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Anakin Skywalker
Biographical information
Homeworld	Unknown; raised on Tatooine
Date of birth	41.9 BBY
Date of death	4 ABY
Physical description
Species	Human (cyborg)
Gender	Male
Height	1.85 meters
Hair color	Brown, previously blond
Eye color	Blue
Chronological and political information
Era(s)	Rise of the Empire era, Rebellion era
Affiliation	Jedi, Galactic Republic

"... And in the time of greatest despair, there shall come a savior, and he shall be known as: THE SON OF THE SUNS."

— Journal of the Whills, 3:127

"He is the Chosen One. You must see it."

— Qui-Gon Jinn

Anakin Skywalker was the son of Shmi Skywalker, the husband of Senator Padmé Amidala, and the father of Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa.

He was a legendary Jedi Knight in the waning days of the Jedi Order, as well as a General in the Grand Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars.

Anakin was discovered on Tatooine by Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn at the age of nine, and was trained in the ways of the Force by Obi-Wan Kenobi.

During his training, he was slowly swayed to the dark side of the Force by his own arrogance, recklessness, and fear of loss, as well as by the Sith Lord Darth Sidious. He eventually took on the mantle of Dark Lord of the Sith, becoming Darth Vader shortly before the formation of the Galactic Empire.

Early life

"You should be very proud of your son. He gives without any thought of reward."

— Qui-Gon Jinn

Anakin was born in 42 BBY on an unknown world, possibly Tatooine, the planet he was raised on from around the age of three years old. His mother, Shmi Skywalker, claimed that her son was born without a father, though she could not explain how it had happened. Qui-Gon Jinn interpreted this as being part of a prophecy about the Chosen One who would, in a time of great darkness, come forth and "bring balance to the Force". The wise Jedi Master suggested that Anakin may have been conceived by the midi-chlorians, especially since Anakin had a midi-chlorian count of over 20,000; even greater than that of Jedi Grand Master Yoda. Much later on, it was suspected that Sith Lord Darth Plagueis, who claimed could influence the midi-chlorians to create life, was behind Anakin's conception, though this has never been proven.

Childhood and discovery

"Clouded, this boy's future is."

— Yoda

At the age of three, Anakin and his mother became the slaves of the vile Gardulla the Hutt. Years later, he and his mother were lost in a Podracing bet to a curmudgeonly Toydarian junk shop owner named Watto. When Qui-Gon Jinn and Padmé Amidala encountered him, he was a kind, selfless nine-year old in service to Watto, who had won the Skywalkers from Gardulla the Hutt on a podracing bet nearly seven years earlier. Even at a young age, Anakin had a reputation for being able to build or repair anything. This was evidenced by the creation of his own protocol droid, C-3PO, as well as a podracer, each constructed from salvaged parts, and both completed by the time he was nine. A child prodigy, Anakin excelled at mathematics and engineering.

Anakin was also daring and adventurous as a child. He would often risk his own well being to help those who needed it with little forethought or regard for the consequences of his actions. When he was only 5 years old, Anakin scaled an immense dune to chase a herd of banthas away from hunters, despite almost collapsing from exhaustion several times. A short time before the Boonta Eve Classic Podrace, Anakin, his friend Kitster Banai, and several other youths narrowly avoided a run-in with Gardulla. Hearing of children who had been captured and imprisoned by Sebulba in hopes of being sold to Gardulla the Hutt, Anakin and his friends disguised themselves as Jawas, snuck into Gardulla's estate, and freed the Ghostling children. This trait would prove to be one of the defining characteristics of Anakin's personality.

At only about eight years of age, Anakin had his first unpleasant experience with the Sith. While rummaging through Watto's junk heap, he located an ancient war droid. In hopes of recovering a holoprojector for Watto, Anakin incidentally activated a disturbing holograph, drowned in cries and screams and the strange mention of the word, Sith. Perplexed, Anakin rushed to the stranded Republic Fighter Corps. member who'd told him earlier of the angels on the moons of Iego. The spacer, in shock, told him of the 4000 year old wrath of the Sith and how they eventually turned inward and fought each other to their doom. He spoke of the belief that one Sith Lord had survived and extended the order's existance to this day. Little did Anakin know that such rumors would play a large part very soon in his life.

Leaving Tatooine

"He is the Chosen One... he will... bring balance... train him."

— Qui-Gon Jinn to Obi-Wan Kenobi

Qui-Gon Jinn was able to win Anakin's freedom based on a clever wager that entered the boy in a podrace. Normally, Humans lacked the fast reactions needed to operate such a tremendously high-speed land vehicle. However, Anakin's latent Force sensitivity manifested in the form of limited prescience, which gave the impression that the boy had lightning-fast reflexes.

