Fortress Vader

Fortress Vader was a Sith stronghold, its design attributed to the Sith Lord Darth Momin, and it was occupied by the Sith Lord Darth Vader. Momin's objective was to manipulate the Force energies emanating from the dark side nexus beneath it, with the intention of unlocking the doorway to the Force's dark side. Vader himself oversaw its construction, viewing it as a symbol of his power, utilizing resources from the Imperial regime. Its location marked the site of his greatest defeat, situated above an ancient Sith cave within the Gahenn Plains of the planet Mustafar.

The complex's location and layout were influenced by both the dark side of the Force and Vader's personal background. The central tower was built using obsidian, with tuning towers acting as conduits for the dark side's energy. Inside, Vader kept a bacta tank where he could remove his armor and find respite. The castle also featured a throne room, from which Vader could conduct hologram communications and survey the landscape of Mustafar.

In 14 BBY, following a rogue Inquisitor chase successfully managed by Darth Vader, he requested a planet to claim as his own from his Sith Master, Darth Sidious. Sidious proposed Tatooine and Naboo to his Sith apprentice, but Vader instead sought control over the volcanic world of Mustafar, citing its strong connection to the dark side. Sidious agreed and dispatched Vader to the planet, accompanied by Colonel Alva Brenne and Lieutenant Roggo, along with the Mask of Lord Momin. Sidious had discovered the mask in a hidden chamber within the Jedi Archives years before and had already established communication with it. Upon arriving, Vader surveyed the area and decided to construct the fortress above an ancient Sith cave where he had previously meditated. Vader returned to meditate in the cave, but Brenne interrupted him with a proposed design for the fortress. Vader rejected it, and Brenne returned to the starship.

Upon her return, Momin's mask possessed Lieutenant Roggo, who then killed Colonel Brenne, thus providing Momin with a physical form after many centuries. While in control of Roggo, Momin created the initial blueprints for the fortress, designing it to maximize its connection to the dark side. Momin presented these blueprints to Vader upon his return. Vader killed the possessed Roggo and took Momin's mask into the Sith cave, where the mask showed Vader a vision of Momin's past and his passion for art, before attempting to possess Vader, who resisted. Shortly after, a group of Mustafarians attacked, and the mask possessed one of them. In his new body, Momin declared that the design he had for the fortress would act as a tuning fork for the Force, promising Vader that its construction would allow him to reunite with his lost love, Padmé Amidala. Vader threatened Momin, reminding him that Sidious had made similar false promises and that Momin would be killed if he failed to deliver.

Construction of Momin's design commenced. With the assistance of Vader's vast Imperial resources, the fortress was soon completed. Vader attempted to use it to open the doorway to the dark side, but it failed, damaging the fortress. The pair attempted again with four more of Momin's designs, but they also failed. Over two years, the cycle of construction and failure continued, although Vader did not remain on Mustafar for the entire time. During this period, the Inquisitors relocated to the similarly designed Fortress Inquisitorius. Each attempt by Vader to open the doorway to the dark side affected Mustafar, causing planet-wide lava storms that devastated the Mustafarians. Consequently, lava fleas began to infest the construction site regularly. Following the failure of Momin's fifth design, Vader killed the body his spirit possessed as punishment and had his mask possess a stormtrooper. After the failure of Momin's sixth design, Vader killed his newer body and had the helmet possess an Imperial officer. Momin expressed confidence in the seventh design, but it also failed, leading Vader to replace his body with that of a lava flea.

In 12 BBY, when Momin's eighth design failed, Vader once again killed his body and had the mask possess an Imperial construction worker. This time, Vader warned Momin that there would be no further chances. Momin expressed great faith in the ninth design. Vader began channeling the Force from the Sith Cave, and the pair observed that it was working. However, Captain Junus, the commander of the fortress' garrison, alerted Vader to another attack that the Imperial forces could not defend against. Vader left the Sith cave to address the threat, while Momin betrayed him by opening the doorway to the dark side himself and resurrecting his original body. As his mask greeted it, the possessed body of the Imperial construction worker handed over the mask, reuniting Momin.

The Imperial garrison attempted to retreat until Vader intervened, turning the tide of the battle. From a distance, the Mustafarian leader Kkkt and his chieftains used the Force to direct a flow of lava onto the Imperial forces. The battlefield was decimated, with Vader as the sole survivor. Kkkt led his remaining forces to attack the fortress, and Vader entered the Sith cave. From there, he channeled the Force through the tower, creating a lava storm that wiped out Kkkt and his army.

