Hubristic Fun: Redesigning Vader

There are few, if any, characters in modern culture that are more perfectly designed than Star Wars' Darth Vader. So, hey, why not take a stab at redesigning him?

My buddy Matt sent me a link to the The Swedish Bed (a pop culture blog, despite that suggestive name) which had great illustrators reimagining the famous villain's look. The catch was to work off the description in the original script. I thought that sounded like a fun idea for a snow day. Here's the excerpt from the script:

INTERIOR: REBEL BLOCKADE RUNNER — MAIN HALLWAY. The awesome, seven-foot-tall Dark Lord of the Sith makes his way into the blinding light of the main passageway. This is Darth Vader, right hand of the Emperor. His face is obscured by his flowing black robes and grotesque breath mask, which stands out next to the fascist white armored suits of the Imperial stormtroopers. Everyone instinctively backs away from the imposing warrior and a deathly quiet sweeps through the Rebel troops. Several of the Rebel troops break and run in a frenzied panic.

And here's what I came up with (click to enlarge):

Clearly, I was very drawn to the idea of the robes. With the first one (on the left), I imagined those layers of robes which could be pulled back to reveal the large, imposing figure beneath them. I went for the strips because I imagine him as a kind of whirling dervish in battle: fast and brutal, overwhelming your senses. However, I think I prefer the second design (on the right). Instead of going for imposing in the heavy, physical sense, I tried using the robes and breathing device to create a techno-angel-of-death. I wanted him to be more of a wraith. When he walks towards you it's quickly and graceful; without being able to see his limbs you may think he's floating. He's scary because you fear he could kill you with a simple touch.