I will, why show everything you're not supposed to do, show the correct things to do, that can be applied to the real world, instead of making all the things us flawed humans do more "normal".
Anakin is unironically the best fictional character to me. It pains me to see that people have no empathetic understanding towards his situation or how he would feel given the circumstances
My man Ani have bpd (borderline personality disorder) and as a fellow person with borderline, I can comfortably say that Anakin Skywalker was the best representation for this condition that I ever seen, the volatile emotional state, the intensity of every emotion that he ever felt, the way he just jump into situations without thinking and the sense of loyalty of an erratic dog, that will love you with everything he have, but destroy you in the same capacity if he ever felted betrayed by someone that was he's friend, just perfect, really
@@eanderson9599 I can see where you are coming, but I think the contrast in them lies in their corruption and their perception. Walter was tempted by the devil to live a fulfilled life. He knew he would have to distance himself from his family and potentially would lose them, which is why he hid his schemes. Anakin wanted to gain power to control everything around him and prevent those that he loved from getting killed. Because that is not something he can fix like with technology. He lost himself in that attempt. At that very moment where he could have turned and stayed with Padme, he only thought that she would have to understand that all he did was for her, but she didn’t see it that way. He felt betrayed by her when he saw Obi. Anakin had a screwed perception and is a victim of continues corruption and manipulation throughout his whole life, which led to his demise. Imo, Anakin’s psychological portrayal and accuracy gaps. He has slightly more depth and complexity, while Walter has a bit better development tbh.
I think the most telling moment is when Obi Wan tells Qui Gon "the boy is dangerous, the council sees it why don't you?" Anakin was within earshot and his next line was "I don't want to be a problem Mr Qui Gon."
One helluva starter for a relationship. How long do you think it took Anakin to fully trust Obi-Wan and not have this line weigh in his mind? Years? Maybe he never really forgot Obi-Wan said this?
One more large reason why Qui-Gon's death was so horrific. The ONE person who fully trusted and believed in him was gone. Now he's surrounded by a master who is training him due to a promise made, and Jedi who fear him but are in awe of him. The more you ponder, the greater the story gets.
Anakin Skywalker is the best written tragic villain in history, in my personal opinion. The tragic villain is such a compelling role because while everyone is a villain in someone's story, the tragic villain is their own antagonist. Falling or literally destroying themselves due to issues that they are unable to deal with or circumstances that are of their own making, almost always unintentionally or because they feel that they have no choice. It's just so poetically relatable.
The ice king from adventure time hits a very similar very dark self antagonist. i didnt realize how close his story was to anakins until watching fionna and cake. A guy who is willing to do anything to protect the ones he loves, who ends up loosing everything including himself in order to do so.
@@djkleb7645 seeing as he almost killed his wife and killed his best friend after falling to the darkside in order to protect those same people. Yea other people did messed up stuff to him, doesnt change the fact that he became self destructive because of it, thus being his own villain.
You were spot on. The Jedi were the architects of their own destruction. He was a good man who had lost and lost and lost and when he constantly asked for help he was denied. He was pushed to the point of absolute desperation and he let it all burn him down. In the end he found his purpose and through his son he found himself and became what he was destined to be, The Chosen One.
It's like the saying goes: "All it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy". Anakin had his bad day, and thus was reduced to the Dark Side.
@@tonydiego2566 absolutely. He was at his wits end and all throughout his tenure with the Jedi Order he was lied to and he was treated like an outcast. When he needed them most they were less than helpful and it pushed him over the edge.
More like he self destructed. Ignored the teachings of the Jedi (which is why they didn’t trust him) resulting in him murdering his wife and becoming a shell of hisself
@@angrymonkey78he ignored all their teachings. And that’s why he wasn’t trusted. These Jedi were crammed with 1 ideal their entire existence and it’s all they knew. U can’t expect them to give advice they don’t have
Anakin is the reason Star Wars is as good as it is. Not only is he the most iconic villain as Darth Vader, but his tragic backstory that made him the most iconic villain is by far one of the most painful lives any fictional character has ever lived. No wonder why he turned to the Dark side.
He was the final chance the force gave the Jedi to change, they trampled on that, and they got what they deserved, then palpatine got what he deserved cause sith are just crazy. He really is the center of the story and what makes it great
@@jasongriffin1517imagine coming slavery easy life. He was forced to make things for his master and enter death races made robots to sell so him and his mom could eat he was forced to learn multiple alien languages or be beat , no father born by the force to bring balance by getting rid of the jedi and sith. He was used from prior to birth by palp made fun of by everyone constantly and his mom was frial she didn't work so what kind of slave was she? Likely sexual slave
You know what I was always saddened by? During the fight with kenobi, there was a moment where the fighting stops and they talk again… kenobi calls palpating evil and Anakin says “from my point of view the Jedi are evil” and then seeing kenobi not ask “what? Why? How could you believe that? Do you really believe palpatine is better than the Jedi? What about me? What about your wife who believed in you and defended the Jedi?” Instead of trying to reason with him or have compassion, he shouts at him, “well then you are lost!” What could have been….
Qui-Gon would have asked why. I think it’s interesting how in the phantom menace, Qui-Gon warns Obi-Wan not to center on his anxiety. That sounds exactly like what he was doing here. Instead of feeling the living force and realizing that Anakin was trying to open a dialogue, Obi was too focused on his anxiety over the larger picture and missed the blatant signal Anakin was sending.
Palpatine also manipulated Anakin by using the EXACT words that Mace uses earlier in the movie. When he tells Anakin that Dooku was "Too dangerous to be left alive". Palpatine could see the future and knew he could make Anakin see the Jedi and the Sith as the same.
yup and in both scenes Anakin says "its not the jedi way" further cementing that if the jedi are constantly going against the jedi code that there is no difference left between them and the Sith
I have been defending Anakin to other Star Wars fans and it's so good to hear someone else agreeing with me. I call it the tragedy of Anakin Skywalker. He was born a slave, and remained one his entire life. What a sad, lonely existence 😢
The whole "we don't have to run away anymore" moment is one of the greatest and most underrated moments in Anakin's story. It is the turning point in his relationship with Padme, the point he essentially loses his wife, the person he turned his life around and fundamentally changed himself as a person for, only to realize she wants to have nothing to do with what he has become.
@@harrambou9468 yet gains himself again at the end imagine he survived sidious’s death and padme survives the whole time and they reconnect and the universe is happy
Force Heal. Anakin wasn't asking for a lot. He knew Force Heal existed. He knew that it was essential and basic to a Jedi Guardian's skill set, which was his determined class within the order. He wasn't being unreasonable in his demands. He needed something good enough to keep his mother alive until he could get her back to the Republic hospital on Coruscant. There she could be treated for her wounds and make a full recovery. He knew that at it's weakest, Force Heal could've at least done that. But the council wouldn't let him, a powerful and combat hardened guardian, learn even that
I thought that, by this point in history, it was actually taboo in the EU. The Dogmatism of the Jedi classing it as too much interference with the order if things.
@@PhantomPhaze Agreed. But there was never any hint of nuance shown in regards to the tutelage of an incredibly traumatized young man who was claimed to be the chosen one.
@@PhantomPhaze It is totally wrong to deny them the help they need and to further hold it against them after they've asked for it. They could have just told Anakin to seek guidance elsewhere. They instead decided to use their "feel nothing" rationale, which ultimately did them in. Ironic that the one time they should've just observed, they instead interfered, as opposed to all the other times they just observed.
“Trust in your friends, and they’ll have reason to trust in you.” - opening moral of the episode Downfall of a Droid in season 1 of The Clone Wars. The Jedi really didn’t give Anakin much reason to trust in them, did they?
A thought kinda came to me after hearing Anakin’s story again: the sith code is something that appeals to characters like him. All about strength, power and individuality. Especially the last line “through victory my chains are broken, the force shall free me”. That last part encapsulates Anakin perfectly because that was all he ever wanted
Tbh the sith code is way better than the jedi code (for the most part) they embrace passion and love while the jedi reject it, they think of people as individuals while the jedi view people more like numbers and stats
@@theoutsiderjess1869 its quite literally the opposite, using your anger, using your emotions and using your opponents emotions in no part are you enslaved by using the dark side
I don't think your In slaved to the dark side something like that doesn't fake you or play tricks on it's your self that drags you to hell you can use the dark side to save a planet but your self will tell you why should you not rule them your there saver there King and why should they be free you sacrifice every thing and that's the trap the dark side does not lie but you'll burn in your own self you can't escape that@@Anakin.Skywalker44
Anakin Skywalker, to me, is THE definition of a sympathetic villain. A literary embodiment of the phrase, “the road to hell was paved with good intentions.” He fell to the dark-side not just because he had a tragic backstory, he was actively trying to do GOOD is what makes him so sympathetic! He fell to the darkness, doing HORRIBLE things, trying to save the love of his life! In fighting the war he lost friends, and wanted justice for them, and an end to the war. His ambitions were always noble, even when his actions weren’t. That is, until the birth of Vader.
I love Anakin's character and Hayden Christensen's portrayal of him. I never had an issue with it. I also understood why he made the decisions he made, no matter how horrible they were.
hayden was great but they made him too whiny, anakin is supposed to be an absolute cocky gigachad with an edge that got angry occasionally like he is in the clone wars series. in the trilogy he’s a whiny boy a lot of the time & instead of getting angry he just cries
@@andrewoberghe's been emotionally stunted. He was raised as a slave and then saved only to become part of a cult. He didn't have enough time in life to learn how to deal with emotions in a healthy way
Just like Yoda said, "Fear is the path to the dark side … fear leads to anger … anger leads to hate … hate leads to suffering." Yet they didn't realize their fear of what Anakin might become got them right exactly to where they didn't want to be. From Fear to Hate and Anakin was the one who suffered through it all. His suffering was imposed on others.
Literally have goosebumps listening to this. Those connections are so important. Really puts everything into perspective. Also the fact Obi left him to die. Didn’t even give his “brother” a merciful death.
Tbf obi wan is a Jedi it’s not his call to to off his old friend/ padawan since all obi wan knew is that there are few Jedis he didn’t know where Yoda went he didn’t know if there were other Jedis left he still had an honor code
@@thebluemorpho2962 isnt it their duty to destroy the Sith? I thought Obi wan simply couldnt bear it and turned his back on him. To see what he had become and his role in helping shape that and literally disfiguring his friend and pupil.
I felt obi wan never wanted to fight him. He was forced to by anakins actions and I believe he didn't have it in him to take his life, jedi code or not.
Yes, definitely. Qui-Gon would have been way more understanding, not to mention that he was an experienced Jedi Master. I also believe how lessons about the Living Force would have also served Anakin well. But ultimately, while he would have been the best Master, I also don't think he would have been the only one. Obi-Wan was far too inexperienced for a special case like Anakin. I believe Fay from the old comics would have also been great, and I think that maybe Yaddle and Depa Billaba (Disney Canon not the EU version) would have also worked for different reasons. Shaak Ti mothered the clones, so might have been an option, but in the EU where had two apprentices who died soon after knighthood lol. Then there is Plo Koon. Plo Koon may not have been the best choice either, but he would have been far better than Obi-Wan, and I do believe that Anakin would have been calmer in ever situation and more in tune with the Force, while Plo Koon could have been more recognizing of his Padawan's faults and try to course correct. There is also no way in hell that Palpatine, an outside influence, takes on mentor-like role with either Qui-Gon, Fay, Plo, or Yaddle.
As someone raised in an abusive family system I felt like I understood Anakin. I think only those raised in or experienced abuse can truly understand what the character Anakin went through and how he ended up evil. It's what often happens irl to abuse survivors who have no support system.
I think most people from an empathetic point of view, could also understand Anakin psychologically. Also, sorry that you had to grow up in an abusive family household.
Beautifully said, I feel the same way. Anakin killing Palpatine at the end of RotJ is so cathartic... I'm happy the prequels contextualized his redemption in that way. Palpatine is the perfect depiction of someone who uses their superior intelligence to exploit others, and these kinds of people are the scariest to victims of abuse -- the common fear that someone you open up to will only be listening as part of a greater scheme to hurt you and serve themselves. It cuts deep, and I feel like the strength Anakin feels at the end of RotJ is something a lot of us wish we could have. Edit: About his redemption also, I think it is beautiful how the prequels made it so Vader's experience as Anakin with Padme had even greater closure. Love made him do unspeakable things, but in the end it also made him save his son -- who is the perfect embodiment of who he wanted to be deep down himself.
@SpFlash1523 I understand what you mean. Empathy, especially for some people, can really allow you to almost fill the shoes of others. You can understand it, but you don't experience it. Just like you can watch Star Wars but not know what their day to day emotions and experiences are like. Just like you don't experience the day to day experience and entrapment that children in abusive households go through. Snips and clips of our experiences are shared, but it's similar to how only the important bits are shown in the movie. None the less, empathy is always appreciated. I like to think that empathy is one of the greatest weapons against the cycle of abuse.
Honestly, the story of Anakin just shows that how important it is for a man or anyone in general to have a father figure in their life, guiding them through life
Or a mother figure many think Shaak ti should have been his master she was considered a comforting presence by the clones and had a real mother like affect and I agree if not her it’s between kit fisto or plo koon kit fisto was laid back and had a kind personality plo koon had a similar affect of Shaak ti he was strict when needed but was laid back and just that person u can really connect with and trust to always be there for u when u need help
Honestly Anakin is one of the best well developed Jedi in Star Wars you really can relate to his struggles balancing himself either the light or dark side of the force.
In the original story leia actually learns to forgive anakin/vader after taking time to learn about his life she was very disturbed by his life eventually she forgave him maybe not entirely but she certainly understood how messed up he was from the start.
im curious where did you learn this I want to learn more about it bc we know Luke sort of forgave him but he didn’t know of his life but how you say leia forgives is interesting
@@dexiffygrif it's from one of the books I think truce of bakura or something like that may even be a series of those books I can't remember lol I need to reread some of those.
