Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Star Wars: Darth Vader #50!While he’s made some cameo appearances since,Anakin Skywalker’s fullStar Warsstory came to a close inReturn of the Jediwhen he found redemption after years of terrorizing the galaxy as Darth Vader. However,Episode VIdidn’t go into every facet of Anakin’s redemption, including when it comes to the lives of his one-time closest friends. But now,Star Warsfinally completely closes the book on Anakin Skywalkerwith one final twist, one that’s linked to Anakin’s origin.
InStar Wars: Darth Vader#50 by Greg Pak, Raffaele Ienco, Luke Ross, Paul Fry, and Adam Gorham,Darth Vader is launching his long-awaited attack on Emperor Palpatine. During this arc, Darth Vader has been collecting loyal (enough) allies and powerful weapons in the hopes of gaining enough strength to challenge Palpatine, and ultimately kill him. When he was finally ready to face his master, Darth Vader did so outside an Imperial prison facility, and he actually acted as the perfect distraction for the escape of a few of the prisoners, including two in particular: Kitster and Wald.
Kitster and Wald were on the planet that Darth Vader drained the energy out of to super-charge his suit, which - combined with the kyber-fueled Zaly Shield and electrostaff - gave Vader the strength he needed to take on Palpatine. Not only were Kitster and Wald on the planet, they were actively fighting against the Empire’s usage of this world-draining device. So, after Vader did so, the two were arrested. However,Darth Vader made sure Kitster and Wald made it out of there aliveby wiping out every Stormtrooper in the area during his fight with Palpatine, effectively saving their lives.
Why Saving Kitster & Wald Closes the Book on Anakin Skywalker
Kitster & Wald were Anakin’s Childhood Friends
While their names alone may not be the most familiar to manyStar Warsfans, Kitster and Wald are still two characters that every fan will recognize, as they were Anakin Skywalker’s childhood friends inThe Phantom Menace. Those two supported Anakin as he faced seemingly insurmountable odds duringEpisode I’s podracing competition, and they were the first to celebrate with him after he won. Being a slave on a desert planet, Anakin didn’t have very many things that made him happy, but his best friends Kitster and Wald were two of them.
By saving their lives as he’s trying to kill Palpatine, Darth Vader not only gives fans an unexpected twist during this tale of vengeance and violence, he honors his past as Anakin Skywalker. Darth Vader could have killed Kitster and Wald along with the Imperials he slaughtered, but instead, he allowed them to escape unharmed. By doing so, Vader was protecting his inner child, as Kitster and Wald were living reminders of his own innocence.
Star Wars: Darth Vader#50 ends with the confirmation that Kitster and Wald not only made it off this planet with their lives, but that they also went back to Tatooine and freed a number of slaves - all of whom were also Anakin’s friends fromEpisode I. Because of Darth Vader’s merciful actions, every one of his friends were freed from slavery, and were able to live long, happy lives, even after Anakin’s death inReturn of the Jedi- cementingAnakin’s lastingStar Warslegacy as a hero(at least, in the eyes of his friends).
Kitster & Wald were Constant Reminders of the Good Inside Darth Vader
Star Wars: Darth Vader#23 by Greg Pak and Raffaele Ienco
Darth Vader saving the lives of his childhood friends wasn’t an isolated incident inStar Wars: Darth Vader#50, but something that happened two times before. The first time Vader saved their lives was back when he was Anakin Skywalker, as his connection to Padmé inspired Sabé (Padmé’s handmaiden) to free a number of slaves on Tatooine - including Kitster and Wald.
Then, Darth Vader saved the two inStar Wars: Darth Vader#23, when he was helping Sabé free a world that was ruled over by an especially egregious governor named Tauntaza. Kitster and Wald are attacked by a horde of alien predators, and Vader steps in to save them after learning who they were.
Throughout Darth Vader’s life, Kitster and Wald remained constant reminders of the good inside of him. They only remember Anakin Skywalker as he was when he was a child on Tatooine, which meant a piece of Vader’s innocent past remained alive in the galaxy so long as Kitster and Wald survived - and Darth Vader always made sure that they did.
1 Old Luke Skywalker Quote Explains Why He Considered Killing Ben Solo (Despite Sparing Vader)
One Star Wars quote perfectly explains why Luke Skywalker was so willing to kill Ben Solo, even after fighting to redeem the villainous Darth Vader.
Darth Vader’s story came to a close inReturn of the Jediwhen he redeemed himself and became Anakin Skywalker once more, but with the addition of Kitster and Wald, and how they played a continuously significant role in Anakin’s life,Star WarsbringsAnakin Skywalker’s story full-circle, officially closing the book on his character with an unexpected twist.
Star Wars: Darth Vader #50by Marvel Comics is available now.
Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader
Conceived by the will of the Force itself, Anakin Skywalker was the prophesied Chosen One, destined to bring the Force into balance. Anakin struggled to balance competing attachments to the Jedi Order and his wife Padmé Amidala, and ultimately fell to the dark side, becoming Darth Vader. For years he served as Palpatine’s right hand man, but he was ultimately redeemed by the faith of his son, Luke Skywalker. Now a Force Ghost, Anakin continues to act as an agent of balance.
