• Of all the Star Wars characters, it’s Darth Vader who earns the most money from his likeness being used for merchandise, including Halloween costumes, figurines, coffee mugs, and toasters that burn the likeness of Darth Vader into the bread.
• Only four people knew of the surprise ending in “The Empire Strikes Back” where Darth Vader reveals he is Luke’s father: George Lucas, Mark Hamill, James Earl Jones, and director Irwin Kershner. George Lucas told Prowse to deliver the line: “Obi-Wan Killed your father!” which was later dubbed over by James Earl Jones. Even the people on set or viewing the rushes, including Carrie Fischer and Harrison Ford, were kept in the dark.
• Many people think the famous line is: “Luke, I am your father” when the actual line is, “No, I am your father.”
• The 6’6” bodybuilder David Prowse played the physical version of Darth Vader on screen because of his intimidating stature. However, he had a high-pitched voice and a thick British accent. He was nicknamed “Darth Farmer” on set because his voice wasn’t authoritarian. He worried his voice couldn’t be heard clearly through the mask but was reassured that it would be dubbed over. He was never told it would be dubbed over by someone else, and it shocked Prowse when he finally found out, causing hard feelings. In subsequent movies, he sometimes recited gibberish, knowing it would be dubbed over anyway.
• Although most people can’t imagine any other voice for Darth Vader than that of voice actor James Earl Jones, George Lucas considered Orson Welles for the job. However, he worried that Orson Welles’ voice was far too well known, whereas James Earl Jones was a newcomer whose voice would not be recognized. After “Star Wars” became a hit, James Earl Jones became more famous than Orson Welles.
• Neither David Prowse nor James Earl Jones were credited in the original film. Prowse feared the movie would flop; Jones feared being typecast. Jones received full credit when “Return of the Jedi” was released in 1983.
• The two actors never met each other.
• Every single version of the movie NOT in English had to find an actor with a deep voice to dub Darth Vader’s voice.
• In America, throughout the entire franchise, including all the movies, video games, and animations, about 13 people played the role of Darth Vader either by their physical presence or by dubbing the voice.
• Bob Anderson, professional sword-fighter and fencer, choreographed sword fights for movies. He played Darth Vader during the lightsaber battle scenes in “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi.”
• The words “Darth Vader” mean nothing. Lucas started with “dark water” and fooled around with syllables until he got the sound he sought. He may have liked it because it sounds similar to “death invader” or “dark father.”
• In some languages, Darth Vader’s name had to be changed. In Italian, “Vader” is close to the name used for a toilet bowl flusher handle, so it was changed to “Lord Fener.” In France, he is named “Dark Vador” simply because the “th” in “Darth” is unpronounceable to most French people.
• Darth Vader’s heavy breathing sound effect has been patented. Patent #77419252 describes it as “The sound of rhythmic mechanical human breathing created by breathing through a scuba tank regulator.”
• In the entire original first Star Wars trilogy, Darth Vader is on screen for only 43 minutes: 11 minutes for “A New Hope,” 14 minutes in “The Empire Strikes Back,” and 18 minutes for “Return of the Jedi.”