We have another excerpt from the upcoming Darth Vader novel Master of Evil, set shortly after Revenge of the Sith and during the events of Charles Soule’s 2017 Darth Vader comic run, when Vader created his first Sith lightsaber.
Published on EW, the excerpt shows Darth Vader experiencing a vision in the Force as he bleeds his crystal, showing him cryptic visions of the past and future. Here are some tasty bits from the excerpt.
“He reassembles the lightsaber. He leaves, but . . . time moves in a blur, his actions guided not by the dark but by something else …
He sees his master. He sees a flash of green, the blade of lies, the blade of a Jedi.
Ah, so you have made your decision?
He sees a flash of red, the blade of truth, the blade of the Sith.
So be it, my friend. You have chosen weakness.
He sees his master fall.
The visions are not real. They are tricks. The light side lies, the light side is deceit and deception, and in its final moments the kyber crystal of Kirak Infil’a has betrayed its intent, revealing its dishonesty as it tries to corrupt and entangle.
The power of the light side is strong.
He is stronger.
The apprentice slams his gauntleted hand down on the crystal, pinning it against the ancient stone. Around the cave, the carved runes light in red and orange as the apprentice focuses now, not with his will but with things far more powerful.
Anger.
Hate.
The crystal fights but cannot win. The falsehood of the Jedi, the lies of the light side: They are stripped away until all that is left is the truth.
He sees . . .
Mustafar.
The lava fields.
Obi-Wan, the craven victor, revealing his true self.
Shmi, who died for nothing, the cowardly Jedi refusing to free her, refusing to interfere.
He sees Padmé.
He sees Palpatine.
He sees Padmé. He sees Padmé. He sees Padmé.
He always, always sees Padmé.”
“He reassembles the lightsaber, rebuilding the sacred weapon around its new bleeding heart. The task is, once again, simple, yet Vader’s work is slow, as he replaces and reconnects every component with immaculate precision, until at last the weapon is whole.
He ignites it. The blade flares into existence, its scarlet glow illuminating the cave, brighter than the lava, brighter than the runes. It lights the altar, revealing the scar now burned onto its surface from where the crystal had lain.
But it does not light the shadow behind the altar. Vader moves the blade, raises it, but the shadow seems to only deepen, the pull of the dark side suddenly stronger, a riptide that threatens to drag him under. He shifts on his feet, his boots sliding in the dust as he regains control.
Yes, there is power here. Power undreamed of.
His master, Darth Sidious, had spoken of the power of the dark side and had told him of its potential and his own potential, making promises of guidance, of understanding. There was no question of any deception; lies were the province of the Jedi, and the apprentice knew that one day the knowledge he sought would be his.
But . . .
Here, in the cave, there is . . . something else. His master had called it a locus for the dark side of the Force. But standing here, it feels like so much more, the shadow moving behind the altar, showing him just a glimpse of an infinite potential, the start, perhaps, of a pathway to many abilities some consider to be . . .
Unnatural.
Vader leaves the cave and leaves the planet. Perhaps he will return. Perhaps his master will fulfill the promises made.
Or perhaps Vader will find the path himself.”
For the full excerpt, visit EW. The synopsis teases a rather interesting story for Darth Vader as he sets out on a mission accompanied by a squad of the Emperor’s Royal Guards:
“In the wake of Emperor Palpatine’s rise to power, the true nature of his most sinister enforcer remains a mystery. Darth Vader is a dominant yet illusive figure: the shadow cast by a malignant Imperial regime, unknowable to even its top officials. But even as his humanity gives way to myth, Vader remains haunted by the promises of the dark side, seeking the ultimate power that his master has hinted at but withheld—the power to conquer death itself.
“On the volcanic world of Mustafar, Vader undertakes a dark ritual, bleeding a kyber crystal to forge his lightsaber. This act unleashes a power far greater than he anticipated, giving him a glimpse into the limitless potential of the Force.
“Vader is determined to follow this vision, even if it means defying his master’s orders. Yet he finds the Emperor suspiciously supportive of his mission, even sending Vader to the Diso system to investigate rumors of a Force-wielding shaman able to raise the dead. At his side are a cadre of the Emperor’s scarlet-robed Royal Guard, led by Colonel Halland Goth—a decorated soldier with a very personal interest in Vader’s mission.
“Even as the Emperor’s true motivations reveal themselves, Vader falls deeper into obsession. His journey takes him far across the galaxy, chasing rumors and phantoms. But no matter how far he travels, he cannot escape the shadows within his own soul. Haunted by the echoes of his past, Vader circles the true resolution to his quest: only once all weakness is purged can he become a master of evil.”
Master of Evil will be released on Tuesday, November 11, 2025.
Josh is a huge Star Wars fan, who has spent far too much time wondering if any Star Wars character could defeat Thanos with all the Infinity Stones.