Darth Vader

Darth Vader was originally a Jedi knight by the name of Anakin Skywalker. Anakin was born a slave on the planet of Tatooine in the waning days of the Old Republic. He and his mother Shmi were, at first, owned by Gardulla the Hutt. However, Gardulla lost them to the penurious Watto betting on the pod races sponsored by the Hutts on Tatooine.

Anakin found solace in his dreams of one day leaving Tatooine and becoming a star pilot. When he was nine years old, his dreams began to be realized when the Jedi knight, Qui Gon Jinn had him freed as the result of a pod race Jinn bet on Anakin to win. Anakin went on to aid Qui Gon Jinn and his Padawan, Obi Wan Kenobi, in winning the battle of Naboo against the evil Trade Federation. This victory, however, was tarnished with the loss of Anakin's first Jedi mentor, Qui Gon Jinn, who had promised to train Anakin despite the objections of the Jedi Council. After Jinn's death, and over Yoda's protests, the Jedi Council decided to allow Kenobi to take on Anakin as his Padawan learner, respecting Qui Gon's last wishes.

During the ensuing years, Anakin distinguished himself and learned quickly. Fighting alongside Obi Wan Kenobi in the Clone Wars, Anakin distinguished himself again, by helping destroy the evil Count Dooku (???) and protecting the beautiful Amidala, now a Senator from Naboo. It was during this time that Anakin and Amidala fell in love, and Anakin felt his first stirrings of doubt as to whether he was receiving proper training in the Jedi arts from Kenobi. Additionally, he was unable to prevent the death of his mother, Shmi, which continued to create a chasm between Anakin and Obi Wan. Skywalker and Kenobi began to quarrel, and Kenobi reminded him of the loyalty Anakin owed the Jedi Order.

It was some time after Palpatine had declared himself Emperor that He approached Anakin Skywalker in his guise as Darth Sidious, Sith Master. Anakin, had grown tired of the sometimes tedious learing Obi-wan had admininstered and found Palpatine's teaching to be quicker with results and more appealing in its use. Using his extensive dark side powers, the Emperor finally succeeded in luring Skywalker over to the Dark Side of the force.

Anakin was approached by his old master Obi-Wan Kenobi and was warned of the dangerous path that the dark side represented. Anakin refused to listen to the Jedi knight and they began a fierce lightsaber duel. During the fight Anakin lost some limbs and fell into a pit of molten lava which severly burned the young man over all of his body, not only disfiguring him, but destroying his lungs as well.

As a result, Anakin was forced to wear a respirator to breathe, and a heavy suit of black impervium armour to protect his damaged body and enhance his use of prosthetic limbs. His resultant hatred for Obi-wan completed his transformation into Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith. Darth Vader took his place by his new master and became his most trusted advisor.

Vader assisted his evil master in hunting down and killing the remainder of the Jedi knights, except for ObiWan Kenobi, and Yoda, both of whom went into hiding. Additionally, Obi Wan, unbeknownst to Vader, took with him to exil on Tatooine one of Vader's children that he, before his accident, had fathered with Amidala, leaving the other child with Amidala and Bail Organa on Alderaan. Vader believed Obi Wan to be either dead, or of little threat to the now supremely reigning Empire, and had no knowledge of his children.

This all changed at the battle of Yavin. The Emperor had sponsored the building of a dreadful battlestation, the Death Star. Obi Wan Kenobi, who had come there on board a small freighter with a young boy to rescue a leading figure of the rebellion, the young Princess Leia of Alderaan, was killed by Vader. After destroying Alderaan in front of the horrified princess, the commander of the Death Star proceeded to Yavin, in order to use it to destroy the Rebel base located there.

Leading the attack on the Rebel pilots who were attacking the Death Star, Vader pursued an incredible young Rebel pilot who seemed to be living in every nuance of the Force. Incredulous at the boy's success in destroying the huge battlestation, Vader realized this had to be his own son. After the untimely destruction of the Death Star, Vader spent the ensuing few years pursuing his son, finally tracing him to the Rebel outpost on Hoth.

Eventually, Luke Skywalker ended up confronting Darth Vader on the planet Bespin. Vader had imprisoned Luke's friends there in the hopes of luring the young Skywalker there, seducing him to the Dark Side of the Force and taking over Palpatine's place as Emperor. Luke, however, fresh from his training on Dagobah with the still-hidden Yoda, was not beguiled into joining his father, despite Vader's startling revelation of their relationship, and Vader left Bespin empty handed.

Vader continued to pursue Skywalker until the Emperor built the Second Death Star. It was Palpatine who lured Luke Skywalker and the Rebels into a confrontation at Endor with this even more powerful battlestation. Palpatine planned to seduce Skywalker to the Dark Side through a direct confrontation between father and son, as well as complete destruction of the Rebel Alliance fleet massed at Endor.

While the various battles went on in space and on the surface of the Sanctuary Moon, Luke and Vader dueled viciously. Finally, Luke took the offensive, forcing Vader down and cutting off his right hand. It was at this point that he could have put a fatal blow to Vader; his rage had almost made him kill his father.

At this point, Luke turned off his lightsaber and faced the Emperor. The Emperor realized he had to kill Luke, and began to directly attack him with Dark Side energy.

After watching helplessly, paralyzed, as the Emperor tortured his son, Vader could take it no longer. Vader picked up Palpatine, lifted him high in the air and tossed him down a nearby radiation ventilation shaft.

However, this turning back to the ways of the Light had its price. Darth Vader's respirator short circuited and ceased to function. His body armour no longer working, and realizing he had little time left, Vader asked Luke to remove his mask. Once he saw Luke and spoke some final words to the young Jedi, Vader, now changed back to Anakin Skywalker, died.