20 Most Iconic Darth Vader Quotes (Movies, Comics & Shows)
Darth Vader is easily one of the most iconic Star Wars villains of all time. When he marched on screens in 1977, his presence dominated and stuck with audiences everywhere. Not only does Vader have a powerful and intimidating look but he has a strong and commanding voice to go with it. Voiced masterfully by James Earl Jones, the dark lord of the Sith has had many iconic lines through comics, movies, and TV shows. Here are 20 of Darth Vader’s most iconic quotes in movies, comics, and TV!
Darth Vader Quotes from ‘Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith’ (2005)
1. ‘I have brought peace, justice, and security to my new Empire.’
This occurs during Mustafar’s epic duel, which is early in Anakin’s turn to Vader. This shows just how much Palpatine has warped Skywalker’s mind and made him believe that everything he has done is for the greater good.
Not only to save Padme but the galaxy as a whole. At this point, Anakin has completely given himself over to the dark side with it fully clouding his judgment and making him believe that the Jedi are corrupt, evil, and a hindrance to his development.
Darth Vader Quotes from ‘Obi-Wan-Kenobi’ (2022)
2. ‘I am what you made me.’
10 years after their duel on Mustafar, Kenobi, and Vader are face to face yet again. Kenobi sees what his former apprentice has now become, and Vader makes sure to tell Kenobi that this is his fault. Throughout Anakin’s time as a Jedi, he constantly blamed Obi-Wan for him being held back in his development to progress in the order and is doing it yet again for his turn to the dark side.
This also could have been a tactic Vader used before the duel because once Kenobi hears this he is completely thrown off and struggles to stand a chance against the Sith Lord, showing how much of this line impacted him.
3. ‘You didn’t kill Anakin Skywalker. I did.’
This was without a very pivotal line for Darth Vader. After Kenobi smashes his helmet in half, there is an alternation of blue light and red light across his face. Obi-Wan spilled his heart out to Anakin, apologizing for everything that happened and blaming himself for the creation of Vader.
It’s almost as if Anakin came back again for a few moments just to relieve his old friend of any guilt for his turn until suddenly being taken over by Vader again.
Darth Vader Quotes from ‘Star Wars Rebels: Season 2′ (2015)
4. ‘Anakin Skywalker was weak. I destroyed him.’
In the season 2 finale of ‘Star Wars Rebels’ Ahsoka goes up against her old master, finally seeing what he has become. When she is in denial she questions Vader, and when he responds saying he destroyed Skywalker it shows how far into the dark he has gone.
The dark side has corrupted him so much that he sees Anakin as a completely different person and takes pride in the fact that he killed him. Not even facing the apprentice that he saw as a little sister could bring him back to the light, further emphasizing how far gone he is.
Darth Vader Quotes from ‘Vader Down’ (2016)
5. ‘All I’m surrounded by is fear and dead men.’
The Star Wars comics are filled with impressive feats and lines from Vader. The story ‘Vader Down, has one that particularly stands out. At this point of the story, thousands of Rebel soldiers are brave enough to try to take on Vader himself and surround him.
Because he has just crashed, the Rebels see him as vulnerable and think this is the perfect time to strike. This line just shows how confident Vader is in his abilities, he does not feel any fear here and knows he has full power and control of the situation. He then effortlessly wipes out all the rebels, easily putting his words into action.
Darth Vader Quotes from ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ (2016)
6. ‘Be Careful Not to Choke on your aspirations.’
‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ was the first time that Disney brought Vader back to the big screen, and they did not disappoint. With James Earl Jones back to voice the dark lord it was no surprise that we got some great lines from him. The main focus of the film is the construction of the Death Star with Orson Krennic being in charge, and there is constant tension between him, Grand Moff Tarkin, and Vader.
During a confrontation between Krennic and Vader, the Admiral makes the mistake of raising his voice to Darth Vader, resulting in him being force-choked and Vader surprisingly making a one-liner. Another thing about this line is that it shows there is maybe still some Anakin in there with the comedic remark.
Quotes ‘Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope’ (1977)
7. ‘I sense something. A presence I’ve not sensed since…’
When ‘Star Wars’ was first released back in 1977, audiences were introduced to Darth Vader for the very first time. One thing to remember is that back then, the prequels didn’t exist, no one knew about the fall of Anakin Skywalker, and as far as people knew, Anakin was killed by Vader himself.
The world-building in ‘Star Wars’ was done very well with lines like this. When Vader senses Obi-Wan on the ship, he mutters this to the imperials, and the way he rushes off shows that there was a history between the two of them that was seemingly important to him.
8. ‘When I left you I was but the learner. Now I am the master.’
This is again another great example of world-building. Kenobi and Vader are having their first-ever encounter on screen. When Vader says this line to him, it establishes a great deal of history between them. So far, implying that Vader was a learner of Obi-Wans and has grown in power since then.
This was also the first ever time audiences saw a lightsaber battle on screen, and even though it’s nothing compared to what we’ve seen now, this particular line and battle set the stage and story of Star Wars going forward.
9. ‘It will be a day long remembered, it has seen the end of Kenobi. It will soon see the end of the rebellion.’
When speaking to Tarkin, both he and Vader are pleased with the progress of the Death Star. Vader makes this remark not long after he has just defeated Obi-Wan and sees the planet destroyer as the ultimate end to the Rebellion.
