Villain Therapy: ANAKIN SKYWALKER
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 พ.ค. 2021
- Darth Vader is one of the most iconic villains in movie history. But what led Anakin Skywalker to turn to the Dark Side and become a villain? And could it have been prevented?
Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker and filmmaker Alan Seawright take a look at the Star Wars prequels and what caused Anakin's turn to the dark, and ultimate return to the light in the original trilogy. Jonathan talks about the traits of Borderline Personality Disorder and how Anakin's character displays several of them. And Alan has a hard time finding anything good to say about the prequels because... well... they're course and rough and get everywhere.
NOTE: As we discuss in the video, there is NOT a correlation between mental illness and villainy. Anakin Skywalker happens to display some of the traits of Borderline Personality Disorder, but it is his choices, combined with his life experiences and the mythology of Star Wars (i.e. the Dark Side of the Force) that led him to become a villain (Darth Vader).
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Written by: Megan Seawright, Jonathan Decker and Alan Seawright
Produced by: Jonathan Decker, Megan Seawright & Alan Seawright
Edited by: Alan Seawright
Director of Photography: Bradley Olsen
English Transcription by: Anna Preis - ภาพยนตร์และแอนิเมชัน
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Everyone who ever met Anakin Skywalker went "God what a mess, someone should do something" and no one ever did
EDIT: I'm sad that this is the top comment on this video, and it's a joke I stole from somewhere else.
Except for Luke but it was too late
@@melisveziroglu3542 Yes, Luke! And, although it was too late for the so many... it did end up saving the galaxy! Thanks for the reminder. What an example in the early Luke!
@@melisveziroglu3542 well it wasn’t too late. He got there in time for the chosen one to kill Palpatine and bring balance to the force.
@@everythingdibs344 yeah but too late as in he died the next second not too late for redemption
And he asked for help! He went to Yoda and even tried to talk to Obi Wan.... But all he got was a wishy washy: let it go. Accept it.
Everybody always asked "who is Darth Vader?"
But nobody ever asked "how is Darth Vader?"
Why is Darth Vader?
"Where is Darth Vader?"
When is darth vader
He's not so good, actually.
Definitely had better days.
At least he's got his son.
What is Darth Vader
Anakin: "Master Yoda, I think my wife is going to die and I'm terrified, please help"
Yoda, with disdain on his face: "If she dies, she dies"
That was what was best for Anakin. It was just not what Anakin wanted.
Yoda: "If you divorce your wife, then your wife can't die because you won't have a wife"
@martalaatsch8358 yoda: Wise, I am in many ways. listen, you should
@@UncleRuckus7600 haha, yes, everyone says Yoda is so wise but his advice includes several full hours of restating the obvious, "don't love your mother", "don't be sad when people die", and "burn down the last remaining library of a nation that barely survived getting very efficiently genocided two generations ago"
@@martalaatsch8358 For that last one, Rey rescued the Jedi Texts before she left. You see them inside a compartment on the Millennium Falcon in a blink-and-you-miss-it moment. All Yoda destroyed was an empty, dead tree, and he knew it.
Fun fact, Vader's suit actually catches and snags his burned skin all the time, there were designs for him to have an improved suit but he chose to keep the old suit because his pain fueled his connection to the dark side, so he could technically qualify for self harm which would make 8/9 signs
Damn. Nice catch there
Actually the emperor hid said upgrades from him to keep him weak enough that he could control him but strong enough to beat anyone else. There were needles all over the suit that were to keep his nerves from dying I think? But he never knew about the upgrades I don’t think
@@jessehensley3179 he knew but the risks were of getting a new suit were very hughy
@@jessehensley3179 He knew but there was a high chance he would die during the upgrade so he turned down and only made adjustments to the current suit like tightening the grip or something else.
@@jessehensley3179 not just for not dying he was in constant pain and anger literally always in the most powerful emotion that attracts the dark side
Someone once pointed out that Leia is Anakin's daughter: Passion, fire, a certain degree of ruthlessness and Luke is Padme's son: love, compassion and faith in Anakin.
Which is even sadder since Luke says he has no memory of his mother while Leia has vague memories of her, despite the fact they were both born a few seconds apart.
"With a kick that hard? Definitely a girl." - Ani
I still don't know how nobody knew Padme was pregnant. Boyfriend: "That's because Obi-Wan knew snitches get stitches."
If anyone has the right to be angry, it's Leia, but she handles it better than the men.
Love that moment in the old EU where Leia is visited by Anakin's force ghost and 100% coldly rejects him.
I can’t think of a villain who both so obviously needed therapy, AND would have been genuinely responsive to it. Anakin WANTED help. The Jedi then, in their sage wisdom, told him to can it and just stop being afraid 👍🏻
It breaks my heart 😭😭😭 Anakin was a victim of circumstance
The prequel Jedi were assholes. Expecting people to shut down their emotions and blindly devote themselves to The Force, were told that grieving their dead loved ones was a bad thing even though it's perfectly natural, not being allowed to have spouses, kids and families because of the stupid "no attachments" thing and so on. At least in the original EU Luke's New Jedi Order did away with all those rules. Much better than the Disney Luke's "killed offscreen before we ever saw them" order.
Anakin ASKED for help. They failed him.
The horrible mindset of toxic masculinity causes so much damage. Luke seeing through it was like breaking the cycle, and I think it's so important that he didn't follow the wisdom of the past, because it benefited no one. He didn't believe that should be the Jedi way.
Anakin refused the support system he had at the time. The Jedi profess a philosophy similar to Buddhism that professes feeling and understanding emotions while managing them, and similarly to the Jedi, gives up attachment, defined as an unwillingness to accept reality and experiencing unhealthy posessiveness. The principles of Meditation inspire and inform the principles of Therapy, and clearly, the Jedi allowed consultation with elders and masters, so mental health was not tossed aside. The thing is that they didn't do an intervention either. Anakin chose to stay within the Jedi Order and then refused to properly understand the philosophy or respect the boundaries set, and he held a lot of resentment towards the Order for not adapting to his specific desires. I rather think he was never meant to be a Jedi and that both he and the Order should have recognized it earlier.
(I'm going to imput this as a personal comment on the video too, so if you see it repeated, you shall know why. XD)
I feel bad for both Obi-Wan and Anakin. Obi-Wan was suddenly forced to train Anakin with little knowledge of how to do so, then Anakin, a traumatized kid who lost his mother then his father figure. They both bond but then they are forced to fight due to both of their mistakes. The scene where Obi-Wan fights Vader in Kenobi broke my heart.
And Obi-Wan has ALSO just lost his father figure when he’s suddenly thrust into this role with Anakin.
and i see it as an oversight by the council too. like yes, obi wan just killed a sith lord, but maybe not letting him take an apprentice so soon maybe?
@@stephantom8237 Exactly, I feel like by the time he met Luke he matured and wised up a bit and was a better mentor.
Cinema therapy should do a video on Obi-Wan Kenobi
I genuinely hate Obi Wan. Congrats on driving a disturbed kid insane. Who went on to be space Hitler. Don't know how worse you could screw up, even if it was on purpose
The way the Jedi treated Anakin was like telling a depressed person to just feel happier...
Except its worse because they knew Anakin was immensely important to the fate of the entire galaxy. But instead of making sure he grew up to be well-adjusted and not evil, they refused to make any exceptions for their Chosen One and just ignored all of his many, obvious issues. Meanwhile, a legitimate sociopath with multiple wives (Ki Adi Mundi) was allowed on the Council and the second highest ranking Jedi (Mace Windu) was openly hostile to Anakin.
Mundi wasn't a sociopath, he didn't love his wives, he only had kids with them because his species needed it to survive
@@calebbarnhouse496the wives aren’t the reason he’s considered a sociopath
@@foldingglint1514 it's a decent part, with clones he just didn't consider them people
It always bothered me that the Jedi are on about "bringing balance" to the force, when they actually mean that they will be entirely in charge. That isn't balance. That's a space theocracy. Also thier entire order was brought down by a second rate politician. They are doing something wrong
As a person who struggles with a severe depression, I agree that this “just be happy” bs coming even from closest people really hurts like hell. It feels like a punch in the face
People shit on Hayden Christensen's performance but I think it's actually really good. In attack of the clones Anakin is an immature teenager, and in revenge of the sith Anakin is a mentally struggling adult, and he portrays that so well.
His performance in Shattered Glass is also excellent
"Oh, but hayden acts whiny, socially awkward, brash and aggressive!"
Yeah...that's...the point of the character...
@@Vlugazoide totally. George Lucas failed, not Hayden (same can be said for the actor for kid Anakin)
@@willywonka3050 Jake did great he was supposed to act like a 9 year old
Right??? I loved Hayden's portrayal of young Anakin. He was adorable and totally believable. ❤️
"Tell me where the prequels hurt you" made me laugh.
bruh the vid was uploaded 2 minutes ago
@@lancesentry7936 that was in the first 45 seconds tho
The frontal lobe, they were so awesome that they broke my brain.
The sequels were even more traumatic.
"The emperor is kind of a sleezy boyfriend" got me on the floor.
I as someone with B.P.D, really enjoyed this episode. Was actually good to see a visual representation of someone with this with too and hear personal and professional advice and comments. So many things much about B.P.D out there is so very negative and this was done in a truthful but tactful way. Thanks guys.
You’re so welcome!
I've been suspecting I have it for a few months now (could name several self sabotaging episodes, as well as emotional switching being expected from myself at this point)- I can't believe Anakin to be so relatable, I would never have thought that as a kid when I was just confused by him.
It's true, the times when I have had unconditional love from my step-father, or my grandmother, it felt like I really was the hero of my own story and was achieving everything I would want.. Life was almost "easy mode" in terms of difficult things being very achievable. Without that, life is much harder only because of what is happening inside.
I was here to say the same thing. I have done DBT for years and it has helped TREMENDOUSLY, but it is still really hard to relate to others and I really appreciated this episode. Especially the end. It is a diagnosis that can be stigmatized often. There are therapists who refuse to work with people with BPD. I appreciated greatly the empathy and thoughtful analysis here. Thanks!
Same! I'm always nervous when I click on videos about BPD, even when I generally like/trust the creators, because there's so much misunderstanding and stigma. And I totally see Anakin in a new light now, he makes a bit more sense than he did before. Happy to add him to my (short, but growing) list of characters with BPD.
To your point on self-harm, he willingly wore a suit that inflicted as much pain as possible and made his fortress overlooking the very spot of his greatest failure so he'd embrace pain.
as a person with BPD hearing him say "people with borderline personality disorder don't tend to be homocidal lunatics" was legitimately so refreshing to hear, especially from a professional; the way we're treated and portrayed is almost always as horrible, unhelpable, and toxic people when it reality it tends to be quite the opposite, so hearing it here made me very happy
this.
