Anakin Skywalker
Template:SW Character Anakin Skywalker (41 BBY – 4 ABY) is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe. One of the main protagonists of the Star Wars story, Anakin was a Jedi Padawan trained by Obi-Wan Kenobi and later a Jedi Knight in the prequel trilogy, and served as the primary hero of those films. He is the father of Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa. Template:Spoiler
History
Childhood and discovery
Anakin first appears as a kind, selfless nine-year-old boy (played by Jake Lloyd). He and his mother are slaves in the service of Watto, a curmudgeonly Toydarian junk dealer. A child prodigy, Anakin excels at engineering. Even at this young age, he can build or repair most things, evidenced by the creation of his own protocol droid, C-3PO, and podracer, each from salvaged parts. He is also a remarkable pilot with quick reflexes.
Anakin is found on Tatooine by Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, who is convinced that he is the Chosen One foretold by the Jedi prophecy to bring balance to the Force. Qui-Gon attributes Anakin's piloting talent to the Force, which he thinks allows Anakin "to see things before they happen." Anakin forms a strong bond with Queen Padmé Amidala, whom Qui-Gon and his padawan apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi, are guarding.
After winning Anakin's freedom, Qui-Gon brings the boy to Coruscant and requests that the Jedi Council allow him to train Anakin. This request is denied, as the Council thinks that Anakin's future is clouded by the fear and anger he exhibits because of his days as a slave and his separation from his mother. Ultimately, Anakin helps to win the final battle against the Trade Federation in the Battle of Naboo. A dying Qui-Gon, slain in a fearsome duel with Darth Maul, urges Obi-Wan to train Anakin, and the Council reluctantly approves. Palpatine, the newly-elected Republic's Supreme Chancellor, befriends the boy, promising to "watch his career with great interest".
Training as a Jedi
Anakin's progression as a Jedi is chronicled in some of the novels from the Star Wars Expanded Universe. In them Anakin progressed quickly as a Jedi under Obi-Wan's tutelage, though fast became an annoyance to the Jedi Council, the foremost being Mace Windu. He entered dangerous sports, and frequently got Obi-Wan into trouble. His first mission was to Zonama Sekot, where the famous living ships were made. He received his own ship, Jabitha, and on the planet he first tapped into the dark side, killing a Blood Carver. After a Trade Federation battle fleet attack on the planet, led by Death Star designer Tarkin and TIE fighter creator Raith Sienar, Anakin's ship was destroyed.
A few years later, on a mission to Ilum, Anakin built his first lightsaber. He and Obi-Wan returned to the Republic, and were given a mission to stop the pirate Krayn. Anakin was captured by Krayn's lieutenant Zora, while Obi-Wan escaped. It was later revealed that Zora was a Jedi on an undercover mission, Siri Tachi, Obi-Wan's first love and former apprentice to Adi Gallia. After a slave revolt on the moon of Nar Shaddaa, Anakin killed Krayn, who he had long been angry with, as he had frightened his mother.
Over the years, Anakin and Obi-Wan fought against Sith cult leader Granta Omega and scientist Jenna Zan Arbor. During a mission to Mawan, the Jedi master Yaddle was killed protecting the planet's people, and Anakin blamed himself. Anakin's last mission before the outbreak of the Clone Wars was to Ansion, a small world, that, if it left the Republic, could start a chain reaction of secession. Travelling with fellow Jedi Luminara Unduli and Barriss Offee, the four Jedi managed to prevent Ansion's leaving. In the 10 years since the Battle of Naboo, Anakin had become a very powerful Jedi learner.[citation needed]
Attack of the Clones
Ten years after gaining his freedom, Anakin, played by Hayden Christensen, is now a young adult and Obi-Wan's apprentice. Because his natural abilities place him far above his peers, he has developed into an arrogant and socially awkward loner during his years of Jedi training. His relationship with his master is complicated; although he says Obi-Wan is like a father to him, he believes his teacher is holding him back and chafes against Kenobi's authority. Frustrated, Anakin turns to another teacher for advice: Palpatine, who feeds the young Padawan's fragile ego with assurances that he will one day be the greatest Jedi in the galaxy.
