Most fans of any franchise will likely agree that Darth Vader is the ultimate villain, not just in Star Wars, but in the history of fiction. His iconic appearance is matched only by his unspeakable ruthlessness, cementing Darth Vader’s premier villainous status.

While the Star Wars films do an incredible job conveying that point, and are, indeed, responsible for giving fans Darth Vader in the first place, they only scratch the surface of Darth Vader’s true villainy. Vader’s most brutal kills are actually found in Star Wars comics, both canon and Legends.

Star Wars comics have given Darth Vader more time to be a true villain rather than focusing on his redemption arc (like in the movies). Therefore, the comics don’t pull any punches regarding Vader’s ruthlessness. Here are Darth Vader’s 10 greatest comic book kills that prove he’s the ultimate villain!

10

Darth Vader Slaughters an Army of Rebels

In Vader Down, Darth Vader has crash-landed on a planet crawling with Rebel soldiers. This was part of a larger mission by the Rebellion following the destruction of the Death Star to use that momentum to kill Darth Vader. Unfortunately, the Rebels bit off more than they could chew.

When the Rebel soldiers surround Vader, the Rebels are confident that they have finally gotten him. However, Vader merely ignites his lightsaber and utters the famous line, “All I am surrounded by is fear and dead men“, before slaughtering the powerless soldiers where they stood.

9

Darth Vader Murders Kirak Infal’a

Immediately following the fall of the Republic and the rise of the Empire, Darth Vader was obsessed with wiping out the Jedi. This led him to the location of Jedi Master Kirak Infal’a, who survived Order 66 and lived in a small community on a relatively unknown world.

When the young Darth Vader challenged him, Infal’a actually defeated the Dark Lord of the Sith. However, Darth Vader proved how ruthless he was by wiping out Kirak Infal’a’s entire community, distracting the Jedi Master long enough to finish him off.

8

Darth Vader Snaps General Draven’s Neck with the Force

Davits Draven was a general in the Rebel Alliance who fans will likely recognize most from Rogue One and Andor. He helped shape the Rebel Alliance and was instrumental in the destruction of the Death Star. Unfortunately, his time as a Star Wars hero was cut short by Vader himself.

In Star Wars #54 (2018), Draven finds himself in Darth Vader’s presence, at which point the Dark Lord of the Sith grabs Draven’s throat with the Force and snaps his neck like it was nothing. Darth Vader didn’t just kill a good man; he also significantly weakened the Rebellion.

7

Darth Vader’s Heartbreaking Murder of His Inquisitors

It’s no secret that Darth Vader only views his Inquisitors as tools of the dark side, and couldn’t care less about them as people. So, when he discovered that two of them, Iskat Akaris and Tualon Yaluna, had fallen in love, Vader ‘fired’ them in the most heartbreaking way imaginable.

As Akaris and Yaluna tried to escape the wrath of Darth Vader, the Sith Lord had them cornered and used Force telekinesis to make the two lovers kill each other with their lightsabers. The Inquisitors chose each other over their Lord, and Darth Vader made them suffer the consequences.

6

Darth Vader Murders a Jedi with His Bare Hands

In Legends’ Star Wars: Purge, Darth Vader was hellbent on slaughtering Jedi after the fall of the Republic, and a group of Jedi knew that. They sent Vader the fake location of Obi-Wan Kenobi, intending to catch Vader in a trap. Unfortunately, they vastly underestimated the Sith Lord.

While Darth Vader was victorious in slaughtering all these Jedi, one of them got it the worst. The leader of this little rebellion, who doomed her fellow Jedi, got too close to Vader, at which point he grabbed her throat and snapped her neck, killing her with his bare hands.

5

Darth Vader Humiliated Jedi Cho’na Bene

After killing the Jedi rebels in Star Wars: Purge, Darth Vader tracked down a lone Jedi named Cho’na Bene in Star Wars: Purge – The Tyrant’s Hand. This Jedi lured Darth Vader into a labyrinth filled with poison to get the upper hand, but Vader used his own tactics against him.

The poison was too much for Bene to endure, while Darth Vader barely suffered its effects. This made the Jedi weak and delusional, so Vader sent him into a nearby town, where Bene was gunned down unceremoniously by a Stormtrooper. Vader did more than kill this Jedi; he humiliated him.

4

Darth Vader Kills Star Wars’ First ‘New Hope’

Tensu Run is a Jedi survivor of Order 66 who nearly created his own rebellion years before the formation of the Rebel Alliance. That’s why Vader made him a top priority for his Inquisitors in Star Wars: The Inquisitors. However, Run proved too powerful for the Inquisitors to handle alone.

Tensu Run defeated the Inquisitors at every turn. So, Darth Vader went after the young Jedi himself, killing him with his lightsaber like it was nothing, thus snuffing out the first ‘new hope’ in the Star Wars galaxy.

3

Darth Vader Makes the Grand Inquisitor Suffer a Fate Worse Than Death

The Grand Inquisitor famously dies in Star Wars: Rebels, but Darth Vader doesn’t allow his spirit to remain at rest. Instead, Darth Vader tethers the Grand Inquisitor’s spirit to an old Jedi Temple, where he is meant to kill desperate Jedi seeking refuge for all eternity.

This is a rare case where Darth Vader actually saves someone’s life instead of ending it, as he effectively makes the Grand Inquisitor immortal. However, that highlighted Vader’s unrivaled villainy more than any murder he’d ever committed, as Vader gave him a fate worse than death.

2

Darth Vader Slays a Dragon

In Star Wars: Vader – Dark Visions #1, Vader is stranded on a planet that is cut off from the rest of the galaxy. These people do not know about the Empire or even life on other worlds. All they know is the horror brought upon their people by a ‘dragon’.

When this ‘dragon’ threatens Darth Vader personally, the Sith Lord slays the beast and inadvertently becomes the savior of this world. Vader is seen as a hero, which only highlights how much of a villain he is, as it proves that he could use his great power for good.

1

Darth Vader Vaporizes a Legion of Stormtroopers

In Star Wars: Darth Vader #50, Darth Vader has augmented his armor with power cells holding energy stolen from a planet. He planned on using his new power to kill Emperor Palpatine. So, the Emperor sent a legion of Stormtroopers to stop Vader. Unfortunately, they didn’t slow him down much.

With a single blast, Vader vaporized the Stormtroopers instantaneously. This not only proves how terrifyingly powerful Vader can become, but also how heartless he is, as the Stormtroopers are typically his soldiers. But, Darth Vader doesn’t care at all, proving that he is the ultimate villain in Star Wars.

Died

Star Wars: Episode VI – Return Of The Jedi

Alliance

Jedi, Sith

Race

Human