Quotes from George Lucas:
MOYERS: Do you know yet what, in a future episode, is going to transform Anakin Skywalker to the Dark Side?
LUCAS: Yes, I know what that is. The groundwork has been laid in this episode. The film is ultimately about the dark side and the light side, and those sides are designed around compassion and greed. The issue of greed, of getting things and owning things and having things and not being able to let go of things, is the opposite of compassion -- of not thinking of yourself all the time. These are the two sides -- the good force and the bad force. They're the simplest parts of a complex cosmic construction.
MOYERS: I think it's going to be very hard for the audience to accept that this innocent boy, Anakin Skywalker, can ever be capable of the things that we know happen later on. I think about Hitler and wonder what he looked like at nine years old.
LUCAS: There are a lot of people like that. And that's what I wonder. What is it in the human brain that gives us the capacity to be as evil as human beings have been in the past and are right now?
MOYERS: You've been probing that for a while now. Have you come to any conclusion?
LUCAS: I haven't. I think it comes out of a rationale of doing certain things and denying to yourself that you're actually doing them. If people were really to sit down and honestly look at themselves and the consequences of their actions, they would try to live their lives a lot differently...
MOYERS: I'm not a psychologist, I'm just a journalist, but it does seem to me there's something autobiographical with Luke Skywalker and his father -- something of George Lucas in there.
LUCAS: Oh, yes. There is, definitely. You write from your own emotions. And obviously there are two sides to the redeemer motif in the Star Wars films. Ultimately Vader is redeemed by his children and especially by having children. Because that's what life is all about -- procreating and raising children, and it should bring out the best of you.
MOYERS: So while Star Wars is about cosmic, galactic, epic struggles, it's at heart about a family?
LUCAS: And a hero. Most myths center on a hero, and it's about how you conduct yourself as you go through the hero's journey, which in all classical myth takes the form of a voyage of transformation by trials and revelations. You must let go of your past and must embrace your future and figure out what path you're going to go down.
MOYERS: Ultimately, isn't Star Wars about transformation?
LUCAS: It will be about how young Anakin Skywalker became evil and then was redeemed by his son. But it's also about the transformation of how his son came to find the call and then ultimately realize what it was. Because Luke works intuitively through most of the original trilogy until he gets to the very end. And it's only in the last act -- when he throws his sword down and says, "I'm not going to fight this"-- that he makes a more conscious, rational decision. And he does it at the risk of his life because the Emperor is going to kill him. It's only that way that he is able to redeem his father. It's not as apparent in the earlier movies, but when you see the next trilogy, then you see the issue is, How do we get Darth Vader back? How do we get him back to that little boy that he was in the first movie, that good person who loved and was generous and kind? Who had a good heart.
-- "Of Myth and Men", Time Magazine, April 26, 1999 (Source: Time.com)
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"Phantom Menace was done really to determine that Anakin was a good person, good heart, nice kid. We're not talking here about an evil little monster child -- we're talking about this great kid just like we all start out as, or [we] think we start out as."
"In Episode II," Lucas says, "the issue then becomes, what is it in Anakin's personality that makes him turn bad? What is his flaw? He has a couple. The groundwork is put forward in this movie (Attack of the Clones) much more clearly."
"What brought me back to finish the whole thing off was the question of why, and how, Darth Vader became evil. The whole reason for going back and doing the back story on Star Wars is that there is an evolution from this very good person, very kind person, very loving person into something that one would describe as evil."
"What Luke sees in Darth Vader at the end of Return of the Jedi is something that I thought was worth understanding: the idea that Darth actually was a very good person," Lucas says. "Except he's slightly more powerful than other people and when you get into that situation, your ability to do evil is much easier to come by.
"But the issues Darth struggles with as he grows older are the same issues that everybody struggles with, the fact that sometimes they don't consider the consequences of what they're doing because it's not expedient."
-- "Flaws in a Good Heart," by Hugh Hart, Calendar Live on LATimes.com, January 20, 2002 (Source: calendarlive.com)
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"The Phantom Menace was really about determining that Anakin started out as a good kid," says Lucas. "With Episode II the issue then becomes what makes him turn bad. The groundwork is put forward in this movie.