Although Anakin was freed, Qui-Gon was unable to secure Shmi's release as well. Even after the crisis in which Anakin and his new companions were entangled ended victoriously in the Battle of Naboo, neither the Jedi nor the Republic made any effort to emancipate her. Anakin's duties as a Jedi prevented him from freeing his mother himself, though she eventually obtained her freedom from Watto through the aid of a moisture farmer named Cliegg Lars.

Kenobi was also amazed in Anakin's unprecedented midiclorian count and strong force potential, but initially disagreed on the need to train him, believing the boy was already too old and had acquired too many emotional attachments to become a Jedi.

The revelation of Anakin's gifts cemented Qui-Gon Jinn's belief that he was indeed the Chosen One, though many on the Jedi Council were skeptical. Qui-Gon asked the Council to allow him to train Anakin as his student, after his current apprentice, Obi-Wan, completed the trials. This request was denied—Anakin was much older than usual, and the Council was concerned that his prior experiences would interfere with his training. In particular, he exhibited much fear and anger, left over from his days as a slave, and further compounded by the separation from his mother and home. They believed he would simply not be able to master the level of emotional detachment required by a member of the order. With nowhere to go on Coruscant, and no way to get back to Tatooine, Anakin followed his new friends on their mission to free Naboo.

Ultimately, Anakin ended up fighting in the Battle of Naboo, in the vicious starfighter battle above the planet. He helped to lead Naboo and Gungan forces to victory over the Trade Federation by single-handedly destroying the orbital Droid Control Ship, thus rendering the Trade Federation's ground forces inactive. However the celebration was tainted with the death of Qui-Gon Jinn, slain by the Sith Lord Darth Maul. Qui-Gon's dying wish was for Obi-Wan to take up Anakin's training.

Kenobi felt he could not refuse and took it upon himself to train Anakin. Anakin's heroic efforts during the battle, combined with Qui-Gon's last wish, changed the Council's opinion, and reluctantly they allowed Obi-Wan to begin Anakin's training - though quietly the Council was concerned that Anakin was too difficult a student for young Obi-Wan to handle.

Meanwhile, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine promised Anakin that he would watch the young Jedi's career with great interest. This would be the beginning of a long friendship between the young Jedi and the new ruler of the Republic.

Another politician, Padmé Amidala, was one of Anakin's first glimpses of the Galaxy beyond Tatooine. He was fascinated with her as a child, and as he grew to adolescence, this developed into a tragically flawed romance. They would eventually have two children, Luke and Leia, both of whom later became central figures in the Rebellion and New Republic eras.

Adolescence

"His abilities have made him... well, arrogant."

— Obi-Wan Kenobi

As a young adult, Anakin developed as arrogant and somewhat socially awkward, doubtless in part because of his rapid transition from scrapyard slave to rising star of the Jedi Order. His natural abilities placed him leaps and bounds above his peers, and this fed his ego as well as distancing himself from other learners of his age. He frequently showed off, chafed against authority, and displayed little respect for Obi-Wan, whom he partially viewed as inferior. Despite this perception, he did state that Obi-Wan was like a father to him and he claimed he had the wisdom of Master Yoda and the power of Master Windu, but this praise may have been just another expression of Anakin's own arrogance, as he amended that he himself was "beyond" Kenobi in many ways and felt he was holding him back. His relationship with his master was complicated. Frustrated, he would turn to another mentor for advice.

Anakin's early friendship with Palpatine continued, with the Chancellor lending Anakin a sympathetic ear, and saying things to further fuel his pride, such as:

"I foresee you will become the greatest of all the Jedi, Anakin. Even more powerful than Master Yoda."

— Palpatine

Anakin also found found friends and rivals in fellow padawans Tru Veld, Ferus Olin,and Darra Thel-Tanis.

About three years into his training, Anakin and Obi-Wan had their first mission together to investigate cult leader Kad Chun. The next mission they took was to the living planet of Zonama Sekot to find Jedi Knight Vergere, who had recently vanished on a mission there. Unbeknownst to them, Wilhuff Tarkin and Raith Sienar had followed them to exploit Zonama Sekot's ability to fuse organic and high-tech into starfighters quickly. On the planet, the colonists sold "seed-partners" which bonded with their hosts and allowed the planet to customize a starfighter for the individual. Anakin attracted many more seed-partners than anyone, and he named his new ship Jabitha. When Tarkin and Sienar arrived, the planet revealed its sentient consciousness to the Jedi, explaining that Vergere had left with the mysterious "Far Outsiders" in order to protect Zonama Sekot. Anakin and Obi-Wan could not rescue her, but they could stop Tarkin's attack.

