DIGITAL ART BOOK

WRITTEN BY: KELLY KNOX | COVER ARTWORK BY: STEPHEN TODD

 ART BOOK CREDITS
WRITER Kelly Knox
DESIGNER Leigh Zieske
MARKETING GROUP Elizabeth Walker, Michelle Halevi,
Sugeily Benitez, Sierra Carelock
MARKETING ART DIRECTOR Eric Tobiason
LUCASFILM STORY GROUP Matt Martin, Kelsey Sharpe

PROJECT CREDITS
DIRECTOR Ben Snow DIGITAL ART BOOK
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER & WRITER David S. Goyer
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Mark S. Miller
PRODUCER, EPISODE I Scott Matthews
PRODUCER, EPISODES II + III Alyssa Finley
PRODUCTION MANAGER Sarah Barrick TABLE OF CONTENTS
STORY BY David S. Goyer, Colin Mackie,
Ben Snow
Foreword by David S. Goyer....................3
NARRATIVE DESIGNER Mohen Leo
PRODUCTION DESIGNER Aaron McBride Introduction..................................................4
CONCEPT ARTISTS Stephen Todd, Russell Story, Brett Northcutt,
Luis Carrasco, Maciej Kuciara, Karl Lindberg, Characters....................................................5
Christian Alzmann, Erik Tiemens, Chris Voy,
Finnian Macmanus, Ben Grangereau, Episode I..................................................... 12
Evan Whitefield
STORYBOARD ARTIST Amy Beth Christenson Episode II................................................... 22
DESIGN DIRECTORS Colin Mackie, John Nguyen
Episode III.................................................. 32
ENVIRONMENT ART SUPERVISOR Steve Henricks
LUCASFILM STORY GROUP James Waugh, Matt Martin Index.............................................................41

FOREWORD
DAVID S. GOYER
When Lucasfilm first approached me about collaborating on a Star Wars VR project I
jumped at the chance. Very quickly, we settled on Vader as our "protagonist". In Star Wars:
Rogue One we glimpsed Vader’s home on Mustafar. I wondered what else was happening
in that monolith? What was Vader doing when he wasn’t Force-choking people on the
Emperor’s behalf? In Europe, many castles are built atop the foundations of previous, older
temples and structures. I started to wonder whether Vader or the Emperor had picked this
specific site on Mustafar for a reason? Why build your home in such an inhospitable place?
You wouldn’t—unless there was something on that site of particular value.
3
We knew there had been an indigenous race on Mustafar (we’d glimpsed them briefly
in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith). I was excited about the possibility of doing a deeper
dive into Mustafar’s backstory and adding to the greater Star Wars lore. What were the
Mustafarians’ beliefs? What was their culture like? If an older fortress existed on this site,
who lived there and why? This lead me to develop the characters of Lady Corvax and Lord
Dorwin, whose tragic history in some ways mirrored Anakin and Padmé's
One of the most thrilling aspects of the development process involved a visit to the
Lucasfilm archives. There’s a treasure trove of concept art there by some of the greats
like Ralph McQuarrie and Doug Chiang (who is now the Vice President & Executive
Creative Director, Star Wars). Many of these ideas never made it into the original films and
we were encouraged to use or adapt them. Once new ideas started flowing, Ben Snow
(our director) and I were given access to an army of illustrators under Doug’s guidance,
who created a slew of contemporary concept art (some of which is represented here).
The creation of Vader Immortal was an iterative collaboration between Doug’s team and
ourselves. Sometimes, I would write a concept into the drafts and the illustrators would
iterate on it. Other times, the illustrators would come up with something on their own
and ask me whether or not I saw a way to organically fit it into the story. The process was
exhilarating and joyful. Probably the most fun I’ve ever had working on a project. I was
like a kid in a candy store.
For the legion of Star Wars fans who’ve immersed themselves in Vader Immortal, I want
to thank you for joining us on this journey. We made Vader Immortal for you. But we also
made it for ourselves—because we count ourselves amongst you!
David S. Goyer
 4

INTRODUCTION
It began in the shadowy halls of Vader’s castle....

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was in the middle of production in 2016 as ILMxLAB,
Lucasfilm’s immersive entertainment studio, was ramping up. As the interior of the
foreboding fortress on Mustafar took shape for filming, one single question inspired a
new form of Star Wars storytelling.
What if you could explore Darth Vader’s castle and uncover some of his secrets?
David S. Goyer, writer of the first location-based Star Wars virtual reality experience,
Secrets of the Empire, was brought on board the project as writer and executive
producer alongside ILMxLAB’s Mark S. Miller. It was the beginning of a long process
that would culminate in the creation of Vader Immortal.
ILMxLAB, Lucasfilm’s Advanced Development Group, Story Group, Skywalker Sound,
Epic Games, and Oculus Studios created an experience to give Star Wars fans a
chance to go through the screen and into a part of the galaxy far, far away.
“Who hasn’t wanted to look inside an Imperial hangar and walk along the corridors of
[Vader’s] castle? Or stand on the bridge of your own ship?” asked Snow. “An important
part of the story is that you are part of the story.”
Gather your courage and get ready to take your first steps into a darker world.
Darth Vader’s world.

