Western NY Man Legally Changes His Name To Darth Vader

As for his name choice, Vader says the Dark Side drew him in with their “better weapons, better vehicles”. The former Marine owns a gym in Canandaigua, New York and often wears a gas mask while carrying an American flag.

He still has to show his ID to prove that his is in fact Darth Vader. “Got to love Darth Vader”.

The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports that Eric Welch, 43, legally changed his name to Darth Vader a year ago.

“To me Darth Vader is one of the most iconic figures in the story”, he told The Independent.

“If I’m calling them and they’re like ‘I need to have your name, please, ‘ and they’re like ‘well, we need your real name, please, ‘ and of course I’m like ‘this is my real name, ‘ ” Vader said. “I don’t want to give anything away”.

As for why he chose Vader and not Luke Skywalker or Han Solo (or Yoda), he said he’s always been a fan of the Evil Empire and the fictional villain formerly known as Anakin Skywalker. The film franchise hews closely to the Bible since its central theme is overcoming evil with good, they say.

Let’s just hope this new Vader doesn’t start using the the Force to choke out any subordinates like his mentor. His chronic condition is manageable, he said, but will eventually require a bone marrow transplant.

As he awaits a bone-marrow transplant, which he has now crowdsourced more than $15,000 for on GoFundMe, he continues to push himself – competing in marathons and Tough Mudder races.

“PayPal was the worst, because you’re talking a financial institution and money exchanges, so PayPal was terrible to try and verify my name”, Vader said, laughing. “I’m built like a football player”.