Darth Vader is among the greatest villains in cinema history. Darth Vader was a large reason behind the success of George Lucas' original Star Wars trilogy. Before Star Wars, the world had not seen a villain like Darth Vader. Stern, fierce, and immensely powerful, Darth Vader is a villain that nearly everyone, Star Wars fan or not, has heard of.
Over the decades, Darth Vader has had quite a few appearances. From his earliest appearances in the original trilogy to his origin story in the prequels to him being a pivotal part of multiple games, animated shows, and comics, Darth Vader has always been relevant. This means that multiple actors have had the honor of playing Darth Vader. With the recent release of Disney+'s Obi-Wan Kenobi in mind, here are all the actors who played Darth Vader, ranked.
6 C. Andrew Nelson
C. Andrew Nelson was a visual arts supervisor at LucasArts. He helped create various Star Wars games and was the actor playing Darth Vader in the special edition re-releases of the original trilogy. He was also the actor behind Darth Vader in Star Wars: Rebel Assault 2 and Dark Forces.
Alongside all this, C. Andrew Nelson also played Darth Vader in multiple ads, shows, and live shows. He also claims that no one has spent as much time wearing the Vader suit as he has. Unfortunately, someone has to come last, and C. Andrew Nelson just doesn't stack up to the other names on this list.
5 Spencer Wilding/Daniel Naprous
Set in between the prequels and the original trilogy, Rogue One was a thrilling Star Wars standalone that began the story of the Death Star and concluded right before the events of A New Hope. Towards the end of Rogue One, rebel forces steal the plans for the Death Star from the empire, and it is during their escape with the plans that Darth Vader attacks.
Spencer Wilding and Daniel Naprous played Darth Vader in Rogue One. The final scene was tense, gripping, and overall a fantastic Darth Vader scene. This scene is also what leads to the very beginning of A New Hope. The only reason this appearance of Darth Vader lands near the bottom is due to its length. Given how short the scene was, the actors did not get to show us much as Darth Vader.
4 Sebastian Shaw
Much like Spencer Wilding and Daniel Naprous, Sebastian Shaw is another iconic Darth Vader actor that did not get much time with the character. Shaw plays Darth Vader in Return of The Jedi. More specifically, Shaw is the face of the unmasked Vader towards the end of the film.
Over the years, Shaw has become synonymous with Darth Vader's unmasked face. Near the end of the movie, Shaw also appears as Anakin's force ghost. He was, however, later replaced by Hayden Christensen for the scene after the release of the prequels.
3 Matt Lucas and Matt Lanter
Matt Lucas and Matt Lanter played Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader in the clone wars. The Clone Wars is arguably the most important of all Star Wars animated shows. Matt Lucas played Anakin Skywalker in the 2003 animated Clone Wars show. Matt Lanter played Anakin Skywalker in the 2008 CGI show Clone Wars.
Both shows are immensely popular and must-watch for every Star Wars fan. Both Matt Lucas and Matt Lanter gave exceptional performances and played a big part in giving the shows the popularity they garnered.
2 David Prowse
David Prowse was a 6'6 bodybuilder from the UK and the face behind the Dark Lord in the original trilogy. It is arguably due to Prowse's exceptional performances alongside Lucas's impeccable direction that Darth Vader holds the esteem that he does today.
George Lucas said, "David brought a physicality to Darth Vader that was essential for the character," and it goes without argument that Prowse's chill, menacing performance as Vader, alongside James Earl Jones's excellent voice acting contributed a lot to Star Wars' success. Prowse passed away in 2022, but his legacy as Darth Vader will live on forever.
1 Hayden Christensen
Hayden Christensen played Anakin and Darth Vader during the prequels and then went on to play the Dark Lord in the Disney+ show, Obi-Wan Kenobi, making him the current Darth Vader. Despite the prequel's controversial release and critical reception, Hayden Christensen's performances both as Anakin and Darth Vader were phenomenal. His return as Vader in Obi-Wan Kenobi serves, in many ways, as his redemption arc.
Hayden's performances showed fans Anakin descend and eventually succumb to the dark side, starting off as Obi-Wan's padawan and a Jedi Knight and then becoming the Dark Lord. Hayden's performances were crucial to the universe, for they showed us the origin of Darth Vader, and it is safe to say he delivered on every front. Hopefully, fans of Star Wars will get to see Christensen playing Vader for many years to come.