Vader Immortal is an authentic Star Wars story that can only be experienced in virtual
reality, combining action and exploration to tell a riveting tale. “Storytelling in virtual
reality is one of the most exciting things for us [and] exploring is part of that,” says
director Ben Snow. “We need people to have a moment to breathe. We need to let
them look around, enjoy stepping into Star Wars and being in Star Wars.”

Not only was there an original story of the Dark Lord of the Sith to craft and develop,
but virtual reality also presented its own challenges.

“VR is still a really young medium so, with every project, we experiment and learn,”
ILMxLAB’s Mohen Leo said. “With Vader Immortal, we really wanted to push
connection to characters and narrative between multiple experiences. So you’re not
just visiting an iconic place from a movie; you get to meet iconic characters like Darth
Vader face-to-face.”
ALL CHARACTERS IMAGE
 6
ZO-E3 “Captain, whatever happens, it’s been a good run.”

ZO-E3—or Zoe for short—is the Windfall’s

wisecracking copilot and the protagonist’s
trusty companion for this adventure. Zoe
makes an immediate impression. Actor
and comedian Maya Rudolph plays the
unforgettable droid, who was created with
Rudolph specifically in mind.
Zoe and the captain have a long history
of getting into scrapes across the galaxy
together and have formed a tight bond over
the years. The droid might be opportunistic
and slightly snarky, but she always looks
out for her friends.
Concept Artist Aaron McBride worked on
several iterations of the droid companion. with what exactly your co-pilot was going
“In earlier versions, you were part of the to be like,” Mark S. Miller said. “We literally
Empire, like an envoy,” McBride recalled. scoured through pages and pages of art
“This droid would be your yeoman or your from Star Wars movies, The Clone Wars,
military secretary. As the story evolved, you and animated projects and looked at all
weren’t part of the Empire, you were more the different droid designs that have been
of a rogue adventurer-type character. Zoe done over the years. We decided to do an
became more of a sidekick, and we had a amalgam of what we wanted.”
lot more freedom to play around.” McBride looked at some beloved droids
The design of Zoe started with practi- to piece Zoe together. “You can recognize
cality in mind. She needed maneuverability R2-D2’s leg as her bicep, L3-37’s right arm,
and vertical capabilities to keep up with the and a protocol droid’s left arm,” he said.
player, so the ability to hover was a must. “You’re not quite sure what type of droid she
Then the team turned to other sources in was originally, but you’ve repaired her over
the galaxy far, far away for more inspiration. time with bits and pieces of other droids.
“We had a lot of fun trying to come up She has a collage quality to her.”
 7
ADMIRAL KARIUS “In a moment, Darth Vader, lord of this monolith, will give you
a task which you will undoubtedly fail.”

The haughty Admiral Gable Karius is part

machine after his years of service to the
Galactic Empire left his body battered and
wounded. On Mustafar he’s second in
command and answers only to Darth Vader.
Intimidating, cold, and merciless, the Admiral
holds no sympathy for the protagonist or
ZO-E3. He’s loyal to the Empire through and
through, no matter the cost.
The Imperial officer’s striking design
was inspired by another iconic Lucasfilm
franchise. “Karius was really fun,” said
Concept Artist Aaron McBride. “The idea
was to make him super imposing and
super scary. The cool thing was there is an
old concept for the character of Toht from
Raiders of the Lost Ark done by Ron Cobb.
Originally, Toht was going to have half a
mechanical face and a mechanical arm.
I wanted to pay homage to that because I
thought it was a cool idea.”
“We knew we wanted Admiral Karius
to have a checkered past, suggested by
the fact that he’s lost part of his face and
his arm in battle,” recalled Mark S. Miller.
“He’s kind of a weathered general, angry
that he’s been stationed here on the
always dangerous assignment of being in
command of Vader’s castle.”
 8
DARTH VADER “You may wonder why I have brought you here.”

“When we thought about what we could do

in VR, we thought, who would you want to
meet if you had the chance to step inside
of Star Wars?” said Director Ben Snow. “Or
who would you fear to meet, maybe?”
The answer to both questions, of course,
is Darth Vader. Only he could be so bold.
The designers of Vader Immortal
endeavored to include just the right
amount of the Dark Lord of the Sith to
preserve his menace and mystique over the
course of three episodes of the immersive
experience. As development on the
project began, the team asked themselves
more questions about capturing the iconic
character’s aura within virtual reality to
strike an ideal balance.
“What is it like to be next to this very
large, looming dark character that we
all know super well?” posed Production
Manager Sarah Barrick. “Can we get that
same feeling in VR? If you’re next to him,
does he feel imposing?”
There are ancient secrets on Mustafar
that Darth Vader has sought for years, but
he doesn’t get any closer to unraveling
them—until the day he meets a seemingly
unremarkable ship captain in the depths
of his castle.
 9
BLACK BISHOP “What you seek is finally within your grasp.”

