The film industry has lost one of its all-time greatest talents with the news that legendary performer James Earl Jones passed away on Monday at the age of 93. A decades-long veteran of the stage and screen, Jones was beloved around the world for his versatility, easy-going charisma, and endlessly listenable contrabass voice. That last attribute is also the reason most people likely recognize his name, because although he gave many committed performances in a wide variety of films, TV shows and theater productions, his most famous role will always be as the voice of Darth Vader from the Star Wars series. Commonly considered one of it not the most iconic villains in film history, Darth Vader is the role Jones will be most remembered for, which makes it all the more remarkable that the only aspect of the character he directly contributed was his voice.
Vader was always a team effort, from his striking visual design derived from Ralph McQuarrie’s original concept art, the physical performance from David Prowse who wore the suit on set in the original films, Sebastian Shaw playing Vader with his mask removed in Return of the Jedi, and Jones dubbing over Prowse to give the character his unforgettable voice. All of them deserve credit for their contributions to the character, but it was Jones who gave Vader not just his intimidating presence, but also the shades of humanity that would slowly be revealed in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi as the audience learned more about the man behind the mask. To celebrate his life, let’s look back at why Jones’ vocal performance as Darth Vader stands as his most enduring achievement.
James Earl Jones and the Lord of the Sith
From the first moment Darth Vader stepped onto the screen in the original Star Wars, audiences knew he was going to be a powerful villain. His instantly recognizable samurai-inspired black armor contrasts not only against the white armor of his subordinate stormtroopers, but also the entire set of the Tantive IV, the Rebel ship the Imperials are attacking. That’s not even getting into how haunting and evocative the mere sound of his breathing is. Yet it’s not until we first hear his voice as he interrogates the ship’s captain and barks orders at his underlings (“I want them alive!”) that we truly feel the weight of what his presence means. This is not the most powerful man in the Galactic Empire, since we know the Emperor exists (although we wouldn’t get a glimpse of him until the next film). But Vader is the most feared man in the Empire, which is another thing entirely.
Even though the specifics of Sith Lords and their ideology were not actually fleshed out onscreen until the prequel trilogy (the word “Sith” first appeared in Alan Dean Foster’s novelization of the 1977 film but was not used in the final cut), Vader’s vibrant red lightsaber and the hints of backstory we get from Obi-Wan painted him as a dark contrast to the heroic ideal of the Jedi that Luke Skywalker aspires to. Yet there’s also great tragedy and regret about Vader even in this first film, where he’s dramatized as a fallen pupil who turned to the dark side and betrayed the Jedi Knights and Obi-Wan in particular. Even with how intimidating Vader is, Jones’ weighty gravitas to his delivery gives hints to the tragic nature of the character, a thread that the sequels would pull on as they revealed more of his history.
The way Jones adds character depth through enunciation gives tangible meaning to his confrontation with Obi-Wan as well as the trench run where he flies the TIE Advanced Fighter. “The circle is now complete. When I left you I was but the learner, now I am the master” could have been generic villain dialogue in someone else’s hands, but it instead suggests a greater sense of mythos and history to the Star Wars universe than is actually portrayed in the original film. By the same token, the emphasis Jones places on “the Force is strong with this one” while chasing Luke’s X-Wing solidifies that even the greatest villain of this universe respects and abides by the same mystic power that the heroes put so much investment in. These may feel like small details in the moment, but they helped give Star Wars the specificity it needed to reach a global audience, an audience who would find Vader only more compelling in the film’s sequels.
Darth Vader’s Call to the Light
Spoilers for one of the most popular films of all time: Darth Vader is Luke’s father (!). What has become probably the most famous plot twist in film history was a complete shock when it hit audiences back in 1980, so much so that many fans and even Jones himself didn’t believe it at the time. When thinking back on learning about the famous twist, Jones said “he’s lying, I wonder how they’re gonna play that lie out.” But you’d never know about Jones’ doubts when watching the scene, where Vader says “No, I am your father” as if it’s the axis upon which the world pivots. And it is, because it’s not just the key moment where Luke’s deepest held beliefs are shattered, but also when the good and evil binary he put so much faith in is revealed to be far more complex than he’s willing to admit. It’s the emotional throughline of his arc across the trilogy, and none of it works without Jones selling Vader’s evil and his lighter impulses in the same moment.
After all, another important part of that scene is Vader wanting to reunite with his son, to use Luke to help him overthrow the Emperor. “Join me, and together we can rule the galaxy as father and son” is so rich because Jones adds a true desire for reconciliation to the line that gives complexity to his goal of corrupting Luke to the dark side. That complexity is built on in Return of the Jedi when Luke surrenders to Vader (low key one of the trilogy’s best scenes) and Vader expresses real regret about his fall to the dark side: “Obi-Wan once thought as you do,” and “It is too late for me, son.” Jones portrays the anguish in Vader’s soul here, giving so much dimension to the character in only a handful of words. Without this scene, without Jones letting us feel the seeds of doubt in Vader’s mind, his redemption where he turns against the Emperor to save Luke wouldn’t have meaning. We can believe in Vader’s goodness even before we see his face, and that’s the power of a truly great voice actor.
Mufasa and the Dad Dichotomy
That capacity for good is something Jones was just as skilled at portraying as his villainous turns, which made his second most famous role as Mufasa in The Lion King just as memorable as Vader. It’s fascinating how Jones’ versatility led him to playing one of the most famous heroic father figures and perhaps the most famous villainous one, but that’s how incredible he was at this. His deep, commanding voice gives both characters an instant sense of respectability and authority, yet the way he channels it leads to drastically different results. Even though Mufasa doesn’t make it halfway through the film before he’s murdered by his brother Scar, Jones packs his early scenes with the young Simba with Mufasa’s genuine love and admiration for his kingdom and all of the creatures within it, providing Simba the foundational morality he will later have to strive for when he accepts his need to overthrow Scar and restore the Pride Lands.
Conveying all of the complex emotions and character work we’ve discussed is hard enough for any actor, but doing all of it without your physicality on-screen to back you up is truly demanding. Jones of course had a long history on screen and stage, so he was used to bouncing off of other actors and the camera in many of his parts. Yet although Vader was his first dedicated voice role, he helped create one of the most popular film characters of all time. It’s a testament to his creative spirit and phenomenal talent that he jumped into a whole new type of acting that requires an entirely different skill set and nailed it the first time out. To this day, Vader remains one of the most prominent voice roles in film history, and the character would likely have been far less memorable if he was walking around with his face in full view. What makes Vader compelling is the mystery around him, where audiences had to take Jones’ line deliveries and make their own interpretations about who this man was.
Even though his voice roles were a small part of his filmography, James Earl Jones will always be one of the most beloved vocal performers. His work as Vader and Mufasa didn’t just show his range, but brought credibility to a type of acting that still struggles to be respected to this day. As we look back on Jones’ work and celebrate his life, it’s worth remembering just how much a great voice actor can bring to a character and a project. After all, we wouldn’t have Darth Vader (and Star Wars) without him.
Carlos Morales writes novels, articles and Mass Effect essays. You can follow his fixations on Twitter.