Movies that are full-on comedic parodies of popular franchises are few and far between -- and well-made ones even more so. Yet, the 1987 comedy Spaceballs does a great job of parodying the original Star Wars trilogy, all while having its own identity. While the movie definitely doesn't take things seriously, Spaceballs shows a surprisingly accurate portrayal of Darth Vader, in that his true place in the Empire is really not as powerful as people believe.
With a plot that sounds rather familiar, a pilot called Lone Starr and his trusty sidekick must rescue a princess from the clutches of the evil Dark Helmet. With characters who each resemble key roles in Star Wars and Star Trek, Spaceballs has no subtly with its spoofs. Yet, when it comes to Dark Helmet, the Darth Vader parody played by Rick Moranis, there's a lot that the characters share in their status.
In Star Wars: A New Hope, Darth Vader only had a total of nine minutes of screen time. Despite this, he went on to become a pop culture icon and one of the most iconic movie villains ever put to screen. Vader has an incredible screen presence during his scenes and represents the true evil and power of the Empire. However, with the full original trilogy and everything that's come after, it's been shown that Vader is really just the Emperor's dog, used to scare people and enforce commands.
Much like in Spaceballs, the true power in the galaxy comes from the political side of things. And like Dark Helmet's role, Vader has no interest in politics and is simply ordered to do whatever job his leaders command. This is best highlighted by Dark Helmet's outfit, especially the tie built into his suit. Although he tries giving off an intimidating presence as a villain; underneath, he is just a man just working his "day job."
When Anakin was turned into Darth Vader in Star Wars, he did so with the promise of becoming more powerful and working alongside Palpatine. While this may have been the original plan, Vader was bested by Obi-Wan on the volcanic planet of Mustafar, and from then on, Palpatine always looked down on him. Anakin was no longer the all-powerful Force wielder he had hoped for. So, he placed Anakin into the Darth Vader suit to use him as a tool to help further his power.
With little respect from those above him, the only way Darth Vader held respect from others was through fear, and again, this is reflected in Spaceballs. For the climatic ending, the evil Spaceballs ship is set to self-destruct. In response, all the crew abandons Dark Helmet in escape pods, leaving him for dead and showing that they never really cared for him at all. The same could be said for the ending of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, as Luke carries Vader through the collapsing Death Star, and no one around even bats an eye.
While Darth Vader may not be the fearsome and powerful villain many believe him to be, he still holds the title as one of the most interesting movie villains with just how tragic his arc and redemption really are.