As the site where Anakin Skywalker nearly lost his life after famously losing the high ground to Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, the planet Mustafar might seem like a strange place for the villain to later set up residence in his own castle. And yet going by the new Darth Vader comic, the trauma that Hayden Christensen’s character suffered in this location may be one reason why he wants some real estate in the area.
In the 22nd issue of the series, a conversation between Vader and the Emperor suggests that Vader wants to draw from the anger he associates with this location in order to help him bring Padme back from the dead. And because holding grudges is a very Sith-like thing to do, it only figures that Palpatine would be happy to oblige, even bringing Padme’s Naboo starship back to the location. This development suggests just one more connection between the events of the prequels and the saga that followed, while adding a new layer of emotional significance to the Rogue One: A Star Wars Story location.
Of course, we know that Anakin ultimately didn’t succeed in bringing back the mother of Luke and Leia, but the death-defying teachings of Darth Plagueis continue to hold a presence in the thoughts and theories of fans. Not that long ago, there were even predictions going round that a more recent villain, Supreme Leader Snoke, secretly was the Sith himself, though it now seems likely that such speculation was little more than wishful thinking.
On a related note, a rumor emerged a couple of months ago that the climactic setting of Revenge of the Sith could be making a return for Star Wars: Episode IX, and while this too remains unverifiable, we’ll at least find out when the film hits theaters on December 20th, 2019.