Momin appeared from behind and confronted Vader. Momin asserted that Vader was weak, that he should serve the dark side rather than try to control it, and that Vader would never be able to open the portal because the dark side would reject him. The two dueled, with Momin lamenting the apparent decline and dilution of the Sith's power in the millennia since his death, calling them weak and "Jedi-obsessed." Vader, weakened from the battle and having expended considerable energy destroying the Mustafarians, sustained several severe wounds from Momin during their duel. Undeterred, Vader used the Force to crush Momin beneath a massive stone. Momin declared that he would not die, for the dark side loved him, and Vader responded that if that were true, then the dark side would save him. However, Momin could not summon enough power to overcome Vader's, and Vader slammed the stone against the wall, killing the disbelieving Sith Lord. Vader proclaimed that his destiny was his own before opening the portal himself.

Vader's spirit left his body and entered the portal, searching for Padmé Amidala. During his search on the other side, Vader's spirit encountered a vision of his fortress and its previous designs before it transformed into the Jedi Temple. Vader's spirit soon returned, failing to find Amidala, and merged with his body once more. Following this, he used the fortress to once again manipulate the energies of the dark side nexus and destroy the portal due to its failure to resurrect Amidala. Afterward, he contacted Sidious, informing him that he was ready to return to Coruscant.

Shortly after its completion, an Imperial Inspector named Vaneé was dispatched by Moff Seward to Mustafar with his droid, See-Seven, to investigate the reason behind the madness of several stormtroopers in the garrison. He and See-Seven examined a trooper from the castle's Imperial garrison who had been exposed to lava fumes and become insane. During his questioning, the trooper attacked Vaneé and warned him not to enter the castle. He dismissed the trooper as weak-minded. Vaneé entered the castle, surveyed the area, and searched for Darth Vader. He located Lord Vader in a bacta tank.

He informed Lord Vader that the castle was unsafe, recommending evacuation and the installation of environmental filters. Although he acknowledged that filters could be installed eventually, Vader refused for the time being, and Vaneé argued against it until the fumes affected him. He experienced hallucinations, and Vader offered him a position as his attendant. Vaneé heard the hallucinations dictating Vader's needs. Vaneé attempted to deny the reality of the hallucinations and tried to laugh them off. He laughed for days, with the laughter eventually turning into mad cackling. A broken Vaneé agreed to become Lord Vader's attendant at the castle and revealed his name.

Not long after Vaneé began serving Vader, a large group of Mustafarians launched a raid on the fortress. The Mustafarians, led by Criakan riding a lava flea, entered through the fortress's hanger and quickly overwhelmed the fortress's lava troopers. As they ventured deeper into the fortress, the Mustafarians encountered Vaneé and quickly surrounded him. Vaneé began to plead for mercy when Criakan seized him by his robes and questioned why they should show him mercy when his master had slaughtered their kin. However, Vaneé quickly pointed out that he was not speaking to them as Darth Vader appeared behind them with his lightsaber drawn. Vader proceeded to kill the Mustafarians.

Later, Sidious grew dissatisfied with Vader and sent Rersey to provoke him. Vaneé stood on the lower level of an audience chamber within Fortress Vader near Imperial advisor Rersey as his master stood on the upper level looking out the room's window with two Imperial Royal Guards standing below. Rersey demanded an explanation from Vader, angering Vaneé due to the advisor's lack of respect toward his master. Vaneé reminded Rersey that he was a guest in his master's residence and should act accordingly, which Rersey dismissed. Vader halted their squabbling as he sensed a disturbance in the Force moments before a chilling scream echoed in the chamber, startling everyone but Vader.

Vaneé, along with Rersey, followed Vader and the two guards as they investigated the source of the scream. Rersey remarked on how the fortress was supposed to be secure, to which Vaneé quietly suggested that Rersey secure his own mouth. When Rersey asked what he had said, Vaneé drearily replied that he had said nothing, just before loud, heavy booming sounds echoed through the corridor. Arriving at the fortress's entrance, Rersey demanded to know what was happening, to which Vaneé answered that the castle was under attack as a horde of plagued infested Mustafarians and a lava flea broke through the doors. Vaneé looked on in shock as his master and the guards engaged the rampaging horde, which included an infected lava trooper. After Vader was bitten by the infected trooper, Vaneé cried out in horror to Rersey that they had to escape, only to look on in horror, clutching to Rersey as the horde and Vader slowly advanced on them until he was halted by Mother Sssl of Clan Rrrt.

