RIP James Earl Jones: The Reason the Most Iconic Movie Villain Exists

The film industry has lost one of its all-time greatest talents with the news that legendary performer James Earl Jones has passed away at the age of 93. A decades-long veteran of the stage and screen, Jones was beloved around the world for his versatility, easy-going charisma, and endlessly listenable contrabass voice. That last attribute is also the reason most people likely recognize his name, because although he gave many committed performances in a wide variety of films, TV shows and theater productions, his most famous role will always be as the voice of Darth Vader from the Star Wars series. Commonly considered one of if not the most iconic villains in film history, Darth Vader is the role Jones will be most remembered for, which makes it all the more remarkable that the only aspect of the character he directly contributed was his voice. Vader was always a team effort, from his striking visual design derived from Ralph McQuarrie’s original concept art, the physical performance from David Prowse