PT Anakin and Luke's journeys ultimately run totally inverse to each other

*Posting from and expanding on another discussion*

There are many similarities between father and son but their journeys ultimately run inverse to each other.

- Obi-Wan fails to train Anakin successfully / Obi-Wan begins Luke's successful training to become a Jedi.
Plus some contrasting training (subliminal for the audience IMO) - "This weapon is your life!" / "Your weapons, you will not need them."

- Anakin is dismembered by Dooku, kills him in cold-blood in his next film (uses blue and red sabers) , setting up his dooming of himself and the galaxy / Luke is dismembered by Vader, refuses to kill him cold-blood in his next film (throws away green saber), and saves himself and the galaxy.




- Mace loses his temper and tries to kill Palpatine, and Anakin turns to the darkside / Palpatine loses his temper and tries to kill Luke, and Anakin returns.

- Anakin and Padme marry / Luke and Leia are revealed as siblings.

- Obi-Wan and Anakin fight to the death and Obi-Wan cripples Anakin, after Anakin is jealous Obi-Wan has "turned" Padme / Luke comes back for Han early in ROTJ, and the love triangle is later resolved peacefully.

- Anakin demands "You underestimate my power" before attempting to finish Obi-Wan off, and is proven wrong, being defeated by Obi-Wan despite Obi-Wan's own warning / Luke calmly states "I warn you not to underestimate my power" and is proven right, and ends Jabba's reign for not heeding his warning.

- Anakin wipes out the Separatist movement and the dominant power takes over the galaxy / Luke is the Rebellion's savior and makes the good guys the dominant faction again (although seemingly not, now that TFA is out).

- Similarly to the last point, Anakin's yearning to help the galaxy leads to spiritual enslavement, Luke's yearning to help the galaxy frees him...





A few more visual "inversions"...



Anakin reaches his right hand out towards Obi-Wan. Ex-friend abandoning him, Anakin on fire and close to death.

Luke reaches his left hand out to Obi-Wan's ghost. Best friend arrives to rescue him, Luke close to death in ice.

Notice later the same droid takes part in their "reassembly".







Anakin and Obi-Wan say farewell. The next time they meet Anakin calls himself a Sith, and is dismembered by Obi-Wan.
Anakin's concerned look after Obi-Wan walks away.

Luke and Han say farewell. The next time they meet (next film) Luke calls himself a Jedi and saves Han's life.
Han's concerned look after Luke walks away.





Anakin in dark

Luke in light





Sidious about to ensnare Anakin for decades - (earlier: "What have I done?" "You're fulfilling your destiny, Anakin."

Obi-Wan about to "set Luke free" from bondage to Jedihood - (later: "Your destiny lies along a different path than mine.")

And in TPM "We will watch your career with great interest!" vs ROTS "I will take the child and watch over him."


Anakin bringing "death" (his dead mother) to Owen and Beru

Obi-Wan bringing "life" (baby Luke) to Owen and Lars


Shot of baby Luke constrasts to...

and mirrors Anakin last moments...

Luke saved his father, but Anakin was "too late" for his mother

 

Not only the PT is kind of the reverse of the OT, but each time Luke takes a good decision, Anakin takes a wrong one.

Good thread!

 

Anakin: "I will even learn to stop people from dying!"
Anakin's quest to hold on to life dooms him.
....
Luke: "Master Yoda, you can't die!"
Yoda: "Strong am I with the force. But not that strong."
Luke learns to let go of everything, even of himself.



Vader's dark drives consume him, Luke can overcome this mindset. Eg, Vader sacrifices many Imperial lives and time to find the Falcon in ESB. And even when he finally has Luke on Bespin (the main reason for the Falcon search), he nearly kills Luke.



Anakin and Qui-Gon's last interaction:
Anakin: "Hey, wait for me!"
Qui-Gon: "No Annie, you stay put. Stay right where you are."
Anakin: "But I..."
Qui-Gon: "Stay in that cockpit!"
...
Luke and Obi-Wan's last interaction:
Luke: "I want to go with you."
Obi-Wan: "Stay and watch over the droids."
Luke: "But he can..."
Obi-Wan: "They must be delivered safely or more systems will suffer the same fate as Alderaan. Your destiny lies along a different path from mine. The force will be with you, always."
...
Qui-Gon's instructions lead to Anakin destroying a droid control ship and helping win the final TPM battle for the Republic. But Anakin fighting to defeat Separatists over the PT is arguably part of his downfall - a Jedi's greatest enemy lives within him/herself.
Obi-Wan's instructions lead to Luke destroying the DS and leading the Rebellion. Helping Luke eventually reach enlightenment and clearly see what Anakin could not.




