We all know Anakin had R2-D2 by his side during the Clone Wars. That little guy was more than just a tool – he was a partner, even a friend. But after Anakin became Vader, he didn’t keep R2 around. He made a clean break, and that included replacing his droid.
Table of Contents
Flying the Same Starfighter – At First
Right after the Clone Wars ended, Vader still used the Eta-2 Actis-class Jedi starfighter. Yeah, the same kind he flew as Anakin. But the thing is, it just didn’t fit him anymore. With the black armor, the life support system, and the fact that he was taller now, the cockpit became super cramped. What used to feel like an extension of himself started to feel wrong. I can only imagine how much of a reminder that ship must’ve been – of who he used to be.
So, he started tweaking it. Not because he wanted it to feel personal again, but because he had to make it work. That included getting a new astromech. Not a buddy. Just a machine.
R4-K5: Not a Friend, Just a Tool
Vader ended up choosing R4-K5 to replace R2-D2. This wasn’t about connection or loyalty – he didn’t care about that anymore. R4-K5 was functional, dark-colored, and honestly kind of matched his new image. I read that the droid actually used to belong to the Jedi Order. That part really hit me – he didn’t just want something efficient, he wanted something that reflected where he was mentally: cold, cut off, and completely over his past.
The black dome and gray body of R4-K5 probably looked like the R2-D2 droid version of Vader himself. But this droid wasn’t there to banter with him or patch up starships with personality. It just did the job.
Some Missions, No Bonds
One of R4-K5’s main jobs was flying with Vader on missions for the Empire. One of those early ones was on Murkhana, where Vader was chasing down some Jedi who escaped Order 66. R4-K5 helped him scan the battlefield, track the Jedi’s escape route, and fed him info about their hyperdrive ring. It gave him everything he needed – Vader still didn’t catch them, but that wasn’t the droid’s fault. It did its job.
Later, R4-K5 was part of another mission on Ostor, flying with Vader as part of Green Squadron. There was a full-on air assault going on, and at one point, Vader realized their Star Destroyer was wide open to attack. He and R4-K5 pulled out of the fight to defend it. Again, all tactical, no drama. That was the pattern.
Every moment with R4-K5 was about efficiency. The kind of bond Anakin had with R2? Gone. R4-K5 was just a piece of hardware. And honestly, that says a lot about who Vader had become.
Moving On From the Jedi Ship
Eventually, even the starfighter itself became too much for Vader. It was still a Jedi ship, no matter how much he modified it. The cockpit was small, the design screamed “Republic,” and every part of it reminded him of what he used to be.
That’s when he asked for something new – something that wasn’t tied to the Jedi at all. That led to the creation of the TIE Advanced x1, the fighter we see him use in A New Hope. Sleek, powerful, fully Imperial. It was a fresh start, and it fit him.
