First of all, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! This is my last comparison for Dad Vader! I pondered on what to end on, but there is no better concluding topic than the woman who haunts Vader/Anakin and Luke's mom: Padme.
Both Vaders remember Padme fondly as expected. There are also occasions where Vader and Luke talk about Padme, sentimental in both fics. Both Vaders also mention frequently how much they see Padme in Luke. However, there are some glaring differences between the two Vaders that I will try to articulate. I think it might be easier to start with Rod!Vader
Rod!Vader: Surprisingly, Padme's name is only mentioned about 6 times in the entire fic! And it is only done towards the end of the fic. Vader and Luke go on an outing, meant to reconcile their relationship, to a planet where Vader and Padme have happy memories. Vader talks about his late wife after Luke begs to learn about her. I brought this up in a previous post, but this moment shows how willing Vader is to show his love for Luke despite the pain of Padme's memory. It's a very emotional discussion, and I got the feeling that Vader loves Luke as a separate being from Padme. I feel this way because of how fierce Vader is about loving Luke despite Padme dying from childbirth. What I am getting at is that Vader loves Luke because he is HIS child, not just because he is Padme's child if that makes sense. What I also like about this talk is that we see the conflict in the relationship when Vader admits that Padme did not support the idea of the empire. Padme is not just remembered with entirely rose-tinted glasses and it speaks to Vader's honesty that he can admit that he and his wife would have clashed with their current political beliefs. Nevertheless, from the moment where Luke first sees his mom in Vader's memory to this beach moment, Luke sees and hears about his parents' love for each other. Vader never uses Padme to manipulate Luke from what I recall. Padme is put on a pedestal but her memory is kept pure and angelic.
LLOM!Vader: This Vader is a bit more...disturbing. He reflects on Padme way more than Rod!Vader (Padme's name appears in the fic over 100 times). It's nice that he thinks of Padme more than Rod!Vader, but it is frustrating how little he shares with Luke. Vader first talks with Luke about Padme right before Luke's birthday/coronation and he only mentions that the necklace (pendant?) he is giving Luke was first gifted to Padme. Luke first learns about his mother, not from his father, but from his aunt and cousins (Padme's family). That's really sad, especially considering Vader responds when Luke angrily brings this up by spewing sentiments about Padme's family that seem like half-truths at best and gaslighting at worst. Vader's love for Padme is also challenged in this fic. I can't say what Rod!Vader would have done to Padme's family, but what man slays the remaining family of the woman he loves? This is his last link to Padme (people who knew her anyway). Given his obsession, maybe brainwashing would have been a cleaner solution. Plus, Sabe hints at an abusive relationship between the couple. It's ambiguous whether Sabe is just being biased or Anakin was actually intentionally hurting Padme (my anidala heart can't believe this) but it makes me think of men who obsess over their wives/girlfriends, treat them like trophies to be worshipped, but treat them like crap when triggered.
Anyway, what disturbs me most about this Vader is how Padme and Luke almost seem to blur together in his mind. Any coincidence that Vader more freely talks about Padme once Luke is mindwiped and being groomed into being a mini-Padme? If Vader was not the guy he was, I would worry that Vader would take the cross-dressing to another level and molest Luke. In Vader's mind, Padme was a perfect being who would find no fault in how he is hurting Luke. As far as Vader is concerned, robbing Luke of his agency and putting Luke in her dresses, is honouring Padme's legacy. The poor woman must be rolling in her grave.
Note: Sorry about the length of LLOM!Vader. The ending chapter of LLOM which featured cross-dressing Luke in Padme's outfits really disgusted me. Rod!Vader definitely wins here. I wish there were more mentions of Padme in Rod but I am satisfied with how Padme was handled in that fic. The picture of Anidala's marriage in Rod seems a lot healthier, whereas Padme's memory in LLOM feels warped and sullied.
Conclusion: Thanks for reading my comparisons and going on this journey with me! It's amazing how easy it is to analyze stories I actually like reading compared to my difficulty in literature and English classes at school. I did love reading these fics and I hope it helps anyone else who wants to write a similar Dad!Vader story. Maybe next time make the story a bit healthier though T~T. I would like to enjoy a story about Vader/Anakin doting on Luke without all these dark and abusive elements, please!
All the comparisons can be found here.