TPM
*Door slams shut*
Padme: "Now Viceroy, we will discuss a new treaty!"
ANH
Vader: "And now your highness, we will discuss the location of your secret Rebel base."
*Door slams shut*
...
Role-reversals. Mother confronts Rebels with "discussion" which is really forcing demands (albeit justified ones). Daughter is confronted as a Rebel with "discussion" which is really torture to probe her mind.
In TPM Anakin is helping save the day in space at this moment. In ANH Luke is destined to destroy the DS just before it destroys the Rebel base.






Maul and Luke turn in an identical angled arc, and on the same planet. Maul looking for Padme (plus R2 and Nubian crew). Luke looking for R2.

Vader eventually replaces Maul in ROTS, Luke comes close to following the "bloodline" in ROTJ.






Throwing in some TFA stuff...


Same saber:

Anakin vs Obi-Wan (ROTS)

Luke (ESB)

Kylo vs Rey (TFA)

Luke vs Vader (ESB)

Facing Vader with his own old saber



"A Jedi's weapon... much like your father's." Luke throws his personally built saber away in defiance of the dark side, but Kylo can't let go of the past...

"That saber (Anakin's)... it belongs to me!"




Luke saves Anakin, frees himself, and moves forward

Kylo sadly clings to the evil part of Anakin's past

 

Anakin purposely free-falling. All in a days work to catch an assassin.

Luke purposely free-falling to refuse Vader's offer of power. Shocks even Vader.





I know I'm really flogging a dead horse with this one, but if anyone hasn't read it...

Some contrasts in Luke and Anakin's training:

AOTC
Obi-Wan: "You will pay attention to my lead."
Anakin: "Why?"
Obi-Wan: "What?"
Anakin: "Why else do you think we were assigned to her, if not to find the killer?"
ESB
Luke: "But tell me why I mustn't...
Yoda: "No, there is no why!"




AOTC
Anakin: "I try Master."
ESB
Yoda: "Do or no not. There is no try."




AOTC
Anakin: "Anything is possible Padme, listen to me!"
ESB
Luke: "You want the impossible."... "I don't believe it!"
Yoda: "That is why you fail."
...
This one is really strange. Yoda is imploring Luke to free his mind from misconceived restrictions like physical size. Anakin is telling Padme that the fact that they are a Jedi and a Senator really doesn't matter, relative to the power of their love. But Anakin taking his own advice leads to their demise. I don't know what to think here.





AOTC
Palpatine: "Your patience has paid off."
Anakin: "Your guidance more than my patience."
ESB
Yoda: "I cannot teach him. The boy has no patience."

Palpatine repeatedly tells Anakin he is already wise enough for great things, Yoda makes Luke earn it.





AOTC
Padme:"I love you."
Anakin: "You love me?"
ESB
Leia: "I love you."
Han: "I know."





Anakin fails his vision-induced quest to save Shmi, and neither Obi-Wan or Padme can ultimately help him. He basically devotes the rest of the trilogy to saving Padme.
Luke fails his vision-induced quest to save Han and Leia, and ends up having to be saved by his sister, Leia.








Fear... Anakin sees his dying mother

Fear... Luke sees an apparition of his father






Difference being Luke eventually understands this vision and stops before he goes too far.






Palpatine is counting on turning Anakin in the PT;
Palpatine: "I see you becoming greatest of all Jedi Anakin. Even more powerful than Master Yoda."
Luke is the Jedi equivalent in the OT;
Obi-Wan: "That boy is our last hope."





Luke is 23 in ROTJ. Anakin is 23 in ROTS and spends 23 years as good, 23 years as evil.






ROTS starts with a mission to rescue Anakin's "friend" Palpatine / ROTJ starts with a mission to rescue Luke's friend Han.


Anakin's relationships in the PT help bring about his demise, Luke's relationships are pretty consistently one of his greatest virtues.





Reunited kisses


Leia saves Han, Anakin fails to save Padme.



Palpatine chair swivel...
Descension?

Ascension?


