User:Brandon Rhea/Anakin

"You are the Chosen One. You have brought balance to this world. Stay on this path and you will do it again&hellip; for the galaxy."

- The Father's last words, to Anakin Skywalker

Anakin Skywalker was a male Human Jedi Knight-turned-Dark Lord of the Sith believed to be the Chosen One, a prophetic figure destined to bring balance to the Force. Skywalker was conceived without a father, possibly by the midi-chlorians through the will of the Force, and born to Shmi Skywalker. He grew up as a slave on Tatooine, where he encountered Qui-Gon Jinn. The Jedi Master helped Skywalker obtain his freedom after Skywalker agreed to race in the Boonta Eve Classic podrace, the winnings of which would help Jinn and his vessel, carrying Queen Padmé Amidala of Naboo, obtain the parts they needed to make it to Coruscant. Skywalker said his goodbyes to his mother and left Tatooine, where he was tested for potential training in the Jedi Order. Although initially rejected, Skywalker's actions during the Battle of Naboo, where he destroyed the Trade Federation control ship to help liberate the planet, led the Jedi Council to reverse its decision. Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jinn's apprentice, became Skywalker's master after Jinn was killed in battle against the Sith Lord Darth Maul.

Over the next decade, Skywalker trained as Kenobi's Padawan, becoming skilled in the ways of the Force and with a lightsaber. Shortly before the Clone Wars, he reunited with Amidala, who had become Senator of Naboo, and the two fell in love. After professing their love for one another, the two fought alongside Kenobi and a number of other Jedi during the Battle of Geonosis, which sparked the Clone Wars between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems. After the battle, Skywalker and Amidala secretly married on Naboo, keeping their marriage a secret due to the Jedi Order's forbiddance of marriage.

Skywalker fought in the Clone Wars over the next several years, commanding clone troopers in the Grand Army of the Republic as a Jedi General. At the end of the war, Skywalker began having visions of Amidala, who was pregnant with his twins, dying in childbirth, leading him towards the dark side. Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, secretly the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, was able to turn Skywalker to the dark side, and Skywalker became the Sith Lord Darth Vader. Vader began hunting down the Jedi Knights during the execution of Order 66, while Palpatine transformed the Republic into the Galactic Empire. Vader was gravely wounded in a duel against Kenobi, requiring him to live in a cybernetic suit for the rest of his life. Amidala died in childbirth shortly thereafter, making Skywalker's visions a reality, but Vader was unaware his children had been born, as he believed he had killed his wife.

Over the next two decades, the Galactic Empire consolidated its power over the galaxy and the Jedi were all but destroyed. At the onset of the Galactic Civil War, Vader was tasked with finding the Alliance to Restore the Republic, as well as the plans they stole for the Death Star. This search led him to kidnap Leia Organa, the princess of Alderaan and his daughter, though he was unaware of her true identity. Vader's son, Luke Skywalker, and others rescued Leia, and the Rebels brought the Death Star plans to their base on Yavin 4. Vader took part in the Battle of Yavin, fighting the Rebel forces in space, but he was unsuccessful&mdash;Luke was able to destroy the Death Star.

Vader soon learned that Luke was his son and began searching the galaxy for him. It was Vader's intention to turn Luke to the dark side and overthrow Emperor Palpatine. Vader laid a trap for Luke on Cloud City by kidnapping and torturing Leia and Han Solo, Luke's friends, leading to a duel in which Vader told Luke the truth about Luke's parentage. Luke escaped, but Vader continued the search. The two met again during the Battle of Endor, where Vader brought Luke before the Emperor on the second Death Star. Vader and Luke engaged in one final lightsaber duel where Luke beat his father, using his anger to drive him after Vader threatened Leia. Luke overcame his anger and proclaimed himself to be a Jedi Knight, like Anakin before him. Palpatine attacked Luke, intending to kill him, an act that redeemed Vader. Anakin once more, the redeemed Jedi killed his master, destroying the Sith. Anakin died shortly thereafter and achieved eternal consciousness within the Force.

Supernatural birth and early life
"There was no father. I carried him, I gave birth, I raised him. I can't explain what happened."

- Shmi Skywalker

Anakin Skywalker was born to Shmi Skywalker nine years prior to the Trade Federation's invasion of the planet Naboo. Skywalker was conceived without a father, and was theorized to have been conceived by the midi-chlorians through the will of the Force. His midi-chlorian count, which measured the amount of midi-chlorians within his cells, was over 20,000, higher than any known Jedi. His supernatural birth was believed to be a sign of the Chosen One, meaning Skywalker was born to defeat the Sith, the ancient enemy of the Jedi Order, and bring balance to the Force.

