Darth Vader is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise. He first appeared in the original Star Wars film (1977) and its novelization (1976). He is a leader of the Galactic Empire, and is one of the two major villains in the original film trilogy. In the prequel trilogy, he transforms from the Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker into the Sith Lord Darth Vader. His metamorphosis begins when he is lured to the dark side of the Force by Chancellor Palpatine, who later becomes the Galactic Emperor. After a lightsaber battle with his former mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi, Vader is severely injured and is transformed into a cyborg. He serves Palpatine for over two decades, hunting down the remaining Jedi and attempting to crush the Rebel Alliance. When Palpatine tries to kill Vader's son, Luke Skywalker, Vader turns against Palpatine and kills him. Vader is the husband of Padmé Amidala, the father of Luke and his twin sister Leia Organa, and the maternal grandfather of Ben Solo.