It’s been two decades since Hayden Christensen donned the iconic helmet that had haunted audiences since 1977. Now, fans on Reddit are discussing just how important and impactful it was to see Lord Vader rise in his new form for the first time.
No matter the ranking of the Star Wars movies, looking back on when Anakin was put on a special kind of life support after thinking he could take the high ground is legendary. “The instant the helmet seal and the iconic breathing began, it sent chills down my spine,” wrote one fan. “As a 12-year-old, seeing it in the theater was the biggest thing in the world to me. My life was complete,” another wrote.
Incredibly, some Star Wars fans revealed that the debut of Vader was their very first sight of the most feared Sith in the galaxy, having never seen the original films and starting from scratch with the prequels. One fan recalled the unforgettable journey with Anakin, who from a certain point of view, was killed by Darth Vader, who became the most feared power in the galaxy. “Anakin was my idol until that moment, his journey as a padawan caught my attention, I had a huge identification with him. [Seeing] him kneel before Palpatine and answer to the name Darth Vader left me extremely shocked.”
But while some got chills from the transformation that a franchise was built around, others, even after all this time, couldn’t get over Vader’s “Nooo!” that became iconic for all the wrong reasons. One fan confessed, “I was out of control, excited – right up to ‘Nooooo….'” Another chimed in with a preferred option to the moment that’s now stuck in the Star Wars saga forever. “Like, why not just have him scream and break stuff? Why the ‘nooooooo’ Ugh. I can still hear it in my mind lol.” No matter your thoughts on Vader’s initial reaction, you can’t deny that it was a moment worth seeing in theaters. Use the force, or check out our 35 greatest moments in Star Wars here.