The saga does seem to dive in the PT then climb in the OT. But I wonder the intention behind this clear opposite angled stairway approach. Surely approaching Palpatine is never a good thing

 

"You’ll see, as this goes on, Luke is faced with the same issues and practically the same scenes that Anakin is faced with. Anakin says yes and Luke says no."

--George Lucas, “Star Wars: The Last Battle,” Vanity Fair, 2005

Anakin Skywalker's final confrontation with the Emperor occurs during Luke's final confrontation with the Emperor, which compliments his father's dealings with the same man many years earlier. Indeed the life of the father and the life of the son are commentaries on each other.

--The Making Of Revenge Of The Sith; page 221.

 

I thought this was well known from how the PT and OT compared.

 

Oh, you are right.
But the complexity of the interlocking goes a little underappreciated by most viewers nevertheless.

Lucas's quotes on the subject are never very direct, and quite understated. I think he wants you to use your imagination obviously. I just wish there was a way of determining which ones he did on purpose. The "fire" and "ice" one for example just seems too cool to be accidental.

Reverse angles, colour contrasts, ironic character motivations, and echoing dialogue abound in the six part saga

 

HevyDevy, Luke had learned to let go Even by the end of esb when he steps Off the gantry rather than join vader.

 

Touche. It was kind of the point of the ESB climax, that he would sacrifice himself if it meant Vader doesn't turn him. Hey, it's Luke Skywalker.

But notice he is still quite attached to the Rebellion and very protective of what they have all built together in ROTJ (not a bad thing in itself, but it is used against him). Much like Padme lamenting her people's plight in TPM or Anakin wanting a quick end to the war in ROTS, Palpatine capitalises on this weakness.

Luke may sound confident when confronted with The Emperor's threats on his friends' lives (on the DSII), but it is obviously wearing him thin. Which of course builds up to him losing it on Vader and almost turning. Luke's sacrifice in throwing away his saber to defy Palpatine's wishes, inspiring the reawakening of Anakin, I think is the point at which most people will argue he is truly letting go of self.

 

Well known?

I don't know about that.

Known to a degree from fans over the years from Lucas himself and brought into sharper focus the last couple of years sure especially after Mike Klimo's Ring Theory yes but the interlocking of the story on all levels particularly the visual ones pertaining to the characters interactions with the story and environments not so much.

For all of this that has been gone over I have seen more and more being pulled out and this thread has gone places I haven't generally see commented on plus of course now this connection into TFA.

TFA may very well want to connect more into the OT rather than the PT but it doesn't really matter what anyone "wants" connecting to the one inevitably leads to the other regardless.

 

This to me is by far the most powerful parallel, but it's between the two most pivotal decisions of Anakin's life.

 

ewoksimon
Imo thats one of the more intricate parallels looking at the two trilogies generally. Ive gone into it on other threads, but the main thing ive really noticed about the symmetry is Palpatine and Luke serve inverse roles - Palpatine causing a conflict which culminates with Anakin turning on a Master mostly blind to the conflict (Mace), then Luke causing the opposite conflict culminating with Vader turning on a Master mostly blind to the conflict (The Emperor). I think Lucas was very clever to work these and other surrounding details in there.

Seagoat
Could you move this thread to saga? My pc net is offline for a few days, but I have more to post when it is back. Could you rename it to something like "Anakin's and Luke's similar origins ultimately progress inverse to each other". Thanx!

 

Okay, I've been working on this for a while, I'm pretty happy with how it came out.

Just tagging you guys because you have shown an interest in this stuff in the past
Cryogenic Seagoat Qui-Riv-Brid Lulu Mars Antpocalypse thejeditraitor bstnsx704 Pyrogenic Ewok Poet PiettsHat Samnz

And anyone else who collaborated on this sort of thing since the release of ROTS.
I know I've said this before, but this is really my last mirroring and symbolism thread I think. It will be split over eight more posts.


(Btw the /// indicates a mirror).



Anakin and Luke introduced (stairs)



Slave and farmer
Being a slave owned by Watto narrows Anakin’s potential possible futures...


...Until the Jedi (Qui-Gon) free Anakin from bondage. (Yet still restrict Anakin somewhat and leave him feeling unfulfilled). Finally Sidious claims to be the most worthy to finally liberate Anakin, but he enslaves Anakin all over again.

/// Luke is held back by Owen – “It’s only one more season... You must understand I need you here Luke.”

