After almost two decades Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the SithI finally understand why Darth Vader Really believed he killed Anakin Skywalker – and it’s so much more brutal than I thought. The fall of Anakin Skywalker is one of the most critical moments in the Star Wars Timeline. Not only did Anakin’s turn to the dark side mean the creation of one of Star Wars The most powerful Sith Lords, but also, his fall coincided with Order 66 and the rise of the Empire, both things that arguably could not have happened without him.
In addition to the scale of the events, however, what always compelled me about Anakin’s fall to the dark side was the fact that Darth Vader insisted that he killed Anakin Skywalker. In part, this was a Sith tradition, as even Palpatine’s backstory included the idea that his former self, Sheev Palpatine, had died. However, unlike many other Sith, Vader seemed almost obsessive about insisting that Anakin Skywalker was gone, and he was the one to kill him. Unfortunately, the reason for this distinction is even more tragic than it originally appeared.
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Darth Vader believed that Anakin died with Padme… and he killed her
Notably, when Padmé runs into Anakin on Mustafar, she continues to call him Anakin, even though he has already been christened by Darth Vader. Of course, Padmé would not know about this change, however, given the violence with which Vader threw the name after Revenge of the SithIt’s strange that he didn’t correct her or tell her not to use that name anymore. even stranger, Obi-Wan also continued to call him ‘Anakin’ on Mustafar, and Vader did not reject the name or insist that he killed Anakin..
Clearly, a massive shift happens between the events on Mustafar in Revenge of the Sith And the Dark Times. In fact, both Star Wars Rebels And Obi-Wan KenobiVader insists that Anakin is dead to Ahsoka Tano and Obi-Wan respectively. However, Vader’s newfound insistence that he killed Anakin Skywalker makes sense in light of one key event at the end of Revenge of the Sith: The death of Padmé Amidala.
When Vader arrives after the construction of his iconic suit is complete Revenge of the SithHis first question is whether Padmé is safe. Palpatine then (falsely) tells Vader that in his anger, he killed her. The manner of Padmé’s death remains somewhat ambiguous in the franchise; Although the medical droid said that she simply lost the will to live, some Star Wars Theories suggest otherwise. Nevertheless, it is not exactly true that Anakin/Vader killed her.
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This subtle detail explains why Anakin truly became Darth Vader after Mustafar
Although Vader initially reacts with disbelief that Padmé could actually have died, in the end, he accepts the truth and the idea that he was the one to end her life, and, quite literally, it killed him. Anakin said it himself Revenge of the Sith; He could not live without her. In Vader’s own mind, Anakin Skywalker died with Padmé. As the man who killed Padmé (at least based on what Palpatine told him and what Vader himself believed), he was therefore the one to kill Anakin.
Anakin said it himself Revenge of the Sith; He could not live without her.
This is the reason that Vader cannot hear the name Anakin before, which also explains why his rejection of the name came only after Padmé’s death. actually, The rage with which Vader reacted to the name even a decade later suggests how painful the memory of what he had done still was.. Moreover, this name and identity is so tied to Padmé’s loss and Vader’s role in it has fascinating implications for Anakin Skywalker’s redemption in Return of the Jedi.
What does this interpretation mean for Return of the Jedi?
at the end of Return of the JediVader tells Luke to remove his helmet so he can look at his son with his own eyes. However, as Vader’s helmet was life-sustaining, he knew that this act would kill him. Yes, Vader said he was going to die anyway, but the real reason Darth Vader died may have been a bit more complicated. especially, Anakin Skywalker may not have been able to return and continue alive knowing what he had done Padmé.
Even after saving his son and returning to the light side of the Force, it would have been untenable for Anakin to continue knowing that he had played a role in Padmé’s death. Thus, in Vader’s opinion, Anakin really died with Padmé, and even returning to the light side could not fully bring him back to life. Although this is a tragic revelation, it proves that Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader Told the truth in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith; Anakin cannot live without Padmé.