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In the Pre-Disney Star Wars canon did Darth Vader - who spent his childhood in slavery as Anakin Skywalker - express any opinions on the Empire's use of either slaves or indentured labor, in any animations, novels, comics, video games, or other related media?

I'm solely interested in material that was released prior to Disney purchasing the franchise (The Extended Universe), and not anything post-Disney.

Aaargh Zombies
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    The legitimacy of this answer depends on if you recognize anakin and darth vader as the same person, but the three part episode of the clone wars "Kidnapped" (S4E11), "Slaves of the Republic" (S4E12), "Escape from Kadavo" (S4E13) features Slavery and Anakin expresses some pretty exact distaste for it. – Sidney Sep 16 '22 at 15:04
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    @Sidney - Vader has Anakin's memories and life experience, so regardless of whether or not Vader personally considers himself to be Anakin Skywalker Anakin Skywalker's past is his past. – Aaargh Zombies Sep 16 '22 at 15:34
  • Where did 'born into slavery…' come from, please? – Robbie Goodwin Sep 16 '22 at 19:04
  • @RobbieGoodwin he was born to a slave, wouldn't that make him a slave as well? – Andres F. Sep 17 '22 at 01:30
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    @Robbie Goodwin: It was in the Phantom Menace. – Aaargh Zombies Sep 17 '22 at 07:16
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    @RobbieGoodwin - Anakin was born a slave; https://scifi.stackexchange.com/a/187603/20774 – Valorum Sep 17 '22 at 12:21
  • Thanks, peeps. I knew what being born into slavery meant… I was asking how slavery came into this.

    FYI, whether or not Shmi was captured by slavers doesn't all mean that Anakin was born a slave.

    Could you drop your own conclusions and go back to the stated facts?

     – Robbie Goodwin Sep 17 '22 at 22:33

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This comes up in the 2006 Dark Times comic series, set shortly after Revenge of the Sith. In Issue 2, Vader learns that the Empire is selling civilians into slavery as part of their occupation of New Plympto:

Clone Commander Vill: Our transport was re-tasked, by order of the Emperor.

Darth Vader: Where was it sent? Has new fighting broken out somewhere?

Vill: No, sir. The ship is transporting captured Nosaurian civilians to the slave market on Orvax IV.

This causes Vader to flash back to his childhood, and the narration notes that "there will be no sleep for Vader this night."

Panels from Dark Times Issue #2. Panel 1 shows a flashback to The Phantom Menace, with young Anakin saying "I had a dream that I became a Jedi—and I came back and freed all the slaves." Panel 2 shows present-day Vader walking out onto a balcony, with the narration "Slaves." Panel 3 shows a skyscraper on coruscant, with the narration "There will be no sleep for Vader this night."

In Issue 3, he raises the subject with the Emperor, who tells him that slavery under the Empire is "merciful" compared to "what would otherwise be necessary" (implied to be mass executions) and leaves Vader standing alone. It's implied that Vader doesn't approve of what the Empire is doing, but over the rest of the series, he doesn't go as far as openly disagreeing or countermanding the Emperor's orders.

Panels from Dark Times Issue #3

Milo P
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    I'm pretty sure that the Emperor is actually saying that it's merciful compared to the widespread executions that would otherwise have been required. Being a slave might be bad, but it beats being dead! – nick012000 Sep 15 '22 at 07:27
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    By the way: Nice visual narration. – Peter - Reinstate Monica Sep 15 '22 at 08:41
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    @nick012000 - yeah, he's clearly saying "slavery is merciful compared to the outright genocide that would otherwise be necessary to deal with these people". I don't think he's implying in any way that this slavery is somehow different to slavery in OR. It's just the purpose that is different. – Davor Sep 15 '22 at 11:39
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    Orson Scott Card portrayed a similar opinion in an early chapter of his Pastwatch, suggesting that slavery was an improvement over human sacrifice. I dunno, which would you prefer? – Invisible Trihedron Sep 15 '22 at 13:09
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    @nick012000 Fixed, thanks! That's what I get for skimming the text... – Milo P Sep 15 '22 at 16:45
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    My reading is that the slavery on the Outer Rim is wrong because it's for personal gain. The bit that's "different" is the positive contribution to the Empire, which is the why of the Empire slavery – Mohirl Sep 16 '22 at 15:24