Star Wars has everything sci-fi nerds love: awesome space battles, a plethora of exotic alien species, and of course, an order of powerful space warriors: the Jedi. The iconic saga tells the classic hero story throughout its three trilogies, each focusing on a different character while following a single bloodline: the Skywalkers.
Character arcs and redemption are crucial for any story to move forward and carry meaning beyond just a sequence of events. But an arc that starts from innocence and gives that character the option of good or evil is far more complex, and plays an especially prominent role in the Star Wars saga.
Perhaps the most the important — and arguably the most developed — character arc in the franchise is that of Anakin Skywalker. He's one of the few characters that the film series follows from his childhood to his heroic death many years later. His story is essentially the basis of most everything that happens in the Star Wars storyline. Here's how it all plays out, from beginning to end.
Who Is Anakin Skywalker?
Anakin was born on the desert planet Tatooine where he and his mother, Shmi, were sold into slavery. He was born to no father, having been conceived through the Force. As a kid, he was handy with technology, including vehicles and droids (having built C3PO himself) and he had a unique talent for flying and podracing. The Force had always been immensely strong with him, so much so that Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn believed him to the Jedi prophecy's chosen one and convinced Shmi to allow him to be trained as such.
As Anakin grew older, he trained as a padawan under the leadership of Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. The two were both fierce fighters with a lightsaber, but couldn't be more different in their approaches to the problems they faced. Anakin was impulsive and often took it upon himself to complete any given task, while Obi-Wan was much more patient and always thought out his next move. Together, though, they were unstoppable, and they both became Republic generals in command of the Clone army.
As Anakin grew stronger with the force and became a more powerful Jedi warrior, he was also in love with the young queen of Naboo, Padme Amidala. At first, his feelings were unrequited, but Padme eventually fell just as hard for Anakin. But as a Jedi, emotional attachments were forbidden because of how easy they could lead to the Dark Side of the Force. So, Anakin and Padme's relationship was kept secret, even after they married and later found out they were pregnant with twins.
How Did Anakin Skywalker Become Darth Vader?
Getting older, and through more experience, Anakin was starting to think for himself more. He was curious about the possibilities of the Force, even trying to understand the Dark Side better. Anakin eventually found companionship with Chancellor Sheev Palpatine, who made him question the Jedi Order and their morals, especially when it came to their strong stance on nonviolence and peace-keeping. The Chancellor had strong power in the Republic, and appointed Anakin — without the Jedi's approval — as a member of the Jedi Council.
Matters only got worse when the Jedi Council decided to not award Anakin the rank of Master, because of his young age. This enraged Anakin, feelings that Palpatine acknowledged. Obi-Wan tried to assure his padawan that once he was old enough, and more mature, he would earn the Jedi Master rank. But Anakin's impatience and distrust in the Jedi got the better of him.
These feelings were only amplified by Anakin's visions of Padme dying. He had had similar visions of his mother's death which had turned out to come true. His fear of losing Padme blinded him, and Palpatine took advantage of that, telling him that the mysterious ways of the Dark Side might save his wife from death.
Palpatine, soon thereafter, revealed he was actually the Sith Lord called Darth Sidious, and bringing Anakin, the chosen one, to the Dark Side was always a part of his plan. Anakin decided that to save Padme, he would have to learn the ways of the Dark Side. He became the apprentice of Sidious, at which time the Sith Lord gave him a new title: Darth Vader. The two executed Order 66, Sidious' evil plan to wipe out the Jedi with the help of Anakin and the Clones, whom Sidious had complete control over.
In an attempt to stop Anakin's transition to the Dark Side, Oi-Wan fought him on the planet Mustafar and bested him in lightsaber combat, but he did not kill him. Anakin's body — which was without legs and severely burned — was found by Sidious, who had him operated on to save his life. Meanwhile, Padme was dying while giving birth to their children, Luke and Leia Skywalker. As Anakin wakened in the black suit that was built to keep him alive, Padme died. Without her to live for, Anakin dedicated his life to serving the Galactic Empire as the evil Darth Vader.
What Happens to Anakin Skywalker?
After Padme's death, the Empire slowly, but effectively, came to dominate the galaxy through sheer power and fear. But as years went by, Anakin's children found themselves fighting for the Rebellion against the Empire. Luke learned the ways of the Jedi, while Leia served as the fearless leader for the Rebels.
After fighting and losing to Vader, Luke ends up becoming the strongest Jedi the galaxy has seen in years, thanks to the teachings from the wise Jedi Master Yoda. Initially conflicted about fighting his father again in order to take down the Empire, he soon recognizes that he is the only one who can bring an end to their reign. Luke decides to confront his father once more, having far more advanced skills and understanding of the Force than he did for their first encounter.
This time, Luke bests Vader in lightsaber combat and is about to strike him down. But Luke sees that if he kills Vader, he will be doing exactly what Sidious wants, and his hatred will lead him to the Dark Side himself. Luke makes the difficult decision to spare Vader in hope that he will come back to the Light Side. Displeased, Sidious attacks Luke with Force lightning. As Luke is dying, he calls out to his father to help. Vader, already injured from the lightsaber battle, contemplates for a moment before grabbing Sidious and throwing him to his apparent death, saving Luke's life.
Sidious' Force lightning mortally wounded Vader, and he died in Luke's arms. But in the moments before his death, Vader returned to being Anakin. He realized the immortality that he had desired for Padme had lived on through their children. They fought for the same things Padme did: galactic peace and equality. Anakin was an innocent child with a huge responsibility as the chosen one when he was introduced to the Force. He was shown the possibilities, and limitations, of both the Light and Dark Sides. Anakin's arc throughout the Star Wars saga was like a roller coaster, soaring above all expectations before sinking terribly low. In the end, he fulfilled his duty as the chosen one and brought balance back to the Force.