Darth Vader Just Stole A Move From His Wife's Playbook

Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Darth Vader #46

Summary Darth Vader uses a droid decoy to take down the Sith Eternal on Exegol.

Vader's decoy tactic mirrors Padmé's use of decoys in the prequels.

Padmé's primary handmaid Sabé is alive and searching for Luke Skywalker between Episodes V-VI, and an encounter between the two could potentially set up Luke's mission in Return of the Jedi to redeem his father.

Darth Vader just stole a page from his wife's playbook. As seen in Marvel's canonical Darth Vader series set between The Empire Strikes Back and The Return of the Jedi, the titular Dark Lord is once more attempting to overthrow his Sith master Emperor Palpatine. To that end, Vader is seeking to hurt his master where it hurts most: his secret Sith world of Exegol.

Located in the Unknown Regions, Exegol is protected by legions of Palpatine's genetic monstrosities and cultists known as the Sith Eternal. As such, Darth Vader comes prepared with new weapons and allies such as the Schism Imperial, a group of disenfranchised officers and bureaucrats who want to see Palpatine removed from power just as much as Vader himself. The Sith apprentice also has a new droid army and reprogrammed Rebel cyborgs who get smuggled aboard what looked to have been a routine shipment to Palpatine's most important stronghold.

While it seemed as though Vader was overwhelmed by the Sith Eternal, it was all a massive ploy with the Dark Lord having used a droid decoy. The real Sith Lord then emerges from the containers right alongside his droid and cyborg forces, catching the dark cultists completely by surprise.

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Darth Vader Used His Very Own Decoy To Gain The Upper Hand On Exegol

Mirroring Padmé's Handmaiden Sabé, The Queen's Shadow

Having employed a critical move of deception against his Sith master's forces, Darth Vader using a decoy is rather impressive. It's also worth noting that the use of decoys was most famously used in Star Wars by Vader's late wife Padmé as both queen and later a senator of Naboo during the prequels. Known as the Queen's Shadow, Padmé's chief handmaid Sabé often served as her primary decoy due to their key resemblance to each other.

That said, it must have been much easier for Vader to simply program a droid and have it don a replica of his armor to gain the upper hand against the Sith Eternal. Nevertheless, deception is a rare tactic for Darth Vader despite his status as a Sith Lord. As such, it's a very important moment in the Star Wars canon that proves just how determined the Dark Lord is to bring down his master during this interim period between Episodes V-VI.

Sabé Is Still Alive, Trying To Find Luke Skywalker

What Does She Want With The Son Of Vader and Padmé?

It's also significant that Sabé herself has played a major role throughout Marvel's Darth Vader series. Initially trying to kill Vader alongside her fellow handmaids and those loyal to Padmé, Sabé eventually realized Vader's true identity as Anakin Skywalker while also discovering a partial recording of her queen's final words and belief that there was still good in her corrupted husband. As such, Sabé has embarked on a harrowing journey, one that has seen her grappling with her own darkness in the name of order while also trying (and failing) to motivate Vader's redemption to the light.

Following some time apart from Vader whom she'd been serving, Sabé has now begun a quest for Vader's son Luke Skywalker (she doesn't know about Leia). Having joined forces with a former associate of Luke's named Warba Calip to find him, it's unclear what exactly Sabé wants with the Son of Vader. However, perhaps Padmé's decoy will get the chance to tell Luke about the mother he never knew, while also sharing Padmé's final moments and hope for the good still in Darth Vader, a moment that could serve as some key setup for Return of the Jedi.

Darth Vader #46 is available now from Marvel Comics