Warning! Spoilers for Star Wars: Darth Vader #19
The Star Wars galaxy’s most notorious Sith is becoming a vigilante, as Darth Vader wages war against the crime syndicate, Crimson Dawn. Although known for his tyranny, Vader wants to bring some sense of order back to the galaxy.
Throughout the saga, Darth Vader demonstrated his allegiance with the Empire as he took on the Rebel Alliance. Recent comics have elaborated on Vader’s dynamic with the broader galaxy, presenting some gray areas in his relationship to organized crime. At one point, the Sith fought the leader of Crimson Dawn in hand-to-hand combat. Proving she can hold her own, Lady Qi’ra presented more of a threat than the rebels, even though she wasn’t motivated to restore freedom to the galaxy. Following the events of War of the Bounty Hunters, Vader is reflecting on his grudge against Qi’ra and the rest of her crime syndicate in Star Wars: Darth Vader #19, written by Greg Pak with art by Guiu Vilanova.
As Darth Vader meditates on the dark side and moments flash through his mind, he vows to bring order to the galaxy, by destroying Crimson Dawn. Remembering his son Luke’s resistance to join his side, Vader realizes he will need to seek order on his own. By taking revenge against the powerful crime syndicate, Vader is essentially choosing to become a vigilante. Since the Emperor has nothing to do with the initiative, the mission isn’t official Empire business. “Now… with or without my son… I will bring order… starting with the true traitors… Crimson Dawn.”
When Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader, bringing “order” to the galaxy was a key factor of his decision to join the dark side. Although it was a twisted, self-serving version of order, Vader lost sight of the goal with Padme’s death. Once threatening Jabba the Hutt, Vader has crossed paths with the underworld before, showing his disgust. While he doesn’t treat them the same way he treats the rebels, he doesn’t necessarily approve of their schemes. As Vader goes off-script from the Empire’s main mission, he reveals he might still has a sense of justice beyond feelings of vengeance, depending on the meaning of “order.”
As the limited series Crimson Reign promises to expand on the crime syndicate, among other factions, they are set to encounter Darth Vader again. Soon, Qi’ra will the Sith in a new setting where she might not have the advantage. Considering Crimson Dawn’s absence later in the saga, Darth Vader might actually turn out to be more successful as a vigilante than a galactic dictator.