We all remember Vader’s fateful betrayal in Return of the Jedi, when he turned on his master to save Luke. But what if I told you that wasn’t the only time Vader committed treason against the Emperor? In fact, Star Wars comics give us an earlier story where Palpatine himself had to deal with Vader’s disobedience — and the punishment was brutal.
Palpatine Sensed Vader’s Betrayal Long Before Return of the Jedi
The story I’m talking about comes from the Darth Vader (2020) comic series, specifically issues #5 and #6.
After discovering that Luke was his son, Vader became obsessed with tracking him down. Following the events of The Empire Strikes Back on Bespin, Vader spent issue #5 chasing every lead, determined to uncover who had hidden Luke from him and where he was now. Despite all his efforts, Vader returned to Coruscant empty-handed, without a single clue to show for it.
At the start of issue #6, Vader approached the Emperor, who immediately asked if his business was complete. Vader simply replied, “Yes, Master.” But Palpatine wasn’t fooled. As a Sith Lord, he could sense Vader’s emotions—and what he sensed troubled him. The hatred that once fueled Vader was beginning to fade. During his search for Luke, Vader had been forced to confront visions of Padmé’s death, and the grief he carried was overwhelming his anger.
Palpatine’s judgment was brutal:
“The Sith know that fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. And hate leads to strength. But you, my friend, have just wallowed in grief. You need to start all over again.”
With those words, the Emperor unleashed a devastating barrage of Force lightning against Vader. Instinctively, Vader ignited his lightsaber to block the attack, demanding:
“Why do you attack me, Master?”
Palpatine didn’t bother to answer directly. Instead, he ordered Grand Vizier Mas Amedda to explain Vader’s “treason.” The Vizier listed three failures:
- Vader failed to bring Luke back after Bespin.
- He had disobeyed orders during his search, following leads that led him to an abandoned Rebel base.
- Worst of all, he had spared Sabé’s life after Palpatine explicitly ordered her death.
To Sidious, these weren’t just mistakes—they were acts of betrayal. And betrayal by an apprentice was something the Sith never tolerated.
Palpatine Punishes Vader in the Most Sith Way Possible
After hearing the charges of treason, Palpatine wasted no time in delivering punishment. He ordered his Imperial Guards to attack Vader and, in the middle of the fight, even stripped him of his lightsaber. Then came the cruelest blow: Palpatine severed Vader’s cybernetic limbs and abandoned him on Mustafar—the very world where Anakin Skywalker had first been broken.
But this wasn’t just cruelty for its own sake. For Palpatine, this was a test. He believed Vader had lost his strength because he had started to wallow in grief instead of feeding his power with hate. The Emperor’s goal was simple: force Vader to suffer until his rage returned.
To make the trial even harsher, Palpatine sent a Sith assassin to hunt Vader down while he was defenseless. What followed was a brutal struggle for survival. Vader scavenged the remains of old Separatist technology to rebuild his limbs, fought off the assassin, and in the process stumbled across something even greater: Palpatine’s secret project on Exegol.
By the time we reach issues #9 and #10, Vader is on Exegol itself, where Palpatine reveals his hidden fleet, Star Destroyers, and plans for a massive army. Witnessing the Emperor’s grand design reignited Vader’s fury, pulling him fully back into the dark side. In the end, the punishment worked exactly as Palpatine intended—through pain, betrayal, and survival, Vader’s hatred was sharpened once more.