Anakin Skywalker: A National Retcon Week Production

So I was thinking about things to retcon, and all of a sudden it hit me. We've got the single biggest retcon of all time to deal with still, and nobody's even mentioned it. We haven't dealt with the fact that Anakin Skywalker's ability to use the Force is dramatically diminished after he has had his body extremely damaged. Yet, we know of others who have suffered traumas and not had the problems he had. For star's sake, NJO Jedi Daye Azur-Jamin is a cyborg, yet there is no discernable loss of ability in him, from what information we have...

So there's got to be more to this than simply the fact that Anakin has artificial limbs. Moreover, even the fact that he lost all his limbs and was horribly scarred and burned shouldn't (under the current understanding of things) affect his ability to manipulate the Force. Why? Because examples of disembodied beings being able to use the Force abound. Including (but not limited to) certain of the B'omarr monks... who are only a brain.

From here, hang with me. I'm making it up as I go along...

Now, the current understanding is that midichlorian counts are measured as "per-cell" concentration units, rather than a total number. The reason for this is simple: there is no way, from a simple statistical and numerical analytical standpoint, that Obi-Wan could have returned a full body midichlorian count to Qui-gon when testing Anakin's blood.

It's impossible to say that the concentration of a free-floating object in the blood would have the same concentration throughout the body and in all tissues, not just those tied directly to blood flow (which is what one would have to assume if the "over 20000" line is an absolute number, rather than a figure of concentration).

Therefore, it must be assumed that the count Obi-wan sends back is actually a concentration number, not an absolute count. All this is fairly generally accepted; everyone still with me?

So here's where we really start to have a problem: The loss of limbs and even the massive scarification and tissue damage suffered by Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader on Mustafar would not in any way normally affect the per-cell concentration of midichlorians. Because every cell would have that number; it's genetically programmed in. And there's no way around that.

So now the fun begins...

Assuming that all of the above is true, we now must assume that somehow, the scarring and tissue damage and limb loss still did somehow contribute to Anakin's loss of ability. Because that's what the Flanneled One says, making it G-level continuity, and undeniable.

Given all of the above, we must find a way for the physical damage to change Anakin's potential significantly. I personally feel that one of the latter two factors is that responsible for this change (unless is is somehow a combination of both):

1. The cognitive interference generated by the highly invasive and, perhaps more importantly, regulatory implants that Anakin must rely upon as his suited from, and/or


2. Actual genetic sequencing changes caused by intense heat radiation from his burning experience

The first is rather straightforward, in most ways, and you're going to just have to hang with me when I get to the second one, cause that one's just flat insane.

In the case of other cybernetics, including those in the cyborg Jedi Daye Azur-Jamin, we see that their implants are fully integrated into their neural networks, and done so in a nondisruptive fashion (or at least this is the assumption, as any cognitive interference would be attempted to be minimized, as it is a negative for the implanter). And, when we look at Luke and other Jedi with limb prostheses, it is clear that any such interference is minimal at best. Moreover, no one thought there would be any problem with Tenel Ka using a prosthetic arm in Lightsabers.

Clearly, then, something must be different about Anakin's implants. This is fairly straightforward, as well, actually. I

 

Wow, this is kind of eerie. I was thinking about the *exact same thing* last night, right down to the "abnormal lava radiation" (as I worded it in my head) also being responsible for the Obi-Wan age discrepancy.

As a side effect, I thought that perhaps the cellular damage would make cloning a healthy being a difficult task, which explains why the Anakin clone in Galaxy of Fear would need Vaderlike life support gear.

 

I got a headache reading all that. But both theories make sense.

 

I really like this ret-con.

But I will chose to believe that a number of various reason made Vader weaker in the Force. Just as I will believe the radiation part about Obi-Wan aging faster but combined with the official explanation, the fact that humans on Tatooine age a lot faster because of radiation from the two suns, which sounds perfectly logical scientifically. 40-year old humans from Tatooine, like Owen and Beru, look like they're 60 years old. Anakin, who grew up on Tatooine, suffered third-grade burns on the entire surface of his body and lived in a cybernetic suit for twenty years, looks like an 80-year old man when he is 45. So, I will include to the invasive alteration of his neural and cognitive systems and his exposure to radiation the second Padmé reason of death. She had lost the will to live. Being almost strangled was enough to kill her, but being almost strangled by her husband was what finished her. Well, Vader, after all the cybernetic and radiation stuff, had lost the will the use the Force as he did when he was a young Jedi Knight of the Republic.