Skywalker, and his mother, lived in slavery as a child, and had a cybernetic chip implanted somewhere in his body; the chip would explode if he ever tried to escape slavery. At one point, they owned by Gardulla the Hutt. They were eventually sold to Watto, and Skywalker worked in the Toydarian's junkshop in Mos Espa, a settlement on Tatooine. Skywalker became a skilled podracer as a child, professing to be the only Human with the skill to race a pod, which resulted from his sensitivity to the Force. Despite competing in many races, Skywalker did not win any, and crashed one of Watto's pods during a race.

In addition to his podracing talents, Skywalker became a skilled mechanic at a young age. He built a protocol droid, C-3PO, to help his mother with housework. He also formed friendships with other children on Tatooine, such as Kitster.

Earning his freedom
"Anakin, this path has been placed before you. The choice is yours alone."

- Shmi Skywalker

During the invasion of Naboo, the planet's queen, Padmé Amidala, was able to escape from the Trade Federation blockade of her world with the help of Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Their ship was damaged and in need of repair, so they sought refuge on Tatooine, where they intended to find the parts they would need to fix the ship. Jinn, his Gungan companion Jar Jar Binks, and the queen&mdash;who was disguised as a handmaiden&mdash;ventured into Mos Espa. The first shop they entered was Watto's, where they encountered the Toydarian and Skywalker. While Watto spoke with Jinn about the parts, Skywalker talked to Amidala, wondering aloud if the beautiful queen was an angel from one of the moons of Iego. Jinn and the others soon left empty-handed; while Watto had the hyperdrive generator Jinn was searching for, the Toydarian would not accept the Jedi Master's Galactic Republic currency.

After the group left, Skywalker finished his work in the shop and was free to go home. He encountered the group on the streets of Mos Espa, where Binks had made an enemy of Sebulba, a Dug and fellow podracer. It was during Skywalker's conversations with the group that he noticed a lightsaber hanging from Jinn's belt, so the boy deduced that Jinn was a Jedi Knight. A sandstorm soon moved towards the settlement, and Skywalker offered the group refuge at his home, as they would not be able to make it to the outskirts of Mos Espa, where their ship had landed, in time to avoid the dangerous storm. He introduced the group to his mother, and showed off C-3PO to Amidala, who was impressed by his technical abilities.

Skywalker and his mother shared a meal with the outsiders, where Jinn revealed that he and the others were on an important mission to Coruscant, where they intended to plead with the Galactic Senate for help in combating the Trade Federation's invasion of Naboo. The conversation moved towards podracing, where Jinn suggested Skywalker had Jedi reflexes if he could race pods, and Skywalker volunteered to race in the Boonta Eve Classic to help the group earn the money they needed to buy the parts for their ship. Shmi was reluctant to let her son race again, fearing for his safety in the deadly sport, but Skywalker convinced her that they should be generous and help Amidala and her people.

When the storm passed, Jinn proposed to Watto that Skywalker race, passing off the boy's pod as his own. They agreed to an arrangement that would allow Watto to keep all of Skywalker's potential winnings, minus the cost of the parts that the queen's ship would need to make it to Coruscant. Skywalker began preparing his pod, ensuring that it would be able to race in the next day's Boonta Eve Classic. During the preparations, Jinn learned from Shmi that Skywalker had been conceived without a father, and the Jedi Master became intrigued by the possibility that Skywalker could be the Chosen One. That night, Jinn took a sample of Skywalker's blood and had Kenobi test it for a midi-chlorian count. The number, 20,000, was higher than any Jedi Jinn had ever known.

The next day, Skywalker brought his pod to the race track, where Jinn&mdash;who wanted Skywalker to be trained as a Jedi Knight&mdash;gambled for Skywalker's freedom; if Skywalker won, he would no longer be a slave, and could leave Tatooine. The race began shortly thereafter, while his mother, Jinn, Amidala, and Binks watched from the stands. Skywalker's pod stalled at first, as it had been sabotaged by Sebulba, but the young racer was able to fix the problem and resume the race. The three laps brought him across the open desert and through numerous canyons, where he dodged canyon walls, other racers, and even Tusken Raiders who shot weapons fire at the pods. By the end of the race, after many racers had perished or crashed, Sebulba was in the lead, with Skywalker close by. Their two pods briefly connected, and once they disconnected, Sebulba spun out of control and crashed, allowing Skywalker to cross the finish line as the winner.

