In light of the Star Wars prequels, Darth Vader’s death at the end of Return of the Jedi seems far more tragic. Luke Skywalker is finally able to break through and help his father turn from the dark side of the Force, only for him to sacrifice himself and die moments later. Yet if Luke had somehow managed to keep Vader alive as the Death Star II collapsed around them, the future of Star Wars would change drastically. Had Vader remained in the picture during the time of the New Republic, it would ultimately cause the main characters of the original trilogy more pain.
In many ways, the Death Star replaced Darth Vader, since Palpatine could rely on it to keep the Rebellion in check. Palpatine fully intended for Vader to die by Luke’s hand at the end of Return of the Jedi, which is why he wasn’t afraid to unleash one final blow at Vader—now Anakin—when he betrayed him. Palpatine’s Force lightning caused Anakin’s life support module to malfunction, yet Luke may have had the wherewithal to fix it. Had Luke immediately tinkered with Anakin’s life support, it’s possible that he may have been able to keep him alive long enough to get him back to a medical facility.