As Rersey confronted Sssl, Vaneé cautiously advised him to be careful as she controlled the infected. After the advisor snidely asked Sssl what secrets she was protecting, Vaneé pointed out to Rersey that Sssl would not be revealing her secrets. Vaneé and Rersey recoiled in fear as Sssl commanded Vader to kill them both, with Vaneé crying out in fear. Rersey then shoved Vaneé to the floor between him and Vader as he told the Dark Lord he needed to resist Sssl's power over him. As Vader advanced toward them, Vaneé cowered in fear on the floor until the Dark Lord revealed he was not under Sssl's power by levitating her off the ground.

Getting up off the ground, Vaneé revealed to Sssl that it had all been a trap to lure her into attacking the castle. As Sssl struggled in Vader's grip, Vaneé gleefully told her that she was no match for his master's ingenuity and power. Vaneé watched as Vader willed Sssl to order her horde to drag her into the lava and followed his master and Rersey outside as they watched Sssl and her infected horde burn in the lava. Once the ordeal was over, Vaneé congratulated his master, stating how all Mustafarians would tremble at the very mention of his name. Vader informed Vaneé that it was of no importance before telling Advisor Rersey that his shuttle was waiting to take him back to the Emperor. Vaneé looked at Rersey with an expression of exasperation as the traumatized advisor continually recounted the sight of Mother Sssl being dragged into the lava.

In 5 BBY, the Jedi fugitive Kanan Jarrus had heard rumors about Mustafar, specifically that it was a place where Jedi survivors were sent to die if captured by the Galactic Empire. Before Jarrus could be taken to the surface, however, he was rescued from the Star Destroyer Sovereign in orbit by his fellow rebels.

Sometime between 2 BBY and 0 BBY, members of the Rebel Alliance undertook a mission to infiltrate an Imperial base near the castle for Captain Cassian Andor. Disguised in stormtrooper armor, the four traveled to Mustafar with their pilot Athex and the reprogrammed security droid K-2SO in a stolen Imperial transport. Upon arrival, the Imperial base expressed displeasure at the ship's arrival and demanded it land immediately and prepare for inspection. A hover platform docked with the ship and transported the spies to the main base before descending to the base via a lift. They discovered a rack of blasters inside, triggering the alarms. K-2SO informed the others, instructing them to retrieve the blasters and locate their target. As the base responded to the threat, stormtroopers emerged onto walkways to engage the rebels. They were ultimately defeated, but then insectoids emerged from the lava and spat fire at the infiltrators. A giant insectoid supported them until the spies eliminated it as well.

K-2SO unlocked the door for the rebels to enter the base. As the rebels retreated into a corridor, K-2SO presented them with a memory puzzle while stormtroopers fired at them from behind. They then proceeded down another corridor leading to a room containing the weapons crate they were sent to retrieve. Athex opened the crate and discovered a proto-saber. However, Darth Vader arrived and threw his lightsaber at them, impaling Athex in the chest. The infiltrators fired at Vader and the stormtroopers who arrived to reinforce him. Vader used the Force to crush their weapons and began approaching the group. K-2SO then rammed the Imperial transport into the side of the building, scooping up the spies and the crate. After leaving the atmosphere, they jumped to hyperspace.

In 0 BBY, Vader was meditating inside the bacta tank in his sanctum when Director Orson Krennic arrived. Sending Vader's assistant Vaneé to retrieve him, Krennic and Vader discussed the Death Star. Krennic sought greater recognition for the project, but Vader refused to assist him. When Krennic inquired about his continued command, the Sith Lord Force choked him as a warning. After the meeting, Vaneé instructed Krennic to keep his observations of the castle to himself.

At a certain juncture, the Rebel YT-1760 Small Transport known as the Auric, operating under the command of Lina Graf and her team, suffered a catastrophic hit from TIE fighters above Mustafar, resulting in a crash landing in close proximity to the castle. Graf, having narrowly evaded the sinking vessel as it descended into the lava, resolved to venture into the fortress with the intention of securing passage off the planet, a decision that met with strong opposition from Lieutenant Thom Hudd. Following the removal of their Rebel insignia and rank indicators, she, along with her crew, journeyed towards the castle, only to be intercepted by the Castle's lava troopers, who commenced firing upon them.

