As the years go by, Star Wars characters are starting to become more complex, but one of the most complicated characters to have appeared on the big screen is still Anakin Skywalker. Having started off as an enslaved child, his journey to becoming one of the most feared people in the entire galaxy is nothing short of chaotic. The biggest difference between Anakin and Vader, however, is the stark difference in emotional control.
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Anakin Skywalker
Anakin is the inexperienced and more vulnerable half of the Vader/Skywalker duo, who faced numerous trials and tribulations throughout his journey into adulthood. His first major test came at only 9 years old, when he was forced to leave his mother behind in order to train as a Jedi. He later had to witness his her death without being able to stop it.
Having the courage to leave his life behind was no small feat for a child Anakin’s age, but it earned him no respect in the eyes of his superiors. It’s no secret that the Jedi Council didn’t believe in Anakin’s capabilities when he first came to them, and their doubt never lessened.
Anakin continuously went out of his way to prove himself to the Jedi Council, without ever earning their respect. In fact, the Jedi Council arguably turned Anakin into a self-fulfilling prophecy by repeatedly expressing their lack of belief in his abilities and pushing him even deeper into Palpatine’s clutches.
Anakin’s poor relationship with the other Jedi Masters is one of the many reasons he had to lie about his marriage and the conception of his children, to even his closest of allies. Married at only 19 years old, Anakin was a young man struggling to find safety and stability, and his biggest wish in life was to keep his new family safe.
What ultimately pushed him over the edge after a lifetime of battling light and dark was his desire to protect his loved ones. Had he never been put through so many grueling life events as a kid, he likely wouldn’t be suffering through feelings of weakness strong enough to turn him to the dark side. Anakin also wouldn’t have been so susceptible to Palpatine’s manipulations, which began when he was still a child.
Anakin’s downfall happened quickly and drastically in Revenge of the Sith, the boiling point for his emotions after years of struggling to control them. Given the severity of his actions, it’s easy to forget just how young Anakin is throughout the duration of the prequel trilogy, and he was only 22 when he went full-on Vader. The first two prequel movies were rather uneventful in comparison to Episode 3, where the action and chaos suddenly unfolded, mirroring the explosive nature of Anakin’s emotions.
Darth Vader
Darth Vader is the product of Anakin’s trauma and poor life decisions, which makes him the wiser, stronger half of the one-man duo when he returns in Episodes 4-6. Having learned from his past failures, Vader does a much better job of knowing when to let emotions drive his actions, versus when to allow logic to be his motivation.
As stated, Anakin struggled to find control and security during times of uncertainty. He spent his life searching for power because he always felt vulnerable, which is why he gave himself over to his evil impulses. After having to reconcile with the fact that choosing the dark side to protect his wife is what actually killed her, Vader knows how to better keep himself in check.
This can be attributed to Vader’s mastery of the Force, as he’s far more disciplined in his older years. His actions might still be wrong and deeply rooted in evil, but he possesses far more restraint as a Sith than he ever did as a Jedi. The irony of this is that Sith are notorious for lacking self-control, yet somehow, Vader managed to better wield the Force than Anakin ever did.
Darth Vader better understands himself and his emotions now, meaning he can better channel his energy into what matters to him most, which is power and world domination. Anakin ultimately failed to accomplish his major goals of becoming a Jedi Master and keeping his family safe. Vader, on the other hand, did manage to achieve his goal of ruling over the galaxy, even if his reign of terror only lasted for a short while.
With that being said, Vader’s mastery over his emotions doesn’t make him calm and rational. It means he knows how to use his feelings to fuel his quest for power and achieve a desired outcome, in a way Anakin never did.
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