If Darth Vader is not disfigured...then what?

If the Jedi were willing to take control of the Senate, then with them out of the way and the Clones at his disposal, AnaVader would have done the same. As the public "Face of the War" he would not have had that hard of a time convincing the Republic that he was the man for the job. Remember, he was the one who went to Mustafar to end the war. If he could singlehandedly end it, then with the Clones he could defend the Republic. It would be easy for him to sway public opinion at first, what he did after would be a whole nother story.

 

At first but eventually he would be hated, he told Padme in AOTC that the people should be forced to do what a dictator wanted them to do if it worked, that makes people hate you, doing this all the time makes everyone hate you.

And the Jedi would remove the emergency powers and rule until a new chancellor could be elected democratically and they would only remove the corrupt senators and politicians from office and probably bring them to court and prove what they did that was illegal, the jedi are not stupid nor are they tyrants, it would still have been a Democracy but the corruption would be removed quickly as well, they wanted a peacefull transition, not violence and death everywhere like Vader did, imagine Vader going through the Senate and cutting down the disloyal Senators left and right in broad daylight, he probably would do this and not care who knew it, that is stupid and people would hate a tyrant like that.

 

He'd rule with an iron fist, how else are Empires to be maintained?

 

You know how Anakin would deal with those who dislike and would oppose him? He'd kill them all. One Sith Lord and with the 501st would be sufficent as it is following ROTS.

 

He'd keep the Sith routine on the QT - imho. Palps wasn't flashing his Sith badge in front of the public - no need for Anakin to. Besides, as others pointed out: Anakin is a hero to the public - his identity is ideal.

I think he would make a bid for being Emperor. He's already talking about 'my empire' to Obiwan on Mustafar - and he's been Vader for how long? A day or two? I don't think it would be long before he thought he could do a better job than Palpatine. He's young, popular, a warrior removed from politics; I think he could garner supporters. Not sure if he would succeed - Palpatine is sharp and might be expecting Anakin to overthrow him.

 

I agree, and Dark Lord made it clear that Palpatine EXPECTED Vader to try and take him out.

 

Argh, I did a topic on this very question last month. Anakin does not become the next Emperor of the Galaxy if he kills Palps after his duel with Obi-Wan. Think about it: the very position of Emperor had only existed for a few days when the Mustafar battle happened. And the only reason it existed is because the Senate loved and adored their elected leader, and were willing to go along with just about anything he spoonfed them.

What possible claim does Anakin have to this new, fragile throne if he assassinates Palpatine? Nothing! He has never held a single political office. He is unbelievably young, barely in his twenties. And don't even play the Sith apprentice card, because it is honestly a load of crap. No one in the secular Senate cares if his religious mentor happened to be the Emperor.

Lucas often compares Palpatine to the great Augustus, who also transformed a republic into an empire, so I'll make a comparison as well. One of the biggest reasons the newly created Roman Empire survived, along with the rather ambiguous title of Roman Emperor, is because Augustus reigned for such a very long time---over forty YEARS! Citizens of the Roman Empire eventually became so used to it, that the office of Emperor was allowed to continue solely based on habit and tradition. Had Augustus lived for only a couple of years after he has set up his empire, it would have fragmented and dissolved into oblivion. Same with Palpatine: he dies too early, this foreign concept of "empire" comes to an abrupt end also, because the GFFA simply reverts back to its old republican ways, since that is all it has known for a thousand years.

So let's consider that Anakin makes a bid for the vacant throne. First, I don't think that the Clones would obey the assassin of their former master. I'm sure that Palpatine did not have the command "obey my apprentice should he kill me" programmed into their brains. Why? He doesn't believe that he will die very soon, and as a result, sees no need to prepare for it. We know this because of his arrogant behavior in ROTJ.

Finally, I will look at this scenario: Vader somehow does get the full loyalty of the clones after killing Palpatine. Anakin marches into the Senate chamber, legions of troops behind him, and unilaterally proclaims himself "Galactic Emperor". I have two words for you: CIVIL WAR. There is no way that every single senator is going to bow down to this treasonous dictator simply because he has more firepower. If you don't believe me, rewatch ANH. People do not always accept what they're told. Rebellions are formed when people strongly disagree. The chaotic Galaxy breaks apart into a billion little pieces, and that is where Vader is left, an emperor without an empire.

