2016's Rogue One: A Star Wars Story gave Darth Vader a terrifying hallway massacre scene, but it is a different scene on Mustafar that is actually the villain's most important one in the movie. While the hallway scene may be one of the most outstanding and improving for Vader as a character, it is the scene at Fortress Vader that develops and offers the most insight. Within the movies themselves, little is known about Vader's mental state between the main canonical entries into the franchise, but this crucial scene at Fortress Vader offers fans a fleeting look into Vader's mindset.
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith sees Anakin Skywalker face off against his old friend and former mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, at a Mustafarian mining complex after the former has slain the hiding Separatist Council. The ensuing battle pits brother against brother, with Obi-Wan eventually coming out on top and leaving Anakin to die next to a river of fire. Darth Sidious discovers Anakin, before augmenting him with machinery and transforming him into the imposing figure seen in the original trilogy. The fact that Mustafar is a place of such importance to Darth Vader's origins reveals a lot about his mindset during the events of Rogue One, and why the Dark Lord has chosen to build his fortress there.
Related: Why Darth Vader Uses A Different Lightsaber Form In Rogue One
In terms of adding depth to the character, the scene at Fortress Vader on Mustafar is far more important than his hallway massacre scene aboard the Rebel vessel in the film's final act, despite the latter leading fans to call for a solo Vader movie. The fact that Vader has chosen to remain there after his battle with Obi-Wan shows a willingness to remain close to the place where his connection to the Dark Side of the Force is strongest, which is complemented by the fact that Fortress Vader is actually built on top of a former Sith temple site. Mustafar, as a planet, means a great deal to Vader and the Rogue One scene set there is far more telling than the iconic massacre scene in the hallway of a Rebel ship.
The fact that Vader has chosen to build his home and place of rest on Mustafar shows a desire to never forget what happened to him there. This was a place where Vader lost the love of his life, fought against his brother-in-arms and mentor, and truly succumbed to the power and temptation of the Dark Side of the Force. Tatooine may be home to Anakin Skywalker, but Mustafar is home to Darth Vader. Fortress Vader's status as the Dark Lord's home is further cemented by the fact that the beginning of the scene in Rogue One is preceded by the audience seeing Vader submerged in a bacta tank. As a place of rest, Vader's home is very much where he regains his strength and prepares for his role in what is to come at Scarif and beyond.
There is more to the scene besides its setting, however. During the scene, we see Darth Vader begin to Force choke Director Krennic, before turning and warning him about choking on his aspirations. While some took umbrage with the Dark Lord of the Sith cracking puns, it is totally in line with Vader's character development and leans heavily into the version of him that audiences see in the opening moments of Episode IV - A New Hope. Vader himself is above the pettiness of Krennic's complaint and attempts to teach him a lesson through humiliation. Krennic receives the message loud and clear, before failing in his mission and leading Vader to display his most ferocious self in the hallway scene. Without the Mustafar scene showing Vader's character development, the anger of Vader's performance in the hallway scene does not have as much importance.
Ultimately, Rogue One is an outstanding movie for the most part, but the most important scene for Vader's character development comes at Fortress Vader on Mustafar. It is a scene that highlights Vader's deep-rooted connection to the Sith, as well as to his former friends, and represents much of the conflict within himself that Luke later latches on to. His use of puns to demean Director Krennic is typical of the character, and Krennic's later failure sets up Vader for a climactic massacre in that now-infamous hallway sequence. While the hallway scene steals the limelight, the Mustafar scene in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is the one that holds the most weight in terms of character development for Darth Vader.
More: Star Wars: Why Darth Vader's Eyes Are So Red In Rogue One
