YOUR Dark Side

Most of us have a dark side, and we can thank the Star Wars world for helping us embrace it. There’s something about Darth Vader that makes us all want to wear a helmet and breathe heavily. If you have always wanted to put on the mask and cape but didn’t know where to start, we are here to help you with your costume.

The Helmet

The first thing you need is the helmet. The original Darth Vader helmets were made by Andrew Ainsworth of Shepperton Design Studios, which still sells replicas today. These helmets look just like what you would see on screen, but they cost around $1,000. You can buy helmets from other sellers that look nearly as good for a fraction of the cost. We recommend checking out HalloweenCostumes.com for its wide range of Darth Vader costumes and accessories!

The Cape

No Darth Vader costume is complete without the cape. It comes with the deluxe costume from HalloweenCostumes.com, but if you want to buy it separately, you can find one for about $30 on Amazon or eBay. Just keep in mind that if it has snaps at the neck instead of a tie, it may not be screen-accurate (but no one will notice).

By now I’m sure every single one of my readers has seen the “Star Wars” trilogy. This is a series that, for better or worse, has captured the imagination of millions worldwide, and has become an integral part of our lives. It’s no surprise that when Halloween comes around, many people decide to dress up as Darth Vader.

I have been asked numerous times where to find a good Darth Vader costume. The problem with these costumes is that they are usually very expensive: $600-$1200 U.S. dollars, not including shipping and handling. There are several companies who offer complete outfits and helmets; these tend to be made from fiberglass and are quite durable but also quite heavy (10-20 pounds). However, they may not be comfortable to wear for long periods of time; most helmets have poor ventilation and fog up easily. Also, since these outfits are rather flimsy, they do not offer much protection against scrapes, bumps or falls.

I know this isn’t exactly what you want to hear if you’re reading this because you want to dress up as Darth Vader for Halloween (or your next convention). But it’s true: official costumes from Lucasfilm can set you back over a thousand dollars!

If you’ve ever dreamed of dressing up as Lord Vader himself, now you can – without having to shoot down Luke Skywalker or blow up the Death Star.

The Dark Lord costume comes complete with mask, cape, and jumpsuit in black, red, and silver – plus a lightsaber!

The costume is made by Rubies and costs $75.00. The lightsaber is $15.00 extra.

It’s easy to forget that the Sith are, at their core, a family. The Rule of Two dictates that there can only be two Sith at any given time—a Master and an apprentice. That being the case, it’s rare for two Sith to meet each other except when one is training the other. When these two Sith have spent all of their time together training and plotting against the Jedi, they develop an incredibly powerful bond. As Darth Sidious explains in Revenge of the Sith: “If one is to understand the great mystery, one must study all its aspects, not just the dogmatic, narrow view of the Jedi. If you wish to become a complete and wise leader, you must embrace a larger view of the Force.”

Sidious was able to wield this familial connection as a weapon against Anakin Skywalker in Revenge of the Sith with devastating results. He was able to play on Anakin’s fears about his wife Padmé’s safety as well as his own mortality by showing him visions of both dying. It’s clear from this moment that Sidious knew how strong Skywalker’s attachment was to his loved ones and used that against him in hopes of bringing him over to the dark side.

The following is a step by step process that I recently completed to achieve the most accurate and realistic Darth Vader costume ever.

This project was completed in conjunction with a local 501st Legion chapter, the International Costumers Guild (ICG), and the San Diego Comic-Con.

I am going to cover all of the steps involved in this build, from pattern development to final assembly. There is a lot of information here and it is broken down into categories for ease of use. Feel free to contact me with any questions or comments you may have.

The areas that are covered in this build are:

1. The Helmet

2. The Mask

3. The Cape

4. The Robe

5. The Chest Box, Belt, and Lightsaber Clip

6. Boots and Gloves

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