Warning: SPOILERS for Star Wars Adventures: Shadow of Vader's Castle #1.
Star Wars has finally revealed the origin of Darth Vader's mysterious servant, Vaneé, who was introduced in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. In 2016, Lucasfilm released what was intended to be the first of many anthology films, movies set throughout the timeline helping add greater depth to the galaxy. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was a blockbuster hit, grossing over $1 billion in the global box office.
It also added a great deal to Star Wars lore, revealing Darth Vader had made his home in a bleak tower on the lava planet Mustafar after the dramatic events of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. Successive tie-ins have explored the story of Mustafar in some detail since, with the world's history finally unveiled in the Vader Immortal VR game. But one mystery has gone unresolved; who was Darth Vader's mysterious servant on Mustafar, a sinister figure called Vaneé?
The Star Wars Adventures: Shadow of Vader's Castle finally gives an answer to this tantalizing question. It reveals the volcanic gases that sweep across the surface of Mustafar are dangerous, triggering powerful hallucinations. While Anakin Skywalker was vulnerable to them when he first arrived on Mustafar, as Darth Vader he was immune, simply because he depended on his own respirator. Unfortunately his Imperial servants were unable to resist the influence of the vapors, with even Imperial Stormtroopers gradually suffering nervous breakdowns as a result. Vader scoured the Imperial databanks for a suitable servant, one he believed would endure, but it was an Imperial inspector who finally caught his eye.
Vaneé had been sent to Mustafar to investigate why so many of the Empire's finest were going insane, and on entering the tower he realized the gases were the culprit. He confronted Darth Vader, and showed an impressive degree of boldness. "It's all right for you, floating in your tank or wearing a respirator," he snarled at the Sith Lord. "You don't have to breathe this stuff." It seems his attitude impressed Darth Vader, who concluded he was the best candidate to serve him in his tower on Mustafar. But first Darth Vader broke his will, using the Force to hold him in place so he could not flee the gases, but instead had no choice but to inhale them and confront his horrific visions. Vaneé was held there for days, until his mind finally broke.
Mustafar was a Force vergence, steeped in the dark side. As such, it's possible these gases were not simply hallucinatory, but rather that they opened a mind up to the madness of the dark side itself. Vaneé became not only Darth Vader's sworn servant, but a Sith cultist who was loyal to the time of his Master's death - and potentially beyond.
Star Wars Adventures: Shadow of Vader's Castle #1 by Cavan Scott, Derek Charm, Nicoletta Baldari, Nick Brokenshire, and Francesco Francavilla is available now.