 

Hey he was still able to block blaster bolts with he hand. He just couldn't use force lightning. That is the way I look at it. Lucas intended to have him be 80% of what the emperor was after his injuries.

 

My assumption it's just because Anakin is in such agony 24/7 he can't concentrate.

 

I agree. I don't think we realize how much pain he was supposed to be in constantly.

 

Its actually possible to create a count on cells based on blood sample, WBC for example is a common gauge. The focus is on the trend rather than on the specifics, but yeah. Its all good.

In the case of other cybernetics, including those in the cyborg Jedi Daye Azur-Jamin, we see that their implants are fully integrated into their neural networks, and done so in a nondisruptive fashion (or at least this is the assumption, as any cognitive interference would be attempted to be minimized, as it is a negative for the implanter). And, when we look at Luke and other Jedi with limb prostheses, it is clear that any such interference is minimal at best. Moreover, no one thought there would be any problem with Tenel Ka using a prosthetic arm in Lightsabers.

Clearly, then, something must be different about Anakin's implants. This is fairly straightforward, as well, actually. It can be argued that, because of the extensive damage to his neural and cognitive networks, the bio-engineers were unable to successfully integrate the system into his existing neural paths. In order to make his limbs function, in order to rebuild his lungs, they actually had to significantly alter Anakin's neural pathways and thus reroute them from the existing cognitive systems into new patterns.

Everything sounds good, up to this point. Its arguable however on why the neural system would affect the ability to use the Force, but who knows?Only GL can answer that.

This is further suggested by the fact that Vader's limbs possess the ability to move at superhuman speeds - something that would require superhuman processing abilities. Such abilities could not be solely learned, but would actually require enhancment - artificial enhancement - of Vader's cognitive function.

Except that all Jedi have these abilities. Remember Qui Gon and Obiwan in TPM?

All of this neural realignment and cognitive shifting could very well have interfered with the natural functioning of Vader's body. Indeed, it seems likely that such techniques would have a powerful influence on his ability to communicate with the rest of his body in normal ways. And "normal" ways are what are essential for communing with the Force through one's midichlorians.

But, there's clearly a limit to how much repairs they could do to his neural tissue. He still requires an artificial lung to breathe for him, meaning, they didn't repair the orginal nerves there. Although of course, you can subsume this under the whole "neural system went out of whack" theory.

Check out Saxton Darth Vader injuries page for more details on what Vader must had undergone.

Now, the second option is that Anakin does not have all this interference (or if he does, it is only part of the problem). The larger loss of ability (something like around 60% of his potential lost, if George Lucas can be believed) is due to actual genetic changes caused by the intense radiation confronting Anakin as he burned on Mustafar.

Just one thing. The radiation, unless noted elsewhere, isn't gamma,alpha, beta or such ionising radiation.

Now, this may seem a bit farfetched. But remember, we also see Obi-wan age far more quickly than would be expected of a GFFA human: he looks much, much older than his master Qui-gon did at the same age of 60 (Ep. I, IV respectively). This is logical if both Anakin and Obi-wan

 

still doesn't explain why Beru seems to have aged 10 years or more from AOTC to ROTS... unless Beru went to Mustafar at some point!

edit: 7K mark!

 

^ Um...weren't at least some of the RotS shots of Beru filmed DURING AotC production?!

At any rate, the actress simply does not look that much older.

 

i thought she did look older.. she appeared to have a gray streak in her hair... and her face appeared slightly different. i know the tatooine bit was filmed while filming AOTC, but the magic of makeup and digital effects can change someone's appearance.

 

Tatooine is just harsh in general. That explains most age things for me.

