Please keep in mind when reading this that I have not read the Vader comic series and have only read a handful of the many, many EU books available so there may be a moment that proves this to all be false but I haven't seen/read it.
When Boba Fett gives Vader the name "Skywalker" its gotta hit him HARD. He doesn't necessarily know Padme was having twins (I don't think she ever got the chance to tell him there were two) but this is the moment he realizes his child(ren) didn't die with his wife. She lived long enough, at least, to give birth. He just found out he's a goddam father!
AND, in that moment, he may think that its possible Padme didn't die at all. It stands to reason that his first thought wouldn't be that she died immediately after giving birth. For all he knows, Palpatine lied entirely and Padme and Anakin's child were hidden from him, and both could be alive and relatively well. One could argue that Vader could have searched for Padme's life force and felt nothing, and confirmed her death mere moments after he wakes up, or at any time after that, but we know he falls for what Palpatine says without following up so why shouldn't Vader take him at his word at that moment? And yeah, he had the visions and shit but just a little bit of self-doubt would be all it took for him to think he was wrong. One could also argue (and I think this may have even happened in one of the comics) that Vader actually saw or visited the body/burial site and knew she was dead. That would have also told him the child was dead because we know Obi-Wan and Councilor Organa and whoever the heck else were in charge of the funeral arrangements pretended she died before giving birth. We see her with a fake, or at least exaggerated, bump at her funeral. (Do we know if Jar-Jar was in on the secret? Yes, we all hate him as a character, but damn, his heart would have been fkn broken in that moment. Most of his friends have now died and he's about to lose the rest as they go into hiding.) But still, even if Vader is certain Padme is dead, he just found out that she gave him a child. Time to pass out the cigars, er, death sticks maybe.
Honestly, I think this is a pivotal moment in Vader's later redemption. Boba says "Skywalker" and Vader's world completely flips the fuck upside down. He has a kid. He may still have a wife. His master has LIED to him for 20ish years and Vader fell for it. He now knows that Palpatine has been lying and manipulating him for years. His anger in this moment will only build and the fight on Death Star 2 is just the last straw.
To play the devil's advocate, Vader might have thought that Palatine hadn't lied, he'd just been fooled by the Republic and the Jedi. But that would almost anger Vader even more, as that would mean the Emperor was weak enough and foolish enough to fall for an enemy trick. It would be a huge signal that Palpatine's time as emperor was coming to an end, and it was time for Vader to take over. That would have made his redemption a little harder though.
Vader probably had a very Kylo Ren-like temper tantrum not long after the meeting with the bounty hunters. Or some STRONG tea to calm him down. He's surrounded by British people; I'm sure they have a stash.
Well, that concludes this episode of "Late Night Star Wars Theories (rants) with Tyro". Thank you and good night.
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