Considered one of the most iconic villains of all time, Darth Vader ruined and decimated countless lives, spawned a reign of terror and destroyed a planet or two. But many seem to forget that while he was off menacing a galaxy, he had two children that he was unknowingly neglecting to support.
As fans of the original Star Wars trilogy already know, Vader’s twin children, Luke and Leia, were born in secret and separated after their mother died during childbirth. The twins grew up never knowing their true heritage and were hidden from the evil Sith Lord for the duration of their childhood.
So, does Vader’s ignorance of being a father clear him of any wrong doing in this one instance? Here are three reasons why Darth Vader doesn’t owe his kids anything, besides, you know, not being such a jerk.
1. There was no court or child support agency order given.
Child support is financial contribution one parent makes to another for the support of their children and may be ordered when the parents are separated. However, no order was ever given in this case and, if it were, it probably wouldn’t have gone well.
2. Luke and Leia were over the age of 18 when Darth Vader learned the truth.
Child support is payable until the child reaches the age of 18, or until he or she graduates from high school, whichever is later. For children born out of wedlock, the same rules apply. However, Vader didn’t know Luke was his son until the Emperor told him in The Empire Strikes Back. Also, Darth Vader didn’t know about Leia until he and Luke had their final battle in Return of the Jedi. Both Luke and Leia were adults by this time, making any new hope of retroactive payment as murky as the swamps in Dagobah.
3. Capturing Vader’s monetary support would be impossible to calculate and enforce.
As one blogger puts it, “He ain’t hourly, he ain’t salary, he’s equity.” Lord Vader seemed to operate independently of the Empire with limitless, untraceable credit and currency. Child support payments are usually withheld from a payor’s paycheck or bank account. However, Vader acted as the Emperor’s envoy and operated under diplomatic immunity, which made him above the law (at least the laws of our land in a galaxy far, far away).
Despite all the family drama, it was good to see that, in the end, Vader admitted that there was still good in him. He did his best to set things right, the Dark Side was defeated and, now, he can hang out with Yoda and Obi-Wan any time he wants. Lucky.
The information contained in this article is general and should not be applied to specific legal problems without first consulting an attorney.