Darth Vader’s action scene in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is widely considered one of the film’s highlights, but I have mixed feelings about the now-iconic sequence. Rogue One is considered one of the high points of the Star Wars franchise’s Disney era and I certainly appreciate the film, but I have several criticisms of it. Rogue One captures the look and feel of A New Hope to a certain degree, but it needlessly meddles with one of the 1977 movie’s major plot points, and mishandles two major characters.

For example, the Death Star’s weakness – its turbolaser defenses not being designed to repel starfighters – was explained sufficiently in A New Hope and did not need to be retconned. Additionally, in the original Star Wars Legends continuity, Princess Leia also had an active role in stealing the Death Star plans, making her comparatively minimal role in the modern canon’s Rogue One feel like a downgrade – albeit an understandable one, given the filmmakers’ likely reluctance to recast or digitally de-age Carrie Fisher for an extended role like they did with Grand Moff Tarkin.

Darth Vader’s hallway scene follows in this same vein. While it’s entertaining, and certainly abides by the “rule of cool,” it also presents problems, namely with his characterization. This is particularly evident by comparing this Vader with that of the original Star Wars trilogy.

Darth Vader’s Hallway Scene Is A Visual Feast

The Darth Vader hallway scene itself is an excellent spectacle. Vader seems more akin to a horror movie monster than a ruthless military leader as he mercilessly cuts down and strangles a group of Rebel troopers desperately trying to get the Death Star plans aboard the Tantive IV. While Darth Vader’s lethal dark side Force powers and mastery of lightsaber combat were already shown in the Star Wars original trilogy, a scene like his Rogue One hallway sequence has never been shown in live-action before, making it a cathartic moment for many viewers.

Darth Vader’s Hallway Scene Just Doesn’t Suit His Character

Unfortunately, the scene does not quite fit Darth Vader as he was presented in the original trilogy. While Anakin Skywalker fought on the front lines of the Clone Wars as a Jedi Knight, he was more prone to letting his troops dispose of his enemies as the Sith Lord Darth Vader. This was not only the case in the original trilogy films, but also in much of the original Legends continuity’s materials.

In properties like the classic Marvel Star Wars comics, Darth Vader typically trusted his Imperial military forces to competently handle the Rebels. Darth Vader rarely ignited his lightsaber, usually reserving it for his most formidable opponents. This, however, did not mean there were no instances of Vader fighting alongside his troops.

In A New Hope, Vader flew his TIE Advanced X1 in the Battle of Yavin, but this situation demanded his involvement far more than the retrieval of the Death Star plans, which Vader’s stormtroopers demonstrably handled with little difficulty. By comparison, the TIE fighter squadrons deployed against the Rebels did not prevent attack runs in the station’s trench and its turbo laser defenses were largely ineffective, making Vader’s intervention necessary.

While Darth Vader’s Rogue One action scene is a bit of a departure from his portrayals in the original trilogy and most Legends-era properties, it does align with his portrayals in the modern canon’s non-movie materials, for the most part. The newer timeline typically portrays Vader as being far more willing to fight his enemies himself. While this is atypical for a Sith Lord, it has led to many more action scenes for Vader in the modern canon.

Unfortunately, the modern canon makes Vader’s more active role in battles necessary, as stormtroopers are often depicted as being incompetent. This issue is exacerbated by properties like The Mandalorian, which does a disservice to the original trilogy era in general. Stormtroopers and other Imperial military units should be portrayed as threats to the heroes, as it raises the stakes of original trilogy-era properties and makes the Rebellion’s victories that much more satisfying. By comparison, the Legends continuity often depicted Imperial forces as ruthless and highly competent killers, making their defeats more cathartic and Vader’s trust in them justified.

Sometimes, The “Rule Of Cool” Is Enough

None of this is to say that Darth Vader’s hallway fight scene is detrimental to the film or even simply unnecessary. The sequence is excellently sH๏τ and deservedly one of the high points of Rogue One – combining the awe-inspiring might of Darth Vader with the horror of watching heroic Rebel troopers being gruesomely killed. The moment in Rogue One is simply the “rule of cool” taking precedence over everything else – and harmlessly at that.