Anakin is assigned to guard Padmé, who is now a senator of her home planet, Naboo. His childhood fascination with her has now become a powerful infatuation, and the two ultimately fall in love, despite her many reservations that their paths in life - she a senator and he a Jedi - are too different for them to ever live together. In conversation, he reveals his affection for her, as well as his distrust of the political process and the need he perceives for there to be one strong leader.
While guarding Padmé, Anakin senses that his mother is in danger. Upon returning to Tatooine he learns his mother was kidnapped one month earlier by local Tusken Raiders. He finds his mother in a camp of Tusken Raiders, but arrives too late and she dies in his arms. Seized by a blind rage, he slaughters the entire tribe, even the women and children. Yoda and the deceased Qui-Gon feel Anakin's Force presence turn "dark" and fear that this marks the beginning of the end for Obi-Wan's young apprentice. Padmé is clearly troubled by what he has done, but, being in love with him, she is not truly repulsed, and instead tries to soothe him with sympathy.
Anakin and Padmé learn that Obi-Wan has been taken hostage by the Geonosian-engineered droid forces of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, a faction of star systems that want to secede from the Republic. They rush to his rescue — where they are also captured. Faced with their impending demise in a gladiatorial arena, they profess their love to one another. Escaping the fray with the help of a cadre of Jedi and the clone army, Anakin engages Separatist leader and fallen Jedi Count Dooku in a lightsaber battle, but is easily defeated by the older, more experienced warrior, who severs his lower right arm. He is fitted with a cybernetic replacement and then marries Padmé in a secret ceremony, with C-3PO and his counterpart, R2-D2, as witnesses.
Transformation into Vader
Anakin is later known as Darth Vader, a Sith name he earned after he fell to the dark side of the Force in Episode III. Lured by the Sith Lord Darth Sidious/Palpatine, Anakin became his apprentice under this new name. In Episodes IV and V, Anakin (as Vader) appears to be the central and iconic villain. However, his redemption at the saga's conclusion in Episode VI reveals Anakin to truly be a tragic hero, manipulated by the true villain, Palpatine.
After having gone off to fight in the Clone Wars, Anakin and Obi-Wan return to Coruscant and board the Separatist flagship The Invisible Hand on a mission to rescue Palpatine from Count Dooku. In the ensuing battle, Dooku uses the dark side to choke and then fling Obi-Wan aside, forcing Anakin to face the Sith Lord alone. Following a short duel, Anakin catches Dooku off-guard and neatly sears off both of the Sith Lord's hands. Palpatine then commands Anakin to behead the shocked Count. Anakin gives in to his anger and complies, but instantly regrets it, as killing a defenseless prisoner is not the Jedi way. Palpatine, however, reassures Anakin that Dooku "was too dangerous to be kept alive". After rescuing the Chancellor, Anakin finds that the flagship is in critical condition, and, with some help from Obi-Wan, barely manages to land it safely on an airstrip.
Back on Coruscant, Padmé tells him she is pregnant.Anakin then has horrible nightmares that Padmé might die in childbirth. He is consumed with emotions of fear and anger. Palpatine, still a close friend and mentor, makes Anakin his representative on the Jedi Council. The suspicious Council accepts Anakin, but denies him the rank of Jedi Master, and orders him to spy on Palpatine. Angered by the perceived snub and instructions to commit treason, Anakin loses all faith in the Council. Ultimately, the Chancellor offers him the chance to learn the dark side of the Force, which he claims holds the power to prevent death. Anakin realizes that Palpatine is the Sith Lord Darth Sidious that the Council had been hunting for since the beginning of the war, and reports Palpatine's secret to Jedi Master Mace Windu. As Windu goes to confront Palpatine, Anakin broods over an inescapable thought: without Palpatine, he will lose the chance to save his wife.
