Anakin Skywalker Turning into Darth Vader is a Shakespearean-Level Tragedy

Anakin Skywalker’s tale is no less tragic than the Bard’s works themselves. He was deemed to be the Chosen One, who would bring an end to the Sith Lord. But to fulfill that prophecy, he had to get corrupted and walk down the dark path himself.

So why exactly did he join the Sith Forces? What were his motivations behind becoming Darth Vader?

Anakin Skywalker submitted to the Sith and became Darth Vader because he was afraid of his wife Padmé dying during childbirth, and thought the dark forces were the only way to save her.

Anakin had a nightmare, where in Padmé died while giving birth to their child. While not entirely similar, it does mirror his mother’s own fate where she lived a hard, painful life and ultimately died for nothing, leaving her child Anakin alone to fend for himself.

He feared that not only was it possible that another loved one who leave him, but also deliver the same fate to another child. Since the Jedi’s wouldn’t allow him use of the forbidden Forces (which could save Padmé), he decided to turn to the Siths.

A few would argue that Anakin turning into a villain was inevitable. After all, fear for his loved one’s life was not his only motivation to join the Sith forces. He had always been overconfident, arrogant, scarily hot-tempered and driven for power, which is why siding with Emperor Palpatine came to him with little to no moral conflict. 

It is true that all of these undesirable traits arose from his tragic upbring, right from losing his family to how he was treated as a slave. Parts of that damage could not be undone, but there is something to be said about how the Jedi training did not seem to help either.

While it did make him physically stronger, it failed to help mentally or emotionally and this pains me, because he did have one of the best masters in Obi-Wan.

There are several instances that depict how even their thought processes differ. One in particular, is when Anakin’s request of becoming a Master is refused. Where Anakin sees insult, Obi-Wan points out that he should be honored to be the youngest Jedi serving the Council.

However, it is clear that Anakin could not see eye to eye with the Jedis, and ultimately it was a messy brew of all of this that turned him into Darth Vader. Thanks to the franchise’s haphazard timeline, we do see Anakin’s redemption before his fall.

Now that we’ve spoken about how Anakin turned into one the most ruthless villains on screen, let’s see if there’s anyone who can bring him down.

Who can beat Darth Vader?

I. Obi-Wan Kenobi

Although it seems like Obi-Wan is all weary and torn down, he is still light years ahead when it comes to his skill as a fighter and Jedi Master. His fight against Anakin in Revenge of the Sith is one of the most iconic moments in Star Wars.

You might then wonder why he couldn’t defeat Vader in the TV series, or why he dies at his hands in A New Hope? As for the latter, it wasn’t that their fight had ended on a decisive note. Rather, Obi-Wan knew that if he did not sacrifice himself and create a diversion, Vader would’ve caught up with Luke and the gang.

As for the TV series, I think a rematch is yet to come. The first fight definitely favored Vader who has grown undeniably powerful over the years. The same years that have been an emotionally painful time for Obi-Wan, who has lost everything around him. It is, but natural, that he is kicked down and humbled when he meets the fearsome Vader again.

But as the episodes have been progressing, it’s clear that Obi-Wan is learning to let go of that fear and get back to becoming the general that he was. Perhaps the finale will give us a fight that will put an end to the question of whether Darth Vader can be beaten or not.

II. Luke Skywalker

Luke Skywalker is his father’s reckoning, undoing and redemption. Although he is not the Chosen One, Luke still has quite a magical grasp over the Force. As one could see, with very minimal training, he does manage to strike Vader with his lightsaber in The Empire Strikes Back.

His skills are even more elevated by the time the two duel again in Return of the Jedi, where not only is he able to best Vader, but also stand as a beacon to Anakin finding his humanity again.

General fan consensus is that if Luke had the same amount of time to train as a normal Jedi, he could defeat Darth Vader.

III. Miscellaneous

Now in the off-camera world of comics, there have been a few characters who have beaten Vader or at least tricked him in some way.

The most notable would be Palpatine, who we do see in the films. But what we don’t see, is how after being dismembered by Obi-Wan in Revenge of the Sith, Vader tries to attack Palpatine — only to be overpowered (obviously at that state) within moments. However, it always served as a lesson to never question the Sith master until Return of the Jedi.

Other characters who have also managed a successful strike at Vader in the comics include Kirak Infil’a, Galen Marek, Boba Fett and even Han Solo.

About Obi-Wan Kenobi

Obi-Wan Kenobi is a Star Wars spinoff series directed by Deborah Chow for Disney+.  It premiered on May 27, 2022 on Disney+.

The main cast includes Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen, who will be reprising their roles for Obi-Wan and Vader, respectively. Additionally joining them are Kumail Nanjiani, Indira Varma, Joel Edgerton, Bonni Piesse, and Rupert Friend among many others.

The show follows Obi-Wan Kenobi ten years after the events of Revenge of the Sith where he faced his greatest defeat, the downfall and corruption of his best friend and Jedi apprentice, Anakin Skywalker turned evil Sith Lord Darth Vader.