Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Star Wars: Darth Vader #43
Darth Vader has just betrayed one of Anakin Skywalker’s oldest friends in the Star Wars canon. In Marvel Comics’ ongoing Darth Vader series, the Dark Lord of the Sith is gathering allies and resources in a bid to overthrow Emperor Palpatine before the events of Return of the Jedi. As such, the latest issue has brought Vader face-to-face with a family face from his past once more.
As seen in the new Darth Vader #43 by Greg Pak and Adam Gorham, the Dark Lord has joined forces with the Schism Imperial, a group of disenfranchised bureaucrats who also seek the Emperor’s downfall. Combined with Vader and his new Rebel cyborg warriors he reprogrammed and corrupted into his service, the Schism Imperial has secretly reclaimed an Imperial death machine the Rebellion had stolen. To that end, Darth Vader ends up Force choking none other than Kitster Banai, the former Tatooine slave who’d been Anakin Skywalker’s childhood friend as seen in The Phantom Menace.
While this isn’t the first time Kitster and Darth Vader have met, it makes sense that Kitster would be confused by the Sith Lord’s actions in this new issue. After all, previous issues saw Vader saving Kitster and his fellow colonists while also destroying the very same planet-killing Death Machine he’s now ordering Kitster and his fellow crew members to activate.
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Kitster Banai’s Star Wars History Explained
Kitster Has Met Darth Vader Before
As the childhood friend of Anakin Skywalker, Kitster Banai was part of Anakin’s pit crew during the Boonta Eve podrace as seen in The Phantom Menace. Having won the race and his freedom, Anakin was taken off-world by Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn to become a Jedi Knight. Kitster would later be freed from slavery thanks to Sabe, one of Padmé Amidala’s handmaids who’d begun a slave liberation initiative in honor of Anakin’s mother Shmi.
Along with the Rodian named Wald (another childhood friend of Anakin’s), Kitster became a leading figure with a colony of former Tatooine slaves on Gabredor III. However, the corruption of the world’s Imperial governor and the creation of this very same “Death Machine” put them all in danger. This led to Darth Vader saving Kitster (whom the Dark Lord recognized) during his mission to root out Crimson Dawn’s influence within the Empire, while also destroying the governor’s device capable of draining and converting the energy of an entire world.
Now, Darth Vader #43 confirms that Kitster and his team have since repaired this device at the request of the Rebellion who recovered its remains. However, Kitster held a strong amount of hesitation about rebuilding the device, even with the Rebellion’s claim that they’d only be using the weapon on uninhabited worlds before converting their energy into a new power source. However, things have become far worse by the issue’s end now that the device is in the hands of Darth Vader and the Schism Imperial.
Will Kitster Continue To Resist Darth Vader?
Anakin’s Memory May Spare His Old Friend
With Darth Vader’s priorities having changed, it’s understandable that Kitster would be angry and confused that the Dark Lord now wants to wield the very same device he destroyed in the name of order. However, Vader now believes wielding this planet-killer will provide the order he’s long sought as soon as Palptine’s chaos has been removed from the Empire once and for all.
With Kitster and his team now being forced to continue operating this “Death Machine” for Vader, one has to wonder what Anakin’s old friend may do going forward. Likewise, the bigger question is how much longer the memory of the man Darth Vader once was will continue to protect Kitster in the issues to come.
Star Wars: Darth Vader #43 is available now from Marvel Comics.
STAR WARS: DARTH VADER #43 (2020) | |
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