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Character Development for Anakin
by Vonn
Character Development for Anakin
by Vonn
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Now, since the prequels are supposed to be about Anakin, we know his development will continue throughout the next episodes.  Also, since he didn't appear in The Phantom Menace until about the middle of the movie, you'd think that I wouldn't have enough stuff on him.

WRONG!

Anakin poses as the most interesting character to me from the film, and he has TONS of development during his moments.

Anakin is a very complex character to say the least.  We already know what is to become of him, so I won't waste time drawing those parallels.

But, the interesting thing about Anakin is that he has no father!  None.  It even draws you to question if Shmi even told her son how he was born or did she lie to him.  The point is: all his life, Anakin has grown up without a father figure, which automatically sets him apart from his playmates.  It's like a divorce or a death in the family.  In some way or form, it does isolate you and make you different from everyone else.  Dare I suggest, like Jar Jar, Anakin is even an outcast.

Then, one day, these strangers show up in his master's shop.  From the moment he lays eyes on Padmé, you can tell the little boy has a crush on her.  Anakin basically tells Padmé that she is beautiful by calling her an angel and then elaborating on it by saying they are "the most beautiful" creatures ever.

Most people would say that a relationship based on looks would not be a healthy one.  Therefore, Lucas actually strikes up a conversation between Amidala and Anakin that ACTUALLY LASTS UNTIL QUI-GON IS FINISHED WITH WATTO!

Now, correct me if I am wrong, but Anakin is 9 years old.  Amidala is 14.

The fact that a 14-year-old girl would voluntarily hold a conversation with a 9-year-old for that great length of time, especially with a boy who just called her an angel, insists that she had to have been at least somewhat intrigued by this little boy.

"I'm glad to have met you, Anakin," she says with a glowing smile.  Undoubtedly, he made an impression on her.

"I was glad to meet you,too," he answers back.  He even straightens up his back as he calls out to her as though to add more volume to his voice.  From this, it seems apparent that Anakin WANTED her to hear him says this.  Here is this little boy wanting make CERTAIN that this beautiful girl hears his parting compliment.  This is a sure sign that he's quickly developing feelings for her.

To me, at least, it is even believable that Anakin would develop a crush for her and for Padmé to be flattered by it.  It reminds me of younger days, when little boys would develop crushes on their baby-sitters.  But, I guess that is irrelevant.

The role of father in Anakin's life is briefly filled by Watto.  Watto provides Anakin with shelter, food, occasionally gives him the afternoon's off, and allows him to have enough possessions to build things.  A similar description of this was mentioned by Harry Knowles on his own site.  But what Harry has FAILED to notice is the FACT that Watto forces Anakin (a young boy) to podrace (in a sport geared more for adults) for his own profit.  This is to put Watto in the light as what a bad father (or Uncle) is, but this is the only father figure Anakin has had.

Sure, forcing him to podrace doesn't seem like punishment, considering how Anakin says he loves podracing, but this adds even more to Anakin's development.  This shows that Anakin is so innocent that he cannot see the evil of how he is being used by Watto.  Watto doesn't truly care about Anakin.

Anakin threatens Sebulba by saying that if Sebulba did anything rash, he'd end up paying for Anakin.  This provides the knowledge that Watto truly wouldn't shed a tear if Anakin died.  He would only ask for the money.  The fact that Anakin knows this and doesn't seem affected by it also indicates how innocent he is in regards to the machinations around him.

Then, Qui-Gon Jinn arrives into Anakin's life.  Anakin has heard of the Jedi and has even dreamed of being one himself.  It is literally a dream come true for him to actually meet a Jedi in person, especially out on the Outer Rim.

Watch his face as he turns back toward the camera after spying Qui-Gon's "lasersword."  His eyes look perplexed, trying to sort out whether or not what he saw was real.  Even at the dinner table, you can see in Jake Lloyd's performance as taps his finger on the table and talks of podracing that this is weighing heavily on his mind, until suddenly he blurts out, "You're a Jedi Knight, aren't you?"

Stepping back for a moment, you can see again the development of Anakin's feelings for Padmé. He's trying his best to impress Padmé by mentioning podracing, but you can even see on his face the disappointment when she shakes her head, indicating that she's never seen a podrace.  Yet, even after her response, Anakin still tries to impress her by saying, "I'm the only human can do it."

This line serves two purposes.  It establishes Anakin as a "gifted" child.  It also indicates that he wants to impress Padmé with who is, what he can do, even though she has no idea what he's talking about.

Anakin's conversation with Qui-Gon about "no one can kill a Jedi" shows that Anakin has at least heard of the Jedi before and greatly admires them.

Anakin quickly comes up with a plan to help them, but the rushed way he tells it and the way he leans forward over the table to relate the plan indicates that he is anxious to impress the Jedi and Padmé by helping them get the parts they need.  This shows Anakin as having a quick and keen mind for planning and always thinking of others instead of himself.

