"The Jedi are extinct,their fire extinguished out of the universe...you are the last of that religion my old friend"...Tarkin speaking to Darth Vader after Vader tells him Obi Wan Kenobi is on the Death Star...Star Wars -1977
One of my favorite parts of the comics is where Tarkin asked Vader for a favor in completing a mission. Later on, Vader called upon that debt by asking Tarkin to hunt him...which basically ended in a draw.
I find it interesting that thrawn also figured it out but in the (new) thrawn trilogy vader is very adamant that thrawn drops it and insists that anakin was killed, but with vader and tarkin it's like "aight dude you know, I know, just don't mention it around others and we're cool"
@@christianhentschel8628 it's new and fits in current Disney canon. I haven't read it myself. I liked the Heir to the Empire Thrawn trilogy from the 90s personally.
The new ones are also by Timothy Zahn. If interested google them they're available at decent prices. I do plan to check them out at some point myself.
That might reflect the fact that Vader felt truly threatened by Thrawn, especially after he calmly announced that he had already worked out three ways to kill Vader. Love that line!
I love how it is stated as if Tarkin is some Imperial equivalent to Sherlock Holmes for figuring out Vader's real identity when all that really happened was him noticing that one well-known Jedi with a not-so-secret connection to Palpatine disappeared around the same time another, never-before-heard-of, lightsaber-wielding Palpatine sidekick in an identity-hiding mask popped into being. Honestly, it seems like anyone even vaguely aware of Anakin-and with an ability to put 1 and 1 together-should have figured this 'mystery' out.
Tarkin mostly suspected Vader’s true identity because reports surfaced from Mustafar that Vader claimed he destroyed Anakin there, but there was no body as proof of evidence.
@@AmirSayedal-Isra I heard in one case where tarkin was Vader right hand .that was truly laughable.tarkin was the emperor's voice as military governor of the death star,if anything he was the left hand of the emperor .
Tarkin's statement to Vader in ANH about the Jedi being extinct and that Vader was the last of that religion along with Vader's statement that he must face his old master eliminates any doubt that Tarkin knew during the events of ANH. As far as when exactly Tarkin knew I think shortly after working with him, Tarkin is very smart. Vader's light saber technique and his knowledge of the Jedi is all Tarkin really needed as givens, then he filled in some blanks. ie: No one saw or heard of Vader before Anakin fought OWK on Mustafar and no one has seen Anakin since then. Another possibility is since the Sidious trusted so much to both men he may have informed Tarkin off camera.
I like to think that Tarkin and Darth Vader shared a mutual respect, both firmly believing in the Empire’s vision for the galaxy, which solidified their partnership. In Vader’s case, he refrained from eliminating Tarkin because Tarkin was one of the few individuals, aside from the Emperor, who had any inkling of Vader’s former identity as Anakin Skywalker. This shared knowledge enhanced their efficiency in their respective roles within the Empire, a regime they both held in high regard. As long as Tarkin remained an efficient and effective tool, and this knowledge was used solely to expedite their tasks, it served as a significant advantage in their collaboration.
The real way Tarkin figured it out: Tarkin: "We have obtained new information that rebels are hiding in Coruscant's biggest orphanage and I've sent out a strike team to deal with it" Vader: "ORPHANAGE!? Does that mean there are children?" Tarkin: "Thousands" Vader: "Say no more, you can call off the strike team, I'll take care of that orphanage personally... uh, because of the rebels, of course"
I would have thought, Tarkin was of the ‘old guard’, and rising to the rank of Grand moss gave him privileges like the granting of speaking to the Emperor personally, probably one of a very few who were in a position within the Empire equivalent to Vader though without being a force sensitive or sith, he would have known about Anakin, the Jedi etc, it wouldn’t be much of a leap of dedication to figure out who Vader was, and pull strings to get the evidence
Of course he knew. Though that exchange they had on the Death Star wasn't one of Vader telling Tarkin anything about it IMO. The two of them were just plotting their next move since Obi-wan on the Death Star was a threat that that the two of them understood more than most and it wasn't a time for pretext, it was a time for direct communication. I suspect they confirmed what the other knew about Vader's identity off screen before then, or they just knew the other would know because the knew each other well enough that they could do that without having to ever bring it up and risk it getting to be known by others that don't need to know.
