Star Wars- Was Anakin's Turn To The Dark Side Convincing?

Hello there, as Obi-Wan would say. In this episode’s analysis we shall be looking at arguably the most tragic character in science fiction- Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. A little introduction to the character himself first: Anakin Skywalker was born into slavery on the desert planet Tatooine. At the young age of 9 he journeyed with Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi to train to become a Jedi on the planet Coruscant. Deemed too old and too unstable with his emotions, the Jedi Council initially denied the training of Anakin. Qui-Gonn sensed a high number of midichlorians within Anakin which are microscopic life-forms that allow organisms to connect to and manipulate the Living Force, a spiritual and universal abstract which is why Qui-Gonn was certain that Anakin was meant to become a Jedi and would fulfill the prophecy of bringing balance to the Force between the Light and Dark Sides. After Qui-Gonn’s death, the Council decided to honor Qui-Gonn’s wish and allowed Anakin to become Obi-Wan’s apprentice. As Star Wars fans know, Anakin is the renowned chosen one who fell to the dark side. This analysis is meant to determine whether Anakin’s fall to the dark side in the films was convincing and whether his change of character was justified or believable.

The root of Anakin’s turn to the dark side was his attachment to the ones he loved. That is the sole reason why he fell to the dark side. Anakin, the ever so human person that he was, understandably worried about his mother and therefore checked on her on his home planet. Ever ever so heartbreaking, Anakin arrived only to find her savagely beaten by the Tuskens and dying in his arms but the one comfort is that she was able to see her boy one last time before she gave up her ghost. Anakin may have felt ashamed and angry at himself for killing the Tuskens but in my book, that’s justifiable, especially if they took her just for sport. Perhaps the women and children didn’t deserve to be slain by the saber but the men did. They took the one person in his life who raised and cared for him and it was the only time he saw her again after saying goodbye to her and not seeing her for 10 years. That’s traumatizing for anyone. Padme was the next person in his life he didn’t want to lose (again understandably) and started having visions of her dying in childbirth. What would any sane person do? Listen to Yoda’s sage advice of letting go like Ivan Vanko or Elsa would or try to save the love of your life? I hope the answer is obvious. But to what lengths does one go to save the one they love? That is the question here innit.

Feeling that Palpatine was the only one who really trusted in him and had confidence in his abilities, Palpatine puppeteered Anakin to a tee. Anakin was as easy to mold and shape as Play-Doh. Basically, he was weak-minded. Easily manipulated. At least in the Jedi sense. As a human being, Anakin was understandably distraught. The transition from light to dark side for Anakin is messy at worst and vague at best. He absolutely knows Palpatine is a Sith lord and he’s all down for destroying him until the very last. Anakin comes at odds with himself between Palpatine being executed and needing him since he has the knowledge to save Padme or so he claims. Up to that very point, Anakin still stood by his principles and values until out of an impulse of desperation he acted and cut Mace Windu’s arm off, allowing him to be killed by Palpatine. Anakin even regrets his decision. And then and then and then, Palpatine offers him the power of the dark side again and Anakin just straight up agrees? No compromise, just easily pledges himself to his teachings and is all cool becoming a Sith. I don’t believe for one second Anakin made a 180 there. He even says to Palpatine to just help him save Padme. The key word there is JUST. As in, its a one-time deal then that’s it we’re through. I can see Anakin not mentioning that after the deal is done they’re back to enemies because Palpatine would probably refuse to help him. This gives off the impression that Anakin was a weak lapdog who went for whatever new toy was thrown at him and left the old one behind. Anakin may have been overconfident in his Jedi abilities but he had no self-worth or confidence in himself. What, he suddenly turns “bad” because he chooses to? The Jedi are the enemy now because Palpatine says so? His loyalty sure changed fast. Not a moment ago, he was ready to have him stand trial but now because Palpatine offered a solution, he’s his best friend who knows what’s best and will do whatever he says no question. I can understand Anakin renouncing the Jedi but to go and kill the Jedi younglings? The tear in your face don’t justify you bro. Blind obedience is too convenient. The path to Anakin’s fall was too sudden to be believable, it needed to be gradual.

