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(Image from Wookiepedia File:Anakin Skywalker SWDR.png)
“Downfall” refers to a fall from grace, where someone once seen positively is instead viewed negatively. This definition is very true for the Jedi Anakin Skywalker: once a hero of the Galactic Republic and a formidable Jedi Knight, his sharp downfall involved his transformation into the villainous Darth Vader and the creation of the Galactic Empire following the Clone Wars and Order 66. There were numerous reasons as to why Anakin’s life ended up taking this tragic route – such as his lack of parental figures and the actions and beliefs of the Jedi Order – but this article will argue why the main reason for his downfall was Palpatine’s manipulation.
Palpatine and Anakin developed a close relationship following Anakin’s induction into the Jedi Order as evidenced by the scene in Attack of the Clones where Anakin discusses with Palpatine his feelings surrounding his first assignment: protecting Padme. This is a prime example of how he was manipulated; this close friendship – almost a father-son bond – between the two meant Palpatine had a lot of power around Anakin’s life. He could (and did) sow seeds of mistrust and contempt between Anakin and the Jedi Order. The most prominent example of this is in that same scene in Attack of the Clones, where Palpatine tells Anakin that he believes he could be the most powerful of all Jedi, even more powerful than Yoda. Very subtly, Palpatine is pitting Anakin in competition with Yoda, the leader of the Jedi Council, and thereby putting him in contention with the entirety of the Jedi Order; the fact that he is telling Anakin that he could be the most powerful of all the Jedi enforces Anakin’s belief that the Jedi are holding him back, thereby putting yet more strain on the relationship between Anakin and the Jedi Order. This can be seen again during the opera house scene in Revenge of the Sith, where Palpatine tells Anakin that the Jedi Council should send him to Utapau to fight General Grievous; when the Jedi then make the decision not to, this makes Anakin feel neglected by them, as if they don’t trust him or don’t believe in him enough to let him carry out this duty. These two events make Anakin feel as though he is fighting against the Jedi Order, rather than with them. By subtly sowing these seeds in Anakin’s mind, Palpatine is able to convince Anakin to turn against the Jedi with Operation Knightfall, where he storms the Jedi Temple alongside members of the 501st Legion. Moreover, this close friendship means that Anakin has a personal connection with Palpatine and feels close with him. This culminates in Anakin’s refusal to spy on Palpatine, putting Anakin in further conflict with the Jedi Council. However, the best example of how Palpatine pits Anakin against the Jedi is by manipulating him with Padme. He tells Anakin that only the Dark Side can save her, that only he can save her. This bolsters the pair’s deep-seated personal connection, culminating in Anakin chopping off Mace Windu’s hand to save Palpatine’s life in Revenge of the Sith. Here, Palpatine’s manipulation causes Anakin to actively raise his weapon against another Jedi, hence putting him in direct conflict with them. This is the turning point when Anakin truly embraces the Dark Side. But without Palpatine’s expert manipulation, those feelings of contempt for the Jedi would never have blossomed within Anakin.
Some argue that it was Anakin’s lack of parental figures that was the key reason to his downfall. He did not have a father, and was taken away from his mother – by his choice – at the age of ten to join the Jedi Order. Under the teaching of Qui-Gon Jinn, he would have had a great father figure and mentor; but fate stepped in. Qui-Gon was killed in his duel against Darth Maul and the younger Obi-Wan Kenobi, elevated to the rank of Jedi Knight just days before, ended up being the one to take on Anakin as his padawan. Obi-Wan’s youth caused one key difference in his relationship with Anakin as opposed to how Anakin and Qui-Gon’s relationship would have been: rather than serving as a pseudo-father for Anakin, he became Anakin’s closest friend and his brother. Even in Attack of the Clones, when their brotherly relationship had not yet been strongly established, their casual back-and-forth cemented the casualness of their relationship; as much as Anakin would argue otherwise, even here, at their heart, they were more brothers than mentor and apprentice. This lack of a father figure meant Anakin ended up turning to Palpatine for that guidance as a pseudo-father, which led to him being an easy target for Palpatine’s manipulation. Moreover, the death of Shmi Skywalker – Anakin’s mother – at the hands of Tusken Raiders in Attack of the Clones resulted in Anakin growing a great desire for power; it also ignited his resentment for the Jedi, as he felt they were holding him back. However, despite all this, it was, ultimately, the manipulation of Palpatine that turned him; this lack of a parental figure provided a prime opportunity for Palpatine to turn Anakin to the Dark Side, but had he not manipulated him so subtly, his actions would not have been so effective and Anakin likely would have immediately reported him to the Jedi. Simply having so much anger bottled up would have been unlikely to be enough to turn Anakin against the Jedi – judging by how awed he is by them in The Phantom Menace. Therefore, Palpatine’s expert manipulation – which was able to utilise these caged feelings of Anakin’s – was the most important reason behind Anakin’s downfall.
The Jedi Order’s strict rules and actions played a key part in Anakin’s downfall. The rules surrounding marriage in particular were crucial. Due to marriage being forbidden by the Jedi, Anakin had no one he could turn to about his visions in Revenge of the Sith – except from Palpatine. However, despite this providing a great opportunity for Palpatine to manipulate Anakin, had he not done it so effectively, he may have alerted Anakin to his true intentions well before Order 66, which would have ruined his plans; simply having an opportunity for good manipulation does not mean the target will be successfully manipulated.
Another key place where the Jedi failed Anakin was in their mistrust of him. They actively went against his thoughts and neglected to trust him on serious missions prior to the Clone Wars. Moreover, this mistrust led to Anakin believing he was being held back by the Jedi; however, this feeling would never have come into fruition were it not for Palpatine subtly manipulating Anakin by pitting him against the Jedi in his mind and repeatedly telling the young Jedi how powerful he could be without the Jedi. This can be seen when Anakin wants to become a Jedi Master in Revenge of the Sith: by all rights, he is too young and inexperienced to become a Jedi Master, but Palpatine’s excellent manipulation leads him to believe he should be a Master and should be on the Jedi Council. Thereby, Palpatine’s manipulation – accentuated by the inherent distrust for Anakin within the Jedi Order – results in Anakin being pitted against the Jedi. Palpatine used the Jedi’s misguided beliefs to isolate Anakin from them and bring him closer to the Dark Side. Here, Palpatine is slowly growing the seeds that will eventually culminate in the fateful duel in the Chancellor’s office.
In conclusion, Palpatine’s manipulation was the most important reason for the downfall of Anakin Skywalker. By subtly pitting him against the Jedi and isolating him from them, Palpatine made Anakin an easy target. He was able to sow seeds deep in his mind and manipulate him to even raise his lightsaber against a member of the Jedi Order – an extreme achievement in and of itself due to Anakin’s previous adoration of the Jedi as shown in The Phantom Menace. What resulted was Palpatine being the master of Anakin’s mind; and with that power, he warped him to the Dark Side of the Force and created a villainous being more machine than man: Darth Vader.
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