In a fit of rage, Anakin telekinetically burned Tarkin's Blood Carver bodyguard from the inside out. This worried Obi-Wan. Anakin was captured, however, and brought before Tarkin. But Obi-Wan destroyed Tarkin's flagship, and Zonama Sekot activated it's planetary hyperdrive. Zonama Sekot vanished for the unknown regions.

Sienar and Tarkin returned to the Republic, but Jabitha died, away from her creator. Obi-Wan and Anakin returned to Coruscant.

Anakin constructed his first lightsaber in the caves of Ilum, and soon he and Obi-Wan were sent to apprehend Krayn, a notorious slaver. Anakin used his anger from being a slave to burn a hole through Krayn's chest, his second kill in anger.

Adult life

Reunited with Padmé

"Ani? My goodness, you've grown."

— Padmé Amidala

After an attempt on her life, Anakin was assigned to guard Padmé Amidala, now the Senator of Naboo. Anakin had not seen her in ten years, though he thought about her every day since their parting at Naboo. His childhood fascination with her had turned into a powerful infatuation. In conversation, he revealed his affection for her, a distrust of the political process, and his view of the need for one strong leader. He fell in love with Padmé, and, eventually, she with him. Both seemed entranced with the other and their different social castes, though Padmé had foresight enough to know their current situations would not allow for a relationship between them. Anakin's pursuit of this relationship was in violation of Jedi tradition, which held that although Jedi were not required to be celibate, they were to avoid attachment to all but the Force itself.

Anakin suffered recurring nightmares about his mother, Shmi, and went against the spirit of his orders to guard Padmé by bringing her to Tatooine to find Shmi. After speaking to Cliegg Lars, the moisture farmer who had freed and married Shmi in the years since Anakin had been away, he found that she had been carried off by Sandpeople, and set out in pursuit on a swoop bike. The young Jedi discovered their camp beyond the B'Thazoshe Bridge, and slipped into the tent that contained his mother, most likely locating her with his Jedi senses. Battered, sleep-deprived, and dehydrated, Shmi Skywalker died in his arms, presumably of massive cardiac failure.

"I killed them. I killed them all. They're dead. Every single one of them. And not just the men, but the women, and the children too! They're like animals, and I slaughtered them like animals! I hate them!"

— Anakin Skywalker

Anakin allowed the shock of her death to catalyze an explosion of his long-nursed anger and selfishness. He flew into a rage, killing everyone present—even, as he confessed to Padmé later, "the women and children." A number of Jedi, including the deceased Qui-Gon Jinn, sensed the shock of this massacre, amplified by Anakin's powerful Force presence bordering the dark side. His acts of hatred led to that specific area of Tatooine to become a location of darkness, corrupting the creatures that lived nearby, much like that of the former world of Malachor V. Padmé was clearly troubled by what he had done, but had invested herself too much in him to be truly repulsed; she tried to soothe him with sympathy and told no one about Anakin's hideous act. He claimed that one day he would have the power to stop people from dying.

Anakin learned that his friend and mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, had been taken hostage by the Geonosian-engineered Confederacy of Independent Systems forces. Honoring Master Windu's words to protect the senator at all costs, he followed Padmé, to Geonosis to save Obi-Wan. At the same time, they were ignoring Windu's instructions to remain on Tatooine. On Geonosis, Anakin and Padmé were soon captured as well and sent to meet their demise in a gladiatorial execution arena, wherein, faced with their impending fate, they professed their undying love to one another. The timely arrival of the Jedi, and eventually the clone troopers, allowed both of them to escape and fight in the ensuing Battle of Geonosis. Anakin and Obi-Wan pursued Count Dooku, Sith Lord and mastermind of the Confederacy. Dooku unleashed a powerful barrage of Force lightning on Anakin, knocking the youth unconscious. Anakin then lost his right arm in a lightsaber battle with the more experienced Dooku. It was replaced a short while later with a mechanical prosthetic.

In the first days of the Clone Wars, Anakin married Padmé at Varykino on Naboo in a secret ceremony performed by a Naboo holyman, with C-3PO and his counterpart, R2-D2, as the only witnesses. They would later struggle to keep this illicit relationship secret.

The Clone Wars

"You are strong and wise, Anakin, and I am very proud of you. I have trained you since you were a small boy. I have taught you everything I know. And you have become a far greater Jedi than I could ever hope to be."

— Obi-Wan Kenobi

With the onset of the Clone Wars, Anakin was already becoming a storied hero. An unparallelled starfighter pilot, Anakin flew missions over several worlds, including Kamino, Balamak, and Virujansi, solidifying his fabled reputation. He even earned the seldom-heard title of Tan, in recognition of his exceptional piloting skills. He custom-modified his Delta-7 Aethersprite starfighter, named the Azure Angel, into a unique and deadly vessel that time and time again outperformed any ship on the battle field.

