The Evolution Of Anakin Skywalker

You were the chosen one! It was said that you would destroy the Sith, not join them! Bring balance to the Force, not leave it in darkness!

- Obi Wan Kenobi (to Anakin Skywalker)

This quote perfectly sums up the character development of Anakin Skywalker. How he was supposedly the chosen one yet did not live up to the expectations and actually ended up doing quite the opposite. The evolution of Anakin Skywalker is one best the stories I’ve heard when I was growing up (though I didn’t understand the significance until I got older). The story is of a boy with great potential being given a once in a lifetime opportunity to undergo extraordinary training and join a mysterious, powerful institution; the Jedi. Anakin goes on to become one of the most accomplished and mighty of the Jedi. But later on, he ends up betraying the Jedi and joining their enemies; the Sith. So what leads him to do that? There are various things that influence him to go down this dark path yet there exists one central theme; fear and hate. Part of the character development in his story is the tragic loss of his mother who died a violent death. The trauma he experienced led him to become immensely fearful of losing loved ones (mainly Padme who is the love of his life) and also caused him to become increasingly hateful (something that is against Jedi culture). This fear and hatred made him vulnerable to manipulation. The leader of the Sith, whose goal is to destroy the Jedi, took advantage of Anakin’s vulnerabilities and used him as a tool to destroy the Jedi. The moral of the story? Don’t allow fear and hate to influence you to go down a dark path.

If I could write a short story one day, I am unsure exactly what it would be about. It would likely have something to do with experiences from my life and maybe involve lessons I’ve learned personally. Writing about something that has to do with one’s past is probably easier than creatively coming up with something entirely original. I would certainly want there to exist a meaningful theme in the story so it leaves the reader with some fulfillment.