During the events of Star Wars: Force Unleashed, Darth Vader betrays Starkiller not once, but twice.
On both occasions Darth Vader attempted to kill Starkiller, once by backstabbing him in Star Wars: Force Unleashed and again by throwing him from a cliff in the same game.
However, the reasons for Darth Vader’s betrayal are often left in obscurity, with the series itself only focusing on the strategic reasoning behind these events.
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Who Is Starkiller?
Starkiller, also known as Galen Marek, was a force-sensitive human male taken on by the Sith Lord Darth Vader as his secret apprentice and personal assassin after the death of his father, Kento Marek, at the hands of Vader.
As the son of two Jedi Knights, Starkiller had a strong attachment with the force from a very early age, demonstrated through his ability to pull the lightsaber from Darth Vader’s hands on Kashyyyk.
You can find out more about Starkiller here.
Starkiller became a significant asset to Darth Vader in his quest to assassinate Darth Sidious, growing to become a vital part to his plan throughout the games. So, why would he try to kill him?
Here is the main reason why Darth Vader betrayed Starkiller.
Why Did Darth Vader Betray Starkiller?
The most common reason Darth Vader is believed to have betrayed Starkiller is to fulfil his plan of dethroning the Emperor.
Following on from the events of Star Wars: Revenge Of The Sith, Darth Vader was furious with Darth Sidious, blaming him for the death of his beloved Padmé and the injuries sustained at the hands of his mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Darth Vader saw Starkiller as a way of eliminating the Emperor, getting both the revenge and the power he so deeply desired to wield. However, failure of this plan could result in losing everything, so Darth Vader needed a contingency plan in the event of Starkiller’s discovery or failure.
You can find out more about why Vader was so feared here.
The first betrayal in Star Wars: Force Unleashed masked Darth Vader’s discontent for his master, demonstrating his dedication and loyalty to Darth Sidious by seemingly killing his long-time project Starkiller.
The second betrayal solidified this loyalty to Darth Sidious, with the exposure of the Alliance and enemies of the Empire such as Bail Organa, Leia Organa and Rahm Kota. By shifting the focus towards the enemies of the Empire, Darth Vader further hid his grand plan to undermine Darth Sidious, and once again made Starkiller seem dead.
The biggest reason for Darth Vader to want to betray Starkiller was to mask his own betrayal of Darth Sidious. By continuously exposing plots and threats to the Empire, his own plot was hidden.
Furthermore, the betrayal and perceived deaths of Starkiller only aided Darth Vader’s cover of his plot, helping to make his loyalty more believable.
This would make Starkiller’s betrayal necessary for Darth Vader’s success. However, this does not necessarily mean that Darth Vader did not care for Starkiller.
Did Darth Vader Care About Starkiller?
Darth Vader would inevitably become attached to Starkiller. Spending a lifetime training Starkiller as his apprentice bonded the two together with various common factors; a strong darkside attachment, a loss of parents and unheard of Force ability paved the path for both characters to become entwined with the Empire.
Starkiller was also noted to be rather overpowered when compared to other Jedi and Sith, and you can find out the reasons why he was so strong here.
He may have had genuine pride in Starkiller, as the things that he was tasked with doing (killing Jedi and Imperial enemies) were things Darth Vader himself would have liked. He may have seen Galen Marek as the son he lost, or the Jedi that he could have been.
Once Starkiller sacrificed himself for the rebellion like a true Jedi, Darth Vader would have known that he had overcome the dark side of the force, something he had never been able to do himself.
He even seems disappointed at the death of Starkiller in Star Wars: Force Unleashed, be that due to the failure of his project or the loss of an apprentice.
However, Darth Vader also cared for loyalty, even more than the Sith itself. From Darth Vader’s adoption of Starkiller, to his care and training, loyalty was the one thing that was provided to him unwaveringly.
Darth Vader was pleased with Starkiller’s performances and progress, but felt that his apprentice remained unfocused and easily distracted. By drawing Kota’s lightsaber on him in Star Wars: Force Unleashed, he illustrated his point that Starkiller needed more focus.
The fact that Darth Vader was so attached to Starkiller yet still capable of betraying him highlights the depth of Anakin’s fall from the light side and helps to show Starkiller’s heroism in defying his master.
Conclusion
Darth Vader betrayed Starkiller to attempt to undermine Darth Sidious and lead the Empire. On his quest for ultimate power, he was willing to destroy his project to cover his own betrayal, even using Starkiller as a tool to aid his venture for power.
Using his strong bonds to Starkiller, Darth Vader manipulated and controlled Starkiller to do his bidding, until he was able to betray him as a false act of loyalty to the Emperor.
In the end, Starkiller managed to kill Vader at the end of The Force Unleashed I, and you can find out more about that here.
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