Winning the podrace allowed Jinn to acquire the parts needed to repair the queen's ship. The Jedi Master also told Skywalker that he had been granted his freedom by Watto, who lost everything he owned betting on Sebulba against his slave. Skywalker was reluctant to leave, as Jinn could not secure Shmi's freedom, but Shmi encouraged him to make his own choices and decide what he wanted to do with his life. Skywalker chose to leave, dreaming of becoming a Jedi Knight, and shared a tearful goodbye with his mother, promising to one day return and free her from slavery.

En route to the ship, Skywalker and Jinn were attached by Darth Maul, a Sith Lord who had been sent by his master, Darth Sidious&mdash;who engineered the Naboo crisis&mdash;to find the queen. Skywalker ran to the ship while Jinn engaged the Sith Lord in a lightsaber duel, and the boy was able to tell the ship's crew to rescue the Jedi Master. Jinn made it aboard and the ship left Tatooine, and Maul, behind. While leaving, Jinn introduced Skywalker to Obi-Wan Kenobi.

It did not take long for Skywalker to miss his mother, and he kept to himself on the queen's ship, alone and cold&mdash;the harsh heat of Tatooine made even a temperate vessel feel cold to him. Amidala, still posing as a handmaiden, talked to him to comfort him, and Skywalker gave her a japor snippet that he had carved for her so she could remember him once he left for the Jedi Order.

Jedi testing
"You refer to the prophecy of the one who will bring balance to the Force. You believe it's this&hellip; boy?"

- Mace Windu, to Qui-Gon Jinn

When the ship landed on Coruscant, it was greeted by Supreme Chancellor Valorum and Senator Palpatine of Naboo&mdash;the latter of whom was secretly Darth Sidious, the Dark Lord of the Sith. Skywalker remained with the queen and her entourage while Jinn spoke to the Jedi Council, the governing body of the Jedi Order, telling them about the encounter with Darth Maul and expressing his belief that Skywalker was the Chosen One. Although reluctant to admit that the Sith had returned from their presumed extinction, the Council agreed to test Skywalker. Skywalker spoke to the queen, who he did not realize was Padmé, and left a goodbye for his friend before leaving for the Jedi Temple, in case he never saw her again.

Skywalker arrived at the Jedi Temple and was tested for potential induction into the Jedi Order. He displayed strong Force abilities, such as knowing what images were displaying on a screen without seeing the screen, but the Council was concerned about his conflicted feelings. Although he wanted to become a Jedi, his thoughts continued to dwell on his mother and her attachment to her. Yoda, the Grand Master of the Jedi Council, told Skywalker that his fear of losing her could be dangerous, as fear was a path towards the dark side of the Force.

After some deliberation, the Council decided that Skywalker would not be admitted into the Jedi Order for training, due to their concerns over his clouded future. He was also older than most other Jedi initiates, and therefore too old to begin Jedi training. Determined to see Skywalker trained as a Jedi, Jinn told the Council that Kenobi was ready to face his trials and become a Jedi Knight, and that Jinn would therefore take Skywalker as his new Padawan. The Council tabled the conversation and ordered Jinn and Kenobi to go to Naboo with Queen Amidala, who had decided to return and fight the Federation. Skywalker went to Naboo with them, and Jinn told his aspiring apprentice that, while he could not yet be trained, the boy could watch and learn from the Jedi Master's actions.

The Battle of Naboo
"Now this is podracing!"

- Anakin Skywalker, during the Battle of Naboo

Upon arriving at Naboo, Skywalker followed the Jedi and the royal contingent to the sacred place of the Gungans, Binks' people. It was there that Skywalker learned that Padmé and Queen Amidala were the same person, as she stepped forward to plead with the Gungans for help against the Federation; the Gungans and Naboo had a tenuous relationship, and the Gungans previously rejected helping the Naboo. Queen Amidala was able to convince the Gungans to join the fight, and together the two sides came together as one and created a plan of attack to end the Federation occupation.

