Anakin Skywalker may be the main character of George Lucas’ six-episode saga, but Disney Star Wars has already used his Darth Vader persona more than his creator did. Darth Vader has been an icon ever since he made his grand entrance in the first Star Wars film, serving as the villain turned hero in the original trilogy, and later the hero turned villain in the prequel trilogy. There are also decades worth of books, comics, and video games that chronicle Vader’s life outside the movies. However, in terms of George Lucas’ cinematic ventures, Darth Vader actually has less screen time than audiences would expect.
Disney has already surpassed Lucas’ use of Darth Vader in only ten years after purchasing the Star Wars franchise. While Vader had a small amount of screen time in Disney’s new Star Wars movies, he’s also appeared in various TV shows under Disney’s ownership. New Star Wars projects are clearly keen on taking advantage of the franchise’s most famous villain going forward, as Disney’s use of Darth Vader so far demonstrates. Even so, it’s hard to believe that Disney Star Wars could have already given Darth Vader more screen time than George Lucas did in his movies.
George Lucas Used Darth Vader Less Than You Think
George Lucas may have created Darth Vader, and made him the main character of the Star Wars saga, but his total screen time in Lucas’ movies is a lot less than it would seem. Vader has approximately 34 minutes of screen time in the original trilogy, and after Anakin Skywalker dons the Darth Vader suit for the first time in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, he appears for an additional 2 minutes. This means that Darth Vader’s total amount of screen time in George Lucas’ Star Wars movies is approximately 36 minutes, with the greatest amount in a single film being 14 minutes in Return of the Jedi.
It seems strange that Darth Vader could make such a large impact on fans with so little screen time across 4 movies. However, this is a great example of quality over quantity, and Lucas always made excellent use of Vader every time he appeared on-screen. Darth Vader is dangerous because he is a man of few words and decisive action in the original trilogy, dispatching foes quickly and expecting his subordinates to carry out orders without question. Even Vader’s brief appearance at the end of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith became an iconic Star Wars moment, personifying the fall of Anakin Skywalker and transitioning into the next trilogy.
Disney Has Already Used Darth Vader For 40 Minutes
When all of Vader’s Disney Star Wars appearances are tallied up, he has approximately 40 minutes of screen time, meaning Disney has already passed Lucas’ 36 minutes. This includes Vader’s appearances in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Star Wars Rebels, and a brief appearance at the end of Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 7. While 40 minutes may only be slightly higher, Disney has done a lot with Vader in only 10 years, compared to the screen time of George Lucas’ Darth Vader over 28 years. This doesn’t even include Vader’s appearances in the Galaxy of Adventures micro-series, or his voice cameo in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Considering how much screen time Darth Vader has already gotten under Disney, the number of appearances will only go up over time. Vader could easily be integrated into future Star Wars TV shows, even as a flashback or a vision, and he may well show up in future standalone movies. Of course, George Lucas showed that quality is just as important as quantity, so any Darth Vader cameos need to be handled with care. Disney Star Wars has already done an impressive job with Darth Vader’s screen time, even more so than Lucas, and it will be exciting to see when Palpatine’s Sith apprentice will show up next.
