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Star Wars - The Anakin Factor

Having my evenings free for a while, my wife and I decided to watch all six of the Star Wars movies. I found a couple really interesting point of discussion. One of which was how episodes 1-3 changed the outlook of Star Wars.

1. After watching all six, I realized that these movies are not about Luke Skywalker, but the life and death of Anakin Skywalker.

2. Anakin, being the chosen one, is what the entire 80 some odd years (timeline of the movies) was about. His rise and fall from Savior, to Executioner, to Slave of the Emperor.

I realized that Luke was not the focal point of the movies but the life and subsequent family of Anakin. This was his story from beginning to end. We now see why and how he turned to the dark side, and ultimately how he went from powerful jedi, to cyborg syth. I can now see this series in a whole new light.

Factor Anakin - Wars Star

Actually you raise a point that a few of us came to at work one day. How does a person who never saw the original three think about the movie when they see straight through from episode 1 to 6? For me, seeing episodes 1 through 3 just gave me a better understanding of Anakin and his failure. One of the guys I work with finally just saw all six episodes and he thinks about the movies the same way that you just explained.

I just wonder how most people would feel, especially since I obviously can not see it the same way they can. What do you think?

I do agree with you though. We are able to see now that the whole series was about Anakin. Even though he failed at first, he was still the chosen one who ended the empire. The entire series just shows you how it developed and how he accomplished this.

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The way i see it, Anakin was supposed to "bring balance" to the force. In a way he did exactly that. There were so many jedi of the light side, and they were involved in everything and they were so powerful that they grew arrogant. Enter "the chosen one." As he grew to become Darth Vader the dark side took over, and through the episodes 4-6 the force was "balanced" if you will. There were Emperor Palpatine, the Sith Lord, and Darth Vader for the dark side, and Yoda and Obi Wan Kenobi, Later Luke Skywalker. I have heard of a 9-book set that the movies were based off of. I think that once I read those books the overall story will be less about the characters and more about the force and the way it was balanced. I haven't read the books yet, but I believe this is what will happen.Based on the fact that Luke was using the force to choke people in the second movies, I think he will open up some sort of jedi academy and teach people how to harness both sides of the force. Or not, It could all just be about the pendulum like swing of life, yin and yang and all that.

Factor Anakin - Wars Star

How funny that you should mention a jedi academy. There are many books and series of books that are sequels to this movie series. He does open an academy that ultimately teaches the force as it is, and lets the user ultimately decide. This of course leads to problems. Luke himself, like his father, goes through a darkside phase in which he is vulnerable due to grief. In the end, he does what his father cannot, he over comes the darkside.

Which brings another question. Was Anakin the chosen one? Or was luke the one that ultimately fulfilled the prophecy? He took on the empire and he was the one that brought balance back to the force. Perhaps Anakins main role was bringing the chosen one into the world.

Factor Anakin - Wars Star

Thats something I've never really thought about. I guess in a way Vader did bring balance to the force. Sort of like a pendulum, he went to both extremes, but it was Luke who stabilized the whole thing. Before Luke and Anakin the force was trying to balance itself, sort of like a pendulum, from good to evil and back again. Anakin/Vader was that pendulum, and when he Killed Emperor Palpatine at the end of the third (sixth?) movie, that started the transition back to the light side. I believe Luke and his whole "I brought balance to the force" is only the midpoint of the pendulum swing.

Offtopic but, Is it me or is there something vaguely buddhist involved here.

Edited: Tastanagee on 5th Jan, 2006 - 3:00pm

Star Wars - The Anakin Factor

The Star Wars movies were always about Anakin. The original series centered around Darth Vader, even though it may have seemed Luke was focus of attention. The second series made it more apparent as it follows Anakin from when he was a young child, to him becoming Vader. Another figure that is central to the story is ObiWan. He is in all of the movies, in spirt in some of the later ones, but he is always around, mentoring, protecting, nurturing and doing good. He is the one stable character when everyone else is fighting their demons, and making choices. His role was always clear and his motives were always just and good. While Anakin is what the story line revolves around, ObiWan is the stabilizing character throughout the series.

Star Wars - Anakin Factor

I believe we would need to see the final three to know who the movie is really about since the first three is about the father, the next three about the son and possibly the last three is about the grandson? One can never know...

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Actually, the last 3 are about Hans and Leia's children, and their adventures as they train in the Jedi Academy their uncle Luke opened. Luke's children never really become prominent characters in the Star Wars extended editions. Neither does Anakin. ObiWan and Yoda are still very present, in spirit of course.