Bless
Agreed.
I've always believed i had BPD, once I asked a friend who was going into psychiatry ,and I brought it up and she totally gated me, pretty much going
"no hun, I doubt you'd could ever be that malicious to have BPD"
and i was just like "you dont think the youngest child, to an abusive father, who's felt alone all her childhood has a chance of having BPD?"
sometimes people are just bad judges of character.
He's literally saying a character who killed children had bpd. He's not being nice he's being underhanded. He hates us like the rest of the "medical professionals"
LOL “no, no catharsis is NOT killing people, let’s go over this again” literally sounds like how Anakin’s therapy session would go 🤣
*screams while destroying medical droids*
@@MitchBoucherComposer the therapist: "...it's a start."
@@inkvixen3141 Or you could say... "this is where the improvement begins!"
Anakin: From my point of view killing is not evil.
Lightsabers his way out of the room.
@@Xehanort10 "Well, Master, the negotiations *were* short."
You should talk about Anakins descent through the Clone Wars series, it really highlights everything better and shows him getting more and more ruthless without Anakin even realizing it.
He slowly becomes deluded and starts thinking everyone is acting against him.
I would LOVE this. There’s a lot of filler, but the important episodes really highlight his fall.
Anakin was a better Master and the perfect combination of brother/father figure to his Padawan than any other Jedi in any trilogy, despite his other faults
The bad thing about The Clone Wars is that they fill the time gape between AotC and RotS. Once the whole trilogy was finished unlike Clone wars 2D that hit the TV in those years and the series ended and few weeks later RotS hit the theater
@@Zed-ti9uj “ I agree, and this quote by Asoka only adds to that: “he cared deeply about his friends”
Jono's "you underestimate my power" was so on point I had to double take that it wasn't dubbed in or cutting in the original clip. well played
Well thank you :)
@@CinemaTherapyShow Yeah it gave me goosebumps.
Young Anakin: "I'm a person and my name is Anakin"
Darth vader: "that name no longer has any meaning for me"
Just think about how far Anakin lost himself.
Edit: thank you everyone for the responses and the like. It shows how much you understand people's hardships. Understanding is an art and not everyone is an artist.
There was this really great Star Wars what if comic where maul and Vader fight. Vader wins and maul asks “who could you hate so much to have so much power” and then Vader says “myself”.
🥺
😥
I can agree with it too, ditto the sequels which hurt me even more.
That makes it even sadder...
It’s not a movie, but “Villain Therapy: Azula” is something I need to see in my subscriptions
th-cam.com/video/R4544ZUr_gA/w-d-xo.html Thank me later, it exists.
@@annailles8625 That one by Hello Future Me is good (although I think he misses the mark a tiny bit in some places); it would still be fun to see what Jonathan and Alan do with it. And of course Zuko's redemptive arc....
@@wendybalivet6543 100%
@@wendybalivet6543 Zuko's redemptive arc, for me, is THE MOST well-earned character development I have ever seen in fiction. I find his arc much more human than Aang's: watching Aang resolving the Ozai confrontation/conflict with peace and justice uplifts me, fills me with hope, but Zuko's transformation was fully cathartic.
@@Badz_B34chst4r Zuko's story is amazing. He never would have made it without Iroh. 😉
I really feel for Obi-Wan as a teacher, because even though he came across as very critical in AotC, his teaching style is a bit different in other canon material. He did praise Anakin, did trust him, but also had the "unfortunate" position as someone who HAS to point out his mistakes. After 10 years of this, I can well imagine that patience is a precious commodity. Anakin was quite difficult to handle as it is, add in the whole "Chosen One" prophecy, Palaptine's grooming, hormones AND the entire Clone Wars shenanigans... I'm honestly not sure that even Qui-Gon could have 100% prevented Anakin from falling or making otherwise terrible decisions. Now to go read some fix-it fanfiction... T_T...
I just finished Kenobi.. again, any reading suggestions??
I believe Qui-Gon would have been able to help/fix Anakin. Qui-Gon was wise with words and teachings and also didn't believe everything the Jedi Council believed.
@@Dead_Hitori I respectfully disagree with the notion that Qui-Gon was the fix-all-cure many in the fandom seem to think he would've been. It's easy to idolize a dead man, because a dead man makes no mistakes.
@@Ouranorable i feel that it could have been a bit better had Qui-Gon not died. While he may not be able to fix it all by himself, him being alive means that Anakin and Obi Wan would be very much like brothers, rather than Obi-Wan being more of a mentor to Anakin. As OP said, Obi Wan had to criticise Anakin due to being his mentor, but if Qui Gon were his mentor, Obi Wan wouldn't be saddled with training Anakin and having to criticise him, rather being able to be someone who could be overall far more positive, supportive and encouraging to Anakin without the need for criticism.
Idk, it's hard to say how much would be different
qui-gon would have figured out palpatine very quickly. thats why palpatine needed him dead before he ascended to power. If qui-gon doesn't die, then palpatine wouldn't have been confident enough to assume power over the republic and begin the clone wars (and if he did qui-gon would have figured him out). He would still probably fuck up the jedi order after qui-gon dies (naturally or killed by another sith sent by palpatine) , but anakin wouldn't turn to the dark side
You guys should do an analysis about how the Jedi are manipulative and constantly told Anakin to suppress emotions. Isn't it bad to be hounded and lectured and punished for feeling fear, anxiety and anger? Aren't ALL emotions vital to the human animal?
I wish they could do an entire series on Anakin. Almost everyone in his life just set him up for failure and then acted surprised when he lost it. It’s so sad
I'm am pretty sure we are human beings, created in the image of God, but we are now disconnected from him because we directly disobeyed Him. But thanks be to God that He loves us far more than any human can comprehend, and all you NEED TO DO is repent of your sins and accept Jesus is God and that he died on the cross for your sins so that you can avoid eternal suffering and join God in everlasting life.
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 6:23
@@IamsavedbyGodsgrace Bruh
It's funny, because I have hated the Jedi as a religion/sect the more I get into the Star Wars universe. I still love Star Wars, but the Jedi basically kidnap vulnerable children, brainwash them, make them into child soldiers, and then continue to control their lives and take away anything they could possibly love throughout their adult lives. It's ridiculous.
@@hymnsforchrist3620Agreed
I am surprised how rarely I've heard people raise concern about how the Jedi council recruited *children* into being trained to essentially become soldiers and be unable to have any family or friends, children at ages so low they barely have a sense of identity, let alone knowing if they are ready to accept having to devote themselves to a lifestyle of no connections, no family and constant suppression of emotions while also being a soldier with their life at risk.
And even worst is that Anakin was considered *too old* by Jedi recruitment standards... for fuck's sake they indoctrinate children smaller than 9!
"What we don't see in him is suicidal behavior or self-harm."
Hoo-boy, wait until you hear about how his Darth Vader suit works, the downsides to it, and how he actively refuses to even attempt to move to a more comfortable one for someone in his condition. I'd say actively choosing to live a life of absolute agony every second of the day would qualify as "self harm".
He thought he deserved the suffering for his failings and weaknesses. The pain also strengthens his sith rage and sith presence which was a vital part of him defeating majority of his foes in battle
I love the part in the ep 3 novelization and rise of darth vader books that mention what it feels to be anakin skywalker forever and how painful the suit is to Vader respectively
There's also that time Anakin first laid eyes on a Lightsaber and stuck it up to his eye
Not to mention, suicidal behavior isn't always direct self-injury. It can also mean engaging in risky or reckless behavior that has higher stakes of danger or taking more frequent risks involving dangerous circumstances. Throughout the prequels, Anakin does dangerous stunts that could have easily gotten him badly hurt or killed if they went sideways.
Ex. - his entire participation in the Podrace as a means of getting out of slavery (Phantom Menace)
Ex. - jumping from a moving, flying vehicle at high speed to pursue a bounty hunter (Attack of the Clones)
Ex. - basically the entire clone factory scene (Attack of the Clones)
Ex. - the failed attempt at rescuing Obi-Wan that resulted in the Coliseum battle scene (Attack of the Clones)
Ex. - charging headfirst towards Count Dooku instead of waiting and using teamwork like Obi-Wan instructed (Attack of the Clones)
Ex. - jumping over Obi-Wan despite Obi-Wan having the high ground in their duel on Mustafar (Revenge of the Sith)
(And the last one did result in grave harm that nearly killed him).
- - -
Also, notice how most of the examples are from Attack of the clones, when the death of his mother was recent and the psychological wound from that grief was still fresh.
It was also punishment from Palpatine.
This whole movie just reminds me of the saying "The child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth". the jedi council were always so critical of Anakin and ended up causing their own demise.
He is the chosen one. He brought balance to the force. Jedi we’re over abundant and egoistic.
this quote resonates a lot with my childhood
The Jedi betrayed Anakin and justified his actions. Look for the video about that it’s really good
The Jedi at the time they fell were just a ghostly shell of what they were. They lost their way.
Anakin made a lot of poor choices himself; his feelings with Padme were possessive
I think the big thing with Anakin is that his entire sleight of personality flaws reflects on the Jedi dogma and its flaws, he struggles to process his emotions because none of his teachers know how, they've all convinced themselves that those emotions are evil and thus need to be suppressed, and all their advice ends up being on "controlling" his feelings rather than actually facing them. So instead they're allowed to fester, and he's left with the emotional regulation of a child even as a grown man as a result.
"Tell me on the Sith Lord, where the prequels hurt you," is one of the best lines in history.
I like how you say he’s whiny and then show a clip of him right after his mom died.
Prequel hating logic...
For real though
@@chip5892 I was joking.
“Gah it’s not like you guys were very close..”
@@davidson2727what hahahahaha
Any video that opens with "The emperor is kind of a sleazy boyfriend" is my kind of video.
They've got some cracking lines in this.
Seriously accurate.
That was comedy gold ahahahah
Probably my favorite thing about the prequels is that the "I have the high ground" line was the writers poking fun at Hayden Christensen. I can't remember the full story off the top of my head, but inside jokes like that making it into the script is one of my favorite things.
My other favorite thing is that, if you watch the Clone Wars animated show, chronologically, before Obi-wan said "Hello there" to General Greivous, Greivous said it to him.
Nick Gillard, the fight choreographer, said that they would go to lunch it something and the walk was up a bit of a hill and Hayden just lost his feet and tumbled down the hill, a couple times. Enough for "Anakin is bad with hills" to become a meme in their minds. 😅
@@ThinWhiteAxeWhile that's funny...it also kinda showed that no one was taking it seriously besides Lucas at that point...