Dubbed the "Hero With No Fear", war molded Anakin into a man, but it continued to nourish his ego. It was also a lie. Anakin had no fear for his own life, but he was terrified for the lives of his Master, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, the troops under his authority, and even R2-D2, who accompanied Anakin whenever he could. It was difficult to rein in Anakin as he increasingly had trouble following the strict doctrine governed by the Jedi Code, especially when the Order itself was complicit in ambiguous moral acts by waging a full-scale war. But above all else, Anakin feared for his beloved Padmé. He wrote to her whenever he could, and also tried to meet with her on several occasions, but because of their duties they saw each other very rarely. And the few times they did, Padmé was usually in danger.

"He is a cunning warrior, and our best pilot."

— Kit Fisto

At the Battle of Muunilinst, Commander Skywalker was charged with orchestrating the aerial assault on the homeworld of the InterGalactic Banking Clan, a pivotal member of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. His piloting talents and leadership of a group of clone pilots led to a victory.

A glossy miscreant vessel caught his eye during the frey, and he was drawn from the battle despite Obi-Wan admonishing him. He followed the enigmatic fanblade to Yavin IV. Beneath the jungle canopy and amongst the remains of ancient Sith temples, Anakin dueled with Asajj Ventress. Their intense lightsaber attacks illuminated their dark surroundings (the duel was possibly influenced by Exar Kun). In the end, Anakin was able to defeat Asajj by taking one of her lightsabers, which immediately glowed even more, and repeatedly striking her, having brief visions of Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan and Yoda deeply troubled by what he was doing. His strikes caused the ground beneath to crack, and she fell apparently to her death but later escaped. As he stood victorious, he gave a loud yell of anger, knowing that he had won. This had only been accomplished, though, by feeding his dark urgings.

"But he is reckless with his gifts."

— Adi Gallia

On the rain-drenched world of Jabiim, during the Battle of Jabiim, Skywalker came into his own. As Obi-Wan was thought to have been killed by a Separatist attack, Anakin led a cadre of similarly "orphaned" Padawans. However, in the deep of the battle he received an urgent transmission from Palpatine to personally evacuate the planet.

Respecting the Chancellor's power and friendship, Anakin had to comply with his wishes, though it was hard for him to desert his friends in the final front. There was dissension in the Jabiimi ranks, as the retraction of Jabiim was hideous. Local forces had to ward off the Separatist troops themselves. Captain Gillmunn, leader of the disenchanted Jabiimi loyalists, swore revenge on Skywalker and the Jedi order. He pulled a blaster on Anakin, who reacted by telekinetically restricting Gillmunn's wind pipes. Such a horrific act was all too natural for him, though it was the first time he'd used the Force in this manner. After his heroic actions at the Battle of Praesitlyn, Anakin was endowed with the title of Jedi Knight, despite the fact that he never went through the traditional final test, "the trials" before being knighted.

During the Outer Rim Sieges, Obi-Wan and Anakin were only occasionally removed from one another, being dispatched as a team to various battlefronts, commanding the Open Circle Fleet.

Shortly before the Second Battle of Coruscant, Obi-Wan and Anakin were sent to the icy planet of Nelvaan to seek out Grievous. The Nelvaanians hailed Anakin as "Ghost Hand", and the shaman of Rokrul village sent him on a quest to save their people from a threat that had vanquished all their champions.

Anakin entered a cave where he experienced visions of a great hunter, who loses his arm in battle. However, he fights back, and continued to slay the monsters that threaten his village. As he slayed the monsters, his power grew until it was out of control and destroyed everything he held dear.

When he recovered from this vision, he happened upon a Techno Union laboratory where they were experimenting on the Nelvaanian men, developing them into brutish drones with a blaster cannon for an arm. With the help of the last Nelvaanian who was not completely transformed by the scientists, he convinced the drones to assist him in destroying the factory, an act which cost him his robotic arm. In a show of support, the Nelvaanian men tore off their artificial arms as well.

Transformation to Vader

"Soon I will have a new apprentice... one far younger and more powerful."