As powerful and sure Vader is of his skill, this also highlights how naive he can be. After just one win, he thinks everything is going in favor of the Empire, which clouds his judgment of the upcoming doom of the space station being destroyed.
10. ‘The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the force.’
In a heated meeting with high-ranking members of the Empire, one of them states that the Rebellion will surely end due to the new battle station and calls it the highest power in the universe.
Vader then reminds him that the force is one of the most powerful things in the galaxy. Not only does this show how highly Varer regards the force, but it also does a fantastic job of showing how important it is to audiences, as this was one first time it was ever mentioned. Again this just shows how fantastic the world-building was for this film.
11. ‘I find your lack of faith disturbing.’
Again in the same conversation, the general hits back at Vader saying his belief in the force has not helped them in any way. To respond, Vader decides to give an example of how powerful the force is by choking him across the room without having to lay a hand on him. This was the first time audiences saw an example of the force on screen and how powerful Vader is, showing what the heroes are up against.
Quotes from ‘Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back’ (1980)
12. ‘I am altering the deal, pray I don’t alter it any further.’
When Lando strikes up a deal with Vader to save his city, Vader gives Han Solo to Boba Fett. This was not part of the original deal, and when Lando questions it, Vader simply threatens him. This just shows how evil Vader is and how far he is willing to go to benefit himself. It makes it seem as if Lando has just made a deal with the devil. He saved his city but at what cost? Losing the trust of his friends and possibly the death of Han Solo.
13. ‘You have failed me for the last time admiral.’
A lot of times, when a villain says something like ‘the last time,’ it usually ends up happening again. This is not the case with Vader. When the admiral fails his task, Vader decides to make an example, unlike the last film when Vader chokes the officer in the same room and spares him.
This officer is in a completely different ship and is talking to Vader on a monitor, and the Sith lord is still able to choke him, even killing him. This is another great showcase of how powerful Vader is and how true he stays to his word.
14. ‘Only Your Hatred Can Destroy Me’
During the iconic battle between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader on Bespin, Vader is constantly taunting Luke for him to turn. Gloating about the power of the dark side, it causes Luke to get a single strike to Vader before Skywalker’s hand is chopped off. This was a simple showcase of how channeling the dark side of the force can make someone stronger, and even though he was injured, it was Vader giving Luke a taste of what is possible.
15. ‘No. I am your Father’
This is, without a doubt, not only one of Darth Vader’s iconic lines but one of the most iconic lines in cinema history. At the end of their grueling battle, Vader taunts Luke to join him and drops the bombshell of his heritage.
Not only was this a way to try to get Luke to join him, but also a way to make Luke doubt Obi-Wan. Vader knew Obi-Wan would never tell Luke the truth, attempting to make Luke feel betrayed and give in to his anger. A plus to this is just giving us one of the best twists in cinema history.
Quotes from ‘Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi’ (1983)
16. ‘The Emperor is not as forgiving as I am’
“Return of the Jedi ” is the final film in the original Star Wars trilogy, and it introduced audiences to the Emperor, who would then play a major impact in the next two trilogies. In the first film, it was believed that Darth Vader was the man in charge and the most powerful force user in the galaxy.
We then find out in ‘Empire Strikes Back’ that Vader answers to a higher power, and when he makes this statement to the imperial officer, he gets a sense of dread. Not only is this just a small display of Vader’s sarcasm, but it was also a great way to build up to a higher-up villain who seems to outrank Vader, therefore raising the stakes for our heroes.
17. ‘That Name No Longer Has Any Meaning For Me’
Near the end of ‘Return of the Jedi, ’ Luke is trying to convince Vader to come back to the light side and brings up the name of Anakin Skywalker. He immediately gets defensive, and it’s not just the line. It’s also the way that he says it. This is the first time we have ever seen Vader show any type of emotion. It’s almost as if he is in denial, and the only person to bring this emotion out of him is his son.
18. “It is too late for me, son.”
In the same conversation as before, Vader gets increasingly more conflicted due to this conversation with Luke. The delivery of this line is very important as it’s another case of Vader showing emotion in front of his son. When he says it, his voice becomes increasingly softer, which contrasts Vader’s usual powerful and commanding tone, showing a change in emotion. Also, the pause before saying ‘son’ shows how Vader put thought into saying the word and chose to refer to Luke in a caring way.
19. ‘Let me look at you with my own eyes.’
While throwing the Emperor down the shaft, Vader gets struck by his lightning, leading to his death, but not before he gets the chance to have one last conversation with Luke Skywalker. When he asks Luke to take his mask off so he can use his ‘own eyes, ’ it clearly represents that Vader is gone and Anakin is talking to Luke.
Skywalker has never seen the face beneath the mask, so Anakin wants him to see his true face before he dies, giving him one last proper look at his son, and his son has one final look at his ‘real’ father.
20. “Tell your sister you were right.”
Right before Anakin dies, he repeatedly tells Luke that he was right about him the entire time. While we have seen Vader do horrendous things like blowing up Alderaan and Order 66, the two people who believed that Anakin was not completely lost were Padme on her deathbed and Luke.
Anakin admitting Luke was right about him confirms that Anakin was always in there somewhere, and while it was the fear of Padme’s death turned him to the dark side, his son was able to bring him back. Causing everything to turn full circle.