Graf and her team managed to evade the lava troopers while XM-G3 distracted them, ultimately reaching an entrance to the castle. Hudd skillfully breached the door, granting them access inside. CR-8R voiced concerns regarding the structure's integrity, while the technician Skritt expressed apprehension about potential lurking traps. Graf, aware of a base situated on the opposite side of the fortress, reassured them of their eventual departure. In an attempt to alleviate Skritt's anxieties, she recounted a tale about the Emerald Witch. G3 rejoined them, having successfully neutralized the lava troopers, and Hudd opted to pilfer an artifact he discovered within one of the chambers.

Abruptly, the remaining crew members were startled by Hudd's scream and rushed to his location, only to find him missing without a trace. They divided their forces to search for Hudd, with G3 and Skritt pairing up, during which G3 entertained Skritt with a story about the Gorax. In the control room, they encountered Vaneé, the castle's attendant. As Vaneé reported their presence to Vader, G3 confronted him. After informing Vader of their discovery, he witnessed the Dark Lord of the Sith's arrival and subsequent dismantling of G3 before Skritt's eyes. Skritt relayed this information to Graf, who then departed, leaving 8R, who was immediately attacked by Vader.

Graf and Skritt fled down a corridor, where they were ambushed by security droids under the control of Vaneé and Lord Vader. Graf attempted to engage Vader with her blaster, but he effortlessly deflected her shots. After Vader hurled Crater at Graf, she and Skritt managed to escape to the castle's hangar. In the hangar, a kubaza beetle launched an assault on the lava troopers, enabling Graf and Skritt to seize a TIE fighter and make their escape. However, Hudd was captured in the process.

Shortly thereafter, Hudd was roused by Vaneé, discovering himself suspended on a torture web as Vaneé narrated the story of a "Horned Devil". Upon concluding the tale, Vaneé reflected on the inherent nature of greed as he deactivated the hologram illustrating the story, emphasizing its inevitable negative consequences before directing an accusatory gesture towards the weakened rebel. Vaneé proceeded to subject Hudd to further electrocution via the torture web. After relishing in the torment of Hudd, Vader's servant expressed gratitude to Thom Hudd for confirming the operational status of the torture web before administering another jolt of electricity. Hudd then shared a narrative about Cremp, a former imperial officer, and a failed experiment that resulted in the creation of a monster. Upon completing the story, Hudd stealthily escaped the web without Vaneé's awareness, and upon realizing his prisoner's absence, Vaneé pursued him, vowing to inflict unprecedented levels of pain.

Vaneé pursued Hudd through the room, eventually locating him concealed behind a red curtain. Hudd narrowly evaded capture as Vaneé prepared to strike him down. As Hudd fled and the curtain collapsed upon Vader's servant, he remarked that there was a designated time for all things. Vaneé reassured Hudd that they were incapable of altering their inherent nature and proceeded to recount the story of Asajj Ventress and her encounter with a swarm of infant sarlaccs during the Clone Wars. Upon concluding the story, Vaneé asserted the inevitable triumph of the dark side as Hudd discovered a room he believed contained a map of the castle. Vaneé managed to summon a contingent of Imperial training droids to pursue him.

The droids initiated an assault on Hudd, but Vaneé intervened, instructing the droids to refrain from harming him. As the droids began escorting Hudd back to the Torture Web, Hudd commenced recounting the story of Jabba's cousin Crakka and the B'omarr monks. Upon completing the story, Vaneé informed Hudd that he desired to hear genuine screams as he prepared to electrocute Hudd once more, only to be interrupted by an Inquisitor known as the Fourth Sister, who informed the sadistic servant that Emperor had ordered Hudd to be transported to Coruscant. Vaneé asserted to the Inquisitor that she possessed no authority within the castle, prompting a duel between the two.

Vaneé proceeded to explain that she bore a striking resemblance to Imperial Adviser Rersey when he arrived on Mustafar years prior. Upon concluding the story, Vaneé elucidated to the Fourth Sister that merely being a lackey of the Emperor was insufficient, emphasizing the necessity of earning respect within the fortress, just before electrocuting the Inquisitor to reveal her true identity as Lina Graf, who had arrived to rescue Hudd. While Graf engaged Vaneé in combat, Hudd managed to reactivate the distorted holograms surrounding Vaneé, temporarily impairing his vision as Graf and Hudd fled to the ship and escaped into hyperspace. Vaneé observed Hudd's escape and muttered to himself that Vader must remain unaware of this development, just as Vader materialized before him. Vaneé attempted to explain the situation, but Vader subjected him to electrocution on the Torture Web.

