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Anakin Skywalker was a powerful Jedi Knight but as good a hero as he was, he eventually became a much better villain and played the role perfectly.
The story of Anakin Skywalker and his conversion to the dark side is a pivotal and crucial part of Star Wars, the entire Prequel Trilogy is based around it. While they attempted to demonstrate that Anakin was indeed heroic before his fated fall to darkness, he was certainly more compelling when he embraced his inner darkness.
Anakin did his best to play the part of a Jedi, but it was not his destiny. Darth Vader is perhaps one of the best villains in all of cinema and fans always love to see an incredible villain just as much as they enjoy a courageous hero.
7 He Was To Emotional To Be A Jedi
The Jedi are presented as the heroes of the Star Wars saga and fans often agree with that point of view. Anakin wanted to be a Jedi so badly as a child, he saw it as a path to freedom. Unfortunately, he failed at one essential part of being a Jedi: controlling his emotions. His fear and anger led him to become Darth Vader, without being able to control his emotions, he wasn’t able to save himself. His intense anger is what also made him a great villain, using his anger to make him even more powerful and ruthless. Anakin’s emotions are both his weakness and his strength.
6 He Enjoyed Vengeance More Than Justice
While a Jedi should have a strong sense of right and wrong and want to see evil brought to justice, Anakin has always chosen revenge over justice. When his mother was killed, he slaughtered an entire village in order to make himself feel better. He killed Count Dooku with barely any encouragement because of the torment he had caused everyone. Even as Darth Vader, any person who crossed him was swiftly eliminated. Anakin/Vader seeks brutal revenge when he is wronged, making it incredibly difficult to see him as a hero when he clearly is a superior villain.
5 He Fell To Darkness Very Easily
Whether he knew it or not, Anakin wanted to be a villain. He wanted power, he wanted control, he wanted to be able to act with absolute certainty and only villains deal in absolutes. His conversion to the dark side could be considered realistic considering all the factors in his life, but most fans agree it happened very easily. He went from protecting the galaxy to killing younglings at almost a flip of a switch. This could be a key indicator of his true nature at the time, a cold-blooded Lord of the Sith.
4 Darth Vader Has A Bigger Impact Than Anakin Skywalker
While Anakin Skywalker is iconic and interesting, people remember Star Wars for Darth Vader, not Anakin. Darth Vader has a far greater impact on Star Wars than Anakin ever had. While you don’t get Vader without Anakin, Anakin was just a pit stop on the way to Darth Vader.
Darth Vader destroyed the Empire and his sacrifice helped to bring balance to the force and light to the galaxy. Vader impacted multiple Star Wars properties and even influenced Kylo Ren in the Sequel Trilogy. His legacy is far greater than Anakin’s.
3 Darth Vader Is More Intimidating Than Anakin Was Heroic
While the greatest Jedi like Obi-Wan and Yoda were visions of heroism and courage, Anakin seemed to always just miss the mark. While he certainly did heroic things, it was always overshadowed by his rage and fear. Darth Vader on the other hand is a perfect vision of evil. He is intimidating and terrifying, the very sound of his breathing strikes fear into all Rebels. The iconic hallway scene in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story perfectly demonstrates this. The Rebels hear his breathing and see the glow of his lightsaber and run in fear. They bang against the door begging for their lives. It is exactly the kind of fear Vader inspires every time.
2 Anakin Was Fated To Be A Villain
In 1999 when The Phantom Menace came out, fans knew they were witnessing the beginning of Darth Vader. Anakin has always been fated to be a villain, to throw in with the dark side. It might be part of the reason fans had a hard time buying into Hayden Christensen’s performance as Anakin, cause they were always anticipating Vader. That is what makes it so much better when Vader finally emerges. Viewers knew he was coming so when the heroic pretense is dropped and the villainous Dark Lord emerges, it is a satisfying conclusion for fans to experience.
1 He Betrayed Everything For Power
Despite his rationale of doing it for Padmé, Anakin betrayed everything for more power. He was tired of his perceived weakness and he wanted more and would do anything to get it. He threw away his life with the Jedi, his friendship with Obi-Wan and any morals or sense of justice he still had. He killed friends and children, all in the pursuit of absolute power. It corrupted him to his very core, as soon as he got more power he continued to crave even more. It was a burden that followed him for his whole life until he gave it all up for his son Luke.
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