All through his lifetime, from Jedi padawan to Darkish Lord of the Sith, Darth Vader has all the time chaffed on the bonds of energy. Whether or not it was the council on Coruscant or Darth Sidious himself, Anakin Skywalker by no means made his peace with enjoying second fiddle. However regardless of his standing because the chosen one, and regardless of his huge uncooked Force potential, that’s what he has all the time been second finest.
Following Luke’s escape on Bespin, and regardless of his grasp’s summons, Vader embarked upon a mission to trace down and punish all those that coated up the boy’s existence, to the true Darkish Lord of the Sith’s displeasure. Searching for to show his apprentice the reality of energy as soon as extra, Sidious duties Vader with coming back from the brink of loss of life on the shores of Mustafar a second time. Solely now, as an alternative of looking for his grasp’s approval, Darth Vader seeks his loss of life. However after a run-in with Ochi of Bestoon and the Eye of Webbish Bogg, Vader obtains a Sith Wayfinder and an opportunity to be taught a brand new reality that can upend his understanding of the Emperor, his Empire, and extra importantly, his place in it.
Confounding the Emperor’s makes an attempt to cease him, Vader quickly makes his technique to the key base on Exegol. However, in Star Wars: Darth Vader #11 (by Greg Pak, Raffaele Ienco, Neeraj Menon, Joe Caramagna, Aaron Kuder and Richard Isanove), having flexed his Drive muscular tissues to dominate the thoughts of a Summa-Verminoth, the galaxy’s biggest predator, Vader turns his consideration to the Emperor himself. Searching for to show his hated grasp a lesson of his personal, Vader goes in for the kill. Nevertheless, removed from venting his anger and supplanting Sidious, the apprentice finds himself on the receiving finish of yet one more lesson. However this time, the Sith grasp doesn’t merely reiterate his dominance of the Drive, he goes a step additional.
At its most straightforward, Darth Sidious is the schemer supreme. He has plans upon plans that, even with out his mastery of the Darkish Facet, put him to date past his apprentice that there is no such thing as a competitors. Having repeatedly dominated Vader, thoughts, physique and soul, Sidious revels in his victories and divulges to his apprentice that even Vader’s wildest imaginings can not comprehend the scope of his energy. So, after as soon as once more breaking Vader down, Sidious demonstrates one other degree of his energy.
Taking Vader deep into his sanctum and assailing him with the standard tribulations of the Sith, he resolves to him the beginnings of his fleet of planet-destroying ships. These that can return to vex the galaxy within the years to come back. By way of this obscene navy energy, Sidious elucidates the reality of their relationship it’s only by the prism of Sidious’ energy that Vader could be really highly effective. Vader, the uncooked tempest of untamed energy that he’s, will all the time be within the Emperor’s shadow. At his very core is a elementary weak point that can all the time maintain him again and forces him to be the identical frightened little boy from Tatooine.
The lesson of dominance is accomplished, and Sidious is as soon as once more confirmed to be the grasp. Darth Vader accepts his place as the scholar, at the very least for now, understanding that Sidious can outthink him, surpass his command of the Darkish Facet and bend all the galaxy to his will. In fact, this solely solidifies Vader’s defiance. However as Star Wars followers know, even his remaining act, his very redemption, solely performs additional into the Emperor’s plans.