Characters Anakin/Vader Characterization - Anakin in the New Clone Wars

I have to agree with brodiew that Anakin is the most likable and understandable as a character when he is paired with Ashoka... even though I have my reservations about her. I despised the movie a lot the first time I saw it, but after reading this I'm a little more inclined to like it.

Wouldn't Ashoka dying before the ROTS undo any sort of maturing that Anakin had during the Clone Wars... or maybe even make him even more confused? I would like to think that her death would make Anakin's fight to save Padme's life even more dire and urgent.

Of course... given the medium (3d Cartoon Network) she is on right now and the current state of things concerning Star Wars, I can't see how they could kill her at all.

 

It wouldn't be the first time a TV show (or a cartoon series -- Teen Titans & killing Terra, for instance) has upped the ante with a sudden Character death. We've already had a couple of Jedi die on-screen, and {SPOILER ALERT} Asajj impales that traitor through the chest in the episode with Nute Gunray. {CLOSE/ SPOILER ALERT} I don't think it will too far fetched for TCW to kill off Ashoka in the final episode.

 

The thing is, a person doesn't necessarily have to die to disappear or be forgotten. I'd almost like to see them take a different route and *not* kill Ahsoka off, but still find a suitably realistic and dramatic way to get her out of the way of ROTS.

 

It's going to be interesting however they do it. In one way, the almost have written themselves into a corner with her, and this was my only reservation about having her. But I do like the effect having a "little sister" has on Anakin.


Edit: I don't know if you guys have read the novelization on the Clone Wars by Karen Traviss and Karen Miller (she wrote Clone Wars:Wild Space), but they have a lot of good Anakin. Wild Space even has some Anakin/Padme moments! It also tells what happened on the way back from Geonosis right after AOTC. Both can be found in the Yound Readers section or the regular SciFi section of the book store or library.

 

Palpatine said the Dark Side can save anyone, especially loved ones. But by turning to the dark side, Vader was only able to save himself.

 

unlocked and upped

 

Just reviving this guy from the dead!

Those of you who attended C5 last week (you lucky, lucky devils!) got the chance to see the newest Anakin, Matt Lanter. Matt voices Anakin on the Clone Wars Animated Series. I must say, he passes the Anakin must be played by a handsome guy test.

[image=http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d172/rplatan/MattandAshley.jpg]

 

Wowza. Doesn't he though?

I'll catch up on the entire thread later, I'm out of town for a family reunion. Summation of my thoughts on Ahsoka, and CW Anakin:

I like that the Clone Wars is showing Anakin as a hero and a bit more mature than in either AOTC or ROTS. A bit smarter too. (And you all know that I love film Anakin.)

I love feisty fireball Ahsoka. Love her.

I think that she will get killed in one of the final episodes, that Anakin will blame himself, and that he will become more determined to gain the power to stop death.

 

I like the characterization of Anakin in the Clone Wars.

It seems like the Anakin we know from the movies.

 

I haven't seen a whole lot of TCW, but his characterization does seems quite good. And I hope this thread isn't mostly dead... I just found it. I like Anakin, too.

So, hi, if anyone still visits this place!

 

Hello; I'm new here. Anyways, I've heard Anakin compared to Harry Potter characters before. I've heard him compared to Tom Riddle/Voldemort, Harry Potter, and Severus Snape. However, I'd like to make another comparisin. You see, I think another character that he has things in common with is Albus Dumbledore. In Deathly Hallows, it is revealed that Dumbledore wanted to find ways to cheat death because his sister had died, and that he was friends with Grindelwald. Not only that, but he also believed he was working towards the Greater Good like Anakin did. Palpatine had persuaded Anakin that the Jedi were evil, and he also told him that he was fulfillying his destiny. And when he said that, he was basically saying that Anakin was fulfilling the prophecy. By the way, how do you post smilies?

 

There is a "faces" button above where you type your post. Click on it, and it will display all the available smiley-faces for you. You just have to click on whichever one you want.

I've never watched any of those other movies you referenced, so I'm afraid I can't join a conversation on that topic.

 

Thanks. I really appreciated you informing me of that. Ah, that's a shame. The Harry Potter movies and books are very entertaining. Ironically, there is a Chosen One in that series as well. Interestingly, people seem to think Anakin has a mood disorder. I disagree with that suggestion---I think they are just exaggerating his inability to control his emotions; not to mention that he is a fictional character. What do you think?

 

It was my pleasure.

I've heard that they are, I've just never had an opportunity to see or read them.

About Anakin, I agree with you. He's very mercurial, but not to the point of having a disorder, by any means. He never learned to find that calm center where he can actually think through things. He just acts on his emotions, instead of giving himself time to cool off, and figure out what is best, or reasonable, or right.