Following the War on Shu-Torun, Vader convened with Admiral Kendal Ozzel and General Maximilian Veers to deliberate on the Empire's construction endeavors that had been impeded by the Death Star's destruction. Ozzel and Veers stood behind Vader as the Dark Lord gazed out the chamber's window. Vader dedicated the majority of the meeting to observing the Mustafar landscape. He requested Ozzel to provide an update on the escalating Rebel threat throughout the galaxy. Ozzel attempted to justify the difficulty in eliminating them and proposed mobilizing Vader's newly formed Death Squadron. Veers then asserted that the challenge in eradicating them stemmed from their constant dispersal, suggesting that capturing them collectively might inflict a more significant blow. Vader acknowledged this and conceived a plan to strike a decisive blow against the rebellion.

When the Scourge, an artificial intelligence with the ambition of dominating the minds of both organic and artificial entities, launched an assault on Fortress Vader in an attempt to seize control of Vader, whom it believed held the key to harnessing the power of the Force, some of the fortress's DT-series sentry droids were commandeered by the Scourge to attack Vader. Despite Vader being targeted during a vulnerable moment, having been extracted from a bacta tank, the Scourge's focus was compromised by a separate confrontation elsewhere, enabling Vader to recover and triumph, ultimately destroying the droids.

At a certain point, Vader, incensed by Vaneé's actions, imprisoned him within a deep chasm beneath the castle. Following Vader's demise, the castle's inhabitants departed, abandoning Vaneé in his confinement. Shortly thereafter, two young Mustafarian boys named Tuttel and Giggek plotted to demolish the Fortress as a symbolic representation of Vader's downfall. Tuttel's uncle Lellis attempted to dissuade the boys from venturing there, cautioning them about the potential evil lurking within, but Tuttel and Giggek disregarded the old Mustafarian's warnings and proceeded towards Fortress Vader. Upon reaching the castle, the two young Mustafarian boys devised a plan to collapse the fortress by detonating explosives at its base. Tuttel became apprehensive and questioned whether Lellis's concerns were valid. Giggek teased Tuttel by recounting the tale of the Sorcerer's Jewel, which Tuttel dismissed as mere fantasy.

Following their conversation, the two Mustafarians detected the voice of an apparently helpless old man. Initially, they attributed it to an illusion created by the lava fumes, but they soon realized that the man was real and identified him as Vader's assistant, Vaneé. The servant claimed that Vader was displeased with him and had been responsible for his imprisonment. Giggek responded by informing him that Vader was gone, a revelation that surprised Vaneé. He recounted an incident in which an Imperial scientist named Rersey attempted to assassinate Vader, and how Vader thwarted the scientist's scheme.

After recounting the event, Giggek offered to assist Vaneé in escaping. Vaneé seized Giggek, and a shocked Tuttel inquired about his identity. The servant identified himself as "The one true Acolyte of the Beyond," and revealed his name, proclaiming himself as death to all who desecrate the name of the Sith. Giggek, still alive, implored Tuttel to flee as quickly as possible and inform everyone about their actions. Giggek detonated the bombs, resulting in an explosion at the base of Fortress Vader; however, the castle remained standing. Giggek's sacrifice was not futile: Vaneé somehow managed to survive, and as he limped away from the ruins, a voice addressed him.

The Voice informed Vaneé that it recognized him, the one who had spoken to him at the bottom of the pit. Vaneé recognized the voice as Vader's and inquired about his desires. The apparent ghost of Vader informed his servant that their mission was not yet complete, and that he would emerge from the lava river and be restored, becoming more powerful than ever before. In reality, however, the unfiltered lava fumes were merely causing Vaneé to hallucinate.

In 5 ABY, Vaneé informed the apparent ghost of Vader that the galaxy at large believed Vader had perished, to which Vader's ghost responded that he would resurrect and become more powerful than ever, asserting that it was the will of the dark side. Vaneé invoked the Immortal gods of the Sith and proclaimed that the Dark Lord would exact his revenge. Following the conclusion of the ritual, Milo Graf, Lina Graf's younger brother, experienced a nightmare in which C-3PO, R2-D2, and Jar Jar Binks were infected with a mysterious disease during the Clone Wars.

After confiding in Crater about his dream, he reassured him that he would never engage in such actions, before Crater, somehow possessed by Vaneé, stunned him, declaring that he would never harm anyone unless commanded by his Dark Lord, before transporting a passed-out Milo to Mustafar. Eventually, Lina assembled her team and rescued her brother, leaving Vaneé trapped with his delusions. Unbeknownst to them all, however, the ghost of Vader did indeed materialize: having been redeemed into light as Anakin Skywalker, Skywalker, without revealing himself, guided Lina and her allies out of the fortress that had once been his domain.

