A dog hilariously reacts to Star Wars' Darth Vader in a new TikTok. Vader may be one of cinema's most notorious villains, first introduced in franchise opener A New Hope. Although he was the primary antagonist of the original Star Wars trilogy, his origins as a young Jedi were revealed in the prequel trilogy that debuted in the late '90s and early 2000s. The late David Prowse played Vader in the original trilogy, with James Earl Jones voicing the iconic character. Although he hasn't been seen in a main role since the original trilogy, Vader's presence has made itself known throughout the Star Wars universe.
A brief appearance by Darth Vader in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story led to excitement, but it was the most recent trilogy in which his legacy was brought into play. As Lucasfilm brought the Skywalker saga to its conclusion, the impact of Vader was clear. His grandson, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), felt pressure to live up to his villainous legacy, and Vader's helmet showed up in The Rise of Skywalker. His legacy extends outside of the Skywalker saga, though, and he continues to terrify those new to the franchise, including one canine in particular.
Posted by rustymetalcreation (via Rex Chapman), a TikToker named Ellie took a video of their dog watching A New Hope. When Darth Vader makes his big entrance, the dog takes note, perking its head up and paying attention to the screen. As Vader approaches the camera, the dog gets up from the couch and hides behind the furniture in fear, recognizing what millions have known since the 1970s: Darth Vader is a villain not to be messed with.
It's hard to understate Vader's impact on Star Wars and sci-fi cinema as a whole, and audiences still haven't seen the last of the villain yet. Hayden Christensen will return as Darth Vader in the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series on Disney+. Christensen will reunite with Ewan McGregor as the titular character, and the impending confrontation is set to be one for the ages. Obi-Wan Kenobi will take place in between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, filling the gap between those two films.
The last time Obi-Wan and Anakin saw each other was their ill-fated duel on Mustafar when Anakin loses the higher ground and is nearly burned to death by lava. This, inevitably, leads to him becoming the iconic villain, and how he feels about that will likely be explored in the Star Wars series. Christensen's anticipated return as Darth Vader will also be the perfect opportunity for the actor to bring his role full circle after he only played the young Jedi and never put on the iconic helmet for a major role. Vader may have made his entrance in 1977, terrifying at least one pooch in the process, but his story is nowhere near finished.
Source: rustymetalcreation (via Rex Chapman)