Star Wars Is Finally Revealing How the First Order Claimed Darth Vader’s Mask – Theory Explained

Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Star Wars: Battle of Jakku – Republic Under Siege #4! One of the most memorable moments in the Star Wars sequel trilogy was the return of Darth Vader’s mask, which was in the clutches of the villainous First Order. While it was awesome to see the iconic helm once again, there was one question that lingered in fans’ minds: how did the First Order get it? Well, as Star Wars lore continues to expand, one recent addition to the franchise may have finally answered that very question.

Marvel Comics released the solicitation for Star Wars: Battle of Jakku – Republic Under Siege #4 by Alex Segura and Stefano Raffaele, which included a first-look at the cover art (by artist Taurin Clarke) as well as the official synopsis.

A NEW REPUBLIC ON THE ROPES! LANDO and his allies defeated! MON MOTHMA faces a painful loss! LUKE SKYWALKER must defeat two of the galaxy’s deadliest killers to reach his friends! MOFF ADELHARD plays a final card against the New Republic — with shocking consequences!

This solicitation comes after Marvel Comics released an unlettered preview of Star Wars: Battle of Jakku – Insurgency Rising #1, a storyline that will lead directly into Republic Under Siege. In that preview, readers are taken to the Forest Moon of Endor immediately following the Battle of Endor in Episode VI, effectively picking up right where the original trilogy left off. That’s where Leia sees the helmet of Darth Vader, slightly melted from his funeral pyre, and takes a moment to kneel over the last remnant of her father.

Based on the preview for Star Wars: Battle of Jakku – Insurgency Rising #1, and the synopsis for Star Wars: Battle of Jakku – Republic Under Siege #4, Star Wars has given fans clues to how Vader’s mask went from being burned along with his body on Endor, to ending up in Kylo Ren’s First Order quarters.

Darth Vader’s Mask Could Be Claimed by the Empire in the Battle of Jakku

Star Wars Teases Darth Vader’s Involvement in the Battle of Jakku

One of the most striking aspects of the solicitation for Star Wars: Battle of Jakku – Republic Under Siege #4 is the cover. Darth Vader is featured prominently in the artwork, despite the fact that he’s dead during the time of the Battle of Jakku. So, how can Darth Vader be involved in a battle that he isn’t even alive to see?

It seems likely that Darth Vader’s ‘appearance’ in the Battle of Jakku will be in the form of his mask. And since the synopsis teases “shocking consequences” for the New Republic, it’s possible that some of their forces will be defeated by the Empire, possibly resulting in the Imperial Remnant obtaining Darth Vader’s mask.

Why Would the Empire Even Want Darth Vader’s Mask?

The Emperor May Have Ordered the Retrieval of Darth Vader’s Mask for Resurrection Purposes

The preview, solicitation, and cover offer enough clues for speculation, but that still leaves one question: why would the Empire even want Darth Vader’s mask? The Imperial Remnant is trying to win back the galaxy, after all, why would they care about what’s essentially an insignificant keepsake? Well, based on what fans know Palpatine is up to around this time, it could have been ordered by him before he died.

Palpatine knows that the spirits of Sith Lords can be linked to objects. Fans have seen this many times in Star Wars, most recently with the Grand Inquisitor in Star Wars #6. Perhaps Palpatine wanted to obtain Vader’s spirit and implant it within a clone body just as he was doing for himself at that time. Of course, the spirit of Anakin Skywalker was redeemed and became a Force Ghost, making Vader’s helmet essentially garbage that would later find its way to Kylo Ren, as he’s the only one within the First Order who would see it as significant.

While the reason why the Empire wants Darth Vader’s helmet remains unclear, it does seem as though Star Wars has given fans plenty of clues to how the Imperial Remnant (and eventually the First Order) ended up with the mask after Leia finds it on Endor – and only time will tell if this theory proves true.

Star Wars: Battle of Jakku – Republic Under Siege #4 by Marvel Comics is available December 11, 2024.

Source: Comicbook.com

Star Wars

Star Wars is a multimedia franchise that started in 1977 by creator George Lucas. After the release of Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope (originally just titled Star Wars), the franchise quickly exploded, spawning multiple sequels, prequels, TV shows, video games, comics, and much more. After Disney acquired the rights to the franchise, they quickly expanded the universe on Disney+, starting with The Mandalorian.