The Black Bishop is an enigmatic being

trapped between life and death. While his
intricately embroidered robes still lend him
an air of nobility, the Bishop’s shrouded face
is a stark reminder that the dark creature is
something unnatural.
“We were always fascinated by the
partially transparent veil that the Black
Bishop wore,” recalled Mark S. Miller, “and
how much we could suggest there. How
creepy could we make him without making
him too scary?”
The Black Bishop was once Lord Dorwin
Corvax, a warrior who lived on Mustafar
millennia before. Mortally wounded in
battle, his wife was desperate to bring
her true love back to her. Lady Corvax
unleashed a terrible power that altered
Mustafar and changed the very nature of
his existence. Corvax’s fate was irrevocably
tied to the shattered planet.
 10
V YLIP FAL M A “You must escape this planet.”

Loremaster of the Mustafarians living in the

caverns below the molten surface, Vylip
Falma is the keeper of his clan’s history. He
is the first friendly face the captain and Zoe
encounter in Vader’s castle.
Although the Mustafarian is masked with
a breathing apparatus, Vylip is expressive
and passionate. He might be a historian,
but he’s also not afraid to get his hands dirty
when it comes to protecting his people. He
gives the protagonist and Zoe a totem and
entreats them to find the Priestess in the
gloomy caves below.
 11
PRIESTESS “Fate has chosen you.”

The regal Priestess is the spiritual leader of

her clan. She has a mysterious connection
to the Force, which she draws upon to share
a striking vision of the past. The history and
lore of Mustafar live on through her.
The design of the Priestess’s robes comes
alive with rough-hewn textures, beads,
and variations of blue and purple. Her
headpiece went through several changes in
the concept phase until the team found just
the right design. “Once we came up with the
iconic crescent shape of the Bright Star, we
wanted to incorporate it into the Priestess’s
headpiece,” Mark S. Miller said.
 13

“A word of advice. Do not anger Vader.” —Admiral Karius

As Vader Immortal begins, you find yourself in the shoes of a ship captain making your
way through the galaxy with your trusty droid companion, ZO-E3, at your side. Your ship,
the Windfall, shudders as it’s abruptly dragged out of hyperspace. The Galactic Empire
has found you. You’re escorted to the surface of Mustafar, a volcanic planet in the Outer
Rim. In the gloom of a prison in the depths of a foreboding fortress, you meet the imposing
Admiral Karius. Then, Darth Vader himself steps out of the shadows in a heart-pounding
encounter you’ll never forget.

“We got a glimpse of Vader’s castle in Rogue One. What is he up to there? What is he going
through there?” said Director Ben Snow. “We get to sneak around and zoom in on some
moments that you wouldn’t normally get to see.”

The Dark Lord of the Sith tasks you with unlocking a one of a kind artifact. As the
configuration opens, it identifies you as a descendant of Lady Corvax, a Force-sensitive
ruler of the once thriving planet who lived centuries ago. She stole the Mustafarians’ Bright
Star, a powerful and sacred object, to bring her husband Dorwin Corvax back to life. The
result was catastrophic.

“Mustafar was once a verdant and green world, and this fortress harkens back to that
time—thousands of years before the films we know,” Lucasfilm Creative Executive Matt
Martin said. “The Bright Star is, in part, responsible for turning Mustafar from the lush
green world of the ancient past into the fiery hellscape we first saw in Revenge of the Sith
and later in Rogue One.”

Darth Vader now seeks the Bright Star for his own purposes, and you’re the only one
who can retrieve it for him. After you escape the Empire’s clutches, a priestess of
Mustafar asks you to find the Bright Star and risk everything to return it to her people
instead. This unexpected path will take you into the depths of the castle with the Dark
Lord of the Sith at your side.

“This is a hidden area of the fortress that hasn’t really been explored,” said Snow.
“The Mustafarians know of it through legend. It’s a good chance to poke around in an
unexplored part of Star Wars.”
STORYBOAR D 14

During its initial design phase, the Star

Wars VR project was given the tongue-
in-cheek working title “Weekend at Ani’s.”
Mohen Leo created a visual outline of story
beats overlaid on the landscape to show
progression through the environment. As
character locations and interactions were
laid out in a rough storyboard, Vader
Immortal came to life.
“This was the first time we’d created
something like this, a visual roadmap
of where we wanted the project to go
creatively,” said Sarah Barrick.

