CT Would Darth Vader have retired anyway?

That idea was introduced in TESB, and greatly developed in James Kahn's ROTJ novelization.

 

Vader didn't think he was capable of overthrowing Sidious alone. So, he never attempted to do so alone. He had Galen Marek, Marek's clones, and Luke for that. The thing to remember is that Darth Vader is a tortured soul. Retirement would be hell for him. It was an all-or-nothing situation. He felt he had to overthrow Sidious or die trying.

Even if he succeeded, I don't know how many Imperial officers would have sworn fealty to him. The stormtroopers and the common soldiers would have liked him, but ambitious Imperial admirals and generals would not have been so easily swayed. This is especially true when one considers how suspicious, fearful, and jealous many Imperial officers were of Vader. Sidious had a way of hiding his Force abilities and not all Imperials knew he was a Sith. But those who did, like Tarkin, did not underestimate him. Also, Sidious had considerable political skills, whereas Vader had more in common with Labyrinth of Evil General Grievous. He was more of a military player than a political player. Vader is a warrior who believes in stability. Sidious is a sorcerer who wants to play god.

 

Nicely put.

In regards to Sheev, I think Cos Da**** is a better name.

 

I agree. Maybe James Luceno had heard about that, and that's why he named Palpatine's father Cosinga. Therefore, if Palpatine was named after his father, that would mean his rejection of the name made sense. Or at least that's what I like to believe. I'm content with the mystery. I call him Sidious Palpatine and prefer that.

 

If Vader had survived ROTJ I'm pretty sure he would have been hauled in front of a war crimes tribunal. I'm guessing people didn't just forget about the billions of people who were murdered.

 

His retirement was rough. But it was what he wanted.

 

In retirement, Vader would have been a lollipop man

 

I'm completely on board with rejecting the Emperor's new first name. it's cringy to me and it was never uttered in any of the films. Same with Tarkin's first name that was created by West End Games. Like almost every other bit of lore they created this is also cringy.

 

Yeah, it's definitely annoying. I don't really mind Tarkin's forename, since it goes with his humble origins and all. I shrug at it. I'd like to think that Palpatine called himself Sheev just to manipulate Tarkin. But that's one example of how we have to use our imaginations to make sense of a work. Luceno is a great author, but Sheev was not a good idea. Else, it was forced on to him.

Anyhow, Vader definitely respected some officers like Tarkin. But the two never fully trusted one another. Vader would have had to rely on the support of Imperial officers if he ever overthrew Palpatine. And that's the kicker. I don't think most of them wold have respected him. Some like Thrawn would have. But not the whole enchilada.

 

There's a massive stumbling block that stands in the way of a war crimes trial. In his last moments Anakin kills Palps, thus saving billions of lives or it would've been thought at the time. He is also the father of two of the galaxy's most influential people, a public trial would've been harsh on Luke and Leia too, did they deserve that considering the outcome and likely sentence?

What the galaxy doesn't know won't hurt the galaxy and it could just as easily be let known former Jedi Knight Anakin, believed to have been killed years earlier during the final days of the Clone Wars, had returned to help his son kill Palps and Vader had been killed in the explosion. Anakin then disappears somewhere like Ahch-To to forge a new life. a simple life where he can learn more about the Force in his final years.

 

^ That’s a nice thought, however if I were a citizen of the Galaxy, I’d wonder just what was keeping Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker from helping the Rebels at literally any point. Yoda and Obi-Wan had excuses, but Anakin? The legendary Jedi of the Clone Wars? I’d be asking Luke just where the **** Anakin was hiding this whole time.

I think what likely happened was that everyone was told that Luke somehow killed Vader and the Emperor and escaped just before the Death Star exploded.

And yes, it would definitely hurt Luke and Leia. In one of the recent canon novels, word is slipped into the Senate that Vader is Leia’s dad and her popularity takes a gigantic plummet to rock-bottom.

 

Given that Rey knows Luke redeemed Vader, and that prior to TFA she's considered Luke a myth - maybe what happened was that the story of Luke redeeming Vader attained mythic proportions.

Certainly in Legends, Luke was open about Vader killing the Emperor before he was open about being Vader's son. Maybe something similar happened in Newcanon - only with Luke never revealing he was Vader's son.

 

He probably would have settled for a cushy part-time job at Disney parks....

 

If I were Luke I could see some good reasons for never telling anyone but Leia or Han about his parentage. I mean good reasons other than shame.

 

At most, he would be like Palpatine. He would study Sith artifacts, command underlings (including an apprentice), and not do much dirty work. He would never fully retire. He'd likely be killed by his apprentice, or killed in a battle with rebels.

 

Would Darth Vader been given the choice to retire if he survived his Palpatine-related injuries? I don't think killing Palpatine would be enough to make an entire galaxy (aware of him) reconsider, but I figure his situation would be comparable to that of Xena whenever she turned herself in for warlord crimes against a village that remembered her atrocities. Split down the middle (with Gabrielle acting as her advocate) if they're not getting Callisto'ed.

Gonna be honest and say "Tyrant" is not the first thing that came to mind when I heard the name "Darth Tyranus" .

Great thing about Star Wars is that there's enough dysfunction and disjointedness within the grater story itself that you could easily disconnect any of the timelines or follow ups from each other and ignore or acknowledge them at one's whimsy.

 

I find this analysis interesting. It validates some of my past comments over the years. Vader had mixed emotions throughout TESB and ROTJ.

 

Nobody in Star Wars ever retires except for Yoda.

 

Had Anakin survived he would still be crippled, so if the Rebel Alliance played Obi-Wan a bit they could say Anakin had been captured by the Sith around Order 66 and had been held prisoner and undergone torture at the hands of Sidious. Anakin was on DSII and had killed Sidious after Luke had destroyed Vader, it's all perfectly true... from a certain point of view.

 

^ And when the whole true story comes out - which it always does - the poodoo is going to hit the fan at hyperspeed.

 

Who knows the truth at that time? Obi-Wan, Yoda, Bail, Sidious, Luke, Leia and Han?

Seems other than Luke, Leia and Han all those that knew are dead and unless Luke, Leia or Han blurts it out then nobody would find out and a false truth/myth would become the accepted explanation.