Star Wars theory shows Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine in mind-blowing new light

The final movie in the original Star Wars trilogy sees a climactic showdown between Luke Skywalker, his father Anakin – aka Vader – and the disfigured Emperor. The Emperor is sent to his death, before Vader then appears to finally have a moment of peace with his son before he too passes away. But are the two deaths linked more than we first thought?

In a new theory, Reddit user bjthebard wrote: “I was just rewatching ep. VI and when Vader asks Luke to remove his helmet, Luke warns that if he does, he will die.

“Vader responds by saying, ‘Nothing can stop that now.’ This takes place almost immediately after he kills Emperor Palpatine.

“So Palpatine knows the secret to keeping others alive…”

They added: “I’ve always seen Darth Vader as a cyborg, or complicated life support system with wrinkly old Ani inside, but if the Force energy from Palpatine is the only thing keeping him alive it kinda changes my perception of things.

“He’s almost more of a walking zombie or a lich, only living by the Emperor’s necromancy.

“Ok, lich is a stretch, but its still much different than half-man half-machine.”

The theory has been 91% upvoted, but – while many agreed it’s a fascinating new perspective on the scene, most assumed it’s not actually what George Lucas was intending to portray.

“Mmm… it’s a cool idea, but probably not,” responded one user. “Vader wanted to overthrow the Emperor with Luke, remember?

“That wouldn’t really work if Vader needs Palps alive to survive.”

Another said: “If you’re asking seriously then the answer is obviously not. However I do like the concept and wouldn’t mind another pair of Sith or Jedi even to have this dynamic in another story.”

The final movie in the main Star Wars saga – Episode 9 – is currently in production.

Ahead of its release in late 2019, filming has been underway in locations such as Jordan and Pinewood.