THE WINDFALL
Exterior
The captain and ZO-E3 call the Windfall
home. The small ship has seen its fair
share of adventures but is well cared for
and expertly maintained. It also boasts
plenty of storage for completely legitimate
business opportunities.
The Windfall is pieced together with
makeshift parts. “We did as much as we
could visually to separate it from its Imperial
surroundings,” said Concept Artist Stephen
Todd. “We had cool lighting in the hangar
and an earth-toned, beaten up scrapy-
ard-assembled ship that was out of place.
The two different worlds clash.”
THE WINDFALL 15

Interior
“Early in Episode I is the only time we get to
really get into who you are, where you come
from, and your relationship with ZO-E3,”
said Executive Producer Mark S. Miller. “The
objects we have in your personal quarters,
which you get a few moments to look at,
give the backstory of where you’ve just
come from and where you were heading
before you’re so rudely grabbed out of
hyperspace.”
Concept Artist Stephen Todd found just
the right balance between the character and
person controlling them in these ship interior
pieces. “We wanted the ship to reflect not
the personality of the player, but what their
job was,” he said. “They were someone who
was scrappy, a collector of things that might
not be what most people collect, and made
do with what they have. The fun part was
creating things that look like they have a
purpose, but they really don’t.”
EARLY CONCEPT ART 16

MAPS AND CROSS SECTIONS

Vader Immortal begins in the far reaches of
the Outer Rim and takes you to the molten
surface of Mustafar and into the ruined
depths below Fortress Vader. These early
castle plans and cross sections illustrated
by Erik Tiemens gave the designers an idea
of how these locations could be connected
to each other and traversed in virtual reality.
“We needed this to map out the journey
since we’re on a room-to-room exploration
as we go through Vader’s castle and
beyond,” Mark S. Miller recalled. “This
explained it all.”
 17
Statues and Bas Relief
Early environmental studies focused on
establishing the ambience of the ruins
below Fortress Vader. These pieces hint at
the hidden past of the iconic planet that’s
revealed as the story unfolds. Speckled
stones in the statues and gleaming gold in
the bas relief—which hides a surprise—add
compelling details.
“The sentries’ attack is the first time
that you sense that this castle is a danger,”
Concept Artist Stephen Todd said of the
droids concealed in the walls. “We had
been hinting at it the whole time by setting
the mood with the atmosphere and lighting,
and of course its association with Darth
Vader. We had the idea, what if we had a
decorative element that didn’t appear to be
a threat, but then came out at you? We were
trying to create something beautiful that
would surprise you.”
 18
Training Room
The captain and ZO-E3 find a lot more than
they bargained for when they enter Darth
Vader’s personal training room. The plucky
pair are attacked by a deadly but oddly
helpful training droid designed to challenge
a Dark Lord of the Sith.
“We had fun coming up with a bunch of
different ideas of what kind of weapons
that droid would have and what its configu-
ration was,” Mark S. Miller said. “The minute
we saw this droid character, we knew
[Lucasfilm’s] Pablo Hidalgo had to voice it.”
The training room was such a breath-
taking experience in the first episode that it
quickly inspired a new side project, Vader
Immortal’s Lightsaber Dojo. Potential Jedi
who wanted to flex their Force skills in VR
could concentrate on taking on escalating
challenges separate from the story.
“That was so much fun that we decided
we wanted to let people have a longer shot
at it,” said Ben Snow. “We put a lot of work
into making the lightsaber feel [realistic]. Lift
it up to your ear, you can hear it.”
VISION 19

The enigmatic Priestess finally has some

answers for Zoe and the captain. The
Mustafarian leader shares the long history
of the planet, which was once lush and
peaceful, and the unforgettable tale of Lord
and Lady Corvax.
“We had a lot of early conversations about
what sort of animation style and rendering
styles we wanted to bring to these vision
sequences,” Mark S. Miller said.
The team eventually decided to use
an animation tool called Quill to set the
past of Mustafar distinctly apart from the
present. The result is a striking story that
unfolds before your eyes in a dazzling,
painterly style.
CORVA XIAN DROIDS 20

The captain and Darth Vader form an As for the setting of the confrontation,
uneasy alliance as they descend into the designers faced a few challenges fitting a
Corvax castle ruins below the fortress. medieval castle into the galaxy far, far away.
Ancient Corvaxian droids emerge from “We found a reference of an opera
shadowy niches in the walls, programmed house in Berlin by an architect named Hans
to guard the secrets buried beneath the Poelzig from around the turn of the century,”
surface of Mustafar. said McBride. “It had this elongated pill
“Early on we were calling them kyber shape similar to the motifs that are in Star
golems,” said Concept Artist Aaron Wars, but it was repetitive. It was a nice
McBride. “You would almost get the feeling bridge of Ralph McQuarrie’s work and gave
that there was a furnace inside with the it the feeling of an ancient, gothic-looking
kyber crystal that would power them. They cathedral that we were trying to achieve.”
also had a spear that had superheated
kyber on the tip.”
The droid sentries tower above the
unlucky troopers and Darth Vader in this
concept art but were ultimately scaled
down for more manageable combat
mechanics. “We made these very tall,
elongating the limbs,” McBride said. “The
head and the torso are taken from the
shape language of an old Joe Johnston
sketch for The Empire Strikes Back.”
ELE VATOR BAT TLE 21