— Darth Sidious

It was during this time when the deadly Separatist droid leader General Grievous made an attack on Coruscant and successfully captured Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. Before the Separatist armada was able to flee Coruscant, the Second Battle of Coruscant erupted, with Anakin and Obi-Wan racing back from the Outer Rim Territories in an attempt to rescue the "captive" Chancellor. Arriving in the thick of the battle, they stormed the Confederacy's flagship, Invisible Hand, in their Eta-2 Actis-class interceptors. The two Jedi fought their way through the ship until they reached the General's Quarters atop a tower, where Palpatine was being held hostage. His arms were strapped to the General's chair, and the two Jedi came to free him. Count Dooku, a.k.a. Darth Tyranus, then entered the room, escorted by two super battle droids, to confront the heroes. Palpatine claimed that they were no match for Dooku because he was a Sith Lord. Obi-Wan casually brushed aside Palpatine's words of fear boldly proclaiming, "Sith Lords are our specialty".

Unlike their first encounter with Dooku, Obi-Wan and Anakin fought together against Dooku in a coordinated duel, until the Sith Lord used the Force to choke Kenobi while he simultaneously back-kicked Anakin and threw Obi-Wan across the room, rendering him unconscious and pinning him with a piece of a walkway dislodged by the Force. Anakin fought on with Dooku, eventually letting his emotions get the better of him as Dooku taunted, unleashing all his fear, anger and hatred, and eventually slicing off Dooku's hands, yielding the Sith Lord helpless. It was an act of vengeance from their previous duel, in which Anakin lost his right hand.

Pleased with this outcome, Palpatine urged Anakin to kill Dooku. After Anakin's hesitation to give in to the Chancellor's wishes, with two lightsabers (including Dooku's own curved, red-bladed lightsaber) crossing at Dooku's neck, he beheaded the shocked Count, killing him instantly. Anakin did not yet have the knowledge that Palpatine was also Darth Sidious, and he did not know that he was being used to betray Dooku so that Palpatine could train the young Jedi in the ways of the dark side. Anakin immediately regretted this action, citing that it is not the way of the Jedi to kill a foe that had already surrendered. Palpatine, however, eased Anakin's conscience by claiming that such an action of violence was "only natural" in such a situation.

Anakin freed Palpatine from his bonds and escaped the Quarters, carrying an unconscious Obi-Wan on his back, ignoring Palpatine's words to leave him behind. However their escape was short lived as they were soon captured and brought before General Grievous on the bridge. R2-D2 created a distraction, which allowed Anakin and Obi-Wan to escape from their bonds and attack the general's bodyguards and droids. Unfortunately, Grievous was able to escape the Jedi as his flagship began to break apart. Anakin managed to pilot what was left of the ship to a rather hard landing on a platform in an abandoned industrial area on Coruscant.

Upon his return to Coruscant, Anakin was reunited with his wife and she informed him of her pregnancy, which he was overjoyed to hear. He was later troubled by visions of Padmé dying in childbirth.

"No Jedi in this room can match my power—no Jedi in the Galaxy! You think you can deny Mastery to me!"

— Anakin Skywalker to the Jedi Council

Dark times followed when Palpatine made Anakin his representative on the Jedi Council. The other Jedi reluctantly accepted Anakin's placement on the Council, but denied him the rank of Jedi Master. Further, the Jedi Council urged Anakin to keep tabs on Palpatine. This led Anakin to lose his trust in the members of that governing body. He revealed to his beloved wife that he was plagued with uncertainty.

As he continued to meet with Palpatine, the Chancellor slowly began to plant the seeds of the dark side in Anakin. Playing to his fears of Padmé dying, he told Anakin the story of a Sith Lord, Darth Plagueis, who was so powerful he could stop people from dying. Eventually Palpatine revealed his true self, and offered Anakin the chance to learn the ways of the dark side and use its power to save Padmé. Anakin realized that Palpatine was Darth Sidious and promptly reported this to Mace Windu. Windu and three other Jedi, Agen Kolar, Saesee Tiin, and Kit Fisto, went to arrest the Chancellor. Palpatine dueled with the Jedi, slaying three of them almost immediately. Windu and Palpatine continued to fight until Windu came out on top, pointing his weapon at the throat of the cowering Sith (although Palpatine appeared to have lost, this might have been staged for the purpose of gaining sympathy from Anakin, his hopeful protégé). Back at the Jedi Temple, meanwhile, Anakin brooded over an overwhelming thought: with Palpatine's death, he would lose the chance to save his wife from what happened in his dreams.

Anakin arrived just in time to see Windu preparing to kill Palpatine. Palpatine then attacked Windu with Force lightning while pleading to Anakin for help. Trying desperately to block Palpatine's lightning, Windu screamed at Anakin not to listen. During this battle, Palpatine went through a physical transformation as he struggled to intensify his dark side powers, his face becoming hideously deformed and his eyes turning yellow. Windu prevailed and expressed a desire to kill Palpatine and end the Sith; however, Anakin confronted him, stating that Palpatine must stand trial — to execute him is not the way of the Jedi. This was both out of his regret for killing Dooku before and out of his fear for losing the chance to save his wife from death. Windu ignored Anakin and prepared to kill Palpatine, but in a flash, the panicked Anakin drew his lightsaber, severing Windu's arm. Before Windu could respond, Palpatine used Force lightning to send Windu plummeting to his death.

Upon realizing the enormity of what he had done, Anakin was stricken with guilt and questioned his actions, but was too emotionally drained to resist Palpatine, who stated that he was fulfilling his destiny. He further encouraged Anakin to embrace the dark side and become his apprentice. Anakin said he would do anything Palpatine desired; all he wanted was to save Padmé's life and the help to do so. Palpatine promised Anakin that, together, they could find the secret, tacitly admitting that he did not have the ability to hold back death. Anakin then pledged himself to the Sith Order, and Sidious endowed him with a new name: Darth Vader.

Showdown on Mustafar and aftermath

"Twisted by the dark side, young Skywalker has become. The boy you trained, gone he is... consumed by Darth Vader."

— Yoda to Obi-Wan Kenobi

In order to increase Vader's power with the dark side, Palpatine ordered him to lead the 501st Legion of clone troopers to the Jedi Temple and kill every Jedi and Padawan inside. Vader did this without question, killing venerable Jedi and Younglings alike. Palpatine then commanded Vader to travel to the planet Mustafar, where he killed the ruling council of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, including the Trade Federation Viceroy, Nute Gunray, Sidious' former ally who had invaded and occupied Naboo before being defeated by Anakin during the Battle of Naboo, thirteen years before.

Padmé went to Mustafar to try to reason with Anakin, afraid for him and wanting to leave public life to live together and raise their child. Unbeknownst to her, Obi-Wan stowed away on his ship to find Anakin. Upon seeing Obi-Wan, Anakin thought that Padmé had betrayed him and brought Obi-Wan along to kill him. Overwhelmed by his anger and rage, he used the Force to choke Padmé until she lost consciousness. Obi-Wan tried to reason with his former pupil, but that was not to be as Obi-Wan realized that Anakin was corrupt beyond redemption. Using Force Cocoons to cool themselves throughout the scorching heat, Anakin and Obi-Wan fought an intense battle throughout the mining complex and down the river of lava outside. The battle ended on the banks of the lava river, where Obi-Wan leaped towards safety to claim the high ground, pleading Anakin to concede defeat. Ignoring his fatal tactical disadvantage, Anakin attempted to catch up with and destroy his former master, only to become severely maimed and immobilized by Obi-Wan's blade.

With his ability to use the Force grievously reduced, Anakin tried to claw his way up the bank, using only his remaining prosthetic limb. As he did this, Obi-Wan and Anakin exchanged their parting words.

"You were the Chosen One! It was said that you would destroy the Sith, not join them! Bring balance to the Force, not leave it in darkness!"

— Obi-Wan

"I hate you!"

— Anakin

"You were my brother, Anakin. I loved you."

— Obi-Wan

Shortly after the conversation, Anakin's body caught on fire and he was nearly immolated due to his inability to sustain the Force Cocoon. At the self-same instant, Obi-Wan retrieved Anakin's lightsaber from the ash-covered beaches of the lava river, and left. Keeping himself alive with the Force just as he and Obi-Wan had protected themselves from the lava during their fight, Anakin struggled with near-fatal third-degree burns and severe lung damage, not to mention emotional pain. Darth Sidious arrived and found Anakin barely alive beside the lava river. He took him back to Coruscant and repaired the damage to his body through intensive cybernetic enhancement at the Emperor Palpatine Surgical Reconstruction Center. He ordered the medical droids to keep him awake during the process so the pain would make him stronger. Upon his revival as a cyborg, Vader questioned his master about Padmé. Sidious told him that he had killed his wife in his anger.

Overwhelmed by his despair in the belief he had killed his wife and unborn child, Vader broke his bindings on the operating table and struggled to walk under the sheer weight of his new mechanical legs. His subsequent rage destroyed med droids and severely damaged the facility. Palpatine smiled as he realized that Vader's hatred would serve him well. The only thing that remained in Anakin's life was his service to the new Emperor. The personalities of Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader were further separated by his extremely painful physical and emotional wounds which resulted in a great change in his appearance and character.

Though much of his potential power had now been lost, Darth Vader became the brutal second-in-command of the Galactic Empire, being granted the rank of Executor. He had the blood of many millions, including almost the entire Jedi Order, on his hands. During his 23 years of service to the Emperor, Vader carried out many horrible deeds, including torturing Leia Organa (whom he did not realize was his own daughter), as well as nearly killing his son, Luke Skywalker.

The redemption of Anakin Skywalker

"I know there is good in you. The Emperor hasn't driven it from you fully."

