D//arth V//ader is another slave/victim turned evil too. Wow there's an unfortunate number of examples here. I wish writers would think about the implications
Yep! and Anakin's narrative is even more vexxing because not only does he end up becoming Darth Vader, and being a genocidal war lord, or at least, the apprentice to one...and let's be real he's just as bad. But Anakin's narrative not only had him become Darth Vader, but when he was a Jedi Knight he also partook in and benefitted off of slavery himself. Anakin became a slave master when during TCW TV series and it just wasn't highlighted enough...I will be sitting here for hours if I list my issues with Anakin's and later Vader's narrative, but in comparing him to Megatron, at least, Darth Vader vs Megatron (because strangely enough, part of Anakin reminds me of Optimus), then yeah, it still fits the bill.
A slave, who wanted better for himself, ends up being turned into and written as a genocidal tyrant and his main, and only form of redemption was through death.
I'd say my main critique about Anakin vs Megatron is that, Anakin had a chance to change, he had the resources and people around him to do better and to actually do better. Anakin was also put in a place of privilege where many times, he abused that power.
Megatron wasn't ever actually given any chances from people above him. We could argue Optimus, but Optimus was also a vessel of that elite government and no matter how much he attempted to understand Megatron, he didn't. TFP kinda showed us that.
Even in TFP, he was always kept out of places of privilege and seen as an innate threat to the elite class and society. No one ever took him in and gave him a chance the same way Anakin was given. And as much as i LOVE Anakin, he squandered it. He and Megatron are the same when it comes to starting off as slaves but...Megatron was not given the same chances that Anakin was.
This again, isn't me trying to excuse Megatron, but more so, me realizing the difference between him and Anakin.
But i agree with you, Anakin is still a perfect example of slave turned oppressor, whether we're talking about Darth Vader of Jedi Knight Anakin.
Others I can also think of, are Magneto. Magneto and Megatron have MANY similarities.
The difference between Magneto's narrative and Megatron's is that, Magneto is a Jewish man, who was written by a Jewish man who had knowledge and understanding of the Holocaust because his ancestors had lived through it. A Jewish man writing a narrative of oppression and putting a lot of his emotions into one of his main characters, is different than someone, who doesn't understand that narrative, doing it. If that makes sense.
Megatron's writing is just again, used for shock factor and to make his past more 'angsty' wrt to the slave narrative. I honestly think that if someone who had slave ancestry and had done enough research/understanding wrote megatron's narrative, things would be different
