Star Wars: Skeleton Crewhas introducedStar Wars’newestDarth Vaderreplacement, proving how truly evil Darth Vader was by comparison.Skeleton Crewhas already been a very interesting addition toStar Warsmovies and TV showsin its first 5 episodes. Although there has been plenty of conversation regarding Jude Law’s character, Jod Na Nawood, potentially being a Jedi, this show isn’t really about the Jedi or the Sith in the same way countless otherStar Warsshows and movies are.
Instead,Skeleton Crewis primarily about pirates, drawing upon plenty of tropes and stereotypes of pirate stories, from buried treasure to mutinies. This pirate arc unfortunately came to a head inSkeleton Crewepisode 5 in a devastating way, leading to a critical and terrifying moment. Even in this situation, though,Jod Na Nawood may be a Darth Vader stand-in, but he still doesn’t come anywhere close to the actual evil of the Sith Lord.
Star Wars Set Up Jude Law’s Character As A Failed Darth Vader Replacement
Skeleton Crew Already Established That Jod Na Nawood Is A Vader Stand-In
Even beforeSkeleton Crewepisode 5,the show set Jod Na Nawood up as a Darth Vader replacement. In the very first episode, in the opening scene, Jod Na Nawood (as Captain Silvo—one of his many aliases) attacks a New Republic freighter along with a gang of other pirates. This would already have a link toA New Hopewith the Imperial attack on Leia’s ship, but the dialogue in this scene solidifies this direct connection to Darth Vader’s first scene inStar Wars.
Star Wars Turns Its New Darth Vader Replacement Into A Failure… In His First Scene
Star Wars introduces its new Darth Vader replacement, but - as clear as the comparisons may be - this new villain is a failure from the start.
In this scene, Silvo asks,“If this is a bulk freighter, why is your vault magnetically sealed?“It’s no coincidence that this sentence construction exactly mirrors Darth Vader’s own inA New Hopewhen he says,“If this is a consular ship, where is the ambassador?“Skeleton Crewepisode 5 took this Jod Na Nawood and Darth Vader connection one step further, though, and it was a much darker throughline.
Skeleton Crewepisode 5 took this Jod Na Nawood and Darth Vader connection one step further.
Skeleton Crew Episode 5 Shows Jude Law’s Character Is Still A Villain…
Episode 5 Took A Shocking And Devastating Turn
InSkeleton Crewepisode 5,Jod Na Nawood turns on the kids, going so far as to grab Fern and hold a knife to her throat in an effort to get her to yield the title of captain to him. Although Nawood had already revealed just how violent he really was, given he had burned his adversaries in acid in the scene just before this, his violence towards the kids felt quite different. Fern even voiced this herself, saying"You’re a grown-up. You can’t fight us; we’re just kids.”
This showed a much darker side to Jod Na Nawood. Yes, it was clear from the beginning that he was a true pirate and had selfish intentions for ‘helping’ the kids. While they very well may have gotten home safely with Nawood, that would have been incidental. He was really after the treasure, and that was never in question.
Even in light of this reality, Nawood threatening the kids came as a major shock.
Even in light of this reality, Nawood threatening the kids came as a major shock. He had seemed to develop a genuine affection for them, even having a heart-to-heart conversation with Wim earlier in episode 5. His true priorities were nevertheless confirmed in this terrifying scene, proving that, in the end, he is still a villain after all. However, he is still quite distinct from Darth Vader for one key reason.
But He’s Still No Anakin Skywalker
Vader’s Brutality Is Unmatched, Especially Compared To This
While Jod Na Nawood’s willingness to hurt Fern, and presumably the other kids, was horrifying, it still doesn’t come close to Darth Vader. There have been a number ofcruel Darth Vader momentsinStar Wars, but none was so bad as the moment in Order 66 when he slaughtered the younglings. Although the moment the little boy asks Anakin what they’re going to do has been memed to high heaven, it is actually one of the single most disturbing moments inthe entireStar Warstimeline.
Nawood’s violent behavior was reminiscent of this Order 66 moment, but the obvious and major difference is, Nawood didn’t hurt the kids in the end, whereas Anakin had very little hesitation in wiping out a room of innocent and defenseless children.There’s also the question of whether Nawood really would have harmed Fern. It’s terrible that he was threatening her and scaring the kids like this either way, but he may have trusted that, as a kid, she wouldn’t really refuse to yield when threatened. Were that the case, there would be an even wider gap between Nawood and Vader.
It’s clear thatSkeleton Crewis drawing a connection between Nawood and Vader, particularly in light of episode 5. However, as with many Darth Vader replacements, Jod Na Nawood doesn’t really come close to the brutality and evil of Lord Vader.Star Wars: Skeleton Crew’smost heartbreaking moment yet proves thatDarth Vader’sevil is still unmatched inStar Wars.
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew
Cast
Skeleton Crew follows four ordinary children who become lost in the expansive Star Wars galaxy. As they navigate unfamiliar worlds and the challenges they present, the group endeavors to find their way back to their home planet, undertaking a journey across the iconic Star Wars universe.
