there is a) pure luck (Luke survives falling down the giant pit), and b) Vader's attempts to turn Luke to the Dark Side. Even in Return of the Jedi, when Vader finally loses to Luke? Dude then REDEEMS HIMSELF, sacrificing his life to kill The Emperor, the Big Bad of the whole thing.

Why Vader Rules:
-All of this adds up to make him the most-unforgettable part of the franchise- in his full glory, none can touch him. It's easy to forget how intimidating he can be, as we're pretty used to seeing Cosplay and little kids in costumes like his- his omnipresence in pop culture can kind of leave him without any mystery. You don't really realize it until you see someone height-appropriate in the gear that you go "Oh my GOD!"- during that one touring show of the costumes from the films, looking at the 6'7" David Prowse's costume made it clear just how MONSTROUS he would look in real life. At one Comic Expo, I saw a guy in the full regalia who was at LEAST 6'5", and he looked like an absolute monster. Height matters for the bad guys.

-But yeah, the Original Trilogy is amazing with the guy. None of the failures of the Empire in the movies are his fault, and he even redeems himself in the end (though some have noted that murdering thousands of people, executing children, and undoing the entire Republic is PROBABLY not made up for by killing one old man. And The Force STILL LETS HIM BE A FORCE GHOST- the damn thing is like an abused housewife or girlfriend- "Oh he does all those awful things, but then he did that ONE NICE THING. That PROVES he's a good guy after all!"). And the whole "NO... *I* AM YOUR FATHER!" bit? Easy to forget now that it's become a Pop Cultural Standard known to everyone, but it was CRAZY out of nowhere back in the day, and a massive revelation. I remember seeing it as a kid with some others who'd never seen it before, and they were AMAZED by it. Suddenly this whole "White Hats (vs) Black Hats" mythological picture gains an entire NEW level when Luke ends up facing his own bloodline in combat.

Vader's Might:
-Vader is a behemoth in combat- fighting more like a Comic Book Super-Villain than a simple Sci-Fi baddie. He's MUCH stronger than your typical Force User, owing to his cybernetic body, meaning he hits with +10 force with his Lightsaber (and can Power Attack hard enough to tear through anyone). He can throw things larger than any Jedi at a lower level can, Choke people using The Force (his most-iconic move, typically only used on subordinates who fail him), toss people around, do normal Jedi stuff, AND he can stop Laser Blasts with his HAND. At PL 12, he would walk through Han Solo, Chewbacca & Princess Leia all at once (he can deflect anything they could throw at him, and does way more damage), and be a match for any Jedi Master. In Star Wars: Rebels, Vader walks through every bit of their offense like he's Godzilla attacking Tokyo- a good reflection of how dangerous a Sith Lord would be to Low-Level PCs in the setting. It's unclear as to who's the top dog between Vader, Yoda, Windu & Palpatine (Vader is likely superior to his younger self, despite the cybernetic parts), but they're all around this level. Luke can only equal Vader by tapping the Dark Side (though his later self, in the EU, has surpassed that point).

-Vader fights a lot differently than most Jedi we see, thanks largely to the fact that most others are limber, athletic, flippy-floppy types, and the rest can shoot Force Lightning. Vader instead is fairly slow and direct, wielding his Lightsaber two-handed in a style derived from Kendo- while he doesn't flip around like an Indie Wrestler on bath-salts, he fights with sheer force and precision, with different Advantages than many Jedi have. And his Force Pushes and other techniques are extremely high-powered (he's one of the only Jedi who can throw stuff around while remaining immobile, implying a great deal of power), not to mention is ability to choke someone to death THROUGH A VIEW-SCREEN. All in all, Darth Vader would CRUSH most other Jedi seen in the series, including guys like Darth Maul, who is faster, but not as tough or versatile.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Sun Jul 24, 2022 12:53 am, edited 1 time in total.
RUSCHE
Posts: 373
Joined: Wed Nov 16, 2016 3:50 pm

Re: Darth Fucking Vader

Post by RUSCHE »

Jabroniville wrote: Fri Feb 07, 2020 10:00 pm Image
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DARTH VADER
Role:
The Baddest of the Bad, The Black Knight
Group Affiliations: The Empire, The Jedi Knights
PL 12 (236)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 5 PRESENCE 5

Skills:
Close Combat (Lightsaber) 3 (+14)
Deception 2 (+7)
Expertise (Military) 10 (+14)
Insight 5 (+10)
Intimidation 10 (+15)
Investigation 2 (+7)
Perception 8 (+13)
Ranged Combat (Debris) 2 (+14)
Technology 4 (+8)
Vehicles 8 (+13)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Beginner's Luck, Benefit 4 (Sith Lord- The Emperor's Apprentice), Daze (Intimidation), Defensive Attack, Diehard, Equipment (Armor +3), Extraordinary Effort, Fascinate (Intimidation), Fast Grab, Fearless, Improved Critical (Lightsaber) 3, Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Improved Smash, Languages (A Few), Leadership, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 6, Seize Initiative, Startle, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Mastery of The Force"
"Force Senses"
Senses 16 (Detect The Force- Ranged 5, Acute & Analytical; Detect Life- Ranged 5, Danger Sense) [16]
Enhanced Skill 2: Vehicles 2 (+15) [1]
Senses 4 (Precognition) (Flaws: Uncontrolled) [2]
Enhanced Advantages 2: Defensive Roll, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment) [2]