QUESTION: PLEASE ANSWER Why was Tarkin referred to as a military genius? As in, what battles did he win that prove this? Time again, I hear characters in Tar Wars, and some fans say that he was on par with Admiral Ackbar and Grand Admiral Thrawn. But I haven't seen any evidence to support that. And yes, I've read the Tarkin novel.
Dude I'm not really an expert on Tarkin! I'm reading the Tarkin novel right now, that's why I made this vid! 😂 All I can think of is in the opening scene when he figures out that the attack on the other space station is fake, and defends his station. He's really smart in battle
Technically it wouldnt take an absolute genius to sus out vader as skywalker but anyone who was smart enough to think of such things had other worries keeping their minds busy such as wether they were next to be killed by vader rather than who vader was. And tarkin was never in a position to ever think he was in danger so he was free to "sus" things out.
I think Tarkin’s skill was not necessarily military strategy, but more so military management and governance; that is, he could find commanders to take care of the job so Emperor Palpatine and Vader could focus on other things.
You obviously do, otherwise you wouldnt have clicked on this video and not even thinkin about letting a comment down below ^^ But you are one of those ---> "I need to tell people that i dont care, instead of ignoring it because i REALLY dont care!"
@@venar4248 you’re thinking about it way too deep. A lot of people like him agree that Disney destroyed Star Wars so they don’t care about what Disney makes canon. Does that make sense or is that too hard to follow? It’s okay to care about some parts but not care about the rest based on opinion.
Oh, I'm sure Tarkin probably figured out at some point that Darth Vader and Anakin Skywalker were one and the same. He was smart enough to keep it to himself as he saw firsthand what happened to those in the Empire who were stupid enough to blackmail Vader with this information. Spoiler alert: It didn't end well for them
Darth Vader used a very different fighting style to that of Anakin as he was extremely augmented. With the advantages of his exterior armor and mechanical appendages lies the crispy critter of Anakin in extreme pain beneath. Adaptation was necessary and relied upon by Palpatine. IMO
Tarkin knew Vader's true identity in ANH. Which means that when Lucas decided that Vader and Anakin were one and the same in the sequels, by implication that is what Tarkin knew.
the dialogue we hear in the first star wars movie ( Notice an old fan like me never calls it a New Hope) is the result of Lucas in 1976-77, not having much canon to fall back on, unlike the massive library of it we have today. The things said like " you are the last of that old religion" and Vader referring to Obi-wan as his old master are things that would never have been said out loud in 2025
Star Wars fans don't care about the question you ask. Tarkin was on the Bridge with the Emperor and Vader at the end of Revenge of the Jedi. Of course, Tarkin knew Vader was Anakin Skywalker, even back then.
Quick question how did Anakin's opinions on Palpatine and Tarkin change during Ahsoka's trial for the Jedi Temple Bombing. I know a wedge was thrown between Anakin and the oder but I don't think I ever heard how Anakin's relationship with Tarkin changed along with how Anakin viewed Palpatine as both of them were involved with the trial.
As far as I know, Anakin directed most of the blame at the Council. He was still super cool with Palpatine. I don't think he really cared for Tarkin to begin with, if anything he probably didn't start liking Tarkin until they both served the Empire.
Funny how people say that tarkin knew Vader was Anakin in a new hope, when in 1977 even George Lucas thought they were two separate people. Listen to what Obi-Wan says to Luke, but then after Luke faces Vader in Empire Strikes Back, Obi backtracks and says "what I told you was true, from a certain point of view."
I think you are reading more into it than was ever really intended.. it is sound logic, don't get me wrong but you give it more gravity than I doubt anyone making a New Hope ever did. This was a little film that became a universe... not the reverse (which seems like the modus operandi these days)
I know what you mean, I’m just talking in terms of the canon continuity that exists now! Because of where ANH is on the timeline, and what is said, we have to make this inferences in the lore!
