There is no character more relevant toStar Warsthan Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen). He is at the center of the story, from his rise as a young Jedi in the Prequel Trilogy, to his role as the evilSith LordDarth Vader (James Earl Jones) in the Original Trilogy. Even the Sequel Trilogy is all about his legacy both as a heroand a villain. What most people don’t get about him, however, is thathis life is exceptional in every way, including how precocious he was in everything.The timelineof his life is fascinating to look at, especially when we compare it to the ones of regular individuals like us, because, from that perspective, there was never any other possible outcome for him other than his tragic fate.
Anakin Skywalker Was a Precocious Young Hero
Anakin had a dysfunctional life from a very young age. There areonly 13 yearsbetween his discovery by the Jedi on Tatooine inStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menaceand his fall inStar Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, and yet it feels like a lifetime.He is forced to leave his mother behind as a slave at only nine years old, somethingno one his agecould possibly be expected to cope with, despite his huge potential and celebrated achievements at that same age. He may become a hero later on, but at a huge cost.
Charlie Hunnam Blew His Chance To Play Anakin Skywalker
The Force was not with the ‘Sons of Anarchy’ and ‘Rebel Moon’ star.
InStar Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, he is still 19, with the mercurial temper of any normal teenager. His feelings of anger and revenge toward the Tusken Raiders, for example, are normal when he loses his mother; what isn’t is having the means to kill a person at 19. His infatuation with Padmé (Natalie Portman) is also normal; what isn’t is having to adhere to a code forcing you to forsake every emotional connection you ever had.That’s the age when people rebel against the world to discover who they are, and Anakin had a lot to rebel against. Still, instead of getting psychological support, he was knighted that same year and got command of an army at war.
When Anakin falls to the Dark Side and becomes Darth Vader, he is just 22 years old. Legally, he is an adult and fully capable of answering for his actions, and none of his dark deeds inRevenge of the Sithand afterward are excusable, but,at that age, people are usually still coming to terms with adulthood. He may have been a good person before he fell, but the sheer scale of the pressure on his shoulders is unfathomable — from saving the ones he loved, to saving the whole galaxy andbringing balance to the Force. It doesn’t matter how special your parents say you are, you wouldn’t handle that, either. Especially at 22.
Anakin Spends Most of His Adult Life as Darth Vader
There are 19 years betweenRevenge of the SithandStar Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, meaning that from 22 years old until 41, Anakin/Vader is trapped inside acybernetic suit, lest he die.It also means that he is a relatively young father, with his children already 19 inA New Hope, but he only learns about it around a year later, and only gets to tell his son, Luke (Mark Hamill), about it inStar Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, when he is 44, and Luke is 22. Vader remains unaware that he also has a daughter, Leia (Carrie Fisher), until shortly before he dies inStar Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jediat 45.
Fatherhood certainly changes any person, but, for someone who has spent the prime of his life alone and trapped inside a suit,the prospect of reuniting with his children stands above all else(especially ones he didn’t even know he had), so one could argue that his return to the Light was also inevitable. His children are his own image, and they were actively engaged in saving the galaxy and changing it for the better. The feeling of renovation is a huge part of having children, but it’s somethingVader experiencesall at once when he meets Luke, who is already an adult at that point, instead of growing into fatherhood as his children grow up.
Of course, it’s important to note that Vader is a deeply narcissistic individual, a consequence of his chaotic upbringing. He tries to connect with Luke in the worst possible ways because, seeing Luke as his image, he probably also sees the prospect of Lukebecominghim (and, really, that’s the worst thing a parent could hope for their children). For over a year,that’s what Vader wantsfrom Luke, and this only changes when,at 45 years old, Vader has to choose between saving his children, or handing them to the Emperor(Ian McDiarmid). It’s too much for such an emotionally immature person.
The Skywalkers Are a Generally Precocious Family
Like their parents, Luke and Leia are also precocious heroes. Like Padmé, Leia becomes involved in politics very early, being a Senator and Princess of Alderaan at only 19.At only 23, both the twins' lives change after the war, with Leia becoming a mother, and Luke having toshoulder the burdenof rebuilding the Jedi. By the time ofStar Wars: Episode VII - The Force AwakensandStar Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi, they are both 53; that’sthe age Luke dies, while Leia dies at 54 inStar Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker. Everything happens too fast in their lives, with not enough time to process and cope with such strong feelings.They are people, and, as frustrating as it may sound for some fans, they grow up as such.
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sithis available to stream on Disney+.
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
