Warning! This article contains spoilers for Star Wars: Darth Vader #39 There are few people in the Star Wars galaxy Darth Vader hates more than Obi-Wan Kenobi, even if that hatred does stem from blinding self-loathing and misdirected sorrow. However, there is one other person who Darth Vader hates even more than his former master – and no, it isn’t himself.
Even before he fell to the dark side, Anakin Skywalker always held resentment for Obi-Wan. Episode II highlights this probably the best out of any film or show set in that time period, with Anakin telling Padmé how Obi-Wan doesn’t trust him, how he’s holding him back, and even how Obi-Wan is ‘jealous’ of his power. This resentment culminated in the epic climax of the entire prequel trilogy, with Anakin and Obi-Wan’s fateful battle on Mustafar in Episode III. Then, Vader’s hatred for Obi-Wan was solidified before their final encounter in Episode IV during the Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi. However, during Vader’s latest mission in Star Wars canon, he’s forced to dig deep within himself to unlock a hatred the likes of which he’d rarely felt before for the sake of his own survival, and the person he focused on wasn’t Obi-Wan Kenobi or even himself, it was Emperor Palpatine.
Darth Vader Hates Palpatine More Than Obi-Wan (& Himself)
In Star Wars: Darth Vader #39 by Greg Pak and Raffaele Ienco, Darth Vader overcomes his tenuous grasp on the Force to destroy a portion of the Scourge that was inhabiting a deadly Clone Wars-era droid that never saw mass production. To do that, Darth Vader had to focus on his blinding hatred, and really pinpoint the thing he truly hated most in the galaxy. His mind glided over a number of qualified individuals, including Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, and himself. However, by the end of the issue, it’s strongly implied that the true source of Darth Vader’s hatred was Palpatine, and he used that hatred to crush this Scourge-host with the clenching of his fist. This point is then driven home further, as Darth Vader is now on his way to Coruscant to challenge Palpatine face-to-face.
It is true that Darth Vader has admitted on more than one occasion that he hates himself more than anyone else, with one example seen in the Star Wars Tales #9 story “Resurrection” during his fight with Darth Maul. However, based on his entire Star Wars character arc, it makes way more sense that Vader actually hates Palpatine the most. By hating the Emperor, Darth Vader has given Palpatine dominion over him, as hatred is the source of dark side power. Plus, every bad thing that’s ever happened in Vader’s life is because of Palpatine, and while Anakin Skywalker was originally ignorant to that fact (and even blamed Obi-Wan instead), Darth Vader certainly was not. This is why Vader was able to find redemption after killing Palpatine in Episode VI, as doing so was a physical action representing the metaphorical destruction of Vader’s evil self, and his acceptance of the light side through the love he had for his son.
This isn’t to say Darth Vader doesn’t have intense hatred for Obi-Wan as well as immense self-loathing, as he unarguably does. However, when it comes to who Darth Vader hates more than anyone in the Star Wars galaxy, himself and Obi-Wan Kenobi don’t hold a candle to the true point of Darth Vader’s hatred, Emperor Palpatine.
Star Wars: Darth Vader #39 by Marvel Comics is available now.
