Darth Vader is arguably the most popular character in Star Wars, having been first introduced as the villain of the franchise all the way back in 1977. He is a Sith Lord who works within the despotic and tyrannical Empire. However, by the end of the original trilogy, Vader returns to the light side of the Force thanks to his son, Luke Skywalker.
The prequel trilogy details Vader’s early life as Anakin Skywalker, a Jedi Padawan, who is eventually seduced by the dark side temptations and turns evil. However, one fan theory claims that Vader wasn’t as evil as it seems. Instead, his actions under the Empire were calculated as he was a double agent sent to destroy the Empire from within.
Star Wars Theory Argues That Darth Vader Was a Double Agent of the Jedi High Council
Darth Vader is one of the most fearsome and menacing characters in George Lucas‘ Star Wars, with a complicated and emotional backstory. Initially, a Jedi Knight named Anakin Skywalker, Vader eventually turned to the dark side and joined Palpatine’s Empire. However, despite his atrocities against the galaxy far, far away, one fan theory claims that Vader was innocent.
According to a fan theory shared on Reddit by user @PsychologicalTip5474, Darth Vader was actually a deep-cover double agent sent to destroy the Sith and the Empire from within. The theory further provides evidence for the argument by highlighting how Tarkin was responsible for the destruction of Alderaan instead of Vader.
Similarly, the user points out that Vader cared about the death of civilians as evidenced by his appearance in Rogue One. Meanwhile, the theory also points out that Vader sabotaged the Empire from within by systematically killing some of the high-ranking officers in its command chain. Furthermore, Vader also cleverly spared Luke Skywalker and Han Solo, which further supports the idea that Vader working against the Empire all along.
Why Darth Vader Could Not Have Been a Jedi Double Agent in Star Wars
While the fan theory provides some compelling evidence, it has plenty of drawbacks, especially when considering Darth Vader’s backstory. The theory argues that Anakin was sent as a double agent, which means he would have been sent undercover by the Jedi High Council. However, as the prequels have already established, the Jedi High Council was extremely distrustful of Anakin.
They initially refused to properly train him as a Jedi Padawan and later delayed promoting him to the rank of a full Jedi. Therefore, it is unlikely that the High Council would have taken such a big gamble on someone they do not trust. Furthermore, Anakin mercilessly murders Jedi Younglings during Order 66, which is an act of pure malice, making it hard to argue that he wasn’t evil.
Furthermore, the argument that Anakin might have returned to the light side after learning about his children also does not make sense. Other media such as comics, which detail Darth Vader’s life before the events of Star Wars: A New Hope, never show him coming in contact with any major Rebel leaders. Instead, Vader ruthlessly attempts to crush the Rebellion’s efforts. Hence, it is extremely unlikely that Vader was a Rebel Alliance double agent.
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