Movie-goers may have had no more than a few seconds to look at Darth Vader's helmet (or what's left of it) in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," but they definitely felt the importance the memento had for Kylo Ren. However, the commander of the First Order may have been taking inspiration from the wrong helmet.
David Prowse, the actor who played Darth Vader in the original "Star Wars" trilogy, took to Facebook to post what the helmet in question actually looked like after "Return of the Jedi."
Before "The Force Awakens," the last anyone saw of Darth Vader was of his helmet and armor burning in a funeral pyre Luke Skywalker set up for his father. Most of the galaxy don't know that Vader had redeemed himself in his last moments, but Luke was there, and was with his father until he became one with the Force.
Darth Vader's death was a cause of celebration, but it was a mournful moment for Luke, especially when he knew that good always been inside of Anakin. As such, the funeral was held away from other people, even his own sister, Leia.
"The Force Awakens" didn't delve into how Kylo got his hands on his grandfather's helmet, but it appears to have been scavenged after the Battle of Endor.
However, the Darth Vader mask and helmet that Prowse remembers is completely different from the one that Kylo was turning to for guidance.
Still menacing, right? Just in its own way.
Of course, J.J. Abrams was more than free to come up with his own version of what Darth Vader's mask would have looked like after literally going through the fire, but a bit more continuity would have been nice.
Someone commented on Prowse's post that the helmet and what Kylo has are different because maybe someone had dared to sell him a fake, while another made his intentions of acquiring the prop very clear. A number also pointed out the "real" helmet has potential as a garden feature.
To those who are wondering how Darth Vader's helmet would look like in the coming "Star Wars" movie, if it makes an appearance, "Episode VIII" is due to come out Dec. 15, 2017 in the U.S.
Photo: JD Hancock | Flickr
