In all of pop culture, there are few icons that loom as large as Darth Vader. The slave child from Tatooine who was destined to bring balance to The Force, Darth Vader lived a life that is equal parts tragic and reprehensible. As Emperor Palpatine's right hand, Vader was responsible for the deaths of countless people— even taking part in the destruction of a planet and carrying out the massacre of children at the Jedi Temple.
To put it bluntly, Darth Vader was a dark figure who wasn't close to many people. His rage led the fallen Jedi down a path of isolation and fear, forever trapped inside a shell that kept him from truly connecting to others while his place in the Empire left him unable to truly connect to others. But none of this kept the Sith Lord from finding a handful of people he could respect, even if he hated some of them.
10 Obi-Wan Kenobi Was Like Family
A man Darth Vader once called "Master," Obi-Wan Kenobi was the closest thing the man once known as Anakin Skywalker had to family for most of his life. As a child, Anakin was taken from his mother to train with the Jedi, and it was under the watch of Obi-Wan that Anakin grew into a man. In a way, Obi-Wan and Anakin were like orphaned brothers, both of them left parentless after the death of Qui-Gon Jinn.
As he turned to the Dark Side and became Darth Vader, Anakin came to hate Obi-Wan, but never stopped respecting him. In the end, it was Vader who would take Obi-Wan's life, but it was Obi-Wan who would set up the path for Anakin to be redeemed.
9 Ahsoka Tano Was Like A Sister To Him
If Anakin and Obi-Wan were like brothers, Ahsoka Tano was their little sister. Introduced in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series, Ahsoka trained under Anakin and, in some ways, had a similar path in her life. Like Anakin, Ahsoka became disillusioned in the Jedi Order and walked away from her training. Unlike Anakin, Ahsoka didn't turn to the Dark Side but instead chose to set her own path.
After Anakin became Darth Vader he and Ahsoka would cross paths a number of times. And while they found themselves on opposite sides of a brewing war, there was no question that Vader still had great respect for his former protégé.
8 The Emperor Tricked Him Into Respect
As far as bosses go, Emperor Palpatine is a pretty terrible one. He used Anakin's fears and doubt to bring the young Jedi into the Dark Side and then made Anakin do some really horrific things, including murdering children. But none of that would have been possible if Anakin didn't respect Palpatine to begin with.
It was under Palpatine's watch that Anakin became Darth Vader, and it would take years for Vader to see that he was only being used by the man he once believed would help him— but by then Vader was so far down the well he couldn't see a way out.
7 Luke Skywalker Proved Himself To His Father
It's unclear when Darth Vader learned that Luke Skywalker was his son, but one thing that is clear: When Vader goes from wanting his son to join him in the Dark Side to defeating the Emperor, to when he comes to respect his son.
That moment happens towards the end of Return of the Jedi when Luke, having defeated Vader in combat, chooses not to kill him. For the first time in all his life, Darth Vader sees a Jedi act the way he was always told Jedis should act, and seeing his son become the ideal of what the Jedi Order claimed to be made Vader not only love his child, but greatly respect him.
6 Boba Fett Had A Great Work Ethic
There are people to be respected on a personal level and people to be respected on a business level, and when it comes to Darth Vader and Boba Fett, the respect is all business. Boba Fett is one of the greatest bounty hunters in the Star Wars galaxy, and from the moment fans first see Fett and Vader together it is obvious they have worked together before.
After all, Vader knows that Fett has a tendency to disintegrate his marks. To Vader, Boba Fett is a good businessman who knows how to get the job done and how to follow orders, and he respects the Mandalorian clone's work ethic.
5 Dr. Aphra Could Keep A Secret — Until She Couldn't
Recruited by Darth Vader after the Battle of Yavin, the archaeologist Doctor Chelli Lona Aphra was tasked with a number of missions by the Sith Lord to build up his own army to take on the Emperor. There were few people Vader would trust with information that, if it got out, would certainly lead to his death, but Dr. Aphra was one of them.
In time Dr. Aphra and Vader fell out, their working relationship ending with Aphra telling the Emperor that she had been working for Vader and Vader trying to kill her. Still, Vader held the good Doctor in high regard and took no pleasure in his attempt to end her life.
4 Grand Moff Tarkin Was Good At His Job — Until He Wasn't
Much like Boba Fett, Darth Vader has a working respect with Grand Moff Tarkin. Vader isn't happy that he has to take orders from the Grand Moff— he's the Emperor's right hand after all.
Still, Vader can't deny that Grand Moff Tarken has the military experience and knowledge to be in charge of the Empire's most vital weapon, the Death Star. Unfortunately for Grand Moff Tarken, it was his hubris that would lead to his death and the destruction of the Death Star, at which point Darth Vader probably stopped respecting him.
3 Erv Lekauf Was Always Loyal
While Erv Lekauf may not exist anymore— he was soley part of the Expanded Universe/Legends continuity that was wiped away when Disney bought Lucasfilm— there is no doubt that Darth Vader respected Lekauf while he existed.
A lieutenant in the Imperial Army, Lekauf served as Vader's personal assistant for years and proved himself so invaluable that Vader had six clones of Lekauf created. These clones were trained by Lekauf and proved themselves to be just as capable as their father. During a battle, Lekauf put himself in the path of a fireball that was meant for Vader. Lekauf survived his horrific burns, but retired from his post and chose to live the rest of his days raising his grandson.
2 Grand Admiral Thrawn Had No Fear
While Darth Vader and Grand Admiral Thrawn only crossed paths a handful of times, the two men had great respect for one another. Unlike the other high-ranking officers in the Imperial Army, Thrawn never showed any fear of Vader, and Vader respected him for that.
On the other side, Vader respected Thrawn's skills as an Admiral. Coming from the Chiss Ascendancy in the unknown regions of the galaxy, Thrawn had a style all his own, one that set him apart from the other officers and continuously got results. Perhaps if Thrawn and Vader had worked together more often, the Rebel Alliance would never have gotten off the ground.
1 Princess Leia Stood Her Ground
Unlike with Luke, viewers learn when Darth Vader came to know that Princess Leia Organa was his daughter in the moment it actually happens in Return of the Jedi. What is also clear is that while Vader doesn't like Leia all that much, he has a clear respect for her courage.
When they first meet in A New Hope, Vader is introduced to a young woman who, when captured and tortured by the Empire, refuses to give them the information they want. Leia is steadfast in her beliefs and refuses to give in to the Empire, and while that causes a lot of problems for Darth Vader, he can't help but be impressed by her fortitude.