Since his debut in Star Wars, Darth Vader has become one of the most iconic villains in movie history. Watching as he boarded the Tantive 4 during the movie's opening was a harrowing moment due to his frightening appearance and perceived confidence. Very little was known about Vader during 1978, resulting in his presence promoting a sense of mystery and unease.
Star Wars has since expanded on what this elusive Lord of the Sith is. Once formerly known as Anakin Skywalker, Darth Vader was forced to cast his former life aside to continue living. Nothing more than a head and a torso, Vader relies on his suit to keep him alive, but there are other benefits, and some downsides, to being clad in his armor.
10 Life Support
To those unfamiliar with what Darth Vader is, his armor may seem like nothing more than a selection of metals and plastics. It is only upon uncovering details of his past that the true purpose of Vader's suit is revealed.
Having had his limbs severed, and his entire body burned, Vader's suit is designed to keep him alive. Acting as a life support system, Vader is too damaged to survive outside of it. Though some chambers and tanks permit Vader the removal of his armor, the only way for him to roam the galaxy is within the confines of his suit.
9 Weak Against Electricity
Given the strength Vader displays through his armor, it may shock fans to learn of the suit's weaknesses. Designed by Darth Sidious, the Sith Emperor ensured to monitor the suit's production process and incorporate his own sinister designs.
Though Sidious included some essential life support elements to the suit, he also ensured it was weak against lightning. Fans of Star Wars are more than familiar with Sidious' love for the questionable Force ability, so it makes sense why he would incorporate this feature into his puppet's suit.
8 Breathing Apparatus
One of the most haunting elements of the suit is the sounds that it makes. Darth Vader will regularly make his presence known through his harsh and stubborn breaths and, though this seems to prevent any form of stealth, the suit's breathing apparatus can be shut off whenever Vader desires.
Disney+'s Obi-Wan Kenobi showed one of Vader's most frightening forms of stealth during his first encounter with his former master. By turning off his breathing device, Vader is permitted to easily ambush his foes. His enemies will expect to hear his terrifying breaths, so the suit's option to halt his breathing will render his opponents completely unaware of his location.
7 It Induces Pain
Sidious created the suit to keep his apprentice alive, but he also intended to ensure Vader remained loyal to him. Acting primarily as a life support system, Vader's suit keeps him alive, but Sidious ensured it also kept him in pain.
Vader constantly experiences excruciating pain due to the suit's design. Though he once perceived it as one of the suit's major downfalls, he later came to embrace it as it fueled his rage, allowing him to strengthen his connection to the Dark Side.
6 Heavy Pauldrons
Since Anakin and Obi-Wan's battle on Mustafar, Vader has become an extremely powerful Sith Lord and, though his powers have increased, he is no longer as agile as he once was. Missing his limbs, Vader can only move as much as his suit permits.
Weighing over 25 pounds each, Vader's shoulder pads prevent him from raising his arms above his head. This limitation forced Vader to combine several combat styles to suit his new body, resulting in him becoming one of the most talented lightsaber wielders in the galaxy.
5 Deflective Gloves
Vader's lack of mobility has seen him getting blindsided on multiple occasions, but his suit is a useful feature to negate this. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back sees Vader getting shot at by Han Solo but, fortunately for Vader, his right gauntlet can absorb blaster bolts.
Energy absorption is a powerful ability used by both Jedi and Sith, but Vader's suit makes the process effortless. By using the Force to predict the trajectory of the bolt, Vader can extend his right hand to meet any oncoming blasts. By melting down a collection of indestructible Sith amulets and melding them into his gauntlet, Vader's right hand was the perfect means of negating enemy fire.
4 Durasteel Armor
Like Jango Fett's suit, Vader's armor was made primarily out of Durasteel, one of the most impenetrable metals found throughout the galaxy. The implementation of this material in his armor allowed Vader to survive almost any type of gunfire aimed in his direction.
Though Jango Fett's armor was later altered to consist primarily of Beskar, there is no denying the power in a Durasteel suit. If Vader opted to incorporate Beskar into his suit's design there is a high chance he would still be alive today.
3 Temperature Regulation
If not for his suit, Vader would not have been able to survive in the vast array of unique climates present throughout the galaxy. With his castle located on the lava planet of Mustafar, his suit needed to be designed to regulate temperature.
The opening segment of The Empire Strikes Back saw Vader infiltrating a Rebel base on the ice planet known as Hoth. If not for his suit's ability to warm his body in this harsh climate, Vader would have been restricted to spectating the battle from the safety of his shuttle. Thanks to his suit, Vader can travel to just about anywhere in the galaxy.
2 Enhanced Strength
Sidious permitted Vader to customize his suit as he saw fit. Though many would firstly opt to decrease the pain induced from wearing it, Vader chose to focus primarily on enhancing the suit's strength.
The Rise of Darth Vader saw Vader enhancing his gauntlets to the point where he was able to crush once seemingly indestructible objects with his hands. These suit enhancements also give Vader to power to lift incredibly heavy objects with ease, cementing him as one of the most physically strong characters in Star Wars.
1 Chemical Enhancements
Though Vader is one of the most powerful Sith Lords in the Star Wars universe, he is far from invincible. There have been many situations wherein Vader was injured during battle, but luckily for him, his suit was a means of lessening his pain.
Only when he deemed it necessary would Vader access a small pouch in his suit to administer pain relief. The strength in these chemicals would allow Vader to ignore the pain inflicted on him by his enemies, thus permitting him to fight as if he was completely unscathed. This feature of the suit is also effective in convincing his enemies into believing that Vader is invincible.