"Force Choke" Affliction 8 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Feats: Accurate, Subtle, Split) (Extras: Sustained +2, Ranged) (Flaws: Distracting) (27) -- [36]
  • AE: "Viewscreen Choke" Affliction 8 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- Visual Perception, Selective) (Flaws: Distracting) (16)
  • AE: "Jedi Laser Deflection" Deflect 14 (Extras: Multiattack, Reflect, Redirection) (Flaws: Limited to Lasers, Lightsaber-Based, Multiattack Requires Multiple Lasers -1/2) (21)
  • AE: "Use The Force" Move Object 9 (Feats: Subtle) (19)
  • AE: "Force Push" Damage 5 (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) Linked to Affliction 8 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Stunned) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Extra Condition, Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (20.5)
  • AE: "Force Wave" Damage 5 (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) Linked to Affliction 6 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Stunned) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Extra Condition, Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (24)
  • AE: "Force Crush" Blast 6 (Feats: Accurate, Subtle) (Extras: Penetrating) (20)
  • AE: "Jedi Mind Trick" Affliction 6 (Will; Dazed/Compelled) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- Audio Perception, Selective) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (13)
  • AE: "Stops Lasers LIKE A BOSS" Deflect 14 (14)
  • AE: "Force Communication" Communication (Mental) 3 (12)
"Lightsaber" (Flaws: Easily Removable) (Feats: Restricted to Those Trained) [9]
Strength-Damage +6 (Extras: Penetrating 7) (13 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Lightsaber +14 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Force Push +5-8 Area (+5 Damage & +8 Affliction, DC 20 & 18)
Force Wave +5-6 Area (+5 Damage & +6 Affliction, DC 20 & 16)
Mind Trick +6 Area (+6 Affliction, DC 16)
Force Crush +13 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Force Choke +13 (+6 Ranged Affliction, DC 16)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +15 (DC 25), Parry +16 (DC 26), Toughness +4 (+7 Armor, +8 D.Roll), Fortitude +7, Will +10

Complications:
Responsibility (The Empire)- Vader is the loyal Apprentice of Emperor Palpatine. However, when he discovers that the mysterious Jedi boy who confounds him is his own son, he realizes that the old man has been lying to him. Vader's new mission: To take the Empire for himself.
Relationship (Luke Skywalker)- Darth Vader wishes to turn Luke to the Dark Side, training the boy as his own Apprentice. "JOIN ME!- we will rule the galaxy together as father and SON!"
Vulnerable (Magnetic & Electric Attacks)- As a cyborg, Darth Vader is vulnerable to certain kinds of attacks that work on metals.
Vulnerable (Out of Armor)- Vader requires his specialized bodysuit in order to breath, eat, and live. He will quickly die without it.

Total: Abilities: 80 / Skills: 54--27 / Advantages: 37 / Powers: 66 / Defenses: 26 (236)

Darth Vader- The Villain By Which All Others Are Judged:
-DARTH VADER. The first Star Wars movie did such an amazing job at making this guy look like a threat: he calmly walks into a hallway, strangles some poor schmuck, threatens everyone with a voice so deep it can rattle your fillings, and then reveals that he's basically the best fighter in the Universe as well. In less than two minutes, he basically made every villain before him bow their heads in shame, and made every villain AFTER desperately attempt to equal him. Eventually adding The Imperial March, the most bad-ass sounding Leitmotif in history, and combining numerous sources together to create a Black Samurai Cyborg Space Wizard, Lucas successfully created the measuring stick by which all other villains are measured.

-HOW much of a boss is Vader? Look at what happened in Cloud City- he not only threatens Lando into doing his bidding, but when Han Solo spots him? Han unloads IMMEDIATELY with a precision Laser Blast... and Vader just stops it WITH HIS FREAKING HAND, then casually disarms Solo- removing the entire threat. In less than a round, he up-ended one of the best fighters of the entire Rebellion. It's made clear that Vader could basically whup everyone in the Alliance- he only fails in the FIRST film because of a surprise attack from Han Solo, and he's also the only named survivor amongst all of the villains. THEN, in The Empire Strikes Back, he coldly executes the incompetent who f*cked up the Hoth invasion by giving them away too quickly (again, even the Empire's failures are made to never be Vader's fault), and near-effortlessly defeats a Yoda-trained Luke Skywalker: Vader tosses huge pieces of scenery at the youngster, casually avoids all of his best Lightsaber strikes, then ruins his weapon and SLICES OFF HIS HAND. The only thing that prevents the whole story from ending right there is a) pure luck (Luke survives falling down the giant pit), and b) Vader's attempts to turn Luke to the Dark Side. Even in Return of the Jedi, when Vader finally loses to Luke? Dude then REDEEMS HIMSELF, sacrificing his life to kill The Emperor, the Big Bad of the whole thing.

