May the Force Be With You, Master Jones

“The fear of loss is a path to the dark side. Death is a natural part of life. Rejoice for those around you who transform into the Force. Mourn them do not.” – Yoda

It is very difficult to practice the teachings of Grandmaster Yoda as we celebrate the presence of body, mind, spirit, and voice of James Earl Jones. James Earl Jones was an iconic actor whose career was built during the tumult of the civil rights movement and fueled by the resilience of a community striving towards a greater tomorrow. His work as an actor paved the road for many other young BIPOC performers with dreams of the silver screen.

Of all his roles, however, the most important to us at Geek Path is none other than the iconic Darth Vader. Arguably the most recognizable villain in the history of cinema, Vader embodied a presence of authority and power rarely captured in real life or in fantasy. And while many people contributed to the realization of this character, there is no piece so pivotal to the Sith Lord’s potency as the voice of James Earl Jones.

How many times has a dad jokingly lowered their octave to peer upon their child and quote (Often incorrectly!) “No, I am your father!”? How many geeks have cupped their hands over their mouths and made the “kkkkksssshhh/coooosssshhh” sound of Vader’s respirator?

I’m certain I’m not the only person that has played a game online and let a “I have you now!” or a “It is useless to resist!” slip out when goading the enemy team.

Darth Vader is regularly used as a therapeutic metaphor for the impacts of grief, loss, trauma, and impact of dogma. The downfall of Anakin Skywalker is characterized by unrecognized neurodivergence, poor boundary setting, trauma-based hyper-vigilance, and ineffective patterns of communication. Darth Vader arises as the result of C-PTSD and forced masking meeting violent trauma and deep attachment wounds

James Earl Jones brought this character of tragedy, failure, suffering, and ultimate redemption to life in a way that, I truly believe, no other human being could have. For that we will be forever grateful.

May the Force Be With You, Master Jones.