Darth Vader Met Anakin Skywalker’s Childhood Friends

Back in The Phantom Menace, we saw young Anakin Skywalker growing up in Mos Espa, racing pods and spending his days with a small circle of friends — Kitster, the loyal human who always had his back, and Wald, the mischievous Rodian who loved to tease him. They were there to cheer when Anakin won the Boonta Eve Podrace, never imagining their friend would one day leave Tatooine, become a Jedi Knight, and eventually… Darth Vader.

Years later, in a surprising twist from the comics, Vader would cross paths with those very same childhood friends — but not as the boy they once knew.

When Vader Finally “Reunites” with His Childhood Friends

I already mentioned their names earlier, and you probably remember their faces from Episode I. One was Kitster Chanchani Banai, a human slave boy like Anakin on Tatooine. The other was Wald, a young Rodian who often hung around Watto’s shop.

We might think that after Episode I their roles in Star Wars were over, right? That’s what I thought too. But after reading the Darth Vader comic series, I found out these characters actually came back. Only this time, they weren’t looking at Anakin Skywalker — they were staring at the Dark Lord, Darth Vader.

It starts in Darth Vader (2020) issue #23. I won’t go into every detail of the comic — in case you want to experience the full story yourself — but I’ll give a quick summary.

In short, Darth Vader follows Sabe, Padmé’s former handmaiden, on a mission to free slaves on Gabredor III — something Padmé had always wanted to do when she was alive. Vader agrees to help her, but only on one condition: once the mission is complete, Sabé must return the favor by helping him take down the Crimson Dawn.

With both sides agreeing to the deal, Vader and Sabé set course for Tatooine. Still unwilling to trust her completely, Vader demanded proof of her claims. Sabé’s only option was to bring him to a refugee camp, where a protocol droid could confirm their resistance against the governor’s rule.

As the droid carried out its task, Sabé introduced Vader to the refugees. Two of them stepped forward, demanding answers, why was Sabé arriving in an Imperial shuttle, and who was the man in the black armor? Kitster was the first to question her, while Wald, the Rodian, explained that they had been trying to reach her for some time. The governor had been jamming all outgoing signals, cutting them off from sending any pleas for help.

Wald went on to admit that they had no real transport left to seek her out, only a modified podracer they could barely use. Once Wald finished, Vader himself spoke up, asking for their names. The human hesitated before answering, “K-Kitster,” and the Rodian followed, “Wald.”

Hearing those names, Vader paused. He recognized them immediately as the same Kitster and Wald who had once been Anakin Skywalker’s childhood friends.

After hearing the two names, Vader grew uneasy. Something about the refugee camp hidden in the forest disturbed him. He muttered, “This land… is disturbed.” Almost as if on cue, a wave of monsters suddenly attacked the camp.

What followed was something we don’t often see. As the creatures charged, Wald and Kitster were nearly killed. But before the monsters could reach them, Vader stepped in. With swift precision, he cut the beasts down, saving his old childhood friends without hesitation.

After clearing out the monsters, Vader stood with the villagers as Sabé explained that the governor was behind everything, draining the planet’s resources and leaving its people to suffer.

Vader then told Sabé to keep the locals out of the coming battle. He knew they would only be slaughtered if they tried to fight alongside him, so the mission to bring down the governor would be carried out by only Vader and Sabé.

Vader Saves Kitster During a Sandstorm

After those events, the story moves into issues #24, #25, and #26. I won’t go into every detail, but in issue #25 Vader and Sabé destroy one of the Governor’s facilities, only for her to escape yet again. In issue #26, Vader gives chase, but even with all his power he still can’t bring her down.

Back at the facility, Sabé lingers too long. Kitster arrives and warns her that a massive sandstorm is closing in, and they need to leave immediately. Unfortunately, they don’t make it out in time. When word reaches Vader that Sabé is trapped in the storm and possibly dead, he has no choice but to act. Using a modified podracer built by Kitster and Wald, Vader races into the storm.

The podracer itself stirs something inside him. Its design echoes the one Anakin piloted back in The Phantom Menace. Memories come flooding back: his first race that earned him freedom and a place with the Jedi, the loss of his mother to the Tuskens, and even Padmé’s fall from the ship on Geonosis—when he clashed with Obi-Wan for wanting to turn back and save her. All those moments rush through him as he pushes forward.

Finally, Vader locates Kitster in the middle of the storm. Gasping for breath, Kitster explains that Sabé is pinned under a tank after it crashed into her speeder. Without hesitation, Vader reaches out with the Force, lifting the heavy wreckage. Against all odds, Sabé survives, saved at the last moment by the Dark Lord.