Among the stories conveyed in Star Wars comics, the tale of Sabé and Vader saving each other is one of the most interesting. In Darth Vader Vol. 3, #32, we find the Dark Lord and Padme’s trusted handmaiden collaborate together. The circumstances and reasons unveil new layers to both characters.
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The Story of Sabé and Vader
Sabé and Darth Vader saving eachother
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We probably best remember Sabé as the loyal handmaiden of Padmé Amidala who impersonated the Queen during the Invasion of Naboo. Yet, there is much more to her character connected to her loyalty to Padmé.
After Padmé died, Sabé engaged in “a quest of revenge against Vader” that extended into the Imperial age. She wanted to find out how Padme died and who was responsible, thinking that it was Vader and the Empire’s doing. A key moment was their meeting on Vendaxa soon after Vader’s duel with Luke on Cloud City.
On this “lush world, covered with forests,” Sabé and her squad were swarmed by land squids. As Sabé was about to die, Vader appeared and wiped out the attacking squids. At first, Vader mistakenly believes this could be Padmé . Sabé blasted at him and said that she was Padmé back from the dead to haunt Vader.
As Vader pieced it together, he grew angry and Force-choked her. But relented as he began to think of Padmé. After Sabé fled from Vader, he eventually caught up with her and confirmed that she was one of Padmé ’s former handmaidens. They decide to team up to investigate Padme’s death. This is their first moment of collaboration.
This Sabe character spotlight provides more to the story and sheds further light on her motivations for collaborating with Vader. After the two of them ventured to Naboo and Polis Massa to find out what happened to Padmé, Sabé discovered that Vader was responsible for Padmé’s death. She attacked him, but did not give up on him.
Having joined Crimson Dawn, Sabé thought “there was still good in Vader” and that by continuing to work with him, she could redeem him for Padmé’s sake. At that point, Sabé disclosed to Vader that she knew who he really was. Vader threatened her but agreed to a deal instead. In exchange for Vader’s help with rescuing former Tatooinian slaves, she would provide the identity of a Crimson Dawn agent that Vader sought.
Sabé clung to the belief that Vader could be redeemed, but he disappointed her. Her exploits with the Empire continued, but Vader did not turn back to the light side until his encounter with Luke.
What Do Fans Have to Say About This Story?
Fans have indicated that they find this story and the dynamic of Vader and Sabé “incredibly fascinating.” Their unlikely alliance and the character arcs are compelling, as is the Darth Vader comic series.
Another discussion about this topic conveys some surprise about how Vader responded to Sabé this way. After all, he has “killed people for this sort of thing.” Yet, for those “people Anakin loved, he can’t bring himself to do them much, if any, harm.” We, of course, saw this same behavior from Vader with Luke, after a while.
Fans also tend to like the depiction of Sabé in E.K. Johnston’s Queen’s Shadow. This book helped reveal Sabe’s story after the Phantom Menace and her loyalty to Padmé. For further adventure, we can turn back to the Darth Vader comics that also reveal how Sabé lost touch with that fealty.
As one write-up phrased it, Sabé’s loyalty to Padmé became “more like an excuse the longer she works with Vader.” Eventually, she turned “a blind eye to Vader’s darkest crimes” and veered toward the dark side herself. She completely committed herself to Vader before being cast out to sea by him.
Sabé and Vader
Sabé and Vader initially forged a partnership of convenience and mutual benefit. That story is surprising for both characters. It became even more surprising as Sabé inched down the road of darkness.