Sound bites from the Dark Side: James Earl Jones’ 8 best lines as Darth Vader
As news arrives that James Earl Jones is no longer the voice of Darth Vader, let us appreciate his finest line readings from the Star Wars universe
Film Features 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.
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“Be careful not to choke on your aspirations, Director.”Anakin Skywalker was already king of the “dad joke” so this plays. And it’s my wife’s (the RRT) favorite line because of the respiratory crossover appeal…
Well this list is a great big bowl of fail, for including that idiotic “NOOOOOOOO!” line and omitting this ice-cold bon mot:
Seriously, how did this not make the list???Honorable mention: “I have you now.”“No disintegrations!”“We would be honored if you would join us.”
Came here for this.And “Apology accepted…” shows the obvious answer to slide 9’s question: Yes, Vader was always “funny”. Darkly so. Sardonic is probably a better and more accurate way to describe it.Every “joke” is a thinly veiled threat, and often not even veiled.
Vader always had this darkly playful side, it’s part of what makes him so compelling. Even as far back as “I find your lack of faith disturbing,” there was a grim smile in his antics.I think my favorite Vader humor outside of “Apology accepted” is at the Cloud City dinner table, “We would be honored if you would join us.”
Vader doesn’t joke. He threatens with panache.
Yup. And doubly effective, because everyone _knows_ for a dead-certain fact that Vader’s threats have menace — they are anything but empty.
Came here to say this exact thing. Glad someone beat me to it. This line was the first one I thought of when I saw the title.
damnit, beat me to itKinja hid your post untily after I posted the same thing.
“Be careful not to choke on your aspirations, Director.”Really? Ffs.
‘Bring my shuttle.’ from the original unaltered version of Empire should be on here. His plan for the entire movie has just jumped off a gantry and He. Is. Pissed. But then George took it out to make room for more shots of Vader’s shuttle landing on the Executor, ruining the momentum of the finale, and in the process losing one of JEJ’s best line readings.
I’ve never actually seen the original Star Wars, not a massive sci fi fan, but the way he delivered that line .. christ
That comparison makes it awful. The original reading is someone in command that knows his people will get it right because of his power. The newer line is an overly coddling boss that isn’t sure of that his word alone will make his underlings do the right thing.
Even the cadence of the replacement line just sucks.
It’s the curt command of someone whose son just chose death over him.
Quite. Agree.
Stuff like this is why I tend to believe most of the anecdotes about Lucas being a flawed director, and film editor perhaps moreso.Sometimes less is more. This was one of those times. For exactly the reason you said — well spotted.
“A choirboy!”
This reads like a Dick and Jane book. One word with more than two syllables.“Give yourself to the Dark Side. It is the only way you can save your friends. Yes, your thoughts betray you. Your feelings for them are strong. Especially for … sister. So, you have a twin sister. Your feelings have now betrayed her, too. Obi-Wan was wise to hide her from me. Now his failure is complete. If you will not turn to the Dark Side … then perhaps she will!”
Some of the comedy ones, both intentional and unintentional:“Leave that to me” (Cracks me up every time)“WHAT” (When Han saves the day at the Death Star)“Apology accepted, Captain Needa”“Take her away!” And this is BEFORE he found out she was his bratty daughter. He’s just like, “AGHHHHH! THIS BITCH!”And then the ones that chill me still:“Where is Padme?” The whole Anakin falling still doesn’t work in a lot of ways, but hearing Padme’s name in Vader’s mouth is still tragic/scary“That name no longer has any meaning for me”“Obi-Wan once thought as you do.” Of all the things that paid off in Obi-Wan, this is the one that paid off for me the most. You now know he was thinking about that last fight, when he the last shreds of Anakin absolved Obi-Wan.
“Take her away!” And this is BEFORE he found out she was his bratty daughter. He’s just like, “AGHHHHH! THIS BITCH!” Especially after Rogue One reveals that he JUST saw her escape with the plans personally, but she’s still trying to claim her cover story.
My head-canon is that some subconscious part of Anakin was like, “God, she is just like Padme…”
Bonus from RebelsEzra: I’m don’t fear you.Vader: Then you will die braver than most! (Slices Ezra’s saber)
Seriously, this line goes harder than 75% of this list, or the comments.
“The Emperor is not as forgiving as I am.”Hell of a way to both assert your power while hyping up your man.
Though a bit compromised by how the Emperor turns out to be perfectly happy with how things are going once he gets there.
Yeah well that’s what happens when you “double our efforts.”
The understated threat worked. Dude probably upgraded from redoubled to retripled efforts after that motivational speech.
“Yeah, I’m like a total sweetheart compared to The Big Guy!”