Why Vader Rules:
-All of this adds up to make him the most-unforgettable part of the franchise- in his full glory, none can touch him. It's easy to forget how intimidating he can be, as we're pretty used to seeing Cosplay and little kids in costumes like his- his omnipresence in pop culture can kind of leave him without any mystery. You don't really realize it until you see someone height-appropriate in the gear that you go "Oh my GOD!"- during that one touring show of the costumes from the films, looking at the 6'7" David Prowse's costume made it clear just how MONSTROUS he would look in real life. At one Comic Expo, I saw a guy in the full regalia who was at LEAST 6'5", and he looked like an absolute monster. Height matters for the bad guys.

-But yeah, the Original Trilogy is amazing with the guy. None of the failures of the Empire in the movies are his fault, and he even redeems himself in the end (though some have noted that murdering thousands of people, executing children, and undoing the entire Republic is PROBABLY not made up for by killing one old man. And The Force STILL LETS HIM BE A FORCE GHOST- the damn thing is like an abused housewife or girlfriend- "Oh he does all those awful things, but then he did that ONE NICE THING. That PROVES he's a good guy after all!"). And the whole "NO... *I* AM YOUR FATHER!" bit? Easy to forget now that it's become a Pop Cultural Standard known to everyone, but it was CRAZY out of nowhere back in the day, and a massive revelation. I remember seeing it as a kid with some others who'd never seen it before, and they were AMAZED by it. Suddenly this whole "White Hats (vs) Black Hats" mythological picture gains an entire NEW level when Luke ends up facing his own bloodline in combat.

Vader's Might:
-Vader is a behemoth in combat- fighting more like a Comic Book Super-Villain than a simple Sci-Fi baddie. He's MUCH stronger than your typical Force User, owing to his cybernetic body, meaning he hits with +10 force with his Lightsaber (and can Power Attack hard enough to tear through anyone). He can throw things larger than any Jedi at a lower level can, Choke people using The Force (his most-iconic move, typically only used on subordinates who fail him), toss people around, do normal Jedi stuff, AND he can stop Laser Blasts with his HAND. At PL 12, he would walk through Han Solo, Chewbacca & Princess Leia all at once (he can deflect anything they could throw at him, and does way more damage), and be a match for any Jedi Master. In Star Wars: Rebels, Vader walks through every bit of their offense like he's Godzilla attacking Tokyo- a good reflection of how dangerous a Sith Lord would be to Low-Level PCs in the setting. It's unclear as to who's the top dog between Vader, Yoda, Windu & Palpatine (Vader is likely superior to his younger self, despite the cybernetic parts), but they're all around this level. Luke can only equal Vader by tapping the Dark Side (though his later self, in the EU, has surpassed that point).

-Vader fights a lot differently than most Jedi we see, thanks largely to the fact that most others are limber, athletic, flippy-floppy types, and the rest can shoot Force Lightning. Vader instead is fairly slow and direct, wielding his Lightsaber two-handed in a style derived from Kendo- while he doesn't flip around like an Indie Wrestler on bath-salts, he fights with sheer force and precision, with different Advantages than many Jedi have. And his Force Pushes and other techniques are extremely high-powered (he's one of the only Jedi who can throw stuff around while remaining immobile, implying a great deal of power), not to mention is ability to choke someone to death THROUGH A VIEW-SCREEN. All in all, Darth Vader would CRUSH most other Jedi seen in the series, including guys like Darth Maul, who is faster, but not as tough or versatile.
And if ANYONE forgot how dangerous and Badass he is, The last fee moments of Rogue One reminded them . He is a wrecking ball and one man team destroyer.
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L-Space
Posts: 740
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Location: Nebraska

Re: Jab’s Builds! (Lando! Princess Leia! Queen Amidala! Jedi Knights!)

Post by L-Space »

It's hard to say anything about Vader that hasnt been said already. Vader tops the chart as one of my all time favorite characters, not just for Star Wars, but in general. He has the look, the gravitas, and the power to be, as you said, one of the greatest villains ever.
Ares wrote: Thu Feb 06, 2020 9:41 pm Seeing Yoda fight with a lightsaber was also kind of silly, as I thought the whole point of being an elite Jedi was to progressively have less and less need for a lightsaber. Like, a lightsaber is a tool, and once you'd fully mastered the Force, it would become an unnecessary tool. Someone trying to attack Yoda with a lightsaber would have Yoda just flick the lightsaber out of their hand and then smack them into a wall with his brain.

I'm not saying the Jedi should have been invincible, but draw a bit more from the wuxia/wire-fu side of things.
It seems like most of the time the Force takes too much concentration/effort to be outright used in most fights, at least at major levels. So it makes sense to me for even master Jedi to keep their lightsabers around and their dueling skills sharp.
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Ares
Site Admin
Posts: 4963
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:40 am

Re: Jab’s Builds! (Lando! Princess Leia! Queen Amidala! Jedi Knights!)

Post by Ares »

Vader is hands down my favorite villain of all time. There's just . . . so much to the guy.

In terms of sheer look and presence, he's hard to top. In terms of menace and power, he's just awesome. Even if that were all there was to him, he'd be a top ten contender for best villain ever.

But to me, what really seals the deal is the entire history of being Anakin Skywalker, a fallen hero and former champion of good. There's that moment where Vader takes his helmet off and he's just . . . this sad old man, happy to finally see his son for the first time with his own eyes. That he use to be a truly good person before the most evil bastard in the universe twisted him into this tool of evil.