 

Perhaps we're approaching this question the wrong when. While I do REALLY like this theory (I'd say its the most likely explanation of things), it might be that we're focusing too much on the hard science of Vader's condition and not on the spiritual aspets of it.

Anakin Skywalker had the potential to be the greatest Knight of all time. His midi count was unprecedented, and he proved his valor and virtue numerous times during the Clone War. (It is good to remeber that midis show only potential, not actual ability. For example, Qui Gon probably had a lower midi count than Obi Wan, but had a much finer attunenment to the living Force.)He was the Hero Without Fear, the burning Sword of the Jedi that they hoped would eradicate the corrupting influence of the Sith forever. As the War stretched on, Anakin seem to grow more and more powerful, showing that he was just begining to understand his full potential.

Then came Mustafar. It was here that Anakin Skywalker died, and Darth Vader was truly born (though the case could be made that the last speck of humanity was burned out of him on Coruscant). Vader, as we first came to know him, is but the shadow of Anakin Skywalker. In addition to having to deal with the guilt of killing his wife, his friends and peers in the Jedi, and effectively, a democratic government that had spanned millenia, he also had the trauma of being brutally maimed, set on fire, and left to die by his master, best friend, and father figure. To add salt to the searing, open wound, it all ended up being for naught, as Padme, the reason for his fall, had been murdered at the nadir of it.

The result of all this punishment is that, mentally and physically, Anakin was LESS than what he was. Sure, the lightsaber skills and the power of the Force were still there, but he was less alive, and less willing to live, than he had been before. Anakin's primary use of the Force had been, up to this point, saving people. As the Chosen One, he seemed to have a complex about saving those in need. He tried to save his mother, but failed, setting up the burning intesity we would see later about saving the other woman in his life. After being electrocuted and slammed into a wall by Dooku, we seem him preform a Force assisted longjump that parried the blow that would've ended Obi-Wan's life. It is this desire to save that Sidious is able to twist when he has Anakin "rescue" him from Mace Windu. After Mustafar, he didn't even want to save himself. The passion and the purpose that had carried him to such hieghts in the Clone Wars were gone. He became a simple tool for the Emperor, without any desire to go on or fix the problems of the galaxy. However, Anakin Skywalker is "resurrected" and the end of RotJ, we seem him easily overpower the Emperor, holding him in what had to be a Force assisted grip (as he not only lifted him, but kept him from jumping/flying/Forcing his way off). So, perhaps the problem wasn't as physical as we think. It could be about how and why he touched the Force that determined his true power.

 

Very nice ideas - (Especially on the aging thing) though I would have to agree with The Red Blade and argue that there is a definate spiritual element to his plight.

I like to think that the wounds inflicted went deeper than the flesh, that he was crippled not by a lightsaber but by his thrice-fold betrayal of the Jedi, of his wife and of himself - but that's just me

At the end of the day, life is what creates the Force and makes it grow and there isn't much left of Vader that's truly "alive". I don't think we're supposed to think about it in too much depth

As for midichlorian counts... well, my opinion on them has always been that they're not fixed-from-cradle-to-grave but just an indication on how strong someone is with the Force. Like miniature moths that are attracted to the "flame" of the Force- if that flame starts to diminish, for whatever reason, they'll start jumping ship too. If it starts to burn brighter, you'll attract more. That way stuff is kept spiritual without actually contradicting the movies at all. Of course you'd need a certain *intial* midichlorian count to ever be able to hear the Force in the first place, then as you practise and learn you're increasing your Force-strength/signature which in turn attracts more midi-chlorians, allowing you to hear the Force more clearly.

Anakin just started off WAYYYY stronger in the Force than Jedi who had been practising for centuries and as such he had more midichlorians that were floating around in his bloodstream. Probably *not* the way Lucas intended it to be taken, but it works for me... it's also why I've never had a problem with midichlorians unlike many of the other screaming OT fans who bay for blood.

 

Wow, I've gotten a lot of feedback... cool. I'll try to respond as best as I can.

