Hot take: Vader is boring outside the movies

I’m not touching on the main movies here, only other types of media. Vader has great potential to be explored more as a character: he’s a quick-witted tactician, a prominent general, a skilled pilot and engineer, and a strong leader. As Anakin, he cared deeply about others, wanted to do good, and genuinely wanted to build a just world. He was inherently good but fumbled because of his ego. He fell, because Sidious preyed on Anakin’s superiority complex and fears, twisting his beliefs. Anakin became Vader — a servant to his master, who regrets his choices but also has ambitions for power, wanting to eventually rule himself and dispose of Sidious. I am saying this just to underline the depth Vader has.

Unfortunately, nowadays he’s often reduced to an overpowered brute who appears only to farm aura and serve as “the final boss.” He is more than this, but his character, tactical genius and leadership are barely shown.

And so much more could be told about him, even in tiny bits here and there. For example: his relationship with Sidious. Why not show how Vader learns from his mentor/master and how they run the Empire? How his past self peers through but inevitably changes under Sidious’s influence? Imagine Vader playing 4D chess with Sidious — both trying to outsmart each other, Vader laying groundwork for a coup while still serving as enforcer. That’s Game of Thrones–level material, and it’s just one example of a story beat that could show a new perspective on Vader. And even without a full blown show it could be possible to fit something interesting here and there. It would be possible to show something meaningful in Obi Wan, since they spend time on Vader in it, but way more time is spent on aura farming moments and empty dialogues.

To be honest, I haven’t read many comics or books, but from what I’ve seen, in them Vader also rarely goes beyond being an intimidating, angry guy who kills Jedi and those who cross him. The only time I saw real character development was in the book “Vader.”

Again, he might be fleshed out more in comics and books I haven’t read, but in more mainstream media like games and shows, Vader remains uninteresting for me (not talking about main movies as I said in the beginning, it is not a problem there). And in stories where he isn’t the main character, he doesn’t really matter and has nothing meaningful to contribute. If that’s the case, maybe he shouldn’t show up just for the sake of “wow” moments. The more it happens, the less interesting Vader will be.