Star Wars: The Rise and Fall of Darth Vader

Star Wars Legends: Novels

by Ryder Windham

The full story of Anakin Skywalker, from his birth in slavery to his death as the powerful Darth Vader ... told for the first time in its entirety by NYT bestselling Star Wars author Ryder Windham.

The full story of Anakin Skywalker, from his birth in slavery to his death as the powerful Darth Vader ... told for the first time in its entirety by NYT bestselling Star Wars author Ryder Windham. Spanning all six Star Wars movie and including the pieces of the story that fill in the gaps, this novel will be a must-have for any Star Wars fan.

Genres: Star Wars, Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult, Space, Childrens

208 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2007

About the author

Ryder Windham is an American sci-fi author who has written over sixty Star Wars books, including novels, comics, reference books, and so on. He has also written junior novelizations for Indiana Jones movies. Since 1993, he has been working on Star Wars projects either by himself or with other authors. His reference book Star Wars: The Ultimate Visual Guide had been on the New York Times Best Seller list for three weeks in 2005. Although he has written lots of books, accepted interviews, and appeared at several fan-conventions, little is known about his personal life.

Reviews

[Darth Vader · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not enjoy this tale of my life. The title alone made me kill the author.

[Wendy, Lady Evelyn Quince · Rating 4 out of 5]

This last year I’ve been going through an obsession: Star Wars. Or to be more accurate, the Star Wars Prequels and anything having to with Anakin Skywalker. It’s a story that I can relate to, a person born for what seemed greatness, tried his best to help those he loved, felt he never got recognition for the good he achieved, couldn’t control his emotions and ended up hurting the ones he loved the most even though he had nothing but good intentions. I love, love, love this character in all his incarnations, be it:



This poor maligned kid:



Any of these fantastic iterations:



And of course, as the 2nd greatest Sith of all time (Sorry, as much as I love Vader, Darth Sidious is the GOAT!)



2017 was a particularly difficult year for me health-wise, and 2018 was not much better for a long time. Since December of 2017 to the present day, I’ve re-watched the Prequel Trilogy 3-4 times, read the many of the comics, the novelizations of the films plus other books, watched both “Clone Wars” & “The Clone Wars” cartoons a couple of times, searched out all episodes of “Rebels” with Vader or Anakin in them, listened to the wonderful John Williams’ soundtracks more times than I can count and searched YouTube for any positive content that was Star Wars Prequel Era related (…yes I am obsessed. It’s an obsession that's been therapeutic for me as a way to deal with physical and mental ailments, but, no, as much as I love the Sith on paper & film, it’s not an ideology to follow in real life).

Like most GenX kids, I grew up with Star Wars, it was a big part of my childhood, but that’s where I left it. When the Prequel trilogy came out, I was so unimpressed with Part I, I forgot Part II came out but did see Part III in the theater. Although at the time I didn’t think the film was perfect, as I do now, it stayed with me for weeks and weeks.

The Rise and Fall of Darth Vader is a junior adaptation of the 3 films & books that make up the rise and fall of Anakin Skywalker, and then the Original Trilogy, plus plenty of old EU plot points added in.

Unfortunately, this book is a summarization of so many parts and feels so short. However, there are some few new additions to the story of Anakin Skywalker, mostly in the early part of his life when he is first purchased by Gardulla the Hutt and brought to Tatooine and then purchased by Watto.

The Rise and Fall of Darth Vader is a great book for any Anakin Skywalker/ Darth Vader fan.

But if you’re looking for something denser, with a lot more added to the tale of Anakin’s life that have been never put on paper before, look elsewhere. It wasn’t perfect because it was so short and had to combine so much in such a small package. Nevertheless, I felt the author did the best job he could considering all he had to do, and therefore I really liked it.

How can I ever hate anything related to The Chosen one?


4 stars

[Zack Marcinkiewicz · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a huge Star Wars fan, I was upset when Anakin Skywalker turned to The Dark Side. There was a prophecy about him, where he was supposed to be The Chosen One and bring peace to the galaxy. Unfortunately, he was enticed by the opportunity to save his wife because he knew she would die during child birth and he had heard that he could only do this if he went to The Dark Side. This book tell his journey from when he was just a small boy on Tattoine to when he became a Jedi Master, then finally when he became a Sith Lord.This book portrays Darth Vader in a different light, one where his actions make sense to him, and unveil his regrets about what he has done. He has a lot of conflict within himself and that interferes with his self-justification.This is a must-have for any Star Wars fans, especially since there aren't any movies coming out anytime soon related to the original storyline.

