# Darth Vader Mental Diagnosis **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 11, 2010, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darth-vader-mental-diagnosis/542837 "2010-06-11T20:01:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darth-vader-mental-diagnosis/542837/1 "2010-06-11T20:01:03Z")
proof positive that head doctors have too much time on their hands: [http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/buzz-log-darth-vaders-diagnosis.html](http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/buzz-log-darth-vaders-diagnosis.html) ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darth-vader-mental-diagnosis/542837/2 "2010-06-11T21:53:18Z")
> [@Yahoo!](#): > > Just what are these traits? Well, there are the unstable moods that Vader suffers. One minute he’s happy because he sliced Obi-Wan Kenobi in half. The next, he’s all huffy that his subordinates let the Millennium Falcon escape. God forbid he only display one emotion. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darth-vader-mental-diagnosis/542837/3 "2010-06-11T22:07:12Z")
:dubious:Emotions are illogical, captain:dubious: ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darth-vader-mental-diagnosis/542837/4 "2010-06-12T02:00:15Z")
I thought Kenobi vaporized himself right before the blade hit him. Can we chalk that one up to fubared special effects? ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darth-vader-mental-diagnosis/542837/5 "2010-06-12T02:11:39Z")
Of course he has BPD. Because the BPD diagnostic criteria provide an outstanding template on which to build a fictional bad guy. Courtesy of Wikipedia: > [@](#): > > A pervasive pattern of instability of interpersonal relationships, self-image and affects, as well as marked impulsivity, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following: > 1.Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment. Note: Do not include suicidal or self-injuring behavior covered in Criterion 5 > 2.A pattern of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships characterized by alternating between extremes of idealization and devaluation. > 3.Identity disturbance: markedly and persistently unstable self-image or sense of self. > 4.Impulsivity in at least two areas that are potentially self-damaging (e.g., promiscuous sex, eating disorders, binge eating, substance abuse, reckless driving). Note: Do not include suicidal or self-injuring behavior covered in Criterion 5 > 5.Recurrent suicidal behavior, gestures, threats or self-injuring behavior such as cutting, interfering with the healing of scars (excoriation) or picking at oneself. > 6.Affective instability due to a marked reactivity of mood (e.g., intense episodic dysphoria, irritability or anxiety usually lasting a few hours and only rarely more than a few days). > 7.Chronic feelings of emptiness > 8.Inappropriate anger or difficulty controlling anger (e.g., frequent displays of temper, constant anger, recurrent physical fights). > 9.Transient, stress-related paranoid ideation, delusions or severe dissociative symptoms Also, here is Narcissistic Personality Disorder: > [@](#): > > Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is a personality disorder defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the diagnostic classification system used in the United States, as “a pervasive pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration, and a lack of empathy.”[1] > > The narcissist is described as being excessively preoccupied with issues of personal adequacy, power, and prestige.[2] Narcissistic personality disorder is closely linked to self-centeredness. BPD + Narcissism = Instant Bad Guy ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darth-vader-mental-diagnosis/542837/6 "2010-06-12T03:09:02Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > I thought Kenobi vaporized himself right before the blade hit him. Can we chalk that one up to fubared special effects? Why on Earth did you think that Kenobi vaporized himself? ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darth-vader-mental-diagnosis/542837/7 "2010-06-12T03:45:16Z")
BPD people are hyper emotional. They’re the young lady who cuts herself for attention and abuses drugs and sex. They would not be able to commit to one master for decades, no matter how many cool lightning powers he teaches. The only emotion Vader expresses is “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” The rest of the time, it’s James Earl Jones’ cool monotone. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darth-vader-mental-diagnosis/542837/8 "2010-06-12T03:47:43Z")
Mommy didn’t love him enough. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darth-vader-mental-diagnosis/542837/9 "2010-06-12T07:23:57Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > Of course he has BPD. Because the BPD diagnostic criteria provide an outstanding template on which to build a fictional bad guy. Or a hero, in some genres. ---
