10 Things You Didn't Know About Darth Vader's Suit
Few villains in pop culture have a look quite as iconic as the Dark Lord of the Sith himself, Darth Vader. His signature ebony armor inspired fear across the Star Wars universe and awe amongst movie goers. It’s unquestionably unforgettable, but there’s more to it than meets the eye. Here are ten things you may not know about Vader’s armor.
1. It Has A Serial Number
Upon his return to Coruscant, it isn’t long before Anakin is ensconced in the armor that would complete his transformation into Darth Vader. While we are treated to the agonizing process of the Emperor’s medical droids attaching the various pieces of the suit to Vader’s body, the armor’s origins are shrouded in mystery. And while it’s no secret that Palpatine had the means to have it forged in secret, with many hidden factories to choose from, not much else is known about how it came to be, though Kieron Gillen's Darth Vader comic series revealed a scientist called Cylo to be the suit's creator. The suit was given a serial number, that being E-3778Q-1.
2. It Has Climate Control
It is common knowledge to most fans that the primary purpose of Vader’s armor is to sustain the Sith Lord from the injuries he earned from his fateful duel on Mustafar. What’s lesser known, however, is the additional enhancements the suit provides. It boasts a myriad of sensors and onboard regulators to maintain the internal temperature of his suit such that it would be the envy of even the most seasoned cosplayer. Vader could roam the frigid snowfields of Hoth and feel warm and toasty or traverse across the infamous sands of Tatooine without fear of pesky sand breaching his defenses.
3. It Has Magnetic Boots
In the heat of battle, the suit is reinforced with durasteel plating and supplemented by blast dampening leather that protected him from the wide variety of threats he would encounter on the job. The dual layers of protection were capable of shrugging off most small arms weapons, and it is even flame resistant. Live and learn. In the event that Vader needs to travel across unstable terrain or low gravity environments, his boots come equipped with magnets. This allows Vader to cling to metal surfaces like the outside of a ship or maintain his balance in the middle of a battle. They also have thicker plates of durasteel along his shins for additional protection.
4. It Helps Him Fly His TIE Advanced
“He was the best starfighter pilot in the galaxy.” High praise, but well earned. Vader’s skill as a pilot is infamous across the galaxy, as he is able to take out entire enemy fighter wings single handedly with relative ease. While he certainly doesn’t need it, Vader’s helmet is able to sync with the various systems of his custom-made TIE Advanced fighter craft. Providing him with real time status updates on his ships systems as well as a more sophisticated targeting computer and com device than the average TIE pilot. These benefits can also be utilized on the ground with additional optical enhancements such as infrared vision and magnification.
5. It Runs On A System Of Power Cells
Maintaining all these functions demands a great deal of energy. This is accomplished by a series of rechargeable energy cells placed across his armor. These power not only the suit, but his prosthetic limbs as well. Its primary power source is sufficient to maintain all of Vader’s systems for extended periods of time without losing their charge. In the event of an emergency, his suit is equipped with a backup generator that serves only to maintain life support and other critical functions. All of these could be recharged in Vader’s meditation chamber once he returned from his mission.
6. It Is Painful To Wear
Despite the various luxuries the suit affords him, Vader is in a constant state of pain whenever he wears it. His past injuries may have healed, but they have debilitated the once proud Jedi Knight. The volcanic ash has seared his lungs, and the terrible burns require numerous grafts of synthetic skin all over his body. The suit keeps him alive, but it does little to provide Vader with comfort. The bulky armor plating, weighted clothing, and various hardware that provide the suit’s functionality weigh a great deal and at times over-encumber the Sith Lord. It limits his range of motion, and every step he takes rubs the inner shell against his sensitive flesh. The mechanism that aids his breathing produces his trademark raspy breath which keeps him up at night.
7. Vader Chose Not To Upgrade It
Even as a boy on Tatooine, Anakin was a mechanical prodigy. From his podracer, to building C-3PO, there was very little he couldn’t do, and his skills only grew with time. With such skills at his disposal, fixing his armor should be a non-issue. While it could be argued that his new master discouraged such modifications for fear of his apprentice turning against him, the answer is much more pragmatic; he welcomed the pain. As we’ve seen through the various media that make up the Star Wars universe, practitioners of the dark side draw their power from negative emotions. Enhanced states of fear, anger, and hate can amplify a user’s powers to new heights. Maul’s hatred of Obi-Wan is so great, his need for revenge is enough to keep him alive despite being cut in half. So all the perceived detriments of the suit actually serve to give Vader the power boost he needs to overcome his foes.
8. Palpatine Installed Failsafes
As the Emperor’s enforcer, Vader is in many ways a tool used by Palpatine to quell any resistance to his regime. But with such a powerful agent under his thumb, betrayal is always a possibility. After all, it is in a Sith’s nature to seek power and overthrow their master. With that in mind, Palpatine secretly installed many failsafes into the armor’s systems that would allow him to shock or incapacitate his apprentice should he ever try to overthrow him. Overconfidence was always his weakness.
9. It Has Many Design Influences
Ralph McQuarrie was the first, and perhaps the most famous, artist tasked by George Lucas to design the now iconic armor. Vader was to be a dark knight in service of an even more terrible master. Early designs didn’t even include the helmet but instead featured a scarf that covered the lower part of his face. However, upon hearing about the time the Sith Lord would spend in space, McQuarrie decided to add the helmet. From there, it was handed over to costume designer John Mollo who applied the finishing touches with a little inspiration from the armor worn by samurai and the works of filmmaker Akira Kurosawa. A man whose works also inspired Lucas and influenced the story of Star Wars as well.
10. There’s A White Version
In a Legends comic titled Star Wars Infinites: Return of the Jedi, a what-if scenario is explored in which a new chain of events leads to Leia accompanying Luke on the second Death Star. The scene plays out much like the original, but the sight of his two children together is enough to turn Vader back to the light side and betray his dark master before he is fatally injured. Upon regrouping with the Rebel Alliance, Anakin emerges clad in an all-white version of his armor to symbolize his change of heart.
Source(s): InAFarAwayGalaxy.com, Wookieepedia