Its in one of leia's EU novels where anakin visits her as a force ghost to ask for forgiveness for what he's done to her and her family along with the whole galaxy but she didn't forgive him at that point so he left her forever cuz anakin had to leave to go in the cosmic realm of the force but overtime she forgave him after finding out a little journal about anakins childhood and his mother's sad cruel slavery life@@dexiffygrif
Anakin is relatable to most men growing up coming from nothing trying to discover themselves sees how the world is really like (for anakin the whole galaxy) betrayed and pushed to madness but still has a small bit of kindness meant only for those who are deserving. Darth vader was born from human error
I think Obi wan really loved him. But he didn’t have the tools / experience to manage à young intrepid guy such as Anakin. He was just a guy who try is best to teach and train anakin. I think only an open minded (not too severe or strict on dogmatism) jedi such as Qui Gon or Plo Koon could have potentially do a better job to train and love Anakin.
Obi wan was a cult leader . He literally sacrificed everyone for the sake of order and manipulated everyone for order's sake . Never feel sorry for him and never will .
@@yagzguven8099what are you talking about? Anakin is the one who sacrificed everyone including a whole jedi order and Republic for a woman that he tried to kill later Anakin deserves far less sympathy
Questionable. Obi-Wan used Anakin as a coping mechanism for the death of Qui-Gon by treating him "like a brother", but at the end of the day he was perfectly willing to leave him to die in Tatooine and was content to lie to Luke about his downfall like it wasn't partially his fault.
My uncle used to say that the Jedi misinterpreted the prophecy: Anakin is the Chosen One who will “bring balance to the force”, what they didn’t realize is that the light side of the force had way more force users than the dark side, creating an imbalance, thousands of Jedi and only two sith at a time, Anakin inadvertently lived up to the prophecy by destroying the Jedi order and reducing the Jedi to only 2 force users: Obi-Wan and Yoda to match the numbers of the sith: Palpatine and himself. After all there can be no good without evil and I’d say the Jedi being portrayed as cold, emotionless, and almost fascist and cult-like is indicative that they were never supposed to be that large of an organization, almost as if they over-saturated the use of the force and stretched it thin, which would also explain why the sith are portrayed as far more powerful than your average Jedi
The Jedi were also not just unwilling to learn anything related to the dark side, but completely closed off knowledge of it from their own order and became too stuck in the light.
I get that but afterwards there are still a bunch of sith and Jedi left. Ahsoka, maul, that librarian lady (until Vader kills her) but there were still a bunch of Jedi and sith even afterwards, maybe it does balance naturally though, I’d rather believe in what you’re saying cause it sounds pretty awesome.
This is what a lot of the viewers don’t get about Anakin. Thanks you for fully explaining. There’s so much more to his character and he wasn’t just some power-hungry person.
And George Lucas explains that even when Anakin did turn to the Dark Side and became Darth Vader. There is always this part of him asking "What am I doing". That was the part that Luke eventually reached in Return of the Jedi to redeem him.
I remember when I watched the movies as a young teen, I already felt sorry for Anakin, for how lonely and left-alone he must be feeling. I always had a feeling like the Jedi did so wrong on him, like they always complained about him being possibly turning to the dark side, while pushing him into that direction more and more. That was heartbreaking and frustrating to watch and pissed me off a lot. Like "oh I don't want him to cry, but give him even more reasons instead of reaching out at him and try to help"... whilst trying to be knights in a silver armour for the rest of the galaxy. I would have felt betrayed by all of them too.
It's easy to judge another's actions. Anyone can judge another. But it takes real love, kindness, and understanding... It takes real honor, honesty, and care to learn and look into the perspective of another.
I remember in the clone wars novels it describes him wanting to help a scientist who was force to make a bio weapon. Obi Wan seemed almost annoyed as if it was a chore to help escape, but Anakin was described as this compassionate man who remembered the pains of slavery and servitude and pushed Obi Wan to save her. Anakin was done wrong and while he did murder the Jedi and the younglings; the Jedi council, Mace Windu, and ultimately Palpatine who played a very large role in all of this, we’re equally responsible for guiding down this path. He snapped, after all he did for them and received nothing in return. Save one, his son, who showed him the genuine love he so desperately needed and brought him back to the light.
Remember Qui-Gon understood the importance of attachments. So Anakin would feel willingly to ask him for advice, and he would've been able to aid Anakin in grappling with the loss of his mother Shmi. Stepping up to the role of nurturing him as a father figure, hence why the death of Qui-Gon turned out to be a pivotal moment in the entire prequel trilogy. Changing the fate of the galaxy, along with Anakin losing his mother proving to be the catalyst
exactly and that why palp sent maul to go and get rid of him, qui-gon was on another level with the force, he followed the force itself rather than following every order the counsel would put on them regarding the force
A lot of psychologist have diagnosed Darth Vader with borderline personality disorder. One of the best ways to treat this disorder is with someone who knows how to empathize with the individual's situation and can assist this person in being redirected to take responsibility in their lives and to have acceptance. Honestly what Anakin needed was a therapist who knew how to empathize. There are only 2 people who I think fulfilled this role in the Star Wars universe: Quin Gon and Luke. Even Padme didn't really truly empathize with him, she kind of made it worse by looking past some of his known issues. She might have been able to help Anakin if she would have got him help after he slaughtered the Tusken Raiders. And Palpatine did what any groomer does to people that have a lot trauma: he manipulated them to do his bidding to the point where Anakin is essentially his slave.
@@GiacomoVaccari Please do elaborate on why you think BPD is not real... BPD belongs to the cluster B of personality disorders, and it is one of the most researched mental health issues in history.... So if you do not believe in it because of your intuitions, well better start questioning your intuitions. But if you have good reasons, please do share them.
Anakin was a slave his entire life, even in the Jedi order and especially to the dark side. Once he saved Palpatine, he knew that there was nothing holding him back anymore, and the thought of finally being free with Padme and having the life he always wanted overwhelmed him. It’s so relatable to real life, when you have all this built in frustration, being told to get over it, unable to just let it out and express yourself, you are doomed to snap eventually. And the poetic part is that this happens so much in the real world where we as humans make mistakes in our lives that we regret, but eventually are able to redeem ourselves and be forgiven. Our past does not define us, it is who we are today that does. Thanks for sharing this awesome video, the psychology of Anakin Skywalker truly is fascinating.
Anakin's whole development and the fall to the dark side are of course understandable and logically explainable. Everything Anakin had to experience, a person can't take without scars in the psyche. Yoda had the wisdom to recognize from the start that Anakin could be dangerous one day and was therefore initially against his training as a Jedi. However, Palpatine could certainly have forged his grand plan without Anakin, so at the end it was good that precisely Anakin was the one he choose as his apprentice. Because Anakin's redemption is what at the end made him the chosen one. After all that happened to him, he still saved the tiny piece of the good and selfless child from Tatooine that at the end saved the galaxy.
@@dexiffygrif Right exactly. The whole point of it is that it his destiny achieved at that moment in time. He destroyed the Sith, simply put, and he was the good version of himself by his own choice at the end and opposite to his Vader life, to put it more lengthy
Do you remember the super badass Genndy Tartovsky Ckone Wars depiction of General Grievous? George decanonized him specifically because if Grievous were that competent, Sidious wouldn't need Anakin. This implies that Sidious did need Anakin to achieve his goals.
@@misterscorpius1446Completely irrelevant, competent Grievous was canon to all the Multimedia Project and both Anakin and Vader were superior in every facet to him (Vader did falter a lot in the early days of the Empire, but RotJ Vader could go toe-to-toe with Yoda and win).
My man Ani have bpd (borderline personality disorder) and as a fellow person with borderline, I can comfortably say that Anakin Skywalker was the best representation for this condition that I ever seen, the volatile emotional state, the intensity of every emotion that he ever felt, the way he just jump into situations without thinking and the sense of loyalty of an erratic dog, that will love you with everything he have, but destroy you in the same capacity if he ever felted betrayed by someone that was he's friend, just perfect, really
@@DiasOctaviojust be careful of bad influences. If you have a politician friend be weary of him. Especially if he tells you about "tragedies" and saving your wife.
Hey Theory! Since you asked for comments, and i honestly kinda wanted to post this anyway: Thanks for the genuinely new prospective on this entire story. I've always sympathized with Anakin/Vader, in spite of his crimes, but your explanations here feom your kwn viewpoint gave me pause multiple times, because you pointed out many things I'd never noticed before. Thanks a ton, man!
I’ve always had a clear cut understanding of Anakins path. Its perfect and is one of the most relatable and well written characters to be immersed in. It’s like poetry it rhymes, and it saddens me to know how these movies were originally perceived and misunderstood.
We still talk about these movies till this day. Its amazing! The reason I didn’t watch them when they came out was because of all the hate they got. I didn’t want to ruin something I loved so much so I never watched them. Years later I caught them on tv and DVR’ed them lol well I was surprised I loved the first movie after hearing such bad things about it.. the second movie I loved even more!! And the 3rd movie blew me away!!! A week later I rewatched it! Lol I remember when I lost 2 of the closest members of my family back to back inside of 2 years.. I lost my satellite service provider but I kept the dvr.. well I watched all of the clone wars many times over and over… they really helped me threw some dark dark times…..
@@stillamitchinmybook6320 I think this is one of the best and honest takes from a fan. Star Wars has helped me as well through many dark times. That’s something that’s so special about it. To hear that you originally didn’t go to see the movies when they came out goes to show how harsh the media was about them back then. Only to be entirely wrong just like you found out. All three prequels are fantastic.
The Clone Wars show did a lot of heavy lifting and changed how people viewed Anakin. The pieces were all there in the movies, but there's only so much you can flesh out in three movies, and a lot of people couldn't get over the corny writing (like Anakin's sand monologue). The Clone Wars was able to not only flesh out his character, but also show us more flaws in the Jedi council.
One of the things I love most about Anakin as a character is that he was held up as The Chosen One, a trope we all know, yet the outcome was flipped and surprised and disappointed everyone in the best way His redemption is another trope, but it hits so much harder after you've seen the prequels about his origin.
The anger, the mental exhaustion, the outbursts, Hayden played a character struggling with his trauma and he played him perfectly. Of course Anakin would be emotional after everything he lost, after his upbringing, after being forced into a war.
I always loved his approach. Like someone processing emotions he knows he isn’t supposed to be having and not being equipped properly to manage any of it as a result of his upbringing.
Ew. Hayden's acting was so bad that it took me right out of the movie--even at the ripe age of 12. I couldn't stand him then, and I can't stand him now. The fake expressions on his face were very telling that he didn't believe his role, and his speech cadence was 100% aligned with James T. Kirk. It was boring and uneventful acting. His vocal skills were so bad that I have not stopped making fun of Hayden since he was in Star Wars.
As someone with ptsd and bpd, ive always just felt bad for anakin because no one would help him, wtf was he supposed to do. I feel like his story just outlines how important mental health treatment is
I’ve never felt closer to the best villain ever, nor have I ever felt so empathetic with why I might have done everything he did beat for beat. The heart, the human, the connections matter.
The Jedi also were the ones hellbent on the erradication of the Sith. It maybe would have been a bad rep for some that he was up to some sithy stuff, but some would have just viewed him to be one of the jedi with red sabers. There is no outright rule that you are not allowed to be a Sith. It were just the nemesis to the Jedi. Which again puts one more layer ontop of that onion. I know someone will disagree, but being force sensetive and drawing out of anger instead of peace didn't just make you a kill on sight. Palpi could have just been open about it, with the obvious drawbacks through the jedi he just spared himself in lying. The Jedi holding as much power as they did and all.
@@Concerned_Citizen I only spoke in concern to palpetine being on the senate. Which mostly the Jedi had a problem with. Some members of the council will have not had any clue what a Sithlord even was. And that outright assassination was not as morally sound as people claim it to be. Point a finger at what is poorly said from my end, instead of shitting on it without saying why.
Wait but didn't he go to palpys office with the council and ask him to surrender first? You know before he killed all of them but mace in a few seconds lol
Anakin had one goal, not allowing another love one to die no matter what he ended up becoming as long as they could live. Anger, anxiety, mistrust, lies, misfortune, ego all accumulated into the persona we knew as Darth Vader. It’s one of the most tragic and epic stories and seeing his personas shift in Asoka between the light and dark side comes full circle as he truly became the master he always wanted to become. Also this video was amazing at explaining the why.
Man really well done. It also goes to show that no one really showed up for him showed him love. Even tho palpatine was a father figure it wasn’t for anakin it was for selfish motives. That’s why the arc of Luke is so beautiful cause Luke was the only one that showed love to anakin even in his darkest time. He didn’t right him off. By Luke showing up for his father anakin was able to show up for him self and good prevailed, love prevailed. If we feel like we have people in our lives that right us off , find you’re Luke in life and let light prevail. Letting you see that you can show up for yourself. It truly is a very poetic powerful story that more people need to dive into. Keep up the good work man love you’re breakdowns and theorie.
I got into Star Ward as a kid, there was a re showing of RotJ at my local cinema when I was about 6, but a the time it was "ooo, flashy swords" "ooo, space, so many aliens" etc. After growing up, into my teens and going through stuff (like we all do in some respect), seeing the prequel trilogy again, I've had the same thoughts about Anakins "destiny" and mental health. Unfortunately, poor Jake Lloyd kinda paralleled all this too. Being a kid thrust into a world that is ruthless. Sweet and innocent but then with all the bullying, criticism and pressure, went to the "dark side".
I really hope hes doing better. He had some serious issues, and they really messed him up before he was old enough for his legitimate contributions to be properly appreciated. I think he did a great job too and its an absolute tragedy that not only did he not get the credit he deserved, but it all went soo hard for him. Like I said, I really do hope hes doing better
Agreed. Out of the many people who were considered, none of them seem even half as well-suited for the role as Hayden. Hayden was THE man for that role. Leonardo DiCaprio?? I mean, he’s a great actor and all, but I just can’t possibly imagine him being Anakin. I like Leonardo, but I think that he would have been an absolutely awful pick to play Anakin.
I love the revenge of the sith novel and how it really explores Palpatines manipulation of Anakin. Even though Anakin has trust issues with the Jedi he still wants to believe in them but they let him down at every turn and Palpatine is always there for him. He even makes him question if the sith are actually as bad as the Jedi force these young children to believe. Even I'm questioning the Jedi while I'm reading it 😂
Truly is a masterpiece of Star Wars writing. It adds a whole new context to the movie and it made me realize that Anakin didn’t exactly become Vader, it was always in him deep down. Legends will always be better than Canon.
