Did Anakin Feel Any Guilt Over the Destruction of Alderaan?

Just something I was wondering about. Did he ever have any regrets/voice his opinion to Tarkin or Sidious? Sorry if this thread is repititive, I just thought it would make a good discussion.


Sent from my R2 unit

 

Hints have been dropped that from the end of RotS to some time after ANH Vader had been indifferent to most of what was happening.

He at the very least had objections for destroying Alderaan as a way to get Leia to reveal the location of the hidden Rebel Base. He might have objected to destroying Alderaan on principle since it was dishonorable. But if he felt guilt I don't know.

 

If he felt a twinge of guilt, he didn't show it. Two decades of study under a Sith Master taught him to hide his emotions well.

Though that didn't stop him from Force Choking an incompetent Imperial officer a time or two.

 

We never see much of a reaction to Alderaan at all in the film. Which does seem odd. No idea about the books as I don't really bother with intertrilogy or during film stories. Didn't seem Vader thought it was 'dishonourable' at all. He said nothing.

 

In The Rise & Fall of Darth Vader, he does voice his opinion to Tarkin after he's guessed Tarkin's intentions. However his attitude is more of respect for Tarkin's "indifference to mass murder" than disdain:


"I think it's time we demonstrated the full power of this station," Tarkin said. Turning to Motti, he commanded, "Set your course for Alderaan."
"With pleasure," Motti replied with an evil smile.
Realizing what Tarkin intended, Vader surveyed the man with new respect. The Dark Lord had done many horrendous and unpardonable things, but it seemed that Tarkin- at least in this situation- was even more diabolically inventive. However, Vader had one problem with Tarkin's scheme. "Alderaan is one of the foremost of the inner systems," Vader said. "The Emperor should be consulted."
"Do not think to challenge me!" Tarkin snapped. "You are not confronting Tagge or Motti now! The Emperor has placed me in charge of this affair with a free hand, and the decision is mine! And you will have your information that much sooner."
Vader had long suspected that Grand Moff Tarkin was insane, but it was not until Tarkin had addressed him just then, without a trace of fear, that Vader was left without a doubt. Vader said "If your plan serves our purpose, it will justify itself."
"The stability of the Empire is at stake," Tarkin said. "A planet is a small price to pay."


An Imperial officer entered the conference room and reported that scout ships had travelled to Dantooine and discovered only the remains of a Rebel base that had been deserted for some time. After the officer left, Tarkin exploded with rage.
"She lied!" Tarkin snarled. "She lied to us!"
As much as Vader respected Tarkin's indifference to mass murder, the Grand Moff's rattled outburst indicated that Princess Leia had clearly won this particular battle of wills. Unable to resist driving a splinter into Tarkin's demented psyche, Vader said, "I told you she would never consciously betray the Rebellion."
Tarkin scowled at Vader. "Terminate her … immediately!"
Vader moved across the conference room to a communications console. With his helmet facing the comlink, he said, "Detention Area Security. Schedule the prisoner in cell 3187 for execution in one standard hour."
"Yes, Lord Vader," answered a voice from the comlink.
Glaring at Vader's back, Tarkin said, "I said immediately, Lord Vader."
Vader was about to respond when a comlink buzzed on the table in front of Tarkin. He pushed a button and said, "Yes?"
From the comlink, an Imperial officer announced, "We've captured a freighter entering the remains of the Alderaan system. Its markings match those of a ship that blasted out of Mos Eisley."

 

At the time of ANH, whatever GL says, I believe Darth Vader was not Luke's father, not a conflicted tragic figure, just a pure villain. If he feels any remorse, it is not shown or intended to be shown in this film

 

I doubt that Vader felt too much guilt about it, since he didn't give the order and the Death Star wasn't under his control. Vader was there to keep an eye on Tarkin. The real question is if Tarkin felt any guilt about it before he died. If I was a betting man, I doubt he felt any guilt at all.

 

Doubt it.

 

Even taking the other films into account, I don't think there's any indication that Vader is losing sleep over Alderaan. While it's certainly a huge all-at-once atrocity, it's not like the Empire hasn't been doing less than ethical things for some time. Vader is *at best* apathetic to the horrors the Emperor has wrought.

And we're never meant to interpret Vader's redemption as a slow and gradual realization that what he's been doing is wrong. Instead, he's redeemed almost solely by love of his son (something which I think the PT dovetails nicely with, even if it does so in a hamfisted and clunky manner).

