Darth Vader #6, The Chosen One Part VI Review

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Vader takes ownership of his suit and the inquisitors in Darth Vader #6.

This review contains plot details for Darth Vader #6 – The Chosen One Part VI.

Darth Vader #6 – The Chosen One Part VI

Writer: Charles Soule | Pencils: Giuseppe Camuncoli | Inks: Cam Smith | Colorist: David Curiel | Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna | Cover Artist: Giuseppe Camuncoli & Francesco Mattina | Assistant Editor: Heather Antos | Editor: Jordan B. White

Darth Vader #6, The Chosen One Part VI continues the tale of the rise of Darth Vader. Now in the possession of the weapon of a Sith, Vader begins shaping himself. The Emperor surrenders some control and allows Vader some control of his own destiny. In the end, the Emperor prepares to unleash Darth Vader on the galaxy and against the remaining Jedi.

Vader Takes Ownership of Himself

This issue commences with Vader recovering in a bacta tank. His suit and armor lay spread out before him. Plus, Darth Sidious stands there commenting on how Vader’s last mission ruined him. However, Sidious notes that the successful completion of Vader’s mission is all that matters. Now Vader possesses the weapon of a Sith. Sidious is about to leave the repair of Vader’s suit to the droids when he senses Vader’s anger flare in the Force.

Sidious quickly realizes that Vader’s suit is now Vader. As Obi-Wan Kenobi remarks in A New Hope, Vader is more machine now than man. Because the suit is Vader, it is only appropriate that Vader “make it [his] own.” In addition, Vader has skills as an engineer useful to this task. Therefore, Sidious leaves Vader to his work. Much like he did in Darth Vader #4, Vader summons the Force and commences repairs and modification on his suit.

Soule’s inclusion of this scene was nearly perfect. Although there is some remaining intrigue leftover from issues 23 and 24 of Darth Vader volume one. Cylo, a scientist in the Empire’s employ, installed a shut down switch in Vader’s suit. When Vader hunted Cylo down after his betrayal, Cylo attempted to incapacitate Vader. It only worked momentarily and Vader overcame the trap with the Force. Regardless, it is somewhat surprising Vader did not discover this trap while modifying his suit over the years.

The Grand Inquisitor

Once Vader completes repairs and modifications on his suit, the Emperor sends him to the Jedi Temple. There is an intruder and Vader is to deal with them. After a few initial attacks, the intruder reveals himself as the Grand Inquisitor. Fans of Rebels will instantly recognize him. Interestingly, Vader disarms the Grand Inquisitor with a similar move used by Kanan in Rebels as well. Before Vader can deliver a killing blow, the Emperor arrives and ends their confrontation. He then makes introductions.

The Grand Inquisitor has something in common with Vader. In Revenge of the Sith, Anakin Skywalker ultimately betrayed the Jedi for knowledge previously denied to him. He wanted the secrets only available to the Jedi Masters. With those secrets, he hoped to save Padme’s life from the visions that haunted him. Of course, he only gained access after he became Darth Vader, the Jedi were “extinct,” and Padme perished.

Similarly, the Grand Inquisitor desired secrets of the Jedi Order that the Order denied him. Much like with Anakin, the Emperor exploited that resentment. It was “a crack in his armor.” As the Emperor tells Vader this, it dawns on Vader that he was similarly exploited. He asks the Emperor if the Inquisitor had won their confrontation, would he have replaced Vader? In response, the Emperor swats aside the question. They do not dwell on what could have been, plus the Grand Inquisitor had no chance to defeat Vader.

Hunting Down the Jedi

In A New Hope, Obi-Wan explains to Luke that Darth Vader hunted down and killed the Jedi. For the most part, this was not seen on film. In fact, Revenge of the Sith demonstrated that most of the Jedi perished when the Clone Army executed Order 66. However, that changes now. The Emperor explains that the Grand Inquisitor and his “brothers and sisters” that comprise the Inquisitorius were “slaves to the light,” but now awakened and “hunters, one and all.” They are now Vader’s to command and teach. Sidious, the Emperor, charges him with honing them like a blade with which he should “cut the Jedi infection from the galaxy once and for all.”

The Emperor reveals he still has something to fear from the Jedi in this. He believes the Jedi are the greatest threat to the Empire. Finally, the final page reveals Jocasta Nu drinking a steaming beverage in a cave somewhere. Evidently, she is Vader and the Inquisitorius’s first target.

Concluding Thoughts on Darth Vader #6, The Chosen One Part VI

Darth Vader #6, The Chosen One Part VI is another excellent addition to the Darth Vader mythology. Soule successfully integrates Vader’s history into that of the Inquisitorious and the mythology established in Rebels. The parallel between Anakin Skywalker and the Grand Inquisitor was unexpected. Even more unexpected was Vader’s reaction to the Emperor’s explanation of the Grand Inquisitor. Anakin was hot headed and emotional as a Jedi. However, after hearing how the Emperor manipulated him, he accepts it. His existence is the suit, Darth Sidious, the Empire, and the Dark Side now. He accepts it.