The Star Wars Darth Vader Story That Needs A Live-Action Adaptation
When it comes to the Star Wars universe and franchise, there seem to be nearly infinite stories to tell and ways to take things. At the same time, it’s comforting and familiar to see the same characters we’ve come to know and love. So, getting more stories about Darth Vader and the background for that ironically evil (though nuanced) character would seem to be something fans could get on board with.
When thinking about stories in the Star Wars universe to adapt, one that comes to mind regarding Darth Vader is Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison, which was published as a five-issue comic miniseries by Dark Horse Comics in 2012.
Written by Haden Blackman and illustrated by Agustin Alessio, the five-issue comic series is set in the early years of the Empire, when the Rebellion was still in its infancy. After somebody tries to assassinate Emperor Palpatine, Vader teams up with an Imperial cadet to investigate.
Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison depicts one of Darth Vader’s early missions after the events of Revenge of the Sith. He’s sent to investigate a rebel uprising on Kashyyyk, home of the Wookiees. There, he’s involved in looking into an ancient haunted prison. “The Ghost Prison” has the ability to trap souls and spirits.
Check out the promotional trailer Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison which came out at the time of the series release. Tell us this wouldn’t work as part of the Star Wars live-action franchise.
Sure, Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison is part of the Expanded Universe of Star Wars stories. And there are parts here that aren’t considered canon. And it would be tough with timing, considering that we are decades past Revenge of the Sith for Hayden Christensen.
But the Star Wars folks “solved” some of that with his return in Obi-Wan Kenobi and to a lesser extent Ahsoka. He was de-aged for the latter, though wasn’t on screen tons. In Obi-Wan we got him in the Darth Vader suit through and through. He was menacing to say the least.
For Hayden Christensen’s Darth Vader, we’ve seen the character revisited in those timelines, and the Ahsoka arc does give him something of a sendoff. But we’ve never really seen him coming to grips with his persona, something that definitely happens in Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison.
It’s a struggle, one that he ultimately “loses,” but the character is so important in the grander scheme of the franchise that getting more stories here would really enrich things.
There are many, many stories out there in similar veins for this Sith Lord , but Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison would bring out many of the character’s layers.
