Mark Hamill pays heartbreaking one-word tribute to James Earl Jones

From one Star Wars legend to another

On Monday evening, the news broke that Jones, best known across the globe for being the voice of Darth Vader in the sci-fi franchise, had passed away at the age of 93 at his home in Dutchess County, Yew York.

The legendary actor was also known for voicing Mufasa in the original The Lion King film, and his roles in Field of Dreams, Dr Strangelove and The Hunt for Red October.

Following the news of his death, tributes have poured in from across the world of entertainment.

Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars saga, was one of those to honor Jones, with a touching one-word tribute to the late actor.

In a post on X, Hamill simply said: "#rip dad."

This is of course a reference to Darth Vader a.k.a. Anakin Skywalker famoulsy being Luke's father in the Star Wars films.

Meanwhile, Star Wars creator and director George Lucas labelled Jones an "incredible actor" and a "most unique voice both in art and spirit."

He continued: “For nearly half a century he was Darth Vader, but the secret to it all is he was a beautiful human being. He gave depth, sincerity and meaning to all his roles, amongst the most important being a devoted husband to the late Ceci and dad to Flynn. James will be missed by so many of us...friends and fans alike.”

And Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said: “James Earl Jones is one of the most versatile and talented actors of our time, with an iconic body of work across film, stage and television.

“The menacing baritone he brought to Darth Vader will forever be beloved by fans and regarded as one of the great villainous performances in cinema. His commanding presence on screen, and warm personality off screen, will be greatly missed.”