Skywalker followed Jinn as he, Kenobi, the queen, and her guards entered Theed, slipping in while the Trade Federation's battle droid army engaged the Gungan Grand Army outside the city. The team fought their way to the Royal Palace hangar, where Naboo fighter pilots entered their starfighter and went into orbit, where they could attempt to destroy the Federation ship that controlled the battle droids. Skywalker hid in the cockpit of a fighter, and Jinn ordered him to stay there. As the two Jedi engaged in a lightsaber duel with Darth Maul, and Queen Amidala led her security personnel towards the throne room, Skywalker powered up the starfighter and destroyed a set of droidekas&mdash;but this had the unintended consequence of engaging the ship's auto-pilot and taking Skywalker into orbit to join the space battle.

Together with R2-D2, one of the queen's droids who was in the droid socket behind the cockpit, Skywalker fought off numerous droid fighters. R2, meanwhile, attempted to disengage the autopilot so Skywalker could pilot the ship away from the battle and out of harm's way. When the autopilot was disengaged, Skywalker maneuvered to avoid droid starfighters that were chasing him, flying into the control ship's hangar to avoid them. He crash landed and the ship over-heated, but power was soon restored. Inadvertently, the young boy shot a set of torpedoes at the ship's reactor, triggering a chain reaction that destroyed the ship just as Skywalker and the rest of the Naboo fighters escaped.

As a result of Skywalker's actions, the droid army was rendered powerless and shut down, allowing the Gungans to claim victory over the droid army. Amidala, meanwhile, captured Nute Gunray, the Viceroy of the Trade Federation, effectively ending the the Federation occupation. The final battle came at a personal cost for Skywalker, however, as Jinn was killed in battle against Darth Maul. Kenobi survived and cut Maul in half. While the Sith Lord survived and went into exile in the Outer Rim, he was presumed dead by the Jedi and Darth Sidious.

Obi-Wan's apprentice
"The Council has granted me permission to train you. You will be a Jedi. I promise."

- Obi-Wan Kenobi

Skywalker reunited with Kenobi after the battle, and the two were present to greet Palpatine as he arrived on his home planet; the secret Sith Lord achieved his primary goal during the crisis, which was to be elected Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic. Later on, Kenobi was made a Jedi Knight by the Jedi Council, and Kenobi told Yoda that he had made a promise to his dying master: that he would train Skywalker, for Jinn firmly believed in the end that the boy was the Chosen One. Despite Yoda's disagreements and reluctance to accept Skywalker into the Jedi Order, the Council agreed with Kenobi and allowed the newly-minted Jedi Knight to take the boy as his apprentice. Kenobi shared the news with his new apprentice at Jinn's funeral, and promised that Skywalker would become a Jedi.

The two began their training with one another following a peace and victory celebration on Naboo, which Skywalker attended as a member of the Jedi Order. Over the next decade, the two formed a close bond, with Kenobi becoming a father figure to the fatherless apprentice. They went on missions together, including a mission to Ansion, as well as a situation where Skywalker rescued his master from a nest of gundarks. Despite their bond, the two were sometimes at odds; Kenobi would come to feel that his Padawan's abilities made the boy arrogant, while Skywalker felt that his master was holding him back from his true potential. Kenobi nonetheless tried to emulate Yoda's style of teaching, feeling he could teach Skywalker as well as the Grand Master could have.

It was during this time that Skywalker also formed a relationship with Chancellor Palpatine; the Dark Lord of the Sith had taken an interest in Skywalker's potential after the boy's actions during the Battle of Naboo. Palpatine became a sympathetic ear for Skywalker's frustrations, and Palpatine would tell Skywalker that the Padawan would one day become the greatest of all the Jedi.

Protecting the Senator
"From the moment I met you, all those years ago, not a day has gone by when I haven't thought of you."

- Anakin Skywalker confesses his feelings for Padmé Amidala

In the years following the Naboo invasion, a new crisis emerged: a growing Separatist movement, known as the Confederacy of Independent Systems, emerged to challenge the Republic's political dominance in the galaxy. Thousands of disillusioned star systems joined the Separatists, controlled in secret by Darth Sidious and publicly led by former a former Jedi Master named Count Dooku. Dooku, secretly Sidious' apprentice, targeted Amidala for assassination. The former queen, who had become Senator of Naboo after her terms as queen ended, opposed Senate proposals to build a military to combat the Separatist threat. She was nearly assassinated on Coruscant, where she traveled to vote against a military build up, but the assassins, Jango Fett and Zam Wesell, were unsuccessful.

Over Amidala's objections, Chancellor Palpatine requested that the Jedi Council provided Jedi guards for the senator, and suggested that Kenobi and Skywalker be given the assignment. The two reported to the senator's apartment soon thereafter, where Skywalker nervously greeted Amidala after having thought about her every day since they last saw each other on Naboo. The Padawan, who was in love with the senator, suggested that they investigate who tried to kill Amidala, but Kenobi insisted that their mandate was only to protect her.

