Featured Image Credit: 20th Century Studios
Topics: Star Wars, TV And Film, Disney
A “common misconception” regarding Darth Vader’s name has meant that fans are only now realising that they’ve got his name wrong for decades.
Typically, many Star Wars fans have assumed that the Vader bit of this character’s name is derived from “Vater”, the German word for father.
Considering that we eventually learn in the original trilogy that Vader is Luke’s father, this seems like a logical conclusion to reach.
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However, it appears that we’ve been wrong all along.
When a Reddit user posted asking about the origins of other characters’ names, while referencing the Vader equal father theory, other fans were quick to correct their mistake.
As Ree_m0 explained, it’s a “very common misconception”.
“Vader meaning father (deriving from ‘Vater’ in German) is a very common misconception, the idea that Vader was Luke's father wasn't yet finalised when the character was named. Vader comes from to invade,” they shared.
This was quickly confirmed by another fan saying, “I see this misconception perpetuated way too much, Darth Vader was just Dark Invader just as Darth Sidious -> Insidious.”
Any relationship to father is a “coincidence” say frustrated fans.
This isn’t the first time a Sith Lord has caused a division in the fandom; the very first Sith Lord suffered similar scrutiny from audiences when that plot detail was revealed.
While the heated debates are part and parcel of being a Star Wars fan, there are also more wholesome interactions.
One of which is the happiness fans felt after a 44-year-old mystery was finally answered.
Hopefully when the next chapter in the Star Wars Jedi series is released, it’ll bring only closure rather than discourse that lasts for years.
What do you think about learning the truth about Vader’s name? While surprising, it still fits nicely within the wider lore of the franchise.