One of Anakin Skywalker’s darkest moments occurs after he officially becomes Darth Vader when he slaughters every Jedi youngling, ensuring that no Force-sensitive children would escape Order 66. A comic set soon after shows a different side of Vader--one who is willing to lie to the Emperor to protect children.

In Darth Vader (2017-2018) by Charles Soule and Giuseppe Camuncoli, Vader apprehends Jocasta Nu, the former head of the Jedi Archives. Nu infiltrated the Imperial-controlled Archives to retrieve a memory crystal that the Emperor had a great interest in; so much so that he sent Vader to retrieve it.

Knowledge is just as dangerous in Imperial hands as Sith weapons--a fact that Nu and Palpatine can both agree on. The information contained on the crystal included a list of Force-sensitive children in the galaxy, which, in Palpatine’s hands, would lead to the death of more innocent children.

A List Of Force-Sensitive Children Would Easily Be Weaponized In Palpatine's Hands

Darth Vader (2017-2018) By Charles Soule And Giuseppe Camuncoli

Jocasta Nu, aware of the massive implications the memory crystal stored in the Jedi Archives could have on the galaxy as a whole, manages to infiltrate the Archives and overcome many obstacles, including Vader himself, to retrieve it. However, Vader eventually captures her on Palpatine’s orders. Vader, using the technology in his mask, is able to scan the crystal and read the information contained within, noting a list of names, locations, and recent birthdates of Force-sensitive children. Nu reminds Vader of his real identity as Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, asking him to think about what he wants from the list.

As the entire arc deals with the revelation that Palpatine created an order of Force s to kill any remaining Jedi--the Inquisitors--it can be inferred that Palpatine sought the list to kidnap the infants to raise them to be Inquisitors as well. In an unexpected turn of events, Vader destroys the memory crystal before killing Nu, and informs Palpatine that he did not obtain any information from the archivist. Without the memory crystal, Palpatine would either have to find another way to locate Force-sensitive children or ignore their existence entirely.

There Could Be Many Reasons For Vader's Decision

Anakin Skywalker Still Remained

While it is not uncommon to see Vader lie to the Emperor in the comics, the fact that he does so in order to protect newborn children is striking, especially considering that his actions come on the heels of Order 66 and the massacre of the younglings. The action shows that Vader still has more Anakin Skywalker inside than he wants to it, as Anakin was a true Jedi--a protector of the peace and innocents. Vader’s choice also highlights Anakin’s lingering guilt over killing the younglings, again showing that his moral com was not fully attuned to the dark side.

It’s possible that the bit of Anakin still inside Vader did not want other children to suffer the way he did.

Another reason to explain Vader’s decision to destroy the memory crystal is that he re a time when he was in the same position as the children on the list; a talented child taken away from his mother to be trained as a Jedi. Though his mother wanted him to leave Tatooine with Qui-Gon Jinn in order to have a fighting chance at a future, Anakin never fully accepted her decision or got over the pain that leaving her caused him. It’s possible that the bit of Anakin still inside Vader did not want other children to suffer the way he did.

As the events of Darth Vader are set only months after the fall of the Republic and rise of the Empire, Anakin/Vader is still grappling with the fact that his wife and unborn child are (presumed) dead. The birthdates on the list would more than likely show a group of children who are close in age to the child Anakin lost, making the information even more personal. Regardless of the reasons, Vader (or Anakin, in the moment) saved as many, if not more, children than he murdered.