20th Century Fox
Bob Anderson donned Darth Vader's costume for the most memorable lightsaber battle of the film franchise.
By Ree Hines
When "Star Wars" fans think of the men who brought Darth Vader to the big screen, they typically recall David Prowse, who provided Vader's imposing presence in most scenes, or actor James Earl Jones, who gave the character his signature sound. But Prowse and Jones weren't the only men behind Vader.
Olympic swordsman Bob Anderson also filled Vader's black boots, and while his name isn't synonymous with the baddie, he was an all-important part of some of the most memorable Vader scenes in the history of the film franchise.
On Sunday, Jan. 1, the British Academy of Fencing announced that Anderson, the man who wielded Darth Vader's lightsaber in the original "Star Wars" trilogy, died in the early hours of New Year's Day.
"He was truly one of our greatest fencing masters and a world-class film fight director and choreographer and both the fencing community and film world will miss him," a statement on the organizations website read.
It was Anderson-as-Vader who struck down Obi-Wan Kenobi in the first "Star Wars" film in 1977, although it was years later before that information became readily available courtesy of Luke Skywalker actor Mark Hamill.
"It was always supposed to be a secret, but I finally told George (Lucas) I didn't think it was fair anymore," Hamill told Starlog magazine in 1983. "Bob worked so bloody hard that he deserves some recognition. It's ridiculous to preserve the myth that it's all done by one man."
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