The Death of Anakin Skywalker
“He Betrayed and Murdered Your Father.”
Part 1 of 2.
From Obi-Wan Kenobi’s point of view, Anakin Skywalker died: “He ceased to be Anakin and became Darth Vader.” It’s one hell of a POV. If we stick with this point of view, we can ask the question, when does Anakin Skywalker die? When is Darth Vader born.
Let’s look through potential moments and their arguments for why. When I started writing I truly didn’t know which moment I thought was “official time of death.” Through this writing I came to discover the nuance around the POV that Anakin Skywalker died.
Watch a video version of Part 1 here.
The betrayal of Mace Windu.
A bold thought is that the moment Anakin takes his saber up to save The Sith Lord, he not only (essentially) kills Mace Windu but also murderers Anakin Skywalker. By engaging in Windu-dismemberment, he destroys who he was and fully commits to the darkness that had been growing in him. No doubt, it’s finally the moment he fully gives into his selfish impulses and severs himself from the Order. He has become something other than Anakin. That something doesn’t even have a name yet but Anakin is already dead.
I’m not sure if that’s true but I will say this: at this moment Anakin cannot turn back. Even if Vader hasn’t killed Skywalker yet, the death warrant is sealed. As he gasps, “What have I done?” he knows there is no coming back from this. But I’m not sure Anakin is dead yet. But perhaps his new master will finish him off.
Christened Darth Vader.
“Henceforth you will be known as…. DARTH…. VADER.” This practice of Sith changing their name is so fascinating. I think the goal is to truly kill your former self. You must commit to the dark side and who you were must be slain. So at this moment does Anakin die? I like the idea that with the power of naming something you transform. Words have meaning and a real power. There is powerful symbolism of Darth Sidious using the power of Words to finally kill Anakin Skywalker and transform him into Darth Vader. Furthermore, when this happens Anakin accepts this new title. He turns his back on who he was. It may be with some slight reluctance but not enough.
However, that’s the point: I do think he is reluctant. Yes, he’s made that linchpin decision that he cant’ turn back from. But Anakin is still in there, flabbergasted at what he has done. As the film continues Vader becomes more sure of himself. It starts with “What have I done” to “From my point of view the Jedi are evil.” But because of that slight reluctance, I’m not sure Anakin is dead yet. I think Anakin was still alive albeit on life support. But I almost prefer him to be dead than what happens next…
The sacking of the temple and slaughter of the separatists.
What happens next is absolutely devastating. That hero from the Clone Wars, that little boy on Tatooine proceeds to murder the Jedi, young and old, that are at the temple. Let’s lump in his war crimes on Mustafar here where he slaughters all the leaders of a foreign government who are unarmed. I lump these two together because these all act as a build-up to one specific scene. It’s the scene where Anakin in proverbial hell looks out the surrounding inferno and cries. He cries for what he has done. He cries because he is mourning for all that he killed. And he knows he didn’t just kill Jedi and Separatists… He killed Anakin Skywalker.
Regardless of when you think Anakin dies, I think it is pretty clear that Anakin at this moment is mourning the death of who he was. If you could sit Anakin down and ask him when does he realize he has killed the person he was, he would say this moment. He’s moved past the, “what have I done?” He has his answer that’s what he is reflecting on in this moment. But maybe Anakin isn’t completely dead yet. Maybe he doesn’t truly die until the physical transformation.
Anakin burns away… literally.
Maybe the figurative death of Anakin doesn’t happen until the literal flesh of the man is burned away. I didn’t expect this essay to be quite so metal but here we are. George Lucas has talked about how important it was to see Anakin suffer. Not until he suffers because of these choices does Anakin truly die as he is forced to become the Darth Vader we picture. But maybe this is just Sky-guy’s penultimate moment.
Padme’s death and Vader’s birth.
There is a strong argument to be made the last bit of Anakin dies with Padme. As I write this, I feel it in my soul. As she passes and Vader, as we know him, is literally built before our eyes, all remnants of Anakin are pushed out. She takes her last breath and Vader has his first. It’s Geroge Lucas’ swansong to film making. Is the moment the mask of Vader makes its first breath the final breath of Anakin?
Maybe. But maybe it’s when he hears the truth of her fate. She is dead. He may have killed her but doesn’t change the great fear that lead him here. She is dead. Right here, Anakin has one last word: No. With this “no” he surrenders to Vader. Anakin is truly dead. Vader lives.
Anakin has one last word: No.
Regardless of when you think the moment of death really is… it’s more appropriate to say: Anakin slowly drowns under the weight of Darth Vader. It’s a slow death. Truthfully, Anakin’s fall begins the moment he leaves his mother. I think it’s the first true seed of darkness that is planted in him. He may have been born with traits that hint at darkness but this separation was the seed being planted. I really don’t think Anakin was predestined to fall to the dark side. He had choices he made and so did the people around him. And it was a slow burn.
But the true murder of Anakin Skywalker starts the moment he severs off Mace’s hand and isn’t finished until his last tragic, “No.”
Conclusion?
There are other POVs besides Obi-Wan’s. From another point of view Anakin was never actually dead — he was always there buried deep. Maybe dormant but there. Because as we all know, his son, Luke Skywalker, awakened him. If Anakin died, Obi Wan, how has he returned to ethereally stand next to you?
But I want to stick with Kenobi’s frame of mind. Anakin died and through the love of his son, he is resurrected. This begs the question, resurrected or awakened, at what point does Anakin Skywalker return.
