Difference between Darth Vader and Dick Cheney
The Star Wars character Darth Vader and the politician Dick Cheney have been compared by many different people, from comedians and the media, to Hilary Clinton and even the former Vice President himself. Both Darth Vader and Dick Cheney have been seen as dark and manipulative characters, controlling those around them through secrets and fear.
General Personality and Demeanor
Darth Vader is the tall, dark, masked and cloaked villain of the Star Wars films. He is a cyborg. Cheney and Darth Vader share a number of important characteristics. When unmasked at the end of Episode VI, Darth Vader reveals himself to be an older, balding man not unlike Cheney. Cheney too has suffered from serious health problems, although without the same dramatic volcanic causes as led to Darth Vader's dependence on cyborg technology. Both Cheney and Darth Vader have been seen as cold and calculating individuals, wielding a strong influence on those around them.
The Dark Side
Darth Vader was a key character in the Star Wars films. As a young man, Anakin Skywalker, he fathered two of the film's main characters, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia, but he later turned to the dark side, becoming Darth Vader. Darth Vader plays a key role in the Empire's evil plans and in their fight with the rebels. In Episode VI of the Star Wars series, Darth Vader achieves redemption by sacrificing himself to save his son, Luke, thereby leading to the defeat of the Empire.
Cheney has been considered one of the most influential Vice Presidents in American history. Like Darth Vader, he has been a key figure in controlling the policies of his administration. He is seen as a shrewd politician and he is known for having taken a very active role in the administration. Cheney played an important role in the War on Terror and he was characterized as a dark, secretive and powerful force in the White House. Following his election as Vice President, opinion polls initially showed Cheney in a favorable light, but his popularity declined significantly during and after his two terms in office. Cheney achieved no such redemption at the end of his service as Vice President as Darth Vader did when he saved Luke.
George Lucas
George Lucas, the creator of the Star Wars franchise weighed into the debate about the similarities between his villain, Darth Vader, and the US Vice President Dick Cheney. Cheney, according to Lucas, is not like Darth Vader at all. Lucas suggests that it is the former President, George W Bush, who is like Darth Vader: a young man from a desert planet who started out full of promise, but who was corrupted by the dark side. Cheney is the emperor, the true evil who stands behind Darth Vader, pulling all of the strings.
Similarities and Differences
The characterization of Dick Cheney as Darth Vader is a popular one, particularly among his opponents. Dick Cheney shares a number of key characteristics with the Star Wars villain, although if Dick Cheney is Darth Vader, that makes American the evil Galactic Empire, Al Qaeda the rebels attacking it with violence and Iraq the planet Alderaan, the home of Princess Leia, destroyed by the Death Star as a proof of the Empire's power despite Leia's protests that her planet had no weapons.
- Cheney and Darth Vader are both seen as cold, grim, secretive personalities.
- Both Cheney and Darth Vader played very influential roles in promoting repressive policies and in determining wartime policies.
- Star Wars creator, George Lucas, thinks Cheney is more like the Emperor than Darth Vader.