[Deacon Tom (Feeling Better) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Winner

I really enjoyed this book. As someone who has enjoyed Star Wars for 40+ years, this took me to a new level because Dave, Darth Vader’s feelings and thoughts behind his actions. A new experience for me in the Star Wars fandom.

Exceptional book, I highly recommend

[Christopher · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was so hopeful for this book in the sense of seeing how the story of Darth Vader was fleshed out in what happened during the time periods and events not covered by the movies. I was sorrily disappointed. Basically this book is just a rehash of the movies and then not a very good one. Much of the book is just the author taking scenes from the movie and writing them down. There is almost no additional content such as the Jedi purge. As I got further along in the book I found myself speed reading faster and faster just to get through it when I realized that if you seen the all of the movies then you have read this book. There are a few pages of what Darth Vader was thinking/doing but not enough to warrant a book.

[Maddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"But, Master... why me?" "Because you ended the horror, Anakin." Obi-Wan said. "Because you fulfilled the prophecy."
The light was very bright now.
Anakin's first thought was that he might be able to see his children again.
He said, "Thank you, Master."
_________________________________
My first thought when I picked up this book is that it would be a in depth novelization of the movies, which I'm going to be honest here, it kind of was. The book goes through the first 6 Star Wars movies through the perspective of Anakin/Darth Vader. It gives a whole new light on how he felt throughout some of the most iconic moments in Star Wars history. From Anakin's childhood as a slave to becoming a Jedi Knight, Anakin Skywalker's villain origin story is told throughout this book. I also really enjoyed how this book highlights some moments that we never got to see in the movies such as deleted scenes and non-canon moments. I really enjoyed reading this book and it's super easy to fly through. 5 stars! 🌟

[Ivy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book tells the story of Anakin Skywalker's life.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ⭐️

Major spoilers for the movies, though if you’re thinking of reading this book you’ve probably seen the first 6 already.

I have... feelings. Which is ironic, because 99% of this book left me cold. And let me tell you, a book about Anakin Skywalker has to be really boring for me not to feel anything. That kid is everything to me when it comes to Star Wars. I will defend him to the moon and back (with a few thumps behind the head because he’s really good at being an idiot).

So I should be loving a book that’s basically his life story. But damn, this one is DRY. It shows that the author doesn’t care much about the prequels. The scenes with Schmi and Padmé – the entire foundation, along with Obi-Wan, of who Anakin is – had absolutely no emotional depth whatsoever. If you think Hayden didn’t bring emotion to his character (which he did, so kindly shut up), this is worse. Even Schmi’s death left me dry-eyed, and I ALWAYS cry at that part. And don’t even get me started on the battle pf Mustafar...

I get that it’s a junior novelization, but it’s a play-by-play of the movies with very little insight. When there’s more (thought process, interlude, etc.) it remains superficial, when it’s not plain wrong. Anakin didn’t turn to the dark side because he was evil, he did it to save Padmé. His transformation into Vader was slow and steady and it was 90% manipulation from Palpatine and 10% the Jedi Order acting like self-important dicks unable to find middle-ground.

I gave it half a star more for the ending that did manage to bring tears to my eyes (yes, I’m a crybaby), but it made the whole thing sound like he cared more about his estranged son than he did about his wife. . .

Ani deserves better.

[RumBelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a juvenile novel condensing Darth Vader's story, and making it age appropriate. It covered his entire life, as we have seen in the films. I was hoping for perhaps a bit more that would fill in gaps, but very little of that was provided.

However, despite that, it was a very well written book. It gave you a concise picture of Anakin, why he made the choices he made and what the consequences of those choices were. You see the range of emotions he went through, throughout his life, and how that impacted not only him, but events in the galaxy as well.

For any Darth Vader fan this is a great, if shortened, version of his life.

