The new STAR WARS novel MASTERS OF EVIL revisits the birth of Darth Vader’s red lightsaber

The rise of Darth Vader has been told many ways in Star Wars canon, but Adam Christopherit’s the next novel Lords of evil is ready to return to one of the darkest and most decisive moments of his transformation and involves the creation of his crimson lightsaber.

For years we have known that the red blade of a Sith is born from the act of “bleeding” a kyber crystal, which is a process that forces the crystal to submit to the will of its wielder.

We have already seen this in the Marvel comic series Darth Vader by Charles Soule AND Giuseppe CamuncoliBut Lords of evil it’s taking that pivotal moment and reimagining it through a new lens, adding layers of meaning to an already powerful story.

According to Entertainment Weekly, the novel explores the early days of Anakin Skywalker’s descent into darkness, under the watchful and manipulative eye of Emperor Palpatine.

It follows Vader as he hunts down a lone Jedi named Kirak Infil’a, takes his lightsaber, and travels to Mustafar to corrupt his kyber crystal by claiming it as his own.

The scene mirrors what fans saw Darth Vader #5, where the kyber crystal violently resists its new master, forcing him to face disturbing visions. Vader sees an alternative path: one in which he kills Palpatine, seeks redemption, and kneels before Obi-Wan Kenobi in remorse.

But he fights against these visions, reliving painful memories of his mother’s death, his defeat on Mustafar, and his doomed love for Padmé Amidala.

What does he do Lords of evil fascinating is the way it subtly changes the tone of this familiar moment. In the comics, Vader’s defiance is clear when he growls, “No. I refuse. That’s all there is.” But in Christopher’s novel, the last line becomes a question rather than a statement:

He sees a man sitting. A man she knew, once, long ago, but when she approaches, the Jedi’s blue blade is already alive and ready to strike.

“NO.”

In the cave of Mustafar, the apprentice reaches out.

“I refuse.”

His fist closes around the crystal as it hangs in the air.

“This is all there is?”

That subtle change in punctuation changes everything. In the comic, Vader’s words are filled with anger and conviction. But inside Lords of evilturning it into a question opens the door to something deeper than doubt.

This suggests that even at his lowest level, somewhere within the armor, a glimmer of Anakin’s humanity still exists. Perhaps, buried beneath all the pain and hatred, he wonders if this infinite darkness is truly his destiny.

It’s a small but powerful detail as it tells a familiar story through new perspectives that expand the mythology rather than contradict it. The reinterpretation of the scene also shows how different mediums can shape meaning.

Where the comic conveys a raw visual intensity, the novel gives readers the space to feel the internal conflict and emotional nuance of Vader’s struggle.

When Lords of evil releasing November 11, fans will be able to experience this defining moment in a new and inspiring way. Even though we already know where Vader’s journey will ultimately lead, seeing his fall and those faint sparks of doubt, through Christopher’s words he promises to make the story of the creation of his red lightsaber more disturbing but with a touch of humanity.