@@kongming66 Oh make no mistake, everybody was taking it seriously. Don't try to turn this fun story into some new BS narrative about how everyone who made the prequels hated them and how Marcia Lucas secretly ghost-wrote and/or ghost-directed the OT
@@officialmonarchmusicI can absolutely see some fan turn this fun story into "No one took it seriously! THEY RUINED STAR WARS WAAAAAAAH" and other fans agreeing with them
@@pkmntrainerred4247 Yeah. That's the problem. People looking to retcon Lucas out of his own part in the story
I myself was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder after years of neglect and trauma I have a lot of very close relationships but I used to actively push them away (still do times ) my closest friends see through my paranoia and bullshit and don't let me push them away
Not to mention the trauma I faced when the person I cared about the most who was supposed to be my other half and I planned to marry abandoned me and lied about it
That is great news that your friends don’t allow you to push them away. If they do what the experts in the video said and your friends also do what Luke did then that is good for you. So sorry you went through that. Good luck!
Darth Vader is a direct result of none of the responsible adults in the room with Anakin ever taking care of him as a human being before teaching him how to kill shit with his mind and an energy sword. And hey, let's not forget that the Jedi never bothered to free "the Chosen One's" mom, Shmi, from slavery. That couldn't possibly bite us on the ass later.
... Or just any slave.
A jedi cant have attachments. They shouldnt have trained him in the first place
@@yoonahkang7384 That's totally one of the flaws in the Jedi's training. Repression is not healthy. If only Qui Gon was around to train Anakin, he was a much needed rebel.
@@yoonahkang7384 I thought Mando did a good job calling that out early but not really obsessing over it.
It just means that later on when anything jedi-related comes up, that whole "no attachments" thing has already been established as going against common sense, as well as specifically un-Mandolorean.
this! sums it so perfectly!
Deleted scene of Obi Wan talking to Padme in RotS
“I am not blind, Padmé. Though I have tried to be, for Anakin’s sake. And for yours. Anakin has loved you since the day you met, in that horrible junk shop on Tatooine. He’s never even tried to hide it, though we do not speak of it. We… pretend that I don’t know. And I was happy to, because it made him happy. You made him happy, when nothing else ever truly could.”
Holy kriff. That's really sad.
WHAAAT?
and in the clone wars season 7 he makes a small reference inlying that he knows of their relationship.
but also they are bad at hiding it in general
This fantastic bit of dialogue could have been in the movie. Instead we got:
A: You are so beautiful.
P: Only because I'm so in love.
A: No. It's because I'm so in love with you.
(awkward silence)
P: ... so love has blinded you?
A: (awkwardly laughing) No, no... that's not exactly what I meant.
(end scene)
Seriously, everyone always harps on the Anakin and Padme "falling in love" dialoge from Clones, but to me this is far and away the cringiest bit of dialogue ever shared between these two.
This is from the novel. It is not a deleted scene from the movie.
I remember thinking Jake Lloyd’s acting was bad when I watched this as a kid, and held to that idea for a long time. On a recent rewatch though, I wondered why I felt that way and why other people said it. Having to say lines like “Yippee!” and “I’ll try spinning-that’s a good trick” is hard, but for the most part, he just seemed like a real kid. An outgoing, precocious kid who tries to always act like everything’s cool and he’s got things under control. I thought all the scenes with his mom were great, and I found their separation heartbreaking.
As a BPD patient myself, I really appreciated this episode. Well done.
My husband watched this video last week and now when I’m emotionally disregulated, he stays calm and says “I love you unconditionally” and repeats he sees the “good in me” until I’m calm. With BPD I’ve never experienced such comfort and relief SO QUICKLY in a moment of extreme anger. We have couples therapy and loads of tools, but your videos influence has had such a huge impact on our interactions. THANK YOU!!
Reading this made me cry 😭
That's really sweet of your husband
thats so sweet🥺🥺
I second the crying motion, definitely crying. Thank you for sharing
Your husband sounds like a wonderful person
I would cry so hard
What gets me is that Anakin reached out for help and got palmed off with essentially a 'make yourself not worry about it'.
Yeah. I always feel like the Jedi order basically created Darth Vader. One of my major problems with the prequels is how it's hard to tell if this is the intended message or not. (I remember watching AotC when I was a kid and due to how the Jedi handled things I decided that the idea to not love others and to repress emotions was horrific and basically decided that I'd never want to be a Jedi. Idk how to explain it really, but imo the idea that that movie made a kid say he wouldn't want to be a Jedi is kinda depressing to me).
@@462n I still wanted to be a Jedi as a kid but in a reformed order that knew subjecting human and human like beings to a life of emotional self denial was both cruel and nonsensical.
In our galaxy, it sounds like this:
"Focus on the positives"
@@462n I am like 99% sure that was the intent
@@jordanetherington1922 my point isn't about whether or not it was intentional in a factual sense. but rather that it's so hard to tell (when just going by the prequel trilogy of movies). In other words, even if it was intentional I still don't think it was handled well. If you only go by what happens in the prequel movies it can be seen as that the Jedi were right and Vader came to be because of him going against their rules (starting at an older age, falling in love, etc.). There's nothing to go by in the prequel movies that supports the idea that if Anakin had proper emotional support (and maybe, perhaps, a therapist) that he likely wouldn't have become Vader. The tools to give that kind of message are there, like him being around Palpatine since he praises and supports him, but the movies never take that extra step to show that that's what's going on. Heck, the reason he's with Palpatine so much at the beginning of III isn't even his choice, he was asked to do so by the Jedi Order (which is the first mistake of theirs that is definitely shown as a mistake).
I didn't hated or disliked Anakin, I always pitied him, he was so troubled and ended up so bad, it breaks my heart. Poor boy. I remember crying in the theatre when he lost his limbs and almost died. I never thought of him having bpd, I didn't know what bpd was back then, but it made sense to me to have a sob story behind him becoming vader
In my opinion, I do think Anakin engages in self-harm by intentionally putting himself in dangerous and risky situations without assessing the potential harm he may be doing to himself. It circles back to the idea that he at times feels invincible before dropping back into a negative self image after realising the damage he's done.
I wouldn't call it self harm when the reason anakin rushes into certain death is because to him, certain death scenarios aren't difficult to survive, he can run and dodge gunfire, pick up tanks, and the only thing preventing him from killing people is often the fact if he needs to or not, by the time of the clone wars anakin was already an experienced combatant, and once it started he would feel obligated to do everything he can to win the war to save as many lives as he can by ending it as quickly as possible
You missed The Clone Wars. Padme had an ex boyfriend Anakin had to struggle to NOT kill on principle during their shared arc. Anakin is INCREDIBLY protective of his relationships & possessive of the people in his life. He unfortunately subscribes to the “you are MINE forever” and “if I can’t have you no one can” schools of thought.
Clovis right? The absolute madlad actually challenged him to a fistfight. Really? A polotician vs. a battle hardened knight? I almost respected his idiocy lol
Honestly I regard TCW Anakin as an alternate reality Anakin. Little of his characterization in TCW felt congruent with his representation in the films. This was actually intentional, too: George Lucas wanted TCW to retcon Anakin into being more likeable. Which is confusing - what elements of TCW are supposed to overrule which parts of the prequels then?
OK, here's another "Clovis did nothing wrong TM" person. Except he did. Just before Anakin beat him up, Clovis was forcing his attentions on Padme, and *kept on doing it when she was saying no*. That's called a forced kiss, or even sexual assault.
Any man who does not respect consent and continues to press his attentions on a woman after she says no, which is what Clovis did, deserves everything he gets.
@@allature I didn't. People say that Clovis was "just flirting" with Padme in that scene, but he was doing more than that, he was embracing her and did not back off when she was saying "NO!". That's called sexual assault. I don't blame him for beating the crap out of that creep. Not to mention that he held a gun to her head a while later, and in Series 2 Padme ended up getting poisoned by Clovis political rivals. I mean literally, she ends up dead or nearly being killed, or raped every time she is with that dude.
@@englishlady9797 ...? Huh? Uhm... I never defended Clovis? All I commented was that I remembered when he was dumb enough to challenge Anankin to a fight "without his Jedi tricks" (as if that would make a difference lol) I think you might have me confused with someone?
I always kinda felt bad for anakin, everyone he loves around him dies. And no one really tries to help him deal with it.
He killed his own wife, fyi.
@@Prince_the_One I know, but I felt that could have been prevented if he got help way early on.
Actually she died of a broken heart because Anakin fell to the dark side. Anakin says in ROTS that he can’t live without her and the same is true for Padmé. She can’t live without him.
@@Prince_the_One yeah he didn’t kill her lol
Just one person though, his mom. Padme's death is arguably his fault (yeah yeah "broken heart" and all but a pregnant woman was choked to unconsciousness That ain't healthy).
Hearing Alan honestly admit his faults and talk about how he's changed and improved himself as a person is so powerful and I'm so impressed because that must have taken incredible bravery. Thank you Alan.
Vader did a terrific job as father to Luke. He turned Luke Skywalker into a famous Joker who becomes the greatest foe against Batman! Thank you Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy!
I'm still sad how the kid who played young anikin was treated. He was heavily bullied because of his role in Phantom Menace.
I can’t think of a single child actor that I hate. Some ppl need to ironically grow up and stop bullying children
Yeah, that's terrible. Shouldn't bully anyone, but in that scenario, obviously bully George Lucas, not the kid.
@Ayla Alya I agree. I have been lightly bullied during middle and high school, and it has been more traumatizing for me than any other fucked up shit that happened to me ever since. And even if I've been doing fine for myself, it still shapes my relationships to people, my self-esteem and ability to trust and feel comfortable. I am still a bit irrationally afraid of overly self-confident people, I still have trouble owning who I am in public, etc... So yeah, bullying's no joke.
@Ayla Alya Sending you my support, sister.
@@CinemaTherapyShow I've been bullied as an adult and I would never bully someone like that. It still hurts no matter what age you are
That scene where Anakin is talking about hating sand. The hatred is not for sand. It's what it represents. As a child he had no control over the things that happened to him. He was a slave, vulnerable and not in control. The sand reminds him of that time in his life.
Maybe that’s why I hate sand
First off, he doesn’t “hate sand;” he “doesn’t like sand.” There’s a difference in intensity.
Secondly, that’s beautiful and I’m glad you’re getting that from it, but I gotta be honest I’m pretty sure it’s just an excuse to touch her arm and tell her how “smooth” she is.
