Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Star Wars: Darth Vader #50!Darth Vaderregularly said that Anakin Skywalker is dead, and that he’s the one who killed him. However, that proved false afterVader found redemption inReturn of the Jedi, as it seemed Luke Skwalker’s father wasn’t ‘dead’ after all. In fact, Vader previously proved that Anakin was still ‘alive’ during the events leading up toEpisode VIin the form of an unofficial final tribute to Anakin Skywalker.
In a preview forStar Wars: Darth Vader#50 by Greg Pak, Raffaele Ienco, Luke Ross, Paul Fry, and Adam Gorham, readers are given a sneak-peek atDarth Vader’s final adventure between the events ofEpisode VandEpisode VI. This last story arc has detailedDarth Vader’s efforts to usurp Emperor Palpatine, gathering allies and weapons to reach that end. In this preview, fans are shown the climactic battle between master and apprentice - and fans aren’t the only ones bearing witness to this awesome fight.
Using their fight as a perfect diversion, a group of prisoners escapes an Imperial holding facility where Vader and Palpatine are having it out. And among those prisoners are two that are especially noteworthy: Kitster and Wald. While their names may not be immediately familiar, fans will recognize them as Anakin Skywalker’s childhood friends from Tatooine, who famously stood by his side during his podracing competition in The Phantom Menace. By creating a distraction with his fight against Palpatine, Darth Vader saved Kitster and Wald’s lives, thereby honoring their friendship to Anakin Skywalker.
This Isn’t the First (or Second) Time Darth Vader has Saved the Lives of His Childhood Friends
Darth Vader has Rescued His Old Friends Both Passively and Deliberately
The first time Darth Vader rescued Kitster and Wald was through no other means than simply knowing Padmé Amidala - or, more accurately, Sabé. After Anakin was freed from slavery and taken off of Tatooine, Sabé launched a crusade to free a number of slaves who lived there, including and especially Anakin’s mother, Shmi. However, at this time, Shmi had already joined the Lars family, and Sabé had no intel on her whereabouts. So, Sabé freed a seemingly random group of slaves in her name, and among those who were granted their freedom were Kitster and Wald.
Years later, Darth Vader has the chance to directly save Kitster and Wald’s lives when he agrees to help Sabé free a planet that’s ruled over by a cruel Imperial governor named Tauntaza. Kitster and Wald were a part of the resistance group against the governor, and before they launched an attack, their camp was attacked by a horde of vicious alien creatures. Darth Vader cut the alien predators down with little trouble, though if he hadn’t, Kitster and Wald would have been goners.
Star Wars’ Kitster and Wald May Not be Out of the Woods Just Yet
It Isn’t Too Late for Darth Vader to Murder His Old Friends
Saving his friends one final time would be an excellent way to show fans that Darth Vader was prepared for his ultimate redemption, as it is a touching tribute to Anakin Skywalker right beforeReturn of the Jedi. However, fans also know that this comic must end with a reconciliation between Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine given the nature of their relationship inEpisode VI. What better way for Vader to reaffirm his commitment to the Sith than to slaughter the childhood friends of Anakin Skywalker? Ones who just so happen to be on the premises.
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While he may have indirectly saved them in this preview, Darth Vader may end up murdering the very friends he saved many times before. However, grim theories aside, the fact remains thatDarth Vaderhas saved Kitster and Wald three times inStar Warscanon, and this last one happening during the finale of his comic series is a perfect final tribute to Anakin Skywalker, one that proves Luke’s father was never fully ‘dead’.
Star Wars: Darth Vader #50by Marvel Comics is available June 11, 2025.
Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader
Conceived by the will of the Force itself, Anakin Skywalker was the prophesied Chosen One, destined to bring the Force into balance. Anakin struggled to balance competing attachments to the Jedi Order and his wife Padmé Amidala, and ultimately fell to the dark side, becoming Darth Vader. For years he served as Palpatine’s right hand man, but he was ultimately redeemed by the faith of his son, Luke Skywalker. Now a Force Ghost, Anakin continues to act as an agent of balance.