Darth Vader was a cold blooded killer. A man that embraced his rage. Who killed casually. Who was a tool of evil. But he was also a man full of regret. Who rage and hatred were largely rage and hatred of himself, of his mistakes, of what he'd cost himself. He tried to kill the memory of Anakin Skywalker, and couldn't. Deep down, buried under all of the self-hatred, self-pity and anger, there was a sad old man who loved his wife, deeply missed her, and wished he could have had the chance to be a father. Vader was ultimately a creature of regret, trapped by his own bad decisions and desperately wishing for what could have been.

He becomes this incredibly tragic figure, something the Prequels and the Clone Wars cartoon actually showed, and what the Revenge of the Sith novelization made absolutely clear. Anakin was someone who wanted to do good. He tried his best to do good. But Palpatine twisted what could have been the greatest Jedi of all time into a force for darkness. And while it's true Anakin chose that path, to quote the Dresden Files, "Some people choose darkness. Some are pushed into it."

I dislike the current canon notion that being a Force Ghost is something you learn rather something you earn. And for Anakin, I feel he redeemed himself enough to become a Force Ghost. Yes, for 20 years he was a tool of the Emperor. In the 20 years before that, he had been a tool of justice in the galaxy, saving people and trying to be a champion of the Force. And when the moment came, when he could have chosen to focus on himself, to save himself . . . he chose to save his son and the galaxy. He took back the destiny Palpatine had stolen from him by bringing balance to the Force and destroying the Sith.

And with that in mind, I present to you, the final thoughts of Darth . . . of Anakin Skywalker, as per the original Star Wars: Return of the Jedi novelization.
The Final Thoughts of Anakin Skywalker wrote:
It intensified momentarily, Vader’s own sense of anguish to his crimes. Now he added guilt at the imagination of his appearance.

But then this brought him to mind the way he used to look; striking and grand – that hint of invincibility – and took in all of life with a wink.

Yes that was how he looked once and this was a memory that brought a wave of other memories.

With it, memories of brotherhood and home. His dear wife, the freedom of deep space, Obi-Wan – his friend – and how that friendship had turned, turned he knew not how…until, hold.

These two memories he wanted none of, not now. Memories of molten lava, crawling up his back, no.

This boy had pulled him from that pit. Here, now. With this act. This boy was good. The boy was good and the boy had come from him.

So there must have been good in him too? He smiled up again at his son and for the first time loved him.

And for the first time in many long years, loved himself again.
And for extra feels:

Image
"My heart is as light as a child's, a feeling I'd nearly forgotten. And by helping those in need, I will be able to keep that feeling alive."
- Captain Marvel SHAZAM! : Power of Hope (2000)

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RUSCHE
Posts: 373
Joined: Wed Nov 16, 2016 3:50 pm

Re: Jab’s Builds! (Lando! Princess Leia! Queen Amidala! Jedi Knights!)

Post by RUSCHE »

Ares wrote: Fri Feb 07, 2020 11:27 pm Vader is hands down my favorite villain of all time. There's just . . . so much to the guy.

In terms of sheer look and presence, he's hard to top. In terms of menace and power, he's just awesome. Even if that were all there was to him, he'd be a top ten contender for best villain ever.

But to me, what really seals the deal is the entire history of being Anakin Skywalker, a fallen hero and former champion of good. There's that moment where Vader takes his helmet off and he's just . . . this sad old man, happy to finally see his son for the first time with his own eyes. That he use to be a truly good person before the most evil bastard in the universe twisted him into this tool of evil.

Darth Vader was a cold blooded killer. A man that embraced his rage. Who killed casually. Who was a tool of evil. But he was also a man full of regret. Who rage and hatred were largely rage and hatred of himself, of his mistakes, of what he'd cost himself. He tried to kill the memory of Anakin Skywalker, and couldn't. Deep down, buried under all of the self-hatred, self-pity and anger, there was a sad old man who loved his wife, deeply missed her, and wished he could have had the chance to be a father. Vader was ultimately a creature of regret, trapped by his own bad decisions and desperately wishing for what could have been.

He becomes this incredibly tragic figure, something the Prequels and the Clone Wars cartoon actually showed, and what the Revenge of the Sith novelization made absolutely clear. Anakin was someone who wanted to do good. He tried his best to do good. But Palpatine twisted what could have been the greatest Jedi of all time into a force for darkness. And while it's true Anakin chose that path, to quote the Dresden Files, "Some people choose darkness. Some are pushed into it."

I dislike the current canon notion that being a Force Ghost is something you learn rather something you earn. And for Anakin, I feel he redeemed himself enough to become a Force Ghost. Yes, for 20 years he was a tool of the Emperor. In the 20 years before that, he had been a tool of justice in the galaxy, saving people and trying to be a champion of the Force. And when the moment came, when he could have chosen to focus on himself, to save himself . . . he chose to save his son and the galaxy. He took back the destiny Palpatine had stolen from him by bringing balance to the Force and destroying the Sith.

