Darth Vader vs. Grand Moff Tarkin
It's really hard to picture a time when there was no wider Star Wars universe. However, this was obviously the case back when A New Hope first came out. Since its release, the universe has grown exponentially and seen the introduction of many villainous characters. But when you look at the very first film, it would have been difficult for the audience to work out just who the real villain was between Grand Moff Tarkin and Darth Vader. It's made even more difficult by the fact Vader seems to obey Tarkin, most notably when he is told to stop Force choking someone during a staff meeting. So just who was the superior out of the two? Well today we are going to look at their relationship in detail.
In the original trilogy, Tarkin was only present during the first film, as he meets his demise, along with thousands of other Imperials, when the Death Star is destroyed by Luke Skywalker and his band of Rebels. But his story, like many other characters, has been expanded upon since via books, comics, and animated TV shows. CGI was also used to have him appear in Rogue One with the likeness of the late Peter Cushing, who played him in A New Hope.
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Tarkin is given a bit of backstory in the show The Clone Wars. We learn he was part of the Republic. However, it always seemed like something wasn't quite right with him. Following the formation of Palpatine's Empire, Tarkin almost immediately changes sides, rises through the ranks to Grand Moff, and is then put in charge of the Death Star. This shows he has much favour with Palpatine.
The new Disney+ show The Bad Batch has also shown he is responsible for overseeing the switch from clones to stormtroopers, and it is he who gives the order to destroy the cloning facility on Kamino. This clearly highlights that he has more power than we once thought. But how does it compare to Vader?
Vader, we know, has gone on to have a very in depth backstory via the prequels and other expanded media, but the films and TV shows have never made it clear just who had the most power and authority out of the two. Many would argue Vader is superior, based on the fact he was once Anakin Skywalker, an extremely deadly and powerful Force user. But again, the fact that he seems to obey Tarkin in A New Hope would suggest otherwise.
The reasoning for Vader's obedience can, potentially, be traced back to the Marvel comics series Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith. This series focuses on Vader after the events of Revenge of the Sith, as he attempts to rebuild his power following being confined to his new suit. During the series' run, Vader assists Tarkin, but then requested Tarkin and his men try and hunt him down. Vader absolutely slaughters Tarkin's men. However, Tarkin uses intellect to his advantage and lures Vader into a trap. This challenge allows Tarkin to understand the extent of the Dark Lord's powers. Tarkin tricks Vader into following him to an area of the planet they are on where lightning strikes are frequent, which results in Vader being electrocuted and his suit being badly damaged. Using the Force, though, Vader is able to almost kill Tarkin, but stops short of completing the deed. It's never explained why exactly Vader stops, but many conclude it is due to him respecting his opponent's ability to bring him down on his own and outsmart him. Both find an unlikely ally in each other, which one could argue they believed would please the Emperor more.
In terms of actual rank, Tarkin is a Grand Moff, which means he has, basically, unchallenged control of the Empire's fleet and can overrule other Moffs. He is also put in charge of the Death Star's construction and is the one to give the order of destroying Alderaan. As much as we have seen Vader take control of certain situations, he is almost always there fighting alongside the Empire, rather than sitting back giving orders, and doesn't have an actual military rank. When it comes to the Emperor himself, as a master of manipulation, it wouldn't be a stretch to believe he uses their rivalry to his advantage and sees Tarkin as a means to keep Vader under control. Tarkin is a skilled military leader, so it makes sense he would be put in charge of the fleet and Vader, by the events of the original trilogy anyway, becoming little more than the Emperor's lapdog, used to instill fear and hunt down surviving Jedi. Once Tarkin is defeated, Vader does seem to absorb his position somewhat, but this would likely have been down to necessity than anything else.
With Tarkin having a much more in-depth role in The Bad Batch and the show being renewed for a second season, there's every possibility this relationship could be explored further, and we could finally get a canonical answer as to who really is "top dog".
What do you think? Did Tarkin outrank Vader, or did Vader outrank Tarkin? Be sure to let us know.
Until next time.
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Source(s): CinemaBlend, Marvel's Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith