Judging Anakin Skywalker’s tragic story in terms of black and white goes against one of the fundamental things George Lucas was trying to set up with Star Wars. But even if you’re inclined to believe that by turning into Darth Vader, Anakin became the ultimate villain for a brief while, this new fan theory that’s been gaining traction on Reddit might be able to dissuade you from that thoroughly fair-minded conclusion.
The Chosen One, after all, slaughtered a bunch of younglings and went on to terrorize the galaxy for twenty years before finally redeeming himself and fulfilling his destiny by chucking Emperor Palpatine down a reactor shaft in Return of the Jedi. Though given what we know from the final days of the Clone Wars, the young Skywalker may have actually done the Jedi Order a favor by annihilating them in Revenge of the Sith.
A major theme in the prequel trilogy and its accompanying media involved the Jedi losing sight of the values they had upheld for millennia. Whereas the warriors of peace and justice had done just that for thousands of years in the galaxy far, far away, the Clone Wars turned them into warmongering generals that competed for control over the Galactic Senate.
There’s even one line in Revenge of the Sith where Mace Windu suggests the Jedi should coup the Republic and take control of the government, which is the basis for this new theory that’s been posted on Reddit. Check it out for yourself below.
Star Wars always makes it seem like there’s a thin line between the light side and the dark, and channeling the latter for even a little could push you over the edge. What if, by leaving the Jedi to their own devices, Anakin might have created something infinitely more terrifying than Darth Sidious for the galaxy?
That argument makes Anakin’s fall even more tragic than before, once again proving that he’s the ultimate Star Wars hero, even in spite of his brief sinister streak.
Published: May 23, 2022 08:39 am