@@_somerandomguyontheinternet_ i think you need to recall that Anakin was raised by people who refused to acknowledge the use of the words fear, anger, hatred, and suffering as anything other than things Anakin needed to rise above, not things he could truly acknowledge. So of course Anakin would avoid the word Hate as much as possible, as if he says anger or fear he would get the whole spiel. From, someone who avoids the word try because everytime i only get "there is no try, there is only do"
I always understood the concept behind that line, and I agree that the meaning goes that deep. But the descriptions Anakin used could’ve been more representative of those feelings. Sand could’ve “burned your feet wherever you go” or it could’ve been “inescapable” or “endless” or anything that connects to that feeling of being trapped.
He's also trying to get into Padme's pants.
Had Qui-Gon lived and trained Anakin, Anakin likely never would have turned to the Dark Side. Obi-Wan did his best, but he wasn’t ready to have a Padawan at that time, especially someone like Anakin. Obi-Wan acknowledges he failed Anakin in Revenge of the Sith which seems to indicate he was self aware he wasn’t fit to be Anakin’s Jedi Master, but did his best as to fulfill Qui-Gon’s dying wish of training Anakin. Though because he went against the Jedi way and married Padmé, he had Luke and Leia and Luke was the one who saved his father and turned Vader back into Anakin, who then killed the Emperor and being Balance to the Force. Honestly, I love the Prequels. Always have and always will. I do put the Original Trilogy above the Prequels, but the Prequels have gotten better as time has gone on. At the end of the day, there are 6 great films with George Lucas at the helm. No Disney nonsense. That’s all corporate fiction.
Awesome comment. 👍
...I really hate that Disney nonsense...
Jonathan does such a good Anakin impression
Thank you! - Jonathan
There’s a comic where Vader is asked after he had just destroyed things, “who could you hate to give you such ferocity?” His answer, “myself”.
That's very sad.
Great comic. Vader vs Maul well done.
That actually makes sense if it's a hatred for a single person once that person is dead there's nothing left. Hatred of self is self perpetuating.
Ooh I loved that comic, Vader vs Maul iirc. That line is just so powerful
That’s when he ignited his light saber through his own stomach to kill maul and said that
I blame the council a lot for this. They were like "he might turn to the dark side, so let's push him away from us :)"
Agreed which is why Luke when he revived the Jedi Council did away with many of the practices that were established because he knew what those practices would lead to, in the OG extended lore/Legends Universe it was revealed that he allowed fellow Jedi Masters, and Jedi Knights including fan-favorite Kyle Katarn to teach padawans like Jaden Korr how to use both "Jedi Powers", and what were considered "Sith Powers" along with these teaching philosophies that we see Kyle teaching Jaden, and Kesh those being "No power is good or evil it's how you use it that determines whether it's good or evil", and "It's all right to feel angry, but it's not okay to give in to your anger".
Thank you, I feel like they don’t connect Anakin’s troubles with the Jedi’s irresponsibility in the video. They’re just like “Anakin’s whiney the end”
@@jamiestyles4499 Yeah. It's so easy to blame Anakin, because he's the one to make the final choice. But when you look at the people surrounding him it becomes obvious that all that happened could have been avoided so easily
Also: "youre powerful and a genius but you cant be a jedi because were scared of you because you could possibly become evil" "oh yea hes out there killing people now, we have no idea how that could have possibly happened AT ALL"
@@phoeberaymond8781 I know right? It's a mystery how he ended up that way
A villain psychology of Darth maul would be fantastic if you’ve seen the clone wars
Kenobi hihihi. KENOOOOOOOOBAAYEEEEEIEEEE
Is there a psychology to him other than being a sociopath?
5:10 this is exactly the reason why I and so many others absolutely adored Star Wars the Clone Wars.
It's astounding how much they did with Anakin's character and personality. The fleshed out backstory, aswell as Anakin's deeds as the hero of the Clone Wars really was a big point that would have played perfectly into us feeling heartbroken over Anakin's betrayal
Padme when she accepts Anakin even though he admits to being bad.
Me: *flash back to twilight*
"I'm a murderer, i don't care"
"WHY?!?!?!?!"
Abusive relationships?
When did she accept he was a murderer?
@@totallyanonymousbish9599 When he tells her he just massacred a tribe of Sand People.
A lot of reasons, in short humans can't be logical 100% of the time especially where emotions are involved, which is why the Jedi have a healthy fair of them. Love makes evil actions reasonable.
Also it was revenge for his mother who was tortured, also sand people aren't considered sentient like human and other humanoids are.
Also objectively, everyone of us is related to barbarians and cold-blooded killers in our ancestry, hell history is full of them
@@robertmiller9735 sand "people" she has never met, only heard of in the context of Shmi's kidnapping and torture. So that's not really an argument that can be made against her.
Anakin’s fall feels like something from a Shakespearean tragedy. He loved too much, and became heartless after that love spiraled into obsession. The devil that was pulling all the strings knew just what to say to push him over the edge. Even after he became Vader, and everyone gave up on the monster he’d become, Luke saw the broken man inside, his father, that just wanted to be free of his master and his own demons. It wasn’t just self hatred, the guilt and grief of everything he did, all the betrayal, hanged over him. He was a slave all his life, and only his son, the force, and forgiving himself, set Anakin free.
Exactly! And, since his child hood was a bonfire as well as everything that came after they get him off tatooine. He goes from slavery, danger, calling an alien 'master'.
palpatine=shylock confirmed
°>°
&
@@hughjanos3992 oh come on Shylock is nice he just gets bullied by Antonio and basaanio and everyone and then hates them which is reasonable
guy is just doing his job and they ruin his life just because he is Jewish
Palpating on the other hand has no reason he is just evil
@@hughjanos3992 I think Palpatine is more like Iago from Othello
May I add to that?
He also lived trough years of war, saw whole planets getting decimated, had the Jedi council disown his apprentice because of a framework and not even offer her a "we're sorry that happened".
His fall was more of a gentle slope than a swan dive.
(And, yes. Clone Wars is canon)
I am someone who has BPD and has always related to Anakin, so this video means a lot to me, especially with how non-judgmental you were of the condition. I will for sure send this to some family members, because my family is all Star Wars fans and some of them are genuinely wanting to help me with my conditions but don't fully understand BPD, so maybe this video could help a little lol Also ngl, this prospective on a character I already loved just makes me love the prequels even more.
I am a combat veteran and I noticed from the many therapists and psychologists I've had over the years that I also am on the border of Borderline Personality Disorder, on top of PTSD, Anxiety Disorder and Depression. I can identify with Anakin.
Somehow I think this is the first time I’ve realized what a harsh mentor Obi-Wan is. Everyone always sees him as the perfect Jedi and a beacon of light so this flaw always flies under the radar. And you’re right, the movies don’t really examine the impact of that.
It really is so easy to miss. I think a lot of us, and I know I, liked Obi-Wan and wanted to see him succeed which made it easy to pass off harsh criticism as helpful advice. That's especially true since that's clearly how much of it was intended.
I think the problem with Obi-Wan is that he wasn't prepared to raise a child and because he wasn't really supported himself, he wasn't able to support Anakin.
He wasn't able to be a parent to Anakin because he didn't know *how* and so he instead threw all his energy into being a teacher without realizing that that doesn't work when you're also responsible for a child's social/emotional learning and wellbeing. That's not to mention the incredible pressure Obi-Wan must have been under both from the council and a dead Qui-Gon to make Anakin succeed.
@@sammyknapp1373 yeah he came off as way more empathetic and supportive in the clone wars series
@@sammyknapp1373 Plus (this is second hand knowledge, sorry for any mistakes) Obi-Wan had a really messed up childhood? Like he basically flunked out of being a jedi and sent away to a farming colony until Qui-Gon grudgingly took him on, and even then Qui-Gon was far from a supportive and caring guardian. I personally headcannon that Obi-Wan had a massive case of imposter syndrome with all these people acting like he was the perfect jedi but all he can remember is when he failed.
The TV shows really get into his journey and character development after episode three.
@@nemesisstar813 I didn't know that but it really fits with his character. He does do a lot of performative things to be the "perfect" jedi.
I've heard ppl argueing that Anakin behaved angrily out of nowhere. HOW DID THEY MISS THE BEING BORN INTO SLAVERY PART?
Yes. I was just telling my mom this earlier. She wasn’t listening lol
Not just that. He was a slave to Watto, then the Jedi, then Palpatine. He was never truly free until Luke saved him.
because they have nwver met anyone that didnt have exact same sterile Jedi nursery upbringing. So without consiouslt working on it they conceptualize how childhood trauma would efffect him in the present
They miss it because Jake Lloyd’s acting(and misguidance from directors) doesn’t convey that. Anakin doesn’t feel like a wounded soul in Episode 1, he feels like every other generic child actor. Compare that to the kid actors like in the modern It film, they all feel like real kids who are going through serious trauma. Also even though they call Anakin a slave they don’t really show much of the hardship, mostly they focus on the fun aspects of the character like pod racing, building robots, and even the scene of him flying a ship to fight the blockade is super light hearted especially compared to the dog fight in Episode 4. And then episode 2 suffers from having too much emphasis on Anakin’s romantic subplot which, among other things, doesn’t focus enough on the tragedy of Anakin and the lose of his mother. By Episode 3 the arc of Anakin focuses explicitly on the tragedy he is going through and thus his anger doesn’t feel as out of place as it does in the second film where his anger is utilized too early and too often. In the 3rd film they hold back more on Anakin’s anger until moments he should be angry about something
@@johnmartin4119 It's all in execution that George often failed very much in prequels. It was writers and actors that improved George Lucas original trilogy just look at his original script for a new hope it's a bunch of interesting ideas but no well coherent story, Vader was created from several characters and anakin was a Jedi in the original trilogy, Luke was 60 year old general, stormtroopers have lightsabres, Han was originally an alien. George Lucas seemed to forget how much the writers, director and actors improved his movies
I used to date someone with Borderline Personality Disorder. She did some messed up stuff. I didn't know how to handle the situations she would cause. It was just a horrible a experience. I hope she was able to get the help that she needed. It was a much needed lesson of patience and learning to let go for me.
My ex would do the same and she would play victim afterwards and I didn't know how to handle it and after 6 months of this I grew tired of it and annoyed so I ditched her.