Owen also seems to hold some resentment for Obi-Wan, Anakin and the Jedi.
Luke: “It’s not that I like the Empire, I hate it, but there is nothing I can do about it right now. It’s all such a long way from here...” “That’s your uncle talking.”
Luke: “It just isn’t fair. Biggs is right, I’m never getting out of here!” /// Anakin:“Any attempt to escape and they blow you up!”



Obi-Wan represents restriction for Anakin (when compared to Qui-Gon and Palpatine as mentors)

/// But ironically, inversely Obi-Wan represents freedom and adventure for Luke.



Additionally, Obi-Wan separating from Luke and watching from a distance as a force-ghost helps Luke become a true Jedi – “Your destiny lies along a different path from mine.” Luke becomes his own Master

"I'm a Jedi, like my father before me."





/// For Anakin crucial moments missing Obi-Wan’s guiding presence make it easier for Anakin to fall to the dark (during the Tusken massacre Anakin is alone, at Dooku’s death Obi-Wan is unconscious and Anakin is with Palpatine, when Mace dies and Order66 is enacted Obi-Wan is on Utapau).
Qui-Gon’s death (“Stay close to me and you’ll be safe.”) and Obi-Wan’s absence are catalysts for Anakin’s turn.


Vader and the Empire wiping out Luke’s bond to farming life (killing Owen and Beru) frees Luke to join the Rebellion and become a Jedi. /// Tuskens killing Shmi, and Anakin (at same age, but with ten years Jedi training) wiping them out in revenge, begins Anakin’s enslavement to himself and the dark side (Vader, Sidious, The Empire).






Anakin is conceived either by the Sith or the force itself. Luke is born naturally and raised in a loving foster-family until he is ready for Obi-Wan’s mentorship.
Vader sends Imperial troops to slaughter the Jawas (that sold Luke the droids) and kill Luke’s foster parents. After Shmi’s death Anakin/Vader never returns to the surface of Tattooine /// Luke returns to Tattooine near completion of his Jedi training, and where he was vulnerable to thugs (in the cantina) in ANH, in ROTJ Luke almost single-handedly rescues Han and defeats Jabba’s gang.

Anakin and Luke’s beginnings synchronise somewhat, both being freed from their mundane lives with the help of a wise Jedi Master.




“We’re travelling to the central system in the Republic on a very important mission.” “How did you end up out here in the Outer-rim?” /// “If there is a bright centre to the universe you are on the planet that it is farthest from.”

Anakin and Luke are both valued workers for their intuition and resourcefulness.
Watto: “Don’t get me wrongo, I have great faith in the boy. He’s a credit to your race!” /// Owen: “Harvest is when I need you the most!”

Anakin dreamed of becoming a Jedi and is interested in Qui-Gon, when he recognises his "Jedi weapon". /// Luke is eager to join the Rebellion – “You know of the Rebellion against the Empire?” - and when he learns Anakin was a Jedi he wants to follow in his footsteps.
They are both protected by their mentors at first...








This freedom from bondage however leads them in opposite directions. Luke losing his foster-family allows him to be released from self-imposed "imprisonment", and gives him a clean opportunity to never have to look back. /// Anakin however never truly lets go of his mother after leaving her, never stops looking back, and he is never free as long as she is still on Tattooine. And when he does return for her, their brief reuniting is cut short when he tragically loses her.


Watto: “Clean the racks. After that you can go home.” “Yipee!” Seems positive on the surface, but represents a false sense of freedom. Sent back to a SLAVE hovel, and to unbreakable attachment with Shmi. Anakin’s slave upbringing harshly affects his destiny.
/// Owen: “Luke take these droids over to the garage, will you. I want you to have both of them cleaned up by tomorrow.” “But I was going to go into Tosche station to pick up some power-convertors!” Seems negative on the surface, but actually leads to Luke discovering Leia’s message, which starts his liberating journey. Unlike his father, Luke was never truly a slave. Luke is raised by a loving family, and while his attachments are partially responsible for his failures in ESB and ROTJ, they end up not being to his detriment. At the climax of ESB, Leia ends up needing to rescue Luke from underneath Cloud City, instead of Luke succeeding in rescuing her and Han. And Luke’s compassion for Vader in ROTJ proves to be The Emperor’s undoing.


