When I came across this scene in Darth Vader #5, I had to stop and process what I was seeing. Vader — the terrifying Sith Lord — imagining himself asking Obi-Wan Kenobi for forgiveness. I had chills reading it, and I think you will too. Here’s what happened.
Table of Contents
The Setup
After defeating Kirak Infil’a, the first Jedi he confronts as a Sith Lord, Vader takes the fallen Jedi’s lightsaber to Mustafar. His mission, commanded by Darth Sidious, is to corrupt the Kyber Crystal within, transforming it into the crimson blade of the Sith.
To do this, Vader must pour his anger, hatred, and pain into the crystal — a process called “bleeding.” But as Vader channels his darkness, something extraordinary happens. The crystal resists. It pushes back against the flood of rage, and in that resistance, Vader is thrown into a vision — not just any vision, but one that shows him what could have been if he had chosen differently.
Vader’s Vision of Redemption
In this vision, everything changes. Vader breaks free from the chains of the dark side. He strikes down Palpatine, rejecting the Sith and reclaiming his identity as Anakin Skywalker.
The scene shifts to a peaceful, green world where Anakin seeks out Obi-Wan Kenobi. When they meet, Obi-Wan ignites his lightsaber, ready to face the former Jedi who became his greatest failure. But Anakin doesn’t fight. Instead, he removes his helmet, revealing his scarred face, and drops to his knees.
He looks up at Obi-Wan, the man who was once his brother, and asks for forgiveness. He confesses his regret, his anguish, and his guilt. In that moment, Anakin Skywalker, not Darth Vader, is laid bare.
Obi-Wan’s Response and the Vision’s End
Obi-Wan, visibly moved, speaks just one word: “Anakin.”
The name hangs in the air, heavy with emotion. It’s the name Obi-Wan hasn’t spoken in years, the name of the friend he lost to the dark side.
And then the vision ends. The illusion shatters like glass, dragging Vader back to the reality of Mustafar.
The single word, Anakin, cuts deeper than any blade. It reminds Vader of the man he was, a man he’s tried to bury beneath layers of rage and despair. But instead of bringing him peace, the memory fuels his hatred, reigniting the dark side within him.
Driven by this renewed torment, Vader forces his emotions into the Kyber Crystal, completing the bleeding process. The crystal turns red, and the lightsaber is born — a symbol of his complete descent into darkness.
Why This Moment Matters
This scene is more than a vision; it’s a glimpse into the soul of Darth Vader. It shows the fragility of the man behind the mask, the part of him that still longs for redemption, even if he cannot admit it to himself.
For a fleeting moment, Anakin Skywalker allows himself to imagine forgiveness, to dream of peace. But that dream is fleeting, shattered by the weight of his choices. It leaves him more broken than before, pushing him further into the abyss.
It’s powerful that Darth Vader is not just a villain. He’s a man consumed by regret, haunted by what could have been, and driven by the belief that redemption is forever out of reach.