@@Dead_Hitori If you look into BPD their relationships only last like exactly 6 months. I dated one too. Same timeline lol
I had a close friend who had it, and I didn't know how to draw effective boundaries. I just didn't have the assertiveness skills at the time. And let me tell you, it was tough. It eventually blew up in my face and were not friends anymore but I know much of it wasn't her fault and I do wish her the best
I am currently in a relationship with someone with bpd. Her emotions are so hard to soften, but I manage to do it almost every time. I fear the day I will not be able to help, or the day she explodes on me... but I also see her "sparks", which are exactly what Vader does in the end. And those sparks are magnificents.
@@mimoune5778 That's how it was with this girl I was close with, she was super chill one minute, the next it was like riding the crazy bus straight into Nut Town.
Given how hyper excited he always got whenever he discovered he had kids, running around loudly declaring to everyone and everything that I HAVE A SON!!, I'd say he probably just had a strong love for family :)
When Alan talks about Anakin being whiny and emotional and awkward.....that was the whole point, Lucas was trying to capture what an awkward teenager looks and feels like and he got it spot on
EXACTLY! But also he’s had such little interaction with women and just other people in general, only usually being around the council or in battles.
Yeah, many people fail to take into account that he is a teen, and still not mentally and emotionally mature, but dealing with incredibly mature scenarios.
Yep. Idk why people don't grasp that.
Luke was whiny too. And Padme didn't have a better option with Obi because Jedis don't do romantic relationships
@Recovering Soul Luke was not as whiny as Anakin. Anakin's whininess is on top, Luke's can't hold a candle to it. 😆
I’m now a little bit disturbed by how reasonable I found Anakin. I felt anyone in his situation would react the same way.
I think that makes sense! He’s a bit idealistic and wants everyone to be okay and really thinks he can help, and then not being able to help, lose his mom and constantly be told he can’t help and the people who are supposed to be the good guys are like “no, deal with it. Don’t be a baby, you’re being a bad Jedi” would piss anyone off and force them to Fuchs support elsewhere.
@@ElleDeas They never insulted him that way, you guys are being too extremist. Its weird. Yoda literally sat him down and told him everything he was doing would lead him to the dark side and he ignored it and just kept doing what he wanted.
I mean, Anakin, in a very extreme way, is the same as any person who jumps ship when he sees the flaws of his upbringing. Whether that means switching parties, religions, or environments, it can be a good decision or a bad one. In Anakins case, he saw the internal corruption of the Jedi, and decided that anything that wasn’t them must be the right side. How can anything evil lead to the saving of my wife?
It’s just like fascists who fell in love with their regime for pulling them out of poverty or former Christians who embrace atheism to the point of mocking and belittling current Christians.
@@Prince_the_One but is that really the kind of talk you would give to a child? There used to be a lot of Expanded Universe novels exploring the Anakin / Obi-Wan dynamic in more detail (now all non-canon), but that still shows how the Hedi council was basically a bunch of... to Anakin.
I've been a kids martial arts instructor for years and I know for a fact that sage/yoda style of teaching doesn't on but a select few.
Although the shitty dialogue didn’t help.
I was like 9 when Phantom came out. I felt VERY strongly for Anakin's situation. I've been homeless with my single mom. I've seen real demons knocking on the the door, helpless to do anything as I watched a violent man try to murder my mom.
I ABSOLUTELY understand Anakin's mindset as he grew up, went to 'essentially' a boarding school that wasn't prepared to care for him, and his choices as he grew and finally had the physical strength to protect the people he loved. His feeling of helplessness when even as a grown man, was still too weak to save his mom. Anakin's emotional and mental problems were learned, taught.
Obi-Wan was a great mentor, but he wasn't the mentor Anakin needed.
Where Anakin needed Qui-Gon's calm guidance, another calm, caring figure, Palpatine, took his place. From a hand on his shoulder at the end of Phantom, to love advice, to being told the simple truth to follow your heart. Palpatine was really good at twisting good advice to his own ends.
Anyway, Prequel trilogy > Boomer trilogy
I really feel like a big part of why he became like that and turned to the dark side, is from all the brain damage he got from the sheer amount of times he's hit his head hard enough to knock him out during the Clone Wars
I was diagnosed with BPD during chemo therapy, five years ago. I went through 9 months of DBT group therapy and private sessions. I still see my therapist every week, we’ve moved on from DBT to EMDR. I’ve grown so much from these experiences. I’ve learned self love and healthy self expression. If it wasn’t for the steps I took I would have probably destroyed the relationship I am currently in years ago. Thank you for this. It’s nice to not be labeled as a villain because I was abused as a child. It’s also nice to have a whole backpack of DBT skills that I use regularly to help me identify why I’m feeling the way I am, take enough time to choose how to express my feelings, stay mindful, and work to improve interpersonal communication.
Hey. I'm considering starting group therapy and have just discovered i have some symptoms of BPD. What are your opinions on group therapy? Does it help you? Any tips you can give me?
@@Sarah-og3mp group therapy and DBT completely transformed my life for the better. The work was hard and the experience was challenging, but I came out of it with so much more control of my life. I now have satisfying relationships. I had a terrible time in undergrad and now I’m excelling at the graduate level. Again, it’ll be a challenging journey, but I am so happy I pushed myself. I’m finally happy with myself and while some days are harder than others, I have a much better skill set to tackle them. ❤️
@@Sarah-og3mp DBT in particular is quite literally a lifesaver and was designed originally *for* BPD (although is used for other diagnoses now too) *BY* someone with BPD, so it's very much worth looking into.
Thank you for sharing this! I am so impressed by all the work you have done and are doing to live your best life!
At least you have self-awareness, that is the first step to both healing yourself and working better with others.
One great revelation for me from this episode is the one about Obi Won being so critical of Anakin. When in the context of the movies, I didn’t really make that connection, but when it’s all together, I thought “Wow, dude, give the kid a break...”
Same here. That supercut was harsh. I'm a grown-ass adult and even now when I work with people who offer far more criticism than praise (or those who always add criticism onto praise like it will go down better that way) I tend to get pretty down. If i had someone like that as a teacher I'd have alot of trouble responding positively.
Yeah I think it's really well done, the way you don't really notice it. Because Obi Wan himself doesn't notice it. It's one of these things people tend to just do/say, often times not even realising how much it affects the person on the recieving end. He generally has a good heart and means well but lots of times, in the heat of battle doesn't think about what he's saying and how it might affect Anakin. He's a good guy but in way over his head as a mentor/father-figure
@@jonartscc968
He was pushed into this way too young himself. He was barely a knight and got minimal help because he was basically acting against the interest of the counsil. A great sassy older brother if there was someone to balance him out, but a shitty single father.
@@jonartscc968 very insightful, thanks :-)
@@KireiC a great reminder, thanks
“He’s a happy kid and then TEN YEARS LATER?” Dude so much can happen in ten years that’s the laziest criticism I’ve ever heard Anakin
I think that's his point: so much CAN happen in ten years, but in the prequels we're not really given a feel for it. We don't see him as a preteen or young teen.
To be fair, Anakin's character is highly developed during the Clone Wars TV show. He was that Rogue like Han and that Integral figure like Luke. He wasn't entirely arrogant, but he did exude a confidence. And when he figured if he was being arrogant, he owned up to it.
That being said, he was a mess, but he tried to keep his shit together.
Yeah, and he went through hell, Ahsoka leaving the Order was probably the biggest blow to him, she was probably the healthiest relationship Anakin has ever had and without her to help keep him grounded, well he just fell apart and all he had to really rely on was Padme, Obi-Wan, and Palpatine all of which presented obvious problems.
I heard that Lucas let Filoni write Anakin that way bc of the backlash.
While sure, it's fun, but I read an article someone wrote where the TCW Anakin promoted toxic masculinity, men can't be sensitive.
And its kind of true. PT Anakin wasn't afraid to cry when he was upset. He was openly affectionate towards Padme when he could be. TCW gave us the Clovis fight 🙄
I solidly agree with you, and heartily recommend Clone Wars...but Anakin is one of my least favourite parts of the series. It's especially annoying that he never gets any narrative punishment for his impulsive actions, terrible tactics, and smug self-satisfaction.
@@Werrf1 well, that's why The Clone Wars is a prequel to Revenge of the Sith. Anakin's habit of being reckless that he develops throughout the show comes back to bite him big time in RotS.
I think the biggest scene that emphasizes his pain is ,ironically, one that probably wasn’t intentional. It’s in the final arc known as the siege of Mandalore. Early in the episode we see him act like a goof clearly taken by Kenobi, however few scenes later it is stated Corousaunt is being invaded. A sign that this arc takes place minutes before ROTS. It’s from there that scene becomes, sad is a way.
I’ve been saying for years that Anakin is the most abandoned character in movie making history. The most iconic villain in our culture is actually an abused child who was let down by the people who were supposed to guide and protect him. I see now how I’ve been projecting my own BPD diagnosis onto this conclusion. Even so, this video was so damn validating for me. Thank you cinema therapy
that actually adds something sadly poetic to the fact that people don't like the prequels: Anakin has been abandoned by everyone, even the all-knowing audience that should have been able to understand him, truly a tragic character
@@marcopohl4875 EXACTLY. As a whole we've focused more on attacking the actors who played Anakin than focusing on the unlikely redemption we have in Vader. Anakin is a tragic character deceived and abandoned by his mentors, the writer, the audience and the culture.. it takes a village
Anakin might not be self-harmful, but Vader is. It's established outside of the movies that he can get a better suit that causes less pain and discomfort but he doesn't want it. One, because the pain strengthens his connection to the Dark Side and Two - perhaps more relevant - feeling less pain would make room for him to feel other things, like shame and guilt.
Ever since I first saw the Star Wars prequels as a little kid I always felt like I was anakin and I heavily sympathized with the character and as someone who loved the first 3 when my parents hated them I’ve spent hours explaining anakin to them and why his turn made complete sense and after watching this video I see even more parallels between me and anakin so maybe I just got BPD idk but I have pretty much all of the symptoms u described and this really helped me figure myself out in a way
I think an argument can be made for anakin being suicidal. There are so many times in the films and the clone wars show where he just throws himself at something that should kill him and by some stroke of luck he lives. Obviously there is the force and that plays a role in his survival
I agree with this. That was my sense. Even when he kills others it is a kind of personal death wish.
To me it seemed to be a case of Anakin truly not thinking that he was endangered by his actions. He knows the force is with him. He knows he is skilled, probably more skilled then most. I think he doesn't think that the threat of these situations applies to him because he is special.
Funny thing is thats Vader in a nutshell he blast's through everything looking for a good fight that will kill he's failing upwards
An interesting take, but I think there is a clear distinction between recklessness and suicidality. Mentally you’re in totally different places when you experience those two things.
@@charly_george Actually a sign of suicidal ideation is reckless behavior.
