SINGAPORE: Tributes have poured in from the local Star Wars and cosplay communities for the Universal Studios Singapore (USS) WaterWorld stunt performer whose death was reported earlier this week.Mr Willis Sia was taken to hospital on May 19 after suffering a medical emergency during training, where he later died.According to his Instagram account, Mr Sia played three characters in WaterWorld, including the show’s antagonist, Deacon.Mr Sia had been an active and popular member of the local cosplay and Star Wars communities, and was known for dressing up as Darth Vader.Many tributes described Mr Sia as tall but also friendly, in contrast with the Star Wars villain he would cosplay as.“You were a gentle giant with an even bigger heart,” wrote one friend on Facebook. “Your Empire will never be the same.”A separate tribute read: “You may act as Darth Vader and Deacon, the baddest guys in their world, but you are the nicest person that ever walked on earth.”“Thank you for being the kindest, most joyful Vader anyone could have asked for,” read a third tribute. “Those memories of you are some of the most precious I will ever hold in my heart.”The 501st Legion Singapore Garrison, the local chapter of a Star Wars cosplay organisation, also posted a tribute to Mr Sia on its Facebook page.“Some people leave footprints quietly, but deeply, within a community. Willis (SL-9746) was one of them,” the tribute read.“Through the years, many of us knew Willis not just as Darth Vader, but also as a familiar and jovial presence within the Singapore Garrison who had a fondness for dad jokes … He showed up not only for his fellow troopers, but also events beyond our shores with his iconic villain costume.”“Though the armour may now rest, your memory will continue to march alongside us in every troop and every gathering to come,” the group added.“Rest easy, trooper. May the Force be with you, always.”