The following contains spoilers for Star Wars: Darth Vader Black, White & Red #2, now available from Marvel Comics.

The legendary Darth Vader is often depicted as a cold-hearted killing machine who has long given up any notion of compassion since his fall to the Dark Side. He is supposed to be a far cry from his past life as the jovial Anakin Skywalker. However, a short story in Star Wars: Darth Vader Black, White & Red #2 revealed an often unseen side of the Dark Lord of the Sith.

While much of his past heroic nature was lost after Anakin Skywalker was transformed into Darth Vader some of the noble traits instilled into him by the Jedi Order has not been fully extinguished. In a small moment of compassion, Darth Vader revealed that he still feels a sense of comradery for his loyal troopers in the 501st Legion. This is a sentiment he had managed to hold on to from his time as a Jedi General during the legendary Clone Wars.

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Darth Vader Promised To Avenge His Fallen Stormtrooper Squad

Unmasked Darth Vader talking to a stormtrooper sergeant in Darth Vader Black, White & Red #2

During the short story titled 'The Endless Mercy' (by David Pepose and Alessandro Vitti), Darth Vader and a squad of 501st Stormtroopers were sent to investigate an abandoned ship --also known as the Endless Mercy-- which was carrying illegal Kaminoan cloning technology. However, almost as soon as they arrived, the Imperial task force was attacked by mutated Z'Rakkon beasts. This caused both Vader and the Stormtroopers to be incapacitated and imprisoned in organic material for the Z'Rakkons to feed on.

As Vader attempted to escape, he had a brief conversation with a mortally wounded Stormtrooper Sergeant who claimed he would "gladly die for the Empire", but not at the hands of the beasts. In an odd moment of compassion, Darth Vader makes a solemn vow to the Sergeant that both him and his men would be avenged. This moment was particularly out of character for Darth Vader as Sith Lords traditionally forgo any displays of compassion. Thus, his decision to make a promise to the Stormtrooper, especially when he did not have to, was particularly vexing and out of character for a member of the Sith Order.

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Anakin Skywalker Always Cared For His Soldiers

Anakin and Rex cropped together to be side to side

But while it was out of character for a traditional Sith Lord, Vader's past as Anakin Skywalker showed that his compassion towards the soldiers he led was a major part of his character. During the 2008 Star Wars: the Clone Wars television series, Anakin proved time and time again that he was always putting the lives of his men before his own. This was something that became particularly apparent when during the famous 'Umbara Arc' in Season Five, wherein his selfless leadership of the 501st Legion was radically juxtaposed by the far more sociopathic General Pong Krell. While Darth Vader has grown to become far less compassionate and far more brutal, he still seems to have a sense of respect for his soldiers. This is not just present in Star Wars: Darth Vader Black, White & Red #2.

Throughout Jason Aaron's 2015 Star Wars comic series, the Dark Lord showed great respect for Stormtrooper Agent Kreel and his SCAR Squadron. Even after the elite squadron failed to capture Luke Skywalker in Star Wars #25 (by Jason Aaron, Chris Eliopoulos, Jorge Molina and Matthew Milla), Darth Vader was lenient in their punishment. Perplexingly, this does not mirror his treatment of Admiral Ozzel and Captain Needa after they failed in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, wherein he ended their lives with his iconic Force Choke ability. As someone who has often had to fight on the front lines himself, this may also indicate that Darth Vader is purposefully far more lenient on his Stormtroopers when compared to Imperial Officers. But regardless of how Darth Vader tries to rationalize his treatment of his soldiers, he has always had compassion buried deep inside of him.