I found a whole page about his injuries at the Star Wars Technical Commentaries website. It doesn't say how he received them, but he does have some pretty bad injuries. The guy paused his movie and sketched Vader when he was being shocked with Force lightning.
http://www.theforce.net/swtc/injuries.html
Either he was crushed or the lava theory. I like the lava theory better.
I read the original first draft for The Star Wars at www.aldera.net. I read a few things about Kane Starkiller, a Jedi Bendu, father of Annikin and Deak Starkiller. Kane is talking with Jedi Bendu and General Luke Skywalker in the draft and is telling Luke to take Annikin as his Jedi Padawan. Kane says he's too old to finish the training, and Luke asks why. Here's where the script comes in that I copied.
Starkiller suddenly ignites in a rage and swings his left forearm down with a
mighty blow across the solid chrome desk the general is sitting on. The old
Jedi warrior's forearm cracks in two, spewing forth wires, and many fine
multicolored electronic components. The artificial limb flops lifelessly to
Starkiller's side. The warrior rips open his tunic, revealing a plastic chest
stuffed with flashing electric parts.
KANE (angrily)
I'm not the same. There is nothing left but my head and right arm... I've
lost too much, Luke...I'm dying.
It reminded me a lot of Vader, with his artificial arm and stuff. Kane only has nothing but his head and his right arm left. Sounds like Vader...
If it was acid, wouldn't he have dissolved like in Austin Powers? Lava is more likely.
Plus, he has the fake arm and a mechanical neck "brace" in his neck if you look at the pictures on the link I gave. He couldn't get those from a saber inflicted wound unless Obi-Wan stuck his saber through Anakin's neck and so on and so forth. Plus, Jedi Knights, especially Obi-Wan, wouldn't be that aggresive and gore him.
not all of vaders injuries have to come from that one anticipated duel with ob1. and they don't all have to be from intentional strikes from ob1. as with the lava theory, it might be an uplanned incident. there may be an accidental explosion or cut open a vat of acid or molten metal or somthing along those lines. point is there is a myriad of possiblities that don't include a volcano fight where anakin falls in and is later recued before he is completey burnt by the emperor. personaly, i find it more believalbe to be acid than lava. have you ever jumped in lava before. i think the whole lava thing would just be too unbelievable. he could not stay in for long and if the emperor was there that soon why not save him before he fell in.
Well, the Emperor supposedly plans it. He wants Anakin as his apprentice, remember? I read that Obi-Wan and Anakin duel on the edge of a volcano and Anakin is shoved backwards and falls in, but Obi-Wan tries to save him and is unable to. A fissure shakes Anakin loose from OB1's grip and he lands in the lava. Obi-Wan believes Anakin to be dead and takes Anakin's lightsaber. The Emperor rushes in with the deal of "Join me and I can save your life."
Thgat's all very speculative, what you have been posting, Rex. Even the analysis of his injuries, which I remember myself and queeq talking about yonks ago, is only speculation in the end.
"Plus, Jedi Knights, especially Obi-Wan, wouldn't be that aggresive and gore him."
HUH? So, what, cutting someone in half is nice, is it?
You will have to accept that Jedi Knights WILL kill if they have to. And there is nothing nice about killing. They slash and hack people to death with highly advanced and deadly close range weapons. They can kill, and if they can kill they can damn well cripple as well! At ANY point of the body!