What killed Vader?

Television, Movies Games and Books Star Wars
#1

So I just finished my personal re-watch of the Trilogy, and the very sexy wife came along for the ride, woot! (and I am pretty sure she was more excited about watching than I was…not sure how that happened)

After the movie she turned to me and asked, “How did Vader die?”

I blinked, scratched my head and said, “What do you mean? Did you see him get zapped by the blue lightning?”

“A little bit” she replied, “but he didn’t get hit that much. Luke got zapped eighteen times and he was still fine enough to get up and walk. Vader got zapped for 3 seconds and that killed him? Maybe it was his break from his master that did it?”

An interesting question I pose for you. What killed Vader? Did the brief lightning somehow short circuit the suit? Was it his break from his master (turning back to the good side of the Force)? Or was it Baltar?

#2

maybe the zap was stronger because he was in direct contact with Popetine

#3

I think it was a combination of 2 things. The first being the force lightning having an adverse effect on his life support suit. Force lightning may have a different way of acting on electronic devices than a regular electric charge (AC vs DC or something??). Second, having left the darkside of the force, his power was perhaps diminished. His power in the force may have been another source of sustaining his life for so long after what happened to him post obi-wan butt kickin’.

And don’t forget… Baltar never did anything wrong… from a certain point of view ;p

#4

or maybe the zap messed with the machine parts of him

#5

I took out the novelizations version of the films again.

Basically, Luke kicked Vader’s butt. Luke’s onslaught weakened Vader and damaged his suit. Vader could barely stand by the end of it. With his last bit of strength, he threw the Emperor to his death. The novel also says that Vader tried to end his life there but he did not have any strength left to drag himself into the chasm.

Later when Luke removes his mask. Luke can see in his father’s face: shame, guilt, and regret. Anakin reminiscences about Ben, his wife, and the person he used to be. Filled with remorse, Anakin dies of a broken heart. :eek:

#6

I wonder if that’s gonna piss off casilda as much as Padme’s death by broken heart

#7

Talos Soon you will be the master. :cool:

I think it’s a combination of Luke kicking his ass (sorry Barb), the exertion of lifting then throwing the Emperor and the lightening.

#8

At least there are other plausible reasons for vader to have died… but still, the ‘broken heart,’ unless we are referring to coronary problems of the attack kind, is a sucky death in my book no matter whose heart it was that killed it’s body.

So do I think it sucks? Totally. But as you might guess (avatar lol) Padme’s one of my favorites, so she resonates with me more than old half-machine Anakin. Though I am going to willfully believe that he didn’t die of a broken heart, since it isn’t explicit in the movie :wink:

#9

It’s not explicit in the novel, either. I’m implying because of all the emotonal anguish. Let’s call it dramatic license and fine me a day of not posting anything Shatner related.

#10

Hm. But Luke also cut off Vader’s hand, didn’t he? That should count for some pretty life-threatening damage?

#11

I think he cut off a pure machine hand.

#12

I always thought that he suffocated. When he asked Luke to take off his mask, Luke said that he would die, to which he responded that he wanted to see his son with his own eyes. The mask was an integral part of the apparatus that allowed him to breathe, removal of which basically stopped his oxygen. IMO, the Force Lightning didn’t kill him (or even really hurt him all that much), but it did screw up the electronics of his prostheses. Under different circumstances, he could have undergone repairs and been fine, but as it was, he was a very heavy torso with useless limbs. He had to know that the Death Star was soon to be destroyed and that Luke could only escape on his own, unencumbered, so he knew he was doomed either way. But he also had to know that Luke wouldn’t just abandon him there to die, so sacrificing his own life allowed Luke to survive. Killing the Emperor in the process was just a bonus. :slight_smile:

#13

Vader was also supposed to be way older than what the prequels said. Remember when Dooku got his butt handed to him by Anakin and was out of breathe. That’s sorta what happened to Vader. He was an old man fighting a young guy. I think it was a summation of everything, emotional and physical that took the big guy down. Imagine waking from that nightmare. You were once a hero and great guy and then you turned into the scourge of the universe. Pretty heavy burden to live with. Even without taking the mask off, Vader / Anakin was dead.

BTW, Happy 4000!

#14

Thanks! Now I can stop and look back on my magnus opus here:

#15

I’m not following you. I thot every day was Shatner day? :smiley:
(Kirk totally could’ve kicked Vader’s (sorry Barb) by the way.)

#16

Congrats on passing 4000, Beave. I knew I felt a disturbance in the Force last night.

#17

Is this a YKWIM for an IYKWIM?

#18

ExacTly, that’s why it would be just punishment.

#19

Kirk would have talked Vader into Force-chocking himself.

#20

That is a very asute observation, Beave. But I think you’re only half right about that. It’s a know fact that Kirk can talk any machine into blowing itself up.
But Vader is really only 1/2 machine. So I think Kirk would have to first half-weaken Vader by talking to him, and then do that cool two-handed Kirkj punch to Vader’s back. …and then shoot him with a phaser.