THE LIGHTNING: Exploring Darth Vader’s Origin In The Serial ‘The Fighting Devil Dogs’
Ever since the release of Star Wars in 1977, George Lucas routinely expressed his love for movie serials and their influence on his two major film series. Indiana Jones is influenced by many adventure and spy serials from the late-1930s and 1940s, and Star Wars is his answer to the Flash Gordon serials starring matinee idol Buster Crabbe. In fact, Lucas initially wanted to remake Flash Gordon but the rights were in the possession of producer Dino De Laurentus. Instead, he was forced to make his own space opera, but the influence of serials remained.
Lucas picked up ideas from a wide number of movie serials for Star Wars. But he wasn’t specific on every influence. If you watch movie serials, though, you can make some educated guesses on specific influences on Star Wars. For instance, it’s speculated that The Lightning, the supervillain from the 1938 serial The Fighting Devil Dogs influenced Darth Vader.
The Lightning was reportedly the first fully-costumed supervillain on film. His dastardly plan is to control the world with the power of electricity, which powers various exotic weapons under his control.
While no one has proved with any certainty that Vader is based on The Lightning, there are too many telltale signs to dismiss.
The Lightning wears an all-black uniform with a full-length black cloak, a black helmet, and black armored gloves just like Vader.
He also had a tendency to fold his arms like Vader.
Image: (Vader) Steven Miller/Flickr
And both characters have an army of minions dressed in all-white body armor and helmets.
They even have similar ships. Did the shape of The Lightning’s giant v-shaped ship influence the design of Vader’s Star Destroyer? It’s just another piece of speculation that fits. If only, Lucas would come out and list all the movie serials that influenced Star Wars, then we could be sure.
What we do know is that Lucas and conceptual artist Ralph McQuarrie added unique characteristics to Vader, including his iconic respirator. And the influence of the German Wehrmacht helmet and the samurai headdress can also be found in the design of Vader’s helmet. But the similarities with The Lightning are so many that it is unlikely to just be a coincidence.
