Why Did Palpatine Want Darth Vader to Be Like Darth Malgus?

Darth Malgus was one of the most formidable Sith Lords of the Old Republic era—feared for his sheer power, battlefield dominance, and ruthless ambition. By the time Darth Sidious rose to power, he had uncovered Malgus’ journals and came to view him as the ideal model for what Darth Vader should become.

Power Through Pain

Both Malgus and Vader suffered catastrophic injuries that left them dependent on respirators and life-sustaining armor. But where Vader initially saw his condition as a limitation, Malgus used his pain as a source of strength. He channeled his agony into rage, becoming even more lethal on the battlefield. This ability to weaponize suffering was a trait Palpatine hoped Vader would embrace.

Detachment as a Path to Power

Sidious admired Malgus for one trait above all: his complete rejection of attachment. Malgus, like Anakin Skywalker, once loved a woman. But where Vader was haunted by the memory of Padmé, Malgus viewed love as a weakness. In a chilling act of devotion to the Sith ideal, he killed his own lover to sever all emotional ties.

Palpatine wanted Vader to follow this same path—to shed all remnants of Anakin and evolve into a cold, unfeeling Sith enforcer. As part of his training, Vader was ordered to study Malgus’ journals, drawing parallels between their lives.

Why Vader Couldn’t Become Malgus

Despite the similarities, Vader never fully became the Sith Lord Palpatine envisioned. Unlike Malgus, Vader never let go of his past. The memory of Padmé, his son Luke, and the pain of what he had lost remained a part of him. This lingering humanity ultimately led to his redemption, something Palpatine never anticipated.

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