I'll give you that - sort of. It's well known and obviously acknowledged that the Jedi have the ability to speed their own reactions and even enhance their own limbs' abilities. But it's also clear that this cannot be done constantly; their bodies tire, and even their Force connections tire (that is, after all, the explanation for Obi-wan's lack of Force speeding to save Qui-Gon). For Vader, that has to be something hardwired into him, because it's not even his own body that's doing it: how can he use the Force to superpower his metal, nonliving limbs.

Indeed, that is exactly what I was getting at. The original nervous system is not repaired; this is yet more invasive construction on his body, disrupting the normal neural networks. And I've read Saxton's stuff; it's pretty interesting and actually had me thinking about this sort of subconsciously for the last few months...

Not particularly important. My whole theory in this area is based on the idea that the radiation is some kind of ionizing radiation, though it's not specified what kind. That helps explain Obi-wan, as well; if it were non-ionizing, it would not make sense for the aging thing, either.

Actually, more and more evidence is leading to the suggestion that radiation does cause advanced skin aging in lesser amounts, and when in higher amounts, of course, skin cancer. And it doesn't necessarily cause long-term skin darkening; that, in the end, is still determined by your melanin amounts. But it does cause a certain degree of early aging... one of the reasons that the tanning beds are not recommended.

Actually, this is largely what is suggested by the existing literature, most powerfully in Shadows of the Empire, where something very like this is indicated...

As far as the Tatooine suns explanation: no offense to whomever originated it, but its full of crap. We know that Tatooine was at one point a lush and verdant world, with oceans to boot. That ended about 25,000 years BBY, when the Rakata destroyed the whole thing in trying to kill the ancestors of the Tusken Raiders and Jawas. So the radiation must not have been that strong.

Moreover, the fact that the planet supports life at all is indicative of the fact that the suns are far enough away as to make this irrelevant. Think of it this way: if the light isn't blinding them from how close it is, neither is the radiation too deadly. Because all forms of radiation fall off as the square of distance, the other radiation (like UV) would be just as decreased as the decrease in visible light - and we have strong visual evidence from the films that the suns just really aren't that bright. So the "extra radiation" from two suns thing is crap.

With this post, I in no way intend to diminish the mental, emotional, and spiritual anguish accompanying Anakin's fall, nor the way they affected him. But I had to

 

Except Vader himself isn't capable of pouring out the constant energy required to move at such speeds. There is no reason to believe that the body enhances his speed, considering the known damage.

Not particularly important. My whole theory in this area is based on the idea that the radiation is some kind of ionizing radiation, though it's not specified what kind. That helps explain Obi-wan, as well; if it were non-ionizing, it would not make sense for the aging thing, either.

You need ionising radiation in order to affect DNA.

Actually, more and more evidence is leading to the suggestion that radiation does cause advanced skin aging in lesser amounts, and when in higher amounts, of course, skin cancer. And it doesn't necessarily cause long-term skin darkening; that, in the end, is still determined by your melanin amounts. But it does cause a certain degree of early aging... one of the reasons that the tanning beds are not recommended.

Yes, I do know that. However, that's due to a long period of constant radiation and not "radiation poisoning" as you suggest it. It accelerates the loss of subcatenous fat as well as skin elasticity, frankly, Obiwan aged too well in your scenario.

Actually, this is largely what is suggested by the existing literature, most powerfully in Shadows of the Empire, where something very like this is indicated...

I agree. I'm just playing devil's advocate.

 

To a point you're correct. We do note that he's winded by the end of RotJ. But a good deal of EU evidence suggests that his replacement limbs and everything enable him to move much more quickly than he would be able to otherwise. This is especially true in the Empire and other comics that deal with him. So I'm operating under the assumption that that's true. It's not really necessary, but it's a logical assumption, as it is C-level canon.

Of course you do. That's what I'm saying. That's what I've been saying all along: that Mustafar's metals have a high degree of ionizing radiation n them, which is one reason they're harvested for fuels. Thus leading to large-scale genetic change in Anakin.

\True. I suppose we could take the line that it's a combination of Obi-Wan's exposure to the radiation on Mustafar and the official line that there's extra radiation from the suns. The initial, intense dose simply contributed to the advanced aging.

This is why I'm nominating you for that award...

- Keralys