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    Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader

    This page is dedicated to Darth Vader's original actor, David Prowse (1935-2020). May the force be with him

    Anakin "Darth Vader" Skywalker
    Darth Vader: "Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father."
    Luke: "He told me enough! He told me you killed him."
    Darth Vader: "No, I am your father."
    Luke: "No... No... That's not true. That's impossible!"
    Darth Vader: "Search your feelings, you know it to be true."
    Luke: "NOOOOOOOO!!!!!! NO!!!"
    Gender: Male
    Type: Remorseless Dark Lord
    Formerly a Treated Skywalker and Spoiled Jedi Brat
    Age: 9 (The Phantom Menace)
    19 (Attack of the Clones)
    19-22 (The Clone Wars)
    22 (Revenge of the Sith)
    32 (Obi-Wan Kenobi)
    41 (A New Hope)
    44 (The Empire Strikes Back)
    45 (Return of the Jedi)
    Species: Human (formerly)
    Bird (Angry Birds)
    Portrayed by: David Prowse
    James Earl Jones
    Jake Lloyd (Episode I)
    Hayden Christensen (Episodes II -III)
    Matt Lanter (The Clone Wars)
    Red (Angry Birds)
    Status: Deceased
    Media of origin: Star Wars


    Darth Vader (Real name: Anakin Skywalker; born 41 BBY on Tatooine; died 4 ABY on Death Star II, Endor system) is the pivotal antagonist in the original Star Wars trilogy and Angry Birds Star Wars. He is the father of franchise's main protagonist, Luke Skywalker and princess Leia Organa, husband of Padmé Amidala, and the grandfather of First Order leader Kylo Ren/Ben Solo.

    He was portrayed by late stunt actor David Prowse and voiced by James Earl Jones in the original trilogy.

    Family

    • Shmi Skywalker-Lars (mother)
    • Owen Lars (brother)
    • Beru Whitesun Lars (sister-in-law)
    • Padme Amidala Naberrie Skywalker (wife)
    • Jobal Naberrie (mother-in-law)
    • Ruwee Naberrie (father-in-law)
    • Sola Naberrie (sister-in-law)
    • Ryoo and Pooja Naberrie (nieces)
    • Luke Skywalker (son)
    • Leia Skywalker Organa Solo (daughter)
    • Han Solo (son-in-law)
    • Ben Solo (grandson)
    • Rey Palpatine/Skywalker (honorary adopted granddaughter)

