Anakin Skywalker’s descent into the dark side is the most tragic aspect of the original and prequel trilogy, as George Lucas deemed the first six movies as the Tragedy of Darth Vader. While the prequel trilogy was seen as a letdown compared to its predecessors, the time has been kind to these features, especially for its exploration of the complexity of Vader as a character.
Although several aspects contributed to Anakin Skywalker becoming Darth Vader in the original trilogy, this could’ve been avoided had Mace Windu trained him instead of Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Mastering Vaapad Could’ve Prevented Anakin’s Descent Into the Dark Side
Obi-Wan Kenobi‘s failings as a teacher played a major part in Anakin’s fall into the dark side, as the Jedi Master struggled between his duties to the council and respecting Qui-Gon’s last wish. But had Mace Windu trained the young Jedi, this all could’ve been avoided, as his Vapaad would’ve brought balance into the Force if the council widely adopted it.
Unlike the traditional lightsaber, Vaapad requires its users to draw upon emotions, such as rage and anger, which are strongly linked to the dark side, and as a result, was banned by the council. However, Windu perfected the form and showcased how the virtues of the light can balance its dark tendencies. Considering that Anakin’s obsession to save Padmé was one of the contributors to his fall to the dark side, mastering Vaapad under Windu could’ve prevented it.
But following the council’s inability to open to change, this never transpired, leading to the fall of the Jedi Order and Anakin’s tragic descent into darkness.
George Lucas Struggled to Make Darth Vader Scary
One of the biggest challenges George Lucas faced while making the original trilogy was with the character of Darth Vader. Arguably one of the most iconic villains in fiction, Vader is known for his commanding onscreen presence. But during the creation of the character, Lucas struggled to make the character come off as intimidating.
He told Rolling Stone:
I had to make Darth Vader scary without the audience ever seeing his face. Basically, it’s just a black mask. I said, ‘How do I make that evil and scary?’ I mean, he’s big and black and he’s got a cape and a samurai helmet, but that doesn’t necessarily make people afraid of him.
Things eventually worked out after the filmmaker figured his character should go beyond his black mask. Thanks to the character’s impersonal way of dealing with things, accompanied by David Prowse‘s killer voice as the tragic villain, who had lived a very sad life, Darth Vader became an icon.
Star Wars prequel trilogy is available to stream on Disney Plus.