[bia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lord Darth Vader is, without a doubt, one of the most iconic and beloved characters in Star Wars, so obviously when I saw this book, I wanted to read it.
It's a summary of this character's entire life, and we get to see everything from the child on the sands of Tatooine to the Sith Lord's redemption on the Death Star. Overall, this book is very good and the reading is very fluid.
Something that bothered me was that I expected a little more from the development of >Anakin< in this book, I really wanted to see him with Ahsoka and she wasn't even mentioned here, I was very disappointed with that.
Up until 50% of the book, events were unfolding very quickly, and I wanted the iconic battle of Mustafar to be more detailed.
Despite these flaws, it is a book that I recommend.

[The Local Spooky Hermit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably written before a fully fleshed out clone wars. So no mention of Ahsoka plus its short and cramming 6 movies worth in 11 pages its skims some stuff but still gives enough to be worth it imo. I'll def be looking for maul one.
(Plus I never watched it... I regret not getting into any of it bc it was CG I liked the drawn one look better STILL HAVEN'T FOUND THAT TO WATCH IT FULLY.. I REGRET SO MUCK NOW! PAST ME YOU SUCK!!)
Ps anyone know any material of a what if anakin didn't die on the death star and became a jedi once again and taught Luke. That'd be cool him teaching Luke about both sides of the force. The limitations and risks of the darkside. so hopefully no others befall the same fate as him.. maybe become more relax on the starting age and the no lovers rule or such. Idk.. he'd have better insight on how a person could be tempted to the darkside. -OKAY IMA STOP BC I'M JUST GONNA RAMBLE ON- ANYWAYS- srsly it could be a fanfic lol. Its something I wish would be done.

[Adam Kiewel · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's actually a surprisingly great book. It fills in a lot of gaps not seen in the movies. It gives a lot of depth and insight to anakins thoughts and events in his life. All of the original writing in the book is fantastic. The one and only flaw in this book (and unfortunately it rears its head far too often) is the rehashing of the movie events. These unfortunate bland retellings kill the pacing of the book and makes you lose some intrest

[Jordan Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The young adult novel The Rise and Fall of Darth Vader written by Ryder Windham is a first person retelling of of all six Star Wars films through the eyes of Darth Vader. The book’s setting, like all other Star Wars media is “a long time ago, in a galaxy far far away.” The book begins with Darth Vader dreaming and reminiscing about his life and the experiences he had as Anakin Skywalker. The book then transitions to Anakin's boyhood on Tatooine, where he and his mother live as slaves.The tale of Anakin’s life then continues covering his major life events including his time as a Padawan, his time as a Jedi, his turning to the dark side and ultimately his death. The Rise and Fall of Darth Vader includes all of the main characters you would expect to find in a Star Wars book such as Obi-Wan, The Emperor, Luke Skywalker and more. This novel is written in a first person point of view where the narrator is Darth Vader. This view is limited but it does make for a very intimate relationship with the main character. I found this book to be thrilling, entertaining and an intimate retelling of an all time classic. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

[Tom Evers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the book I rated it 4/5, as I really enjoyed it, and it basically shows Darth Vader's whole life, from when he started as Anakin Skywalker, then his transition to Darth Vader, and back to Ani at the end. I would definitely recommend this book to any star wars fans like me, as it shows exactly what Ani/Darth Vader was thinking the whole time, from being the irresponsible Jedi, to being the mist evil person in the galaxy, to killing the with lord and fulfilling the prophecy. This book is just so interesting, I just could not stop reading it. And as nerdy as that was, that is the only way to describe the book from my personal thoughts.

[Amie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not exactly what I was expecting (probably because it's a kids' book), but still pretty decent and a fast read. A little bit too much retelling and not enough extra bits. But it still made me cry at the end.

[Kenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked it. Learned new things about Anakin/Vader and reading the thoughts in his head during some of my favorite scenes was the coolest

[Valentina Cabrera · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 ⭐️
“But, Master… why me?
Because you ended the horror, Anakin, Obi-Wan said.
Because you fulfilled the prophecy.
Anakin’s first thought was that he might be able to see his children again. He said, Thank you, Master”

AND IF I JUMP OFF A CLIFF THEN WHAT??????

Este libro (como su nombre lo dice) nos cuenta la vida de Anakin Skywalker, luego convirtiéndose en Darth Vader.

