While he may have met his demise saving his son in Return of the Jedi, Darth Vader has always been a force to be reckoned with in the Star Wars community, long before he joined the Dark Side and took on his Sith mantle. The man born as Anakin Skywalker showed a strong connection with the Force from a young age, and his power has been on display ever since George Lucas introduced us to the franchise back in 1977.
However, at least when it comes to the comic books, it seems the Sith Lord almost met his demise much earlier than expected, thanks to an unlikely hero that crossed his path multiple times. In Vader: Dark Visions #4, readers are introduced to a young Rebel pilot referred to simply as Kid. Conceived by prolific writer Dennis “Hopeless” Hallum, Kid is the son of a smuggler. In his youth, he came across Vader and while he had the opportunity to take him out, he froze up at the last minute, a mistake which ultimately cost him his father’s life.
Despite his tragic loss, Kid’s first encounter with the Sith Lord didn’t slow him down. He went on to become a highly skilled pilot and eventually joined up with the Rebellion. During another face-off (this time from the cockpit of an X-Wing), Kid’s commanding officer sets him up to take down Vader. Unfortunately, his cowardice gets the best of him again, and he’s unable to do the deed. Worse yet, he’s followed back to a nearby rebel outpost, which is decimated in short order.
Even though he hasn’t made an on-screen appearance since Rogue One, we’re personally hoping that Vader shows up in Jedi: Fallen Order, seeing as how the game takes place a few years after the events of Revenge of the Sith. Whether that’ll happen or not remains to be seen, but for now, this is certainly an interesting piece of Star Wars trivia to mull over.