The only thing the Jedi Council ever did wrong on Ankain was to ignore their code on training Anakin and to let themselves get blackmailed by Qui Gon on accepting him anyway. They were right to not promote him to the rank of master, because, despite him being a great military leader, he lacked many of the qualities and virtues of a Jedi. He shouldn't have been knighted this young in the first place for these exact same reasons. Power in the Force alone doesn't make you a good Jedi, despite Anakin being mad about putting some effort into developing his character for once. They were proven right with order 66, where it showed how low his resilience was. Also how do people blame the Jedi on Anakin's issue with his visions on Padme, when he wasn't even a tiny bit honest about his situation and continued his lie and his facade when asking for help? What exactly did he expect there? Ask vague questions, get vague advice. How were they supposed to help him when he continued to lie in their faces? How dare he get angry at Windu not trusting him when he continues to live a double life?
I think you nailed this. At this point in star wars history the Jedi are followers of the bureaucratic path of following the force more than actual followers of the force. They think only their way is the correct way. This mindset blinded them from things that were happening right under their noses and the Sith took advantage of that. If the Force is life, then it is also love. To divorce yourself from loved ones would be at odds with the essence of the force, witch is what the Jedi taught. Also it is self destructive. If force sensitive people tend to come from other force sensitive people, you would think they would want to pass those traits long to your offspring. By denying those sorts of natural attachments to other Jedi, you are forever self limiting the growth of the number of Jedi.
You are only a victim if you let yourself be a victim. Anakin, in the mid-written prequels, chose that victimhood. "Save my mommy" said the thirty year old brat.
@@FuckingChrisKupina 30? Anakin was 19 in attack of the clones. Imagine being that old, your mother you haven't seen in 10 years, you're having constant nightmares about her dying, nobody around you is validating your concerns. Then you sneak off, only to find she'd been suffering, and that if you had gotten there any faster she may have lived. And then she dies in your arms.
This is less of a video essay and more of how I talk to myself when im alone thinking about this stuff, and I LOVE IT!! keep it up! You've inspired me to try this out
I think up until a certain point it wasnt his fault. But he was responsible for everything after betraying windu. He had a wife with kids on the way and unlimited potential in the force. There was no need to do all that.
He did all that, because he needed to obey Sidious in order to have a chance to gain the knowledge to save Padme from dying. As far as he knew that path (in his vision), although the timeline was unknown....was a path that was absolute...unless he helped Sidious in learning the secret to saving her. Anakin literally felt there was no other path available to him.
I think we can understand why Anakin does what he does but that doesn’t mean we should defend him or agree with him. His own fate was a result of his own poor choices and selfishness.
I’d actually say he should first be blamed for Dooku’s death. It was the right thing to do to spare him. Not only you don’t kill unarmed prisoners as a Jedi, but Dooku was the key to Palpatine’s whole downfall. He knew all his secrets and after realizing he was just used like a tool that’ll be replaced for a better one, he definitely would’ve talked at that point. But since Anakin killed him over the arm, all that valuable information is gone and the end of the Jedi has begun.
@@mriforgiate Yeah but he was dumb for not realizing his actions would lead to him losing his wife anyways. No way would she agree with him killing the Jedi or innocent children.
I’m late to the party here but this is something that I’ve thought a lot about. Great video, one thing that’s really important that you didn’t cover is the Jedi contradiction. Anakin killed Dooku and immediately felt regret because he broke the Jedi code. He doesn’t always agree with it but he wants to be a Jedi and a good person. Fast forward to palpatine and mace windu. Mace windu has been his staunchest critic because he thinks that he doesn’t follow the Jedi code as he should. Anakin says to mace that it’s against the Jedi code. Mace says he’s too dangerous to be left alive. That’s exactly what palpatine said to him when he hesitated to kill dooku. At that point he sees how hypocritical they are and they have no claim to any moral high ground. It’s about power for them. If the Jedi code’s greatest champion is willing to break it because his power is threatened then it proves palpatine’s point that the Jedi aren’t selfless and immune to the lust for power.
I feel like this video should have been titled ‘Why Anakin did what he did’ because you do a great job of explaining his mindset, and making us sympathize with his situation, but that doesn’t mean that he “did no wrong.” He absolutely did wrong, a lot of wrong. Just because the Jedi were oppressive and uncaring doesn’t justify the horrific deeds he committed.
Exactly. There is always a choice to be made. While we can examine the why behind Anakin's choices, he still had clear choices to make. He knew right from wrong. He addresses his own wrong decisions at times, such as when he tells Padme about the Sandpeople, or he immediately realizes that killing Dooku was not the right thing to do, or when he admits to Padme that something is wrong and how he wants more power. Anakin, despite his circumstances, still knew right from wrong. He was just weak when it came to having enough self control to say no and instead make the right decision. Every single one of us can relate to the simple fact that doing the right thing is a lot harder than doing the wrong thing. Even in Christianity, the very nature of sin is a corruption of flesh which makes us easily drawn to bad decisions because it is quicker, self-beneficial, accumulating wealth or power by sacrificing morals, more pleasure, etc. Is this not the exact same thing as what Star Wars gives us in the form of the light side and dark side of the force? We have the power to overcome our circumstances, either present or past, and choose to be a better person. Anakin has that choice too. There is really no other excuse than to say that Anakin was weak and gave in to what was easier, knowing full well the consequences that would eventually set in. It is no different in real life. We know that bad decisions will ultimately make things worse, but we do not care because, in the moment, the immediate benefit is so much more satisfactory.
Dude Anakin dick-riders will go to the lengths of the Earth and back again before they admit Anakin was in the wrong. Good luck getting them to say he wasn’t justified slaughtering people because he didn’t feel appreciated, and get ready to hear some of the most ass-backwards reasonings ever.
Something a lot of people who haven’t read the books don’t know but it’s heavily misrepresented or just left out completely in the movie is anakins mental exhaustion. In the period where anakins at the jedi temple and obi wan is away fighting Grevious there’s an chapter through anakins perspective. He think about how little he’s sleeping cause of his nightmares and just how clouded his mind and judgment is. Forget everything else, the prophecy, the slave life, his mom, his wife. Anakin is tool of destruction in a galactic wide war that he probably has ended up killing and losing 10s of thousands people around him. Combine that with the fact he hasn’t got decent sleep in weeks? Would anyone be surprised if a U.S. marine snapped one day and killed one of mentors when they appeared to be threatening the life of his friend? Now add in all the trauma and outside stressors.
Well written. As a psychology student, my first thought was, how is Anakin functioning? There are some tests on sleeplessness/insomnia. The results are quite traumatic.
@@AnyaGanguleeSame here. I was a Chaplain while in the Navy, and we act more as psychiatrists than preachers sometimes. Sleep deprivation is a morale KILLER… so it’s not difficult for me to understand Anakin’s mental breakdown and descent into darkness. He had absolutely no support whatsoever from the people that should have been, and the only two people who were offering support of any kind were Padme, his wife who doesn’t see the full picture because she lives outside his sociopolitical arena, and Palpatine, who was the architect of Anakin’s downfall from the beginning and was never interested in actually helping him.
@@GaryTongue-to3pw actually the books are canon UNLESS they directly contradict the movies. (ANH originally was written that Ben (obi) and Owen were brothers. That part of a new hope would not be canon. But there’s nothing in the movie to suggest anakin wasn’t under extreme mental anguish. So my comment stands.
This is why you’re the best Star Wars TH-camr (not that others are bad at all). There are some great ones, but to able to understand the story as well as you do, and to relay that to the audience…. Takes a special kind of passion. This is one of the best videos IMO, and it comes off of not only such passion and dedication to this subject, but just the love of Star Wars itself. Bravo
I've seen this sort of thing firsthand, and I feel that George's story is so underrated and underappreciated as a whole. The story of the human condition and how wrong someone's life can go. Anakin spend his entire life as a slave in so many aspects in his life. He is such a relatable character in so many ways, from an innocent boy in a terrible position finding joy in the simple things people take granted for to having to be in the worst places and situations imaginable. Anyone who has had a hard life can appreciate Anakin's tragic story. Thank you for your breakdowns and the work you do.
Bro cooked the entire video. This is exactly how i think and feel about anakin. What he went through only few can exactly grasp or conceptualize what being in that type of pain could actually do to someone after being done repeatedly all in such extreme circumstances. He never really got to grieve what he deserved too. My heart breaks for him every time😢all he needed was someone to confide in and support him in his best interest. I wonder how things would’ve been like if qui gon was there 💔. Thank you for making this video i really resonated the whole time
ironically, Anakin didn't need Qui Gon, the Jedi Order/Council could've showed him a tiny bit of compassion and it would've really turned Anakin over to become one of the greatest Jedis ever.
Perfect explanation! Well done! I completely understand Anakin. I understood him and symphatized with him before . Anakin deserved love. He had mental problems and needed help He needed a hug,father figure. But he returned to the light. Luke's love and compassion brought him back. Do more of this videos. Bravo! Have a fantastic day too😀May the Force be with you too,always😊
I watched the two trilogies around two years ago and I had such a soft spot for Anakin and enjoyed the prequels for what they did to show his fall in such a heartwrenching way. I think that aspect is what ends up helping some overlook the glaring issues that the prequels had. Palpatine's slow, methodical plan to corrupt Anakin is helped by the great acting such as the opera scene.
Well done video Theory. I've been a fan of Star Wars my entire life, I think I was around 10 years old when I first saw A New Hope. I wasn't much of a fan on the prequels initially, I thought Hayden Christensen was a little too whiny. It wasn't until years later that I realized how tortured his soul actually was, how much loss he suffered. He is the definition of a tragic figure. Watching your videos over the years helped me to cement those views. To me Star Wars is the best story to be told, it is one of love, heroes and villains, political corruption and most of all redemption. George Lucas created a masterpiece based off many themes found in classic literature. I think future generations will look back on Star Wars, the same way we look at The Iliad and The Odyssey among the other classics.
I’ve been continuously surprised and impressed at the depth that the prequels contain inside them. Magnificent analysis my man, I appreciate you as a figure in the Star Wars community, hope you realize how much you’ve contributed over the years 💪
This makes perfect sense. I always felt that he had a point when discussing things with Obi-Wan. Had they talked things over it could've gone differently.
There is one key point about Windu and taking Sidious to the courts that you did not include: He felt guilty about Dooku and that he did not choose the right thing. That was part of his decision as well, the moral obligation to keep Sidious alive to stand trial, just as much as it was to save Padme.
It’s pretty interesting how the dark and light side is basically emotion vs logic. And the story of Palpatine and Anakin is a great way to show that empathy can be weaponized.
This made a ton of sense and fleshed out a lot of Anakin's character for me. I'd love to see a part two looking at the rest of Anakin's life as darth vader through this lense. It honestly never made perfect sense to me why he kept staying on the dark side after padme died, so a part two explaining that in detail would be cool
a video about that would be interesting, i always felt it was because he really didn't have any other option. not only was Padme dead but the jedi were also gone now, partially thanks to his own doing, and after his injuries he could no longer overthrow the emperor so he didn't have anything left but to serve Sidious. there is probably more to it than that but i think it plays a part as to why he remained attached to the dark side.
He destroyed his life and the order and lost his wife and what he believed was his unborn child. That breeds dark side. Then you’ve got uncle palps who laid you to rest in an outdated vulnerable suit and he basically became a slave again.
In short, he spent the majority of that 20 years hunting down Jedi and researching the Darkside in his castle on Mustafar. He never gave up trying to find the power to bring Padme back.
@@cameronochocki634I did see a video about a year back that went over the comics about darth vader specifically that started literally right after the last scene of movie. Great vid, I’d have to find it. But he was just suffering and had sooooo much hate, hated obi wan, he blamed it all on him, all he could think about was killing obi wan. And he hated himself, he loved her, everyone he loved he hated, killing for the Sith Lord was his only way of letting out his anger and pain. He actually actually at first blamed the Sith Lord but realized that he couldn’t beat him. Sith Lord made his suit specifically to limit his powers as much as possible but still more powerful than any Jedi. He became a slave again ironically. Again going off memory, find that video!! It was really good
Great video Theory. Loved this format! My view is that the reason Luke was able to "turn" Anakin was that Luke was the only person in his life that didn't want to use him for their own purposes. He was always just a tool - as a slave, as the Chosen one, as the one to bring "balance" to the Force, as a weapon in their political games - Anakin was always being used. Luke treated him as a person, and asked for nothing in return for his acceptance and love of his father.
I never saw episodes two and three. Casual OT fan who didn’t care for episode one. This is the first time I’ve actually heard the chronological summary of Anakin‘s progression to the dark side. He certainly seems like a more sympathetic character now and that is probably the best villain origin story I have ever heard. my respect for George Lucas as a storyteller has just increased. Thank you very much! 🙏
Anakin's story is so sad and tragic, how he held onto being good for as long as he did is astonishing It's also amazing how Ahsoka never went down the dark side as well
This was a good deep dive into Anakin as a character and the rationale for what happens to him throughout the saga. Very good discussion and food for thought.
Star Wars genuinely changed my outlook on so much, I’ve gotten back into it recently and I think it’s bc I can relate to some characters emotions and feelings in a way, Anakin did wrong but what he did always made sense to me his mind became consumed from the fear of losing which can happen to all of us. The message at the end rlly hit home. There’s always time to become good and I sort of forgot that idea and lesson from Star Wars the past couple of weeks. This video helped me re realize that again and that’s why I think Star Wars is genuinely much much more then a movie series and it’s truly beautiful the story
So well said. I’ve felt this since Episode 1. He’s a tortured soul. He’s the most imperfect character. He’s both good and evil and it’s all from your point of view. George saying through Obiwan saying “from a certain point of view” basically sums up all of Star Wars.
As a kid Darth Vader was the most feared supervillain in the entire universe for all time. So we automatically knew this boy would become that villain. But we never stopped to give that boy a fair view of his own tragic life story. Great video!