— Luke Skywalker

At the time of the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY, Luke Skywalker risked everything, including turning himself over to Imperial forces, in order to assure the victory of the Rebel Alliance and the redemption of his father. Luke was brought to Emperor Palpatine on the second Death Star by Vader. The Emperor kept trying to lure Luke to the dark side by tormenting him with thoughts of the defeat of the Rebel Alliance and the death of his friends, though Luke kept on trying to restrain himself from fighting his father. Vader, sensing Luke's thoughts, finally discovered he also had a daughter, Leia Organa, Luke's twin sister. Vader then threatened to corrupt Leia, but Luke ignited his lightsaber again and attacked Vader with anger and hatred, slowly converting to the dark side. Then finally, Luke sliced off Vader's mechanical right hand, defeating the Dark Lord. Palpatine cackled with triumph, urging Luke to "fulfill [his] destiny, and take [his] father's place at [Palpatine's] side". Vader realized that he had been betrayed, just as Count Dooku had been betrayed decades previous.

Just then Luke saw his father's right severed arm, and seeing that it was mechanical, just like his, he realized that he was becoming Vader's successor. Using a combination of Obi-Wan's teachings and the light side of the Force to calm himself down, Luke tossed his lightsaber away, refusing the Emperor's offer to join him as his new apprentice and declaring that he was a Jedi like his father before him. Palpatine had finally had enough. He unleashed his powerful Force lightning on Luke. Defiant in the face of evil, Luke suffered the wrath of Palpatine, and Vader could do no more than watch as Luke Skywalker lay dying.

But Anakin Skywalker would not stand by and let his son fall. Anakin never forgot the pain Count Dooku had once inflicted upon him with the lethal power of Force lightning, and could not bear to see his son in such agony. He had been unable to save his mother, he had let Mace Windu die under his Master's power many years before and he had killed his own wife and had ensured his own downfall, but he could save his son. In a final heroic effort of self-sacrifice, rectifying his mistake by not helping Windu kill Palpatine before, Anakin reemerged from the mind of Vader, struggled to his feet to rescue his son from the Emperor. He overthrew his dark Master (literally) , casting the Emperor down the Death Star's reactor shaft to his death. However, it was at the cost of his own life. Anakin was badly wounded in the process, and his breathing apparatus short-circuited, but this single act served to redeem his past actions.

Nearing death, Anakin asked Luke to help him remove his mask, so that he could see his son with his own eyes. Luke helped disconnect the mask. Underneath, Anakin was bald, with white skin from not being exposed to natural light for over twenty years. After seeing his son directly, he told Luke that he was right about him—that there was good still in him—and to tell his sister, Leia, the same. With these last words, Anakin Skywalker died and became one with the Force. His final words were:

"You were right, you were right about me. Tell your sister. You were right."

Luke escaped the exploding Death Star in a shuttle with his father's body, and reached Endor where his armor was cremated in the manner of a Jedi (since Anakin's body had apparently vanished). During the celebration, Luke saw what appeared to be a vision of a forgiven Anakin (whole and without the artificial body of Vader), Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Yoda smiling down upon him. With the deaths of the last two Sith Lords, Anakin had finally brought balance to the Force. His destiny fulfilled, Anakin Skywalker had passed on into the embrace of the light side of the Force.

Aftermath

Anakin Skywalker's specter would continue to appear throughout the years. Shortly after the Battle of Endor, Anakin appeared before Leia Organa in Salis D'aar, the capital of Bakura. There, he begged his daughter for forgiveness for his past crimes. However, Leia had only recently learned of her parentage and was unable to ignore that he had committed gross crimes including the Destruction of Alderaan while serving Emperor Palpatine. After that, Anakin Skywalker never reappeared before Leia again. However, in 8 ABY, upon discovering her grandmother's diary Leia realized that her father wasn't the evil monster that she thought he was and learned to forgive him. In 10 ABY, Leia Organa Solo named her youngest child Anakin Solo in remembrance of her father's redemption.

Five years after the Battle of Yavin, when Qu Rahn was killed by Jerec, in his final moment Rahn beheld the Force spirits of Anakin Skywalker and Halagad Ventor and realized nobody was beyond redemption.

In 30 ABY during the Yuuzhan Vong War, Anakin Skywalker would speak to his grandson, Jacen Solo, telling him to "Stand firm!" before Jacen eventually defeated Onimi, the true ruler of the Yuuzhan Vong.

During the events of 35 ABY, while Luke Skywalker was fixing R2-D2, the Jedi Master encountered a hologram of Anakin and Padmé Skywalker in which Anakin says to his wife he had a dream that Padmé died from childbirth.

