Anakin Skywalkers's (Hayden Christensen) dark transformation into the Sith Lord Darth Vader wasn't pretty, as the former Jedi's body burned to a crisp in "Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. MSN: Star Wars: Darth Vader's burn makeup shows how bad his injuries really were Star Wars: Darth Vader's burn makeup shows how bad his injuries really were Darth Vader (/ dɑːrθ ˈveɪdər /) is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise. He first appeared in the original Star Wars film (1977) [b] and its novelization (1976).

Understanding the Context

He is a leader of the Galactic Empire, and is one of the two major villains in the original film trilogy. Many of the Star Wars galaxy’s Sith Lords use the title of Darth, yet few properties directly address the title’s meaning, history, and origins. The first Star Wars character to use the Darth title is the franchise’s most iconic villain: Darth Vader. Before he became a disciple of the dark side, Darth Vader was Anakin Skywalker, a goodhearted Jedi and hero of the Clone Wars.

Key Insights

While he was considered one of the most powerful Jedi in the galaxy, Anakin had broken the Order ’s code by secretly marrying Senator Padmé Amidala. In the "Star Wars" universe, Sith Lords bear the title "Darth" followed by a unique name. Darth Vader, Darth Sidious, and Darth Maul each use the term as part of their identity. In the most popular sense, “Darth” is a fictional title used in the Star Wars franchise to signify a Sith Lord —a practitioner of the dark side of the Force. The term is generally placed before the Sith’s chosen name, creating intimidating titles such as Darth Vader or Darth Revan.

Final Thoughts

When audiences were introduced to Darth Vader in 1977, it appeared that this was just his name, especially since Ben Kenobi called him "Darth." However, George Lucas always intended for Vader to be a Dark Lord of the Sith, and the Star Wars prequel trilogy revealed more about Sith customs.