Seriously. There are infinite little nuances to find with every new viewing of pondering of them, especially when it comes to Anakin’s character. Add in The Clone Wars series and this becomes even more true.
This is a fantastic video, so many people make fun of Anakin, not realizing the darkness that would fester in them if they went through the pain Anakin had gone through.
Prowse, JEJ, Shaw, & Christensen were incredible at bringing this tragic character to life. George knows how to tell a timeless story. Disney just knows how to retell a timeless story and make it less watchable
Considering how many other Jedi turned to the Dark Side so easily in comparison, I believe, is a testament to Anakin's true strength. Something the people he needed most failed into see. He fought the darkness within him for as long as he possibly could...the fact he held out as long as he did, in the situation he was in, should never be overlooked
The biggest thing that people either overlook or dont no about is actually the time period of ROTS. Let me explain. -In the novilization it states that the Battle of Corescant and destruction of the Jedi Temple take place within a time span of just 3 days. -Furthermore it states that during these 3 days, Anakin is so afraid to sleep because of the constant nightmare so he just doesnt (and I dont know about you but I personally start going loopy after about 2 days of no sleep). -All the while hes up every night sneaking into the restricted section trying to do research (which is alo why hes so furious at not being made a master b/c only masters have access to the naterial he was looking for). -Then all of a sudden in "lowest" moment when hes basically lost all hope here comes this man promising the solution to every single one of his problems. A man that is simultaneously playing on Anakins guilt over feeling as though he didnt do enough to save his mother (Obviously palps knows because of the conversation they had on Grevious's ship "Invisible Hand") -And again Palpetine was a mentor to Anakin for the duration of the clone wars. -Bro has had bo sleep, he is being pulled in a thousand different directions all at once yet is expected to act like a good little soldier and do as he's told when thats never been his strongsuit. Yes Anakin did a "bad thing" but it wasnt coming from a place of hate but instead from a place of deperation and only fully turns once he believes he killed Padme, the only thing that kept him going. Like Lucas said, Anakin is a broken and defeated man and thats what makes his downfall all that more tragic.
Yeah. People fail to realize the no sleep force visions stuff... Besides, arguably his loyalty to the Republic is just as important if not moreso than his loyalty to the order(Arguably all jedi should be more loyal to the republic than to the order) And it isnt like hes just having bad dreams. He was haunted about his mom, AND IT HAPPENED... Its not just like hes having a spooky nightmare. Hes having premonitions, that historically have always been accurate, reliving his wife dying in child birth over and over again(Something that also makes him feel like he has to figure out how to save her before she gives birth) All while all the stuff thats been going on with the battle of Coruscant and everything else. Fighting fights, needing to stay mindful in the moment, being pushed by the jedi and the republic to end the war. All with no sleep. Then they deny him master. This is after everything else, and granted this wasnt at the time of the movie canon, but the stuff with Ahsoka. The symbolism of the tension... They make him a warrior. They tell him to trust and respect and follow the Republic(And Palpatine by extension.... They did start the movie rescuing him.... genius moves by Sidious as well to maintain control and keep everyone unbalanced) The way that when Sidious told him to kill Doku "its not the jedi way" but then Mace(The leader of the order) says THE EXACT SAME THING to justify killing Sidious .... "Hes too dangerous to be left alive!" The jedi betraying their own standards, expecting him to obey in spite of their blatant and even treasonous hypocrisy... And Palpatine offering to save Padme from dying.... All while the clock is ticking. She was almost ready to give birth, the time he saw her dying... People really fail to appreciate it all. Imo He should have realized though that the path he was choosing was what was leading there. But in my head cannon, I say Sidious was aggravating his dreams/visions. As silly as it is, I suspect that if he was rested and hadnt been having traumatic visions hed probably have made less reflexive reactions(Something Sidious set up, and was counting on. Not just for him, but for everyone)
@@tandava-089Thank You! Ive been saying this for years. Yes Anakin commied horible crimes as Vader, but they werent out of hate or greed. One thing that always bothered me tho is, are visions normal within the Jedi Order? Obi-Wan didnt treat it like a big deal so it makes you think this is something that happens from time to time so if so why didnt nobody give Anakin the tools or even certain meditations to fully umderstand what he was seeing? If not then I feel like that shouldve been something that alerts the council. Like the strongest force user in thr galaxy atp is seeing visions of the future and nobody bats an eye?!
@@jonnystorm3127 I think it was rare and only the most naturally gifted and/or trained masters ever did/could get force visions, and much like the prophecy of The Chosen One, Jedi rarely interpreted such things as set in stone. That prophecy came from a force vision, if I understand correctly. Also you can in some ways train yourself to be able to, as per things like Sidious in context to Luke being able to defeat him 'he has foreseen it' For all these reasons though, neither Anakin nor the council were really equipped to deal with any of it. Much of the council who was either afraid of Anakin, or outright jealous would have ATLEAST used him admitting he had a wife as an excuse to try and banish him from the order, not to mention the scandal it would cause for Padme in context to her political career(Im sure it would help in some ways but hurt in others, and surely make her political coalition and the jedi collectively look very suspect, something Im sure Palpatine could have used. Him being from the same planet as her gives him lots of play and options as well) The jedi didnt treat any of it as as seriously as they should. But they did try. They did what they could. They had many shortcomings, and all of those shortcomings came back to bite them. But.... yeah.... Anakin should probably have atleast mentioned visions in general atleast(and who knows, maybe he did offscreen to Obi, or some jedi librarian or whatever) And the council should have taken everything about a suspect of being the chosen one much more seriously in context to their responsibilities😛
@@jonnystorm3127he literally killef the jedi because he thought they were traitors💀 Tf you talking about. Regardless, him doing it at all nakes his character irredemable
@@willisstillhere8846 Which in that moment the Jedi WERE committing treason already by having him spy on Palaptine who is the supreme leader of the Republic at that time and by Mace trying to actively kill Palpatine without the Republics knowledge of what was happening. I dont think the Republic even knew that another person let alone another Sith Lord was behind the Clone Wars cause to the average person all they saw was Dooku as the face of The Seperatists movement. IMO in Anakins mind the Jedi and Palpatine were one in the same and it was about to him whats the option that helps me the most which while misled was Sidious at that moment.
Overall, this a deep, rich storyline that one can take and learn so much from. Hayden did an amazing job portraying him as George directed him to, and I love how The Clone Wars further developed his Character. I also did enjoy the portrayal of Anakin in the Ahsoka series as a force ghost. I would actually be interested if they found a way to properly explore Anakin more from a force ghost perspective, in a way that makes sense. I know Hayden stated he would love more projects to be able to work on as Anakin/Vader.
this is it. u put what i, and a bunch of ppl, felt bout Anakin into words. he was just a pawn and sponge of everything and everyone around him. the best character arc ever and such a great video showcasing and explaining it, thank u smh
Off topic from your video, but I think it’s worth mentioning. It’s individuals like yourself and the (probably) millions of SW fans out there that highlight how terrible Disney has handled this franchise. The amount of depth the lore SW has is unrivaled. Thank you for continuing to keep SW legends alive brother. Your content is amazing keep up the amazing work!
This is the best summation of the arc of Anakin in the prequels I've heard. I've seen the movies many times, but you were able to succinctly verbalize and connect all the pieces that were there for me, that I failed to assemble. I do blame the writing to a degree, because it shouldn't take 18 years and the story of a fan to ginally get through to me, but it did l. All those nuggets were there but I never made the connections on my own. I love the prequels, but I wish they were as competently laid out as well as you were able to do it. So thanks for that, truly! If you did more, I would love deep doves on Obi Wan, Qui Gon, Darth Maul, Count Dooku, Mace Windu, and even Luke. I'm sure I'd learn something
I love to compare Anakin Skywalker to Harry Potter. I find it interesting how both had pretty crappy upbringings (though Anakin far worse) then both are basically hyped up by their respective teachers but too much is expected from them especially when they were so young. "You're the chosen one" vs "you're the boy who lived" a big difference to why Anakin had such an ego I argue is because yeah he didn't have any friends, the Jedi masters didn't trust him and turned him away. Harry had Ron and Hermione to put him in his place. If he didn't he probably would have turned out similar to how Anakin was in Ep2. A second Draco if you will
Yep. Anakin never really had a close friend like Harry did. From what I remember of the books his only friend he was somewhat close with was more so a rival in Ferris. He was an outsider and seen as strange and somehow the fact he was potentially The Chosen One got out which didn't help him in the slightest.
Except Harry had two close friends and two parent like figures to care about him. One was his best friend's mother Mrs Weasley and the other was Serious Black who his parents wanted to be his guardian if something happened to them.
I love this video and explanation. I have always felt this way but would have never been able to put it in such a concise way as yourself. I have always said, even as a kid, that I felt drawn to Anakin’s character more than any of the other Star Wars characters at the time (and honestly since) because he has so much more depth in his development than any other character in the franchise. Most Star Wars characters are very surface level imo (which is ok because you don’t need to do a deep dive on all of them for a great story) but he is the most compelling character to watch. His transformation and development always gets overshadowed by the bad things he did when he stepped into the dark side. It’s almost as if most people forget his entire back story up until those moments. Awesome video man, as usual 😁
This is most definitely one hell of a mind opener that makes pretty much perfect sense. His entire life has been nothing but one big, emotional, brutal and relentless mindrape. It HONESTLY makes sense!!! I must say I completely agree with your analysis
I’ll never get tired of hearing Anakin’s story , so tragic and heartbreaking
"Have you ever heard 'The Tragedy of Darth Vader'? It's not a story the Jedi would tell..."
@Blue-Gold_Crusader but isn't anakin and vader the same person 🤔
I will, why show everything you're not supposed to do, show the correct things to do, that can be applied to the real world, instead of making all the things us flawed humans do more "normal".
@@aaronatkinson177the dark side control people he broke through Darth Vader an died as Anakin
all them kids he killed
Anakin is unironically the best fictional character to me. It pains me to see that people have no empathetic understanding towards his situation or how he would feel given the circumstances
I mean Walter white is basically the same idea but with a lot more nuance
@@eanderson9599 except Walter has 5 seasons to develop, yet somehow has no real reason to support anyone but his son.
My man Ani have bpd (borderline personality disorder) and as a fellow person with borderline, I can comfortably say that Anakin Skywalker was the best representation for this condition that I ever seen, the volatile emotional state, the intensity of every emotion that he ever felt, the way he just jump into situations without thinking and the sense of loyalty of an erratic dog, that will love you with everything he have, but destroy you in the same capacity if he ever felted betrayed by someone that was he's friend, just perfect, really
Agree. Goat.
@@eanderson9599 I can see where you are coming, but I think the contrast in them lies in their corruption and their perception.
Walter was tempted by the devil to live a fulfilled life. He knew he would have to distance himself from his family and potentially would lose them, which is why he hid his schemes.
Anakin wanted to gain power to control everything around him and prevent those that he loved from getting killed. Because that is not something he can fix like with technology. He lost himself in that attempt. At that very moment where he could have turned and stayed with Padme, he only thought that she would have to understand that all he did was for her, but she didn’t see it that way. He felt betrayed by her when he saw Obi. Anakin had a screwed perception and is a victim of continues corruption and manipulation throughout his whole life, which led to his demise.
Imo, Anakin’s psychological portrayal and accuracy gaps. He has slightly more depth and complexity, while Walter has a bit better development tbh.
I think the most telling moment is when Obi Wan tells Qui Gon "the boy is dangerous, the council sees it why don't you?" Anakin was within earshot and his next line was "I don't want to be a problem Mr Qui Gon."
One helluva starter for a relationship. How long do you think it took Anakin to fully trust Obi-Wan and not have this line weigh in his mind? Years? Maybe he never really forgot Obi-Wan said this?
One more large reason why Qui-Gon's death was so horrific. The ONE person who fully trusted and believed in him was gone. Now he's surrounded by a master who is training him due to a promise made, and Jedi who fear him but are in awe of him.
The more you ponder, the greater the story gets.
@@solidsnx And the only father figure that seems to care about him is his worst enemy.
@TheGoodLuc Yeah... damn that's a good point. When Lucas called it "The tragedy of Darth Vader" he meant it. 😔
“Why do I sense we’ve picked up yet another pathetic life form”
Damn
Anakin Skywalker is the best written tragic villain in history, in my personal opinion. The tragic villain is such a compelling role because while everyone is a villain in someone's story, the tragic villain is their own antagonist. Falling or literally destroying themselves due to issues that they are unable to deal with or circumstances that are of their own making, almost always unintentionally or because they feel that they have no choice. It's just so poetically relatable.
You've never heard of Waylander. David Gemmell
Have You seen the video?? 😮💨 Anakin was not his own villain.
Besides You got it correct he is compeling and very likable because his humanity.
Macbeth. Michael corleone
The ice king from adventure time hits a very similar very dark self antagonist. i didnt realize how close his story was to anakins until watching fionna and cake. A guy who is willing to do anything to protect the ones he loves, who ends up loosing everything including himself in order to do so.
@@djkleb7645 seeing as he almost killed his wife and killed his best friend after falling to the darkside in order to protect those same people. Yea other people did messed up stuff to him, doesnt change the fact that he became self destructive because of it, thus being his own villain.
You were spot on. The Jedi were the architects of their own destruction. He was a good man who had lost and lost and lost and when he constantly asked for help he was denied. He was pushed to the point of absolute desperation and he let it all burn him down. In the end he found his purpose and through his son he found himself and became what he was destined to be, The Chosen One.
It's like the saying goes: "All it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy". Anakin had his bad day, and thus was reduced to the Dark Side.
@@tonydiego2566 absolutely. He was at his wits end and all throughout his tenure with the Jedi Order he was lied to and he was treated like an outcast. When he needed them most they were less than helpful and it pushed him over the edge.
More like he self destructed. Ignored the teachings of the Jedi (which is why they didn’t trust him) resulting in him murdering his wife and becoming a shell of hisself
@@angrymonkey78he ignored all their teachings. And that’s why he wasn’t trusted. These Jedi were crammed with 1 ideal their entire existence and it’s all they knew. U can’t expect them to give advice they don’t have
@@thejeromex790 This one clone trooper, this one right here is a jedi council member
Clone trooper: alright per order 66 you dead bro *shoots*
One doesn't have to agree with Anakin's poor decisions to understand why he made them. He had one hell of a story arc. Easily one of my favorites.
