RIP James Earl Jones: The Reason the Most Iconic Movie Villain Exists

the Force is with you young Skywalker but you are not a Jedi yet the film industry has lost one of its all-time greatest talents with the news that legendary performer James Earl Jones passed away on Monday at the age of 93 a decades long veteran of the stage and Screen Jones was beloved around the world for his versatility easygoing Charisma and endlessly listenable contrabas voice it reminds us of all that once was good and it could be again that last attribute is also the reason most people likely recognize his name because although he gave many committed performances in a wide variety of films TV shows and theater Productions his most famous role will always be the voice of Darth Vader from the Star Wars series commonly considered one of if not the most iconic villains in film history Darth Vader is the role Jones will be most remembered for which makes it all the more remarkable that the only aspect of the character he directly contributed was The Voice you are part of the Rebel Alliance and a traitor take it away Vader was always a team effort from his striking visual design derived from Ralph mcc's original concept art the physical performance from David prous who wore the suit on set in the original films Sebastian Shaw playing Vader with his mask removed in Return of the Jedi and Jones dubbing over prow to give the character his Unforgettable voice I find your lack of faith disturbing all of them deserve credit for their contributions to the character but it was J who gave Vader not just his intimidating presence but also the shades of humanity that would slowly be revealed in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi as the audience learned more about The Man Behind the Mask to celebrate his life let's look back at why Jones's vocal performance as Darth Vader stands as his most enduring achievement or the one is taught you well you have controlled your fear now release your anger only your hatred and destroy me from the first moment Darth Vader stepped onto the screen in the original Star Wars audiences knew he was going to be a powerful villain his instantly recognizable Samurai inspired black armor contrasts not only against the white armor of his subordinate Stormtroopers but also the entire set of the tante 4 the Rebel Ship the Imperials are attacking that's not even getting into how haunting and evocative the mere sound of his breathing is yet it's not until we hear his voice as he interrogates the ship's captain and Barks orders at his underlings Commander tear this ship apart until you found those plans and bring me the passengers I want them alive that we truly feel the weight of what his presence means this is not the most powerful man in the Galactic Empire since we know the emperor exists although we wouldn't get a glimpse of him until the next film but Vader is the most feared man in the Empire which is another thing entirely I am altering the the deal pray I don't alter it any further even though the specifics of Sith Lords and their ideology were not actually fleshed out on screen until the prequel trilogy the word Sith first appeared in Alan Dean Foster's novelization of the 1977 film but was not used in the Final Cut Vader's vibrant red lightsaber and the hints of backstory we get from Obi-Wan painted him as a dark contrast to the heroic ideal of the Jedi that Luke Skywalker aspires to yet there's also great tragedy and regret about Vader even in this first film where he's dramatized as a fallen pupil who turned to the dark side and betrayed the Jedi Knights and Obi-Wan in particular even with how intimidating Vader is Jones's weighty gravitas to his delivery gives hints to the tragic nature of the character a thread that the sequels would pull on as they revealed more of his story your destiny lies with me Skywalker the way Jones adds character depth through enunciation gives tangible meaning to his confrontation with obiwan as well as the Trench Run where he flies the tii advance Fighter the circle is now complete when I left you I was but the learner now I am the master could have been generic villain dialogue in someone else's hands but it instead suggests a greater sense of Mythos and history to the Star Wars Universe than is actually portrayed in the original film by the same token the emphasis Jones places on the force is strong this while chasing Luke's X-Wing solidifies that even the greatest villain of this universe respects and abides by the same Mystic power that the heroes put so much investment in these may feel like small details in the moment but they helped give Star Wars the specificity it needed to reach a global audience an audience who would find Vader only more compelling in the film sequels beaten it is useless to resist don't let yourself be destroyed as Obi-Wan did real quick spoiler alert for one of the most popular films of all time Darth Vader is Luke's father what has become probably the most famous plot twist in film history was a complete shock when it hit audiences back in 1980 so much so that many fans and even Jones himself didn't believe it at the time when thinking back on learning about the famous twist Jones said he's lying I wonder how they're going to play that lie out but you'd never know about Jones's doubts when watching the scene where Vader says no I am the father as if it's the axis upon which the world pivots and it is because it's not just the key moment where Luke's deepest held beliefs are shattered but also when the good and evil binary he puts so much faith in is revealed to be far more complex than he's willing to admit it's the emotional through line of his Arc across the trilogy and none of it works without Jones selling Vader's evil and his lighter impulses in the same moment There Is No Escape don't make me destroy you after all another important part of that scene is Vader wanting to reunite with his son to use Luke to help him overthrow the emperor join me and together we can rule the galaxy as father and son is so rich because Jones adds a true desire for reconciliation to the line that gives complexity to his goal of corrupting Luke to the dark side that complexity is built on in Return of the Jedi when Luke surrenders to Vader lowkey one of the trilogy's best scenes and Vader expresses real regret about his fall to the dark side OB be one once thought as you do and it is too late for me son Jones portrays the anguish invader's Soul here giving so much Dimension to the character in only a handful of words without this scene without Jones letting us feel the seeds of doubt in Vader's mind his Redemption where he turns against the emperor to save Luke wouldn't have meaning we can believe in Vader's goodness even before we see his face and that is the power of a truly great voice actor everything the light touches is our kingdom wow that capacity for good is something Jones was just as skilled at portraying as his villainous turns which made his second most famous role as Mufasa in The Lion King just as memorable as Vader it's fascinating how Jones's versatility led him to playing one of the most famous heroic father figures and perhaps the most famous villainous one but that's how incredible he was at this his deep commanding voice gives both characters an instant sense of respectability and Authority yet the way he channels it leads to drastically different results even though Mufasa doesn't make it halfway through the film before he's murdered by his brother scar Jones packs his early scenes with the young Simba with Mufasa's genuine love and admiration for his kingdom and all of the creatures within it providing Simba the foundational morality he will later have to strive for when he accepts his need to overthrow Scar and restore the pride lands remember who you are conveying all of the complex emotions and character work we've discussed is hard enough for any actor but doing it all without your physicality on screen to back you up is truly demanding Jones of course had a long history on stage and screen so he was used to bouncing off of other actors and the camera in many of his Parts yet although Vader was his first dedicated voice role he helped create one of the most popular film characters of all time it's a testament to his creative spirit and phenomenal talent that he jumped into a whole new type of acting that requires an entirely different skill set and nailed it the first time out to this day Vader remains one of the most most prominent voice roles in film history and the character would likely have been far less memorable if he was walking around with his face in full view what makes Vader compelling is the mystery around him where audiences had to take Jones's line deliveries and make their own interpretations about who this man was just for once let me look on you with my own eyes even though his voice roles were a small part of his filmography James Earl Jones will always be one of the most beloved vocal performers his work as Vader and Mufasa didn't just show his range but brought credibility to a type of acting that still struggles to be respected to this day as we look back on Jones's work and celebrate his life it's worth remembering just how much a great voice actor can bring to a character and a project after all we wouldn't have Darth Vader or Star Wars without him be careful not to choke on your aspirations director