The Road to Episode Infinity: This Halloween: Vader's Castle

Sunday, October 14, 2018

This Halloween: Vader's Castle

Darth Vader’s Castle is a location that first appeared in the film “Rogue One” only a few years ago. But the truth is that the Vader’s Castle concept is almost as old as the franchise itself.

After the success of the 1977 film, “Star Wars”, George Lucas decided he should start work on the sequel. One of his big ideas was that Vader (having lost the Death Star) would have a gothic style castle on a planet of glowing lava.

“Might be nice to give Vader a little castle on a rock in the middle of the ocean. One way to see him would be in a tall, dark tower, very narrow in a lava flow, dark, red, and burning, almost like hell. He’d be up in the tower with his gremlin, goblin-type gargoyles surrounding him. His pets.” ~George Lucas (November 1977)

It wasn’t long before Ralph McQuarrie had drawn up several designs for Vader’s Castle. I don’t remember exactly where I saw these designs when I was younger, but I know that I was aware of the Vader’s Castle concept even before the prequels came out.

There were a few versions of Vader’s Castle that cropped in the Old Expanded Universe (including one on the acid-planet of Vjun)- But during the production of “Rogue One”, Lucasfilm placed Vader’s castle on Mustfar, overlooking the site where Anakin Skywalker was defeated in battle by Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Today Vader’s Castle is the gothic terror that Lucas imagined in 1977 and this Halloween Lucasfilm is showcasing the fortress in a big way. It is the currently the central subject of the monthly comic series “Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith”. The most recent arc, “Fortress Vader”, describes the construction of the stronghold.

The all-ages series “Star Wars Adventures” has given readers an even bigger treat for this October. Once a week this month they are publishing a series called “Tales from Vader’s Castle”- which gives us some spooky tales centered on Han & Chewie, Obi-Wan Kenobi, the crew of the Ghost, and even Ewoks.

Furthermore, Lego has announced the release of a “Vader’s Castle” set, due to his stores this December. Put it on your Christmas list, Star Wars fans.