"The whole reason I've gone back and done the backstory on Star Wars is there is this evolution from this good person into something evil," says the film-maker. "I base the films on the idea that the Force has two sides, good and evil, and they both need to be there. Everything is built on the push-pull tension created by the two sides of the equation."
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We know that Anakin has a complex backstory. What about other characters throughout the saga? How important is it to give them such a backstory?
I've said this a few times, but it's a complex idea that's hard to get across. I'm approaching these films, for better or worse, like a symphony. I have a lot of themes that I keep repeating over and over again through the whole thing. Different notes and different instrumentation, but when you see all six movies together you'll see that there's a lot of recurring notes being played. Sometimes they're played with the oboe, and sometimes they're played with the violin, and sometimes they're played with a full orchestra. And it's done on purpose. And it's also done in different facets. It's something I toyed with in my very first film, THX, which is to take various ideas and show different aspects of them, but out of context.
It's hard to explain exactly how that works, but it's like painting different views of the same thing and putting them on the same piece of paper...a sort of Cubist idea. But in this particular saga, it's a much more symphonic idea. So it's an idea of having themes that go through, and you're telting a big story and you use these themes over and over again. So you're going to find that there's a lot of similarity between what Anakin goes through and what Luke goes through. They follow the same path. And it's a similar situation with some of the other characters such as Boba Fett.
I've heard people talking about how Anakin is kind of cursed by his own goodness, or his good qualities. Is that a fair assessment?
I wouldn't say that's true. He's cursed by the same flaws, and issues that he has to overcome, that all humans are cursed with. There's a lot going on there.
It must be a real challenge to facilitate the transformation from the kid we saw in Episode I to the Darth Vader that we see in Episode IV.
The whole point is -- and the reason I started the story where I did -- is that Anakin is a normal, good kid. And how does somebody who is normal and good turn bad? What are the qualities, what is it that we all have within us that will turn us bad?
-- George Lucas Interview - The Story Comes First, January 15, 2002 (Source: StarWars.com)
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"In the backdrop of [The Phantom Meance] you have Anakin Skywalker, a young boy, who is destined to be a very significant player in bringing balance back to the Force and the Republic.
"In the second film, we get into more of that turmoil...it's Anakin Skywalker beginning to deal with some of his more intense emotions -- anger, hatred, sense of loss, possessiveness, jealousy, and the other things he's coping with. Then, we will get to the third film, where he is seduced to the Dark Side.
"Which brings us up to films IV, V, and VI, where Anakin's offspring redeem him, and allow him to fulfill the prophecy, where he brings balance to the Force, by doing away with the Sith and getting rid of evil in the universe."
-- from the Episode II preview on the re-release of Star Wars, Episode IV: A New Hope, November 2000
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"The part I am working on now is mostly about Darth Vader, who he is, where he came from, how he became Luke and Leia's father, what his relationship to Ben is. In Jedi, the film is really about the Redemption of this fallen angel. Ben is the fitting good angel, and Vader is the bad angel who started off good. All these years Ben has been waiting for Luke to come of age so that he can become a Jedi and redeem his father. That's what Ben has been doing, but you don't know this in the first film."
-- Star Wars: The Annotated Screenplays, "Return of the Jedi," by Laurent Bouzerou, Page 271, 1997
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"Anakin's flaws, like [those of] all classic mythological heroes, are the same issues everybody struggles with," says director George Lucas. "That allows him to be human."
-- Hayden's Star Wars Woes, TV Guide, May 16, 2002 (Source: TV Guide Online)
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"In this film, you begin to see that he has a fear of losing things, a fear of losing his mother, and as a result, he wants to begin to control things, he wants to become powerful, and these are not Jedi traits," he said. "And part of these are because he was starting to be trained so late in life, that he'd already formed these attachments. And for a Jedi, attachment is forbidden."
-- George Lucas: Mapping the Mythology, CNN, May 8, 2002 (Source: CNN.com)
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Talking about how future generations will view the Star Wars series, Lucas says that if you start with Star Wars, then "[Vader]'s just the villain, and that's it. But you don't realise that he's a human being, that he's got problems; [you don't realise] that he could have been saved, that he was tricked and can be resurrected."
-- Lucas Confirms Clones Trailer Date, Empire Online, February 10, 2001 (Source: Empire Online)
From Hayden Christensen:
We want to know: When does Anakin turn bad? In "Episode II"?
"Episode III." He shows glimpses of the dark side in this one, but it's not until "Episode III" that he really reveals his new self.
-- "Psst: Darth Vader still lives with his mommy," by Michele Hatty, USA Today, October 28, 2001 (Source: USA Today)
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"Anakin is still essentially good in this movie (Attack of the Clones) but there are hints of the dark forces invading his life."
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"Like Anakin, we all have to make choices, following instinct, reasoning and our heart. We're continually being presented with influences, sometimes very opposing ones, that motivate us and affect our decisions. Hopefully we choose wisely."
-- "Flaws in a Good Heart," by Hugh Hart, Calendar Live on LATimes.com, January 20, 2002 (Source: calendarlive.com)
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"I think it's difficult for Anakin because he understands that as a Jedi, he is not allowed to fall in love," Christensen says. "There's these conflicting emotions. He feels very passionately about becoming a great Jedi, but at the same time, he feels so passionately for Padmé. It's that confusion that really causes him all of his anxiety in this film.
"And it really allows you to feel for his struggle much more," adds the Life as a House star. "I think most people would make some of the same choices Anakin does."
Star Wars fans also glimpse the events that lead up to Anakin turning against teacher Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor). "He loves Obi-Wan because he is sort of a father figure for him," Christensen explains. "Growing up, he had no parental influences really, so Obi-Wan has taken that place for him. [Yet] there still is that resistance... It's the struggle of the good side and the dark side. We all deal with that."
-- Hayden's Star Wars Woes, TV Guide, May 16, 2002 (Source: TV Guide Online)
From R.A. Salvatore (Author, Attack of the Clones Novel):
"[Anakin and Amidala's] relationship is very complex. Here's a guy we know is heading for darkness. I was afraid that the turnover for Anakin was gonna be just a simple thing. People don't snap like that and go over to the dark side. Maybe they have temporary rage, but they don't become Darth Vader because of that. But with Anakin, there's a LOT more to it. That's the real beauty of it. She's a big part in what's going on in him. It's all with the best intentions, they're just misplaced. I think that was a nice touch with the script."
-- "R.A. Salvatore Half Completes Episode II Novelization," StarWars.com's Homing Beacon, March 2001 (Source:
From the Official Site:
Homeworld: TatooineSpecies: HumanGender: MaleWeapon: lightsaber
Affiliation: Jedi Height: 1.35 meters as a child, 1.85 meters as an adult
Vehicle: Radon-Ulzer 620C Podracer, N-1 starfighter, hotrod speeder
A child born of prophecy, possibly conceived by the will of the Force itself, Anakin Skywalker has left an indelible mark on the history of the galaxy, leading it through periods of lightness and dark.
A child slave on Tatooine, Anakin and his mother Shmi were sold by their owner, Gardulla the Hutt, to the unscrupulous Toydarian junkdealer Watto. While in Watto's employ, Anakin learned valuable mechanical and technical skills. He earned the reputation of being able to fix anything. So technicaly inclined was he that at the young age of nine, he cobbled together a working protocol droid -- C-3PO -- to help his mother.
Anakin was a kind, selfless child. He had no thoughts of greed or malice in him. Though that is not to say the boy was docile. When his adrenaline surged, Anakin had an aggressive competitive streak. Anakin's participation in the foolhardy sport of Podracing is testament to this.
Anakin Skywalker is the only known human capable of handling the extreme speeds of Podracing. His small frame allowed him to sit in the tiny cockpit, and his superhuman reflexes gave him the advantage he needed to keep up with alien competitors better suited to the sport. Anakin's reflexes were actually the product of Force-intuition -- the boy could see events before they happened, and respond to them in kind.