    Why He Is Luke Skywalker's Father And The Chosen One

    1. He has become one of the most iconic villains in popular culture, and has been listed among the greatest villains and fictional characters ever.
      • And even if you're never a fan or unfamiliar with Star Wars, you can still recognize Vader with his design.
    2. His line, "No, I am your father", (even though it's constantly misquoted as "Luke, I am your father" due to Mandela effect) never gets old and is one of the most well known quotes in cinema history.
    3. Besides the scene where he reveals to Luke that he is Anakin Skywalker, he has other cool quotes such as:
      • "Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed. The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the force."
      • "I find your lack of faith disturbing."
      • "A tremor in the Force. The last time I felt it was in the presence of my old master."
      • "Don't underestimate the Force."
      • "I've been waiting for you, Obi-Wan. we meet again at last. The circle is now complete. When I left you, I was but a learner, now I am the master."
      • "The Force is strong with this one."
      • "If he could be turned, he could become a powerful ally."
      • "We would be honored if you would join us."
      • "The Force is with you, Young Skywalker... but you are not a Jedi yet."
      • "Obi-Wan has taught you well; you have controlled your fear. Now, release your anger. Only your hatred can destroy me."
      • "You are beaten. It is useless to resist. Don't let yourself be destroyed as Obi-Wan did."
      • "There is no escape. Don't make me destroy you."
      • "Luke, you do not yet realize your importance. You have only begun to discover your power. Join me and I will complete your training. With our combined strength, we can end this destructive conflict and bring order to the galaxy."
      • "If you only knew the power of the dark side."
      • "You don't know the power of the Dark Side. I must obey my master."
      • "You are unwise to lower your defenses."
      • "You underestimate the power of the Dark Side. If you will not fight, then you will meet your destiny."
      • "You cannot hide forever, Luke... Give yourself to the Dark Side. It is the only way you can save your friends. Yes. Your thoughts betray you. Your feelings for them are strong, especially for... sister. So, you have a twin sister. Your feelings have now betrayed her too. Obi-Wan was wise to hide her from me. Now, his failure is complete. If you will not turn to the Dark Side, then perhaps she will."
    4. He was portrayed and voiced very well by both David Prowse and James Earl Jones respectively.
      • What's cool is that even though you can't see Anakin's face most of the time (because of the mask), you can still tell how he's feeling because of how good David Prowse's performance is.
      • James Earl Jones was an amazing casting choice for the voice of Darth Vader as he sounds very dark and menacing, which fits the character.
    5. His iconic status has made the character a synonym for evil in popular culture.
      • This is quite ironic though, considering his redemption at the end of Return of the Jedi.
    6. His design is nice to look at.
      • It even changes slightly in each of his appearances which is interesting.
    7. His breathing sound is iconic.
    8. The scene in Rogue One featuring Darth Vader himself is awesome.
      • The part where he attacks and murders several Rebel troops in the ending is terrifying and it feels like something out of a horror movie which is cool.
    9. He is a very intimidating villain, especially in his first appearance in A New Hope.
    10. He's extremely formidable in lightsaber combat and is amazing at using the Force.
      • While Disney may have done some things that were heavily panned by a lot of Star Wars fans, one of the things they did right showed us Darth Vader fighting in his prime, something we never got to see in the Original Trilogy, even though it's clear he's very powerful in those movies.
        • Despite his slight flanderization in the Obi-Wan Kenobi miniseries, it's awesome watching Darth Vader going brutal and not holding back on his enemies during the fight scenes, especially in the final battle.
          • His duel with Obi-Wan in the final episode of the said series shows Vader dueling with a surprising amount of speed and skill, even using some powerful Force moves during the fight. In fact, it stated that Vader is unable to move quickly due to his suit which makes it even more awesome.
        • His appearance in Ahsoka miniseries shows him combining the strengths of Vader's fighting style and Anakin's style, which is pure awesome. In fact, this is literally Anakin at his full potential, which makes it even cooler.
          • "Live... or die."
    11. What surprised Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and the rest of the Jedi was how strong the Force was with Anakin. When Qui-Gon Jinn took a sample of Anakin's blood and let Obi-Wan analyze it, they noticed that Anakin's Midi-Chlorian count was 20,000; not even Yoda has a Midi-Chlorian count that high.
      • When Qui-Gon saw what Anakin was capable of doing, he believed that he had the potential of doing great things in the future.
    12. Despite being a main protagonist who is possibly more powerful than most Star Wars characters because of his unbelievable amount of Force power, Anakin is by no means a Gary-Stu because he actually went through training, life experiences, struggles, and character development to become a strong individual. Anakin has both outer and inner strengths that made him three-dimensional. Additionally, he does have imperfections and weaknesses that he has to overcome to become better, making him feel believable and human as a character.
    13. Anakin's existence is something very mysterious in itself because when Qui-Gon asked Shmi Skywalker who Anakin's father was, she said that he didn't have one. Shmi didn't know how she gave birth to a child by herself; it surprised her, though she was happy to have Anakin as her son.
      • Some fans even believe than Anakin is Jesus in Star Wars in that he didn't have a biological father, but is in fact the son of the Force, which could explain why he's so strong with the Force and has the destiny of being the Chosen One.
    14. He's one of the most complex and interesting characters in Star Wars.
    15. He is the true star of the franchise.
      • George Lucas, the man who created Star Wars, also referred to Star Wars (Episodes 1-6) as "The Tragedy of Anakin Skywalker".
    16. Out of the three protagonists of the Skywalker Saga, Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader definitely has the most in terms of backstory.
    17. Unlike Luke and Rey, what made Anakin different was that he didn't have a tale of success but instead had a tale of tragedy and suffering, which made him more realistic and relatable in some ways.
    18. He has good chemistry with some of the other characters in Star Wars:
      • His chemistry with Luke, especially in Return of the Jedi is memorable. The scene where Vader has a brief conversation with him before bringing him to Palpatine's throne room is emotional.
        • "The emperor has been expecting you."
        • "I know, Father."
        • "So, you have accepted the truth."
        • "I've accepted the truth that you were once Anakin Skywalker, my father."
        • "That name no longer has any meaning for me."
        • "It is the name of your true self you've only forgotten. I know there is good in you. The emperor hasn't driven it from you fully. That was why you couldn't destroy me. That's why you won't bring me to your emperor now."
        • "(lightsaber ignition) I see you have constructed a new lightsaber. Your skills are complete. (lightsaber deactivation) Indeed you are powerful as the emperor has foreseen."
        • "Come with me."
        • "Obi-Wan once thought as you do. You don't know the power of the Dark Side. I must obey my master."
        • "I will not turn and you'll be forced to kill me."
        • "If that is your destiny."
        • "Search your feelings, Father. You can't do this. I feel the conflict within you. Let go of your hate."
        • "It is too late for me, Son. The emperor will show you the true nature of the Force. He is your master now."
        • "Then my father is truly dead."
        • "(Vader expressing conflict and sadness)"
      • His chemistry with his mother Shmi Skywalker is very sweet. While many fans (especially prequel haters) were not too keen on Anakin being portrayed as 9 years old in Episode 1, you can't deny that he had some great scenes, including the sad moment where he has to leave his mom to become a Jedi:
        • "I can't do it, Mom. I just can't do it."
        • "Ani..."
        • "Will I ever see you again?"
        • "What does your heart tell you?"
        • "I hope so. Yes, (sniffles) I guess."
        • "Then we will see each other again."
        • "I will come back and free you, Mom. I promise."
        • "Now, be brave and don't look back. Don't look back."
      • Qui-Gon Jinn and Anakin had a very wholesome father-son relationship that was very enjoyable. They got along so well and it's absolutely adorable. Imagine, if Qui-Gon Jinn wasn't killed by Darth Maul and actually got to train Anakin, he wouldn't become Darth Vader because he had someone to be there for him and he would bring balance to the Force in a different way:
        • "Qui-Gon, sir, I don't want to be a problem."
        • "You wont be, Ani. I'm not allowed to train you so I want you to watch me and be mindful. Always remember: Your focus determines your reality. Stay close to me and you'll be safe."
        • "Master, sir, I heard Yoda talking about Midi-Chlorians. I've been wondering-- What are Midi-Chlorians?"
        • "Midi-Chlorians are microscopic life form that resides within all living cells."
        • "They live inside me?"
        • "Inside your cells, yes. And we are symbionts with them."
        • "Symbionts?"
        • "Life forms living together for mutual advantage. Without the Midi-Chlorians, life could not exist and we would have no knowledge of the Force. They continually speak to us, telling us the will of the Force. When you learn to quiet your mind, you'll hear them speaking to you."
        • "I don't understand."
        • "With time and training, Ani, you will. You will."
    19. His redemption can bring viewers to tears, because he sacrificed himself to save his son from Darth Sidious.
      • What's interesting is that Anakin's strong feelings of loss and abandonment (including his fear of losing is loved ones) were the main reasons why he joined the Sith and became the very thing Yoda feared he would become but it was also the reason why he redeemed himself and fulfilled his destiny as the "Chosen One".
