To escape the armor's claustrophobic nature, Vader had several pressurized meditation chambers built where he could remove his mask and suit and still survive. Vader longed to be less dependent on his armor and tried at times to function without it, but he labored in vain.
If he were to take his mask off, the Sith Lord would soon suffocate. So it's the most crucial part of his armor. The only time he can breathe without the need for his mask is when he is in one of his meditation chambers seen in A New Hope.
Darth Vader cannot survive without his mask. As Luke Skywalker replies when Vader asked for help in taking off his mask in Return of the Jedi, “But you'll die.” And when Vader is dead, he cannot fight.
Obi-Wan manages to unmask Darth Vader, but only partially. The duel between Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen) and Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) in the finale of Obi-Wan Kenobi climaxes with the latter dealing a devastating blow.
Dark Vader cannot breathe without his mask because his mask is connected to a life support system. His famous black armor suit covers this life-sustaining system. In Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith, Anakin Skywalker suffered severe burns and injuries after his lightsaber fight with Obi-Wan Kenobi.
The black and machine-like suit and helmet Darth Vader wears are actually his life-support system, created to artificially sustain his existence far beyond what should have been possible. His mask, which helps him breathe, was perhaps the most essential piece of this intricate biotechnological miracle.
Darth Vader's Suit Embeds Needles In His Skin
Unfortunately, these needles, which transmit neurological data throughout his body and allow him to control his limbs, also cause him constant pain. Between the never-ending itchiness and walking around with needles in his skin, it's no wonder he is so angry.
The electronics of the suit were sensitive to electrical discharges. Vader later added a limited amount of insulation to the suit after discovering this vulnerability.
Lord Vader was able to chew food, which he could consume while in his meditation chamber. While in the chamber, Vader could remove his helmet and consume regular food, which he preferred. Consuming food orally was the way he preferred eating.
This means that Vader has multiple suits. He just chooses not to change it, because doing so might remove Vader from his private cloister of brooding and meditation. This connection to the Dark Side, and not the physical armor he wears, makes Vader one of the most dangerous threats in the galaxy.
In the course of this, Obi-Wan slices off part of Vader's mask, revealing the disfigured face of Anakin to allow for an emotional tête-a-tete between the former friends (with Christensen's voice mixing with the modulated tones of Vader voice actor James Earl Jones).
Visions of Obi-Wan. The comic opens during the last moments of Revenge of the Sith, recreating the well-memed instance when a despondent, freshly-armored Vader cries out with a drawling “nooooooo” over how much he's lost.
But this epic showdown ended on an incomplete note, with Vader allowing Kenobi to escape with his life as a wall of fire separated the two characters.
By far, Skywalker's most infamous use of it was upon learning of the death of his wife, Padmé Amidala, after his transformation into Darth Vader. This caused him to involuntarily unleash a powerful Force scream of shame, rage, and grief, severely damaging the medical chamber and the droids within it.
Vader was always in dire need of his suit; that said, he needed it to fall asleep (especially his breathing mechanism) if he wanted to take a quick nap. When Vader did sleep, he was awoken soon after by a disturbing series of visions, sounds and pain, most of which including Obi-Wan or Padme.
In a Vanity Fair interview from 2005, George Lucas went deeper into why Anakin became much weaker as Vader. In the interview, he explained that because Anakin's limbs were severed and replaced by robotics, it was harder for him to use the Force than it was before his battle with Obi-Wan.
Why did Kylo Ren have a helmet? Ren's helmet was a symbolic reminder of his lineage as Darth Vader's grandson, serving no practical use in his life. Ren's helmet was designed to emulate that of his grandfather, the Sith Lord Darth Vader.
Luke told C-3PO he would be right along, but first lit fire to the armor in the hopes that the mistakes of Darth Vader would be shed and that the name of Anakin Skywalker would become a light to guide the new Jedi for generations.
It appeared that Darth Vader was more machine than we thought. His armor could be hacked and controlled by a device. In a turn of events, Darth Vader's right limb holding his dangerous scarlet lightsaber was moving of its own accord toward his neck. This was a dangerous weakness indeed.
During the Imperial Era, a human female nurse served the Galactic Empire on board the Death Star under the supervision of a doctor. They both served the Sith Lord Darth Vader as his personal medical caretakers. The nurse became obsessed and psychotically in love with the Dark Lord of the Sith.
Force lightning ability was not restricted to dark-siders. Jedi and other light-siders who were strong of will and character could learn this power without falling to the dark side—but its use was viewed as inherently corrupting, and most Jedi Councils forbade its use.