Return of the Jedi ends with Anakin Skywalker returning to the light side to kill Palpatine and save his son. After reading a ton of Darth Vader comics, I think the real reason for Vader’s change of heart wasn’t for Luke, but the completion of a decades-long quest for revenge.

Don’t get me wrong; I love a good redemption story as much as the next person. And on top of that, I am Anakin Skywalker’s number one defender. But after delving deep into Vader’s comic background, the grand storybook happy ending that most associate with Return of the Jedi took on a new meaning for me.

While I do believe that Anakin fully overcame Vader before he died, there was always a lot more Anakin in Vader than the films were able to explore, but the comics, both Legends continuity and current canon, expanded upon.

Anakin's Thirst For Revenge Was Always A Part Of Who He Was As A Person

Once The Jedi Had Fallen, Anakin Had No One Left To Keep His Rage In Check

Anakin’s predisposition to seeking revenge was something he exhibited from childhood and struggled with while in the Jedi Order. That flaw, unbefitting of a Jedi, was one of the main reasons the Jedi Council did not approve of Anakin becoming a padawan. Once the Order fell and Obi-Wan was not there to provide a steady guiding hand, Anakin’s thirst for vengeance was left unchecked and directed at the one person he blamed for ruining his life: Palpatine. From the moment Anakin was “reborn” as Vader to the time of his death, Vader lashed out and tried to kill Palpatine on a regular basis.

"Legends" continuity refers to any Star Wars content produced before 2014, with the exception of the original trilogy, prequels, and Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series. Anything that falls under the Legends category is not considered canon in current Star Wars lore.

In Ryder Windham and Pop Mhan’s 2001 Legends comic miniseries, Jedi Quest, Anakin’s thirst for justice by way of revenge as a new padawan is put on full display. Obi-Wan and Anakin are sent on a mission to protect a traveling ship from being hijacked by a prominent slave master named Krayn; one who Anakin was all too familiar with from his own time growing up as a slave on Tatooine. Krayn and his fellow pirates had even raided Tatooine when Anakin was young and took his friend’s mother.

Obi-Wan regularly reminds Anakin that their mission is not to obtain Krayn himself and that a Jedi should not seek revenge, but Anakin quickly disobeys orders and goes on his own mission to take Krayn down. Ultimately, Obi-Wan finds Anakin in a duel with Krayn and shouts to his padawan to not take Krayn’s life; however, Anakin again ignores his master and strikes Krayn down with his lightsaber. Though Krayn may have been a deserving victim of Anakin’s rage, the comic highlights that Anakin was driven by his own desires resulting from his traumatic past, and not any pre-established codes or rules.

The Many Times Vader Tried To Kill Palpatine In The Comics Wasn't Without Reason

Palpatine Took Everything And Everyone Vader Loved Away From Him

Though Jedi Quest has nothing to do with Darth Vader’s lust for revenge against Palpatine, it sets the precedent that Anakin (and later Vader) always acted without any fear of ramifications from a higher power. In Greg Pak and Raffaele Ienco’s Darth Vader (2020), Vader makes a full-frontal assault on Palpatine after finding out that he lied about how Pe died for decades, allowing Vader to think he was to blame for her death. Vader’s rage and thirst for revenge is no match for Palpatine’s power, but that does not stop Vader from attempting to destroy the Emperor.

In the same series, Darth Vader #38-40, Vader struggles to control his power and connection to the Force due to a “Force wave” that acts as a sort of electromagnetic pulse for those who are Force-sensitive. Vader eventually realizes that the key to regaining control is more power, and more power only comes about through hate. When he reflects on the subject, Vader realizes rather quickly that there is no one he hates more than Palpatine. With control of his connection to the Force restored, Vader seeks out Palpatine on Coruscant and attempts to kill him again.

While that was another unsuccessful attempt on Palpatine’s life, it was not the last time Vader sought to kill the Emperor. Darth Vader (2015) by Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larocca, takes place directly after the events of A New Hope and the destruction of the Death Star. Palpatine blames Vader for the incident and demotes his apprentice, asg a security agent to watch Vader’s every move. Despite the surveillance, Vader enacts a plan to gather a sizable fortune and (mostly unwilling) allies, including Doctor Aphra, so he can effectively use his own assets to act against the Emperor.

It's Indisputable: Vader Wanted To Kill Palpatine For Years

And He Had Every Reason To Do So

Time and time again, from the moment Palpatine recovered Anakin from Mustafar, Vader has sought revenge against Palpatine at every possible opportunity. His hatred for Palpatine was stronger than any other emotion and spurred his actions for over twenty years. Though I do believe a great part of Vader wanted to save Luke like he failed to save Pe, I am convinced that he saw Palpatine focusing all of his power against Luke and knew it was the perfect opportunity to complete his decades-long deepest desire to kill the real villain.

Vader’s every action, every word, was laced with the potential for rebellion.

Look, I’ve seen the data. I’ve watched all the films and read too many comics to ignore the truth behind Vader’s actions. Vader, that broken husk of a man, was always plotting. It wasn't just about some abstract power grab; it was raw, seething revenge. Palpatine twisted him, ripped away everything he loved, and then had the audacity to keep him on a leash.

Consider the resources Vader amassed, the hidden projects, the alliances he forged in the shadows. Those weren’t just for show. They were contingency plans, escape routes, weapons for a war he knew was inevitable. Every interaction with Palpatine was a calculated risk, a dance on the edge of betrayal. He was always testing the waters, looking for weaknesses. Even his pursuit of Luke, initially a tool for Palpatine, became a personal mission. Vader’s every action, every word, was laced with the potential for rebellion.

Every time Vader found a sliver of strength, a moment of clarity that brought him back to Anakin Skywalker, he’d push back. He’d build secret armies, try to turn others against the Emperor, even fight directly when his rage boiled over. He was a weapon pointed at Palpatine, just waiting for the right moment to fire. Don’t tell me it was loyalty; it was a slow burn, a constant, simmering desire to make Palpatine pay for every single atrocity.