10 Movie Franchises That Brilliantly Reinvented Characters

In most people's minds Darth Vader is Darth Vader. But he wasn't always that way. There was a time when Darth Vader was just a big bad villain with no motivations, controlled by an elderly general as if he were just a hot head young private. Apart from the impression he left from the opening scene, the Darth Vader in A New Hope got beat and put in his place the whole movie. He was just a big bad sci-fi character.

He believed in some ancient religion that other generals mocked, and his force choke was cut short by his superior. Darth stood idle as Tarkin led the interrogation of the Princess, and then got ideologically beaten by an old man. And then the last we see of him is his spaceship being knocked out of control by a piece of junk.

Then came Empire Strikes Back in which Darth Vader become an unstoppable force. Everything he did was intently motivated and pure evil. He was a force to be reckoned with and his control over the story was inevitable. What little was established in A New Hope is taken and expanded until he becomes an unforgettable icon.

Darth Vader begins the movie with a simple motivation - to find his son. He uses any tactic necessary and massacres a rebel base. Although his target eludes him, Darth is in charge this time. His superiors struggle to stay calm in his presence, and many don't survive the movie. While he is beaten at the end, this time he has ideologically won. He ends the film on a high note.

Whether Darth Vader was planned from the beginning or assembled as they went along, he has gone from a poorly developed character to the greatest cinema villain ever created. A reinvention indeed.