I love that Obiwan’s overly negative teaching style comes from Quigon. In the beginning of Episode One we see Quigon lecturing about the present and Obi was very receptive to it. A more experienced teacher would’ve known the same approach wouldn’t work with Anakin but all Obiwan knew how to do was imitate Quigon. Over the Clone Wars he dropped those bad habits but by that point it was too late.
When he took on Anakin as his Padawan Obi-Wan had only just become a Jedi Knight himself so didn't really know what he was doing.
@@Xehanort10 And, Obi-Wan did it because nobody else would, if I remember correctly. The rest of the counsel had thought Anakin was too old to be trained. Any more qualified instructor was unwilling to take on the task.
... Ya'll talking about this is bringing back some bad memories of mine in the USAF. This stuff is applicable in the real world.
I was a jet engine mechanic. I didnt have the best of supervisors and trainers, I often got assigned to literally the worst or most inexperienced "trainers" in the shop, to the point where I basically had to train myself to avoid total incompetence.
5 years later, I took more to heart what didnt work than what did work, in training new airmen. Something I strived to do was figure out what each individual airman needed to be trained properly, since every person has different motivators, different mental traits, different pasts, etc.
I generally got positive feedback on my teaching styles from new airmen, even ones I was harder on. Had I just acted the same as my own trainers had been, I honestly think that would've meerly perpetuated a cycle of abuse at that unit.
Anyway, point is... Kinda sounds like the Jedi arent much better than one of the worst maintenance units in the air force.
@@saldiven2009 he only took Anakin on as his promise to Qui-Gon.
Which makes a lot of sense. Qui-Gon was probably the best of the jedi, and given a few more years he could have made a great jedi and a competent teacher out of Obi-Wan, but he didn't get a few more years, and the jedi council didn't recognize that he wasn't ready to pass along his skills.
Oh my god
The Obi Wan criticism ‘disappointed older brother’ super cut was incredible 😭
As someone who lives with BPD I would like to thank you for clarifying that we are not homicidal maniacs 😂
But on a serious note, I really would like to thank you for not using words like "serious" or "severe" along with "BPD." I feel like personality disorders still have such a stigma attached to them, but with good treatment (yay DBT!) we can learn how to manage emotions and relationships. It'll never be easy for us, but it can be done, and I don't think enough people understand that. So yes, thank you ❤
But if you caused a civil war consider your opinion invalid. I say this because I just witnessed a crazy what if named the Jedi Civil War. And who caused it?? Anakin. Not gonna spoil stuff tho
Anakin is very relatable and that's why he's my favorite character. He's not perfect, he's not a hero, he's just human. He's afraid and broken and angry and he really needs help but he doesn't get any
also DBT description is so relatable it's kinda scary
When I just watched the movies, I didn't really connected to him but after watching Clone Wars I really loves him, so yeah I think after Ahsoka he is my favorite character. And the DBT diagnosis make so much sense, It's super interesting
Yes agree 100%
Yes I always loved anakin as a character flawed characters always tend to be the most relatable
Yes he does
How good of an episode would it be if you guys went over Obi Wan and all he’s gone through in Clone Wars without being somehow absolutely physiologically destroyed by it?
Yeah because a lot of complaints about the prequels are addressed and solved with the clone wars.
@@everythingdibs344 Maybe so, but one shouldn't have to watch additional media just to "fix" original movies.
@@blinkachu3394 I see it more as there was so much story that couldn’t be addressed in one trilogy. Pretty much every Star Wars show (clone wars, rebels, mandalorian, bad batch) has a better formula because there is more time to tell the story so we can see things that films don’t have time to get into.
@@blinkachu3394 there’s also the fact of putting everything into movies makes it rushed, but tv shows really have more time, more space, to develop and create each character into their own character
I also feel that them going over clone Wars could add to this video on Anakin too
Digger deeper into Anakin’s mentality may just give me a new appreciations for the prequel films
I think it's pretty clear Alan has PTSD: Prequel Trilogy Stress Disorder. I hope he can get the healing he needs. And for the love of God don't let him near the Sequel Trilogy!!! 😳
I feel a lot for obi wan. He was not ready to take on a padawan, because he was barely a Jedi himself and was still dealing with the grief of literally watching his master die in front of him. He wasn’t old enough to be a father figure, but he felt obligated by his promise to Qui Gon. The Jedi religion used both of them badly and kinda denied their issues.
We also have the Clone War tv show where we can see Obi Wan trying his best to guide Anakin but sometimes gives flaw advice. the Jedi during the Clone Wars were super flawed on how they ran things. So that didn't help things.
@@Zeroknight34 Exactly and you can see he's trying to give advice, but all he knows is what the Jedi taught him, so it doesn't work. What kills me is how much Anakin felt Obi-Wan didn't care enough or noticed how much pain he was in and so he turned to Palpatine because he felt Obi-Wan (and by product the Jedi) wouldn't/couldn't help him. In reality, Obi-Wan cared too much for Anakin but didn't know how to help him
It's very telling that Obi Wan always refers to Anakin as his "brother," while Anakin says that Obi Wan is "the closest thing he has to a father." Obi Wan was able to be a companion for Anakin (which Anakin also very much needed), but he wasn't able to be a true mentor, but that's what Anakin and everyone else expected him to be.
And also some of the content not directly includded in the films themselves definitely makes you more sympathetic to Obi-Wan. I don't know how much of this is necessarily canon, but he was a leader in a civil war with a bunch of other child soldiers when he was around 13 years old. He was bullied by some other initiates when he was young, and had to watch one of the bullies die during a duel. In one of the books, Obi-Wan wasn't initially chosen as a padawan and was shipped off to the AgriCops, with the specific place he was sent turning out to be a slave operation. Not to mention the trauma of losing Qui-Gon in the first place, and his last words not even acknowledging Obi-Wan at all. Like Qui-Gon's final interaction with his padawan was emphasizing the importance of this kid he barely knew. If you include some of the contents of the books in your character analysis, it makes that moment even worse, because in those Qui-Gon initially rejected taking Obi-Wan as his padawan. It's pretty fucked up, and Obi-Wan's got plenty of his own demons, we just don't see them as much.
Obi wan was a Big Bro and not a father, which is detrimental eswpcIlly when you need that figure over your life to lead you and shape you, he tried his best but Anakin was full of pain and anger and the order strict rules at the time did NOT help and Anakin was taken in as a child when the padawans are supposed to learn when their young so they can be used to the life of a Jedi
I tend to stay away from stuff about BPD because of how people demonize us, but this was extremely humanizing and eye opening. I didn't even realize I push people away as a way of testing them, I really appreciate this.
Over time I have also realized I do this as a person with bpd. it's nice finding things like this in the comments.
I doubt that I have/had BPD, but I definitely showed symptoms of it during late middle school/early high school. I would test my friends’ loyalty to the point of tears, and I wouldn’t even realize it. So glad that for people who legitimately struggle with it there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.
My daughter has BPD, she's not evil either. She's actually a very loving person, but super out of control.
I always push people away and they never come back. Hence why I don't have any close friends. 7/9 on the BPD scale (self diagnosed myself with BPD years ago, maybe due to my post-graduate degree in Psychology??)
@@brambojr4298 i noticed that some people can be mostly fine but in times of stress look a lot like BPD lite. It's something many need to work on. It's almost like it's a spectrum just not recognized yet.
When I was 16 I rewatched the first 6 films before The Force Awakens released and I felt so much empathy for Anakin. What he ended up doing and becoming was absolutely horrific and I don't empathise with that but what I do empathise with is that you can clearly see he was struggling with a lot of trauma and desperately wanting/ needing stability and love. Meanwhile Palpatine completely took advantage of him! Also, at the time of rewatching, the news had a lot of stories about terrorism and how young people are radicalised so that aspect of the prequels really stood out to me and stayed with me.
I am *so* glad I clicked on this. I was intrigued by the topic and was instantly drawn in by your delivery, content, and quality.
-a physician in the midwest
The real tragedy, and possibly proof that Lucas is more insightful than he lets on or even realizes himself:
Qui-Gon would've provided ALL those things Anakin needed: unconditional love, strict boundaries, high expectations and encouragement to meet them.
Because of these traits, Qui-Gon was treated as an outsider by the rest of the Jedi. Which is another thing he'd more empathetic to Anakin about.
Lucas actually does gets the credit for that one. It was all intentional. That's why the music for his fight with Maul is called Duel of the Fates. The outcome of that battle is what decided Anakin's future. When Maul killed Qui-Gon, his fate was sealed. Vader was inevitable.
I like Anakin because his character actually makes sense. Basically his whole motivation is protecting the people he loves. But he repeatedly loses and fails to protect the people he loves. This happens to everyone. A normal healthy person would ultimately except that they can’t control all outcomes and begin to heal from the loss. But Anakin is the most powerful Jedi that’s ever been. People keep telling him he’s the chosen one, the strongest hero ever. He basically caps out and gets as strong as he possibly can on the light side of the Force. And he still can’t keep his loved ones from dying and leaving. So, instead of accepting outcomes and healing, he decides that the light side has failed him and he turns to the dark to keep expanding his power.
He never lost his intrinsic motivation. His turn to the dark side is entirely in line with his character.
Here's the thing: all of that is true, but as originally presented (before the Clone Wars cartoon decided to somewhat fix it), the story is _horribly_ told and the pacing is all over the place. It isn't a _satisfying_ fall to villainy. It's in-character, but that doesn't make it done well.
@@RabblesTheBinx Clone Wars helps with pacing in that it actually shows us a lot of the trauma that led to his deteriorated mental state, but it also breaks a lot of other things established not only in the movies but the Star Wars Insider issues (which themselves provided a lot of details about the war and how Anakin was shaped by it, but details). The chips arguably being the worst offender as it robs the clones of any and all humanity, complexity, or internal conflict.
Honestly, the only thing that held the prequels back was poor line delivery. The story is excellent, and relatively well told.You see very clearly where things happen and why, but the tone is shattered in places by hammy acting which itself is largely the fault of poor directing. In spite of this, Episode 3 is still the best of the films by far to me, only closely rivaled by Episode 4 and 5.
@@leftwardglobe1643 exactly what is your point? Yeah, Clone Wars makes it better, I addressed that, but _as originally presented_ it is very poorly done. And it's not just the dialogue or delivery. Anakin brutally murders an entire village after being nothing but creepy and obsessive towards her during the entirety of Episode II, and Padmé decides she loves him literally a couple hours later, in-universe. It's a badly told story. Clone Wars helped, but it doesn't fix all of the problems in Episode III and does almost nothing to fix AotC. And you're actually putting RotS above the OT? I'm sorry, you're entitled to your opinion, but no. RotS is, by far, the best of the prequels, but it is nowhere near the quality of even Return of the Jedi, let alone Episodes IV and V.