Lightsabers hum and sparks fly as the

Corvaxian sentries unleash their attacks
while the elevator descends. “While you’re
busy defending yourself,” said Mark S. Miller,
“you can see Darth Vader methodically
mowing through the Sentry droids with all of
his powers on display.”
“We thought it would be cool if the
death troopers, established in Rogue One
as super elite Imperial troopers, were no
match for these ancient droids to make it
a little scarier,” Aaron McBride recalled.
“That’s why we had a lot of death troopers
in these pieces, to show how powerful the
Corvax droids were. What could be intimi-
dating to not only death troopers, but also
to Darth Vader?”
Concept Artist Stephen Todd focused not
only on the action but on the combatants’
surroundings as well. “We were trying to hide
as much as possible in these environments
to keep that dark and foreboding sense,”
he said. “These classic pill-shaped interiors
look similar to the lights in the Death Star
in the way they’re arranged, but with just
enough spin so that they’re familiar, yet
different, for a horror twist on it. We inverted
the white light into a pit of darkness.”
 23

“Your training begins now.” —Darth Vader

Reach out your hand and prepare to grasp your destiny as an apprentice of Darth Vader!
The Dark Lord of the Sith needs you to get what he wants. And if you want to survive, you’ll
need the Force. Everything you learn will be tested as you descend into the depths of a
castle once shining and prosperous, but now filled only with darkness and ruin.

“Vader is one of the most powerful practitioners of the Force,” remarked Ben Snow. “In
some ways, who better to teach us? He’s approaching it from the dark side—the training is
a little different than we would have gotten with Master Yoda.”

Darth Vader and his unlikely student enter the ancient castle of Lord and Lady Corvax in
search of the mysterious Bright Star.

“Mustafar has its own powerful crystals that powered their technology,” Snow says. “The
Bright Star is one of those, but so exceptionally powerful that it was revered as a holy
relic by the Mustafarian tribe we meet in Vader Immortal. Its power had attracted the
attention of Lady Corvax, with disastrous results, and legend has it that she locked it
away deep in the fortress.”

There’s more than just a mysterious relic waiting in the gloom below. A terrifying roar
echoes across the caverns, and the earth trembles in response. What is waiting for you in
the shadows of Mustafar?
CORVA X C A STLE 24

Message Room
Motes of dust float in the stale air inside the
ancient Corvax castle. Darth Vader awaits
the captain in an unsettling chamber, where
a voice from the past travels through the
centuries to speak to a future descendant.
“This room is inspired by ancient India
combined with Star Wars designs with
basic shapes,” said Concept Artist Stephen
Todd, “and trying to make it look as dark and
foreboding as possible. We were going for
something strange and it was fun playing
with the lighting.”
 25
Crypt
Lord Corvax’s tomb lies in a vast room at
the end of a treacherous path through the
castle. An unmoving army of Corvaxian
droid sentinels stands at the entrance to
his crypt. Inside, soft blue light illuminates
the statuesque guards keeping watch over
the fallen warrior.
“What was great about this project as a
whole is that they let us run with it, have
fun with it, and use a lot of horror elements
as an inspiration,” said Stephen Todd. “We
wanted to go dark, darker than where
most Star Wars projects had gone.”
 26
Ancient History
Before Lord Corvax was trapped between
life and death as the Black Bishop, he
fought in a momentous battle on the grassy
landscape of Mustafar.
“It was a technical challenge to get the
look of the tapestry,” recalled Concept Artist
Stephen Todd. “It tells the story of Corvax’s
army fighting an invasion with Lady Corvax
leading the way. We wanted her to have
just as much significance, if not more. We
tried to keep it a little ambiguous—are they
the good guys?—and let the player fill in
their own story.”
BRIGHT STAR 27

The spiral-shaped crystal glows with a

powerful energy that Darth Vader intends
to harness for his own selfish goals. Lady
Corvax tried to wield the power herself “Vader seeks the Bright Star. He must not succeed.
and destroyed almost all life on Mustafar I have glimpsed a terrible future where he controls its power.
in the process. Worlds, entire galaxies, will crumble in his grasp.”
“We used a simple shape that’s also
—Black Bishop
unique and implies a greater power,”
Concept Artist Stephen Todd said of the
Bright Star. “We wanted something that you
didn’t know what it was for immediately, but
you know it’s very useful.”
PL AYER ITE M S 28

The captain and ZO-E3 find a few valuable

items over the course of their adventure,
including a hydrospanner the duo use in a
prison break and a green-bladed lightsaber
taken from an unknown Jedi Knight.
The glowing Mustafarian totem Vylip
gives to the captain and Zoe not only helps
the pair in their search for the Priestess—it
also makes a stylish accessory that Zoe
wears proudly on her chest. Its final design
is indicated by the letter B.
LOR D CORVA X’S LIGHT SWOR D 29

Lord Corvax’s light sword acts as both key

and weapon in the hands of his descendant.
Its unusual metal hilt and distinctive
crackling give the Corvax sword an archaic
feel. While early concept art depicted the
weapon with a glowing yellow blade, the
light sword emits an electric blue blade in
its final version.

