Why is Darth Vader on the Outside of this Cathedral in Washington DC?

It’s not just a likeness of Darth Vader that adorns the outside of the National Cathedral in Washington DC. It’s indeed a replica of the real thing.

The bust of the Star Wars villain (and later Luke’s father) sits perched on the building with other interesting characters as a grotesque, which is similar to a gargoyle. A gargoyle is a form on buildings that is used as a drain spout while a grotesque does not. But why is there a sculpture of Darth Vader there?

It started in the 1980s when National Geographic World magazine sponsored a decorative sculpture competition specifically for children. Christopher Rader of Nebraska placed 3rd in the competition with his drawing of Darth Vader. The drawing was turned into a sculpture by Jay Hall Carpenter and carved by Patrick J. Plunkett.

Other winners of the competition joined Vader on the cathedral’s northwest tower. One piece was a girl with braces and pigtails, another was a man with an umbrella and big teeth, and the third was a raccoon. Darth Vader and the others sit rather high and can only be seen clearly with binoculars.

The grotesque and gargoyle (the one with a spout) served an important function in Gothic architecture because they were a way to get rain away from the side of a building. This helped…