Sorry but for me being almost 40 and growing up with star wars yes they had star wars comics back then too. Tarkin in the original 1977 movie told vader that he is the only one left of that religion. Meaning "jedi" after telling him obi wan is alive. This new stuff reinventing the story doesnt exist for me.
Vader and Anakin have VERY DIFFERENT fighting styles. Also, any connections to Anakins past would have to be destroyed. Is this a new book? Sounds as if, like the Ahsoka book, the author didn't know the subject matter and was just handed a bunch of notes and was told to write about this.
This book is from 2014, and was written by James Luceno. I assure you, he is very knowledgable on Star Wars lore. He wrote "Labyrinth of Evil," "Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader," "Darth Plagueis," and more.
Some constructive criticism: your background music gets really old, really fast. I enjoy your channel and appreciate all the work you put into it, but the same 10 second music clip being looped in the background of literally every single video is driving me crazy. Maybe I’m just an outlier, but I would love it if you could find a different option than what you are currently doing (having different background music for videos on different characters, turning it down, killing the background music entirely, finding a group of a dozen or so potential background tracks that you can switch in and out so there is some variation, etc.) Sorry to complain, but I’ve been having a hard time watching your videos as of late because of it. Thanks.
Tarkin witnessed when Vader used force from Jedi against general Tage ,not Sith - force technique; then Tarkin understand about Vader 's coming from Jedi ( like Dooku) not from Sith origin (like Darth Maul )
And I wish you watched the video before you talked shit 🤣 You’d see how the information is all lore from the canon book “Tarkin” explaining HOW Tarkin realized that Vader was Anakin
"The Jedi are extinct,their fire extinguished out of the universe...you are the last of that religion my old friend"...Tarkin speaking to Darth Vader after Vader tells him Obi Wan Kenobi is on the Death Star...Star Wars -1977
This. He knows who Vader was.
And has clearly known the whole time. I have always had issues with these supposed cannon books that are making up their own cannon.
It always seemed cut and dry for me, how could he not know?
Yep, makes this video pointless.
Does no one remember Tarkin calling Vader "my old friend"?
One of my favorite parts of the comics is where Tarkin asked Vader for a favor in completing a mission. Later on, Vader called upon that debt by asking Tarkin to hunt him...which basically ended in a draw.
I find it interesting that thrawn also figured it out but in the (new) thrawn trilogy vader is very adamant that thrawn drops it and insists that anakin was killed, but with vader and tarkin it's like "aight dude you know, I know, just don't mention it around others and we're cool"
I love the thrawn triology by timothy Zahn. I love that cold calcularing character. So pls Tell me what is the 'new' thrawn triology?
@@christianhentschel8628 it's new and fits in current Disney canon. I haven't read it myself. I liked the Heir to the Empire Thrawn trilogy from the 90s personally.
The new ones are also by Timothy Zahn. If interested google them they're available at decent prices. I do plan to check them out at some point myself.
That might reflect the fact that Vader felt truly threatened by Thrawn, especially after he calmly announced that he had already worked out three ways to kill Vader. Love that line!
@richardaproche Thrawn is a badass lol.
I love how it is stated as if Tarkin is some Imperial equivalent to Sherlock Holmes for figuring out Vader's real identity when all that really happened was him noticing that one well-known Jedi with a not-so-secret connection to Palpatine disappeared around the same time another, never-before-heard-of, lightsaber-wielding Palpatine sidekick in an identity-hiding mask popped into being.
Honestly, it seems like anyone even vaguely aware of Anakin-and with an ability to put 1 and 1 together-should have figured this 'mystery' out.
Actually Tarkin did deduce specific details that made him suspect Vader was Anakin 👍 I explain it in the video using lore from the book “Tarkin”
@@NekoMouser totally something Sherlock Holmes would say
@@August3B Well, Peter Cushing did play Sherlock Holmes. And Doctor Who.
Tarkin's smart, but he's no Sherlock. That title goes to Thrawn.