And with that in mind, I present to you, the final thoughts of Darth . . . of Anakin Skywalker, as per the original Star Wars: Return of the Jedi novelization.
The Final Thoughts of Anakin Skywalker wrote:
It intensified momentarily, Vader’s own sense of anguish to his crimes. Now he added guilt at the imagination of his appearance.

But then this brought him to mind the way he used to look; striking and grand – that hint of invincibility – and took in all of life with a wink.

Yes that was how he looked once and this was a memory that brought a wave of other memories.

With it, memories of brotherhood and home. His dear wife, the freedom of deep space, Obi-Wan – his friend – and how that friendship had turned, turned he knew not how…until, hold.

These two memories he wanted none of, not now. Memories of molten lava, crawling up his back, no.

This boy had pulled him from that pit. Here, now. With this act. This boy was good. The boy was good and the boy had come from him.

So there must have been good in him too? He smiled up again at his son and for the first time loved him.

And for the first time in many long years, loved himself again.
And for extra feels:

Image
All of this and more, he is what a complex Villain should be, in my mind only Victor Von Doom equals him in that respect.
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Ares
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Re: Jab’s Builds! (Lando! Princess Leia! Queen Amidala! Jedi Knights!)

Post by Ares »

Though I'll admit, I'm oddly picky to the point of being potentially hypocritical when it comes to complex villains.

With Vader, I love this whole notion that he use to be a hero, that his anger and hate is really a mask for his regret, that he feels trapped in the Dark Side because he doesn't know how to escape it, and it took the love of his son to help pull him back towards the light.

Conversely, I think Malificent works best as an "in love with her own evil" villain, one who revels in being bad and has no redeeming qualities. She didn't have a tragic backstory, she was basically this evil fairy queen who would condemn a child to death because she wasn't invited to a christening, and would go to ridiculously over the top lengths to not be thwarted. I hated the idea that the live action film tried to make her into this fallen Friend Of The Environment that kept the nice green forests safe from the Evil Humans, that the classically good characters were turned into either villains or incompetents to make her look better, that betrayal made her into this heartless monster and it was the innocent love of this girl she was trying to kill that kept her from being completely evil.

Just . . . no. Screw all of that noise.
"My heart is as light as a child's, a feeling I'd nearly forgotten. And by helping those in need, I will be able to keep that feeling alive."
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Re: Darth Fucking Vader

Post by Shock »

RUSCHE wrote: Fri Feb 07, 2020 11:03 pm And if ANYONE forgot how dangerous and Badass he is, The last fee moments of Rogue One reminded them . He is a wrecking ball and one man team destroyer.
I'm probably one of the few that didn't like Vader in Rogue One. I thought it was shameless power-geeking and completely unnecessary. The end of Rogue One also made the start of A New Hope a bit on the silly side. It's one thing to claim "This is a consular ship… we're on a diplomatic mission…" but it's not very believable when they followed you straight from the battle over Scarif. To me, it's a lot more menacing if they were on a covert mission and got interdicted by the Empire.

Personally, I see Vader as clearly in decline by the time of the Original Trilogy. The cybernetics have slowed him down and he's getting old. Though only 18 years have passed since Revenge of the Sith, Obi-Wan aged about 40 years and Anakin/Vader seems to be on a similar path. All of his fights are slow, though for different reasons. Against Obi-Wan, the fight was really about exposition, and 2 old friends that didn't really want to fight. On Cloud City, he was trying to turn Luke, not kill him. And even on the second Death Star, he still didn't really want to kill Luke. But still, he was slow. He made up for it with technique and the Force.

In the end, Vader is definitely a tragic figure. Like seemingly half the galaxy, he was used by the Emperor and (if Luke panned out) would probably be disposed of just like Dooku, the Trade Federation and everyone else. Does killing the Emperor make up for all that he did? It's pretty clear that he gets accepted by the light side of the Force as redeemed.
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Re: Jab’s Builds! (Lando! Princess Leia! Queen Amidala! Jedi Knights!)

Post by Bladewind »

Image


On the subject of Vader.... Kahmunrah said it best...
Is that you breathing? Because I can't hear myself think! (Vader is trying to force choke kamunrah) What is this? (Kahmunrah imitates the gesture) You've lost me. Can I give you advice? Just simplify; there's just too much going on. You're evil, you're asthmatic, you're a robot. And what is the cape for? Are we going to the opera? I don't think so. Sorry. Goodbye.
Then again, this Vader didn't his Sith/ Jedi abilities...

(Been waiting forever to post that !!!)
Thorpocalypse wrote: Sun Oct 07, 2018 6:01 pm Building to be comics "accurate" is different than building to run a PC or building something to challenge a group.
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Re: Darth Fucking Vader

Post by Thorpocalypse »

Shock wrote: Sat Feb 08, 2020 12:08 am
RUSCHE wrote: Fri Feb 07, 2020 11:03 pm And if ANYONE forgot how dangerous and Badass he is, The last fee moments of Rogue One reminded them . He is a wrecking ball and one man team destroyer.
I'm probably one of the few that didn't like Vader in Rogue One. I thought it was shameless power-geeking and completely unnecessary.
BLASPHEMER!!!!!!! :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:

THAT is exactly why it WAS awesome!!!!! Next thing you'll be telling us that Dolly Parton shouldn't wear padded bras!!!! Or that they shouldn't be jumping cars over skyscrapers in the Fast and the Furious!!!!!