Si no haz visto las 6 películas (además de muchos spoilers) lo más seguro es que te pierdas demasiado en la línea temporal, ya que se dan muchos saltos temporales. Lo que no me encantó fue que muchas cosas del libro eran literal escenas que ya vimos en las películas. Me gusta cuando ponen escenas QUE NO HAY EN LAS PELÍCULAS.

Además, siento que el libro ya daba por sentado que ya viste Clone Wars para simpatizar más con Anakin, porque aquí siento que ponen a Anakin como si siempre hubiera buscado irse al Lado Oscuro y no porque quería salvar a Padmé.

A comparación de la novelizacion de ROTS, en donde se entiende a Anakin y se ve su arrepentimiento.

Anyways, que bueno que esto es Legends, pero aun así me gustaron algunas frases y el epílogo si me hizo derramar una lágrima 🥲

Ps: no fue de mis mejores ideas leer esto después de ver Andor… porque cuando pasé de la narración de Anakin a Vader, I HATED HIM SO BAD… pero el epílogo fue lo que más me gustó.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book I’ve been looking for since the early 2000s when Hayden Christensen took a stab at acting one of the most complex and tortured character of our modern culture. Episodes I, II, and III are a disappointment; we all know that. But Anakin’s story arc still gets me: the way love is distorted to fear and fear to hate, and then the return to light as conflict is resolved and love wins again. Hayden aside, Anakin’s story is an epic and I love it. This book reduces the first six films (Episodes I through VI) to a single narrative story told exclusively from Anakin’s angle. His motives and uncertainties show him in a more nuanced light and fill in some of the gaps in his journey. The author also incorporates elements from some of the extra-film material, storylines that were not familiar to me. And, of course, it’s a kids’ book. But I’m happy to have found it because it might be the perfect way to have my son skip over Episode III which, though C-rate in some ways, is nevertheless deeply dark and unsettling. I’m only a tiny bit embarrassed to admit that I really loved this book.

[Sean · Rating 5 out of 5]

The full story of Anakin Skywalker, from his birth in slavery to his death as the powerful Darth Vader. Be carfull of you desions is the theme of this book. becuase If you are not carfull with makeing desions you will regret it

[Nicolas · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book that made me fall in love with Anakin, Reading, and Books.

[Xavier · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book goes into detail of how Darth Vader came to be. I recommend this book if you are a Star Wars fan and are wondering how he came to be.

[theo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yazarın filmlerdeki olaylardan başka ek olarak pek bir şey anlatmaması hayal kırıklığı yarattı ama yine de olayları Vader’ın gözünden okumak keyif -acı- vericiydi.

[Aidan Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, *THIS IS LEGENDS NOT CANON*, but it's still good, but not "historically accurate."

[Brian Komo · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Rise and Fall of Darth Vader is an average Sci -Fi story about the fallen Dark Lord Darth Vader by Ryder Windham. It starts from him being born into slavery.To him sacrificing his life to save his son.
I thought the book was OK, about pretty average and I will explain to you why I have rated this novel a 3 out of 5. So anyway lets get to the review.

It starts off with a boy name Anakin Skywalker and his mother arriving on the desert planet Tatooine to become slaves to serve Gadula the Hutt. Right when they get off the ship they see a slave trying to escape his master.Suddenly his head exploding showing all the slaves that escape is impossible. This shows you how terrifying and disgusting slavery was in that part of the galaxy. Since the Republics laws didn't go out that far to the Galaxy.

One thing I really liked about the book was how it explained what was going inside Vader's head when did anything major. One example I will use was when he was dueling his son Luke in the battle of Endor. While Vader is dueling he says in his head on how he wasn't going to lose from his Son and how his master wasn't going to have his son. Another good part that shows Vader's emotions is when he first became the dark lord. When he betrayed Mace Windu and the jedi order, many emotions goes through his mind. He starts from him regretting what he did and how wrong it was, to him telling himself that the Jedi order betrayed the senate and that they deserved to be slaughter like animals. Thats when you see the sorrow and hate inside him.

One thing I didn't like about the Book was how it was basically a short and written book about all the movies, since Anakin/Vader is one of the main characters in the films. I kind of get why Windham did it because since there are 6 films.(not counting the new trilogy) But at the Same time I don't get why he couldn't add a few adventures Vader went through to become the Sith lord he is. I've many Vader books/Comics and there are many countless adventures Windham could have added when he wrote about Vader. To me that was the main point that made this book average.