There is also a reoccurring theme of self-imposed prisons evident here.
- Anakin can’t leave his slave life because he has no choice.
Then the Jedi restrict him (eg, Mace: “Wait in the Council chambers until we return.”).
Finally Sidious leads him to be trapped within himself and subservient to the Empire.
- Luke has obligations to his foster parents, an invisible psychological barrier keeping him from reaching his true potential as a Rebel and a Jedi.
- Rey is voluntarily waiting on Jakku for a family that will never return. It’s a big part of her revealed psyche (especially at this early stage with only one film out). She lets go of this bond to Jakku and finds new family with Luke Skywalker.



Mos Eisley / Mos Espa (fight parallel)

The droids are rejected from the cantina.
Luke: “We don’t want any trouble.” 3P0: “I heartily agree sir.”
/// Jar Jar is picked on by Sebulba: “Mesa hatin crunchin. That’s the last thing mesa wanting!”

(Role-reversal between Anakin and Luke. Luke is bullied and saved by Obi-Wan / Jar Jar is bullied and saved by Anakin).

Fight starts when Jar Jar tries to take food without paying and it lands in Sebulba’s meal. / Fight starts when Luke orders a drink.




“Careful Sebulba. He’s a big time outlander.” /// “You just watch yourself. We’re wanted men. I have the death sentence on twelve systems!”/// “He picked a fight with a dug. An especially dangerous dug named Sebulba."


Anakin threatens that Jar Jar has connections, Luke is threatened with them.


“I’ll be careful.” “You’ll be dead!” / “I’d hate to see you diced before we race again.”

“This little one is not worth the effort.” (Anakin bluffs that Jar Jar is important when he isn’t /// Obi-Wan bluffs Luke isn’t important when he is.”) / “Yeah it’d be a pity if you had to pay for me.”
Obi-Wan attempts to stop fight by offering to pay for a drink.
Sebulba backs off, later defeated by Anakin himself in the podrace /// Obi-Wan has to dismember the criminal to protect Luke.

 

Homestead inversion

Spooky unsettling introduction to Lars homestead in AOTC

Hopeful introduction to Lars homestead in ANH


Anakin and Luke (both age 19) in white clothes (free) vs black clothes (already bearing burden). Same seat on table.


Beru pours red drink

Beru pours blue milk




Luke is kept from a hero’s life because of an obligation to his foster parents. The droids bring his destiny to him; R2 having luckily lead him away from Owen and Beru when the Imperials attack the homestead. Luke can move on after Owen and Beru’s deaths, but inversely - Anakin setting off from the homestead (after briefly being introduced to the Larses) to find Shmi only further seals his own “closed” fate.

Anakin: “Is my mother here?”
Cliegg: “No she’s not... Come inside. We have a lot to talk about.”
/// Luke: “He knew my father?”
Owen: “I told you to forget it.”

(Trivially, Imo Obi-Wan in AOTC seems to have some things in common with Owen, rather than his liberating ANH self.)

Owen: “Where are you going?”
Anakin: “To find my mother.”
“Your mother is dead son, accept it.” /// (little ESB link: “NO Captain. They’re alive.”)

///
Beru: “Where are you going?”
Luke: “Looks like I’m going nowhere. I’m gonna go finish cleaning those droids.”







Contrasting destinies



This next bit may sound a little confusing, but I am confident it was done on purpose;
In ANH R2 is far enough into the Jundland wastes, when Luke catches up, to bring Luke to Obi-Wan and away from his foster family when they are killed. This is because (as stated the night before when R2 left) “It’s too dangerous with all the sand people around, we’ll have to wait for morning." (/// AOTC - ”It was just before dawn when they took (Shmi).”)
"... Boy am I gonna get it... you know that little droid is going to cause me a lot of trouble.” Destiny and luck save Luke and start his adventure. (Trivially 3P0’s memory was erased after the events of the PT, but not R2’s memory. Luke never carries out Owen’s order to erase R2’s memory, which would end Luke’s journey before it even started).







/// Tuskens (contrastingly) don’t phase 19 yr old Anakin however, he sets out in search of his mother despite the danger. Anakin eventually wipes out a whole Tusken village when he reaches Shmi too late.

Tuskens knock Luke out, Luke being a more helpless nineteen-year-old than Anakin was, shortly before Obi-Wan rescues him. /// Whereas; Obi-Wan is oblivious and on a different planet when Anakin kills the Tuskens in Anakin's arc.
“(Anakin’s signal) is coming from Tattooine! What in blazes is he doing there?”