May Jar-Jar Binks have mercy on your soul... :(
Me fail English? That's unpossible. - Ralph Wiggum
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Re: Jab’s Builds! (Lando! Princess Leia! Queen Amidala! Jedi Knights!)

Post by squirrelly-sama »

Ares wrote: Fri Feb 07, 2020 11:51 pm Though I'll admit, I'm oddly picky to the point of being potentially hypocritical when it comes to complex villains.

With Vader, I love this whole notion that he use to be a hero, that his anger and hate is really a mask for his regret, that he feels trapped in the Dark Side because he doesn't know how to escape it, and it took the love of his son to help pull him back towards the light.

Conversely, I think Malificent works best as an "in love with her own evil" villain, one who revels in being bad and has no redeeming qualities. She didn't have a tragic backstory, she was basically this evil fairy queen who would condemn a child to death because she wasn't invited to a christening, and would go to ridiculously over the top lengths to not be thwarted. I hated the idea that the live action film tried to make her into this fallen Friend Of The Environment that kept the nice green forests safe from the Evil Humans, that the classically good characters were turned into either villains or incompetents to make her look better, that betrayal made her into this heartless monster and it was the innocent love of this girl she was trying to kill that kept her from being completely evil.

Just . . . no. Screw all of that noise.
Maleficent was kinda like a classic Unseelie fae, she was a class act sure but she was still basically doing everything based on her own whims and those whims often if not always tend to be about screwing someone over for some petty slight. For as cool and graceful as she is she still has all the presence and presentation of the hammiest and most showy of all Disney's villains.

As for Anakin, I didn't really like the prequels but I can understand where they supposed to go and what Vader's backstory as a hero who fell looked like and it made sense even if the image didn't quite match up since Lucas didn't have anyone to veto him from putting every little thought that popped into his head the first time.

The difference between Anakin's story as a fallen hero and Maleficent's is that Anakin was show to actually be a fallen hero and the movies are themselves the whole set up for that fall. Maleficent was basically just 5 minutes showing she used to be happy, then some asshole maimed her, then she was sad and evil so therefore she's complicated now.
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Re: Jab’s Builds! (Lando! Princess Leia! Queen Amidala! Jedi Knights!)

Post by Jabroniville »

Bladewind wrote: Sat Feb 08, 2020 12:50 am Image


On the subject of Vader.... Kahmunrah said it best...
Is that you breathing? Because I can't hear myself think! (Vader is trying to force choke kamunrah) What is this? (Kahmunrah imitates the gesture) You've lost me. Can I give you advice? Just simplify; there's just too much going on. You're evil, you're asthmatic, you're a robot. And what is the cape for? Are we going to the opera? I don't think so. Sorry. Goodbye.
I say "Random Sissy Pharaoh #756 doesn't get to judge the greatest of all villains that way" :P.

Everyone knows the best way to do things is to throw as many things as possible onto one character- anyone can be a Dragon... but why not be a Dragon NINJA? Or an immortal magical Dragon Ninja with chi powers, a feud against his own family and a best friend who's a shapeshifting Manticore-Wizard-Monk who is also a cyborg?
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Re: Darth Fucking Vader

Post by Jabroniville »

Thorpocalypse wrote: Sat Feb 08, 2020 3:09 am
Shock wrote: Sat Feb 08, 2020 12:08 am
RUSCHE wrote: Fri Feb 07, 2020 11:03 pm And if ANYONE forgot how dangerous and Badass he is, The last fee moments of Rogue One reminded them . He is a wrecking ball and one man team destroyer.
I'm probably one of the few that didn't like Vader in Rogue One. I thought it was shameless power-geeking and completely unnecessary.
BLASPHEMER!!!!!!! :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:

THAT is exactly why it WAS awesome!!!!! Next thing you'll be telling us that Dolly Parton shouldn't wear padded bras!!!! Or that they shouldn't be jumping cars over skyscrapers in the Fast and the Furious!!!!!

May Jar-Jar Binks have mercy on your soul... :(
Thorp said it before I could :).

While yes, it's Power Geeking... Vader's really just doing it to the Mookiest of Rebel Mooks. Therefore it's AWESOME. Also, the cinematography is amazing and showcases his brutal, raw power at its most magnificent.

But like others have said, I enjoy how much of Vader's showings in the new Star Wars media shows him excelling AGAINST THE HEROES- like, nobody's trying to "put over" their characters by having them be "the one who can beat Vader" or outsmart Palpatine or whatever- Vader just curbstomping the entire Rebels cast makes him out to be so awesome and dangerous. It speaks to the character's aura and credibility that when the old fans finally get to work on "Official Canon" stuff, their first thought it's "I wanna make a guy who can beat Vader", it's "I wanna show Vader being AWESOME!". The guy debuted in the '70s and that's the shadow he still casts over us.
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Anakin Skywalker

Post by Jabroniville »

Image
Image
Image

Padme: "We used to come here for school retreat. We would swim to that island every day. I love the water. We used to lie out on the sand and let the sun dry us and try to guess the names of the birds singing."
Anakin: "I don't like sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere. Not like here. Here everything is soft and smooth."
-Truly, Lucas is the Master of Dialogue