All Windham tells the readers about Darth Vader's early years is that he did his master's bidding and killed many Jedi who survived order 66.To me that leaves the readers countless Questions. 1.What were some of the Jedi that Vader killed? 2. What other bidding's did Vader do for his master? I could go on and on but I don't want to. This was another thing that made this Star Wars novel average to me.

Another thing I didn't like about the book was that the author skipped so much stuff. The author wouldnt write about the whole movie. He only writes a portion of the movie then later explains it later after the chapter. An example is when I was reading the episode 3 revenge of the Sith chapter It starts off where the movie starts. Him and Obi wan save the chancellor and so on. Then it goes automatically goes to Palpatine telling Anakin the story of Darth Plegueis the wise. Then after that the chapter ends and he explains what happens later in the movie in a short and sweet page. Then the next chapter starts and it skips Anakin's and Obi Wan's duel. It starts with Anakin on the ground burning and catching on fire in the result of him becoming Darth Vader. I get Windham skipping the Wookie battle on Kashyyyk because Anakin wasn't there. But Anakin and Obi Wan's duel is so epic that it would be like someone skipping the after credits scene of a Marvel Film. This topic results it being a average book.

With all the negatives being said, its a pretty good average book. I would definitely recommend this to any person who has seen bits and pieces of the film. That being said if you are a Star Wars fan and Darth Vader is your favorite character,then I recommend reading a different a different book on Darth Vader. There are tons of books that gets in deep about Darth Vader's journey to the Dark Side and how much he embraced the power of the Dark.(There is even a book about his suit) Thank for reading and may the force be with you.

[Igor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everybody knows the story of Luke Skywalker, but what about his nemesis/father, Darth Vader (formally Anakin Skywalker)? Well, The Rise and Fall of Darth Vader by Ryder Windham has all the information needed to know about Anakin. The details of Anakin's life are all put in at the right time. One example is the detail of slaves exploding when they try to escape. It comes at a time when Skywalker was a three year old slave. The action in the book is top notch. Especially when Anakin and Obi fought theirs two fights with Darth Dooku (The first of which Anakin loses his right arm). There are a whole bunch of moments of conflict in this book. The most notable conflict is in Anakin himself. This book is an incredible book with everything a good book needs. This will be a great book for people 10 and up.

[Lauren Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haha! I'm on a Star Wars frenzy. I seriously raided and cleaned out the Star Wars section at my library. This is only the beginning. They are all Juvinile Fiction books with a few YF scattered among the 26 books but hey, they're still Star Wars. This was cool too because it followed some of the parts that in the movie were not told by Anakin plus it had him reflect on it all. Pretty cool. It stuck close to the movie with direct quotes. Because I had just watched most of the movies I was like, "Whoa, that sounds familiar! Oh, wait, it's directly quoting the movie!"

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most of the book is a rewriting of the films' scenes, but it does give a lot of insight on his childhood. The last chapters are GOLD. Saving C-3PO, realising Luke's love and apologising and thanking Obi-Wan were definitely the highlights. The descriptions of his motivations and inner feelings are not very poetic or great, but still the way Anakin comes back is just precious. Although I have seen that innumerable times in the movies, reading his thoughts just made me love the character a little bit more, if that's even possible.

[Amelia Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've said that a lot of Star Wars books are my favourite, but this one really is amazing. You get to see Anakin's descent into darkness and Darth Vader's journey back to Anakin. It takes us through Episode I: The Phantom Menace all the way to Episode VI: The Return of the Jedi.
They say that the Dark Side craves unlimited power. That's exactly what pulled me in; it's flowing with raw, untamed power...

[Allie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book mainly interested me because I've always been a fan of Darth Vader. He's always been my favorite character, and this book gave me inside look at his life. Granted, he was the bad guy, but I have this fascination with the bad guys. I did enjoy seeing the back story that happened between all the movies, as that's always been a point of interest for me.

[Mr · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the back of this book it gets summed up pretty well "born a slave. Raised a Jedi. Feared by a galaxy".in this book Anakin is the main character and therefore readers can hear his thoughts and learn things he didn't seem to do in the movies or other books. this book is different from the movie because it is all about him it only tells what he knows and does.--James Morey 211 pages