Darth Vader is the most iconic villain in Star Wars, with many different actors and stunt performers having played the part. Introduced in the first Star Wars movie as an implacable force of evil, Darth Vader became one of the most celebrated villains in cinema. His story is the stuff of legend, the Tatooine slave boy who fell to the dark side and became a Sith killer.
The character of Darth Vader is typically associated with a handful of actors, but in reality, over a dozen people have played the part. The fact that most viewers would not realize how many people brought the characters to life is a credit to Lucasfilm and everyone involved, keeping Darth Vader consistent throughout the decades. Since 1977, 14 Star Wars actors have lent their talents to the performance, stunts, and voice of Darth Vader.
14 David Prowse
The first to wear the Vader suit
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David Prowse’s Star Wars Darth Vader Appearances |
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Star Wars (1977) |
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The Empire Strikes Back (1980) |
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Return of the Jedi (1983) |
The late David Prowse was the actor who physically portrayed Darth Vader on the set of the original Star Wars movies. His tall stature made Vader intimidating and added to the mystery of the character. Prowse also provided the on-set voice for Vader, with James Earl Jones redubbing the lines with the iconic Vader voice. The British actor appeared in a few Star Wars documentaries but never returned to the franchise after Return of the Jedi.
Outside of Star Wars, Prowse had a role in A Clockwork Orange as Julian, a role that had initially caught the eye of George Lucas. Before Star Wars,Prowse was also a heavyweight weightlifting champion, becoming friends with other famous bodybuilder actors such as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno. Unfortunately, Prowse had some health complications later in his life, including pancreatic cancer in 2009 and septic arthritis, which affected both arms. Prowse died in 2020 after contracting COVID-19.
13 Bob Anderson
The Vader swordsman
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Bob Anderson’s Star Wars Darth Vader Appearances |
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The Empire Strikes Back (1980) |
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Return of the Jedi (1983) |
Bob Anderson is best known for his work behind the scenes of many famous films. An Olympic fencer, Anderson was regarded as one of the best swordsmen in Hollywood; Anderson even trained Mark Hamill on wielding his lightsaber. In The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, Anderson was used as a Vader stunt double and would be the man behind the mask for many of the iconic lightsaber duels. Outside of Star Wars, Anderson worked on movies like The Three Musketeers and The Princess Bride. Bob Anderson died in 2012 at the age of 89.
12 James Earl Jones
The voice of Darth Vader
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James Earl Jones’ Star Wars Darth Vader Appearances |
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Star Wars (1977) |
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The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978) |
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The Empire Strikes Back (1980) |
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Return of the Jedi (1983) |
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Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005) |
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Star Tours: The Adventures Continue (2011) [Disney Parks Attraction] |
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Star Wars Rebels (2014-2016) |
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Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) |
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Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) [AI] |
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Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022) [AI] |
Legendary EGOT winner James Earl Jones began acting in the early 1960s and voiced Darth Vader in multiple Star Wars projects. His iconic booming voice gave Darth Vader a terrifying presence, perfectly combining with the daunting physicality of David Prowse. The celebrated actor is known for roles such as Mufasa in The Lion King and Admiral James Greer in The Hunt for Red October. Jones officially retired from the role of Darth Vader around 2022, signing a deal with Lucasfilm that allows them to use archives for an AI to recreate his voice for future projects.
Related Darth Vader Is The Most Important Villain In Modern Science Fiction, Thanks To James Earl Jones
With the passing of James Earl Jones, let’s look back at how much of an impact he had on the character that revolutionized science fiction.
Sadly, James Earl Jones passed away on September 9, 2024, at the age of 93. His passing was met with a plethora of tributes that cemented one certain truth about him and his Star Wars legacy: Darth Vader simply wouldn’t have been Darth Vader without Jones. Though Jones always remained humble about his contribution to the role, with him even requesting to go uncredited in his initial Star Wars appearances, no one can or will deny that Jones and his voice are truly the essence of Vader – and heavily responsible for the character’s massive cultural impact.
11 Sebastian Shaw
The original face of Darth Vader
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Sebastian Shaw’s Star Wars Darth Vader Appearances |
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Return of the Jedi (1983) |
An English actor, theater director, novelist, and playwright, Sebastian Shaw was the third actor to don the Vader suit in the original Star Wars trilogy. His face can be seen once in Return of the Jedi when Luke Skywalker removes his mask. His appearance was digitally altered to resemble Hayden Christensen for the 2004 DVD release of the original trilogy, while his brief Force ghost was also replaced. Shaw died in 1994 at 89 years old.