It doesn’t rise to the same level of gravitas or humor of some of these other quotes, but I’ve always loved JEJ’s line reading in ROTJ for “…where is that shuttle going?” It’s the only time in the whole trilogy he sounds truly stumped, as though he can’t believe the rebels would be so audaciously STUPID to sneak a stolen shuttle (bearing his Force-wielding son) right under his nose.
As someone born after the original trilogy was completed, I’ve been fascinated with the idea of how in those pre-Internet days, everyone spent those three years between Empire and Jedi arguing over whether Vader was telling the truth, even though Lucas had never intended it to be in question. And of course Jones himself thinking it was a lie just added fuel to the whole thing.
Playground gossip was wildly divided on this matter.
yep
Ya hadda be there!
Younger me saw the original trilogy 1st-run in theaters, and it wasn’t until some years later (probably on the internet) that I became aware that some people thought it possible Vader had lied.It had never occurred to me as a possibility. Oh sure, Vader was undoubtedly evil, bloody-handed and violent (though we wouldn’t *really* know just how much until years later), certainly vengeful and destructive and so on.But in that moment, at least, I believed Vader.Which brings up a question: did Vader ever outright lie in canon?I’m having a hard time thinking of an example. We know he bent a story sometimes, e.g. “I’m altering the deal…”, but even that’s not a complete falsehood on the face of it.Maybe it’s easier to believe Vader precisely because he’s so powerful and often has the upper hand, there’s no need for him to lie.
Now Tarkin, yeah — he’s more the scheming diplomat and politician, so I could see him outright lying; he at least was very deceitful with Leia about not blowing up Alderaan so we know he’s capable of it.
A lesson in taking responsibility for your actions while in service to the Empire.
If you want to stay alive, keep your head down, curb your ambitions and if the jig is up, lie your ass off.
Right?
“I’m going to take a deep breath and take responsibility…oh fuck me!”
Actually, maybe Needa took one for the team figuring Vader would punish the whole crew otherwise? That seriously just occurred to me.
Let’s face it: almost every line he has in TESB is killer. “He’s as clumsy as he is stupid.”“All too easy.” “Impressive. Most impressive.”
A lot of my favorites aren’t here, like ‘Your momma’s going on a date, can you dig that? A date.’ and ‘I quit on you when you cleared out of Detroit with Willie the Pimp!’
Oh, man, this video is absolutely brilliant. If there was a shortlist of “100 Youtube videos you should see before you die,” this would be in my top 20.
Definitely! I’ve been watching it every once in a while since it came out and the ‘And I’m going right out the door’ line still gets me every time.
Vader drunkenly practicing his singing while trying to shoot down Luke’s X-Wing is never not funny to me. XDSame with his telling Leia “get your black ass outta here!” Comedy gold, the whole thing
“Don’t you ‘Papa’ me, girl!”The brother knew, but he didn’t know he knew.
JEJ is 91? Man, I knew he had to be getting up there but I didn’t know it was “the bog nine-oh” (do people say that?) Bless him. I’d want to take it easy too!
How can you possibly leave this one out? Vader casually giving orders to Piett while he REMOTELY Force Chokes his commanding officer. And then he gives the guy a promotion, driving home the point that failure has its consequences.
“Choked you through the TV! Did you know I could do that?”
Unfortunately Jones never delivered it because it was in a comic (Vader Down, iirc), but I gotta give an honorable mention to “All I am surrounded by is fear. And dead men.”
Honorable mention:Quintessential Vader.
How is “his failure is now complete…” now on here. Just how he says “complete” is absolutely perfect and sinister.
Not on the list, but one of my and my better halves fav line from ESB is during the begiing prep for the battle on Hoth when Vader says very loudly and sternly -“General Veers, prepare your men!” The fact that Veers is like 8 inches from him as he turns cracks us up, every, damn, time.
“Talk shit, get hit.” Nice.I would have included, “Apology accepted, Captain Needa,” and “Asteroids do not concern me Admiral.”
Man, this headline would’ve just been an Onion parody in the early days
*Ahem*
“What?”
Missing JEJ 4 episode run (well 5 if you count one line in another episdoe) on Rebels S2 which had some gold. “Anakin Skywalker was weak, I destroyed him.” which intentionally or not echos Kylo Ren’s “He was weak and foolish like his father, I destroyed him.” One of those moments in Star Wars when things get serious they all kinda start saying the same thing.
How is ‘I find your lack of faith disturbing’ not #1? Seriously! It’s not just Jones’ voice, it’s his delivery…his little almost-pauses and inflection on certain words is just…it MAKES a character. Hell, Darth Vader has no face to see, no expressions, let alone micro-expressions…so the voice is vital.But let’s not forget that Jones also played Thulsa Doom…and some of the lines he delivers in that film are just amazing. “I am the wellspring from which you flowwwww.” Chilling. You could do a Top 10 list from just that one movie, and it would be nearly as good as this one.Edit: And WTF…”Apology accepted, Captain Needa.” isn’t in there?!?!