Is it just me, or does Darth Vader get softer throughout the trilogy?

In ANH, he was a hardcore, menacing looking villian. Then in ESB, he lets luke go, and at the end when the Millenium Falcon is escaping from the empire right after they leave Cloud City, he doesn't even punish the commander for the MF escaping, no choking like the other two in the ESB. In ROTJ Vader has soft calm talks with luke, almost like a normal father.

Do you think he slowly turns to the light side throughout the whole trilogy, instead of just ROTJ?

 

Well he wants luke to help him kill the emporer, but aside from that I do think he starts to get soft after their first meeting.

 

I think it was more a film-making thing, after ANH GL realised he could market a trilogy, and he'd want the audience to feel some empathy for Vader by the end - so he had to drop the Hitler-esque bad guy stuff and make him more personable

 

maybe, I think once Vader realises he has a son Vader starts "feeling"/having emotions that he hasn't had since he was Anakin.



*Don't want to go into more depth as I don't know if the spoiler barrier is still in effect - already got myself banned for accidently giving away spoilers *

 

Spoiler ban ended today, iirc

 

I have nothing new to add...

But it's funny, as I seemed to notice the same thing (Vader getting "softer") when I re-watched the OT after seeing ROTS.

Makes sense that knowing his son is alive rekindles the old "Anakin" in him, instead of just being "Vader, the emperor's lackey".

 

Anakin slowly becomes Vader in the PT...

and Vader slowly becomes Anakin again in the OT.

 

Agree with above. Vader has so much rage in ANH and enyone who has seen ROTS knows why. He now realizes he has a son who is alive, which means Vader has been lied to by the Emporer. He can see he has been duped. His love for Padme transfers to love for their son Luke and Vader's inner struggle begins. So, definetly, he has gotten softer as the trilogy continues. There was still good in him afterall.

 

If the personal execution of two high ranking Imperial officers, the threats of death on Piett, and the cutting off of his son's hand in ESB is a sign of "getting softer", then yes, he was getting softer. *worries about the sorts of people who're on this forum*

 

Evil_Otto- I agree that those are horrible things to do. The point Im trying to make is the fact that vader doesn't actually do anything to admiral piet at the end, when the MF gets away. And Vader could have easily killed luke, so the hand being cut off doesn't so bad when they are compared with eachother.

 

He is softer in ROTJ but I would not say he is softer in Empire compare to ANH.

 

Vader does get softer...but only after he finds out about his son being alive. I mean...Padme died...Luke is her kid..so it's kind of like having a part of Padme back with Anakin...and I think that's what makes him start to think about things....start to remember the past.