10 C. Andrew Nelson
Visual effects artist turned Darth Vader
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C. Andrew Nelson’s Star Wars Darth Vader Appearances |
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Star Wars: Dark Forces (1995) |
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Star Wars: Rebel Assault II – The Hidden Empire (1995) |
C. Andrew Nelson, a visual effects artist at Lucasfilm, stepped into the role of Darth Vader in 1994 when he provided the original body for the video games Star Wars: Dark Forces and Star Wars: Rebel Assault II: The Hidden Empire. Nelson has also portrayed Vader in commercials, print advertisements, and the special editions of the original Star Wars trilogy. As a visual effects artist, Nelson also worked on Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace and Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones.
9 Scott Lawrence
The next voice of Darth Vader
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Scott Lawrence’s Star Wars Darth Vader Appearances |
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Star Wars: TIE Fight (1994) |
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Star Wars: Dark Forces (1995) |
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Star Wars: Rebel Assault II – The Hidden Empire (1995) |
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Star Wars: Rebellion (1998) |
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Star Wars Trilogy Arcade (1998) |
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Star Wars: Force Commander (2000) |
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Star Wars: Super Bombad Racing (2001) |
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Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds (2001) |
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Star Wars: Rogue Squadron II – Rogue Leader (2001) |
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Star Wars: Racer Revenge (2002) |
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Star Wars: Rogue Squadron III – Rebel Strike (2003) |
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Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005) [Video Game] |
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Star Wars: Battlefront II (2005) |
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Star Wars: Empire at War (2006) |
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Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series – Episode I (2019) |
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Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series – Episode II (2019) |
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Jedi: Fallen Order (2019) |
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Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series – Episode III (2019) |
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Star Wars: Squadrons (2020) |
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Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge – Last Call (2021) |
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Jedi: Survivor (2023) |
Scott Lawrence has provided his voice as Darth Vader since 1994 and is seen as an audio double for James Earl Jones. The voice actor is best known for video games such as Jedi: Survivor, and he also voiced Jarek Yeager in the animated Star Wars Resistance. Outside of Star Wars, Lawrence may best be known for his role as Commander Sturgis Turner in the CBS show JAG.
8 Hayden Christensen
The new face of Darth Vader
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Hayden Christensen’s Star Wars Darth Vader Appearances |
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Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005) |
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Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022) |
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Ahsoka (2023) |
Hayden Christensen was cast as Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, but he got to play Darth Vader himself in the Obi-Wan Kenobi Disney+ TV show. His return after 15 years was a special moment, with the actor playing flashbacks and showing his face in the final episode when Obi-Wan cracked his mask. This scene mixed the voices of Christensen and James Earl Jones to show the impact of the broken voice modulator.
Related How Old Was Hayden Christensen In Every Star Wars Movie & TV Show?
Hayden Christensen has portrayed Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader for over 20 years, but how old was he throughout his Star Wars tenure?
Christensen had the chance to briefly bring Vader to life yet again in Ahsoka, during a now-iconic flashback that more notably brought him back as Anakin Skywalker. There are two quick moments that see Anakin changing between himself and his appearance as Vader during a dream-like sequence in the World Between Worlds, including a moment where Christensen’s normal voice is blended with Vader’s modulator. Christensen is still highly interested in returning as Vader (and Anakin) yet again should the opportunity arise, much to the pleasure of Star Wars audiences.
7 Gene Bryant
The uncredited Vader
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Gene Bryant’s Star Wars Darth Vader Appearances |
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Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005) |
Initially uncredited for his role as Darth Vader, Gene Bryant wore the Vader suit in Revenge of the Sith. It is unknown which scenes were Bryant or Christensen, but it is believed that one of the scenes in the final cut with Darth Vader is Bryant behind the mask. Outside Star Wars, Bryant has mainly held relatively minor roles in shows such as Empire, Contagion, and Innocent.