You understand why he murdered children?
@@darkwolf860AND THE WOMEN AND CHILDREN TOO
@@darkwolf860 Yes
@@darkwolf860 do you?
He was a whiny brat
Anakin is the reason Star Wars is as good as it is. Not only is he the most iconic villain as Darth Vader, but his tragic backstory that made him the most iconic villain is by far one of the most painful lives any fictional character has ever lived. No wonder why he turned to the Dark side.
He was the final chance the force gave the Jedi to change, they trampled on that, and they got what they deserved, then palpatine got what he deserved cause sith are just crazy. He really is the center of the story and what makes it great
if he was trained as a mandalorean jedi or grey jedi he would have been fine with that
He lived with his mom building droids in the living room and pod racers in the backyard with his friends. Such a hard life, so tragic.
@@jasongriffin1517He and his mom were treated as slaves.
@@jasongriffin1517imagine coming slavery easy life.
He was forced to make things for his master and enter death races made robots to sell so him and his mom could eat he was forced to learn multiple alien languages or be beat , no father born by the force to bring balance by getting rid of the jedi and sith. He was used from prior to birth by palp made fun of by everyone constantly and his mom was frial she didn't work so what kind of slave was she? Likely sexual slave
You know what I was always saddened by? During the fight with kenobi, there was a moment where the fighting stops and they talk again… kenobi calls palpating evil and Anakin says “from my point of view the Jedi are evil”
and then seeing kenobi not ask “what? Why? How could you believe that? Do you really believe palpatine is better than the Jedi? What about me? What about your wife who believed in you and defended the Jedi?”
Instead of trying to reason with him or have compassion, he shouts at him, “well then you are lost!”
What could have been….
Qui-Gon would have asked why. I think it’s interesting how in the phantom menace, Qui-Gon warns Obi-Wan not to center on his anxiety. That sounds exactly like what he was doing here. Instead of feeling the living force and realizing that Anakin was trying to open a dialogue, Obi was too focused on his anxiety over the larger picture and missed the blatant signal Anakin was sending.
Yoda writes him off too.
Luke is the only one who believes in him
Palpatine also manipulated Anakin by using the EXACT words that Mace uses earlier in the movie. When he tells Anakin that Dooku was "Too dangerous to be left alive". Palpatine could see the future and knew he could make Anakin see the Jedi and the Sith as the same.
I noticed this too for the first time when I watched ROTS last week. So powerful.
I never noticed that, good call
Whoa! Never noticed that.. these movies had so many hidden gems.. we still talk about them to this day… truly the mark of a great movie!!
yup and in both scenes Anakin says "its not the jedi way" further cementing that if the jedi are constantly going against the jedi code that there is no difference left between them and the Sith
Whooooa 🤯
I have been defending Anakin to other Star Wars fans and it's so good to hear someone else agreeing with me. I call it the tragedy of Anakin Skywalker. He was born a slave, and remained one his entire life. What a sad, lonely existence 😢
There are things worse than being a slave. At least slaves have value.
I agree.
@@Dr_Wrongnever thought about that but you are absolutely right. You can be seen and treated lower than the dirtiest animals.
@@TheLordsbattleaxe _"You can be seen and treated lower than the dirtiest animals."_
Yes, about 32% better than homeless.
@@Dr_Wrong Not sure why Jesus allows this when it seems that he does care.
The whole "we don't have to run away anymore" moment is one of the greatest and most underrated moments in Anakin's story. It is the turning point in his relationship with Padme, the point he essentially loses his wife, the person he turned his life around and fundamentally changed himself as a person for, only to realize she wants to have nothing to do with what he has become.
He lost himself in the process
How could he not know she wouldnt want a mass murder. I mean, girls sure can be picky.
@@harrambou9468 yet gains himself again at the end imagine he survived sidious’s death and padme survives the whole time and they reconnect and the universe is happy
@@kevinbeldenyet that didn’t happen
I think Anakin was kinda deluded to think that Padme would just go along with his plan, after hearing about what he did.
Force Heal. Anakin wasn't asking for a lot. He knew Force Heal existed. He knew that it was essential and basic to a Jedi Guardian's skill set, which was his determined class within the order. He wasn't being unreasonable in his demands. He needed something good enough to keep his mother alive until he could get her back to the Republic hospital on Coruscant. There she could be treated for her wounds and make a full recovery. He knew that at it's weakest, Force Heal could've at least done that. But the council wouldn't let him, a powerful and combat hardened guardian, learn even that
I thought that, by this point in history, it was actually taboo in the EU. The Dogmatism of the Jedi classing it as too much interference with the order if things.
Anakin Skywalker is a great character and Hayden Christensen and Sebastian Shaw played him well in both ROTS and ROTJ.
Even as a huge prequels fan, I don't like that George edited Shaw out, as Anakin's redemption was as the man, not the 20 something when he turned.
@@DarkInstinct05 if thats the case he should've been a scarred up burn victim with no legs or arms as a force spirit.
Nah hes a shit character that made narratively stupid decisions for a multitude of stupid reasons.
".... played him well in both ROTS and ROTJ."
But not in AOTC? lolz
Also, no love for Jake Lloyd?
Anakin: I have mental health issues
Council: I don’t trust him
lmaaoo yeah the Jedi had one answer and no real remorse for those struggling with their message of "feel nothing"
I mean. It's not totally wrong to withhold trust from somebody with mental health issues
@@PhantomPhaze Agreed. But there was never any hint of nuance shown in regards to the tutelage of an incredibly traumatized young man who was claimed to be the chosen one.
@@PhantomPhaze It is totally wrong to deny them the help they need and to further hold it against them after they've asked for it.
They could have just told Anakin to seek guidance elsewhere.
They instead decided to use their "feel nothing" rationale, which ultimately did them in.
Ironic that the one time they should've just observed, they instead interfered, as opposed to all the other times they just observed.
“Trust in your friends, and they’ll have reason to trust in you.” - opening moral of the episode Downfall of a Droid in season 1 of The Clone Wars. The Jedi really didn’t give Anakin much reason to trust in them, did they?
A thought kinda came to me after hearing Anakin’s story again: the sith code is something that appeals to characters like him. All about strength, power and individuality. Especially the last line “through victory my chains are broken, the force shall free me”. That last part encapsulates Anakin perfectly because that was all he ever wanted
Tbh the sith code is way better than the jedi code (for the most part) they embrace passion and love while the jedi reject it, they think of people as individuals while the jedi view people more like numbers and stats
Holy shit, you're right...
The irony beimg that the dark side is slavery
@@theoutsiderjess1869 its quite literally the opposite, using your anger, using your emotions and using your opponents emotions in no part are you enslaved by using the dark side
I don't think your In slaved to the dark side something like that doesn't fake you or play tricks on it's your self that drags you to hell you can use the dark side to save a planet but your self will tell you why should you not rule them your there saver there King and why should they be free you sacrifice every thing and that's the trap the dark side does not lie but you'll burn in your own self you can't escape that@@Anakin.Skywalker44
Anakin Skywalker, to me, is THE definition of a sympathetic villain. A literary embodiment of the phrase, “the road to hell was paved with good intentions.”
He fell to the dark-side not just because he had a tragic backstory, he was actively trying to do GOOD is what makes him so sympathetic! He fell to the darkness, doing HORRIBLE things, trying to save the love of his life! In fighting the war he lost friends, and wanted justice for them, and an end to the war.
His ambitions were always noble, even when his actions weren’t. That is, until the birth of Vader.
I love Anakin's character and Hayden Christensen's portrayal of him. I never had an issue with it. I also understood why he made the decisions he made, no matter how horrible they were.
Agreed
I did until he killed the younglings, that took it too far & for me put him beyond forgiveness.
hayden was great but they made him too whiny, anakin is supposed to be an absolute cocky gigachad with an edge that got angry occasionally like he is in the clone wars series. in the trilogy he’s a whiny boy a lot of the time & instead of getting angry he just cries
@@andrewoberg crying isn't bad and of course he's a bit whiny. He's not that old nor mature.
@@andrewoberghe's been emotionally stunted. He was raised as a slave and then saved only to become part of a cult. He didn't have enough time in life to learn how to deal with emotions in a healthy way
Just like Yoda said, "Fear is the path to the dark side … fear leads to anger … anger leads to hate … hate leads to suffering."
Yet they didn't realize their fear of what Anakin might become got them right exactly to where they didn't want to be.
From Fear to Hate and Anakin was the one who suffered through it all. His suffering was imposed on others.
Only a sith deals in absolutes, I will do what I must.
Jedi always being ironic XD
@@ty2d2-tnman so many people misinterpret that line
@@GrimViridian What do you mean?
@@GrimViridiancould you elaborate
@@GrimViridian ???
Literally have goosebumps listening to this. Those connections are so important. Really puts everything into perspective. Also the fact Obi left him to die. Didn’t even give his “brother” a merciful death.
Tbf obi wan is a Jedi it’s not his call to to off his old friend/ padawan since all obi wan knew is that there are few Jedis he didn’t know where Yoda went he didn’t know if there were other Jedis left he still had an honor code
@@thebluemorpho2962 isnt it their duty to destroy the Sith? I thought Obi wan simply couldnt bear it and turned his back on him. To see what he had become and his role in helping shape that and literally disfiguring his friend and pupil.
Yoda would've killed him, but he also knew Palpatine would've killed Obi-Wan.....
@@thebluemorpho2962
He had been disarmed - literally - so killing him was not the Jedi way. Still - I found it odd that Obiwan just left him there.
I felt obi wan never wanted to fight him. He was forced to by anakins actions and I believe he didn't have it in him to take his life, jedi code or not.
I think if Qui Gon would have kept living, maybe he could have helped him stay with the Light. We all need a support system.
Anakin would stay in the light thats why its called duels of the fates
Yes, definitely. Qui-Gon would have been way more understanding, not to mention that he was an experienced Jedi Master. I also believe how lessons about the Living Force would have also served Anakin well.
But ultimately, while he would have been the best Master, I also don't think he would have been the only one. Obi-Wan was far too inexperienced for a special case like Anakin. I believe Fay from the old comics would have also been great, and I think that maybe Yaddle and Depa Billaba (Disney Canon not the EU version) would have also worked for different reasons. Shaak Ti mothered the clones, so might have been an option, but in the EU where had two apprentices who died soon after knighthood lol. Then there is Plo Koon. Plo Koon may not have been the best choice either, but he would have been far better than Obi-Wan, and I do believe that Anakin would have been calmer in ever situation and more in tune with the Force, while Plo Koon could have been more recognizing of his Padawan's faults and try to course correct. There is also no way in hell that Palpatine, an outside influence, takes on mentor-like role with either Qui-Gon, Fay, Plo, or Yaddle.
As someone raised in an abusive family system I felt like I understood Anakin. I think only those raised in or experienced abuse can truly understand what the character Anakin went through and how he ended up evil. It's what often happens irl to abuse survivors who have no support system.
I think most people from an empathetic point of view, could also understand Anakin psychologically. Also, sorry that you had to grow up in an abusive family household.
Beautifully said, I feel the same way. Anakin killing Palpatine at the end of RotJ is so cathartic... I'm happy the prequels contextualized his redemption in that way.
Palpatine is the perfect depiction of someone who uses their superior intelligence to exploit others, and these kinds of people are the scariest to victims of abuse -- the common fear that someone you open up to will only be listening as part of a greater scheme to hurt you and serve themselves. It cuts deep, and I feel like the strength Anakin feels at the end of RotJ is something a lot of us wish we could have.
Edit: About his redemption also, I think it is beautiful how the prequels made it so Vader's experience as Anakin with Padme had even greater closure. Love made him do unspeakable things, but in the end it also made him save his son -- who is the perfect embodiment of who he wanted to be deep down himself.
@SpFlash1523 I understand what you mean. Empathy, especially for some people, can really allow you to almost fill the shoes of others. You can understand it, but you don't experience it. Just like you can watch Star Wars but not know what their day to day emotions and experiences are like. Just like you don't experience the day to day experience and entrapment that children in abusive households go through. Snips and clips of our experiences are shared, but it's similar to how only the important bits are shown in the movie. None the less, empathy is always appreciated. I like to think that empathy is one of the greatest weapons against the cycle of abuse.
Yes Couldnt of said it better
Cap
Honestly, the story of Anakin just shows that how important it is for a man or anyone in general to have a father figure in their life, guiding them through life
You got a dad issue you need a dad tissue
Especially to teach the YMM’s. Youngling Massacre Moves… they are normally taught by the father.
@@helpdeskjnp aka palp which was a male figure in his life he followed and looked up to
Or a mother figure many think Shaak ti should have been his master she was considered a comforting presence by the clones and had a real mother like affect and I agree if not her it’s between kit fisto or plo koon kit fisto was laid back and had a kind personality plo koon had a similar affect of Shaak ti he was strict when needed but was laid back and just that person u can really connect with and trust to always be there for u when u need help
Annakin was basically everyone's employee. Until Luke came along and showed him affection
Honestly Anakin is one of the best well developed Jedi in Star Wars you really can relate to his struggles balancing himself either the light or dark side of the force.
Speak for yourself
@@firstlast8258just delete ur comment bruh
@@xiplort no 🤓🖕
You can relate to a mass murdering child killer?
@@xiplort no 🤡🖕
When I was young I remember everyone saying Anakin was a crybaby. It made me feel like those people have never felt true trauma or tragedy.
Fact
In the original story leia actually learns to forgive anakin/vader after taking time to learn about his life she was very disturbed by his life eventually she forgave him maybe not entirely but she certainly understood how messed up he was from the start.
im curious where did you learn this I want to learn more about it bc we know Luke sort of forgave him but he didn’t know of his life but how you say leia forgives is interesting
@@dexiffygrif it's from one of the books I think truce of bakura or something like that may even be a series of those books I can't remember lol I need to reread some of those.
