Snowstorm trooper: Polish ‘Darth Vader’ statue becomes internet star

28 Jan, 2016 16:06

A statue in Poland bearing a resemblance to a certain Dark Lord has become an unlikely internet star.

The monument of Jakub Wejher in Wejherowo, Poland has seen a surge in interest over its turn to the dark side, after a snowstorm transformed it temporarily into Darth Vader.

‘Vader’s’ fame began when a city Instagram account posted an image of the snow-covered statue, pointing out the resemblance between the Emperor’s right-hand man and Wejher, who founded the town in the 17th century.

The two share few similarities, though. Wejher was born into a wealthy noble family, unlike Vader who was born into slavery on the planet of Tatooine before his rise to power. Also - crucially - Wejher was a real person, rather than a sci-fi character.

When not doubling as Vader, the statue of Wejher can be seen posing as Santa - much to the delight of younger local residents.

A statue of the Dark Lord also appeared in Ukraine last year, when a statue of Lenin was turned into the Star Wars bad guy.