6 Matt Sloan
The third voice of Darth Vader
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Matt Sloan’s Star Wars Darth Vader Appearances |
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Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption (2006) |
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Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (2008) |
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Star Wars: Jedi Reading (2008) |
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Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II (2010) |
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Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars (2011) |
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Kinect Star Wars (2012) |
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Lego Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out (2012) |
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Lego Star Wars: The Yoda Chronicles (2014) |
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Lego Star Wars: Droid Tales (2015) |
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Star Wars: Battlefront (2015) |
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Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2016) |
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Lego Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures (2016-2017) |
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Star Wars: Battlefront II (2017) |
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The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special (2020) |
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Lego Star Wars Terrifying Tales (2021) |
Matt Sloan launched the Star Wars parody YouTube series Chad Vader: Day Shift Manager and went on to work for Lucasfilm as a voice double for James Earl Jones. His time as Vader has mainly been in video games, including the popular Star Wars: The Force Unleashed and Star Wars Battlefront. Sloan has also provided his voice for multiple Lego Star Wars specials, including Lego Star Wars: Droid Tales.
5 Spencer Wilding
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
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Spencer Wilding’s Star Wars Darth Vader Appearances |
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Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) |
Spencer Wilding portrayed Darth Vader in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Coming in at six foot seven inches, Wilding could bring the imposing height and make Vader intimidating. Wilding is known for roles in Doctor Who and as a creature performer in movies like Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban.
4 Daniel Naprous
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
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Daniel Naprous’ Star Wars Darth Vader Appearances |
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Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) |
Daniel Naprous is a trained stuntman who also lent his physicality to bringing Darth Vader to life in Rogue One. Outside Star Wars, Naprous has done stunt work on projects like Game of Thrones, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, and National Treasure: Book of Secrets. Lucasfilm also recently brought Neprous back to play The Doom in Willow.
3 Dmitrious Bistrevsky
Obi-Wan Kenobi
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Dmitrious Bistrevsky’s Star Wars Darth Vader Appearances |
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Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022) |
The Obi-Wan Kenobi Disney+ TV show expanded on the relationship between Vader and his former master, but bringing Vader to life required multiple actors. Hayden Christensen reprised the role, but Ukrainian-American actor Dmitrious Bistrevsky was the performance actor for Vader. This means Bistrevsky often portrayed Vader in full-body shots while the helmet was on. Bistrevsky also portrayed a Quarren trawler in The Mandalorian season 1.
2 Tom O’Connell
Obi-Wan Kenobi
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Tom O’Connell’s Star Wars Darth Vader Appearances |
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Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022) |
Tom O’Connell was the third actor to portray Darth Vader in Obi-Wan Kenobi, mainly acting as a stuntman. Beyond Darth Vader, he also played a spice guard who attacked Obi-Wan in episode 2 and performed as a stunt double for Paz Vizsla in The Mandalorian season 3. O’Connell has also had guest spots on other shows like Tell Me a Story.
1 Matt Lanter
The animated Vader
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Matt Lanter’s Star Wars Darth Vader Appearances |
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Star Wars Rebels (2016) |
Better known for portraying Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Matt Lanter returned to voice Darth Vader alongside James Earl Jones in the Star Wars Rebels season 2 finale. Lanter’s voice was mixed with Jones’s for the lines, similar to the final scene between Vader and Obi-Wan in live-action. Lanter has had live-action roles in Timeless, 90210, and The Mandalorian. Lanter has been a part of Star Wars since 2008, so it will probably not be the last time he crosses screens.
Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader
Conceived by the will of the Force itself, Anakin Skywalker was the prophesied Chosen One, destined to bring the Force into balance. Anakin struggled to balance competing attachments to the Jedi Order and his wife Padmé Amidala, and ultimately fell to the dark side, becoming Darth Vader. For years he served as Palpatine’s right hand man, but he was ultimately redeemed by the faith of his son, Luke Skywalker. Now a Force Ghost, Anakin continues to act as an agent of balance.
Created By George Lucas Cast Bob Anderson , Hayden Christensen , James Earl Jones , Matt Lanter , Matt Lucas , Jake Lloyd , David Prowse , Sebastian Shaw First Appearance Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope Died Star Wars: Episode VI – Return Of The Jedi Alliance Jedi, Sith Race Human Movies Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope , Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back , Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi , Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace , Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones , Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith , Rogue One: A Star Wars Story TV Shows Star Wars: The Clone Wars , Star Wars Rebels , Obi-Wan Kenobi , Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi , Ahsoka Franchise Star Wars Expand