 

this is probably true. vader probably couldn't give a damn. i know from experience that when you're completely miserable you don't care about anything else that's going on. that and alderaan was going against the empire. the empire is everything to vader. it's what he sacrificed everything for and it's all he has.

 

Excellent quote! Thank you for posting that - I love Vader's attitude towards Tarkin, it is very well written. Vader's like - who does this punk think he is? He's basically saying he's nuts but the writing makes it sound great IMO.

 

I think Vader was so entrenched in the Dark Side that he didn't about anything at all, until he discovered his son was still alive.

 

We're never shown that he felt any regret, and I'm OK with that. Maybe there's some novelization or early script draft, or some Lucas quote, where it's brought up that he was against it or felt bad about it, but in the film we got, there's no indication that he's sorry.

Even if we're going to imagine what he would have said if asked about it, to me he seems far more interested in Jedi and Sith stuff than military matters. I would suggest that rather than express sorrow over the loss of life, Vader would show hope that fugitive Jedi, maybe even his old master, might feel the disturbance in the Force and come to face him. And if so, he would deal with them -- ALONE.

 

Don't think he cared

 

There was a story called "A Two-Edged Sword," in Star Wars Insider that indicates Vader feels a great deal. In the story Vader is training Storm Troopers to be Force Sensitive. At the end of the story Vader laments that he has lost everything; his wife and children. He even wishes he could be free of the Emperor's leash, but feels he is unworthy to break free. It story while probably not even counted in the legends category now, indicated that Vader does feel, but he acts indifferent. Hate to drag Star Trek in to this topic, but It's like the Vulcans. They feel a great deal, but choose not to act on the feelings. Only Vader is motivated by fear instead of self control.

As for Alderaan, I think Vader probably was not moved by it being the choice for the Death Star's demonstration. If Vader knew that Leia was his daughter and she had been on the planet instead of on the Space Station with him, then maybe he would have been moved and stopped the destruction of the planet. Otherwise I think Vader did not care because there was no attachment to anyone on the planet.

 

Why didn't we get to see Leia grieve over the destruction of Alderaan?

 

No. None. Just because there turned out to be some good left in Anakin doesn't alter the fact that the good was buried deep, deep down and during his time as Darth Vader he was a ruthless, evil *******. If it enhanced the Empire's power and control over the galaxy, he'd be 100% behind it, regardless of the cost.

 

I'm sure he thought the explosion was wizard.

 

I don't recall Vader expressing remorse over Tarkin's use of the Death Star. On the other hand, I don't recall him being 100% behind the latter's action, either. Instead, I remember him being criticial and somewhat unimpressed . . . while expressing the advocacy of the Force.

 

If memory serves, in the radio drama Vader's concern was that Tarkin was going ahead with his plan without consulting the Emperor. In general terms, Vader was skeptical about the idea that the DS was some kind of silver bullet, guaranteed to bring order to the galaxy.

 

I think it's possible - The Rise & Fall of Darth Vader drew from the radio plays, as I recall. The relevant scene in that:

"I think it's time we demonstrated the full power of this station," Tarkin said. Turning to Motti, he commanded, "Set your course for Alderaan."
"With pleasure," Motti replied with an evil smile.
Realizing what Tarkin intended, Vader surveyed the man with new respect. The Dark Lord had done many horrendous and unpardonable things, but it seemed that Tarkin- at least in this situation- was even more diabolically inventive. However, Vader had one problem with Tarkin's scheme. "Alderaan is one of the foremost of the inner systems," Vader said. "The Emperor should be consulted."
"Do not think to challenge me!" Tarkin snapped. "You are not confronting Tagge or Motti now! The Emperor has placed me in charge of this affair with a free hand, and the decision is mine! And you will have your information that much sooner."
Vader had long suspected that Grand Moff Tarkin was insane, but it was not until Tarkin had addressed him just then, without a trace of fear, that Vader was left without a doubt. Vader said "If your plan serves our purpose, it will justify itself."
"The stability of the Empire is at stake," Tarkin said. "A planet is a small price to pay."

 

There's no emotion. With or without the helmet, he probably wouldn't have batted an eyelash. Sith do not show emotions.

 

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

 

We heard it in the radio adaptation. As for the movies, she wouldn't give Tarkin & Vader the satisfaction of seeing her break down. She'd later express her grief by shooting down troopers.