**Author:** ![chicken\_wire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@chicken\_wire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chicken_wire)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darth-vader-mental-diagnosis/542837/10 "2010-06-12T07:38:07Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > Why on Earth did you think that Kenobi vaporized himself? It’s not like he just got cut in two though, is it? From what I recall, Vader “strikes him down” with his light sabre, and there’s nothing left of him, just his empty clothes. Did he vaporise, or was he vaporised, that is the question. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darth-vader-mental-diagnosis/542837/11 "2010-06-12T14:22:52Z")
> [@chicken\_wire](#): > > It’s not like he just got cut in two though, is it? From what I recall, Vader “strikes him down” with his light sabre, and there’s nothing left of him, just his empty clothes. Did he vaporise, or was he vaporised, that is the question. I always took it that he was either struck down or just about to be struck down and he was in touch enough with the force to do some kind of intentional whole body (or two part ?🙂 ) ascension into higher plane /after life. Getting struck by a light saber certainly doesnt make one magically dissappear thats for sure. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darth-vader-mental-diagnosis/542837/12 "2010-06-12T20:10:55Z")
Kenobi was killed by Vader’s lightsaber. In the original trilogy all Jedi fade away into force ghosts after they die. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darth-vader-mental-diagnosis/542837/13 "2010-06-12T20:26:11Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > Kenobi was killed by Vader’s lightsaber. In the original trilogy all Jedi fade away into force ghosts after they die. Where do you get that idea? Vader is clearly surprised that Kenobi just disappears. Given that he’s killed any number of other Jedi in the past, said discorporation is clearly unusual. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darth-vader-mental-diagnosis/542837/14 "2010-06-12T21:04:14Z")
At worst, Vader is depressed and narcisistic. BPD and/or bipolar just don’t fit. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darth-vader-mental-diagnosis/542837/15 "2010-06-12T21:50:51Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Where do you get that idea? [Gee, I don’t know.](http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20070807232756/starwars/images/thumb/7/72/Jedi.jpg/800px-Jedi.jpg) > [@Skald](#): > > Vader is clearly surprised that Kenobi just disappears. Given that he’s killed any number of other Jedi in the past, said discorporation is clearly unusual. You can take that up with the director, Lucas. He attempts to explain this away at the end of _Revenge_, when Jinn learns how to transcend death. You can take from that that he then taught Yoda and Kenobi, though I’m unsure how Anakin was supposed to have learned it. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darth-vader-mental-diagnosis/542837/16 "2010-06-12T23:59:26Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > [Gee, I don’t know.](http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20070807232756/starwars/images/thumb/7/72/Jedi.jpg/800px-Jedi.jpg) Sorry, I was unclear. I meant “where did you get the idea that ALL Jedi evaporate upon death.” ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2010, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darth-vader-mental-diagnosis/542837/17 "2010-06-13T00:01:34Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Sorry, I was unclear. I meant “where did you get the idea that ALL Jedi evaporate upon death.” Excuse me. In my original post I meant to say that all the Jedi in the OT turned into Force ghosts, not that all Jedi turn into Force ghosts. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2010, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darth-vader-mental-diagnosis/542837/18 "2010-06-13T00:47:38Z")
Moved MPSIMS --\> Cafe Society. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2010, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darth-vader-mental-diagnosis/542837/19 "2010-06-13T01:15:18Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > Mommy didn’t love him enough. Too busy slaving over her job I guess. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2010, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darth-vader-mental-diagnosis/542837/20 "2010-06-13T01:34:39Z")
Don’t forget, inasmuch a great number of people would like to, in Episode I, Qui-Gon was struck down by Darth Maul and _didn’t_ disappear. It wasn’t until revenge of the Sith that Yoda revealed to Ben that Qui-Gon had visited him as a Force ghost. Perhaps it was Yoda or possibly Qui-Gon himself who might have instructed Ben in that particular trick. In any case, It doesn’t seem to be a skill that all Jedi had mastered previously. On review, I see that **AClockworkMelon** has already said this. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darth-vader-mental-diagnosis/542837.md?page=2)