Its in one of leia's EU novels where anakin visits her as a force ghost to ask for forgiveness for what he's done to her and her family along with the whole galaxy but she didn't forgive him at that point so he left her forever cuz anakin had to leave to go in the cosmic realm of the force but overtime she forgave him after finding out a little journal about anakins childhood and his mother's sad cruel slavery life@@dexiffygrif
Legends is canon. Not Disney whatever the fuck is their so called canon
@@lapplandkun9273😂
Anakin is relatable to most men growing up coming from nothing trying to discover themselves sees how the world is really like (for anakin the whole galaxy) betrayed and pushed to madness but still has a small bit of kindness meant only for those who are deserving.
Darth vader was born from human error
So you would murder younglings?
Well said
I agree except not only human error but alien error as well
I think Obi wan really loved him.
But he didn’t have the tools / experience to manage à young intrepid guy such as Anakin.
He was just a guy who try is best to teach and train anakin.
I think only an open minded (not too severe or strict on dogmatism) jedi such as Qui Gon or Plo Koon could have potentially do a better job to train and love Anakin.
Agreed. And the corruption of the dark side will cause you to even attack those you love or love you.
Obi wan was a cult leader . He literally sacrificed everyone for the sake of order and manipulated everyone for order's sake . Never feel sorry for him and never will .
@@yagzguven8099what are you talking about? Anakin is the one who sacrificed everyone including a whole jedi order and Republic for a woman that he tried to kill later
Anakin deserves far less sympathy
Yes he even says as much in ROTJ.
Questionable. Obi-Wan used Anakin as a coping mechanism for the death of Qui-Gon by treating him "like a brother", but at the end of the day he was perfectly willing to leave him to die in Tatooine and was content to lie to Luke about his downfall like it wasn't partially his fault.
My uncle used to say that the Jedi misinterpreted the prophecy: Anakin is the Chosen One who will “bring balance to the force”, what they didn’t realize is that the light side of the force had way more force users than the dark side, creating an imbalance, thousands of Jedi and only two sith at a time, Anakin inadvertently lived up to the prophecy by destroying the Jedi order and reducing the Jedi to only 2 force users: Obi-Wan and Yoda to match the numbers of the sith: Palpatine and himself. After all there can be no good without evil and I’d say the Jedi being portrayed as cold, emotionless, and almost fascist and cult-like is indicative that they were never supposed to be that large of an organization, almost as if they over-saturated the use of the force and stretched it thin, which would also explain why the sith are portrayed as far more powerful than your average Jedi
I agree with this interpretation.
The Jedi were also not just unwilling to learn anything related to the dark side, but completely closed off knowledge of it from their own order and became too stuck in the light.
I get that but afterwards there are still a bunch of sith and Jedi left. Ahsoka, maul, that librarian lady (until Vader kills her) but there were still a bunch of Jedi and sith even afterwards, maybe it does balance naturally though, I’d rather believe in what you’re saying cause it sounds pretty awesome.
This is what a lot of the viewers don’t get about Anakin. Thanks you for fully explaining. There’s so much more to his character and he wasn’t just some power-hungry person.
No, he had excuses for his power hunger.
And George Lucas explains that even when Anakin did turn to the Dark Side and became Darth Vader. There is always this part of him asking "What am I doing". That was the part that Luke eventually reached in Return of the Jedi to redeem him.
I remember when I watched the movies as a young teen, I already felt sorry for Anakin, for how lonely and left-alone he must be feeling. I always had a feeling like the Jedi did so wrong on him, like they always complained about him being possibly turning to the dark side, while pushing him into that direction more and more. That was heartbreaking and frustrating to watch and pissed me off a lot. Like "oh I don't want him to cry, but give him even more reasons instead of reaching out at him and try to help"... whilst trying to be knights in a silver armour for the rest of the galaxy. I would have felt betrayed by all of them too.
It's easy to judge another's actions. Anyone can judge another.
But it takes real love, kindness, and understanding... It takes real honor, honesty, and care to learn and look into the perspective of another.
I remember in the clone wars novels it describes him wanting to help a scientist who was force to make a bio weapon. Obi Wan seemed almost annoyed as if it was a chore to help escape, but Anakin was described as this compassionate man who remembered the pains of slavery and servitude and pushed Obi Wan to save her.
Anakin was done wrong and while he did murder the Jedi and the younglings; the Jedi council, Mace Windu, and ultimately Palpatine who played a very large role in all of this, we’re equally responsible for guiding down this path. He snapped, after all he did for them and received nothing in return.
Save one, his son, who showed him the genuine love he so desperately needed and brought him back to the light.
This vid adds a whole depth to when Anakin screams to Obi wan "you will not take her from me" on the Mustafar fight intro.
Straight up. Obi Wan was the evil one in Anikans eyes at that very moment.
Remember Qui-Gon understood the importance of attachments. So Anakin would feel willingly to ask him for advice, and he would've been able to aid Anakin in grappling with the loss of his mother Shmi. Stepping up to the role of nurturing him as a father figure, hence why the death of Qui-Gon turned out to be a pivotal moment in the entire prequel trilogy. Changing the fate of the galaxy, along with Anakin losing his mother proving to be the catalyst
exactly and that why palp sent maul to go and get rid of him, qui-gon was on another level with the force, he followed the force itself rather than following every order the counsel would put on them regarding the force
A lot of psychologist have diagnosed Darth Vader with borderline personality disorder. One of the best ways to treat this disorder is with someone who knows how to empathize with the individual's situation and can assist this person in being redirected to take responsibility in their lives and to have acceptance. Honestly what Anakin needed was a therapist who knew how to empathize. There are only 2 people who I think fulfilled this role in the Star Wars universe: Quin Gon and Luke. Even Padme didn't really truly empathize with him, she kind of made it worse by looking past some of his known issues. She might have been able to help Anakin if she would have got him help after he slaughtered the Tusken Raiders. And Palpatine did what any groomer does to people that have a lot trauma: he manipulated them to do his bidding to the point where Anakin is essentially his slave.
how people like you turned the word "grooming" into the opposite of what it used to mean
@@funstuff7674-✡️
I don’t believe for a second that bpd is real but I agree that everything he needed was for someone to actually listen to him
@@GiacomoVaccariit’s a clinical term
@@GiacomoVaccari Please do elaborate on why you think BPD is not real... BPD belongs to the cluster B of personality disorders, and it is one of the most researched mental health issues in history.... So if you do not believe in it because of your intuitions, well better start questioning your intuitions. But if you have good reasons, please do share them.
I think Anakin is the most relatable character for the audience. The wrestling of allegiance to work vs family, to self vs others, it’s hard man.
Anakin was a slave his entire life, even in the Jedi order and especially to the dark side. Once he saved Palpatine, he knew that there was nothing holding him back anymore, and the thought of finally being free with Padme and having the life he always wanted overwhelmed him. It’s so relatable to real life, when you have all this built in frustration, being told to get over it, unable to just let it out and express yourself, you are doomed to snap eventually. And the poetic part is that this happens so much in the real world where we as humans make mistakes in our lives that we regret, but eventually are able to redeem ourselves and be forgiven. Our past does not define us, it is who we are today that does. Thanks for sharing this awesome video, the psychology of Anakin Skywalker truly is fascinating.
Anakin's whole development and the fall to the dark side are of course understandable and logically explainable. Everything Anakin had to experience, a person can't take without scars in the psyche. Yoda had the wisdom to recognize from the start that Anakin could be dangerous one day and was therefore initially against his training as a Jedi. However, Palpatine could certainly have forged his grand plan without Anakin, so at the end it was good that precisely Anakin was the one he choose as his apprentice. Because Anakin's redemption is what at the end made him the chosen one. After all that happened to him, he still saved the tiny piece of the good and selfless child from Tatooine that at the end saved the galaxy.
I like how you said his redemption makes him the chosen one, not many people accept him as the chosen one just because he ended the order
@@dexiffygrif
Right exactly.
The whole point of it is that it his destiny achieved at that moment in time. He destroyed the Sith, simply put, and he was the good version of himself by his own choice at the end and opposite to his Vader life, to put it more lengthy
Do you remember the super badass Genndy Tartovsky Ckone Wars depiction of General Grievous? George decanonized him specifically because if Grievous were that competent, Sidious wouldn't need Anakin. This implies that Sidious did need Anakin to achieve his goals.
VERY good analysis imo.
@@misterscorpius1446Completely irrelevant, competent Grievous was canon to all the Multimedia Project and both Anakin and Vader were superior in every facet to him (Vader did falter a lot in the early days of the Empire, but RotJ Vader could go toe-to-toe with Yoda and win).
My man Ani have bpd (borderline personality disorder) and as a fellow person with borderline, I can comfortably say that Anakin Skywalker was the best representation for this condition that I ever seen, the volatile emotional state, the intensity of every emotion that he ever felt, the way he just jump into situations without thinking and the sense of loyalty of an erratic dog, that will love you with everything he have, but destroy you in the same capacity if he ever felted betrayed by someone that was he's friend, just perfect, really
Hope you can get your condition taken care of.
@@SpFlash1523 Thanks man, it's really alot more easy to deal after you discover the condition and how it affects you (specially at the emotional part)
No he’s Autistic. I already posted a comment as to why.
@@SpFlash1523hope is not a plan
@@DiasOctaviojust be careful of bad influences. If you have a politician friend be weary of him. Especially if he tells you about "tragedies" and saving your wife.
Hey Theory! Since you asked for comments, and i honestly kinda wanted to post this anyway: Thanks for the genuinely new prospective on this entire story. I've always sympathized with Anakin/Vader, in spite of his crimes, but your explanations here feom your kwn viewpoint gave me pause multiple times, because you pointed out many things I'd never noticed before. Thanks a ton, man!
I’ve always had a clear cut understanding of Anakins path. Its perfect and is one of the most relatable and well written characters to be immersed in. It’s like poetry it rhymes, and it saddens me to know how these movies were originally perceived and misunderstood.
We still talk about these movies till this day. Its amazing! The reason I didn’t watch them when they came out was because of all the hate they got. I didn’t want to ruin something I loved so much so I never watched them. Years later I caught them on tv and DVR’ed them lol well I was surprised I loved the first movie after hearing such bad things about it.. the second movie I loved even more!! And the 3rd movie blew me away!!! A week later I rewatched it! Lol I remember when I lost 2 of the closest members of my family back to back inside of 2 years.. I lost my satellite service provider but I kept the dvr.. well I watched all of the clone wars many times over and over… they really helped me threw some dark dark times…..
@@stillamitchinmybook6320 I think this is one of the best and honest takes from a fan. Star Wars has helped me as well through many dark times. That’s something that’s so special about it. To hear that you originally didn’t go to see the movies when they came out goes to show how harsh the media was about them back then. Only to be entirely wrong just like you found out. All three prequels are fantastic.
The Clone Wars show did a lot of heavy lifting and changed how people viewed Anakin. The pieces were all there in the movies, but there's only so much you can flesh out in three movies, and a lot of people couldn't get over the corny writing (like Anakin's sand monologue). The Clone Wars was able to not only flesh out his character, but also show us more flaws in the Jedi council.
One of the things I love most about Anakin as a character is that he was held up as The Chosen One, a trope we all know, yet the outcome was flipped and surprised and disappointed everyone in the best way
His redemption is another trope, but it hits so much harder after you've seen the prequels about his origin.
Wdym
So true
Anakin is the greatest character in cinematic history. Hayden played him perfectly, no one else could have.
Terrible character. Goes from a Mary sue to whiny simp then gullible child killer.
The anger, the mental exhaustion, the outbursts, Hayden played a character struggling with his trauma and he played him perfectly. Of course Anakin would be emotional after everything he lost, after his upbringing, after being forced into a war.
I always loved his approach. Like someone processing emotions he knows he isn’t supposed to be having and not being equipped properly to manage any of it as a result of his upbringing.
Ew. Hayden's acting was so bad that it took me right out of the movie--even at the ripe age of 12. I couldn't stand him then, and I can't stand him now. The fake expressions on his face were very telling that he didn't believe his role, and his speech cadence was 100% aligned with James T. Kirk. It was boring and uneventful acting. His vocal skills were so bad that I have not stopped making fun of Hayden since he was in Star Wars.
@@FuckingChrisKupinawell 90% of the Fandom thinks he did great.
As someone with ptsd and bpd, ive always just felt bad for anakin because no one would help him, wtf was he supposed to do. I feel like his story just outlines how important mental health treatment is
I’ve never felt closer to the best villain ever, nor have I ever felt so empathetic with why I might have done everything he did beat for beat. The heart, the human, the connections matter.
When Windu was attempting to assassinate the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic without trial, the Jedi really HAD taken over.
The Jedi also were the ones hellbent on the erradication of the Sith. It maybe would have been a bad rep for some that he was up to some sithy stuff, but some would have just viewed him to be one of the jedi with red sabers. There is no outright rule that you are not allowed to be a Sith. It were just the nemesis to the Jedi. Which again puts one more layer ontop of that onion. I know someone will disagree, but being force sensetive and drawing out of anger instead of peace didn't just make you a kill on sight. Palpi could have just been open about it, with the obvious drawbacks through the jedi he just spared himself in lying. The Jedi holding as much power as they did and all.
😐
@@Lemmogthat’s a really poor analogy and breakdown of the jedi vs the sith
@@Concerned_Citizen I only spoke in concern to palpetine being on the senate. Which mostly the Jedi had a problem with. Some members of the council will have not had any clue what a Sithlord even was. And that outright assassination was not as morally sound as people claim it to be. Point a finger at what is poorly said from my end, instead of shitting on it without saying why.
Wait but didn't he go to palpys office with the council and ask him to surrender first? You know before he killed all of them but mace in a few seconds lol
Anakin had one goal, not allowing another love one to die no matter what he ended up becoming as long as they could live. Anger, anxiety, mistrust, lies, misfortune, ego all accumulated into the persona we knew as Darth Vader. It’s one of the most tragic and epic stories and seeing his personas shift in Asoka between the light and dark side comes full circle as he truly became the master he always wanted to become. Also this video was amazing at explaining the why.