And unless I missed something in this long rant, please tell me. But otherwise, I think it is pretty clear that we wouldn't have ever seen an EMPEROR Vader.

 

Anakin is the "Hero Without Fear" according to the media. Champion of many battles and once trusted member of the Jedi Order. The Clone Army obeys orders from the Empire/Emperor and it doesn't specify who that is. Remember, Palpatine excepts Vader to try and kill him as it is the way of the Sith. When the time comes, Vader must be willing and able to rule the Empire. As to the Senate, he would impose his will should anyone try to rebel. He and his Clone Army would march on those who attempt to try and resist him. Plus, there's the Death Star which Vader would discover and use to aid him.

 

Finally EmperorAugustus someone who understands things and gets it so to speak, i agree with everything that you have said, and if Vader tried to take over then he would be hated even more so than he was in ANH but much more early on, Palpatine at least tried to take over through law and preceedings but Vader would just tell them to accept his rule or die or suffer the consequences of it and knowing the Senators there is no way that they would take orders from him, with Palpatine hes supposedly making things better and says that he regrets it but with Vader he would just change everything at will and tell the people that they will die if they complain about it without giving a reason first and that doesnt go over so well.

 

Well EmperorAugustus and Mathew78, there is much to discuss. Sinister has hit most of what I would have said, so I'll stick to one point at a time....

Treachery is the way of the Sith.
If Vader survived Mustafar, and Padme died... it goes without saying that Vader would have been greatly displeased with Sidious. He would have formulated a plan behind Palpatine's back and waited until the time was right. It would have been easier to ascend the throne than you think because Vader was already the poster boy for the war. Sidious would have played up the fact that Anakin saved him from the Jedi's betrayal, and that act would cement AnaVader's position as a hero... across the galaxy.

Once the time was right, Vader would kill Palpatine and then blame it on some rogue Jedi. As the second in command, a war hero and a former Jedi "who sided with the Republic" he would easily be able to sway public opinion. And, with the loyalty of the troops, he could do two things... publicly he would ensure stability and security... while behind the scenes he would strong-arm those who opposed him with the very same troops. He would play up his "hero-status" to the fullest, and the general population would have gone along for the ride. The public would have embraced him with open arms, and those Senators that didn't do the same, would have been labeled as conspirators in the Jedi plot. They would have been hunted to the four corners of the Galaxy... just like the Jedi.

With Sidious dead, the darkside would have been centered on and through him... Vader would be very, very difficult to bring down once he had control.

 

Anakin's just as much a public hero as Palpatine is. And as history has shown, heroes of war or other such trying times are praised and given all kinds of support.

 

Not to mention that the full extent of his plan called for overthrowing the Emperor literally years down the road after he's "done all the nasty work of uniting the galaxy." ROTS novel ftw.

 

It would have been interesting if this happened & he defeated Obi-Wan at Mustafar.

Then what? He grabs the droids and Padme and then what?

What would Padme do then if she survived?

That would be an interesting story if someone ever decided to write a novel based on another timeline of "what if".

 

Already been done.
Over 450 pages long: Unsuited Vader

 

In the novel, Star Wars Dark Lord; the Rise of Darth Vader, Vader secretely blames palps for him being charred on Mustafar. He says to Palps personally that he would like to kill him, but he also says that he needs him for awhile longer to learn more in the ways of the Sith

 

