Darth Vader, born under the name Anakin Skywalker, was a Human Sith Lord, who became Lord Palpatine's Sith Apprentice, assisting him in overthrowing the Galactic Republic and inflaming the galaxy in war and genocide.
History[]
Early Life[]
Skywalker on his speeder, 54 BBY.
Vader was born in 41.9 BBY on Tatooine to Shmi Skywalker. According to legend, he was "the Chosen One," and was conceived of the Force. Growing up, he was a slave along with his mother. Apart from doing hard work for his slave master Watto, Skywalker would commonly engage in speeder races with fellow Tatooian-children.
People of Tatooine recall that Anakin was "cold, silent, and a genius." He was very skilled at building things, and was thus for normally only assigned such category of tasks by Watto starting in about 29 BBY.
Starting in 26 BBY, Anakin entered his adolescence. His engineering skills had skyrocketed, and so did his recklessness. Enjoying to stay away from others, he would dart off to far off places far away from his tiny village, usually to the Dune Sea where he would lie down and think, contemplating his true meaning.
Shmi eventually confronted Anakin about this in his room in Watto's shop, and told him that if he ever needed to talk about such things, he could always come to her. Anakin brushed it away, getting her to leave.[1]
Freedom[]
In 21 BBY, on Skywalker's 21st birthday, Watto called him into his shop after returning from a landspeeder ride. Inside, Watto told him that the boy was old enough that he didn't need his help anymore, along with the new droids he had ordered. Anakin asked if his mother would be freed as well, but Watto laughed and stated otherwise, simply because "[They] still needed a woman's touch." Enraged, Skywalker unknowingly shattered a pot with the Force, and shakily told Watto he was a "heartless, arrogant monster." With the Force, he strangled him in the air without using his hands. With Watto choking, Skywalker forced him to allow his mother to leave.