A year later, Luke also viewed a hologram of Anakin slaughtering Jedi in the Jedi Temple, yet another hologram recorded by the astromech droid. Not long after during the Swarm War, the shocking revelation behind the death of Luke's mother was revealed when Luke witnessed his father Force-choking Padmé in another hologram projected by R2-D2.

Appearance

Anakin appeared as an average human. As an adult, he stood 6'1" (1.85 m) in height. His hair went from straight and blond as a child to wavy and light brown as an adult. Also, Anakin wore his hair long, a trait common to Jedi Knights. After losing his dominant right arm at the elbow to Count Dooku, he was given a cybernetic prosthetic replacement that was later enhanced by him and covered with a black leather glove. During the Clone Wars, he acquired a vertical scar near his right eye, the result of a duel with the Dark Jedi Asajj Ventress. Anakin dressed in traditional Jedi garb, though ominously, he wore darker colors than most Jedi (dark brown and black). His tunic was partially made of synthetic leather and his lightsaber bore no resemblance to his mentor's weapon, which further separated him from other Jedi.

After his redemption and return to the light side of the Force, when he at last fulfilled the Jedi prophecy and slew the Emperor, Anakin's dying wish was that he should see his son Luke "with his own eyes." Luke complied, and removed the fearsome mask that had caged his father's face for over twenty years. What was revealed was the ghostly pale visage of a sad and withered man in his mid-forties. His head bald and browless, Anakin's skin was pasty white from not having been exposed to sunlight for over two decades, his face still carrying the worst scars of a tragic duel. His weary eyes stared out from dark, sunken sockets at his son, and back at a life filled with sorrowful regret. Once more they shined blue, as Anakin Skywalker made peace with the Force and forever joined it.

Anakin's possible "father"

In light of information revealed by Palpatine to Anakin, it becomes distinctly possible that Darth Plagueis or Darth Sidious may in fact be Anakin's "father". It is known that Darth Plagueis had the ability to create or sustain life through manipulation of midi-chlorians, and Anakin's conception bears a notable resemblance to this concept. Though Sidious told Anakin he never learned the secret from his master, it is unknown whether Anakin was a key in rediscovering the secret or merely an extremely powerful pawn. It is also very possible that Palpatine was just lying, as he usually does, deceiving Anakin on his path to the dark side of the Force. Another possibility is that Sidious himself could have been Anakin's "father" if he had learned the power to influence midi-chlorians from his master.

Also, Anakin managed to achieve the Force ghost state, which Yoda, Qui-Gon Jinn, and Obi-Wan Kenobi had but without the evolution Qui-Gon had nor the training Yoda and Obi-Wan had. Since, Anakin was "created" by the Force, he was already one with the Force. Anakin probably didn't realize that or maybe didn't know that his former master, Obi-Wan, learned the ability when he killed him.

It is impossible to know for certain what the truth is, yet these remain as distinct possibilities.

Behind the scenes

In Sanskrit, the name "Anakin" means "warrior". Creator George Lucas took the name from his friend and fellow film director, Ken Annakin. The name may also be derived from the name "Anakim", found in the Old Testament. It is one of several names used to identify a race of giants "the sons of the gods [who] lay with the daughters of men' [Genesis 6:4]".

Depending on which version was seen (VHS or DVD, respectively), the appearance of Anakin's redeemed Force ghost was either that of a robust, middle-aged man with graying brown hair and a kindly face, or that of the younger Anakin in his twenties just before his fall from grace to the dark side, though now he was dressed in the garb of a Jedi Master, although Anakin never actually reached that rank in life.

Hayden Christensen was not the first actor in Star Wars to fight with a lightsaber in each hand. During the battle in the Geonosian's arena, one Jedi, Joclad Danva, can be seen fighting battle droids with a saber in each hand.

Portrayal

Anakin was played in the films by Jake Lloyd as a child, Hayden Christensen as a young adult, and Sebastian Shaw as a dying, elderly (and redeemed) person. Christensen himself portrayed Vader in the black armored suit in Episode III, while David Prowse did so in IV, V, and VI, except for the fight scenes in V and VI, in which swordsman Bob Anderson wore the suit. Anakin/Vader's voice in the Original Trilogy and Revenge of the Sith was performed by James Earl Jones and by David Birney in the final episode of the Return of the Jedi radio drama. In the Clone Wars cartoon, he was voiced by Jerome Beidler as a child and Mat Lucas as an adult.

In Return of the Jedi, the unmasked Vader and the spirit of the forgiven Anakin were played by actor Sebastian Shaw. In the release of the DVDs, however, Hayden Christensen had replaced the head of Sebastian Shaw when appearing as the Jedi spirit.