Warning: spoilers for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story are ahead!
Even though Darth Vader only had a few minutes of screen time in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, he once again proved why he's one of the best villains in cinematic history. Sure it was great to see him back in classic form when he loomed over Orson Krennic, but his best moment (some might say the movie's best moment) came at the very end, when he ignited his lightsaber and cut down a group of unfortunate Rebel soldiers. Lucasfilm hasn't released that clip online (and may never do so), but one fan has taken it upon himself to recreate that powerful and gut-wrenching scene in LEGO form.
Recreating trailers or famous movie moments with LEGO bricks and figures is nothing new, but YouTuber Lego Man went a step beyond in his creation of Darth Vader's savagery at the end of Rogue One. The beginning of the video shows Vader's shuttle and TIE Bomber escorts traveling to intercept that Rebel cruiser, and they're all actually made to look like they're constructed from LEGOs. Then the traditional stop motion acton kicks off, with the familiar-garbed Rebel soldiers downloading the Death Star plans and desperately trying to escape onto the Tantive IV. Unfortunately, they're too late, as Vader makes it aboard, and the door leading to Princess Leia's ship won't open. Within a minute, Vader has eliminated everyone within that passage, by either slashing them with his lightsaber, Force choking them or deflecting blaster bolts back at them.
Even with all the players being little LEGO figures, this scene still has an unsettling vibe, and the only consolation is that just like in the actual movie, the Death Star plans make it aboard the Tantive IV, and Vader is forced to watch that animated ship fly away. No wonder he's so pissed off at the beginning of A New Hope! It would be great if Disney or Lucasfilm one day released an official version of this scene, but for now, this is a welcome and wonderfully-made substitute.
Since Imperial director Orson Krennic was Rogue One's main antagonist, Darth Vader effectively served as his shadowy superior. He was first seen at his castle on Mustafar meeting with Krennic about the Death Star, where he also warned Krennic choking on his aspirations. HA...pun. Then following the battle on Scarif, he showed up to rain hell in the scene described above. These moments, combined with James Earl Jones reprising Vader in Star Wars Rebels Season 2, serve as a great resurgence for the cyborg Sith Lord who hasn't seen any major in-canon action since the Original Trilogy (sorry, Revenge of the Sith).
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is playing in theaters all over, so if you can't wait until the movie is released on home media, head back to the big screen to re-experience Vader's epic moment.
