There’s a truly heartbreaking Darth Vader moment from Star Wars Legends that I’ve decided needs to be considered canon. As sinister as the Dark Lord is, the story of Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker is one of great loss and tragedy. To that end, one of my favorite Darth Vader stories of all time has to do with a key moment in The Empire Strikes Back when the Sith Lord was forced to grapple with his past.

Before Disney purchased Lucasfilm in 2012, there were countless novels, games, comics, and more that were part of the “Expanded Universe”. However, they were all rendered non-canonical “Legends” when Disney rebooted the continuity to only include the movies, shows, and whatever they made going forward. While Dark Horse Comics’ Star Wars Tales was an anthology of largely non-canonical stories already, I firmly believe one tale featuring a secret arc between Darth Vader and C-3PO during The Empire Strikes Back needs to be considered part of the official Star Wars canon.

“Thank The Maker” Is One of The Best Star Wars Comic Stories

Darth Vader’s “Reunion” With C-3PO

“Thank the Maker” was published in 2000’s Star Wars Tales #6, written by Ryder Windham with art by Kilian Plunkett. A short story taking place during the events of The Empire Strikes Back, Imperial officers report to Darth Vader on Cloud City with the remains of C-3PO after the protocol droid fell behind and was sH๏τ by stormtroopers. Tragically, Darth Vader recognizes the droid as the one he built as a child, recalling his memories as a slave on Tatooine when Anakin Skywalker first discovered the protocol droid in a junk pile, resolving to fix him up to help his mother.

However, Vader initially rejects this major echo of his past and orders that the droid be destroyed. As seen in Episode V, Chewbacca saves Threepio from being smelted, resulting in the Imperial officers bringing the parts back to Darth Vader after the Rebels were captured and imprisoned as bait for Luke Skywalker. Faced with his old protocol droid once more, Vader remembers his mother, who allowed him to keep Threepio and continue working on him.

Remarkably, it’s Shmi Skywalker’s memory that motivates Vader to have Threepio’s parts sent to Chewbacca’s cell, much to the officers’ confusion. It’s a wonderful story that truly pulls at the heartstrings, especially when the Dark Lord brings Threepio’s head up to his mask. Likewise, it’s clear that the story published in 2000 was directly inspired by the recent release of The Phantom Menace the year prior in 1999, a key piece of genius connective tissue following young Anakin’s debut in the first prequel movie (and Threepio, who was still a work in progress).

Darth Vader Is The Best Explanation For Chewbacca Getting C-3PO Back

“I’m Giving The Wookiee What He Deserves”

As far as I can tell, there’s no reason why “Thank the Maker” couldn’t be part of the official Star Wars canon. After all, it’s not as if Darth Vader and Threepio ever meaningfully interact in the Skywalker saga. Vader also never acknowledges he made Threepio either (or has connections to R2-D2 for that matter).

Likewise, this story arguably improves The Empire Strikes Back, as Darth Vader being the one who sends Threepio’s parts to Chewbacca makes the most sense. While Lando Calrissian could have had the droid sent to Chewie, he would likely have had a harder time getting it done, considering how much power and authority Vader and the Empire had over him, especially while they were waiting for Luke Skywalker’s arrival. Until I see otherwise to contradict it, I will continue to consider “Thank The Maker” a part of the official Star Wars canon.