I guess the real question is what would anyone else knowing actually change? Lol he and Sidious still could smoke anyone
Tarkin mostly suspected Vader’s true identity because reports surfaced from Mustafar that Vader claimed he destroyed Anakin there, but there was no body as proof of evidence.
@@AmirSayedal-Isra It could've gone into the lava that was everywhere, maybe? That's a good point though
@@AmirSayedal-Isra I heard in one case where tarkin was Vader right hand .that was truly laughable.tarkin was the emperor's voice as military governor of the death star,if anything he was the left hand of the emperor .
Tarkin's statement to Vader in ANH about the Jedi being extinct and that Vader was the last of that religion along with Vader's statement that he must face his old master eliminates any doubt that Tarkin knew during the events of ANH. As far as when exactly Tarkin knew I think shortly after working with him, Tarkin is very smart.
Vader's light saber technique and his knowledge of the Jedi is all Tarkin really needed as givens, then he filled in some blanks. ie: No one saw or heard of Vader before Anakin fought OWK on Mustafar and no one has seen Anakin since then. Another possibility is since the Sidious trusted so much to both men he may have informed Tarkin off camera.
I like to think that Tarkin and Darth Vader shared a mutual respect, both firmly believing in the Empire’s vision for the galaxy, which solidified their partnership.
In Vader’s case, he refrained from eliminating Tarkin because Tarkin was one of the few individuals, aside from the Emperor, who had any inkling of Vader’s former identity as Anakin Skywalker. This shared knowledge enhanced their efficiency in their respective roles within the Empire, a regime they both held in high regard.
As long as Tarkin remained an efficient and effective tool, and this knowledge was used solely to expedite their tasks, it served as a significant advantage in their collaboration.
The real way Tarkin figured it out:
Tarkin: "We have obtained new information that rebels are hiding in Coruscant's biggest orphanage and I've sent out a strike team to deal with it"
Vader: "ORPHANAGE!? Does that mean there are children?"
Tarkin: "Thousands"
Vader: "Say no more, you can call off the strike team, I'll take care of that orphanage personally... uh, because of the rebels, of course"
General Skywalker, you old pirate, glad to see ya. how ya been?
Lmbo
Wonder what his reaction to that would've been..he didn't act thrilled when Thrawn hinted at knowing.
Love this channel 💯
Thanks dude!
@@RetneysHolocronMuch love brother 🤘🏼
In The New Hope ep 4, Tarkin acknowledged Vader ",you my friend you are the last of that old religion "
It's made clear in Star Wars that Tarkin knows Vader and Anakin are the same person.
He deff knew that Vader was Anakin Skywalker
@@jayyroyyy1875 May the farts be with you 🫡
I would have thought, Tarkin was of the ‘old guard’, and rising to the rank of Grand moss gave him privileges like the granting of speaking to the Emperor personally, probably one of a very few who were in a position within the Empire equivalent to Vader though without being a force sensitive or sith, he would have known about Anakin, the Jedi etc, it wouldn’t be much of a leap of dedication to figure out who Vader was, and pull strings to get the evidence
Great video, could you do a similar one about how Thrawn worked it out? I love how that was handled in Thrawn Alliances
Of course he knew. Though that exchange they had on the Death Star wasn't one of Vader telling Tarkin anything about it IMO. The two of them were just plotting their next move since Obi-wan on the Death Star was a threat that that the two of them understood more than most and it wasn't a time for pretext, it was a time for direct communication. I suspect they confirmed what the other knew about Vader's identity off screen before then, or they just knew the other would know because the knew each other well enough that they could do that without having to ever bring it up and risk it getting to be known by others that don't need to know.
Great video Ret!
Tarkin looks like Peter Cushing😊
Great vid! Well done!
QUESTION: PLEASE ANSWER
Why was Tarkin referred to as a military genius? As in, what battles did he win that prove this? Time again, I hear characters in Tar Wars, and some fans say that he was on par with Admiral Ackbar and Grand Admiral Thrawn. But I haven't seen any evidence to support that. And yes, I've read the Tarkin novel.