"Take my light sword from the statue. It will unlock the

Bright Star. Return the Bright Star to the Mustafarians and
I may be freed from this curse.”
—Black Bishop
CR E ATUR ES 30

Darkghast
The darkghast looks similar to a classic
creature first seen in Star Wars: Return
of the Jedi, the rancor. This one prowls
beneath the surface of Mustafar. “It’s
been lurking in the ruins,” revealed Ben
Snow, “crawling around the fortress and
surviving on other creatures. But food is
scarce, and it’s hungry.”
Early concept art features menacing
mandibles on both sides of the predator’s
face. “I was playing with the idea of it being
somewhere in between a spider monkey
and a spider,” said Concept Artist Aaron
McBride. “It had four arms and two legs so
it could move vertically like a spider. It was
almost like an arachnid rancor. It could go up
and down narrow crevices.”
The finalized darkghast closely resembles
the rancor Star Wars fans are familiar with,
but with a few differences as the creatures
adapted to their volcanic home.
“Because the intent was to make it an
experience similar to confronting the rancor,
the darkghast has a tough hide,” McBride
said. “The idea was that the hide was more
calcified because of the heat of the lava; it
also protected it against that. The head is
more bulbous, like a beluga, to take it away
from the rancor a little bit.”
 31
Other Wildlife
Mustafar is home to variations of wildlife
found across the galaxy as well as some
unique indigenous species.
Lava spitters, one native species, were
created specifically for Vader Immortal.
“These lava spitters were designed and
developed for the dojo,” said Mark S. Miller,
“because we wanted to make something
nice and ugly that wouldn’t make you feel
bad about slicing them in half.”
Mynocks made their unforgettable debut
in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. The
parasitic creatures are drawn to sources of
energy, even in places as foreboding as
Vader’s castle. “The mynocks tied us into
the Star Wars universe,” Miller said. “When
we started talking about flora and fauna we
could have, they were one of the first things
we thought of.”
Monstrous lava fleas, a Mustafar native
species first seen in Star Wars: Revenge of
the Sith, crawl along the surface alongside
stormtroopers in this early exploratory art.
“At one point we were going to feature
these lava fleas in the story, but they didn’t
fit in the final structure,” Miller said. “We
ended up using them extensively in our
location-based VR experience Secrets of
the Empire.”
Mustafarian bats beat their leathery wings
in a hazy chamber deep within the Corvax
castle. Darth Vader is unfazed.
 33

“Fate chose you for a reason.” —The Priestess

It’s time to face Darth Vader once and for all.

The Bright Star is in his clutches. You must risk everything to stop the Dark Lord of the Sith
from destroying the remaining life on Mustafar by activating the Aeon Engine. But you’re
not alone. You have ZO-E3, the Mustafarians, and an entire droid army on your side for one
final confrontation.

Everything you’ve seen and learned in Episode I and Episode II come together in an
explosive conclusion.

“Over the course of three episodes we got to go from an outside view in the initial swoop
down to Mustafar to being in the deepest bowels of the planet underneath the castle,” said
Producer Alyssa Finley.

With a high-speed chase on skiffs, an epic showdown with Admiral Karius, and a
monumental clash of lightsabers with Darth Vader himself, Episode III is absolutely
action-packed. It’s also the culmination of a story that gives Star Wars fans the chance to
feel like they’re making an impact in the galaxy far, far away.

“This has been one of the best experiences of my career, and many on our crew feel the
same way,” Director Ben Snow said. “Vader Immortal has shown that there is an appetite
for this type of storytelling in virtual reality, and we’re so happy that people have enjoyed
it as much as they have.”
THE M ARCHING HOR DE
The Corvaxian droid army, known as the
Marching Horde, stands at the ready in
this early concept art. The age-old droids
respond only to the descendants of Lord
and Lady Corvax and the signals of the light
sword in their hand.
Parts of the decayed castle were inspired
by an eighteenth-century Italian artist named
Giovanni Piranesi, whose detailed drawings
often depicted Roman buildings destroyed
by armies and reclaimed by nature.
34
“You had this beautiful erosion and
manmade destruction,” said Concept Artist
Stephen Todd. “The ruins get sacked by
man and then sacked by nature. We had his
drawings of the Colosseum; it’s hauntingly
beautiful. We wanted to illuminate this
place with low lighting and the Corvax army
arranged to give them a purpose.”
THE A SCENT 35

