Let’s talk about one of the most emotional gut-punches from the Darth Vader comic series — a moment where Darth Vader, the terrifying Sith Lord, imagines asking his former mentor and friend, Obi-Wan Kenobi, for forgiveness. Yep, you read that right.
This powerful moment goes down in Darth Vader #5, part of the 2017 canon comic series written by Charles Soule.
Table of Contents
The Setup
Right after Vader takes down his first Jedi, Kirak Infil’a, he’s on a mission from Darth Sidious to build his new lightsaber. But this isn’t your average saber-building session. Vader has to corrupt the Kyber Crystal from Kirak’s lightsaber, turning it from something that once symbolized peace into a weapon of fear and destruction.
As Vader tries to channel all his anger and hate to “bleed” the crystal on Mustafar, something wild happens — the crystal fights back, and he’s suddenly thrown into a vision.
But this isn’t some random dream. It’s a glimpse of what might have been, if Vader had chosen the light instead of the dark side.
Vader’s Vision of Redemption
In this vision, things take a surprising turn. Vader sees himself overthrowing Darth Sidious, breaking free from the chains of the dark side. And then, on a peaceful, green planet, he comes face to face with Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Naturally, Obi-Wan isn’t exactly thrilled to see him and lights up his saber. But what happens next? It’s something you’d never expect from Darth Vader. He takes off his helmet, showing his scarred, but human face, and kneels before Obi-Wan.
In this moment, he’s not Darth Vader anymore. He’s Anakin Skywalker, asking Obi-Wan for forgiveness for everything — the pain, the destruction, all of it.
Obi-Wan’s Response and the Heartbreak That Follows
Then comes the gut-wrenching part. Obi-Wan, visibly shaken, says just one word: “Anakin.” And that’s all it takes. The vision shatters.
Why? Because hearing his old name cuts Vader deep. It’s a brutal reminder of who he used to be — someone he’s convinced himself is long dead. Obi-Wan calling him “Anakin” doesn’t bring peace; it throws Vader into turmoil. That single word snaps him back to his dark reality, reigniting his anger and fueling his hate.
This moment digs into the core of who Vader really is. It shows that, despite the armor, despite the years of darkness, Anakin Skywalker is still there, trapped inside, haunted by his past and aching for a second chance. Even for just a second, he lets himself imagine what it’d be like to be forgiven and to return to the light.
For those of us following Vader’s journey from hopeful Jedi to feared Sith Lord, this is one of those scenes that reminds us just how tragic his story really is.
Thanks for coming along with me on this emotional deep dive. May the Force be with you!