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Suppose Darth Vader somehow survived the events of ROTJ. The crippled (former) Sith lord is then put on trial for his crimes.

If you were the judge how would you try and punish him ? Or should he be pardoned and be spared ? Explain your reasons.

My feeling is Vader is the one most responsible for the pain he brought on himself, his loved ones and the galaxy. It is true he suffered greatly but it must also be remembered that he brought death and suffering to many many people including his best friends and his wife. His life was a tragedy but that does not give him the right to turn other's lives into miserable hell. So despite my sympathy for him I feel he is guilty.

However executing the now reformed Vader wont bring back the people he killed or undo his crimes. He may deserve a second chance as a true lightside Jedi. The image alone may be well worth it for the NR. Also his knowledge of the Force is vast, he could aid greatly in rebuilding a new Jedi order. So for political convenience it might be worthwhile to let Vader live and try to sell him off as a hero.

Fake execution.

He's responsibles for millions prehaps even billions of people's deaths. Because he "went good" at the last part does not excuse his actions.
Dark side or not, line him up aginst the nearest wall and have him shot and #%#% Luke if he thinks anything diffrent is going to happen.

He's useful, especially in rebuilding the Jedi Order and helping take down the Empire (or assimilate it). Have a mock execution for the public's sake, but keep him alive and hand him an important, yet clandestine, role in the Rebellion.

I don't think Vader's last minute change of heart would satisfy anyone beyond Luke. There would certainly be a trial of epic proportions...after all, Vader's the hightest ranking surviving member of the Galactic Empire as well as being a mass murderer and a symbol of terror for the past two decades. Any confessions of guilt on his part might earn him a life sentence in the most secure prison facilities the New Repubic could find.

I repeat: Vader's useful, and if he wants to help Luke and the Rebellion take down the rest of the Empire, then by god he should be used like a hooker with a heart of gold!

BTW does killing a Jedi leave a mark (in the Force) to a place, if so Vader should be locked into the Jedi Temple.

Shroom Man 777 wrote:I repeat: Vader's useful, and if he wants to help Luke and the Rebellion take down the rest of the Empire, then by god he should be used like a hooker with a heart of gold!

And I'll repeat that he's a mass murderer who has betrayed the Republic before. No one in their right mind would trust him. Sure he killed the Emperor, but people would perceive that he took the opportunity when it presented itself because he wanted to grab power for himself. Non force-using people aren't going to be able to look into his heart and see that he's sincere...they're going to see a back-stabbing opportunist who will do whatever it takes to keep himself on top.

At the very best, Vader might be offered, as part of a plea bargain, a chance to give away key intelligence about the Empire's remaining forces, base locations, etc. But he'd still be in prison for life. I just don't see anyone allowing him to run around to help the Republic....he's not capable of sublety anyways so it would only be a matter of time before someone spotted him working for the Republic's leadership and there'd be a huge stink.

Asertain his crimes, and deal with him in a court of law like any other suspect and sentance appropriatly. After all, if Hitler didnt top himself and said sorry for his crimes, would he have been let go?

Stuart Mackey wrote:Asertain his crimes, and deal with him in a court of law like any other suspect and sentance appropriatly. After all, if Hitler didnt top himself and said sorry for his crimes, would he have been let go?

I agree with giving Vader a fair trial, however before you can do that the Rebellion would need to establish a court system so that a fair trial is possible. Until that time Vader should be used as to best help the rebellion

bilateralrope wrote:

Stuart Mackey wrote:Asertain his crimes, and deal with him in a court of law like any other suspect and sentance appropriatly. After all, if Hitler didnt top himself and said sorry for his crimes, would he have been let go?

I agree with giving Vader a fair trial, however before you can do that the Rebellion would need to establish a court system so that a fair trial is possible. Until that time Vader should be used as to best help the rebellion

He'd probably be kept in military custody, locked up very securely, until the New Republic could establish a court system. He could be plenty of help just by providing intelligence.

bilateralrope wrote:

Stuart Mackey wrote:Asertain his crimes, and deal with him in a court of law like any other suspect and sentance appropriatly. After all, if Hitler didnt top himself and said sorry for his crimes, would he have been let go?

I agree with giving Vader a fair trial, however before you can do that the Rebellion would need to establish a court system so that a fair trial is possible. Until that time Vader should be used as to best help the rebellion

Why? he should be treated as any other person suspected of criminal activities. And why would the rebels not have a juditial system? They have a millitary and civillian arm.

Sure, morally he should be tried and sent to the disintegration squad. But, if you ask me, he's useful and should be used. This isn't a time for peacenik fluffly lovey dovey moral stuff, it's a time for war, shadowy bad stuff, cloak and dagger things, amorality, and doing everything and anything you can to win. And that involves using Vader as a resource.