Fast-forward to where Anakin is working on his pod and the kids come up to him.  To further show that Anakin is an outcast, notice how the only friends that are there with him at the podrace out of that group are Kitster (a boy of different race from the other kids) and Wald (a Rodian, the only alien among them).  It seems only right that Anakin should befriend Jar Jar as well, another outcast.  Notice how in that scene, Anakin only directly spoke with Kitster and maybe Wald, while not responding to anyone else's comments?  Just food for thought, but I think this potentially illustrates just how much of an outcast Anakin is.

It also brings into consideration as to whether Anakin truly built Threepio for his mother or for himself as new friend.  Of course, he wouldn't tell Padmé that he created a friend for himself.  I mean, would you tell a beautiful girl (one you were trying to impress by the way) that you were lonely and created a robot to be your friend?  Before Anakin left with Qui-Gon, he DID say that Threepio had been "a great pal."  The droid originally built to help his mom turned out to be a great pal?  Or was that the original intention altogether?  More stuff to develop in later episodes, I suppose.

Flashing forward to the scene after the race when Padmé embraces Anakin, you can tell from the expression on his face that Anakin certainly enjoyed receiving a hug from Padmé more than he did from his mother.  The fact that he actually got a "hug" out of the girl he was trying to impress helps reveal just how far their relationship is starting to progress.  Sure, to some people a hug is nothing, but to those who are either in love or are caught in a crush, a hug is just one step away from getting a kiss.

Next is the scene that I find EXTREMELY interesting:

When Anakin gives the money to his mother and is told that he is freed, the dialogue in the scene is quite interesting.  Shmi immediately says, "Now you can make your dreams come true.  (To Qui-Gon) Will you take him with you?"

This is an obvious sign that Shmi approves of Qui-Gon taking him to become a Jedi, but Anakin still feels obligated to ask his mother again, "Can I go, Mom?" to which she explains that it is his decision alone.  I find this dialogue interesting because it is redundant.  Shmi gave her son permission, but Anakin still felt obligated to ask.  Lucas did a great job on this scene.  It clearly shows that Anakin has become accustomed to slavery, asking permission to do anything.

But, during those two days that Qui-Gon has been around Anakin, Qui-Gon has filled the role of the good father for him.  And this is a role that Anakin has never known in his entire life.  It's like a father taking his son off to work, or out fishing when the son never had the chance to do it before.  Anakin is overjoyed at the chance to continue on with Qui-Gon, "You mean I get to go with YOU in your starship?"  Though many think the line to corny, it perfectly personifies the father/son relationship, which is vital to Anakin's development and to the common theme throughout the trilogy.  Anakin never was this father to Luke, which is the role that Ben played.

When the royal starship is traveling to Coruscant, Anakin is huddled in corner shivering.

I think this scene kind of lets a reality sink in that we don't usually consider.  This boy just performed a heroic deed, saving the queen and her escorts.  Yet, here he is, this brave boy, huddled in a corner shivering.  This little hero most likely has never been in space before, which makes it interesting considering he will be spending a lot of time in space as Vader.  But, this adds to Anakin's character by showing that he might never have been in space before, and it is signifant and symbolic to show that this little hero is now journeying off into unknown territory.

But, while he is exposed and cold there in the corner, Padmé comes to comfort him by bringing a blanket to keep him warm.

What makes this scene interesting is that it is the first time that these two characters VOCALLY acknowledge that they care for each other.  To me, it is quite touching how innocent Lucas makes the moment.  Usually, when such a scene would occur, you'd expect to hear the theme from Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet (or is it Prokoviev?) suddenly come to life in the background.  Lucas underplays the moment, which makes the scene extremely tender and whimsical instead of overexaggerated and self-important, as other films have done.

Anyway, I may get ostracized for using the word "cute" in conjunction with Star Wars and meaning for it to be a compliment, but one of the cutest scenes I loved in The Phantom Menace had to be where Anakin was on the landing platform and he turned to meet Padmé's eyes, and she smiles back at him.  While the Chancellor is talking importantly with the decoy Queen, Padmé is smiling at a little boy!  Remembering the "innocent" confessions from the previous scene, this isn't any ordinary smile between friends either.  In fact, as I try to write and rewrite this very sentence, I can't even describe what kind of a smile she gives him.  I don't know.  I guess it's a "knowing" smile, since they both now know how they feel about each other.  That's the best way I can put it.  Feelings are weird things.

This leads to the next scene when Anakin goes to tell Padmé goodbye. It just churns my heart when this scene occurs, because Anakin and Padmé just shared a moment together, and now he must say goodbye.  But, the thing that gets me is that by telling the Queen his message to Padmé, he was actually talking to the girl for whom the message was intended.  And when the Queen said "we are sure her heart goes with you," it is really Padmé speaking directly to him from her own heart.  AND HE DOESN'T KNOW IT!

I think this really emphasizes the fairytale beginnings of a relationship that actually grew from a simple chance meeting at Watto's.  In a lot of movies, a guy says something to a girl that she can relate to and instantly they love each other.  Or, in some movies, a guy can say, "If it is only us, seems like an awful waste of space," and end up in bed with Jodie Foster.  To me, that just breaks down a relationship into only saying the right thing at the right time, which I think reduces the significance of the relationship altogether.

