Fortnite new Chapter 6 Star Wars season has turned Darth freakin’ Vader into a talking, recruitable AI character. You can now drop into a match, throw hands with the Dark Lord of the Sith, beat him down so he joins your squad, and chat with you. He even offers some tactical advice and iconic Star Wars lines in his actual voice (AI-generated James Earl Jones).
If you want the red lightsaber or the novelty of hearing Vader roast your outfit mid-match, this guide has you covered. Here’s how to find Darth Vader, how to beat his samurai version to recruit him, and what you can say to him in Fortnite.
Where to Find Darth Vader in Fortnite
In Fortnite, Darth Vader only spawns randomly in one of three locations per match, so you have to do some searching. These are the areas where you will find him:
- Vader Samurai’s Solitude (towards the southwest corner of the map)
- Imperial Checkpoint near Canyon Crossing (just south of the tunnel)
- East of Foxy Floodgate (across a little hill)
You can see all locations marked on the above map image to reach the exact spots. Look for a parked Imperial Shuttle, the triangle-winged ship Vader travels in. He will always be waiting for you at the Shuttle location. He usually shows up early, but if you’re still unsure, he’ll be marked with a Darth Vader helmet icon on the map after a short while into the match.
Tip: Land in between all three points for easy areas access, then rotate based on where the shuttle is spotted.
How to Defeat Darth Vader and Recruit Him
To get Darth Vader to come to your party, you first have to defeat him. He is not the only enemy in this boss fight but four Stormtroopers also back him up, and they are not easy to handle.
Here’s how the fight usually plays out:
- Vader will Force Pull you in to slash you up
- He’ll lunge at you if you try to dip
- He’ll spin his saber, which reflects bullets (don’t shoot during this!)
The best strategy is to keep your distance from him, don’t spam shoot when he is spinning, and take out the Stormtroopers first to stop getting beamed while you’re dealing with the main man.
Once Vader is down, a portal to Mustafar appears and you’ll get a prompt asking if you wanna learn the ways of the Dark Side. Accept it to go into the portal and come out with Vader in your squad. Along with him, you’ll unlock a red Sith Apprentice Lightsaber and Force abilities like Saber Throw and Force Jump.
How to Talk to AI Darth Vader in Fortnite
After you’ve recruited him, you can talk to Vader for actual voice chat conversations with a Star Wars legend with responds in a cold, iconic tone. To activate voice chat with Vader, hold Y on the keyboard and hold Left on the D-Pad if playing on a controller. Make sure your mic is on and in-game voice settings allow Conversational AI chat.
If you’re under 13 or have parental restrictions, this feature might be locked until an adult enables it from the Epic Games account portal. AI Darth Vader only speaks English for now. You can talk to Vader about all kinds of stuff, and his responses are usually in character, clever, and sometimes shady. Try asking him:
- “What’s your favorite lightsaber style?”
- “Got any tips for final circles?”
- “Which Star Wars character do you hate the most?”
- “Do you like Fortnite?” (His response is gold.)
Vader will even react to your loadout, nearby enemies, or general gameplay. Sometimes he’ll throw out of his mouth some Star Wars lore or comment on your tactics, too. However, if you try to say anything inappropriate, such as related to hate, abuse, politics, or even swearing, he can leave your squad and turn hostile again. Vader does not play around with toxicity so keep it PG or risk getting Force Choked off your squad.
This AI Darth Vader inclusion is one of the coolest crossover events Fortnite’s done. It’s not only cosmetic but also interactive, voice-based, and gameplay-changing. Even pros like Ninja and Nick Eh 30 have been messing with the chatbot to see how smart he is.