ANAKIN SKYWALKER (aka Darth Vader)
Role:
The Whiniest Little Bitch in the Galaxy, Sand-Hater
Group Affiliations: The Jedi Knights
PL 11 (208), PL 12 (208) Dark Side
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+12)
Athletics 9 (+11)
Close Combat (Lightsaber) 3 (+14)
Deception 4 (+7)
Expertise (Soldier) 6 (+13)
Intimidation 5 (+8)
Investigation 4 (+6)
Perception 8 (+10)
Stealth 2 (+7)
Technology 7 (+11)
Vehicles 7 (+12)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, All-Out Attack, Diehard, Equipment 3 (Blaster +5, Assorted Gear), Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Lightsaber) 2, Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative 2, Interpose, Languages (A Few), Move-By Action, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 6, Seize Initiative, Startle, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Mastery of The Force"
"Force Senses"
Senses 10 (Detect The Force- Ranged 4, Detect Life- Ranged 4) [10]
Senses 4 (Precognition) (Flaws: Uncontrolled) [2]
Enhanced Skill 2: Vehicles 2 (+14) [1]
Enhanced Advantages 5: Defensive Roll 2, Improved Aim, Precise Attack 2 (Ranged/Cover, Close/Concealment) [5]

"Force-Assisted Movement"
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"Jedi Laser Deflection" Deflect 12 (Extras: Multiattack, Reflect, Redirection) (Flaws: Limited to Lasers, Lightsaber-Based, Multiattack Requires Multiple Lasers -1/2) (18) -- [21]
  • AE: "Use The Force" Move Object 6 (Feats: Subtle) (Diminished Range -1) (12)
  • AE: "Force Push" Damage 4 (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) Linked to Affliction 6 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Stunned) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Extra Condition, Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (16.5)
  • AE: "Jedi Mind Trick" Affliction 4 (Will; Dazed/Compelled) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- Audio Perception, Selective) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (9)
"Channel the Dark Side"
Enhanced Strength 1 [2]
Enhanced Advantages 1: Close Attack 1 [1]
Enhanced Skills 4: Intimidation 4 (+7) [2]

"Lightsaber" (Flaws: Easily Removable) (Feats: Restricted to Those Trained) [9]
Strength-Damage +6 (Extras: Penetrating 7) (13 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Lightsaber +14 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Dark Side Unarmed +12 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Dark Side Lighsaber +15 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Laser Blaster +11 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Force Push +4-6 Area (+4 Damage & +6 Affliction, DC 19 & 16)
Mind Trick +4 Area (+4 Affliction, DC 14)
Initiative +13

Defenses:
Dodge +14 (DC 24), Parry +15 (DC 25), Toughness +4 (+6 D.Roll), Fortitude +6, Will +8

Complications:
Hatred (Sand)
Responsibility (The Jedi Order)- Jedi are under numerous rules (never falling in love, stuff like that), and their mission is to keep peace and order throughout the galaxy. Anakin does not follow most of these rules.
Relationship (Obi-Wan Kenobi)- Obi-Wan has trained young Anakin since he was a boy, but Anakin isn't a very dutiful trainee. He spends most of his time doing what he wants, being overly-aggressive, and lecturing his mentor on how to rebel.
Relationship (Padme Amidala)- Anakin has been in love with Padme since he was a young boy, and only grows more obsessed with age. The fact that he's not allowed to fall in love makes him want it ALL THE MORE, and soon he selfishly craves more and more of her, becoming unglued at the thought of losing her.
Relationship (Master Yoda, Mace Windu)- Anakin is forced to defer to the elder Jedi Council members, but often resists their advice and orders.
Responsibility (Violent Temper)- Anakin is prone to berserker rages- he massacres a Tusken Raider village for his mother's death (slaughtering children in the meantime), aggressively-attacks Count Dooku instead of fighting strategically, and attempts to execute fallen opponents.
Responsibility (The Dark Side)- The Dark Side is dangerously-close for all Jedi. Using the "Channel the Dark Side Powers", using Dark Side-like powers (like strangling someone with The Force, or crushing them internally), killing defeated foes or otherwise killing needlessly, and even using All-Out or Power Attack too often can lead the Jedi down a dark path. The Dark Side is "quicker, EASIER- more seductive," and the temporary boost of power can easily tempt one. Excessive use of the Dark Side will twist one's spirit, and mangle their body.
Weakness (Inverse Law of Ninjitsu)- Jedi Knights become magically shittier the more of them are involved with one conflict. Two Jedi frequently lose against a single opponent, leaving the survivor to defeat the enemy. If there are dozens of Jedi around you, you're pretty f*cked. Maybe they just can't use their Lightsabers to full-effectiveness with allies close by.

Total: Abilities: 72 / Skills: 62--31 / Advantages: 28 / Powers: 56 / Defenses: 21 (208)

Lucas Fails Vader:
-The Prequels have a TON of flaws in them- adding "midichlorians" to the more mystical nature of The Force, turning Padme into pretty wallpaper, adding Space Jews and Space Asians and Space Black People to the galaxy, and going against the continuity of the Originals like they didn't even care. But the WORST thing they did was probably what happened to Anakin Skywalker. The story of DARTH VADER, the bossest of all villains, should have been this epic tale of how a brilliant Jedi slowly turned and was twisted to the Dark Side of The Force. Instead, what we got was the tale of how the two worst actors in the universe made the whiniest little fussy baby in the galaxy pout and moan until he turned evil because he wanted to use magic to resurrect his wife if she died.