“Thirty of us went out, four came back.” /// Same numbers for the ANH Deathstar run... 30 ships attack, four come back. Anakin wipes out the village that did it, Luke wipes out the Deathstar. Weird link.

Anakin gets directions from Jawas searching for the Tusken camp and Shmi


Tuskens are responsible for Shmi’s death and the beginning of Anakin’s fall. /// Tuskens are framed for slaughtering Jawas by the Empire, the Jawas leading the Stormtroopers to the Lars homestead.

Padme brings Anakin something, interestingly now blue milk again. The sun has set on Anakin's childhood.


Anakin states after his confession of failure to Padme “I’m a Jedi. I know I’m better than this.” / Luke states the moment he passes and is truly a Jedi “I’m a Jedi, like my father before me.”

 

Training

Both Skywalkers are described as too old to begin Jedi training, not being raised Jedi from birth. Anakin’s training proves to be a failure. But Luke starts at 19 (late like Anakin, who started at 9), and still completely succeeds. He was initially sent to be raised with family on the same planet as Anakin was raised. A change in training philosophy by Obi-Wan and Yoda?
Anakin is initially rejected for training by the Council, but Yoda seems to have been always planning to train Luke, even though Luke is even older than Anakin was. I get the feeling Yoda is not really considering not training Luke when Luke and Obi-Wan are trying to convince Yoda to in ESB.

Yoda starts Luke’s Jedi training straight away (as did Obi-Wan in ANH), and arguably teaches Luke deeper lessons than Anakin received in the PT. You could argue Yoda’s core value system doesn’t shift that much between trilogies, but he clearly presents his wisdom better to Luke in ESB and ROTJ than any Jedi did during Anakin’s 13 years training as a Jedi. For example, in AOTC Obi-Wan responds to Anakin’s recounting of his dreams of his mother with “Dreams pass in time”. In ESB Yoda more helpfully informs Luke that he is seeing the future and that if he acts on those visions he “will destroy all for which (his friends) have fought and suffered.”

Yoda seems to have eased a bit in his methods in ESB, but he still demands complete discipline and respect from Luke.

Yoda: “Clouded this boy’s future is.” ... Qui-Gon: “His future is uncertain, he’s not dangerous.” /// This contrasts Yoda with Luke; “Never his mind on where he was! What he was doing!” and “Always in motion is the future.”

In TPM Anakin, the chosen one, is a surprise discovery for the Jedi Order and the Sith. /// Luke was watched over by Obi-Wan from birth and was always planned to be trained when the time came, as a “chosen” in his own right.






Luke gets more hands-on training than his father arguably.
Yoda: “A Jedi uses the force for knowledge and defense. Never for attack.”
Luke: “But tell me why I mustn’t...” “No! There is no why. Nothing more will I teach you today. Clear your mind of questions. Mmm.”
/// Obi-Wan: “We will do exactly as the Council instructed.” Anakin: “I meant it in the interest of protecting her Master, of course.” Obi-Wan: “We will not go through this exercise again Anakin.”
A perhaps similar lesson, but Yoda’s methods are vastly superior.




Mace: “You refer to the prophecy of the one who will bring balance to the force? You believe it to be this boy?”
Qui-Gon: “I don’t presume to...”
Yoda: “But you do! Revealed your opinion is!”

Qui-Gon presumes Anakin is the chosen one and is eventually proven right.
/// Luke is quite presumptuous with Yoda on Dagobah and is repeatedly proven wrong...
- “Very strange place to find a Jedi Master...”
- “I don't even know what we're doing here! We’re wasting our time!” “I cannot teach him, the boy has no patience.” ... “...Yoda!”
- “Your weapons, you will not need them” (Luke takes weapons in)
- “I don’t believe it!” “That is why you fail.”



Qui-Gon: “I want you to watch me and be mindful.” (/// little Sidious link: “Lord Maul, be mindful.”) ... “Always remember, your focus determines your reality. Stay close to me and you’ll be safe.” (Metaphor for staying close to Qui-Gon’s path? And Qui-Gon’s death makes Anakin susceptible to the dark side – “unsafe”).
/// AOTC - Obi-Wan: “You’re focusing on the negative. She was pleased see us.” and “Be mindful of your thoughts, they betray you.”
/// Luke: “Your thoughts betray you father. I feel the good in you. The conflict.”

