Darth Vader is one of the most iconic villains in pop culture history, and all it takes is to catch a glimpse of his black cloak or hear the hiss of his respirator to understand why. While Vader’s look never truly changes in Star Wars canon, the “Legends” extended universe has given audiences multiple looks at different versions of Vader, including an all-white outfit.
Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin, by Tim Siedell and Stephen Thompson, depicts Vader traveling to a moon to prevent further assassination attempts on the Emperor. Vader comes across the Temple of the Headless Snake, and the cultists within are thrilled at the Dark Lord’s arrival. The cultists explain to Vader that he is the herald of their prophecy. Vader would be the one to destroy the heads of both the Jedi and the Sith, and bring chaos to the entire galaxy. Vader is unamused with the cultists as they are a threat to the Empire. He continually turns the discussion back towards the cultists’ energy beam that earlier took down an Imperial Star Destroyer.
Click the button below to start this article in quick view.
The cultists claim that Vader needs to perform a purification ritual before they can explain how their weapon works. They bring Vader to an empty room, with the exception of a goblet in the center of the floor. Vader looks into the goblet before vines pull him in for a closer look. Vader is now on the ground, without his helmet, and in an all-white costume. He witnesses himself defeating Obi-Wan Kenobi and Palpatine years before these events take place. Vader then looks up and sees himself in another new costume with the cult’s logo plastered in the middle.
Vader would go on to fulfill every part of the cult’s prophecy. He struck down Obi-Wan and destroyed the head of the Jedi. He helped defeat Palpatine who was the head of the Sith. Vader even brought chaos to the cult by destroying their base and killing every individual inside. The only part of the prophecy unfulfilled was Vader’s dashing new attire.
While Vader’s white suit is only shown for a few panels, it is still a striking image. This is not the first time that Vader has appeared in all-white. Star Wars Infinities: Return of the Jedi by Adam Gallardo and Ryan Benjamin shows yet another rendition of a white Vader. This miniseries saw Vader turn back to the light side after a battle with his children.
Luke and Leia are fighting Vader in front of Palpatine when Vader is able to bring Luke to his knees. Luke declares that he will no longer fight Vader and that this is his opportunity to strike both Luke and Leia down. This sentiment causes Vader to fall to his knees and turn from the dark side of the Force. Palpatine is able to escape during the commotion and Luke brings his father aboard the Millenium Falcon. Vader would go back to being Anakin Skywalker and agree to help the rebels hunt Palpatine in his all-new, all-white suit.
Fans have always been enamored with the idea of a white-suit Vader. While there are no canon versions of the character, there are versions that almost existed. Early concept art from Free Radical’s canceled Battlefront 4 showed a light-side Vader that combined the villain’s classic suit with the robes of a Jedi. This version would not have been an all-white Vader like the comics’ version but would have accents of brown in his robe. Fans have also made their own versions of Vader’s symbolic white suit that they have worn to various Comic-Cons.
The idea of a white Vader in itself is interesting. Darth Vader’s tale is more or less the ultimate redemption story. If black is the color of the dark side then it stands to reason that white be the color of the light. If Vader were to ever switch to the light side, he would have needed a new look that didn’t strike fear into everyone he encountered.
About The Author
