Kirk or Vader: Who's more famous?

Bob the Gunslinger · Post by **Bob the Gunslinger** » 2005-05-16 09:33pm

Both Captain Kirk and Darth Vader are US cultural icons, and they both are probably widely recognizable to foreign audiences as well, but which one is more well known?

Post by **The Wookiee** » 2005-05-16 09:34pm

Bob the Gunslinger wrote:Both Captain Kirk and Darth Vader are US cultural icons, and they both are probably widely recognizable to foreign audiences as well, but which one is more well known?

I'd give it to Vader. He's been featured in multiple commercials and is instantly recognizable.

McNum · Post by **McNum** » 2005-05-16 09:35pm

I'd say Vader, but not my that big a lead.

The thing with Vader is that he has the reputation of being the villain. That and the breathing. There's no sound more iconinc than that slow mechanical breathing.

Noble Ire · Post by **Noble Ire** » 2005-05-16 09:41pm

McNum wrote:I'd say Vader, but not my that big a lead.

The thing with Vader is that he has the reputation of being the villain. That and the breathing. There's no sound more iconinc than that slow mechanical breathing.

I agree, Villians are often more memorable than heroes. Also, worldwide, I would imagine that Star Wars has a wider range of exposure (movies can be seen in many more remote areas of the globe, whereas TV shows have a much narrower range.)

Solauren · Post by **Solauren** » 2005-05-17 12:17am

I'd have to say Lord Vader.

Kirk is visually a cookie-cutter american/caucasion. Sure, he's the hero, but visually, nothing big

Kirk is also cookie-cutter in voice and alot of other things. Including story 'hero' saves the day.

Lord Vader
Visually, he's easier to remember then Kirk
Audible he's easier to remember then Kirk

Hawkwings · Post by **Hawkwings** » 2005-05-17 01:34am

the breathing instantly gives it away. Plus, the helmet is very distinctive. And all black... lol

kirk... well... I wouldn't recognize him if he was in a large crowd

Eframepilot · Post by **Eframepilot** » 2005-05-17 03:13am

Spock is more recognizable than Kirk, but even he can't compete with Vader. The helmet and the voice are even more memorable than pointy ears.

El Moose Monstero · Post by **El Moose Monstero** » 2005-05-17 04:11am

Easily Darth Vader - put it down to whatever you like, but it's at least partly due to superior marketing for the Star Wars brand, as somebody complained in another thread, you can't move for star wars commercials about now, and it's not a cardboard cut out of Kirk staring out of my garden shed window and scaring the visitiors back home, it's a Vader - the fact that my dad could buy a cardboard Darth Vader and I have never seen a cardboard Kirk speaks for itself. Not that I'd buy a James Kirk. Ugh.

Darth Fanboy · Post by **Darth Fanboy** » 2005-05-17 04:45am

The black armor is recognizeable everywhere. You can't even recognize Kirk anymore since he quit wearing the girdle.

Ubiquitous · Post by **Ubiquitous** » 2005-05-17 04:51am

I'd say that Vader is more famous, but Kirk has been around for longer and thus is not as fresh in young peoples mind as Vader who is still in films today.

Although that said, its a testiment to both of their pulling power that they are BOTH on TV adverts here in the UK at the moment. As a matter of fact, I was watching Sky News before and there was an advert with Shatner in it immediately followed by Darth Vader in a Burger King advert!

Mange · Post by **Mange** » 2005-05-17 05:44am

Here in Sweden it's definitely Vader. Star Trek has never been big here in Sweden. The first time TOS aired here in the beginning of the '70s, the lack of interest made that only the first season was shown (Sweden only had two television back then). Of course, TOS and all the other Star Trek series (with the exception of Deep Space 9, only the first season was aired) has since been aired on both public service and commercial Swedish channels (with comparably low ratings).

Post by **RogueIce** » 2005-05-17 07:13am

Mange the Swede wrote:(Sweden only had two television back then)

I know you probably are referring to television stations, but I find this hilarious anyway.