After a daring skiff chase with stormtroopers

in pursuit, Zoe and the captain ascend from
the ruins to Vader’s castle. The path to the
ancient castle was originally designed as a
long elevator ride from top to bottom and
vice versa before the skiff sequence was
conceived.
“This is the excavation underneath
Vader’s castle. The huge, monolithic pillars
you can see in the background are actually
holding the castle up,” said Concept Artist
Russell Story. “We tried to make it feel like
the Death Star when it was being rebuilt,
although this is being built downwards. We
took a lot of the shapes from models that
had been made for the original Star Wars
and used those for the same feeling.”
“What Star Wars does very well is
having a single shape tell the story,”
agreed Concept Artist Stephen Todd.
“The Death Star is essentially a sphere;
the lightsaber is essentially a cylinder.
Vader’s castle is a triangle that adds a few
nice angles to accentuate it. We wanted
to mirror that. Instead of a dome on top
of Corvax’s castle, there’s an octagonal
shape with no complex curves. We looked
at pyramids for inspiration.”
HANGAR 36

The captain and ZO-E3 are reunited with the

Windfall in the Imperial hangar. The action
ramps up as the air sizzles with blaster
bolts and the Marching Horde unleashes
their assault. They also run into another
old friend, Admiral Karius, in a TIE fighter
face-off inspired by the theatrical trailer for
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
“Everyone on the team said, ‘We gotta
put that in!’” said Mark S. Miller. “It inspired
us to have a battle against a TIE fighter
and also became a cool way to take Karius
out for good.”
Concept Artist Russell Story painted
the spectacular scene. “It was really fun to
do,” he said. “It was supposed to feel very
imposing; you’re on this tiny walkway and
there’s no way for you to escape except for
trying to go through Karius.”
THE FINAL BAT TLE 37

Inside Vader’s Castle

This early concept art shows a landing pad
at the top of Vader’s castle. “This was a
test we did to concept the game for virtual
reality,” said Concept Artist Stephen Todd.
“If you loaded this into a VR headset, you
could experience it. This was about getting
the mood in the beginning of development,
showing off the world and the scale, and
playing off what we saw in Rogue One.”
Another foreboding area of the fortress,
Darth Vader’s meditation chamber, was also
explored in the early stages of development.
 38
Showdown
The final battle takes place at the top of
Vader’s Castle as the Aeon Engine draws
life energy from the planet. Darth Vader’s
obsession with bringing back his true love,
Padmé Amidala, is within his reach—at the
cost of every living thing on Mustafar. Can
he be stopped before it’s too late?
“We wanted almost a Shakespearean
moment in these pieces,” Concept Artist
Stephen Todd says. “You’re coming
face-to-face with Darth Vader and you
have these last few moments you have to
overcome. We wanted to create a space
where you felt trapped inside the castle.
Everything is waiting for you outside if you
can just get away.”
 39
Storyboard
This early storyboard of Episode III is the
start of the end. With the Aeon Engine and
Bright Star destroyed, the life current returns
to Mustafar in this step-by-step outline.
CONCLUSION 40

The danger has passed and a brighter future

lies ahead for the planet of Mustafar. The
captain and ZO-E3 are safely together again
on board the Windfall. Where will their next
adventures lead them?
INDE X 41

