When Anakin Skywalker finally winds up in his iconic Darth Vader suit at the end of Star Wars: Episode III—Revenge Of The Sith, his initial reaction is not at all positive. Even with his boss and most loyal friend standing just a few feet away, he delivers an impassioned and unmistakable review of his new, permanent outfit.
There’s just no pleasing some people. Never mind that this is the look that will inspire countless action figures and other merchandise, not to mention plenty of cool late-’70s van art. Perhaps, though, Anakin was just expressing some fiscal responsibility. As it turns out, that iconic suit would cost a shit-ton of money in the real world. Inspired by this article at Centives, the number crunchers at Shade Station have calculated the cost of the suit at a whopping $18.3 million. To help break down that figure down, they have prepared a snazzy little infographic showing exactly where all that cash went.
Yikes. The costs are adding up quickly. Star Wars fanatics will remember that poor, whiny Anakin lost both of his legs and one of his arms at the end of Revenge Of The Sith, so immediately, prosthetic limbs become an issue. Those don’t come cheap, and one has to consider maintenance and upkeep as well. Vader can’t breathe worth a damn either, so the damned suit has to have a built-in respirator, too. And that “augmented reality” helmet of his with those handy night-vision goggles? Forget it. That’s like $600,000 more. But that’s nothing compared to the cost of just the basic black bodysuit itself. That thing is like NASA quality. It’s built to hold up in the inky, airless void of space. That’ll easily add another $12 million to the final bill. It’s not known whether the suit comes with a second pair of pants, in case Vader accidentally spills something on the first pair. In retrospect, it might just be a whole lot cheaper and easier to train someone new, maybe some go-getter with a positive mental attitude and four intact limbs. Sorry, Anakin.
[via Mashable]