Anakin's sensitivity to the Force and his racing talents caused him to cross paths with the Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and the young Naboo royal, Queen Amidala. They were fugitives from the Trade Federation blockade of Naboo that desperately needed passage to Coruscant. In order to win the needed parts for their damaged vessel, Anakin figured into a cleverly crafted wager that depended on the outcome of the Boonta Eve Classic Podrace.
Anakin pitted his racing talents against the scheming Dug Podracer, Sebulba. The young boy ultimately bested the treacherous alien, winning not only the race and the needed starship parts, but also his freedom. He also garnered the attention and admiration of Queen Amidala, who was disguised as a simple handmaiden at the time. Despite their age difference -- she was fourteen and he, nine -- he professed someday that they would marry and carried a devoted crush on her.
Unfortunately, Anakin was unable to win his mother's freedom. Qui-Gon sensed incredible Force potential in the boy, and Anakin's bloodstream held a record number of midi-chlorians. When he departed with Qui-Gon to proceed with his Jedi training, Anakin was forced to leave his mother behind. Although a new life of adventure awaited him offworld, his thoughts dwelled on the kind and quiet Shmi.
Qui-Gon Jinn believed Anakin to be the Chosen One spoken of in an ancient prophecy, the one who would bring balance to the Force. The Jedi Council was reluctant to train the boy, feeling his future to be clouded and that Anakin was too old to begin Jedi training.
After the liberation of Naboo -- wherein Anakin bravely piloted a starfighter into the heart of the Trade Federation Droid Control Ship -- the Council rescinded its original decision, and allowed Obi-Wan Kenobi to take Anakin as his Padawan learner.
Over the next decade, the two forged a strong bond. Under Obi-Wan's careful guidance, Anakin became a confident, headstrong 20-year old with an impulsive nature and a flair for adventure. His reckless ways would often wear down even Obi-Wan's patience, but the two were close friends. In many ways, Anakin looked to Obi-Wan as the father figure he never had.
Anakin and Obi-Wan were assigned to protect Padmé Amidala, who was now Senator of Naboo, from assassination attempts possibly linked to Separatists threatening the Republic. It was the first time Anakin and Padmé had seen each other in a decade. He had thought of her everyday since their last parting, but she seemed aloof and far too occupied with the more important matters at hand.
This was a challenge to Anakin. Had he been schooled in the Jedi ways from infancy, he would have had a tighter rein on his emotions. Instead, his mind was preoccupied with thoughts of Padmé or thoughts of his mother. He had not mastered the detachment so necessary to the Jedi order.
When he was assigned to escort Senator Amidala to Naboo, where she would be sequestered from further attacks while the Jedi investigated the situation, Anakin could barely contain his emotions. In the quiet solitude amid the beautiful surroundings of a hidden Naboo lake retreat, the affectionate friendship and deeper emotions shared by Padmé and Anakin began to grow.
It was Padmé who remained pragmatic in the face of rising emotions. The two had other, larger commitments -- he to the Jedi order, she to the Republic. There was simply no time to indulge their desires.
One night, Anakin was overcome with nightmares about his mother. Defying the strict orders given him by Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin left Naboo to return to Tatooine and seek out Shmi Skywalker. Padmé accompanied him to Mos Espa, where he discovered that his mother had been freed by a moisture farmer named Cliegg Lars. Visiting the Lars Homestead, Anakin also learned terrible news. His mother had been attacked by Sand People, and she had been missing for a month.
Anakin searched the desert for Shmi, finding her in a Tusken encampment. Sneaking into her guarded hut, Anakin freed her broken form and cradled her body as she died. Again Anakin's emotions boiled out of control. He was possessed with a dark rage that controlled his very actions. Anakin brandished his lightsaber and emerged from the tent.
He slaughtered the entire encampment. Every single Tusken Raider man, woman and child died by his hand. But even that did not sate his rage. He still felt a deep hatred toward all of them.
