Anakin: Living in the Present, Seeing the Future

Of course, there's perhaps the best line of the prequels: "Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering...I sense much fear in you."

Anakin Skywalker, throughout the PT, seems like a person/Jedi who lives very much in the moment, without much thought to past mistakes/lessons or future consequences. He wants what he wants now, and he sees things in black and white.

Yet at the same time, he is the Chosen One and potentially the most powerful Jedi ever. He has foresight, dreams, and visions.

Is part of the reason he seems so confident and sees things black and white because he KNOWS what will happen?

Is this why he's so conflicted with Padme in AOTC? His heart is telling him to give love, but the Force is telling him "danger!"

"We could keep it a secret."
"We'd be living a lie. I couldn't do that, could you, Anakin?"

"No, you're right. It would destroy us." Is he looking at the future when he says this?


And if he's so used to seeing things clearly through the Force, the Shroud of the Dark Side would be driving him more crazy than even Yoda! He wouldn't be able to use his foresight without the Dark Side, and so he would be uncertain....a condition he is unused to.

The Dark Side would bring clarity...but at what cost?

Thoughts? Am I out to lunch?

 

Yes you are but I get what your saying. He fears the future because he can see it and feel that it is wrong. He is the chosen one and most of the things he has to say are right, the means by which he accomplishes these things are wrong and thats what leads to his downfall.

He is very black and white and its one of the things I really like about his character.

 

Life is not black and white lol. You can't like a character who categorises the world into foes and allies when he is expected to show compassion, understanding and a chance for redemption of the galaxy. Not all should be judged by their mistakes from the past. It makes understanding them now even more difficult. The opposite is just arrogance, conservatism, ignorance, and when not abiding the code, one strays away from the right path.
That's why "Only a Sith deals in absolutes." The Jedi are more outward-stretched. They see the higher cause by allowing and accepting. Or maybe you like those that see past the good things in order to see whether or not someone is playing with them behind their backs. I won't say you like the Sith, because that is ignorance.
Anyway, I dislike those who view the things around them in only their own way, like Anakin.
That's why I'm asking for an opinion.

 

Maybe you like him because he is easy to analise, but some people in the real world with no back-hand intentions need to be protected from those that have them. Or else the manipulation would destroy everyone.
Yes, Anakin accopmplishes his causes but the reasons are wrong. And he was warned numerous times, from the first time he set foot in the Temple to the Nelvaan vision. But he remained too present-focused. Perhaps it was for the best, because otherwise he would be less mindful of the present (which Yoda tells Luke is bad for a Jedi in ESB), always wondering into the future (like Ben), wiser, less accurate with his weapon but still capable. Then he would be weaker but he would have realised the danger of darkness more. Or maybe not. Sidious clouded everything anyway.
He was moving in the right direction. He only should have told the Council about his marriage and they would have made him a Master (because Masters tell each other everything). Yoda and Obi Wan already knew of his affections towards Padme.
But it still wouldn't have changed anything.
No one can escape his destiny no matter what he does to try it. Probably the only thing Obi-Wan and Sidious ever agreed on; mentioned in Labyrinth of Evil.

 

Hmm...interesting point. I don't necessarily think that is what happened in the movies, but it is intriguing. Anakin was able to see at least a bit of the future in TPM when he told Padmé he was going to marry her. But after that, there really isn't much talk of him seeing the future- except for his dreams. His dreams, which lead him ultimately to the Dark Side...

Definitely makes you wonder. But I would have to say that I highly doubt that he knows he's going to turn to the Dark Side, because he saw the future.

 

Definitely makes you wonder. But I would have to say that I highly doubt that he knows he's going to turn to the Dark Side, because he saw the future.

But what I'm saying is that part of the reason he turned to the Dark Side is because he CAN'T see the future - he can't rely on the foresight he's used to relying on, because of the Shroud of the Dark Side.


When he's talking to Padme in AOTC about their relationship, I get the feeling he knows it would be a doomed thing, but can't help himself. Padme knows the same, but her understanding of why the relationship wouldn't work is a common sense and political comprehension.

Anakin's is more instinctual.

 

This is a fantastic thread GARTH!

 

But what I'm saying is that part of the reason he turned to the Dark Side is because he CAN'T see the future - he can't rely on the foresight he's used to relying on, because of the Shroud of the Dark Side.

Ah...so you're saying that it has a crippling effect on him. Before, he used his knowledge of the future as a sort of crutch- balancing himself on the knowledge that everything will eventually work out in the end and that he'll succeed. But without that reassurance, he is left to his own insecure self and therefore cannot handle not knowing what's going on, so to speak?

When he's talking to Padme in AOTC about their relationship, I get the feeling he knows it would be a doomed thing, but can't help himself. Padme knows the same, but her understanding of why the relationship wouldn't work is a common sense and political comprehension.

Anakin's is more instinctual.

True. He knows that he once had a vision of him marrying her. But that was before he was taking in by the Jedi Order and knew their views on attachments. So it would make sense that he feels like he has to marry her, to not fail his own vision, yet he knows that it isn't allowed- and that something very bad could come of this.

Hmm...

 

apparently I'm not as out to lunch as I thought.

 

As far as Anakin relying on instinct, I would have to agree.

1.) He knew Palpatine was evil and told Mace right away, his instinct told him this was the right thing to do.
2.) He had a vision of his mother dying and his instinct told him to go save her.
3.) Obi-Wan was a prisoner on Geonosis and Anakin went to try and save the day.
4.) Anakin saved Luke's life and ended the Sith line forever.

His instincts are, without a doubt, always Light Sided.


As far as his visions go, he seems to always have pretty accurate dreams when he is a Jedi. In fact, I would have to say that the dark side DOES cloud his visions of the future. His lack of visions about Luke and Leia are key evidence that the Dark Side has ruined his ability to see ahead.

 

I'm allowed to up my own thread because I have red in my name.

Now that the ROTS DVD has been out for a while, I thought I'd up this.

 

Honestly, I don't think he truly believed "It would destroy us". He was saying it to agree with Padme. If he kept pressing the issue, it would basically be sexual harassment and that is something Light-Side Anakin probably is above. Anakin didn't foresee that it would destroy them. He's the chosen one! How could they be destroyed! They can do whatever HE wants!

Carnage

 

Is this why he's so conflicted with Padme in AOTC? His heart is telling him to give love, but the Force is telling him "danger!"

you're making it sound like love is dangerous to people. is that really what you mean?

 

It is if you're Anakin Skywalker and the Clone Wars are on.

 

yes, but then you're making the mistake of interpreting with hindsight. people fall in love every day and sometimes they get hurt in the process. but that doesn't mean that one shouldn't do it.

as for an answer to your topic i would say, anakin is never really in the present, he never is complete and can oversee both his past and future as he should be able to.