CT Darth Vader unmasked in ROTJ

Among those who saw the OT before the PT, who saw Darth Vader unmasked for the first time when watching ROTJ ?

Were you afraid of that moment, and what did you expect ?

I've always regreted I was able to see Vader's face before seeing the movie at the theatre, in a sticker album from ROTJ.

 

Given the way the back of his head appeared in The Empire Strikes Back, I thought he'd be more monstrous looking.

 

I hardly even remember my first time seeing *Anakin* unmasked. I was like 4. I know the version I first saw was before they removed Shaw's eyebrows though, because I remember being confused as to how he had eyebrows if he had no other hair...

 

i don't think i was that scared i first saw the special editions and i was 6. he dousn't really look like he was a burn victim.

 

Same here. The back of Vader's head in ESB looks so veiny and bulbous. When we got to see Anakin's face in RotJ, I thought it was going to be really deformed, sorta Elephant-Man like.

 

I was seven years old when I watched for first time. I think I was very surprised for Sebastian's eyes. They were so blue and so sad.

Despite the previous exchange of words between Luke and Vader, I guess I still think of him as a machine. Then, suddenly, seeing him so human... The pale face for lack of sunshine, the scars across his forehead and cranium, bald... and very especially, the eyes so full of regrets and ghost. Apologizing to his son. Dying without meeting his daughter...

That the moment Vade became my favorite movie character, a rank he still holds to date.

 

Good old MAD Magazine, one of the most influential factors in my upbringing. I've remembered that "I think you're my uncle' line when watching ROTJ ever since.

Not to mention R2-D2's musings on C-3PO in their original Star Bores parody, which can't be quoted here...

 

I just remember that after I came home from the theater, I remembered it wrong, and I thought that unmasked Vader was "a white version of Admiral Ackbar." A friend of mine, who hadn't seen the movie yet, asked me what Vader looked like under the mask, so I found a photo of Admiral Ackbar and said, "He looks just like this... but white."

 

I was holding my breath, expecting horrible grotesque scars like the back of his head. I was 17 then.

 

I was in fact spoiled as I had the novelization in hand and could not resist. It ruined nothing.

 

I couldn't resist either...

 

I always wondered why he was soo white almost albino like. I still do.

 

A little shocking at first, but he came across as surprisingly human. Of course, it only made me more curious as to how he got his injuries.

 

Well, when you're encapsulated in a suit from head to toe, and can't remove your helmet without a special artificial environment, you don't exactly have the luxury of a tanning salon.

 

I was expecting a gaunt, skeletal-like face with a missing lower jaw, blasted off nose and large eyes.

I nearly covered my eyes when Luke took the mask off, and was relieved that there was a smiling, pale, happy, very-human face within.

 

Over twenty years without natural light hitting your head, I think would cause you to be unnaturally pale.

 

Exactly this. I was stunned when Luke removed Vader's helmet to reveal this old man who looked so sad and had so many regrets.

 

It was one of my all-time favorite scenes. As a kid, seeing it in the 90s, I was on the edge of my seat. As I got older, I loved Empire the most, but as a kid, Return of The Jedi was my favorite, and it was mostly because you get to see Vader. Powerful scene with him and Luke, as well.

 

Early sketch for unmasked Vader. Not 100% sure when it dates to, think it might be ESB-era. OT-era, anyway.

 

I think Vader's Theme played on the harp does as much to set the feelings for this scene as does the actual visual appearance of Anakin.

 

blimey , where's that come from ?

 

Probably because his skin hadn't seen sunlight in years.

 

Cause most of it healed over time

 

Indeed, his ashy grey skin color makes sense not only because of lack of sunlight, but because he was placed into the suit directly after being burned alive, receiving zero skin grafts. So, his skin takes on the appearance of something that had been burned away: ash.