WWE '12 Guide Essentials Legends
Vader
Stats
Height:
6’5”
Weight
: 450 pounds
Weight Class:
Super Heavyweight
From:
The Rocky Mountains
Career Highlights
: WCW Champion; United States Champion
Attributes
Strike Power:
95
Grapple Power
: 95
Submission
: 75
Strike Defense
: 80
Grapple Defense:
70
Speed
: 55
Agility
: 65
Adrenaline
: 55
Recovery
: 80
Durability
: 95
Charisma
: 80
Tag Team
: 70
Overall
: 88
Abilities
Hammer Throw
Resiliency
Ring Escape
Signature Moves
Vader Hammer
Situation: Corner opponent front
Finishers
Jackknife
Situation: Standing front
Diving Moonsault 2
Situation: Dive vs. grounded opponent
Bio
“It’s time! It’s time! It’s Vader time!”
That fearsome call announced the arrival of the massive competitor known as Vader. Hailing from the Rocky Mountains, the 450-pounder first made a splash in the rings of Japan, where he destroyed WWE Hall of Famer Antonio Inoki in a wildly controversial match.
The Japanese fans were so distraught over seeing their hero dismantled by the gigantic Vader that a riot broke out in Tokyo’s Sumo Hall. This pandemonium only further fueled Vader’s aggression, and a long line of competitors would fall to his devastating maneuvers—particularly the bone-crushing Vadersault.
“The Mastodon” would continue to assert his dominance in Japan and eventually stomped his way through competitors all over Europe and Mexico.
This path of destruction brought the giant to World Championship Wrestling in the early ’90s, where he would eventually become one of their biggest stars.
With WWE Hall of Famer Harley Race in his corner, Vader battered WCW legends like Sting, Ric Flair, and Cactus Jack and captured three World Heavyweight Championships during his time with the company.
In 1996, the powerhouse made his way to WWE, where he debuted in that year’s Royal Rumble.
Immediately having an impact, Vader teamed up with manager Jim Cornette and battled Shawn Michaels for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam that year. The Mastodon would then link up with Paul Bearer and lock horns with Undertaker, scoring a huge victory over The Deadman at Royal Rumble in 1997.
In the months that followed, Vader experienced less success in WWE and disappeared from the scene soon after. Still, the giant would always be remembered as one of the most brutal competitors to ever walk through the ropes.
Breakdown
Playing as Vader is awesome. Sending a 450-pound Diving Moonsault Finisher onto your grounded opponent is for sure one of the game’s highlight moments.
It might take a while for Vader to get to the top rope with a 55 Speed and 65 Agility, but his 95 for Strike Power makes the Finisher worth it.
For the Signature move, Irish Whip your opponent into the corner and unload haymakers with the Vader Hammer until your opponent slumps to his rear end. Obviously, Vader is slow, but that’s the extent of any real weakness in his 88 Overall rating.