Step into the dark side of Fortnite like never before: defeat the legendary Darth Vader at Vader Samurai’s Solitude, master his deadly lightsaber skills, and recruit the Sith Lord himself to your squad-complete with AI-powered voice interactions that bring the Dark Lord to life on your team. Ready to wield the Force and dominate the battlefield? Here’s how to find, fight, and recruit Darth Vader in Fortnite’s Galactic Battle season.
The Chapter 6 Star Wars season of Fortnite, called Galactic Battle, is bringing famous characters and seasonal items themed around a galaxy far, far away. But no Star Wars-themed season could ignore the most famous Sith Lord of them all, Darth Vader.
If you’re interested in having one of the most powerful characters of the Star Wars universe in your squad, we’ve got you covered. In this Fortnite guide, we explain how to recruit Darth Vader and where you can find him.
Where to find Darth Vader in Fortnite
Darth Vader can be found in Fortnite primarily at Vader Samurai’s Solitude, located in the southwestern part of the island, marked by a small Darth Vader helmet icon on the map. Previously, he also spawned in the mountains west of Masked Meadows and the fields east of Foxy Floodgate, but with recent updates, his spawn is now limited to this single location. Players can spot his massive Imperial Shuttle nearby, which serves as a visual cue to his whereabouts. To recruit Darth Vader, players must first defeat him in battle, where he uses signature moves like Force Pull, lightsaber lunges, and a bullet-deflecting spin attack.
Darth Vader can be found in following locations, some of which don’t have official names, though we’ve marked all three on the map above:
- Vader Samurai’s Solitude
- The mountains west of Masked Meadows
- The fields east of Foxy Floodgate
According to our testing, he’ll only appear in one of those spots, so you may have to check all three. If you don’t find him, he will end up getting marked on the map after some time has passed.
You can see his ginormous ship, the foldy-winged Imperial Shuttle, from above if you glide over these areas, but if you’re unable to do so due to the battle bus’s pathing, you can land between these three points and check each one manually (yuck). You’ll need to look for the Imperial Shuttle on one of the three docks pointed out above. If there’s no Imperial Shuttle there, that means he’s somewhere else.
How to recruit Darth Vader in Fortnite
To recruit Darth Vader in Fortnite, you first need to locate him at one of three possible spawn points: Vader Samurai’s Solitude in the southwest, the mountains west of Masked Meadows, or the fields east of Foxy Floodgate. Once found, you must defeat him in a challenging boss fight where he uses Force Pull, lunges, and a lightsaber spin to attack. After defeating Darth Vader, a portal to Mustafar will open nearby. Interact with this portal and accept the prompt to join him, which grants you his lightsaber and special abilities. Darth Vader will then join your squad as a powerful AI teammate, and you can even talk to him using a unique AI-generated voice modeled after James Earl Jones.
Since Darth Vader is a boss in Fortnite, you must defeat him first before you can recruit the Sith Lord. As usual when it comes to dropping on these types of bosses, the greatest difficulty here is going to be taking out other players who also want to recruit him. That said, come moderately geared up – you’ll need to earn your spot alongside Darth Vader first.
He’ll use his usual slew of attacks from previous seasons:
- Force Pull, which brings you close to him so he can dish our lightsaber melee damage
- A lunge towards you, which does the same thing as above (though just the other way around)
- A lightsaber spin that reflects bullets back
You’ll want to keep your distance, jumping back the second he pulls you or lunges at you to minimize the damage you take. You’ll also need to stop shooting when you notice him spinning his lightsaber.
After taking him out, he will open a portal to Mustafar and a text prompt will appear asking you to join him or not. If you agree, you’ll walk in (and promptly out) of the portal with a new lightsaber and some abilities – along with Darth Vader on your team.
What you get from recruiting Darth Vader
Recruiting Darth Vader in Fortnite grants you a powerful AI teammate who wields the Sith apprentice’s lightsaber, capable of both melee and ranged attacks by throwing the weapon. After defeating him in battle, a portal to Mustafar opens, allowing you to join forces with Vader for the remainder of the match. Beyond combat advantages, you can engage in real-time voice conversations with him, thanks to advanced AI technology replicating James Earl Jones’ iconic voice. This unique interaction adds a strategic and immersive element to gameplay, making Vader not just a formidable ally but also an interactive presence on your squad.
After accepting Darth Vader’s proposal, you’ll get a Sith Apprentice Lightsaber that also lets you throw the saber (the way that he does).
New to Fortnite with this specific boss, you’ll also be able to talk to him using whatever button the right side of your screen prompts you with. (For keyboard/mouse players, it’s the Y key.) Yes, you can just have a conversation with an AI version of Darth Vader, which is. bizarre, but OK. Note that other players seemingly can hear him talking – we hid in a bush with him to play with the AI feature a bit, but once he started talking, other real-life players were able to find us hiding (unless that was just all a weird coincidence?).
How can I find Darth Vader’s secret location in Fortnite
You can find Darth Vader in Fortnite at the Fortnite Imperial Roadblock, located in the northern part of the map near the landmark Piney Lane. His Lambda-class Imperial Shuttle is docked there, and he spawns alongside two Imperial Stormtroopers who will attack if you get too close. Previously, he could appear at other locations like Frosty Firs or Vader Samurai’s Solitude, but currently, his location is more consistent at this northern roadblock.
Look for a red glow from his ship above the main camp to pinpoint his exact position. Be prepared for a tough fight, as Darth Vader has 600 shield and 600 health points, uses his lightsaber to deflect attacks, and can employ force powers to pull or fly toward you. It’s recommended to stock up on weapons and healing items at nearby landmarks, such as Cloistered Castle, before engaging him.
Is Darth Vader’s location in Frosty Firs the only spot to find him
No, Frosty Firs is not the only location where you can find Darth Vader in Fortnite. He can spawn randomly in one of three possible locations each match:
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Vader Samurai’s Solitude in the southwest part of the island
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The mountains west of Masked Meadows
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The fields east of Foxy Floodgate
You can identify his location by spotting his Lambda-class Imperial Shuttle docked at one of these sites. If he is not at Frosty Firs, check these other areas, as he only spawns in one location per match.