Anakin arrives to find Windu holding his lightsaber on a disarmed and seemingly helpless Palpatine. Windu declares the Dark Lord under arrest, but Palpatine defiantly unleashes a torrent of Force lightning at Windu. The Jedi Master deflects the lightning with his lightsaber, scarring and deforming Palpatine's face into a mask of wizened, wrinkled skin. The attack continues unabated until Palpatine suddenly tires, giving Windu a chance to strike a deathblow. Palpatine cowers, begging Anakin to save him. Anakin pleads with Windu to spare Palpatine's life; Windu refuses, saying that Palpatine is too dangerous to be kept alive. Windu then strikes at the Sith Lord, but Anakin intervenes, cutting off Windu's sword hand. As Windu screams in agony, Palpatine springs to life and hurls another torrent of lightning at the Jedi Master, electrocuting him and throwing him out the window to his death. Anakin then submits to the dark side and is renamed Darth Vader.
Vader's first task as a Sith Lord is to assault the Jedi Temple and to kill everyone inside. He does this without question, slaughtering venerable Jedi and children alike. He is then sent to Mustafar to assassinate the Separatist leaders. After completing this task, he is met by Padmé, who pleads with him to flee Palpatine's grasp with her. He refuses, saying that the two of them can overthrow Palpatine and rule the galaxy together. Obi-Wan, who had hidden himself on Padmé's ship, suddenly emerges and confronts Vader. Suspecting betrayal and consumed by the hateful energies of the dark side, Vader uses the Force to choke Padmé, leaving her unconscious on the landing platform. The former partners and friends engage in a ferocious lightsaber duel throughout the mining complex. Eventually, Obi-Wan jumps onto solid ground, gaining the advantage, and pleads with Vader to surrender. Vader ignores him and tries to engage his former Master with a Force jump. Obi-Wan severs Vader's remaining limbs in midair, leaving him to die on the hot sands. As Vader tries to drag himself up the bank and away from the lava river, he suffers nearly fatal burns and extensive lung and throat damage from inhaling the superheated air. Miraculously, Vader manages to crawl up the bank away from the lava river and lingers on until rescued by Palpatine, who sensed Vader's impending defeat.
Although Vader was a formidable villian with his armor during the last earlier episodes, if he had not been dismembered by Obi-Wan on Mustafar he wouldve grown twice as powerful as Palpatine. However because of the dismemberment he only had 80% of Palpatine's power. Do to his armor he cannot manuever as well and he has lost much of his force potency and agility. Without his armor Lord Vader would've becdome more powerful then palpatine himself and according to lucas would've most likely destroyed Luke without hesitation due to the fact of more darkside falling due to Anakin overthrowing Palpatine.
Redemption
In the final installment of the series but the third to be produced, Vader is charged with overseeing the completion of the second Death Star, with Moff Jerjerrod as his immediate subordinate. He meets with Palpatine onboard the half-constructed station to plan Luke's turn to the dark side.
By this time, Luke has nearly completed his Jedi training, and has learned from a dying Yoda and Obi-wan that Vader is indeed his father and that Leia is his sister. On a mission to the forest moon of Endor, he surrenders to Imperial troops and is brought to Vader. Aboard the Death Star, Luke resists the Emperor's appeals to his anger and fear for his friends, but snaps when Vader telepathically probes his mind, learns of Leia's existence, and threatens to turn her instead. Enraged, Luke nearly kills Vader, severing his father's right mechanical hand. He controls his anger at the last minute, however, as he looks at Vader's cybernetic hand and then at his own; he realizes that he is perilously close to suffering his father's fate.