Man really well done. It also goes to show that no one really showed up for him showed him love. Even tho palpatine was a father figure it wasn’t for anakin it was for selfish motives. That’s why the arc of Luke is so beautiful cause Luke was the only one that showed love to anakin even in his darkest time. He didn’t right him off. By Luke showing up for his father anakin was able to show up for him self and good prevailed, love prevailed. If we feel like we have people in our lives that right us off , find you’re Luke in life and let light prevail. Letting you see that you can show up for yourself. It truly is a very poetic powerful story that more people need to dive into. Keep up the good work man love you’re breakdowns and theorie.
I got into Star Ward as a kid, there was a re showing of RotJ at my local cinema when I was about 6, but a the time it was "ooo, flashy swords" "ooo, space, so many aliens" etc.
After growing up, into my teens and going through stuff (like we all do in some respect), seeing the prequel trilogy again, I've had the same thoughts about Anakins "destiny" and mental health.
Unfortunately, poor Jake Lloyd kinda paralleled all this too. Being a kid thrust into a world that is ruthless. Sweet and innocent but then with all the bullying, criticism and pressure, went to the "dark side".
I really hope hes doing better. He had some serious issues, and they really messed him up before he was old enough for his legitimate contributions to be properly appreciated.
I think he did a great job too and its an absolute tragedy that not only did he not get the credit he deserved, but it all went soo hard for him.
Like I said, I really do hope hes doing better
It wasn’t the fan reception that made Jake Lloyd's health decline.
I could never imagine someone else acting Anakin Skywalker other then Hayden. Glad he finally got his flowers
Agreed. Out of the many people who were considered, none of them seem even half as well-suited for the role as Hayden. Hayden was THE man for that role. Leonardo DiCaprio?? I mean, he’s a great actor and all, but I just can’t possibly imagine him being Anakin. I like Leonardo, but I think that he would have been an absolutely awful pick to play Anakin.
I love the revenge of the sith novel and how it really explores Palpatines manipulation of Anakin. Even though Anakin has trust issues with the Jedi he still wants to believe in them but they let him down at every turn and Palpatine is always there for him. He even makes him question if the sith are actually as bad as the Jedi force these young children to believe. Even I'm questioning the Jedi while I'm reading it 😂
Truly is a masterpiece of Star Wars writing. It adds a whole new context to the movie and it made me realize that Anakin didn’t exactly become Vader, it was always in him deep down. Legends will always be better than Canon.
The Jedi are child abusers.
Honestly, the jedi were evil. No wonder dooku left and qui gon thought they were corrupt as hell
@@lapplandkun9273they were. they denied anakin the rank of master but sure as hell made him top general in the clone wars💀💀💀
The only thing the Jedi Council ever did wrong on Ankain was to ignore their code on training Anakin and to let themselves get blackmailed by Qui Gon on accepting him anyway.
They were right to not promote him to the rank of master, because, despite him being a great military leader, he lacked many of the qualities and virtues of a Jedi. He shouldn't have been knighted this young in the first place for these exact same reasons. Power in the Force alone doesn't make you a good Jedi, despite Anakin being mad about putting some effort into developing his character for once.
They were proven right with order 66, where it showed how low his resilience was.
Also how do people blame the Jedi on Anakin's issue with his visions on Padme, when he wasn't even a tiny bit honest about his situation and continued his lie and his facade when asking for help? What exactly did he expect there? Ask vague questions, get vague advice. How were they supposed to help him when he continued to lie in their faces? How dare he get angry at Windu not trusting him when he continues to live a double life?
I think you nailed this.
At this point in star wars history the Jedi are followers of the bureaucratic path of following the force more than actual followers of the force. They think only their way is the correct way. This mindset blinded them from things that were happening right under their noses and the Sith took advantage of that.
If the Force is life, then it is also love. To divorce yourself from loved ones would be at odds with the essence of the force, witch is what the Jedi taught. Also it is self destructive.
If force sensitive people tend to come from other force sensitive people, you would think they would want to pass those traits long to your offspring. By denying those sorts of natural attachments to other Jedi, you are forever self limiting the growth of the number of Jedi.
Anakin is a victim of circumstance, but like you said that's not an excuse
Anakin is like a disaster. Disasters are several things falling in like. Adjust one and you advert disaster. Everyone failed to do this.
You are only a victim if you let yourself be a victim. Anakin, in the mid-written prequels, chose that victimhood. "Save my mommy" said the thirty year old brat.
@FuckingChrisKupina the only family had. No brat just a guy that needed therapy thay the jedi could not provide
@@FuckingChrisKupina 30? Anakin was 19 in attack of the clones. Imagine being that old, your mother you haven't seen in 10 years, you're having constant nightmares about her dying, nobody around you is validating your concerns. Then you sneak off, only to find she'd been suffering, and that if you had gotten there any faster she may have lived. And then she dies in your arms.
As they say in AA, the drunk/addict/sinner finds ways to blame everyone else but himself.
This is less of a video essay and more of how I talk to myself when im alone thinking about this stuff, and I LOVE IT!! keep it up! You've inspired me to try this out
I think up until a certain point it wasnt his fault. But he was responsible for everything after betraying windu. He had a wife with kids on the way and unlimited potential in the force. There was no need to do all that.
Agreed
He did all that, because he needed to obey Sidious in order to have a chance to gain the knowledge to save Padme from dying. As far as he knew that path (in his vision), although the timeline was unknown....was a path that was absolute...unless he helped Sidious in learning the secret to saving her. Anakin literally felt there was no other path available to him.
I think we can understand why Anakin does what he does but that doesn’t mean we should defend him or agree with him. His own fate was a result of his own poor choices and selfishness.
I’d actually say he should first be blamed for Dooku’s death. It was the right thing to do to spare him. Not only you don’t kill unarmed prisoners as a Jedi, but Dooku was the key to Palpatine’s whole downfall. He knew all his secrets and after realizing he was just used like a tool that’ll be replaced for a better one, he definitely would’ve talked at that point. But since Anakin killed him over the arm, all that valuable information is gone and the end of the Jedi has begun.
@@mriforgiate Yeah but he was dumb for not realizing his actions would lead to him losing his wife anyways. No way would she agree with him killing the Jedi or innocent children.
I’m late to the party here but this is something that I’ve thought a lot about. Great video, one thing that’s really important that you didn’t cover is the Jedi contradiction. Anakin killed Dooku and immediately felt regret because he broke the Jedi code. He doesn’t always agree with it but he wants to be a Jedi and a good person. Fast forward to palpatine and mace windu. Mace windu has been his staunchest critic because he thinks that he doesn’t follow the Jedi code as he should. Anakin says to mace that it’s against the Jedi code. Mace says he’s too dangerous to be left alive. That’s exactly what palpatine said to him when he hesitated to kill dooku. At that point he sees how hypocritical they are and they have no claim to any moral high ground. It’s about power for them. If the Jedi code’s greatest champion is willing to break it because his power is threatened then it proves palpatine’s point that the Jedi aren’t selfless and immune to the lust for power.
I feel like this video should have been titled ‘Why Anakin did what he did’ because you do a great job of explaining his mindset, and making us sympathize with his situation, but that doesn’t mean that he “did no wrong.” He absolutely did wrong, a lot of wrong. Just because the Jedi were oppressive and uncaring doesn’t justify the horrific deeds he committed.
Exactly. There is always a choice to be made. While we can examine the why behind Anakin's choices, he still had clear choices to make. He knew right from wrong. He addresses his own wrong decisions at times, such as when he tells Padme about the Sandpeople, or he immediately realizes that killing Dooku was not the right thing to do, or when he admits to Padme that something is wrong and how he wants more power. Anakin, despite his circumstances, still knew right from wrong. He was just weak when it came to having enough self control to say no and instead make the right decision.
Every single one of us can relate to the simple fact that doing the right thing is a lot harder than doing the wrong thing. Even in Christianity, the very nature of sin is a corruption of flesh which makes us easily drawn to bad decisions because it is quicker, self-beneficial, accumulating wealth or power by sacrificing morals, more pleasure, etc. Is this not the exact same thing as what Star Wars gives us in the form of the light side and dark side of the force? We have the power to overcome our circumstances, either present or past, and choose to be a better person. Anakin has that choice too.
There is really no other excuse than to say that Anakin was weak and gave in to what was easier, knowing full well the consequences that would eventually set in. It is no different in real life. We know that bad decisions will ultimately make things worse, but we do not care because, in the moment, the immediate benefit is so much more satisfactory.
Dude Anakin dick-riders will go to the lengths of the Earth and back again before they admit Anakin was in the wrong. Good luck getting them to say he wasn’t justified slaughtering people because he didn’t feel appreciated, and get ready to hear some of the most ass-backwards reasonings ever.
Kind of a good metaphor for Theory’s mindset. Because I have a reason to believe X, I have done no wrong and am “right”.
@@HeavenEternal what a useless comment
@@HeavenEternal As is your right.
Something a lot of people who haven’t read the books don’t know but it’s heavily misrepresented or just left out completely in the movie is anakins mental exhaustion.
In the period where anakins at the jedi temple and obi wan is away fighting Grevious there’s an chapter through anakins perspective. He think about how little he’s sleeping cause of his nightmares and just how clouded his mind and judgment is.
Forget everything else, the prophecy, the slave life, his mom, his wife.
Anakin is tool of destruction in a galactic wide war that he probably has ended up killing and losing 10s of thousands people around him. Combine that with the fact he hasn’t got decent sleep in weeks? Would anyone be surprised if a U.S. marine snapped one day and killed one of mentors when they appeared to be threatening the life of his friend?
Now add in all the trauma and outside stressors.
Well written. As a psychology student, my first thought was, how is Anakin functioning? There are some tests on sleeplessness/insomnia. The results are quite traumatic.
@@AnyaGanguleeSame here. I was a Chaplain while in the Navy, and we act more as psychiatrists than preachers sometimes. Sleep deprivation is a morale KILLER… so it’s not difficult for me to understand Anakin’s mental breakdown and descent into darkness. He had absolutely no support whatsoever from the people that should have been, and the only two people who were offering support of any kind were Padme, his wife who doesn’t see the full picture because she lives outside his sociopolitical arena, and Palpatine, who was the architect of Anakin’s downfall from the beginning and was never interested in actually helping him.
@FuzzehBear101
The Books are NOT Cannon!
Movies should stand on their own!
@@GaryTongue-to3pw actually the books are canon UNLESS they directly contradict the movies. (ANH originally was written that Ben (obi) and Owen were brothers. That part of a new hope would not be canon. But there’s nothing in the movie to suggest anakin wasn’t under extreme mental anguish. So my comment stands.
This is why you’re the best Star Wars TH-camr (not that others are bad at all). There are some great ones, but to able to understand the story as well as you do, and to relay that to the audience….
Takes a special kind of passion. This is one of the best videos IMO, and it comes off of not only such passion and dedication to this subject, but just the love of Star Wars itself. Bravo
I've seen this sort of thing firsthand, and I feel that George's story is so underrated and underappreciated as a whole. The story of the human condition and how wrong someone's life can go. Anakin spend his entire life as a slave in so many aspects in his life. He is such a relatable character in so many ways, from an innocent boy in a terrible position finding joy in the simple things people take granted for to having to be in the worst places and situations imaginable. Anyone who has had a hard life can appreciate Anakin's tragic story. Thank you for your breakdowns and the work you do.
Bro cooked the entire video. This is exactly how i think and feel about anakin. What he went through only few can exactly grasp or conceptualize what being in that type of pain could actually do to someone after being done repeatedly all in such extreme circumstances. He never really got to grieve what he deserved too. My heart breaks for him every time😢all he needed was someone to confide in and support him in his best interest. I wonder how things would’ve been like if qui gon was there 💔. Thank you for making this video i really resonated the whole time
ironically, Anakin didn't need Qui Gon, the Jedi Order/Council could've showed him a tiny bit of compassion and it would've really turned Anakin over to become one of the greatest Jedis ever.
Perfect explanation! Well done! I completely understand Anakin. I understood him and symphatized with him before . Anakin deserved love. He had mental problems and needed help He needed a hug,father figure. But he returned to the light. Luke's love and compassion brought him back. Do more of this videos. Bravo! Have a fantastic day too😀May the Force be with you too,always😊
I watched the two trilogies around two years ago and I had such a soft spot for Anakin and enjoyed the prequels for what they did to show his fall in such a heartwrenching way.
I think that aspect is what ends up helping some overlook the glaring issues that the prequels had. Palpatine's slow, methodical plan to corrupt Anakin is helped by the great acting such as the opera scene.
You are without a doubt the best Star Wars channel there is. You are the best and I appreciate all the work you put into your videos.
Anakin/Vader is, and will always be a tragically beautiful character.
Though if they were different characters like they were originally, there wouldn’t be such a tragedy yet each of them would still be beautiful!
How beautiful is it that such nuance exists that we can still discuss this today.
Anakin's journey is a beautiful parralel to human kind, the balance of both light and dark. I like the flow of your story telling!
absolutely makes anakins character arc into vader make sense now. good work. everything was there but i never put it together before.
Well done video Theory. I've been a fan of Star Wars my entire life, I think I was around 10 years old when I first saw A New Hope. I wasn't much of a fan on the prequels initially, I thought Hayden Christensen was a little too whiny. It wasn't until years later that I realized how tortured his soul actually was, how much loss he suffered. He is the definition of a tragic figure. Watching your videos over the years helped me to cement those views. To me Star Wars is the best story to be told, it is one of love, heroes and villains, political corruption and most of all redemption. George Lucas created a masterpiece based off many themes found in classic literature. I think future generations will look back on Star Wars, the same way we look at The Iliad and The Odyssey among the other classics.
I’ve been continuously surprised and impressed at the depth that the prequels contain inside them.
Magnificent analysis my man, I appreciate you as a figure in the Star Wars community, hope you realize how much you’ve contributed over the years 💪
This makes perfect sense. I always felt that he had a point when discussing things with Obi-Wan. Had they talked things over it could've gone differently.
Not sure Obi really wanted to tbh...
@@SeptemberManHey Nah Obi admits his mistake was thinking Anakin was already too far gone.
