And, as we will see in Star Wars: Episode I, Anakin Skywalker begins life as many young boys do: curious, inventive, and with a thirst for adventure. So, to put it bluntly, how did he become Darth Vader? While the complete answer is something George Lucas has left for next three installments of the Star Wars saga, this new book provides a big part of the answer for Star Wars fans everywhere.
Scheduled to hit the streets in November, Anakin Skywalker: The Story of Darth Vader, is a comprehensive guide to all things Vader. Beginning with an insightful look at the development of the character, through early sketches by Ralph McQuarrie and interviews with George Lucas, the motivation for the character of Darth Vader becomes clear. A succinct and informative fictional synopsis of the life and times of the Dark Lord is here as well, beginning at the time Star Wars: A New Hope takes place. Arguably the most collectible of any character in the Star Wars universe, Darth Vader has inspired a host of products and memorabilia, all catalogued here. In addition to the unusual design of the volume, this Chronicle Books Masterpiece Edition features the exclusive 13.5" doll of the redeemed Anakin Skywalker, resplendent in the robes of a Jedi. Author Steve Sansweet, along with Dan Wallace and Josh Ling, have crafted a staggeringly complete portrayal of Darth Vader from helmet, mask and cape to T-shirt, baseball cap and mug.
Dunkler Vater
Early Vader Sketch Is it just coincidence that Darth Vader comes close to translating as "dark father" in more than one European language (notably German)? While no one can say for sure, the phrase certainly suits the figure to which it is attached. Lucas' early ideas were for a character that "falls from grace and then is redeemed by his son." He notes in the book, "Having machines, like the droids, that are reasonably compassionate and a man like Vader who becomes a machine and loses his compassion was a theme that interested me." Also provided in fascinating detail is the story of how the look of the character was developed. Vader's helmet was inspired by the Japanese kabuto (medieval helmet) and mempo (facemask) of a Samurai warrior. Also playing a role are Bedouin silk robes and WWI and II German uniforms.
As important as the look of the character was, the booming voice (provided by actor James Earl Jones) and rasping breath sounds are as much a part of the character of Darth Vader as his outward appearance. Star Wars sound designer Ben Burtt comments on obtaining the sound effects for Vader's breathing:
"We learned that what we really wanted was just an icy, cold mechanical breathing," he says. "And Darth breathing was a recording that I made. It was me breathing through the regulator on my scuba tank. Then I'd edit those breaths into every scene with Darth Vader and try and match the breathing rhythm of the speech, which of course was the voice of James Earl Jones."
Why Darth Vader?
Asked what inspired this book, author Steve Sansweet provides some background: "Chronicle Books, in conjunction with Hasbro, had already done other successful Masterpiece Editions that had included a toy doll and the licensees were already doing Star Wars books and toys for us. We began talking about a Star Wars Masterpiece Edition based on one of the characters from the Star Wars universe about three years ago. It was tricky to settle on the right character because we wanted to choose one that had significance within the upcoming Episodes I, II, and III but that also related to the existing Star Wars movies. We settled on Anakin because he fits in with both sets of stories. Also, among the original 12" dolls released back in 1978-79, there wasn't one that stood out as the 'flagship of the fleet' so to speak and so we didn't want to go back and just replicate one of those. The project took on greater significance in the interim as the new movie neared completion and it was necessary to strike a very delicate balance between what could be said about Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker, and what couldn't. There was some dancing to be done, but that made the project even more fun."
The book is the first Star Wars Masterpiece Edition and features a beautiful design with a lift-off cover that reveals both the book and the exclusive 13.5" doll of Anakin Skywalker redeemed, under a plastic cover. Both the box and book are cut "on-the-bias" in a trapezoidal design possibly suggesting the shape of Darth Vader's helmet. Steve notes that additional motivation for including a doll of Anakin was that there had already been several variations of villainous Darth Vader such as a version with a removable helmet and a talking Darth Vader. "There had been a 3.75" figure of Anakin released in about 1985, but never a large size figure of Anakin as he appears at the end of Return of the Jedi," says Steve.
The list of collectibles, compiled by co-author Josh Ling, came from Steve's personal collection, the Tomart price guide, and other sources. Most of the photos are from Steve's second-to-none collection of Star Wars memorabilia from over the past 20 years. Steve's favorite collectible? "The high-end Don Post Vader helmet and mask is a favorite. It was based on an actual helmet and mask used in The Empire Strikes Back which made its way into my collection. It's a meticulous reproduction of this actual set prop."
The Life and Times of the Dark Lord of the Sith
Co-author Dan Wallace provided the second section of the book, a fictional synopsis of the saga of Darth Vader starting at the time of Star Wars: A New Hope. While some broad detail is given of the time leading up to the first Star Wars film, Dan notes that he had to be careful not to involve elements that would be portrayed in the upcoming prequels, starting with Episode I. "The synopsis was hard to do. I had originally made some assumptions about Anakin's early life which turned out to be wrong since I hadn't read the script of Episode I yet," relates Wallace. "I found I had to skip ahead from there 30 or 40 years and provide a sort of last look at the classic Darth Vader and Anakin Skywalker that we know from the first three films." Dan said he pulled details about Anakin's early life from Star Wars: A New Hope screenplay drafts as well as from George Lucas' novelization of A New Hope. While it was a difficult balancing act, Dan says, "It will all fit together nicely when you see the new movie."