The fortress gradually deteriorated and remained unoccupied following the Empire's collapse, with the exception of Vaneé, who eventually underwent cybernetic augmentation. Its grounds eventually fell under the protection of the Alazmec of Winsit, a Sith cult that colonized Mustafar and safeguarded Corvax Fen. At some point, Snoke acquired a black obsidian stone from the catacombs beneath the castle, which he subsequently used to craft a ring for himself.

Kylo Ren, Darth Vader's grandson and master of the Knights of Ren, visited Fortress Vader during the First Order-Resistance War, shortly after he assassinated Snoke and succeeded him as Supreme Leader of the First Order. Driven by a desire to sever all ties to his past, Ren journeyed to Mustafar with the intention of obliterating his grandfather's legacy, hoping to liberate himself from the burden he carried as heir to the Skywalker bloodline. Ren battled his way through a contingent of Alazmec colonists before entering the Fortress, where he was greeted by Vaneé. The former attendant deduced that Ren was related to Vader, given that the fortress granted him entry after scanning his blood, to which Ren confirmed Vader's status as his grandfather. Although Ren threatened to kill Vaneé, whom he perceived as another remnant of the past he sought to eradicate, Vaneé persuaded Ren to reconsider his convictions by revealing that Vader utilized his own past to amplify his connection to the dark side of the Force. Ren contemplated Vaneé's argument and ultimately accepted his offer, instructing his new servant to demonstrate how Vader channeled his pain into power.

In 35 ABY, the Alazmec colonists guarded the Sith wayfinder at fortress remnants in Corvax Fen. The colonists were ultimately slain by Supreme Leader Kylo Ren of the First Order and his stormtroopers, who had traveled to Mustafar to retrieve Vader's wayfinder that led to Exegol.

Fortress Vader made its initial appearance in the Star Wars Anthology film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which premiered in 2016. Early story discussions between Leigh Brackett and George Lucas for Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back involved the concept of Darth Vader possessing a black castle surrounded by lava, adorned with gargoyles and gremlins. Drawing inspiration from the unused Ralph McQuarrie sketches for Episode V, the design team for Rogue One imbued the castle with a tuning fork shape, prompting director Gareth Edwards to suggest that it was "tuning the dark side". The concept was also utilized for the Temple of the Kyber, which served as a mirror image on the light side of the Force.

During the conceptual stage of the 2015 film Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens, concept art titled "Vader Castle" was created by Erik Tiemens and Brett Northcutt, depicting TIE/IN interceptors emerging from a fortress situated near a river of lava. Within Star Wars Legends, Darth Vader possessed similar residences, including a palace on Coruscant and the more renowned Bast Castle on Vjun.

In the Rebels Recon behind-the-scenes video for "Ghosts of Geonosis," Pablo Hidalgo explicitly confirmed that Darth Vader's castle was the specific destination to which Tarkin was transporting the captured Kanan Jarrus in the Season One finale of Star Wars Rebels. At the time, the series only indicated that he was being taken to Mustafar, and that Kanan had heard it was "where Jedi go to die." Even during Season One, Hidalgo was aware that they were transporting him to a castle owned by Vader on the surface - this was not a retroactive addition but a pre-planned element. Hidalgo also unequivocally established that Vader's castle was definitively constructed on Mustafar by the start of the series, but he refrained from disclosing the precise timing and circumstances of its construction.

A hologram showcasing the early design for Vader's castle can be observed in the twenty-first issue of the Marvel comic book series Star Wars: Darth Vader (2017). This particular design was among the initial concepts created by concept artist Erik Tiemens during the conceptual phase of Rogue One, provided by Lucasfilm's art department as noted by Phil Szostak.

The castle was originally intended to feature in Star Wars: Episode IX The Rise of Skywalker, depicting Kylo Ren engaging in combat with Alazmec warriors on a bridge leading to the fortress while searching for the Sith Wayfinder on Mustafar, but the scene was ultimately omitted.

Fortress Vader made an appearance in the non-canon LEGO Star Wars Terrifying Tales, which premiered on October 1, 2021. Set in 35 ABY, Fortress Vader had been transformed into a luxury hotel by Graballa the Hutt. After finding themselves stranded on Mustafar, Poe Dameron and BB-8 are confronted by Vader's servant Vaneé, who narrates chilling tales as he guides them into the depths of the castle.