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For as much grief as Anakin’s portrayal in the Prequel Trilogy gets, a case can be made that he’s the most believable character in the whole series.
Star Wars is full of great characters that have captured fans imagination for decades. When the Original trilogy first came out fans loved the sinister Darth Vader and the redemption path that he took. It left people wondering what he was like before he put on the mask.
When the Prequels came out, fans were less than impressed with what they saw and the movies were met with a lot of backlash. In recent years though, fans have rallied around the movies and are determined to prove that the story of Anakin Skywalker is a worthy addition to the franchise.
6 He Suffered From Immense Trauma
Almost everyone has some short of trauma in their life. Whether it is big or small it affects who they become as a person. Anakin is no different— from some of his earliest moments he was enslaved to people and would have remained that way for life if not rescued by the Jedi.
He then had his mother die in his arms, had his Padawan leave him, and suffered from visions of his wife dying. Those are only a few events of his life leading to his transformation into Darth Vader. With all that he endured it is understandable that he would risk it all for Padmé.
5 He Had Real Emotions
Jedi are trained to have perfect control of their emotions and often do not even show their emotions when they do have them. Anakin is nothing like that— when he is angry or upset, he embraces and displays those emotions fully.
While this may be against the Jedi code, it does make for a better on screen performance. Anakin helps the viewer connect to the emotions of the film because he is experiencing them right alongside the viewers. Some of the other Jedi come off flat or uninteresting, while Anakin’s emotions are over the top to help stress the intensity of the situation.
4 He Acted His Age
During the course of the prequel trilogy, fans see Anakin when he is between the ages of roughly nine to twenty-two. According to studies, the male brain does not fully develop until the age of twenty-five. This can lead to immaturity and more irrational behavior.
With Anakin being twenty-two and dealing with everything going on, it makes perfect sense that he would be angry, irrational, and overwhelmed by his emotions. This would also perfectly explain why Anakin sometimes comes off as whiny in the films as he is simply a stressed out, emotional teenager and then young adult.
3 He Did Everything He Could For Those He Loved
In a time of crisis people would do anything to keep the ones they love safe, and Anakin acted no differently. He risked everything to help out his mother and was too late to save her. This haunted him deeply, so when history was repeating itself it makes sense he would not let it happen again.
Padmé was the love of his life, and he broke all the rules of being a Jedi just to be with her. He thought the only way to save her was to follow Palpatine, a decision that cost Padmé her life in the end. In the heat of the moment Anakin did what he thought was the best and only way to protect the person he cared most about.
2 As A Child He Showed True Excitement & Curiosity
Jake Lloyd played a nine year old Anakin Skywalker in The Phantom Menace and at the time of release he received a lot of the blame for the poor reception of the film. Putting aside how difficult it is to be a child actor, that is all multiplied when it comes to Star Wars.
Jake Lloyd presented a version of Anakin that showed a child who was awestruck by the galaxy that was beyond his borders. He had Anakin act how every kid acted when they were first introduced to Jedis and starfighters. His portrayal gave fans an on screen presence of how they all felt.
1 He Embodied The Viewer’s Experience
An aspect of what makes a great and compelling film is the viewer’s ability to connect with the experiences of the characters. This can be particularly hard when the film is in such a distant setting to reality. The character of Anakin is the viewer’s connection to the events of the Prequels.
Most of the events are seen through his eyes and with his feelings and thoughts attached to them. The raw and sometimes over the top emotions are there so that the fans can somewhat experience what it is like to be in the character’s shoes. Without Anakin’s perspective and feelings, viewers would not have cared as much about his journey from hopeful young Jedi to the powerful and devastating Lord Vader. The connection between Anakin’s experiences and the viewer helps the movies hit home.
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