      • Anakin's redemption was also very well-written and what's amazing was that even though he committed horrible actions in the past that can never be undone, his redemption and sacrifice at the end still felt believable.
      • His heartbreaking death scene:
        • "Luke, help me take... this mask off."
        • "But you'll die."
        • "Nothing can stop that now. Just for once, let me... look on you with my own eyes."
        • (Luke pulls off the dome and then slowly removes the mask)
        • "Now, go, my son. Leave me."
        • "No, you're coming with me. I'll not leave you here. I've got to save you."
        • "You already have, Luke. You were right. You were right about me. Tell your sister... you were right."
        • "Father... I won't leave you."
        • (Anakin passes away)
        • (Luke crying)
    20. In the ending of Return of the Jedi, while the heroes were celebrating their victory, Luke sees the not only the Force ghosts of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda, but also Anakin's appearing beside them and he is happy to see his son again after passing away.
      • In the 2004 Special Edition release, Hayden Christensen replaces the late Sebastian Shaw as Anakin's Force ghost. While the idea was divisive among fans, it was still a nice way of connecting the Prequel Trilogy to the Original Trilogy. Furthermore, the change was not inherently a big deal.
    21. Even if you hated his alter-ego as Anakin Skywalker, you can understand and feel the sense of tragedy that he was going through:
      • Anakin was born as a slave along with his mother on Tatooine, until he won the pod race and left his home planet and his mother to train and become a Jedi, only just to find her tortured and dead when he first meets her again (after 10 years).
        • The reason why the Jedi didn't bother saving Shmi was because they feared Anakin's attachments to her would make him even more dangerous.
      • Being the Chosen One, Anakin is said to be the most powerful Jedi in history, but Obi-Wan quite literally holds him back out of jealousy of his potential. This also made Anakin struggle to meet the expectations of the Chosen One.
        • If you watch all 6 episodes of Star Wars and look closely, it's implied that Obi-Wan defied Qui-Gon's ways of training Anakin and tried being like Yoda; he was someone who strictly followed the Jedi Code but didn't think about Anakin enough. Eventually, though, Obi-Wan wished that he didn't do this after seeing what Anakin had become.
          • In The Phantom Menace, Yoda sensed danger in Anakin's training by Obi-Wan and it's possible that he didn't sense Obi-Wan's desperation in trying to be like him because he was trying to be patient and gave him a chance, while still giving him few reminders about the danger he senses in Anakin's training. Sadly, Obi-Wan still secretly defied the ways of his late master and followed the Jedi Code to the point where Anakin felt lonely and abandoned.
          • By the time of Star Wars Rebels, Yoda himself had learned his lesson about the shortcomings of Anakin's training and encouraged Ezra Bridger to trust his teacher's teachings to avoid the dark side that Anakin had eagerly embraced.
            • Even Obi-Wan also learned from his mistakes during his conversations with Ezra, encouraging Ezra to go back to his friends.
        • In the Prequel Trilogy, Obi-Wan viewed Anakin's emotions and feelings for his loved ones as nothing but a burden to him (something that Qui-Gon Jinn didn't believe). Because of this, Obi-Wan refuses to let Anakin save his mom from slavery and forces him to be emotionally detached. Of course, this was partly the reason why Anakin became Vader and Obi-Wan eventually regretted ever treating him like this.
          • When Obi-Wan began training Luke in the Original Trilogy, he was more sympathetic and understanding towards him. While he still wanted Luke to control his emotions and feelings, he finally saw the benefit of having them and didn't pressure him too much like he did with Anakin.
        • Anakin also got along better with Qui-Gon Jinn since he acted more like a father to him. Qui-Gon was different from the other Jedi (including Obi-Wan) who blindly followed politics and didn't really care about the living Force; he let the Force guide his actions.
      • He was constantly disrespected and distrusted by the Jedi council and was never made into a Jedi master, albeit after all the hard work and accomplishments that Anakin has done over the years. They also refused to acknowledge his sacrifices (most notably letting his Padawan be wrongfully kicked out of the order) he endured. Anakin also saved their lives out of care not because it was for selfish reasons.
        • Knowing him, Anakin would have likely rejected the Dark Side if the Council understood his emotions or gave him a chance.
        • While Anakin got along with other Jedi, his peers still had a negative view of him and were only kind to him if they could benefit from him.
      • Since forming relationships is taboo according to the Jedi council, and Anakin wasn't allowed to form bonds with other people, he disobeyed the order to form a secret marriage with Padmé, and chose to spend the rest of his life with her. That is until he had his anger get the best of him, which resulted in the death of his wife.
