Star Wars: What Anakin Skywalker's Body Looks Like Under The Darth Vader Armor
There's a reason Darth Vader seldom takes off his armor, and it has nothing to do with his passion for fashion. In "Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith," Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) suffers a series of rapid-fire traumatic injuries, including severed limbs and full-body, third-degree burns. Left for dead by Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) on the rocky shores of a river of lava, it's a miracle that Anakin survived. Through the machinations of Darth Sidious (Ian McDiarmid), what remains of the young man is healed and encased within a protective suit that would become the new Sith Lord's iconic attire.
But the vestiges of Anakin remain inside ... and he doesn't look very healthy. In the Disney+ original series "Obi-Wan Kenobi," viewers catch a glimpse of Anakin's comprehensive scarring. He's mostly obscured within the liquid salve of a bacta tank, but viewers can tell his skin is sunken, thin, and mottled white. It's like someone tossed Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) into a different genre. On Instagram, concept artist Luke Fisher shared work he did for "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" (which features a brief moment of Vader in the bacta tank), providing an even clearer picture of the devastation wreaked upon Anakin's body. Another Instagram post of Fisher's art displays the tech unceremoniously embedded in Vader's chest.
Beneath Darth Vader's armor, Anakin Skywalker is always in pain
One of Anakin Skywalker's first acts upon succumbing to the dark side is to go on a full-tilt, child-killing murder spree, so it's a little difficult to sympathize with the constant, consuming pain that he endures post-transformation. While Darth Vader's armor is built from nearly impenetrable durasteel and provides a temperature-controlled climate, super strength, and intermittent pain relief, the suit is itchy, claustrophobic, unnecessarily heavy, and restrictive. The pauldrons alone weigh over 50 pounds, making any above-the-shoulder arm movements functionally impossible. What's worse, Darth Sidious designed the armor to ensure that his apprentice continues to experience the pain of his wounds. The Sith Lord believes that fuels Vader's obedience and, more importantly, his battle viability.
By leaving Anakin in constant agony with infrequent medical assuagement, Darth Sidious guarantees that his easily manipulated pupil remembers his weakness and who's in charge. There is no excuse for Anakin's actions as Darth Vader, but he's trapped in a vicious cycle in which his only relief is to lash out against those his master deems unworthy to live. Pain is powerful, and no one knows that better than Anakin.