Darth Vader also appears in numerous iterations of the "Star Wars" Expanded Universe including television series (most substantially ""), video games, novels, literature and comic books. Darth Vader has become one of the most iconic villains in popular culture, and has been listed among the greatest villains and fictional characters ever. The American Film Institute listed him as the third greatest movie villain in cinema history on "100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains", behind Hannibal Lecter and Norman Bates. His role as a tragic hero in the prequel trilogy was met with mixed reviews. In the first draft of "The Star Wars",
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace Lucas decided the movies would work best as a trilogy. In the final act of the trilogy's final episode, "Return of the Jedi", Vader is ultimately redeemed through an act of sacrifice for Luke. This was in 1983, more than six years since the release of "Star Wars". Lucas admitted to being "burned out" and announced he would take a break from working on the saga. Throughout the 1980s, George Lucas remarked he had no desire to return to "Star Wars" and had unofficially canceled his sequel trilogy by the time of "Return of the Jedi". Because Lucas had developed