I’m gonna go on a rant about Anakin Skywalker and the way fandom treats him for a minute. I’m most likely gonna upset some people. There might be people who agree with me on some things. But I’m a person who has opinions and whether they’re right or wrong, who knows 🤷🏻♀️
First of all, I fully acknowledge that Anakin Skywalker is entitled to be flawed as all beings are. I also acknowledge that other characters are entitled to the very same right. That does not mean however, that they get to slaughter people because they wronged you in some fashion. That does not mean that they get to try and control their loved one’s actions because you think you know what’s best for them even when they have told you that’s not what they want. That does not mean that they get granted the rank of master because they believe that they earned it, when in actuality by granting the rank of master it would set a precedent that the senate gets to decide what constitutes a master within the order.
Speaking of the Jedi Order, it is acknowledged by multiple Jedi that they do not consider power or talent within the force as what makes someone a good Jedi, which Anakin does. It is also noted that a Jedi must be able to put the good of others before their own wants, Anakin does not do this. The Jedi Order has also acknowledged that love is selfless and not possessive, one must be able to let go when the time calls, Anakin struggles with this; others do as well.
Anakin struggles to differentiate between attachment and love, most people do. It’s why people tend to stay with people who aren’t good for them. Love is selfless, it focuses on taking care of others, not for our own gain but for theirs, and when reciprocated, it’s vice versa. It’s give-give. Not give-take or take-take. Attachment is when how someone make you feel is more important than the actual individual. You start to view that person as you would your dog or cat. You start to expect that they cater to your wishes and what you want for them. You take their individualism, unintentionally or not. This is what Anakin ends up doing, especially with Padme.
Now, Padme has flaws too, don’t get me wrong. But every time she tries to set a boundary with Anakin or tells him she is busy with important senatorial matters, he guilts her into saying yes to him by claiming their love is more important than whatever it was. That their love is the most important thing to him. It’s manipulation and he views it as love. As showing his affection for her. And in Revenge of the Sith, when she sets a boundary she will not cave on no matter how much he tries to get her to, he tries to kill her in his rage. His first instinct in that moment is to hurt her and make her submit to him.
Fandom tends to romanticise their relationship. Don’t get me wrong, it has its cute moments. Like exchanging droids instead of rings when they get married. Fandom also tends to justify Anakin’s actions because the system, the Jedi, failed him. Which a lot of them had no idea he was struggling, because he hid it and wouldn’t admit it. Fandom tends to blame everything on Palpatine and his manipulations. Which was terrible but Anakin also made a choice, Star Wars is all about choices and how that affects people. Fandom also tends to blame Obi Wan for his fall. But I have seen few people say Anakin and his choices are what lead him there.
While I do think that Palpatine manipulated the situation to his advantage, like he does with everything, Anakin made his choice. He chose to do those things. He chose to kill innocent children. He chose to participate in the genocide of an entire religious order, while the men under his command had no such choice. He chose to slaughter an entire Tuskan tribe. He chose to do those things. No one made that choice for him. Plenty of other characters in Star Wars had terrible backgrounds and things happen to them, and they never made a similar choice.
Anakin Skywalker was the undoing of Anakin Skywalker, no one else. I happen to think he’s a brilliant character, beautifully portrayed, and well written. I root for him most of the time. I still want Revenge of the Sith to end differently every time I watch it. I cry every time he falls. I love him and want him to find peace, which he eventually does. This is not me completely hating on him, but I do think we as a fandom need to be better at not placing these characters on pedestals to admire as if they’ve done nothing bad whatsoever. I also think as a fandom we need to stop idolising toxic relationships cause that then becomes our norm for what is acceptable even unintentionally.