RedImperator · Post by **RedImperator** » 2005-05-17 07:39am

I think more people would recognize Vader (it's hard not to), and actually know something about him (at any rate, they know he's evil and works for the Empire). But don't underestimate Captain Kirk. With either of these two, you can walk into a room full of random people, and throw in a reference to either one, and they'll all get it. Ditto a few other elements from Star Trek--everybody knows that "warp speed" is really fast, for example, even if they don't know where it comes from.

Mange · Post by **Mange** » 2005-05-17 07:45am

RogueIce wrote:
Mange the Swede wrote:(Sweden only had two television back then)
I know you probably are referring to television stations, but I find this hilarious anyway.

Yes, that was indeed hilarious (even if it was unintended)! No, naturally I meant "two television stations".

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2005-05-17 10:47am

Show a little boy the black mask with the mechanical breathing, and he will immediately say "Darth Vader!"

Show him William Shatner, either young or old, and most kids will say "who's that?"

Post by **Vympel** » 2005-05-17 10:53am

Darth Wong wrote:Show a little boy the black mask with the mechanical breathing, and he will immediately say "Darth Vader!"

Or Dark Vader. That used to really piss me off when I was a kid. I'd get in blazing rows with other kids in the playground who didn't know Star Wars for shit and saw fit to lecture me on his fucking name. Ah ... memories.

Bounty · Post by **Bounty** » 2005-05-17 11:03am

Vader. His appearance is more distinctive, he has more gimmicks (the deep voice, the breathing, the mask, the choke-people-to-death-for-little-reason-ing) and he's been in more parodies and commercials then Kirk could even dream of (the character Kirk, mind, not Shatner)

DaveJB · Post by **DaveJB** » 2005-05-17 11:14am

Google gives the following results when you search for the following:

Darth Vader = 2.01m matches

Captain Kirk = 251k matches

James T. Kirk = 124k matches

neoolong · Post by **neoolong** » 2005-05-17 11:39am

Darth Wong wrote:Show him William Shatner, either young or old, and most kids will say "who's that?"

That's just silly. They'll just say it's that guy from the Priceline commercials. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

Crown · Post by **Crown** » 2005-05-17 11:57am

Vympel wrote:
Darth Wong wrote:Show a little boy the black mask with the mechanical breathing, and he will immediately say "Darth Vader!"
Or Dark Vader. That used to really piss me off when I was a kid. I'd get in blazing rows with other kids in the playground who didn't know Star Wars for shit and saw fit to lecture me on his fucking name. Ah ... memories.

That rings a few bells for me too.

AniThyng · Post by **AniThyng** » 2005-05-17 01:02pm

I think Vader will take it - especially past a certain era where TOS is not mainstream TV programming.

Batman · Post by **Batman** » 2005-05-17 02:17pm

Vader by a landslide. The mask, the breathing, the voice-Vader is insta-recognizeable, whereas what Kirk is most famous for is a line he never actually said in the first place...

Tribun · Post by **Tribun** » 2005-05-17 06:09pm

Vader wins easily.
He was elected to one of THE villians in cinema history here in Germany. (I think here won rank 2 or 3), witnessing his popularity, and how well known he is.

Soory, but James T. can't compete with this.

Isolder74 · Post by **Isolder74** » 2005-05-17 08:08pm

Here is proof

AFI's 50 greatest villians!

AFI's 50 Greatest Heroes

Isolder74 · Post by **Isolder74** » 2005-05-17 10:22pm

BTW look who is the only villians on ther list to beat Vader!

1. DR. HANNIBAL LECTER (Anthony Hopkins) in THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (Orion, 1991)

2. NORMAN BATES (Anthony Perkins) in PSYCHO (Paramount, 1960)

3. DARTH VADER (David Prowse/James Earl Jones) in THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (20th Century Fox, 1980)

StarDestroyer.Net BBS

Kirk or Vader: Who's more famous?

Kirk or Vader: Who's more famous?

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