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Every Friday
GamesRadar+
Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.
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The Eyes Have It
Face To Face
Most Impressive: Vader tracks Luke Skywalker to the planet of Jazbina, where father and son meet face to face for the first time [in comic mini-series Vader’s Quest ].
Why The Force Is Strong With This One: Luke doesn’t find out daddy’s identity until The Empire Strikes Back but, as this post- A New Hope story confirms, Vader knew about his boy for much longer.
All Apologies
Most Impressive: Vader executes a bungling officer but doesn't forget to acknowledge the contrition of the corpse at his feet. "Apology accepted, Captain Needa" [in The Empire Strikes Back ].
Why The Force Is Strong With This One: Proof that, somewhere along the line, Vader has developed a ghoulish sense of humour. Whiny Anakin certainly never knew how to deliver a punchline like this.
Clouded
Most Impressive: Young Anakin is brought before the Jedi Council, and instantly causes an argument as to his suitability for training [in The Phantom Menace ].
Why The Force Is Strong With This One: One of Episode 1 ’s few genuinely spine-tingling pieces of foreshadowing, as Yoda takes one look at the future Sith and concludes, “Clouded, this boy’s future is.”
Family Feelings
Most Impressive: Luke's thoughts betray him, as Vader figures out that his son has a twin sister [in Return Of The Jedi ].
Why The Force Is Strong With This One: A smart character beat amidst the spiralling last-act action, which adds emotional heft to the Skywalkers' Freudian fight.
Memories Of Goldenrod
Most Impressive: Faced with the blasted remains of C-3PO on Cloud City, Vader recalls how he once rebuilt the droid on Tatooine [in Thank The Maker , comic story from Star Wars Tales 6 ].
Why The Force Is Strong With This One: Does a Sith Lord dream? This elegant piece of ret-conning inserts prequel flashbacks into the events of The Empire Strikes Back to suggest the hidden humanity buried under the mask.
Glimpse Beneath The Helmet
Most Impressive: We catch a fleeting glimpse of a bald, burnt head as Admiral Piett interrupts Vader at rest [in The Empire Strikes Back ].
Why The Force Is Strong With This One: The audience’s first proof that there’s an actual man underneath the armour…unless you’re unlucky enough to have caught the prequels first.
Vader Gets Philosophical
Most Impressive: Grand Moff Tarkin is showing off about the Death Star, so Vader takes him down a peg by pointing out that “the ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the Force" [in A New Hope ].
Why The Force Is Strong With This One: At the time, nobody knew what the Force was. Now we do know, and of course Vader was right.
Boba And The Bounty Hunters
Most Impressive: Vader outsources the hunt for Han Solo to a crew of hardened mercenaries, including Boba Fett. Remember, though, "no disintegrations!" [in The Empire Strikes Back ].
Why The Force Is Strong With This One: Put simply, strong leadership. After seeing his own officers make a hash of things, Vader takes a decisive (and, as it turns out, correct) initiative to hire professionals to get the job done.
Vader vs Luke: The Original Duel
Most Impressive: On the planet Minbam, Luke Skywalker confronts Darth Vader and the two duel for the first time… with surprising results [in novel Splinter Of The Mind’s Eye ].
Why The Force Is Strong With This One: Before The Empire Strikes Back moved the goalposts, this first showdown sees Luke severing Vader’s arm…only for the latter to simply switch his duelling hand. Hardcore.