Dude I'm not really an expert on Tarkin! I'm reading the Tarkin novel right now, that's why I made this vid! 😂 All I can think of is in the opening scene when he figures out that the attack on the other space station is fake, and defends his station. He's really smart in battle
Technically it wouldnt take an absolute genius to sus out vader as skywalker but anyone who was smart enough to think of such things had other worries keeping their minds busy such as wether they were next to be killed by vader rather than who vader was. And tarkin was never in a position to ever think he was in danger so he was free to "sus" things out.
I think Tarkin’s skill was not necessarily military strategy, but more so military management and governance; that is, he could find commanders to take care of the job so Emperor Palpatine and Vader could focus on other things.
Since Disney destroyed Star Wars I no longer care.
Yup....
You obviously do, otherwise you wouldnt have clicked on this video and not even thinkin about letting a comment down below ^^
But you are one of those ---> "I need to tell people that i dont care, instead of ignoring it because i REALLY dont care!"
@@venar4248 you’re thinking about it way too deep. A lot of people like him agree that Disney destroyed Star Wars so they don’t care about what Disney makes canon. Does that make sense or is that too hard to follow? It’s okay to care about some parts but not care about the rest based on opinion.
Oh, I'm sure Tarkin probably figured out at some point that Darth Vader and Anakin Skywalker were one and the same.
He was smart enough to keep it to himself as he saw firsthand what happened to those in the Empire who were stupid enough to blackmail Vader with this information.
Spoiler alert:
It didn't end well for them
@@colindaniels945 Tarkin wouldn’t have tried to blackmail Vader.
@treystephens6166 Exactly my point
@@colindaniels945 but wouldn’t Tarkin drop a little hint that he knew??? It’s not a crime to know just a crime to tell.
@@treystephens6166 If the video is accurate,I believe that Tarkin implies in A New Hope that he knows
@ surly Lord Vader knew that Tarkin knew before then.
They first met in the novel Rogue Planet
They are besties or rather were besties, until Ahsoka comes to play
Tarkin may have even been a spy to watch anakin. Look at his station in the empire he wasnt supposed to die on the death star.
Darth Vader used a very different fighting style to that of Anakin as he was extremely augmented. With the advantages of his exterior armor and mechanical appendages lies the crispy critter of Anakin in extreme pain beneath. Adaptation was necessary and relied upon by Palpatine. IMO
Tarkin knew Vader's true identity in ANH.
Which means that when Lucas decided that Vader and Anakin were one and the same in the sequels, by implication that is what Tarkin knew.
Yup! I talk about that at the end of this vid!
the dialogue we hear in the first star wars movie ( Notice an old fan like me never calls it a New Hope) is the result of Lucas in 1976-77, not having much canon to fall back on, unlike the massive library of it we have today. The things said like " you are the last of that old religion" and Vader referring to Obi-wan as his old master are things that would never have been said out loud in 2025
I plan to read all the star wars books
Awesome 👏 content
Thank you 🙌
Maybe the Emperor just told him...
What is the name of that excellent music in the background please?
Or just, you know, look at his light saber...
Star Wars fans don't care about the question you ask.
Tarkin was on the Bridge with the Emperor and Vader at the end of Revenge of the Jedi.
Of course, Tarkin knew Vader was Anakin Skywalker, even back then.
Quick question how did Anakin's opinions on Palpatine and Tarkin change during Ahsoka's trial for the Jedi Temple Bombing. I know a wedge was thrown between Anakin and the oder but I don't think I ever heard how Anakin's relationship with Tarkin changed along with how Anakin viewed Palpatine as both of them were involved with the trial.
As far as I know, Anakin directed most of the blame at the Council. He was still super cool with Palpatine. I don't think he really cared for Tarkin to begin with, if anything he probably didn't start liking Tarkin until they both served the Empire.
Funny how people say that tarkin knew Vader was Anakin in a new hope, when in 1977 even George Lucas thought they were two separate people.
Listen to what Obi-Wan says to Luke, but then after Luke faces Vader in Empire Strikes Back, Obi backtracks and says "what I told you was true, from a certain point of view."