Shmi's death
"I&hellip; I killed them. I killed them all. They're dead, every single one of them. And not just the men, but the women and the children too. They're like animals, and I slaughtered them like animals. I hate them!"

- Anakin Skywalker tells Padmé Amidala about his slaughtering of the Tusken Raiders

Battle of Christophsis

 * Cat and Mouse
 * The Hidden Enemy
 * Film

Destroying the Malevolence

 * Rising Malevolence
 * Shadow of Malevolence
 * Destroy Malevolence

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 * Rookies
 * Downfall of a Droid
 * Duel of the Droids
 * Cloak of Darkness
 * Dooku Captured
 * The Gungan General
 * Jedi Crash
 * Defenders of Peace
 * Trespass
 * Blue Shadow Virus
 * Mystery of a Thousand Moons
 * Storm Over Ryloth
 * Liberty on Ryloth
 * Holocron Heist
 * Cargo of Doom
 * Children of the Force
 * Bounty Hunters
 * The Zillo Beast
 * The Zillo Beast Strikes Back
 * Senate Spy
 * Landing at Point Rain
 * Weapons Factory
 * Legacy of Terror
 * Brain Invaders
 * Grievous Intrigue
 * Lightsaber Lost
 * The Mandalore Plot
 * Voyage of Temptation
 * Duchess of Mandalore
 * Death Trap
 * R2 Come Home
 * Lethal Trackdown
 * The Academy
 * Assassin
 * ARC Troopers
 * Sphere of Influence
 * Evil Plans
 * Hostage Crisis
 * Heroes on Both Sides
 * Nightsisters
 * Witches of the Mist

Discovering his destiny

 * Overlords
 * Altar of Mortis
 * Ghosts of Mortis

Citadel rescue

 * The Citadel
 * Counterattack
 * Citadel Rescue

Rescuing Ahsoka

 * Padawan Lost
 * Wookiee Hunt

Battle of Mon Cala

 * Water War
 * Gungan Attack
 * Prisoners


 * Shadow Warrior

Battle of Umbara

 * Darkness on Umbara

A slave once more

 * Kidnapped
 * Slaves of the Republic
 * Escape from Kadavo

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 * A Friend in Need

Hunting a killer

 * Deception
 * Friends and Enemies
 * The Box
 * Crisis on Naboo

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 * Brothers

Battle of Onderon

 * A War on Two Fronts
 * Front Runners
 * The Soft War
 * Tipping Points

Republic military conference

 * Secret Weapons
 * Point of No Return

--
 * Revival

Jedi Temple bombing

 * Sabotage (episode)|Sabotage
 * The Jedi Who Knew Too Much
 * To Catch a Jedi
 * The Wrong Jedi

Order 66 conspiracy

 * The Unknown
 * Orders

Rise of Rush Clovis

 * An Old Friend
 * The Rise of Clovis
 * Crisis at the Heart

The mystery of Sifo-Dyas

 * The Lost One
 * Voices

Fall to the dark side
"Twisted by the dark side, young Skywalker has become. The boy you trained, gone he is&hellip; consumed by Darth Vader."

- Yoda to Obi-Wan Kenobi

Hunt for the Rebels
"Lord Vader will provide us with the location of the Rebel fortress by the time this station is operational. We will then crush the Rebellion with one swift stroke."

- Tarkin

Destruction of the Death Star
"This will be a day long remembered. It has seen the end of Kenobi, and it will soon see the end of the Rebellion."

- Darth Vader, before the Battle of Yavin

Powers and abilities
"I see you becoming the greatest of all the Jedi, Anakin."

- Palpatine

Behind the scenes
Anakin Skywalker was created by George Lucas, and went through many different incarnations in early drafts of Star Wars. The character first appeared as Darth Vader in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, where he was portrayed in the suit by David Prowse and voiced by James Earl Jones. The two actors continued to play the role in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. For the unmasking scene in Return of the Jedi, Anakin was played by Sebastian Shaw, who also played Anakin's ghost in the original version of the film. In Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, young Anakin was played by Jake Lloyd. Hayden Christensen took on the role for Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, and was also digitally added as Anakin's ghost in the 2004 re-release of Return of the Jedi. The most recent actor to play Anakin Skywalker was Matt Lanter, who portrayed him in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars film and television series.