@@kylegardner6272 exactly my point
There is one key point about Windu and taking Sidious to the courts that you did not include: He felt guilty about Dooku and that he did not choose the right thing. That was part of his decision as well, the moral obligation to keep Sidious alive to stand trial, just as much as it was to save Padme.
It’s pretty interesting how the dark and light side is basically emotion vs logic.
And the story of Palpatine and Anakin is a great way to show that empathy can be weaponized.
Logic can be weaponized too
@@ricardoh87 you’re right and that’s kinda why Anakin abandoned logic
This made a ton of sense and fleshed out a lot of Anakin's character for me. I'd love to see a part two looking at the rest of Anakin's life as darth vader through this lense. It honestly never made perfect sense to me why he kept staying on the dark side after padme died, so a part two explaining that in detail would be cool
a video about that would be interesting, i always felt it was because he really didn't have any other option. not only was Padme dead but the jedi were also gone now, partially thanks to his own doing, and after his injuries he could no longer overthrow the emperor so he didn't have anything left but to serve Sidious. there is probably more to it than that but i think it plays a part as to why he remained attached to the dark side.
He destroyed his life and the order and lost his wife and what he believed was his unborn child. That breeds dark side. Then you’ve got uncle palps who laid you to rest in an outdated vulnerable suit and he basically became a slave again.
In short, he spent the majority of that 20 years hunting down Jedi and researching the Darkside in his castle on Mustafar.
He never gave up trying to find the power to bring Padme back.
Pain and regret. He didn't willfully stay in the dark side. He was lost in it.
@@cameronochocki634I did see a video about a year back that went over the comics about darth vader specifically that started literally right after the last scene of movie.
Great vid, I’d have to find it. But he was just suffering and had sooooo much hate, hated obi wan, he blamed it all on him, all he could think about was killing obi wan. And he hated himself, he loved her, everyone he loved he hated, killing for the Sith Lord was his only way of letting out his anger and pain. He actually actually at first blamed the Sith Lord but realized that he couldn’t beat him. Sith Lord made his suit specifically to limit his powers as much as possible but still more powerful than any Jedi.
He became a slave again ironically.
Again going off memory, find that video!! It was really good
Great video Theory. Loved this format! My view is that the reason Luke was able to "turn" Anakin was that Luke was the only person in his life that didn't want to use him for their own purposes. He was always just a tool - as a slave, as the Chosen one, as the one to bring "balance" to the Force, as a weapon in their political games - Anakin was always being used. Luke treated him as a person, and asked for nothing in return for his acceptance and love of his father.
I never saw episodes two and three. Casual OT fan who didn’t care for episode one. This is the first time I’ve actually heard the chronological summary of Anakin‘s progression to the dark side. He certainly seems like a more sympathetic character now and that is probably the best villain origin story I have ever heard. my respect for George Lucas as a storyteller has just increased.
Thank you very much! 🙏
I freaking love these essay long form style videos! please keep making these :)
Anakin's story is so sad and tragic, how he held onto being good for as long as he did is astonishing
It's also amazing how Ahsoka never went down the dark side as well
Very well made; I love how you are able to show it from the point of view that Anakin sees it
Beautifully told, SWT. His story is tragic, heartbreaking, and so powerful. Thank you for this, and please don't stop sharing these stories.💜
This was a good deep dive into Anakin as a character and the rationale for what happens to him throughout the saga. Very good discussion and food for thought.
Star Wars genuinely changed my outlook on so much, I’ve gotten back into it recently and I think it’s bc I can relate to some characters emotions and feelings in a way, Anakin did wrong but what he did always made sense to me his mind became consumed from the fear of losing which can happen to all of us. The message at the end rlly hit home. There’s always time to become good and I sort of forgot that idea and lesson from Star Wars the past couple of weeks. This video helped me re realize that again and that’s why I think Star Wars is genuinely much much more then a movie series and it’s truly beautiful the story
So well said. I’ve felt this since Episode 1. He’s a tortured soul. He’s the most imperfect character. He’s both good and evil and it’s all from your point of view. George saying through Obiwan saying “from a certain point of view” basically sums up all of Star Wars.
As a kid Darth Vader was the most feared supervillain in the entire universe for all time. So we automatically knew this boy would become that villain. But we never stopped to give that boy a fair view of his own tragic life story. Great video!
Actually crazy how deep and well put together the prequels actually are when you look at them again. Great analysis.
Seriously. There are infinite little nuances to find with every new viewing of pondering of them, especially when it comes to Anakin’s character. Add in The Clone Wars series and this becomes even more true.
This is a fantastic video, so many people make fun of Anakin, not realizing the darkness that would fester in them if they went through the pain Anakin had gone through.
Prowse, JEJ, Shaw, & Christensen were incredible at bringing this tragic character to life. George knows how to tell a timeless story. Disney just knows how to retell a timeless story and make it less watchable
Also George Lucas gave us characters to love, enjoy, and defend.
@@abby2404 *characters
And Matt Lanter.
Considering how many other Jedi turned to the Dark Side so easily in comparison, I believe, is a testament to Anakin's true strength. Something the people he needed most failed into see. He fought the darkness within him for as long as he possibly could...the fact he held out as long as he did, in the situation he was in, should never be overlooked
The biggest thing that people either overlook or dont no about is actually the time period of ROTS. Let me explain.
-In the novilization it states that the Battle of Corescant and destruction of the Jedi Temple take place within a time span of just 3 days.
-Furthermore it states that during these 3 days, Anakin is so afraid to sleep because of the constant nightmare so he just doesnt (and I dont know about you but I personally start going loopy after about 2 days of no sleep).
-All the while hes up every night sneaking into the restricted section trying to do research (which is alo why hes so furious at not being made a master b/c only masters have access to the naterial he was looking for).
-Then all of a sudden in "lowest" moment when hes basically lost all hope here comes this man promising the solution to every single one of his problems. A man that is simultaneously playing on Anakins guilt over feeling as though he didnt do enough to save his mother (Obviously palps knows because of the conversation they had on Grevious's ship "Invisible Hand")
-And again Palpetine was a mentor to Anakin for the duration of the clone wars.
-Bro has had bo sleep, he is being pulled in a thousand different directions all at once yet is expected to act like a good little soldier and do as he's told when thats never been his strongsuit.
Yes Anakin did a "bad thing" but it wasnt coming from a place of hate but instead from a place of deperation and only fully turns once he believes he killed Padme, the only thing that kept him going. Like Lucas said, Anakin is a broken and defeated man and thats what makes his downfall all that more tragic.
Yeah. People fail to realize the no sleep force visions stuff... Besides, arguably his loyalty to the Republic is just as important if not moreso than his loyalty to the order(Arguably all jedi should be more loyal to the republic than to the order)
And it isnt like hes just having bad dreams. He was haunted about his mom, AND IT HAPPENED... Its not just like hes having a spooky nightmare. Hes having premonitions, that historically have always been accurate, reliving his wife dying in child birth over and over again(Something that also makes him feel like he has to figure out how to save her before she gives birth)
All while all the stuff thats been going on with the battle of Coruscant and everything else. Fighting fights, needing to stay mindful in the moment, being pushed by the jedi and the republic to end the war. All with no sleep. Then they deny him master.
This is after everything else, and granted this wasnt at the time of the movie canon, but the stuff with Ahsoka.
The symbolism of the tension...
They make him a warrior. They tell him to trust and respect and follow the Republic(And Palpatine by extension.... They did start the movie rescuing him.... genius moves by Sidious as well to maintain control and keep everyone unbalanced)
The way that when Sidious told him to kill Doku "its not the jedi way" but then Mace(The leader of the order) says THE EXACT SAME THING to justify killing Sidious .... "Hes too dangerous to be left alive!"
The jedi betraying their own standards, expecting him to obey in spite of their blatant and even treasonous hypocrisy...
And Palpatine offering to save Padme from dying....
All while the clock is ticking.
She was almost ready to give birth, the time he saw her dying...
People really fail to appreciate it all. Imo
He should have realized though that the path he was choosing was what was leading there. But in my head cannon, I say Sidious was aggravating his dreams/visions.
As silly as it is, I suspect that if he was rested and hadnt been having traumatic visions hed probably have made less reflexive reactions(Something Sidious set up, and was counting on. Not just for him, but for everyone)
@@tandava-089Thank You! Ive been saying this for years. Yes Anakin commied horible crimes as Vader, but they werent out of hate or greed. One thing that always bothered me tho is, are visions normal within the Jedi Order? Obi-Wan didnt treat it like a big deal so it makes you think this is something that happens from time to time so if so why didnt nobody give Anakin the tools or even certain meditations to fully umderstand what he was seeing? If not then I feel like that shouldve been something that alerts the council. Like the strongest force user in thr galaxy atp is seeing visions of the future and nobody bats an eye?!
@@jonnystorm3127 I think it was rare and only the most naturally gifted and/or trained masters ever did/could get force visions, and much like the prophecy of The Chosen One, Jedi rarely interpreted such things as set in stone. That prophecy came from a force vision, if I understand correctly.
Also you can in some ways train yourself to be able to, as per things like Sidious in context to Luke being able to defeat him 'he has foreseen it'
For all these reasons though, neither Anakin nor the council were really equipped to deal with any of it. Much of the council who was either afraid of Anakin, or outright jealous would have ATLEAST used him admitting he had a wife as an excuse to try and banish him from the order, not to mention the scandal it would cause for Padme in context to her political career(Im sure it would help in some ways but hurt in others, and surely make her political coalition and the jedi collectively look very suspect, something Im sure Palpatine could have used. Him being from the same planet as her gives him lots of play and options as well)
The jedi didnt treat any of it as as seriously as they should. But they did try. They did what they could. They had many shortcomings, and all of those shortcomings came back to bite them.
But.... yeah.... Anakin should probably have atleast mentioned visions in general atleast(and who knows, maybe he did offscreen to Obi, or some jedi librarian or whatever)
And the council should have taken everything about a suspect of being the chosen one much more seriously in context to their responsibilities😛
@@jonnystorm3127he literally killef the jedi because he thought they were traitors💀
Tf you talking about. Regardless, him doing it at all nakes his character irredemable
@@willisstillhere8846 Which in that moment the Jedi WERE committing treason already by having him spy on Palaptine who is the supreme leader of the Republic at that time and by Mace trying to actively kill Palpatine without the Republics knowledge of what was happening. I dont think the Republic even knew that another person let alone another Sith Lord was behind the Clone Wars cause to the average person all they saw was Dooku as the face of The Seperatists movement. IMO in Anakins mind the Jedi and Palpatine were one in the same and it was about to him whats the option that helps me the most which while misled was Sidious at that moment.
Overall, this a deep, rich storyline that one can take and learn so much from. Hayden did an amazing job portraying him as George directed him to, and I love how The Clone Wars further developed his Character. I also did enjoy the portrayal of Anakin in the Ahsoka series as a force ghost. I would actually be interested if they found a way to properly explore Anakin more from a force ghost perspective, in a way that makes sense. I know Hayden stated he would love more projects to be able to work on as Anakin/Vader.
this is it.
u put what i, and a bunch of ppl, felt bout Anakin into words.
he was just a pawn and sponge of everything and everyone around him.
the best character arc ever and such a great video showcasing and explaining it, thank u smh
Off topic from your video, but I think it’s worth mentioning. It’s individuals like yourself and the (probably) millions of SW fans out there that highlight how terrible Disney has handled this franchise. The amount of depth the lore SW has is unrivaled. Thank you for continuing to keep SW legends alive brother. Your content is amazing keep up the amazing work!
I'd love to see more of these with Obi-Wan, Luke or Qui-Gon. Hell, even Palpatine would be interesting for a deep dive.
This is the best summation of the arc of Anakin in the prequels I've heard.
I've seen the movies many times, but you were able to succinctly verbalize and connect all the pieces that were there for me, that I failed to assemble. I do blame the writing to a degree, because it shouldn't take 18 years and the story of a fan to ginally get through to me, but it did l.
All those nuggets were there but I never made the connections on my own. I love the prequels, but I wish they were as competently laid out as well as you were able to do it.
So thanks for that, truly! If you did more, I would love deep doves on Obi Wan, Qui Gon, Darth Maul, Count Dooku, Mace Windu, and even Luke. I'm sure I'd learn something
Not to mention that they pushed his padawan/little sister away.
I love to compare Anakin Skywalker to Harry Potter. I find it interesting how both had pretty crappy upbringings (though Anakin far worse) then both are basically hyped up by their respective teachers but too much is expected from them especially when they were so young. "You're the chosen one" vs "you're the boy who lived" a big difference to why Anakin had such an ego I argue is because yeah he didn't have any friends, the Jedi masters didn't trust him and turned him away. Harry had Ron and Hermione to put him in his place. If he didn't he probably would have turned out similar to how Anakin was in Ep2. A second Draco if you will
Yep. Anakin never really had a close friend like Harry did. From what I remember of the books his only friend he was somewhat close with was more so a rival in Ferris. He was an outsider and seen as strange and somehow the fact he was potentially The Chosen One got out which didn't help him in the slightest.
Except Harry had two close friends and two parent like figures to care about him. One was his best friend's mother Mrs Weasley and the other was Serious Black who his parents wanted to be his guardian if something happened to them.
This guy’s passion is so infectious
I love this video and explanation. I have always felt this way but would have never been able to put it in such a concise way as yourself. I have always said, even as a kid, that I felt drawn to Anakin’s character more than any of the other Star Wars characters at the time (and honestly since) because he has so much more depth in his development than any other character in the franchise. Most Star Wars characters are very surface level imo (which is ok because you don’t need to do a deep dive on all of them for a great story) but he is the most compelling character to watch. His transformation and development always gets overshadowed by the bad things he did when he stepped into the dark side. It’s almost as if most people forget his entire back story up until those moments. Awesome video man, as usual 😁
The Clone Wars made a huge impact on the story too.
It’s so satisfying to hear someone else get into this level of detail - feels like I’m chatting on one on with a friend 🖤
This is most definitely one hell of a mind opener that makes pretty much perfect sense. His entire life has been nothing but one big, emotional, brutal and relentless mindrape. It HONESTLY makes sense!!! I must say I completely agree with your analysis