[irishjuggler]

arguably the most loved character in the history of the franchise

Wrong. Even I, as a lukewarm observer of the franchise, know that's an untrue statement. Darth Vader is the most loved character of the franchise. He may be the villain (most of the time), but people love a great villain. Fans vote with their wallets and costumes... and DV has always been "it" in terms of merchandise sales.

[MoochPooch]

Darth Vader is the most loved character of the franchise. He may be the villain (most of the time), but people love a great villain.

Ditto here. I even wore a Darth Vader T-shirt back in the day.

I was also pro-Empire. They seemed not only powerful, but sensible. I can't stand people caught up in idealism, like Princess Leia.