Throughout the course of Anakin being a Jedi apprentice/knight there were moments where he became disillusioned with the Jedi such as for not being appointed representative which would make him a Master. The Council wouldn’t even tell him the reason which made Anakin feel that they didn’t trust him, which was actually true. They suspected he was too close to Palpatine, whom they did not trust. Naturally, feeling distrusted by the one group who you’d hope you could feel safe with would you make feel angry and bitter and again, naturally, turn to the one person who showed you friendship. Being asked to spy on Palpatine made Anakin see the Jedi differently and felt like the biggest betrayal from them. Despite the fact that the Jedi were right about Palpatine, Anakin chose him because he was the only one he felt showed him friendship. Anakin even said to Padme that he felt that Obi-Wan was holding him back so there was that tension there. I think at the point when Anakin made his decision, he didn’t see sides anymore. He didn’t see the light or the dark, only that the one person he trusted was able to help him. Anakin is made to believe that the Jedi are the enemy and have always planned to overthrow the Senate and genuinely believes this but it isn’t as if he easily accepts this. You can see Anakin’s facial expressions as Palpatine tells him that every single Jedi is now an enemy of the Republic including Obi-Wan. He’s not happy about it, if anything he seems regretful that it’s come to this and that this must be done…..in his eyes anyway. His enemies who were formerly his friends must be taken down because they are a threat. As Anakin is rechristened as Darth Vader, he feels the Dark Side is justified and may not see it as evil but necessary and now without the limits of the Light Side holding him back which he no longer follows, he’s free to use the Dark Side. Anakin may have made the wrong choice for the right reasons but at a cost- turning against the ones he used to call his brothers. As he marches to the Jedi Temple with Clonetroopers accompanied by a badass score by John Williams, he kills Jedi, adult and young alike, off-screen. When he enters the youngling training room, we see a tear on his face. I don’t think that Anakin took any pleasure in what he did. Unfortunately, Anakin didn’t think about security recordings which let Obi-Wan and Yoda see what he had done.

After killing the Senators on Mustafar, Anakin again has a tear. Most likely feeling guilt for the actions he must partake in and not feeling at ease with them since killing is not what a Jedi does but Anakin probably doesn’t care what he is, as long as he can save Padme. Even being a freshly former Jedi, he feels the conflict. By this point, he’s embracing the dark side and has normalized it which is demonstrated when he Force chokes Padme. Anakin isn’t so far gone though so much as he offers Obi-Wan to join him and he says “Don’t make me destroy you” but then he loses himself when he tells Obi that if he’s not with him, then he is his enemy. Only a Sith deals in absolutes as Obi-Wan tells him. The two are forced to battle and at the end of it, Obi-Wan implores Anakin to surrender. Overconfident, Anakin attempts one last attack on his former Master only to have three of his limbs cut off. Obi-Wan can’t stand the sight of someone who was like a brother to him burning but has no choice but to leave him there. It is an emotional and tragic moment. What’s even sadder is how Padme still has faith in him and while she’s dying too, the most likely cause being the heartbreak and trauma of Anakin Force choking her. Such a sad ending. Anakin is then found and taken by Palpatine and is given to him the iconic black suit who everyone and their dog recognizes which provides respiration and mobility. While I would’ve said before that him donning the suit is when he truly becomes Vader and that is when Anakin dies, the real moment happens just after that when Vader discovers that Padme is no longer alive. The one person that he had sacrificed his values for, that he joined the Dark side for, was now gone and who did he have left now except Palpatine? According to extended canon, Anakin felt regret for what he had done and realized what he did was wrong but where could he go now? He had no one left who loved him, except Ahsoka, but he knew he severed that connection, and so he gave himself into the hate and anger and self-loathing. The only thing left to fight for was his new master so he embraced the dark side, symbolically killed Anakin, and inhibited any moral principles he used to have, hence why he could kill anyone including children (truly disturbing). He didn’t care about anyone or anything anymore, not even his Master.

When push came to shove in Return of the Jedi, Vader defied his master to save his son Luke. Vader didn’t discover Luke was his son until Empire Strikes Back but even then he only saw Luke as a tool. He saw Luke’s potential to help him overthrow the Emperor and was hoping Luke would turn when he brought Luke to the Emperor. He had no attachment to his son until he saw him suffering and realized Luke had meaning to him. He had something to love and fight for again and so Padme’s faith in him was proven right- Vader was buried and Anakin resurfaced, the good was found in him again. Anakin is a tragic character, there’s no doubt about it. He’s one of the most tragic movie characters, if not the most tragic. The music that accompanies his funeral which is The Force Theme is fitting and sad as it zooms in on his helmet as he burns as Luke stands and watches, the only one who mourned him when he died. Getting off topic here, the topic was whether his turn to the dark side was convincing. Cinematically, it was not. As I said before, it was vague and messy. To truly appreciate his turn to the dark side, we needed to analyze as I did here. Only after we understand all that he went through, can we truly appreciate why he chose the Dark Side. So, in short, cinematically and visually, it’s a no. Analytically, it’s a yes. May the Force be with you all.