@@RabblesTheBinx No it attempts to provide context to Anakin's story, which yes, is a good goal. It does that job rather poorly when compared to other sources, but it's a good goal.
However, it also destroys several other elements of the final movie and wider universe in the process. It doesn't improve the prequels at all. if anything it tries to retcon established lore, succeeds, and damages far more than the prequels in the process. From the Mandalorian Arc where their entire culture is upended to the chips which exist purely to ruin the Order 66 scene by robbing it of any and all tragedy/perspective. They took the best scene in the entirety of the franchise and retroactively turned it into a supervillain flipping a switch for his master plan of the week. The clines used to have moral reasons for doing what they did from their experiences during the war in the original background material. Just like Anakin. But no, we can't have the bad guys be relatable.
It is absolutely the dialogue and delivery. Padme accepts Anakin before that point in the story, they have spent several days if not weeks together at this point, both o the flight to Naboo and on Naboo itself. Not to mention their infatuation from childhood and the fact that he quite literally saved her life. Plus Anakin going out into the wilderness, trying to save his mother and then having her die in his arms after being tortured, starved, and potentially raped and abused, all whilst having not seen her since the age of ten, makes for a rather compelling set of justifications to kill everyone there in the most brutal fashions possible. Especially considering that incidents like this are not unique to Anakin's mother on Tatooine, and given that he has already experienced significant trauma at this point having to grow up without parents in a cult that teaches him to shun any and all emotions, oh also his one and only father figure before Obi Wan died in combat. I would likely do the same in his position and most of us would go to similar extremes if not further.
The plot here is undermined by poor performances and bad directing, not the writing. We don't see the connection between Anakin and Padme before that point because the actress never shows any indication of it existing through body language or tone. Anakin comes off as creepy and obsessive largely because the attempt was to make him seem inexperienced and nervous and they failed at that. Padme seems to just accept Anakin after killing the sand people both because of the absence of tone in earlier scenes which would establish how deep their connection was and because she is trying to comfort him after going through what is likely the most traumatic thing in his life.
Episode 2 isn't great, but it's not failed by writing.
Episode 3, on the other hand, again, has some sloppy dialogue and fight scenes, but it's by far the most compelling narratives in any of the movies once examined. It's a tragedy, and a damned good one. From the relationship between Anakin and Obi Wan, to the politics and machinations of Palpatine, to the masterfully done Order 66 scene, to Padme's death. Vader goes down a very dark path, and loses everything he fought to save, but at the same time creates something that he believes will be a moral good in the galaxy. Knowing the lore so intimately, I can't say he's wrong either.
Contrast this with Return of the Jedi where logic is thrown out the window regarding what is physically possible (I fucking hate Ewoks and their rocks), the villains are robbed of any sense of competence and danger by being made into complete fucking idiots, and our main characters celebrate over a stormtrooper barbeque at the end of the film... and suddenly this shit shines like gold. Now, Episode 6 has it's moments, and it's almost saved by the final few scenes between Vader and Luke, but the rest of the film is entirely awful and a confounded mess... well, save for the dialogue, but that's what good acting gets you.
IV and V on the other hand have good structure, sensible plots and characters, and excellent acting for the most part, making them excellent films, but they lack the sheer tragedy and depth that Revenge of the Sith has. They do take 3rd and 2nd spots on my list respectively, however. The sequels are mostly awful (Force Awakens is ok, but not great), Episode 1 and 2 suffer from very poor direction and line delivery even if the plot is stellar in the second film, and Return of the Jedi is by far the worst film of both the Original and Sequel Trilogies.
Wait, there are people who say his shift to dark side didn`t make sense?
Um, the guy was enslaved along with his mom.
Then he was taken away from his mom by psychic dudes with laser swords to train him to become like them so he can save the galaxy, something a kid definitely won`t have any idea WTF is all about. And of course they didn`t save her, free her from the slavery when they could. So now he has to worry about his mom, his only source of love & affection, his only connection, being chained, dragged & forced to do chores and god knows what more horrible things they did to her, while he was learning how to make shit float with his mind & use a laser sword that totally didn`t originate from some kinda disco club.
He was taught to NOT have any attachments, but his only attachment only got stronger.
Then PUBERTY happened.
Then he lost his mentor, then got another one, this one liked to use harsh criticism as teachings. But that doesn`t work on Anakin. It only pisses him off then makes him doubt his abilities.
He was literally groomed by the leader of the guys he is being trained to beat the crap outta with the power of his mind.
Turns out his mother died by the time he came to save her.
He got worried about his GF, who later became his wife, leaving him, then was worried about her dying, so to save her he learnt dark mag- I mean Sith force powers, which includes choking people from a distance with your brain power. Not only is it useful for long range, but it`s also Kinky.
Then by the end he was convinced that the people who taught him ``no attachments if u wanna use laser swords & pushing shit around with your mind`` were against him, including the mentor whose teaching style didn`t fit insecure kids including him.
And of course, he hates sand. Its coarse, rough, and it gets everywhere.
How won`t you expect a mental breakdown where he just basically declares: ``fuck it, I`m gonna use black mag- I mean dark powers instead, TRAITOR!``
As a person with BPD, before I was diagnosed I never understood why people disliked Anakin Skywalker. I always related to him. Even more now that I am diagnosed. Thank you for being understanding that we are not monsters!
Tough to diagnose Anakin since the dark side is kind of like a drug to force users. It's a source of the crazy mood swings.
@SilverSerpent64 Anakin gives in to his anger. And since he is a force user his anger opens him up to using the dark side of the force. Once you start to use it, its very addictive. So then every time such a force user gets in a stressful situation they are more and more likely to handle it out of anger and the dark side. Once tapped into the dark side the individual lashes out with violence as a reaction as each use of the dark side seems to give a addictive rush of power. Jedi should handle stressful situations calmly. Thats why they must also keep away from forming strong attatchments so they dont react overly emotionally. Using the force to violently get things done is not the jedi way. There are cases where Obiwon uses his anger but he realizes it quickly and stops. So Anakin should keep his emotions to a level where he doesnt use the dark side. But its power rush makes it difficult to resist once youve tapped into it.
Hormones can do similarly to us humans.
Pro Tip for having a relationship with someone with bpd: Reassure them that they will not be abandoned, no matter how convinced they are, and learn to not take their fears as criticism. Sometimes you just have to ride their emotional waves with them.
This one. I finally found someone who is able to do this and along with me being in therapy, we have been in a super healthy and amazing relationship for two years and are planning on engagement.
@@m1nouz384
Congrats, hope all goes well 👍🏾
If it turns into abuse, leave them.
@@maxcovfefe I’m sorry, but do you have BPD or are you a health professional? Because that’s just not true at all. You cannot “outgrow” BPD. BPD physically changes your brain. BPD is not PTSD at all, and never will be. It is a Cluster B personality disorder. PTSD is an anxiety disorder. To clump the two of them together and say that they’re the same is honestly quite dangerous.
@@maxcovfefe I never said it wasn’t treatable. BPD is very treatable and can even stop needing treatment. But that damage in the brain doesn’t leave. Just because it reminds you of another disorder, doesn’t mean it’s the same at all. Unless you work with Cluster Bs you honestly should not be spreading your information around. Especially considering you worked with those who had brain damage (not Cluster Bs) a long time ago. We know so much more now, and to say that a Cluster B type disorder is the same as an anxiety/panic disorder is honestly ridiculous and extremely hurtful to those who actually do this for a living or who live with a Cluster B disorder.
It’s also ridiculous that you had the nerve to write “but not devoid of hope” when writing about people with BPD. Even if they can’t be treated well, they can still live a beautiful and fulfilling life. You honestly need to take a step back and think about what you’re saying.
One thing I’ve experienced with my patients with borderline personality disorder(I am a palliative care doctor and work with patients with severe life limiting illness):
It is SO hard to emotionally regulate to chronic pain. Which makes the pain SO MUCH WORSE. I feel so awful sometimes because I’ve had patients with borderline personality disorder and cancer basically beg me to put them in a coma 😢
So that’s my one doubt here: I don’t think burn victim Darth Vader has BPD. Unless that pain fuels all his metaphysical powers 😵💫
Aside from the acting, directing, writing, and dialogue, the films had a brilliant story, strong complex characters, and great worldbuilding
That moment when you realize that you don't hate Anakin because of the writing, but because he reminds you of yourself.
How many people are out there feeling like they are Anakin? I know people are disgusted with the sympathizers but I feel like that's cause of the genocidal outlook
But imagine if Anakin caused something much more hideous than the actual prequel canon. A Jedi Civil War. Would you accept it?
@@nestorsifuentesaguirre2722Is a jedi civil war really more hideous than betraying the ones you love (altho one was on accident...sorta) plus enforcing an empire?
Yet we still simpatize with him because of how it all went down and what he went through
@@funnyclown12345 Interestingly enough that fan made what if somehow had a happily ever after for Ani's perspective WITHOUT becoming a Sith. Think about it never becoming a slave to the dark side even when you made a Jedi Order commit genocide from the inside. But you're also right. The younglings may be scarred for life if such a civil war came to pass
@@nestorsifuentesaguirre2722 Vader did scar alot of people during his days but that does seem like an interesting take, might give it a watch.
I feel that anakin saw obi wan as a brother. What he really needed was a father which is what palpatine was to him
Well, younger Obi Wan even outright stated Anakin was like a brother to him.
Pity that either through Obi Wan's unintentional negligence or Anakin's own lack of self-trust and lacking judge of character, Anakin found a father figure in the emperor... but it was an abusive and manipulative step-father. The emperor never cared about him, other than him being an obedient means to an end.
@@ZemplinTemplar He did think of Obi-Wan as a father. He told him that, at least.
Meaning if Qui Gon survived he would’ve remained as the father figure and thus palpatine wouldn’t have had as much influence over him. That’s why Palpatine was so intent on maul killing hin
Obi wan was a jealous brother
I would love an indepth analysis on Clone wars Anakin as well, just cause Clone wars series is so gorgeous and well done and they add such a fun reckless side to anakin we didnt get to see much in the movies. Like the anakin whos in the field, on missions, fighting side by side with obiwan, is such a different version of him compared to who we know anakin to be when hes dealing with his drama.
It adds, for me, this thing where he works best when hes used as a soldier to the republic. Hes been groomed to be a slave to others, and his trust issues when it comes to things he really cares about is tested time and time again.