I might point out that the galaxy got over Kyp Durron's handiwork with the Suncrusher because Luke had said he had repented. Of course, he had become a huge hero by then.

Ford Prefect wrote:I might point out that the galaxy got over Kyp Durron's handiwork with the Suncrusher because Luke had said he had repented. Of course, he had become a huge hero by then.

yep, but Kyp wasn't know to have personally killed younglings in cold blood (Vader on other did do that (and Bail Organa knew about this so likely that the rest of the leaders of the Rebellion knew as well)) what Kyp did was while brutal also impersonal (he only saw personally only one person being killed by the Suncrusher(his Brother))

Well, I see rather obvious parallels with Revan and Kyp Durron here. I would say that the Jedi will forgive him and the rest doesn't matter because the galaxy let the Jedi handle their own. Be they Sith, Jedi, ancient times or NJO. No trial.

But if I were to judge him... hmm... actually, I think I would do the same. It doesn't help anyone by killling him, quite the opposite in fact. Luke and Co wouldn't take it kindly, Anakin can help out the NR vastly in many ways, and the public already had the DS blown up and so on, they don't need a political scapegoat. Is it right? Yes. Is it justice? Maybe not.

nightmare wrote:Well, I see rather obvious parallels with Revan and Kyp Durron here. I would say that the Jedi will forgive him and the rest doesn't matter because the galaxy let the Jedi handle their own. Be they Sith, Jedi, ancient times or NJO. No trial.

while Kyp did survive with out punishment, Revan did not (his memory was altered, so he was for all intents and purposes a different person after that).

Lord Revan wrote:while Kyp did survive with out punishment, Revan did not (his memory was altered, so he was for all intents and purposes a different person after that).

Was he? Or was Kreia right? The true Revan came back instead after stripping off the shell? Also don't forget that the Jedi never considered it a punishment, but a second chance. If you listened to Bastila's lectures, you would know that. The Jedi Masters confirmed this indirectly as well.

The Shadow wrote:Suppose Darth Vader somehow survived the events of ROTJ. The crippled (former) Sith lord is then put on trial for his crimes.

If you were the judge how would you try and punish him ? Or should he be pardoned and be spared ? Explain your reasons.

The New Republic's policy, IIRC, is to accept any defectors, regardless of their previous crimes, as long as they worked. It'd be amusing to see if they can hold onto this policy with Vader

nightmare wrote:Well, I see rather obvious parallels with Revan and Kyp Durron here. I would say that the Jedi will forgive him and the rest doesn't matter because the galaxy let the Jedi handle their own. Be they Sith, Jedi, ancient times or NJO. No trial.

But if I were to judge him... hmm... actually, I think I would do the same. It doesn't help anyone by killling him, quite the opposite in fact. Luke and Co wouldn't take it kindly, Anakin can help out the NR vastly in many ways, and the public already had the DS blown up and so on, they don't need a political scapegoat. Is it right? Yes. Is it justice? Maybe not.

Isn't Luke the only remaining Jedi by the end of ROTJ? And wouldn't it be pretty hard for a new Jedi order to gain any sort of acceptance if he goes and embraces the man who had destroyed the Jedi order to begin with?

Kenoshi wrote:Isn't Luke the only remaining Jedi by the end of ROTJ? And wouldn't it be pretty hard for a new Jedi order to gain any sort of acceptance if he goes and embraces the man who had destroyed the Jedi order to begin with?

In movie canon at least, and he's the one building the new order. I don't think the public should (would?) ever get to know about Vader still being alive. But point in case - the infinities features a redeemed Darth Vader in white armor. Yeah, the infinities are not part of the canon as far as the storylines goes, but I think it shows very well what would happen, like it or not. Sure, not everyone who knows would approve, but clearly, officially it doesn't matter what they think. Jedi still have their own rules.

A military tribunal should be held, Vadar tried and convicted. If he remained helpful and useful perhaps a limited pardon would be offered or exile on a inhospitible planet.

It could be argued that Vader and Anakin really were different people,
simply present Anakin to the public in a modified (cosmetically) armour and say that he was captured by the emperor and has returned after being freed by Luke. (Technically true enough )

To the public: The Emperor's cyberknitic implants were controlling Lord Vader. As such, the man responsible for his crimes is the Emperor, Vader is pardoned.

Private: Okay Anakin, Jedi Master and former Sith Lord, if you so much as screw up, I don't care who's father you are.
Now then, we need intelliegence, start talking.

I wonder if Vader is indeed sentenced to an execution against his will what would Luke do ? Would he attack the Rebellion he fought for to free his father ?