So I imagine some of you out there saw a little movie this past weekend name of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. If you didn’t, then fair warning: there are spoilers aplenty in this article.
One of the many, many cool things about Rogue One for longtime Star Wars fans was that after all these years, we finally got to see where Darth Vader hangs his hat. Or is that “hangs his helmet?” In Lord Vader’s introduction in the film, we see Director Krennic arrive at a mysterious black castle, on what looks to be a volcanic planet covered in rivers of lava. Unlike all the other worlds we see in this move, this particular planet was not named on screen. Still, many hardcore fans guessed this planet was Mustafar, the lava-rich world where Anakin Skywalker and Obi Wan Kenobi had their epic duel in Revenge of the Sith, and where Darth Vader was really born.
And now, this theory has been confirmed. According to The Art of Rogue One book, (via Slashfilm), the film’s original screenwriter Gary Whitta says, “The fact that he has chosen to build his mausoleum here [on Mustafar] is a nod to the conflict in him — that he would go back to this place to reflect on what happened to the man he once was. At the same time, it’s also terrifying, and when he emerges with all of his armor, he’s Darth Vader.”
The idea that Vader’s castle is on Mustafar has been hinted at in various pieces of canon material over the past couple of years, it seems. In the novel Star Wars: Aftermath, X-Wing pilot Wedge Antilles mentioned an Imperial installation on Mustafar where Vader took surviving Jedi and tortured them for information. Turns out, that installation was his own home. Lucasfilm’s Pablo Hidalgo also confirmed via Twitter that the season one finale of Star Wars: Rebels hinted at Mustafar as being Vader’s home base; in the episode, Hera mentions that Jedi Knight Kanan Jarrus told her that world is “where Jedi go to die.”
Pablo Hidalgo’s book Star Wars: Rogue One: The Ultimate Visual Guide also suggests Vader lives there due to Palpatine’s command, mentioning that “it is the Emperor’s design that Vader lives in such an unforgiving environment.” It would also fit the Emperor’s usual Sith M.O. to have Vader perpetually bask in a reminder of his own ultimate failure.
Will we see this cool new location again? Rumors suggest that we could see it in Episode VIII. It would make sense that Kylo Ren, with his fetish for all things related to good ol’ grandpa, might live there himself. And it’s doubtful that we’ve seen the last of Darth Vader on Rebels either—the castle on Mustafar might turn up there as well. One thing seems to be certain, though: Rogue One isn’t the last time we’ll see this cool new location appear.
What do all of you out there think about Mustafar as Darth Vader’s home base? Do you think this a cool new addition to the lore, or would you have preferred Lord Vader’s home address been kept a mystery? Let us know down below in the comments!
Images: Lucasfilm
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