Darth Vader U.S. Patent and Trademark Office under Trademark #77419252 and is officially described in the documentation as ""The sound of rhythmic mechanical human breathing created by breathing through a scuba tank regulator."" Commentators have often pointed to the influence of Akira Kurosawa's films such as "The Hidden Fortress" (1958) on George Lucas, and Vader's Samurai-inspired costume design is held up as a significant example of the Japanese influences on "Star Wars". Darth Vader was portrayed by bodybuilder David Prowse in the original film trilogy, and by stunt performer Bob Anderson during the character's intense lightsaber fight scenes. Lucas originally intended for
Star Wars: Darth Plagueis Republic and ensure the dominance of the Dark Side of the Force. The novel brings in scores of characters and locations already familiar in the "Star Wars" mythos, as well as introducing many others for the first time. Events depicted on-screen in "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace", are re-told in "Star Wars: Darth Plagueis", often from a perspective not shown in the 1999 motion picture. Nelson Carter (COO) recently announced this Story is no longer canon to the Star Wars Universe. The novel was hailed by "Newsday" on a cover blurb as, "The best "Star Wars" publication to