Foreword.....................................................................3 Bottom Left: Mustafarian face design, Jonathan Sabella Maps and Cross sections......................................16
Mustafar, Brett Northcutt Top Right: Vylip Expressions, Karl Lindberg Top Left: Interior cross section, Erik Tiemens
Introduction.................................................................4 Bottom Right: Mustafarian, Luis Carrasco Top Right: sketch, Erik Tiemens
Training Stones, Stephen Todd Priestess.....................................................................11 Bottom Left: Corvax castle elevation, Erik Tiemens
Characters ..................................................................5 Top Left: Priestess Final, Eric Tobiason Bottom Right: Corvax castle interior, Erik Tiemens
PSVR Retail Jacket, Eric Tobiason Bottom Left: Priestess and warriors, Luis Carrasco Statues and Bas Relief........................................... 17
ZO-E3...........................................................................6 Middle Top: Priestess design 1, Luis Carrasco Top Left: Sanctum droid column, Stephen Todd
Top Left: ZO-E3 final, Eric Tobiason Middle: Priestess design 2, Luis Carrasco Top Right: Bas relief, Aaron McBride
Top Right: ZO-E3v6, Aaron McBride Middle Bottom: Priestess design 3, Luis Carrasco Bottom Left: Statue Corvax, Luis Carrasco
Bottom: ZO-E3v6, Aaron McBride Right: Mustafarian scarification, Karl Lindberg Bottom Right: Statue death, Luis Carrasco
Admiral Karius............................................................7 Training Room..........................................................18
Left: Karius final, Eric Tobiason Episode I Top: Training dojo terrace, Stephen Todd
Top: Karius concept, Aaron McBride Episode I ...................................................................12 Top Left: Training room droids, Finnian MacManus
Bottom: Karius keyframe, Aaron McBride Key Art, Eric Tobiason Bottom Left: Training dojo, Stephen Todd
Darth Vader.................................................................8 Introduction.............................................................. 13 Bottom Right: Training dojo, Stephen Todd
Top Left: Karius final, Eric Tobiason Dojo lighting, Stephen Todd Vision..........................................................................19
Top Right: Vader slaughter, Luis Carrasco Storyboard................................................................14 Top: Storyboard, Chris Voy
Bottom: Force Training, Russell Story Weekend at Ani's, Mohen Leo Bottom Left: Corvax vision 1, Chris Voy
Black Bishop...............................................................9 The Windfall Exterior.............................................14 Bottom Middle: Corvax vision 2, Chris Voy
Left: Black Bishop final, Eric Tobiason Hero ship Hangar, Stephen Todd Bottom Right: Corvax vision 3, Chris Voy
Top: Vader + Bishop, Maciej Kuciara The Windfall Interior...............................................15 Corvaxian Droids.................................................... 20
Bottom Left: Black Bishop Concept, Christian Alzmann Top: Ship interior details, Stephen Todd Top Left: Kyber Golems A, Aaron McBride
Bottom Right: Black Bishop, Karl Lindberg Bottom Left: Back bench, Stephen Todd Top Right: Corvax droid, Aaron McBride
Vylip Falma................................................................10 Bottom Middle: Front desk, Stephen Todd Bottom Left: Corvax droid close up, Luis Carrasco
Top Left: Vylip Falma final, Eric Tobiason Bottom Right: Front section, Stephen Todd Bottom Right: Kyber Golems B, Aaron McBride
INDE X 42

Elevator Battle..........................................................21 Top Left: Player saber, Maciej Kuciara The Ascent............................................................... 35
Top: Elevator fight, Stephen Todd Top Right: Player gloves, Luis Carrasco Top Left: Reliquary, Stephen Todd
Top Left: Elevator battle top, Stephen Todd Bottom Left: Mustafarian totem, Luis Carrasco Top Right: Excavation top, Russell Story
Bottom Left: Sanctum elevator, Stephen Todd Bottom Right: Multitool, Ben Grangereau Bottom: Excavation descent, Russell Story
Bottom Right: Elevator battle, Stephen Todd Lord Corvax’s Light Sword................................... 29 The Hangar.............................................................. 36
Left: Protosaber, Stephen Todd Top: Karius Tie fighter, Russell Story
Episode II Right: Protosaber hilt, Eric Tobiason Bottom Left: Hangar angle 2, Ben Grangereau
Episode II ................................................................. 22 Creatures.................................................................. 30 Bottom Right: Hanger battle, Stephen Todd
Key Art, Eric Tobiason Top: Darghast fight, Aaron McBride The Final Battle....................................................... 37
Introduction.............................................................. 23 Bottom Left: Darghast close up, Aaron McBride Top: Inquisitor arrival keyframe, Stephen Todd
Sanctum gate, Stephen Todd Bottom Right: Darghast pit, Stephen Todd Bottom Left: Meditation chamber A, Stephen Zavala
Corvax castle........................................................... 24 Other Wildlife............................................................31 Bottom Right: Meditation chamber B, Stephen Zavala
Top: Message room 1, Stephen Todd Top Left: Lava spitter, Evan Whitefield Showdown................................................................ 38
Bottom: Message room 2, Stephen Todd Middle Left: Mynock head, Luis Carrasco Top: Vader battle close up, Stephen Todd
Crypt.......................................................................... 25 Middle: Mynock mouth, Luis Carrasco Bottom: Meditation chamber fight, Stephen Todd
Top: Crypt tomb, Stephen Todd Top Right: Lava flea, Christian Alzmann Storyboard............................................................... 39
Bottom: Crypt rear, Stephen Todd Bottom: Corvax statues, Aaron McBride Storyboard, Amy Beth Christenson
Ancient History....................................................... 26 Conclusion............................................................... 40
Top: Tapestry, Stephen Todd Episode III Mustafar, Brett Northcutt
Bottom Left: Lord Corvax, Maciej Kuciara Episode III ................................................................ 32
Bottom Right: Corvax battle, Maciej Kuciara Key Art, Eric Tobiason
Bright Star................................................................. 27 Introduction.............................................................. 33
Top: Crystal v002, Stephen Todd Vader monolith, Stephen Todd
Bottom: Bright star crypt, Stephen Todd The Marching Horde.............................................. 34
Player Items.............................................................. 28 Sanctum collesium, Stephen Todd