Born Anakin Skywalker, Darth Vader is the tragic hero in the Star Wars films, and ultimately the central character of the series. He is the husband of Padmé Amidala and the biological father of Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa. Through his role as the chief protagonist of the prequel movies and chief antagonist of the original three films, Vader has become an iconic villain (more than George Lucas ever intended), and was ranked third on American Film Institute's top 50 villains of all time list.

In the first two films released in the series, Vader is portrayed as the epitome of pure evil — a mass murderer and war criminal who holds an entire galaxy under the sway of an evil empire. However, in Return of the Jedi and the later prequel films, his fall from grace and eventual redemption are explored in greater depth. Indeed, Star Wars creator George Lucas has explained that he considers Vader a victim of the saga's true villain, Palpatine.

In the prequel trilogy, Anakin is believed to be the Chosen One of the Jedi prophecy, destined to bring balance to the Force by destroying the Sith. He is taken as a young boy in 32 BBY and trained as a Jedi. Anakin becomes a highly talented Jedi Knight; a distinguished pilot and swordsman with an unprecedented level of Force power. He is a legend of the Clone Wars, in which he fights for the Galactic Republic and is instrumental in several important battles. Despite his nearly unmatchable skills as a Jedi, however, Anakin's tragic flaw — fear of loss — ultimately leads him to the dark side of the Force, transforming him into Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, in 19 BBY.