Star Wars has hinted Darth Vader may not have been the Emperor's apprentice in Return of the Jedi. The sequel trilogy came to an explosive—if not altogether satisfying—climax in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. The ninth Star Wars movie introduced a number of new retcons into the franchise's lore, most notably the Sith redoubt of Exegol. Situated in the Unknown Regions, this planet is the home of an ancient Sith cult; these so-called Sith Eternal are the ones responsible for resurrecting Palpatine.
The idea is an interesting one, but it's difficult to see just how it fits into the previous canon. Marvel's current Darth Vader run is essentially dedicated to fixing these issues, with writer Greg Pak writing a story set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi in which Vader turns on his master. He has successfully retrieved an ancient Sith Wayfinder, which he has used to guide him through the maelstrom that is the Unknown Regions. There, he has been set up for a brutal confrontation with Palpatine himself. It's an odd twist, because as enjoyable as Pak's story may be it's been difficult to figure out how Vader gets from this to working with Palpatine on the Second Death Star.
Marvel Comics has published a fascinating preview for Darth Vader #11, from writer Greg Pak and artist Raffaele Ienco, hinting at a solution to this mystery. The preview sees Darth Vader arrive on Exegol in spectacular fashion, and he tells the Emperor he is no longer his apprentice. This is a grudge match the likes of which nobody ever expected to see; Darth Vader and Palpatine in no-holds-barred dark side combat. Naturally, this is only a preview and so it's unclear how this will play out in the end, but it certainly feels as though the preview is intended to hint the relationship between the two Sith Lords has changed forever.
This would certainly have the effect of rewriting Return of the Jedi, especially the fateful scene in which Darth Vader takes his son Luke Skywalker to the Emperor in the hopes he will be turned to the dark side. It is possible that, rather than Master and Apprentice, Vader considers himself and Palpatine to be equals who are inducting a new apprentice. The Emperor, of course, would never conceive anybody else as his equal, especially not the Chosen One he twisted and bent to his will decades ago. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker implies that whole confrontation is a trap, with the Emperor expecting to be slain by either Luke or Darth Vader, and intending to possess whoever does the deed with his spirit. But the power of Essence Transfer appears to require a killer who is under the sway of the dark side, and Vader ultimately kills the Emperor out of love.
The current Darth Vader run has been a strange one. Solicits have tended to over-real, meaning readers have known a little too much about what's coming on occasion. And yet, the resolution of this arc has the potential to radically transform the Star Wars mythology, redefining the relationship between Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine. It will be fascinating to see whether the comic can pull this off.
Source: Lucasfilm/Marvel