Did Vader ever feel guilt? Darth Vader, now Anakin, redeemed himself during his last moments - no doubt, he felt regret for what he had done, but was resigned to fate at this point.
Inside his suit and mask, Vader has a series of needles in his skin. Unfortunately, these needles, which transmit neurological data throughout his body and allow him to control his limbs, also cause him constant pain.
Even after his brutal scorching in the fires of Mustafar, sand remained the only natural phenomenon that Vader feared. To him, sand was a reminder that he'd failed to save his mother or Padme from death.
Vader doesn't regret falling to the Dark Side (Anakin does). He regrets being defeated by Obi-Wan. That's why, when he sees that Obi-Wan is full of guilt, and no longer wants to kill him, he "comforts" him by saying that he's not his failure.
He is firstly sad, but like some people in our world, Vader douces his sadness and replaces it with anger. Padme's death fuels his rage, and his rage dictates his actions. It is only when he saw Luke, when he lost his anger for a second and felt his love for his son.
In conclusion, Darth Vader is the ultimate villain for a variety of reasons. He's powerful, intimidating, ruthless, enigmatic, and symbolic, and his tragic backstory makes him a sympathetic villain. He's also one of the most memorable villains in popular culture, with his iconic appearance and menacing presence.
He couldn't bring himself to kill Darth Vader, however, because he continues to associate him with the Anakin he trained as a boy. This is also the exact reason why Obi-Wan didn't kill Anakin on Mustafar despite the opportunity a decade earlier in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith.
The reasoning comes from, not only his fears that he isn't strong enough to defeat Vader after 10 years in hiding but the fact that facing Vader means Obi-Wan will have to face up to his greatest failure.
The canonical comic Star Wars: Darth Vader #7 confirms the younglings' deaths caused Anakin grief, self-loathing, hatred and pain, fueling his descent even further into the dark side. Those negative emotions also power the dark side, meaning Anakin likely felt stronger as he killed the younglings.
Darth Vader Hates Palpatine More Than Obi-Wan (& Himself)
However, by the end of the issue, it's strongly implied that the true source of Darth Vader's hatred was Palpatine, and he used that hatred to crush this Scourge-host with the clenching of his fist.
While Vader could sometimes show compassion to his soldiers, this compassion was far outweighed by his cruelty. Due to ghost stories like "The Predecessor," any disappearance or mysterious death within the Imperial Army could possibly be attributed to Vader, even when he had no hand in the events.
In a study published in the journal Psychiatry Research, French psychologists and psychiatrists determined that Darth Vader had six of the nine criteria used for a BPD diagnosis, as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM):
Darth Vader's nicest moment may not be anything over the top or heroic, but when his life is coming to an end, Darth Vader decides he wants to see his son with his own eyes.
This might seem unexpected but it's worth noting that there are a couple of things that factor into Obi-Wan's inability to effectively stand his ground. Firstly, he hasn't fought in years. In order to hide from the Empire, he needed to keep a low profile. This means that he's not in his best fighting form.
He can split the earth with the palm of his hand. While he may not be as agile as Maul, but Darth Vader's strength in the dark side makes him an unstoppable force. And it's not just physical power that makes this Sith so sinister. Vader's rage and anger fuel him.
Moments later, Vader confronts him, and they engage in a lightsaber duel. Obi-Wan uses the duel to distract Vader as Luke, Leia, Han, and Chewbacca escape to the Falcon. Obi-Wan allows Vader to strike him down, and his body mysteriously vanishes the moment he dies.
Darth Vader would say that he killed Anakin Skywalker, implying that the other does not know that Vader and Anakin are the same person. Metaphorically, he did kill Anakin.
Although the decision to turn to the Dark Side was Anakin's alone, the choice did not come from thin air. His natural prone to impulsivity and emotion without the support systems he needed in place made it easier for Anakin to stumble down a path of darkness.
While Vader had his weaknesses, including vulnerability to electricity, characters like Emperor Palpatine, Mace Windu, Yoda, and Obi-Wan Kenobi all had the potential to defeat him in battle.
The very notion that Darth Vader would hold onto his respect for Tarkin shows that all of Anakin Skywalker's memories have not gone to the wayside as a result of his turn to the dark side.