 

Okay, then. I hope you get that opputurnity. Perhaps you will--I mean, it is almost Christmass, so one of your family members or friends may end up getting them for you. You're right. He is emotional, but not to the point of having a disorder. Trust me, I'd know. Although, he is still really passionate, and makes decisions completely based on emotions. That isn't really a good thing for normal people, but it soon becomes a pernicious thing when you are able to use the Force.

Now that we've confirmed that, I can't help but wonder something. Anakin is often classifed as a tragic hero, but do you believe he was a Byronic hero as well? This is the check list for it:

*a strong sense of arrogance
*high level of intelligence and perception
*cunning and able to adapt
*suffering from an unnamed crime
*a troubled past
*sophisticated and educated
*self-critical and introspective
*mysterious, magnetic and charismatic
*struggling with integrity
*zpower of seduction and sexual attraction
*social and sexual dominance
*emotional conflicts, bipolar tendencies, or moodiness[citation needed]
*a distaste for social institutions and norms
*being an exile, an outcast, or an outlaw
"dark" attributes not normally associated with a hero[citation needed]
*disrespect of rank and privilege
*jaded, world-weary
*cynicism
*self-destructive behaviour

He fits most of those, except for the part about being cunning, and being cynical. Anakin wasn't very cunning---he didn't really like lying, and wasn't too good at it. Even when he and Padme were hiding their love from the Jedi Council, he wanted to reveal the truth. The only thing that was stopping him was his role as the Chosen One. He probably believed it would be selfish to leave the Jedi Order because he thought they needed him. Oh, I also don't think he was self destructive, but it wouldn't be out of character for him to be that way.

 

Yes, he does seem to fit that list pretty well, barring the parts you mentioned. He's quite something, isn't he?

 

He really is something. There is never a dull moment with him. You can call him many things, but you can't call him boring. His personality symbolizes fire, which I think is part of his charm. Padme personality, on the other hand, symbolizes water. Essentially, their relationship is a classic "opposites attract" type of relationship which leads people to believe they lack chemistry, when they don't. If you think about it, isn't it funny how both Obi Wan and Padme have vastly different personalities from him, and yet he is very close to both of them? Even Shmi isn't as fierce as Anakin. Luke, Leia, and Qui Gon, however, are similar to him in a couple ways.

 

Agree 100 percent. (And love your signature. )

I think Anakin being as fiery and passionate as he is, is drawn to people whom he knows will temper him and calm him down. And he has a love/hate relationship with that calming influence. He knows that he needs it, sometimes he welcomes it, but at the same time, he also likes the feeling of power that his temper gives him.

Leia is very much like him, Luke is to an extent; I've always thought of Luke as being more like Padme and Leia like Anakin, but I think that both twins have qualities from both parents. Qui-Gon is calmer than Anakin but they both share that sense of "I will do what I must, Obi-Wan," regardless of what conventional rules say.

 

Thanks for the compliment. What you said makes a lot of sense. Even though Anakin did seek out those who could tame him, he also enjoyed being dominant. It's also true that although Luke is idealistic, adventurous, impulsive, and impatient like his father, he is also forgiving and compassionate like his mother. Leia is even more like Anakin. And you're right about Qui Gon too. Although he was open-minded and unconvential like Anakin, he was also more calm and collected than Anakin. Speaking of Anakin's loved ones, who do you believed he loved the most out of all of them?

 

Good question, hard to answer because he loved all of them differently. I'd say the love for Padme was the most passionate, although I believe that if Palpatine had not been in the picture and ruined everything, Anakin would have loved his kids with a matching level of intensity.

It's hard to blame the guy for wanting to stop people from dying. Don't most people want to prevent the suffering and death of their loved ones? I only wish someone had told him that any power the Sith had to stop people from dying, was not worth the price. Sort of reminds me of Harry Potter and the way Voldemort kept himself alive--it could be done, but at a price not worth paying.

 

I agree. Anakin would have made a great father. Yeah---most people, especially ones as heroic as Anakin, would love to stop their loved ones from dying. But it really wasn't worth it, because trying to get that power only destroyed Anakin's life in the end. And it reminds you of Harry Potter? That's interesting. It kind of reminds me of Harry Potter as well. Are you a fan?

P.S: When Anakin said "Love won't save you Padme, only my new powers can." he was wrong. You see, Padme didn't die of physical injuries. She died because Anakin joined the Dark Side rather than simply loving her. That caused her to lose the will to live. The only thing that could have prevented that is if Padme knew that Anakin still loved her. So really, love was the only thing that could save Padme. Interestingly, compassionate love was one of the ingredients to immortality. If you think about it, that means that in Star Wars, love can prevent death. That's why Palpatine didn't know the secret to cheat death. He underestimated the Power of Love. Anakin may have not realized it, but he had already saved his mother by simply loving her. Then, he could have saved Padme by loving her. With Luke, he literally saved him because he loved him, but Anakin finally realized that Luke had already saved him.