        • He had gained strong friendships with Obi-Wan and Ahsoka, and having those bonds can make a person much stronger on the inside.
      • His uncontrollable anger and fear and having the will to turn evil, go into madness, and lose everything, was enough to make Darth Sidious manipulate him and turn him to the dark side.
      • His decision of wanting to save his wife from death cost him his love for Padmé, his friendship with Obi-Wan, his honor from the Jedi, and (nearly) his life.
      • After losing his limbs and being burnt to a crisp by his former master, Vader had to spend the rest of his life in a robotic suit that will have to keep him alive.
      • His line in Episode 3 "From my point of view the Jedi are evil" makes sense to his tragic story as:
        • The Jedi took him from his mother and wouldn't allow him to visit her which ultimately led him be too late to save her and her painful death.
        • They wouldn't allow him to be with the woman he loves.
        • Treated him like a pawn because they didn't trust him.
        • Made him abandon his apprentice when Ahsoka needed them the most. They also refused to admit they were the ones who betrayed her.
        • Didn't grant him the rank of master, something he spent 13 years of his life to gain which basically led to him believe he wasted his life and they indirectly called him a failure for failing to train his apprentice to become a Jedi Knight when she left the order.
        • Sees how the other Jedi disobeyed their code and hypocritically lectured him of disobeying the Jedi Code when they did.
        • The man he considered a brother used his wife to find him and didn't even hesitate to assassinate him.
        • Basically, he believed the Jedi had destroyed his life.
    22. During two moments after his turning into Vader, it's easy to tell that he might be suffering from split personality (Dissociative Identity Disorder). During those brief moments, Anakin pops out and it's kind of heartbreaking for his past allies and close friends to see him turn into who he is now. Those examples include:
      • After Ahsoka slashes his mask during her duel with him in Star Wars Rebels.
      • After his fight with Obi-Wan in the Obi-Wan Kenobi, which also leads to the most heartbreaking line, "I am not your failure, Obi-Wan. You didn’t kill Anakin Skywalker... I did."
    23. For Anakin's young age during The Phantom Menace, he has remarkable abilities and is revealed to built C-3PO, and he has great driving skills with the pod racer in which he would later in the race with.
    24. Qui-Gon Jinn was right: Anakin is the Chosen One, the one who will bring balance to the Force.
      • "Now, you gotta remember this is one movie and it's meant to be seen 1 through 6, so, I think when you watch the actual movie in order, the story will become very clear that Anakin is the Chosen One... and even when Anakin turns into Darth Vader, he is still the Chosen One; the prophecy is that Anakin will bring balance to the Force and destroy the Sith: He becomes Darth Vader, Darth Vader does become the hero, Darth Vader does destroy the Sith, meaning himself and the Emperor; he does it because he is redeemed by his son... so the prophecy is true and by doing that, he redeems himself and goes from being Darth Vader back to being Anakin again... Everybody thought of Darth Vader as this big evil guy that, you know, had no heart; he was just evil. But in the end, it's not that at all; I mean, here's a guy who has lost everything." -George Lucas

    Qualities That Make Him Go "NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!"

    1. In the prequel trilogy, his relationship with Padmé in the second prequel as a young man feels very forced. At least The Clone Wars series and Revenge of the Sith made their relationship look real, genuine, and cute without it being forced.
      • It should be noted that the prequels were known for bad writing at the time (although it wasn't worse than the sequels) and many of the scenes were deleted due to the time limit.
    2. Jake Lloyd (as child Anakin, though understandable) and Hayden Christensen (in Attack of the Clones only) did a poor job portraying Anakin (though Christensen's performance improved in Revenge of the Sith), though some of the blame for this falls on the writing and the clunky dialogue.
    3. In the Obi-Wan series, fans criticize how Anakin has an obsessive need for victory, where he craves victory so much that it makes him incredibly reckless and impatient in trying to achieve it. Many fans who grew up with the prequels know that Anakin may be extremely reckless and gets carried away in battle which tends to result in him losing, it is not an obsession. Many fans also say that when he became Darth Vader, he completely changed his fighting style, overcame many of his previous flaws, and became a much faster learner than before.

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    Trivia

    • Despite being born the same year as Grogu (41 years before the events of A New Hope), Grogu has actually outlived him despite Grogu's species taking much more time to become adults than humans like Anakin/Vader.

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