As the Emperor approaches, encouraging Luke to finish Vader and take his place, Luke throws down his lightsaber, refusing to perform the killing blow. Seeing that the young Jedi is a lost cause, the Emperor attacks Luke with Force lightning. Luke writhes in agony under the Emperor's torture, begging his father for help. Unable to bear the sight of his son in pain, Anakin breaks through Vader's mind, and turns on his master and throws him into a deep shaft, where he explodes in a fury of dark energies. However, Vader is mortally wounded in the process by the Emperor's lightning. By destroying both the Emperor and himself, he becomes Anakin Skywalker once again, and fulfills the prophecy and brings the Force into balance.
Moments from death, Anakin begs his son to take off his breath-mask so he could look at Luke "with his own eyes". Luke complies and for the first time, father and son look into each other's eyes. Freed from the mask that had caged his head for half his life, Anakin is a sad, withered man in his mid-forties, his skin ghostly pale from not having seen natural light for more than two decades. The ravages of time, injury and the dark side have prematurely aged him, and he appears many decades older than he truly is. Through sunken and teary eyes, he looks up at his son and back at a lifetime of regret. In his dying breaths, Anakin Skywalker is redeemed, finally admitting to Luke that the good within him was not destroyed after all. Luke escapes with his father's body as the Death Star explodes, destroyed by the Rebel Alliance.
That night, Luke burns his father's Sith armor in the manner of a Jedi's funeral. During the victory celebration on the forest moon of Endor, Luke is able to see the redeemed spirit of Anakin Skywalker, standing once again with Obi-Wan and Yoda.
Anakin in the Expanded Universe
In the animated series Star Wars: Clone Wars, Anakin Skywalker goes through many battles in the war, earning him the moniker "The Hero With No Fear." One of such major events in it is his battle with Asajj Ventress on Yavin IV, during which he acquires a vertical scar on his left temple. He is later made a full-fledged Jedi Knight. During a mission to save the Nelvaanian Braves, Anakin goes through a cave that reveals what would become of him in the future. Despite Anakin's periods of separation from his wife, the twins Luke and Leia are conceived during the Clone Wars. The New Droid Army, a video game made for Game Boy Advance, also details some of Anakin's adventures during the war.
In Greg Bear's novel Star Wars: Rogue Planet, Anakin Skywalker, aged 12, is sent with Obi-Wan Kenobi on a mission to Zenoma Sekot. The inhabitants of the planet are famous for making the fastest ships in the galaxy — and ones that have lives of their own. The Yuuzhan Vong are mentioned in this novel also, though not by name.
In Kathy Tyers's novel The Truce at Bakura (set in the immediate aftermath of the Battle of Endor), Anakin's spirit visits Leia to beg for her forgiveness. She rejects him and struggles with her feelings for him for many years afterward. She eventually travels to Tatooine, meets Anakin's childhood friends, Kitster and Wald, and finds her grandmother Shmi's diary. After learning her family's full history, she finally forgives him. She names her third child Anakin in honor of her father's redemption.
Virgin Conception
While it is known that Anakin's mother was Shmi Skywalker, she mentioned to Qui Gon Jinn that there was no father. This makes a reference to the virgin conception of Christ, which reassures Qui Gon of Anakin's "Chosen One" status.
However, in a very subtle, tongue-in-cheek scene in Revenge of the Sith, as Palpatine is seducing Anakin to the Dark Side, he tells the story of the Sith Lord Darth Plagueis. He mentions that Darth Plagueis became so powerful that he could manipulate midi-chlorians to create life. He then mentions that Darth Plagueis taught his apprentice everything he knew, then his apprentice killed him in his sleep. As he is telling the story with a smug grin, it's heavily implied that he was Plagueis' apprentice.
This also implies that Palpatine learned to create life with the Force. This leads to the controversial speculation that Anakin may have been created by Palpatine, as Anakin was apparently born without a father. Many people refuse to accept this, and no one knows what's right and wrong.
This raises many disturbing questions regarding the relationship between Palpatine, Anakin, and Luke.
Notes and references
See also
External links
- Anakin Skywalker at the Star Wars Databank
- Anakin Skywalker on Wookieepedia, a Star Wars wiki