Lord Darth Vader

Darth Vader is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe, and has a principal role in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.
Vader is one of the most iconic villains in movie history and was ranked third on American Film Institute's top 50 villains of all time list.[1] In A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, Vader is depicted as the epitome of pure evil — a mass murderer and war criminal who holds an entire galaxy under the sway of an evil empire, and, on a more personal scale, the apparent murderer of Luke Skywalker's father, Anakin. A Dark Lord of the Sith, Vader serves at Emperor Palpatine's right hand, using the dark side of the Force to mercilessly pursue the Jedi and the Rebel Alliance to the ends of the galaxy. It should also be noted that The Dutch word for "father" is vader. Hence the fact that Darth Vader being Luke Skywalkers father is a well known and important plot point.

Archetypes and role models for Darth Vader

Vader's headgear resembles a Japanese kabuto, which is consistent with the samurai-like order of the Jedi and kendo-like lightsaber duels. An American Football helmet made by Riddell, with a distinctive approx. 3cm wide middle seam elevated by approx 3 millimeters that connected the two shell halves and accommodated air valves, was most likely used as the basis for Vader's helmet.
As Vader fits the classic stock character of the Black Knight, some have noted that Vader bears more than a passing resemblance to more recent, fictive villains. One is the classic Marvel Universe supervillain Doctor Doom. (This is further alluded in Stephen King's Dark Tower novels in which so-called "Doombots" appear that wear green hoods and iron wolf masks, much like Doom, and carry lightsabers.) Another is Sinestro, a former member of the Green Lantern Corps who was corrupted by his power.
Of the comic villians, perhaps the greatest number of similarities exist between Darth Vader and Darkseid of the DC comics New Gods pathos, whose creation proceeded that of the Sith lord's. Darkseid and Darth Vader both have as their greatest enemies sons who were seperated from them at birth and reared without knowledge of their true parentage. In each case, their sons--Orion and Luke Skywalker respectively--also are faced not only with a physical struggle against their fathers but an inner struggle not to follow in their evil footsteps. Darkseid's home planet of Apokolips bears visual similarity to the Death Star and their headpieces are also somewhat similar. Further, both Darkseid and Darth Vader's sons were mentored by seemingly aged and impotent old men--High Father and Obi Wan Kenobi--who carried staffs with them and were far more powerful than a first glance indicated. Perhaps the most telling similarity is the presence of a luminous power known as the Source in Darkseid's pathos and the Force.
Darth Vader also resembles an inverted King Arthur in relationship with Luke Skywalker as an inverted Mordred

may the force be with you