Sound bites from the Dark Side: James Earl Jones’ 8 best lines as Darth Vader

As Darth Vader, James Earl Jones has been dishing out some of the best lines in the Star Wars franchise since 1977, dropping bombshells like “I am your father” to Luke Skywalker, massively understating his murderous intent with “I’ve been waiting for you, Obi-Wan,” and echoing all of us as we watched Revenge Of The Sith in disbelief with a succinct “Noooo!”

Now 91 years old, Jones has decided to step away from voicing the character. That doesn’t mean he’s being replaced, though—at least not by another person. Throughout Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jones’ voice was replicated by an AI (with Jones’ blessing), which delivered all of Darth Vader’s lines. It’s almost kind of fitting, when you think about it, given how much of Vader’s body had been replaced or supported by machines. Finding a new voice actor probably would’ve been a lot cheaper than using the cutting-edge AI technology, but Jones’ voice is so integral to the character, so, dare we say it, iconic, that replacing him wouldn’t have just been controversial, it would’ve been straight-up wrong. Here are some of Jones’ best lines in Star Wars, arranged chronologically according to release date.

Star Wars (1977): “I’ve been waiting for you, Obi-Wan.”

Full quote: “I’ve been waiting for you, Obi-Wan. We meet again, at last. The circle is now complete. When I left you I was but the learner, but now I am the master.”When someone starts a conversation with “I’ve been waiting for you,” you know it’s about to go down. Vader’s ominous mini-speech, full of bravado and self-righteousness, is cut off by Alec Guinness’ simple reply: “Only a master of evil, Darth.” Given their extensive history, Obi-Wan knows exactly how to hit Darth where it hurts. [Jen Lennon]