Anakin totally would have killed Palpatine and ruled. Anakin whole means Obi-Wan would have been the one down at the end of their battle, so if he was still alive, I imagine Anakin wouldn't have had the heart to leave him lying on the hill, because all of his emotions, anger, hate, love, compassion, etc., were like out of whack and way greater than everyone else's due to his connection to the force. So he'd of rescued Obi-Wan and put HIM in the suit and kept him captive until he could wear down his resistance and convert him to his way of thinking. I am not sure if that would have necessarily been the 'dark force' or not though, depends on how quickly he killed Palpatine because Vader didn't really learn to use the dark force until later after working with it and finally training with Sidious. Anyway, with Obi-Wan at his right side, they would have together brought their version of peace to the gallaxy. Considering Vader was often not in agreement with Palpatine, it may have gone quite differently. Then Luke and Leia would take over after Anakin/Obi-Wan's long rule as the new emperor and empress of the empire. Padme would have survived if he'd been around spinning tales at the birth, but afterward, she would have converted to whatever Anakin wanted. Think about it - she married Anakin knowing that he had wiped out a whole villiage of women and kids with their battle ready men - so I don't care what Lucas says, she would have accepted whatever else he did that went against her principles too, eventually - and been convinced it was the right thing to do - especially if the tatics were not as harsh as Palpatine's. It may have all worked out well. And we would still have had to listen to that bated breathing during the next 3 movies only it would be Obi-Wan.

 

I disagree that Anakin would have ruled. I think he definitely would have turned on Palpatine, and killed him, but he would have done so before he spent 20 years under Palpatine, learning the intricacies of the Sith. As soon as Padme dies, and he realized that Palpatine could no longer offer him what he promised, he turns. Without the suit, he isn't as trapped into the situation as he was with it. Anakin has always been about action, and I just can't see him going to committee meetings to discuss policy after ROTS. He would not have the patience to rule the galaxy, in other words. now, 20+ years after ROTS, with the suit, after he has learned to be more patient (oddly enough from a Sith Lord) ok, maybe, but, even then, I suspect that Vader would have been quite happy to kill the Emperor, and let someone else handle the details of running the galaxy. I never really took his offer to Luke on Cloud City to rule the galaxy as father and son completely at face value...I think he offered it as a possible hook to convince Luke, not because he really, really, really wanted to be the next Emperor. Some people are born to lead from the front, and that is Anakin Skywalker. He is not a professional bureaucrat like Palpatine, he would not have had the same patience for politics, he would not have been happy as Emperor at all. Without the suit after ROTS, he turns on Palpatine fairly quickly. He is in his physical prime, Lucas says unsuited Vader would have been twice as powerful as Palpatine, and shorty after Mustafar, Vader would have realized that he is Palpatine's superior in Force skill, and would have turned on him.

Of course, that actually leads to something even more monumental. Without the suit, perhaps once Padme dies, he fully realizes what he has done, casts off the dark side, and kills Palpatine because it must be done, not out of revenge. He does it as a redeemed Jedi, not as a Sith Apprentice turning on his Master. He is trapped into his role as the events actually happened, but hypothetically, if he doesn't get crippled, I think there would have been a chance that he could have returned to the light sooner, rather than later. The original post doesn't assume that because Anakin is intact, that Kenobi must have been killed, so I am operating under the assumption that Kenobi survives, and the duel ends up more or less a tie, with both Anakin and Obi-Wan leaving Mustafar alive, uncrippled.

Its even possible that if Vader doesn't make the jump that gets him crippled, Obi-Wan would have succeeded in talking him down...Since the idea of Anakin not becoming crippled is really all dependent on his choice to make or not make that jump, I think its possible that had he chosen not to jump right then, he could have been redeemed right there on Mustafar, and both he and Kenobi could have tended to Padme together. Seeing that Anakin was Anakin again, with Kenobi by his side, might have stopped her from dying of a "broken heart", and the Skywalker twins might have been born into a much better world, one in which they could have grown up together, with the most powerful Jedi as a father, and a Jedi Master as the eccentric uncle...It would also have allowed Yoda to not go into exile. Honestly, had Anakin not been crippled, its entirely possible that Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Yoda go to take care of Palpatine. There is no way in hell Palpatine could fight the three of them together...

 

Actually that makes more sense than what I came up with, lol. I agree, Anakin wasn't meant to be Emperor, despite the fact that he declared that is exactly what he planned to do at the time. I agree that all of the politics would have turned him off completely. The thing is, even Anakin (not Vader) believed that the Jedi were corrupt at that point - and to be honest, I don't think he was far off the mark. They were not corrupt, but they were not acting justly either at that point. The Jedi also had rules that were not copesetic with 'life'. Obi-Wan believed in the Jedi way though and I do think he would feel that what A