Star Wars Legends Fan Group discussion

I like Anakin Skywalker character, I feel he has well rounds character character development and arc, anyone else does agree?

I liked him up to the point he started murdering women and children... at the end of Episode 2. Until that moment he was a kid with not enough guidance from the Jedi and a poisonous influence of Palpatine in his life. It doesn't justify his subsequent actions though. To me he's an equivalent of a bullied kid who decided to get a gun and shoot up his whole school. His backstory is tragic, shouldn't shield him from consequences of his actions though. Just like in real life where he would face death penalty where not abolished and life imprisonment elsewhere if not for the Tatooine rampage then surely for what happened on Coruscant in Episode III.

In the OT Anakin/Vader was a villain. His redemption was made possible only by his death. I find his force ghost scene at the end of Episode 6 problematic. Obi-Wan and Yoda chilling out with Anakin like he wasn't responsible for killing most of his close friends and coleagues, not to mention thousands of innocent civilians.

EDIT: I responded before you edited your comment. So to adjust my reply, as a character he's certainly interesting. I'll give you that. As a person he's somebody who made some unforgivable choices. That's what my original response is about - Anakin's likebility or lack of it as a person.

BTW Welcome to the group, Koleen. :)

think you that why I find him interesting

Koleen wrote: "I like Anakin Skywalker character, I feel he has well rounds character development and arc, anyone else does agree?"

Anakin is one of my favorite characters in the saga - behind Ahsoka, and Kenobi (I must have a Jedi thing).

My favorite portrayal of Anakin is in The Clone Wars. With Dave Filoni's able help, Matt Lanter provided the best Anakin performances and the character's development in that series is at its pinnacle.

I would say his development as a character in the saga had the potential to be a great story. Regrettably, there are some bad decisions with his story as developed by Lucas in the prequel trilogy. But, the idea of Anakin as a personality and a force in the Force holds a certain degree of captivating wonder.

I recently learn that Anakin Skywalker could have been inspired by a real real historical samurai figure named date-masamune there are Eerie similarities between them
here the link if anyone interested

https://nipponrama.com/date-masamune-...

Koleen wrote: "I recently learn that Anakin Skywalker could have been inspired by a real historical samurai figure ..."

There is no "could have" about it. George Lucas grew up in the era of Akira Kurosawa, the legendary Japanese film maker. You can watch the original Seven Samurai and see many similarities between it and the Star Wars saga. All creative types are influenced by something they see or experience. Lucas's muse was the Sengoku era Japanese film genre. Mix in some space drama, Nazi analogues and young idealists, and bam: you got Star Wars.

There were several inspirational sources for Star Wars. Lucas owned up to some of them, others are in question. Eg. Frank Herbert contemplated sueing Lucas for copyright infringement. There are many similarities between ANH and his Dune series. Coincidence? Who knows?

Kurosawa and Samurai culture were among those sources that Lucas proudly cited.

Hailey wrote: "Don, what things would you have changed about Anakin compared to what we got in the movies?"

The short answer is to not allow Lucas to write, direct, or edit the prequel movies. A New Hope was pretty shaky on its own as a film, and that is why he brought Brackett and Kasdan to write Empire. Back then, Lucas knew he was in over his head.

Long answer, though not as long as I could go: a 9-year-old kid is half as young as the character should be in Episode I. The concept requires an 18-year-old to allow sufficient time for the character to develop. Because of bad writing, poor directing and acting, we got a near-toddler who is more twirp than future, fearsome dark side user.

Introducing the Anakin and Padme relationship in Episode I is a mistake, too. That needs to wait till Episode II wherein both of these adults are mature and close in age. It is weird and borderline creepy to see Christensen's lascivious looks at Padme as Episode II opens.

Remove the slave angle. It is a tired and lazy plot device. It made for a predictable line of story and could have saved us all from enduring an hour long pod race scene. I think it would have meant more and had greater emotional impact for Anakin to see his mom killed (not dying) before his eyes by a more significant foe with greater galactic stature.

Okay, I am gonna say it: ditch the midi-chlorians hokus-pocus. The film should have shown the audience what (an older) Anakin is capable of doing. Instead, we get spoon-fed mumble jumble about microscopic organisms in a Force sensitive's cells. The viewer has to just go with it, to trust an abrupt and shoddy idea spoken, not displayed. It would have been more satisfying and visually more exciting to see what the Chosen One was capable of. This scene deflates the film and diminishes the notion of Jedi as coming from anywhere and potentially being anyone.

We've noted this before, but it is worth reiterating: casting, acting and direction was deplorably bad. I respect and like Christensen, but this role was not for him and Lucas failed him as a director and coach. The role required someone with more presence, deeper vocal tones and who would have to work less to look mean and angry (this points back to poor directing, too).

I am gonna stop here. I love this franchise and I like Anakin as a concept. I do feel his characterization was mishandled in the first two prequel trilogy films and that The Clone Wars series saved the character (and many others) from being left as looking ridiculous. I often imagine my version of Anakin when I watch the movies or read a book where he is present and I hear Lanter's voice.

May the Force be with you.