Star Wars has every thing sci-fi nerds love: superior area battles, a plethora of unique alien species, and naturally, an order of highly effective area warriors: the Jedi. The enduring saga tells the traditional hero story all through its three trilogies, every specializing in a special character whereas following a single bloodline: the Skywalkers.
Character arcs and redemption are essential for any story to maneuver ahead and carry which means past only a sequence of occasions. However an arc that begins from innocence and provides that character the choice of fine or evil is way extra complicated, and performs an particularly outstanding function within the Star Wars saga.
Maybe essentially the most the necessary — and arguably essentially the most developed — character arc within the franchise is that of Anakin Skywalker. He is one of many few characters that the movie sequence follows from his childhood to his heroic dying a few years later. His story is actually the idea of most every thing that occurs within the Star Wars storyline. This is the way it all performs out, from starting to finish.
Who Is Anakin Skywalker?
Anakin was born on the desert planet Tatooine the place he and his mom, Shmi, had been offered into slavery. He was born to no father, having been conceived via the Power. As a child, he was useful with know-how, together with autos and droids (having constructed C3PO himself) and he had a singular expertise for flying and podracing. The Power had all the time been immensely sturdy with him, a lot in order that Jedi Grasp Qui-Gon Jinn believed him to the Jedi prophecy’s chosen one and satisfied Shmi to permit him to be educated as such.
As Anakin grew older, he educated as a padawan below the management of Jedi Grasp Obi-Wan Kenobi. The 2 had been each fierce fighters with a lightsaber, however could not be extra totally different of their approaches to the issues they confronted. Anakin was impulsive and sometimes took it upon himself to finish any given job, whereas Obi-Wan was rather more affected person and all the time thought out his subsequent transfer. Collectively, although, they had been unstoppable, they usually each turned Republic generals accountable for the Clone military.
As Anakin grew stronger with the pressure and have become a extra highly effective Jedi warrior, he was additionally in love with the younger queen of Naboo, Padme Amidala. At first, his emotions had been unrequited, however Padme ultimately fell simply as exhausting for Anakin. However as a Jedi, emotional attachments had been forbidden due to how straightforward they may result in the Darkish Facet of the Power. So, Anakin and Padme’s relationship was stored secret, even after they married and later came upon they had been pregnant with twins.
How Did Anakin Skywalker Turn into Darth Vader?
Getting older, and thru extra expertise, Anakin was beginning to suppose for himself extra. He was curious concerning the prospects of the Power, even attempting to know the Darkish Facet higher. Anakin ultimately discovered companionship with Chancellor Sheev Palpatine, who made him query the Jedi Order and their morals, particularly when it got here to their sturdy stance on nonviolence and peace-keeping. The Chancellor had sturdy energy within the Republic, and appointed Anakin — with out the Jedi’s approval — as a member of the Jedi Council.
Issues solely acquired worse when the Jedi Council determined to not award Anakin the rank of Grasp, due to his younger age. This enraged Anakin, emotions that Palpatine acknowledged. Obi-Wan tried to guarantee his padawan that after he was sufficiently old, and extra mature, he would earn the Jedi Grasp rank. However Anakin’s impatience and mistrust within the Jedi acquired the higher of him.
These emotions had been solely amplified by Anakin’s visions of Padme dying. He had had comparable visions of his mom’s dying which had turned out to come back true. His concern of dropping Padme blinded him, and Palpatine took benefit of that, telling him that the mysterious methods of the Darkish Facet may save his spouse from dying.
Palpatine, quickly thereafter, revealed he was really the Sith Lord referred to as Darth Sidious, and bringing Anakin, the chosen one, to the Darkish Facet was all the time part of his plan. Anakin determined that to save lots of Padme, he must study the methods of the Darkish Facet. He turned the apprentice of Sidious, at which period the Sith Lord gave him a brand new title: Darth Vader. The 2 executed Order 66, Sidious’ evil plan to wipe out the Jedi with the assistance of Anakin and the Clones, whom Sidious had full management over.
In an try to cease Anakin’s transition to the Darkish Facet, Oi-Wan fought him on the planet Mustafar and bested him in lightsaber fight, however he didn’t kill him. Anakin’s physique — which was with out legs and severely burned — was discovered by Sidious, who had him operated on to save lots of his life. In the meantime, Padme was dying whereas giving delivery to their youngsters, Luke and Leia Skywalker. As Anakin wakened within the black go well with that was constructed to maintain him alive, Padme died. With out her to dwell for, Anakin devoted his life to serving the Galactic Empire because the evil Darth Vader.
What Occurs to Anakin Skywalker?
After Padme’s dying, the Empire slowly, however successfully, got here to dominate the galaxy via sheer energy and concern. However as years glided by, Anakin’s youngsters discovered themselves preventing for the Revolt in opposition to the Empire. Luke discovered the methods of the Jedi, whereas Leia served because the fearless chief for the Rebels.
After preventing and dropping to Vader, Luke finally ends up turning into the strongest Jedi the galaxy has seen in years, because of the teachings from the sensible Jedi Grasp Yoda. Initially conflicted about preventing his father once more so as to take down the Empire, he quickly acknowledges that he’s the one one who can convey an finish to their reign. Luke decides to confront his father as soon as extra, having way more superior abilities and understanding of the Power than he did for his or her first encounter.
This time, Luke bests Vader in lightsaber fight and is about to strike him down. However Luke sees that if he kills Vader, he will probably be doing precisely what Sidious desires, and his hatred will lead him to the Darkish Facet himself. Luke makes the troublesome determination to spare Vader in hope that he’ll come again to the Gentle Facet. Displeased, Sidious assaults Luke with Power lightning. As Luke is dying, he calls out to his father to assist. Vader, already injured from the lightsaber battle, contemplates for a second earlier than grabbing Sidious and throwing him to his obvious dying, saving Luke’s life.
Sidious’ Power lightning mortally wounded Vader, and he died in Luke’s arms. However within the moments earlier than his dying, Vader returned to being Anakin. He realized the immortality that he had desired for Padme had lived on via their youngsters. They fought for a similar issues Padme did: galactic peace and equality. Anakin was an harmless youngster with an enormous duty because the chosen one when he was launched to the Power. He was proven the chances, and limitations, of each the Gentle and Darkish Sides. Anakin’s arc all through the Star Wars saga was like a curler coaster, hovering above all expectations earlier than sinking terribly low. Ultimately, he fulfilled his obligation because the chosen one and introduced stability again to the Power.