Relevant... ROTJ - Obi-Wan: ”Bury your feelings deep down Luke. They do you credit, but they may be made to serve the Emperor.”

Qui-Gon: “Anakin, training to be a Jedi isn’t an easy challenge. And even if you succeed, it’s a hard life.” /// “You’ve made a commitment to the Jedi Order, a commitment not easily broken.” /// “A Jedi must have the deepest commitment, the most serious mind!”




Yoda: “Master Qui-Gon... more to say have you?”
Qui-Gon: “With your permission, my master. I have encountered a vergence in the force.”
/// Emperor: “And now I sense you wish to continue your search for young Skywalker.”
Vader: “Yes my Master.”

Mace: “Bring him before us then.” (Anakin)
/// Emperor: “He will come to you, and then you will bring him before me.” (Luke)


Padme: “Are you alright?”
Anakin: “It’s very cold.”
Padme: “You come from a warm planet Ani, a little too warm for my taste. Space is cold.”

Yoda: “How feel you?”
Anakin: “Cold, sir.”
Yoda: “Afraid are you?
Anakin: “No , sir.”
At first glance, this seems like Anakin is responding about something more in the physical realm than what Yoda is going for. But if you compare it to an ESB scene – Luke: “There’s something not right here. I feel cold... death. – it becomes apparent that maybe the cold represents Anakin’s fear.
Yoda: “See through you, we can.”

Ki-Adi: “Your thoughts dwell on your mother.”
Anakin: “I miss her.”
Yoda: “Afraid to lose her I think?”
Anakin: “What has that got to do with anything?”
Yoda: “Everything! Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering! I sense much fear in you.”
/ Vader: “Yes... your thoughts betray you, your feelings for them are strong. Especially for... sister! So, you have a twin sister! Your thoughts have now betrayed her too. Obi-Wan was wise to hide her from me. Now his failure is complete. If you will not turn to the dark side, then perhaps she will!”






Palpatine tells Anakin in AOTC to rely on his feelings, much like Qui-Gon did. He gradually pulls Anakin further from the Jedi.



“Remember, a Jedi can feel the force flowing through him.” ... “Your eyes can deceive you, don’t trust them.” ... “This time I want you to let go your conscious self and act on instinct“ ... “Stretch out with your feelings!"




Yoda: “Concentrate all your fire on the nearest starship.” / Yoda: “Now... the stone... feel it.” ... “Concentrate!”
I'm not sure if this is an intentional contrasting use of the word. Yoda really seems to get wiser by ESB.


Anakin questions Obi-Wan’s authority, whereas Luke listens faithfully to everything Obi-Wan tells him.

Obi-Wan: “And you will pay attention to my lead.“
Anakin:”Why?”
Obi-Wan: “What?”
Anakin: "Why else do you think we were assigned to her if not to find the killer?”
/// Obi-Wan ghost: “Let go Luke! Luke, trust me.” (Luke switches off his targeting-computer)


Anakin appears more isolated in the Jedi Order than Luke does with his one-on-one training with Obi-Wan and Yoda. You get more of a sense that Luke is friends with his mentors, where there is mistrust between the Jedi and Anakin from early on.




Obi-Wan expresses a lot of cynicism about his training of Anakin. /// Obi-Wan and Yoda show almost blind-faith that Luke is their best hope.


Some observations on patience:

TPM - Anakin: “What are we gonna do about it?” Qui-Gon: “We shall be patient. Anakin Skywalker, meet Obi-Wan Kenobi.”
AOTC -


“Ah, so they’ve finally given you an assignment. Your patience has paid off.” “Your guidance more than my patience.” “You don’t need guidance Anakin.” Palpatine convinces Anakin that he is superior to other Jedi, where Obi-Wan accurately tells Anakin he needs to be more patient.

ROTS - Anakin: “I say patience.” “Patience?” “Yes, R2 will be along in a moment and he’ll release the ray shields.”

ESB - Luke: “I don’t even know what I’m doing here, we’re wasting our time!”

Yoda: “I cannot teach him. The boy has no patience.” Obi-Wan: “He will learn patience.”

Obi-Wan: “Patience!” Luke: “And sacrifice Han and Leia?”

ROTJ -
Emperor: “Patience. In time he will seek you out.”

Luke: “Unfortunate that I know the truth?” Yoda: “No, unfortunate that incomplete was your training! Not ready for the burden where you.” “I’m sorry.”

