There’s a scene in Assault of the Clones that exhibits early how conflicted the prophesied one is. Throughout a scene the place Anakin is alone with Padme, as they put together to depart for Naboo, the padawan is contemplating his grasp Obi-Wan: “[he’s] as sensible as Grasp Yoda and as highly effective as Grasp Windu,” he says, whereas Drive levitating a stone. However in a short time he veers off and rants about his mentor, about how he’s holding him again. It’s this mix of tenderness and pridefulness that’s simply so Anakin.
Hayden Christensen’s efficiency as Anakin was derided on the time: thought-about considerably picket and unskilled, and watching it immediately it will probably appear his face by no means fairly matches together with his eyes. Certainly, our personal Star Wars movies, ranked information has the three prequels down on the backside. But, with the lengthy years which have handed, retrospect has modified issues and transmuted opinion. As a result of, my goodness, does Anakin Skywalker have emotions. He has so many feelings. An actor much less picket might’ve chewed the surroundings attempting to emote that a lot.
It was nice to see Christensen again within the function within the Disney Plus collection Obi-Wan Kenobi. Whereas some followers discovered it too gradual and plodding to start with, I loved the feel, the time to be alone with McGregor’s dour face, and the gloomy ambiance. I too felt the self-imposed loneliness, the stoicism barely overlaying the guilt and the grief. However it was the ending that was actually spectacular. Most of all, one picture from the collection has stayed with me, haunting my thoughts like a Sith thoughts trick. It happens within the finale.
After Obi-Wan has began to dwell much less on the previous and stay extra within the current, due to the sprightly younger Leia, and begun to forged apart his guilt, his powers return; nay, he even seems to develop stronger. On the showdown together with his former padawan within the Obi-Wan Kenobi finale, he is ready to defeat the highly effective Skywalker, not solely together with his larger canniness, however together with his Drive strengths. Darth Vader’s masks is damaged and we will see inside, peering at a face and listening to a voice that’s nonetheless undeniably Anakin but corrupted into Vader.
“You didn’t kill Anakin Skywalker… I did,” he says, chillingly. Christensen delivers the road with a crazed glint in his eye, and a twisted smile. Reward too should go to Ewan McGregor, for the depth of this scene, as he apologizes to Anakin, earlier than realizing how far gone his former apprentice actually is, after he utters that line.
Anakin Skywalker is Star Wars’ foundational character: the protagonist/antagonist whose character arc dictates the large, booming story beats of the saga. But this nice villain hasn’t been explored correctly by successive scripts.
Within the unique trilogy, he’s a “Large Unhealthy” whereas his former self is alluded to, as we uncover he’s Luke’s father. Within the prequel trilogy, we have been promised the background to Darth Vader, with Lucas wanting to indicate how he was as soon as simply an harmless child, whereas plotting his descent into the Darkish Aspect. However there’s a disconnect. After he’s christened Darth Vader by Sheev Palpatine, Anakin commits actually horrible deeds. But we’re knowledgeable that “there may be nonetheless good in him”. Padme believes it, earlier than she dies, and within the story that is what we, the viewers, are led to imagine, that he nonetheless possesses goodness.
And but, within the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, we see how evil Darth Vader actually is, as he murders villagers, and simply how corrupted Anakin has turn into. It’s laborious to see the nice in Vader. Anakin is gone, Darth Vader is what stays. However in Return of the Jedi, he has what appears a sudden change of coronary heart and decides to overthrow Palpatine on the final minute. We’ve been instructed there may be goodness within him and this act confirms it. However this isn’t sufficient, fairly frankly. It’s a bit too simple. It’s an act that wants increasing, past Padme’s final phrases in Return of the Sith.
Star Wars might examine additional the buried goodness in Vader. The battle inside him. The dramatic potential stays. Maybe we might skip ahead in time, with one other collection, and see some character improvement, some trace the Gentle Aspect is deep inside, quite than simply being instructed this. The duality of Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vade is emblematic of the duality of the Star Wars universe, with the beliefs of Gentle and Darkish, Jedi and Sith.
Anakin traverses these two binary sides and ultimately involves (considerably) redeem himself. He’s the daddy of Luke and Leia, however he’s the one who saves the day, helped by Luke, as his conscience lastly catches up with him. The entire franchise seems to have forgotten that this layered character, evil but with a glimmer of fine, is its savior. It’s even considerably disturbing, to overthink it, however this creation is what underpins the saga.
One plot level does nevertheless maintain the important thing to Anakin’s evil deeds and eventual redemption. It happens in Assault of the Clones (maybe this film too must be reevaluated) when he decides to depart Naboo and travels to Tatooine for his mom, Shmi. There he finds that she has been taken by Tusken raiders. He locates her however simply as he saves her she dies in his arms. Watch it once more: it’s a devastating dying. This lonely, tender, delicate boy wanted her. Grief can have an effect on individuals badly and his satisfaction can not let go of the helplessness he felt in stopping her dying. For Anakin, it’s the triggering occasion in his life. His journey to the Darkish Aspect begins there.
Skipping ahead a few years, to the timeline of the unique trilogy, and Darth Vader is evil incarnate. We watch him oversee the destruction of total worlds. However when he learns that he’s not the one Skywalker on this planet, that he’s not alone, one thing begins to floor in him. Later, as he watches Luke being zapped with Drive Lightning by Emperor Palpatine, maybe a picture of his mom flashes earlier than him. Perhaps he remembers that younger Anakin attempting to save lots of his liked one, his household, whilst he needed to watch her die. Earlier than his eyes one other member of his household, his son, is dying. He has an opportunity to save lots of Luke Skywalker and Anakin remembers himself.
All this emotional and ethical depth isn’t explored sufficient in Star Wars, however in Obi-Wan Kenobi we bought a fevered glimpse of this, over the collection, and particularly in the course of the finale as we see the Darkish all however extinguish the Gentle. Anakin Skywalker casts a big shadow over this franchise, however it feels prefer it has but to completely develop his character. Darth Vader nonetheless looms above, bigger than life.
If you wish to observe Anakin’s journey via then our information to the Star Wars movies in order will assist you out. As to the place you possibly can watch them, it is Disney+ for every thing Star Wars nowadays.