What happens to him is so frustratingly sad, it really is like watching the titanic sink
Jill Bearup has pointed out that the Clone Wars series seems to take place in an alternate universe, with different versions of the characters.
@@Vinemaple what are you talking about? they are absolutely connected to the main timeline.
@@noahwesterberg8566 Mostly characterization. Your mileage will, of course, vary, and there is, of course, no canonical alternate timeline. It's just the tone of the show and the way the characters are portrayed.
not sure if this is an unpopular opinion, but as a star wars fan, i would argue, if the prequels didn't have ridiculous cgi, it would be better received by the audience. they tell a beautiful story of a troubled man who falls to darkness because of love, and yet the love of his son is what saves him in the end.
The scene where Vader kills the emperor breaks my heart because it’s the first and last parenting decision he makes and by god it’s a good one.
Another important relationship that Anakin was the one with his padawan Ahsoka from the Clone Wars series. She honestly might have been the healthiest relationship he had before his fall. She was like a younger sister to him and showed a lot of his qualities: talented, confident, at times to a fault, and a strong sense of doing what she believes is right, even if others doubt it.
And while she would get on Anakin's case at times like Obi-wan, she held a deep respect and admiration for him that he did not find among the Jedi his age or older. They truly cared for each other and Ahsoka was one of the best influences in Anakin's life.
Which is why she is framed into leaving the Jedi. Another loss certainly contributes to pushing him over the edge
I mean, I know that George Lucas was involved in show-running TCW for the first few seasons, but Dave Filoni, Pablo Hidalgo, and Disney were all involved in running, and intentionally distanced themselves from the portrayals of Anakin, Padme, and Obi Wan in the OT and PT movies to appease all those entitled and whiny fanboys who have never been happy with the fact that Darth Vader quickly became so much more of a complex, relatable, and tragic villain/tragic hero that that horrifying cyborg-killing monster machine who force-choked all of his guards because they defied his orders in “Star Wars: Episode IV.” It was written for the fanboys who desperately wanted for Anakin to just be this toxically masculine power fantasy who destroyed lives and blew up planets for shits and giggles. If you go by GL OT and PT canon, then Anakin/Vader is portrayed as being a tragic hero/tragic villain type who only values power and asks those he loves most to rule the galaxy with him because he comes from a background of childhood abuse, abandonment, separation, poverty, slavery, and went into flight or fight mode to survive. The environment and adults/authority figures he grow up with pretty much consistently suck after leaving his mother, he has nothing to go back to after she dies, and so he ends up making the choice to become a perpetrator in the cycle because there is no easy way for him to escape. PT!Jedi Council are emotionally abusive, ridiculously restrictive, unhelpful, and cult-like, Palpatine groomed him from the age of 12 because the Jedi Council was negligent and used him as a pawn for their own political purposes. Palpatine/Sidious can’t be killed by him without Anakin risking his own life in the process after he gets burnt up, disfigured, and weakened in a way that makes it so he can’t easily kill his abuser without risking his own life in the process. He hates himself so much that he doesn’t even want that release of death anymore after Padme dies in childbirth, at least in part because he recklessly choked her in a rage when he thought she brought Obi Wan with her to kill him when he was high on this new dark power, and so he submits himself to a life as Sidious’ killing cyborg man Darth Vader to punish himself for failing as Anakin Skywalker.
In the GL OT and PT canon he is basically always in fight or flight survival mode until the end. His fatal flaw is he keeps sacrificing his moral compass to fit into one of these two space cults philosophy because he didn’t grow up in a healthy environment with healthy guardians for most of his childhood that encouraged the importance of individual growth, values, and choice. After TPM, he no longer has a solid moral foundationbecause he’s been constantly told negative feelings are “dangerous” by the Council, and Palpatine is constantly encouraging him to release them by acting on on them in an abusive way in the heat of the moment when someone challenges him, rather than being taught they are valid feelings that make him human, rather than a monster, and he can feel safe healthily releasing them through having a shoulder to cry on as catharsis, just follow his first instinct to do what he feels is right, not what everyone else tries to tell him.
Not an entire excuse for his crimes because, while sympathetic, his motives for falling were selfish in his desperation. While risky, he could still stand up for his beliefs, in spite of limited options and negative circumstances against him. He is eventually a coward in his fear of the unknown, but it’s impossible not to pity Anakin and see where he’s coming from when he comes from poverty on Tatooine who the Republic devoted to “Democracy” don’t give a shit about freeing from slavery, he has no one left after his mother dies there anyway, Obi Wan cares, but he’s not a healthy support system or mentor because he has been raised by an emotionally repressive and abusive PT!cult Jedi since infancy. Most of Anakin’s life he’s constantly being encouraged to defer his moral compass to figures with authority over him to gain some sense of security and acceptance, rather than being told that it’s okay for him to just be Anakin, aside from Luke and his mom.
TCW and Disney kind of ruined that characterization that makes any sort of atonement he makes in ROTJ seem wrong. The force, particularly the dark side of the force, for him is framed as a drug that he abuses to blindly, unhealthily, and recklessly release all his pent up anger, fear, and rage in the heat of moment when he’s feeling angry, betrayed, fearing abandoned, or feeling sad if he’s not using it to fulfill any sort of specific request for Sidious or the Council. It’s usually not this premeditated abuse of control and power if he’s not using it to fulfill an order in the PT and OT movies. In TCW (08-19’) he’s got too much self-confidence, too much self-control, his possessive side is flanderdized, his controlling side seems more cold and demanding when he’s interacting with Padme in Clovis, rather than clingy insecure attachment with one moment of blind lash out in a rage angry without thought for the consequences when he finally embraces the high of the new dark power as Vader in the heat of the moment . He’s more than just naive, impulsive, and afraid, but genuinely stupid in TCW, and he has too many people who genuinely love him and offer him compassion and opportunities for redemption after his turn to the dark side for me to believe that he would just keep rejecting opportunities for redemption through close attachments over and over again.
Whenever The Clone Wars is mentioned, I start to feel like Anakin in the Jedi Temple with the younglings...
@@Schoolgirl325 I really enjoyed your take on prequel Anakin. I mostly agree but for two points: 1/ Padme is an enabler. By not acting on her knowledge of the Tusken massacre she did Anakin a huge disservice. By coddling Anakin and later sweeping the mass murder under the rug never to be mentioned or acknowledged again she did a lot of damage. What Anakin did was a loud call for help, he should have been forced to therapy after that and made responsible for his actions. Padme made him feel that what he did was okay and there was no need to address it again. She just pretended that it never happened and Anakin played along. 2/ Anakin's redemption doesn't work for me with or without TCW: By saving one person - his own son - he couldn't undo all the evil he had done before. Had he lived he would have been sentenced to life imprisonment or death penalty and rightfully so. I would have loved to see whether Luke would have been ready to accept that or turned into another Padme-like enabler and helped him escape.
And vice versa
“tell me on the sith lord where the prequels hurt you” RIGHT ON THE HEART
Freshman in college, possible psych major, loves Star Wars and basically all movies, finds this channel: WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN MY WHOLE LIFE!?
“I also love Star Wars, even though I’m kind of in an abusive relationship with it. I love it, but it keeps hurting me.”
ouch this hits 😂😬
True
It’s like sports fan and their favourite team,of course if the team’s been sucking for a while.
Complaining about the writing in the prequels while also talking about how much the writing absolutely nailed the psychology of this tragic figure, the behavior of those around him, and how all that fits together to make a real impactful story.
Correct. Because George Lucas is a master of story, not screenplay. Whenever he creates the story and delegates the screenplay to others, it tends to go very well. See the OG Indy trilogy, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi as examples.
I absolutely think it makes sense why Padme was so drawn to Anakin and fell in love with him! While I completely agree that he's extremely insecure in his self image, he is also extremely emotionally vulnerable with Padme privately and in dire situations AND also presents very confidently ~and~ visibly is a very skilled Jedi. She's normally in a world of politics, and the men she'd been with before were all secretive, had political motivations, and were not like Anakin, who prioritizes her and her feelings in many ways consistently throughout the Clone Wars and during the Attack of the Clones era of their relationship. Anakin was just providing something in his emotional vulnerability and confident pursuit of her that she wanted and was thrilled by. Anyway, this is a fantastic analysis of Anakin -- I think Padme would be worth an analysis herself. :)
Also padme didn't have a childhood either so Anakin was like catnip to her.
Padme was an enabler. Counting the Clone Wars, she rarely pushed back. And the few times she did it nearly, or did, end in disaster. Anakin was used to getting his way. Their relation was always doomed to fail.
@@saphiriathebluedragonknight375 I always thought their relationship had the dynamic of one partner taking care of the other like a child. It's based in pity. Pity isn't a strong foundation for a relationship. My ex's mom was an alcoholic and a druggie. She once beat him to the point where one of his ribs nearly punctured his heart. We really only stayed together because I felt sorry for him. A relationship based in pity is doomed to fail.
@@devinreis5811 honestly, staying on the topic of star wars, that's kind of how I felt about Reylo. I like what we got in the movies, but I felt like the only thing Kylo Ren going for him was his attractiveness and patheticness, so even if he'd survived, their relationship would've been doomed.
@@devinreis5811 your wrong! Have you ever met someone with BPD? We are anything but boring. Our all or nothing behavior as we push and rage against the dying of the light does not inspire pity! Compassion is not pity! Do not jump to shallow conclusions. People are rarely just one thing. Our madness and intensity, our belief in something beyond man's fallen state, Is worth more than your quick and dismissive analysis.
*Sees new video*
“A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one.”
I still love how they zoom in on Vader, as Luke is being hit with lighting, and even though he is wearing a mask, you can see his internal conflict.
There are honestly a fair few examples of suicidal behaviour and self-harm from Vader:
In the EU, Vader will occasionally just stand there and let people attack him, relying entirely on the armour in his suit to protect him. He does it mostly for intimidation but there's probably some part of him that hopes a hit will get through.
His suit basically tortures him at all times and he has refused to have it upgraded or to use his mechanical skills to fix it himself.
Whenever he's in his meditation chamber, he's reliving the events on Mustafar over and over to make himself angrier and fuel his dark side powers.
In one comic he reveals that his dark side powers are fueled pretty much entirely by self-hatred, which he goes out of his way to worsen in order to make himself stronger.
Probably the smallest thing but also the easiest to fix if he wanted to, his boots are too big and he never once, in over 20 years, decides to find a cobbler and get new ones made. He just decides to live with uncomfortable shoes and clumsy walking because it makes him angry which makes him stronger and I'm pretty sure intentionally pissing yourself off for 20 years straight counts as self-harm.