Anakin returned to the Lars Homestead with his mother's body. In private, he confessed his actions to Padmé. Shamed at his actions and inability to save his mother, Anakin collapsed, sobbing at what he did. Padmé comforted him as much as she could.
A quiet funeral was held at the Lars Homestead. Anakin said his final farewell to Shmi, promising that he would never fail her again. Someday, he knew, he would be powerful enough to not fail those whom he loved. Perhaps someday, he could even stop people from dying.
Anakin and Padmé next voyaged to Geonosis, where Obi-Wan's investigations had taken him. Kenobi had been captured by Separatist forces, and Anakin sought to rescue him. Sneaking into a droid foundry on the planet, Anakin barely escaped the dangerous machines of the assembly line. He and Padmé were eventually captured, and joined Kenobi in an execution arena. Faced with overwhelming evidence of her mortality, Padmé lowered her emotional guard and professed her love to Anakin, a love he was willing to return regardless of the consequences.
The Jedi and Padmé were able to escape certain death from the dangerous beasts unleashed by their Geonosian executioners. The spectacle was cut short with the arrival of Jedi reinforcements, and then the opening battle of the historic Clone Wars.
Obi-Wan and Anakin attempted to intercept Count Dooku, mastermind of the Separatists, before he escaped to foment even further rebellion against the Republic. In a darkened hangar, the two confronted Dooku. Though Obi-Wan insisted they work together, headstrong Anakin rushed into the fray. Dooku nearly incapacitated him with a powerful blast of dark side lightning.
Obi-Wan was forced to face Dooku alone, but the elder Jedi Master was cleary the more-skilled combatant. He wounded Kenobi, and was ready to deliver the deathblow, but Anakin jumped in to intercept. Dooku and Skywalker dueled with fierce energy, but Dooku proved far too powerful for even the Chosen One. The renegade Jedi slashed through Anakin's parries and severed the youth's arm. Anakin collapsed, but was spared death by the timely arrival of Jedi Master Yoda, who battled Dooku.
After a brief convalesence wherein Anakin's severed arm was replaced with a mechanical one, he accompanied Senator Amidala back to Naboo. There, at a secluded lake retreat, the two were secretly wed by a Naboo holyman in a ceremony witnessed only by C-3PO and R2-D2. It may have been the start of a new life, but it was another step to Anakin's eventual destruction.
As turmoil engulfed the galaxy during the transition from Republic to Empire, Anakin fell to the dark side of the Force. Consumed by evil, Anakin abandoned his past and his humanity. He became Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, apprentice to the evil Emperor Palpatine.
Sustaining grievous injuries at the hands of his former master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Vader required cybernetic enhancements and replacements to sustain him. His pure innocent self seemingly lost forever, Darth Vader cast a dark pall over the galaxy, as he was one of the foremost agents responsible for the elimination of the Jedi order.
But Obi-Wan survived long enough to begin the training of Luke Skywalker -- Anakin's son -- in the path of the Jedi. The young Skywalker sought to turn his father away from the grip of the dark side. In the end, Luke stirred the spirit of Anakin that dwelled deep within the black armor, and Anakin turned against his master. Anakin killed Emperor Palpatine, but was mortally wounded in the attempt.
Aboard the second Death Star at the Battle of Endor, Anakin Skywalker lay dying. He asked his son to remove his life-sustaining helmet, so that he could look upon his long lost son with his own eyes. Having saved his son's life, and reclaimed his soul from the dark side, Anakin died and became one with the Force. His spectral form looked upon his two children -- the twins Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa -- during the celebration at Endor.
-- StarWars.com: Databank, Character, Skywalker, Anakin - The Movies (Source: StarWars.com)
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Initial concept sketches of young Anakin had him be a bit older -- around 12 years old -- until Lucas revised the storyline to be set during Anakin's ninth year. The gravity of Anakin's departure from his mother is made all the more powerful by his young age.
-- StarWars.com: Databank, Character, Skywalker, Anakin - Behind the Scenes (Source: StarWars.com)
