Eight Years Ago Today, Star Wars Gave Us The Best Darth Vader Scene Since The Original Trilogy

Eight years ago today, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story hit theaters, giving the Star Wars franchise not only its first anthology movie, but also the best live-action Darth Vader that we've seen ever since his debut in the original trilogy. Vader is one of pop culture's most recognizable and revered villains of all time, and the original Star Wars trilogy is to thank for that. His return to the big screen in Rogue One was thus a widely celebrated event - particularly because of the movie's most brutal scene.

Now dubbed the "Vader hallway scene," the ending of Rogue One allows Vader to be the horrifying Sith villain that Star Wars has built him up to be in his first confrontation with the Rebels. The audience is just processing the deaths of the titular Rogue One crew when Vader manages to start pursuing the Rebels who have the Death Star plans, and after trapping them in a hallway, he cuts his way through them like they're nothing. This brutal assault has since become revered as Vader's best live-action scene amongst fans, and this is why.

Rogue One Showed Why Darth Vader Should Always Be Feared

His Brutality Was On Full Display

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While Vader incited fear in the original Star Wars trilogy simply by appearing in his imposing mask and suit, the true range of his strength wasn't actually on display all that much. His lightsaber fight with Obi-Wan Kenobi in A New Hope is a far cry from what lightsaber battles have become today in modern Star Wars, and the most brutal thing he does is Force choke people to death - and cut off his own son's hand. While those are certainly frightening instances of his powerful anger, they pale in comparison to what Rogue One showed in Vader's hallway scene.

Related Star Wars: Darth Vader's Rogue One Role Explained Darth Vader returns to the big screen in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. We examine his role and how he fits into the narrative.

This scene in Rogue One was just one of the many that showed why Vader was truly a villain to be feared. The way he cuts through the Rebels is nothing short of terrifying, evidenced by how desperate those Rebels were to try to get the jammed door working again. There are, however, other scenes in Rogue One where Vader is imposing as well. His brief talk with Director Orson Krennic shows Vader Force choking the Imperial officer for simply being too proud. Vader was truly a man to be feared, and Rogue One easily proved that.

Rogue One Raised The Bar For Darth Vader... Can Star Wars Match It?

They've Already Come Fairly Close

Star Wars has yet to match this standard for Vader thus far, though, in all fairness, he's only appeared in two TV shows ever since his Rogue One appearance. There's certainly something to be said for his role in Obi-Wan Kenobi, as Vader's stroll through the village on Mapuzo was nothing short of terrifying, but even that wasn't the same as seeing Vader in full action with his red lightsaber. Even then, with Obi-Wan himself being the protagonist, we all knew deep down that Vader wasn't a true threat to our lead hero.

It's important to note that Vader has some incredibly terrifying scenes in Star Wars animated TV shows, such as his face-off with Ahsoka Tano in Star Wars Rebels.

Star Wars may always be chasing to accomplish what they did for Vader in Rogue One, though I at least have faith that they can indeed match this energy again. Should the opportunity arise for Vader to reappear on the big screen in a Star Wars movie, which is truly the proper showcase for Vader's energy, then Star Wars does have a chance to recreate the magic. Until then, Rogue One is more than deserving of a rewatch, especially with Andor season 2 arriving in the early part of next year.