With these scenes in the The Phantom Menace, the relationship between Anakin and Amidala actually appeared to grow!  And it will still grow in Episode II.

In the Jedi Council scenes, Harry Knowles complains that Anakin really has no reason to be afraid.  I disagree.  Anakin has heard stories of the Jedi, some true and some maybe not-so-true.  But, regardless of whether your slave master gave you a few days off or not, you're going to be nervous when standing in a circle of people who will decide whether or not your dreams will come true.

Not only does Anakin have to correctly guess the images on the viewscreen, he has to worry about the fact that they know what he's thinking at that moment, how he feels, what all he has done in the past, whether he has been good or bad, and if he makes one mistake, not only will he NOT become a Jedi but he won't even get the chance to train as one.  Needless to say, I'd be scared out of my mind.

We should be able to understand that this is a lot for a 9-yr-old boy to take in.  Remember when he first got on the royal starship and seeing Obi-wan, "You're a Jedi, too?!"

Then he goes to the Jedi Temple and sees the twelve MASTERS!  These are the people of which he'd only heard stories, and now he was standing right before them!  Let's also not forget the fact that it was Anakin's first time to a planet consisting of one giant city.  I certainly would be a little on edge.

In the following Council scenes, since Anakin is present as Qui-Gon defends him against them (like a trial actually), we see the first signs of resentment in Anakin against the Council.  Chances are you remember the look on his face as judgment is passed down on him.  This also shows Anakin's growing trust in Qui-Gon as opposed to the Council.  In Episode II, we may see Anakin following more in Qui-Gon's path than Obi-Wan's because Anakin now sees Qui-Gon as more than a father, but a teacher, a friend, and a guardian.

Fast-forwarding some more to the battle at the hangar, first we seen Qui-Gon giving Anakin some very "parental" advice, "Find a safe place and stay there."  "Sure."  "Stay there," Qui-Gon repeats with an extended finger.

This seems very interesting since in the beginning of a battle we see the strong Jedi warrior Qui-Gon giving kind (but stern) parental guidance to Anakin, as a father would speak to a mischievous son.  Even in the way Anakin says, "Sure," it's almost as though he doesn't mean it, prompting Qui-Gon to repeat his request.

Again, this shows the father/son relationship developing between the two, and it happens again just before Darth Maul appears, when Qui-gon says, "Stay in that cockpit" and gives Anakin that fatherly glance.  I love these two parts!  You can tell that Liam Neeson was having fun with those lines too, all from the way he said them.

When the fighting first erupted in the hangar and Anakin climbed into the cockpit, the camera pauses on Anakin to show that he is watching the battle, and then it switches to a shot of Amidala shooting it out with the soldiers in battle.  I think it is a funny shot, because it shows Anakin looking down on Amidala with NEW eyes.  Not only does he know she's a Queen, but he now sees her out there actually FIGHTING THESE KILLER DROIDS!

I don't mean to put the scene in derogatory terms, but it is like he's sitting there in the cockpit thinking, "That's my girl!  And, she's mopping the floor with those droids!"  Well, probably not like that, but that's the feeling I get from those two shots.

And then Anakin takes off into the sky.  It makes an inspiring parallel how Anakin fights for Naboo in the stars while his future girlfriend, Amidala, fights for Naboo on land.  On a sidenote, I really look forward to seeing this crop up again in Episode II, and it most likely will.  These two characters seem like they were born for each other.

Which brings me to the last part of Anakin's development in The Phantom Menace.  After meeting the first good fatherly figure ever in his entire life, one who protected him when he was in danger...freed him from slavery...carried him away from home and across the galaxy to make his dreams come true, Qui-Gon Jinn is killed in battle by Darth Maul.  The one man who truly believed that Anakin was something more than just a slave or any other boy is killed, leaving him stranded far away from home and unsure as to what is going to happen next.

Several people say that they didn't cry over Qui-Gon's death, but as for myself, I DID shed a tear when Anakin asked of Obi-Wan, "What's going to happen to me now?"

This one line indicates that (please pardon the stereotypical reference) Anakin has become 'lil orphan Annie.  He can only go home, but has no way to get there.  He is only a child, and the one who was protecting him is burning right before his eyes.

At this point, Anakin's crying subsides somewhat as he continues to gaze on the burning pyre.  Considering that Anakin bore witness to Obi-Wan calling him dangerous, and throughout the movie they weren't showing a friendship by any means, most likely, Anakin probably thought that Obi-Wan hated him or at least thought he was too much of a problem.  This is shown through Anakin's words to Qui-Gon after the confrontation, "Qui-gon, sir, I don't want to be a problem."

Certainly, Anakin must have felt a little relieved not only in finding out that he will indeed become a Jedi but that Obi-Wan was finally speaking to him as though he weren't entirely dangerous, almost even in a friendly/consoling tone.

The scene at the pyre very much reminds me of Luke's line in A New Hope, where he says about his father, "I wish I had known him," and then later in Return of the Jedi, when Luke only gets to speak to his father for the first time, lasting about two minutes before he dies.  The family history of the Skywalkers is one of perpetual sadness.  The Star Wars saga is a tragedy.