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Darth Vader

Darth Vader

Anakin Skywalker

Star Wars Universe

Darth Vader's weapons

Darth Vader's lightsaber

Was the personal lightsaber of Darth Vader, a Dark Lord of the Sith. He built the weapon some time after his fall to the dark side of the Force at the end of the Clone Wars. It replaced the one he lost during his duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi on Mustafar.

The lightsaber was equipped with a dual-phase function, allowing the blade's length to be manually controlled and altered in combat. After his accession to Sith Lord, Vader was known to draw his lightsaber when facing Jedi, but also against other opponents, even though he sometimes prefered to use the Force to dispatch lesser victims.

The lightsaber would go on to destroy Obi-Wan Kenobi and cut off the hand of his son, Luke Skywalker. During their confrontation on the second Death Star, Luke would return the favor, cutting off the hand of Darth Vader. The lightsaber then fell into the same energy well in which Palpatine perished.

Darth Vader's equipment

Darth Vader's armor

was designed to maintain and protect the young Sith apprentice's charred body while exuding an air of intimidation and control. His suit followed an ancient Sith tradition, in which the warriors of the dark side of the Force would adorn themselves in heavy armor. The suit's construction incorporated Sith alchemy to augment Vader's severely diminished physical strength and vitality.

The suit provided a suite of life-support systems and gave Vader relatively free movement without having to use a hoverchair. It was damaged or broken several times during its use, necessitating upgrades and repairs. The suit was finally irreparably broken in 4 ABY, when Vader absorbed Emperor Palpatine's powerful Force lightning aboard the second Death Star to save his son, Luke Skywalker, from certain death. After Vader's death, Luke ceremonially cremated his father's empty armor on the forest moon of Endor.

The armor encased Vader completely, creating a hermetic seal to protect his charred skin and lungs. It was also uncomfortable to wear. Vader slowly learned to live with the isolation and anonymity that the suit imposed on him. Vader had to change his lightsaber style to compensate for the weight, bulk, and inflexibility of his armor. The electronics of the suit were sensitive to electrical discharges, though Vader added a limited amount of insulation to the suit after discovering this. To escape the armor's claustrophobic nature, Vader had several pressurized meditation chambers built where he could remove his mask and suit and still survive. Vader longed to be less dependent on his armor, and tried at times to function without it, but he labored in vain.

Despite the weaknesses imparted by the suit, it also provided a number of strengths. These included greatly enhanced durability and stamina, numerous sensory enhancements, and protection from extremely inhospitable environments and biological weaponry.