Lol yes, but we are thinking of it in terms of chronological lore! Its all one story know regardless of when everything was published or released
I think you are reading more into it than was ever really intended.. it is sound logic, don't get me wrong but you give it more gravity than I doubt anyone making a New Hope ever did. This was a little film that became a universe... not the reverse (which seems like the modus operandi these days)
I know what you mean, I’m just talking in terms of the canon continuity that exists now! Because of where ANH is on the timeline, and what is said, we have to make this inferences in the lore!
Yeah as per the top poster, Tarkin says Vader is the Jedi are extinct you are the last my old friend. He knows Vader was once a Jedi/is not a sith
Tarkin knew anakin was vader before he had the suit.
That’s incorrect, as stated in the canon book “Tarkin” that I cite in this vid 👍
Sorry but for me being almost 40 and growing up with star wars yes they had star wars comics back then too. Tarkin in the original 1977 movie told vader that he is the only one left of that religion. Meaning "jedi" after telling him obi wan is alive. This new stuff reinventing the story doesnt exist for me.
Vader and Anakin have VERY DIFFERENT fighting styles. Also, any connections to Anakins past would have to be destroyed. Is this a new book? Sounds as if, like the Ahsoka book, the author didn't know the subject matter and was just handed a bunch of notes and was told to write about this.
This book is from 2014, and was written by James Luceno. I assure you, he is very knowledgable on Star Wars lore. He wrote "Labyrinth of Evil," "Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader," "Darth Plagueis," and more.
Yes because he’s a smarty pants, roll credits. 😂😂😂😂
How did Tarkin know Vadar was Anakin Skywalker? Easy he went to the Empire personnel office and looked at his file.
Wait, when you say canon, do you kean not legends? Because then it's not canon and irrelevant since legends is canon.
Canon is the main continuity established by Lucasfilm in 2014. Legends is Legends. 👍
@RetneysHolocron lucasfilm in 2014 wasn't even George Lucas' anymore. He's the only one who can say what's canon and what's not
@@mikereisert2803 You know that George Lucas didnt consider eu as canon?
@@mikereisert2803lmao, even Lucas himself literally couldn't give a shit about legends and consider them to be worthless
@@rexemuwu whatever, point still stands that Disney doesn't have the authority to call or don't call anything canon
Real canon or Post-Disney canon?
Let’s be real here, that was a big box of shite.😂
Its lore from the canon book "Tarkin" as stated in the vid 👍
Some constructive criticism: your background music gets really old, really fast. I enjoy your channel and appreciate all the work you put into it, but the same 10 second music clip being looped in the background of literally every single video is driving me crazy. Maybe I’m just an outlier, but I would love it if you could find a different option than what you are currently doing (having different background music for videos on different characters, turning it down, killing the background music entirely, finding a group of a dozen or so potential background tracks that you can switch in and out so there is some variation, etc.) Sorry to complain, but I’ve been having a hard time watching your videos as of late because of it. Thanks.
I changed it once and everyone lost their minds and told me to change it back 🤷♂️
@@RetneysHolocron I guess I'm the weird one then...
@@Dr.Kenobi264 I can switch it up sometimes!
@ thank you
Tarkin witnessed when Vader used force from Jedi against general Tage ,not Sith - force technique; then Tarkin understand about Vader 's coming from Jedi ( like Dooku) not from Sith origin (like Darth Maul )
This is in the books. omg we wish so much that you guys just new anything about star wars before you pretended to be into it.
And I wish you watched the video before you talked shit 🤣 You’d see how the information is all lore from the canon book “Tarkin” explaining HOW Tarkin realized that Vader was Anakin
I’ll still never accept Hayden being behind that mask . To me it will always be a young Sebastian Shaw
@@backroom12 a young Sebastian Shaw. The guy was 78 when he played Anakin lol
Anakin Skywalker is simply not a pirate but was only a General and a Jedi knight What a lame joke Dave as that's Lando's line to Han Solo
You can't get anything past Peter Kushing.