I'm in love with a future Sith Lord.
I'm over 30, I have a graduate degree, and I'm no bleeding heart. So what makes this character so appealing to me, despite knowing his dark destiny?
Sure, I've always liked Darth Vader and I have long since found his progression from scary villain to redeemed tragic hero interesting. It was fascinating, if not a bit sad, to see that he began life as a humble slave on Tatooine. But I never expected his light-side alter ego, Anakin Skywalker, to intrigue me the way he does now. More so than any other character in the Star Wars milieu, Anakin is a puzzle, an enigma. You could probably publish an entire psychology journal about the man and still not quite feel like you've answered every question he raises.
Nevertheless, Attack of the Clones is an important key in revealing much about this complex character as his cheerful façade as a child in The Phantom Menace gives way to the troubled youth on the brink of manhood in Episode II. Attack of the Clones makes it very clear Anakin is at a crossroads in his life and the decisions he makes are crucial to not only himself but to the entire galaxy. For this reason, Clones shows Anakin at his absolute worst -- the Tusken Raider massacre -- and at his absolute best -- a skilled and talented Jedi Knight, a devoted friend, and a lover who leaves his heart's fate in his beloved's hands.
Anakin is a true rarity in the movies, an open and passionate male character. In fact he is probably the most emotional character in the entire saga. It truly is something to see that Darth Vader once had a lust for life and adventure which might not have made him an ideal Jedi but it does make him an intriguing, even sympathetic, person. The needs and desires he has are those that we all have: for love, for approval from our elders, for justice, for happiness. To experience all the universe has to offer. His needs and desires are amplified by unaddressed issues dating back to his childhood in slavery. Indeed there is nothing halfway about him; whatever he pursues he does wholeheartedly. It is this characteristic that allows him to love with all of his being but the very same characteristic makes him a ruthless opponent, one you would never want to cross.
Despite the edgier aspects of his personality, Anakin possesses a guileless charm. He's the gallant knight of fairy tale and myth but still has the mischievous nature of youth. His courtly behavior toward Padmé is very old-fashioned but his respect for her wishes, her intelligence, and her abilities is quite modern. He's sincere and a hopeless romantic. What could be a more appealing combination than that?
It is ironic that depite his semi-divine origins and his powerful connection to the Force, he is fraught with vulnerabilities. Yet it is those vulnerabilities that make him accessible to the audience because they make him more like us. He is emotinally vulnerable when he pursues Padmé; for all of his talents and powers he still fumbles for the right words to say to her. He desperately wants Obi-Wan's approval and indirectly, that of the Council. He still deeply misses his mother and fears for her, though he hasn't seen her in years. Palpatine has long since recognized these vulnerabilities and as of Attack of the Clones, is clearly manipulating them. We have sympathized with his struggle since childhood and it's a poignant reality that in some ways Anakin hasn't had much of a chance avoiding the inevitable from the moment of his discovery. He is a pawn in a game of destiny and prophecy, a game he doesn't completely understand. It is natural for us to want things to work out for Anakin, for him to rise above the unfortunate circumstances of his life.
Thus it is heartbreaking to see Anakin go down in flames because of love, or more specifically, his inability to fully accept the greatest risk that comes with love, and that is loss. As a result he loses everything he has ever sought: his desire for love leads to loneliness and isolation; his desire for approval from others leads to hatred and fear from those around him; his wish to "stop people from dying" ends in the slaughter of millions; his desire for justice leads to a brutally oppressive totalitarian regime; his desire for control ends in servitude to the cruelest and darkest master of them all. The fact it didn't have to happen and it happens to one so young and so full of promise is a powerful twist.
It is too easy for those who know Anakin's ulitmate fate to look only to his faults. Not only are they then missing why his redemption was necessary and possible in Return of the Jedi, but they are also missing out on realizing why he's so interesting in the first place. Had Anakin been nothing but evil to begin with, then there's no need for the prequels at all because there would have been no story to tell.
Besides anyone halfway honest with himself or herself can recognize a little bit of him within ourselves and can learn from his tragic path. I recognize my own struggles with frustrations and disappointments in life in Anakin and how the anger from all that could eat away at you if you let it. Sometimes I think back to the confession scene and say to myself, "Am I going to dwell on things I can't control or just deal with it?"
Nevertheless, while Anakin's human frailities lead him to the dark side, he is redeemed by love. Star Wars' greatest message is if there's hope for someone who has lived a life of evil for decades, there's hope for everyone, and Anakin is the messenger.
