Bad News, Star Wars Officially Ends Darth Vader's Chances At Redemption

Image via Lucasfilm Published Oct 19, 2026, 12:00 PM EDT Annie Banks is a Rotten Tomatoes–approved critic, and CBR editor and writer specializing in anime, comics, and superheroes. Her work has also appeared in Collider and The Mary Sue, where she covered pop culture, fandoms, and entertainment trends. A lifelong fan whose love for storytelling began with Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Annie blends critical insight with genuine passion for geek culture, from sci-fi to K-pop. Sign in to your CBR account Star Wars has forever added complexity and nuance to its storytelling through damnation and redemption, though Darth Vader has finally conceded to his own irredeemability. Perhaps one of the most heartbreaking and complex villains in popular culture, Darth Vader has been at the very core for five decades. Story over story, the internal and external suffering of Anakin Skywalker is explored, and though he's truly a space terrorist, there's still the understanding that he was once a tortured human. Star Wars: Darth Vader — Dark Lord of the Sith Vol. 1 features a definitive confession from Darth Vader, admitting that there's no point of redemption for such a confounding villain. In...