"You're coming with me. I'll not leave you here, I've got to save you." -Luke
"You already have, Luke. You were right about me." -Anakin (Those may not be the exact same quotes, though. Sorry if they aren't.)

If you think about it, it's ironic. Anakin was blinded by love. Palpatine was blinded by hatred. Yet, people hate Palpatine less than Anakin. I mean, they rightfully know Palpatine is more evil than Anakin, and yet Anakin is bashed more than him. No offense to anyone, but that's somewhat odd to me. Also, some people believe that Anakin went around killing people all day because of the Tusken massacre.

That seems strange to me, because the reason why Anakin murdered them in the first place is because he suffered from temporary insanity from seeing his mother tortured to death. In fact, that is the only heinous act he commits before joining the Dark Side. In all honesty, Anakin quite literally acutally went around saving people all day, with the exception of the Tusken Raiders massacre. I mean, if you can't right the wrongs, then who says you can wrong the rights? If the fact that he once saved plenty of lives doesn't change the fact that he also killed people, shouldn't that mean him killing people doesn't erase the fact that he has saved plenty of lives before?

I mean, it's incredibly strange how people act as if Anakin has never did a noble thing in his life, when that simply isn't true. To say that Anakin didn't do many heroic acts in the Clone Wars would also suggest that he is not responsible for what he did as Vader. And I'm not saying that what Anakin did in the Clone Wars makes what he did to the Tusken Raiders okay. I'm just saying that while he is definitely responsible for what he did and should have been punished for it, he should be lauded for his good deeds as well. Now that I think about it, why is that? Why do people tend to overlook the good things others do, and choose to focus on the negative? Why are crimes mentioned on the news, while the good things people do never are?

Also, Palpatine is partially responsible for Order 66, because he is the one who gave Anakin the order in the first place. Again, I'm not try to excuse Anakin's actions, I'm just saying that Palpatine should be blamed for it as well, because Anakin wouldn't have done it if Palpatine hadn't ordered him too. So, I'd say Anakin deserves 80% of the blame, but Palpatine at least deserves 20% blame. Just because Palpatine isn't directly responsible for the death of the Jedi, that doesn't mean he should get off scott free. Tust me---Some people may wish and try to convince themselves that Vaderkin is the true baddie of the story, when it is really Palpa

 

You should read Tatooine Ghost by Troy Denning if you haven't already. I find it a good summation of the grey areas of Anakin Skywalker's personality. Blacking out for spoilers:

Leia, like many fans who bash Anakin, simply refused to believe that he was ever good or had ever been innocent. Leia, however, had reason to feel that way. When she meets Kitster and finds out that he had held onto a hologram of Anakin winning the Boonta Eve, she couldn't understand why anyone would want to hold onto a memory of Anakin Skywalker. Then she meets Anakin's other friends who absolutely refused to believe that he had become Darth Vader. It was finding Shmi Skywalker's diary that helped Leia understand who her father had really been. Then of course she finds the Tusken camp, sees through the Force the place where Shmi was tortured, and realizes that Anakin was the "angry ghost" of whom the Tuskens were now terrified. In that scene, Han summed up the slaughter for me: "He was a kid with a dead mother. I would have done the same thing." Then Leia says, "That doesn't make it right." Which is also true.

Definitely a Harry Potter fan; seems that there are many literary works which address the concept of the terrible price of trying to cheat death.

 

Thanks. My mother just bought me Labyrinth of Evil, and she just ordered me Tatooine Ghost, Dark Lord, and the Original Trilogy books. I've already seen the movies, but I really want to read the books. You're a Harry Potter fan? That's great. (face_happy) So am I. I think it's unfair to compare Voldemort to Vaderkin. I think Voldemort is much more like Palpatine. The only thing Anakin really has in common with Voldemort is that they were both mistrusted by their mentors, were renamed, tried cheating death, and have committed murder because of that.

Anyways, I have been thinking about Star Wars and astrology lately. Anakin has been said to be a Aquarius, but I think he is much more of a Scorpio. He has plenty of Scorpio traits, after all. Like a Scorpio, he is passionate, emotional, moody, loyal, brutally honest, and vindictive. If you don't like astrology, sorry for mentioning it, but if you do, would you agree that he is a Scorpio?

 

Yeah, Anakin and Voldermort aren't the same.

The end of Wookiee Hunt let's us see into Anakin's physique once again.