-The first flaws were seen in The Phantom Menace, which depicted Young Anakin as this overly-precocious kid who did everything that adults hate about little kids in movies. He was depicted as a Jesus-like child born to a virgin mother (blink and you'll miss a mention of the Sith "creating life" in the third film that implies that Palpatine could have done this), was SUPER-cloying and doofus-y with his "Innocent Child" act, and then managed to DEFEAT ALL THE VILLAINS BY HIMSELF, more or less by accident, messing around in a ship that blew up the thing that controlled all the Combat Droids. He even shouted "YIPEEEEEE!" in the middle of action scenes. Searching through thousands and thousands of hopefuls and somehow choosing the worst Child Actor on the planet didn't help.

And IT JUST GETS WORSE!:
-But oh, we didn't even realize the stupid was just getting STARTED. For the second and third Prequels, we got an actor so bad, that "calling his acting wooden is an insult to puppets" (quoth Roger Ebert). Hayden Christensen should have been playing this sly, clever bad-ass, twisted by rage and seduced by great power into turning to the Dark Side (the sequence of events actually SUPPORTS that). We SORT of got that in The Clone Wars animated series. But instead, in the films we had Hayden pouting like a pissed-off teenager who's been grounded. When he cries, you don't believe it, and when he's enraged, he looks like a 3-year old having a meltdown because mommy won't let him draw on the walls. When he's friendly, he smirks and acts superior, making him UNLIKEABLE, too. All of this couldn't have worked even if he'd had GREAT material, so it's all the worse when he has shit like "I don't like SAND" as part of his Character-Defining Speech. And then he's made to look foolish, being disarmed (and dis-armed) by Count Dooku in the second film, and foolishly ignoring the suddenly-impossible-to-overcome dilemma of losing the High Ground in his fight with Obi-Wan in the third (this is what turns him into a cyborg).

-So what should be DARTH VADER, KING OF ALL BAD GUYS is now just this snivelling, pouty pre-teen, whose only major victory is going all Dark Side on Count Dooku. And annoyingly, despite supposedly having this AMAZING ability with The Force, he never really uses it. He never hits much harder than anyone else, never throws stuff around, and isn't really seen showcasing any particular power-boost. I get that the character should be more "power than finesse" and that Anakin's personality type would probably avoid the more-thoughtful, meditative powers of the Jedi, but you'd think his Yoda-level... ugh... midichlorian count would have given him SOMETHING.

Anakin's Stats:
-Anakin Skywalker is basically like Obi-Wan (they're about on equal terms in fighting skill eventually, though Anakin was probably only PL 9 in Attack of the Clones), but subtracts a bit of Obi-Wan's wisdom and thoughtfulness for some VERY non-Jedi-like things such as All-Out & Power Attack, high Intimidation, Startle, and of course the "Tapping the Dark Side" boosts that push him up past his mentor. Anakin's good enough to take out the VERY high-skilled Count Dooku in the third film, but even at PL 12 it's possible for him to lose to a PL 11 Obi-Wan (who was probably playing a ton of Hero Points anyways... plus he used the magical terrain bonus to his advantage). You'll also note that he can equal his aged, Darth Vader-y self by tapping the Dark Side, but only in terms of raw power- his Defenses and lack of Force Abilities will put this DECISIVELY in the cyborg's favor.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Sun Jul 24, 2022 12:56 am, edited 1 time in total.
sirjolt
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Re: Jab’s Builds! (Leia! Queen Amidala! Jedi Knights! Darth Vader!)

Post by sirjolt »

The American Film Institute rates Darth Vader as the third greatest villain of all time behind only Norman Bates and Hannibal Lecter.
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Re: Jab’s Builds! (Leia! Queen Amidala! Jedi Knights! Darth Vader!)

Post by Ares »

I actually enjoyed finding out about Anakin's backstory, but I have to admit that the Prequels themselves didn't do the best job of presenting it. The story worked just fine, but the actors, direction and dialogue took away from it. Thankfully tho, the Prequels established enough that it opened the door for other people to tell the story better. I know I keep gushing about the Episode III novelization, but it's amazing how the novel takes a mediocre movie and makes it into a fantastic story. The audio-book is great too.

The Clone Wars likewise does a great job of fleshing out Anakin, showing more of his personality, letting you see the conflict within him and the parts of his personality that simultaneously made him a great hero and a good man, but could lead him down the path Palpatine was preparing for him.

When told right, the story of Anakin, Obi-Wan and Padme is awesome, touching and heartbreaking. You really get the feel for how much Anakin lovd them both, how much they mattered to him, and how one clever bastard managed to turn them all against each other and leave them destroyed.
"My heart is as light as a child's, a feeling I'd nearly forgotten. And by helping those in need, I will be able to keep that feeling alive."
- Captain Marvel SHAZAM! : Power of Hope (2000)

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