(From ROTJ script) “Vader humbled you when first you met him, Luke... but that experience was part of your training. It taught you, among other things, the value of patience.”



Anakin fails as a Jedi in AOTC with the Tusken massacre. He is also defeated by Dooku later in the film.

He sets himself up to be the next Sith apprentice by killing Dooku in cold-blood in ROTS.


Anakin never truly passes his Jedi trials in the PT, he really only becomes a true Jedi simultaneously with Luke's success at the end of ROTJ.




I’ve noticed several saga characters claim something is impossible, and they are almost always proven wrong...
- “My Lord, it is impossible to locate the ship, it is out of our range.” “Not for a Sith.”
- “Impossible! The Sith have been extinct for a millennia.”
- “Impossible! Nothing can get through our shield.”
- “We can’t, it’s just not possible.” “Anything is possible Padme, listen to me!”
- “You want the impossible!” ... “I don’t believe it!” “That is why you fail.”

Yoda’s “You must unlearn what you have learned.” can be applied in contrast to the overly dogmatic Jedi in the PT. Obi-Wan's strict adherence to the code, and focus on "the mission" makee him quite incompatible for Anakin as his student.



Luke fails several trials on Dagobah, and is defeated by Vader later in the film.
But on next his encounter he truly passes his trials by renouncing the dark side and redeeming Vader.




Dark side training

Anakin’s masters...
Qui-Gon (dies before training Anakin) -> Obi-Wan (fails) -> Sidious (ensares Anakin)

Luke’s masters...
Obi-Wan (succeeds to train Luke) –> Yoda (completes training) -> Luke (becomes his own master)




Sidious: "Become my apprentice. Learn to use the dark side of the force." / Obi-Wan: “You must learn the ways of the force, if you are to come with me to Alderaan.”


Palpatine and Anakin in luxury. Greys and blacks, except for Palpatine significantly leading Anakin towards red;

Obi-Wan and Luke in a humbler setting;





Palpatine: Of course, you should, but you're not sure of their intentions are you?"

Obi-Wan: “You must do what you think is right, of course.”





Yoda: “The cave. Remember your failure at the cave.” Luke: “But I’ve learned so much since then!”
/// Anakin: “I won’t lose you the way I lost my mother.”

Anakin doesn't learn from his failures like Luke does.



“I’m a pilot you know, and someday I’m going to fly away from this place.”
/// “I had a feeling you might show up someday.”
/// “Well I should be (all powerful). Someday I will be.


Yoda tells Luke in ROTJ “No more training do you require. Already know that what you need.”
/// Palpatine: “To cheat death is a power only one has achieved, but if we work together, I know we can discover the secret.” ... “Do not hesitate, show no mercy. Only then will you be strong enough with the dark side to save Padme.”
Sith mentorship seems to involve sealing a bond to the Master, where the Jedi path leads Luke to being subservient only to the force and himself.



Anakin is taught about p.o.v truths from Sidious /// Luke is taught about p.o.v truths from Obi-Wan.



Anakin: “The Sith rely on their passion for their strength. They think inwards, only about themselves.” /// Yoda: “A Jedi’s strength flows from the force.”


Palpatine: “If you wish to become a complete and wise leader, you must embrace a larger view of the force.” / Vader: “The Emperor will show you the true nature of the force.”
Palpatine: “Unfortunately he taught his apprentice everything he knew, then his apprentice killed him in his sleep.” / Obi-Wan: “I have taught you everything I know, and you have become a far greater Jedi than I could ever hope to be.” / Emperor: “I look forward to completing your training.”

Plus, Anakin/Vader kills both Obi-Wan and Palpatine in the OT.


Anakin/Vader blocking his current Masters from a death blow;





Anakin twice puts both he and his current Master in electricity, the second time fatally;







Edit:
This is a little gratuitous, but I found this really interesting and want as many people to see it as possible. I'm taking a break, but I will post the rest later.
I couldn't tag everyone in the last post, would love any feedback
Tonyg mikeximus Ezon Pin Cael-Fenton

 

Padme and Leia

Anakin “saves the day” for potential mentor Qui-Gon and his crush Padme, by winning the podrace. Allowing Padme, the Jedi, and crew to get to Coruscant. (“You have brought hope to those who have none!”)
He helps free Padme’s planet Naboo by destroying the droid-control ship. Possibly led by the force.
/// Luke and Han save Leia’s life on the DS, and Luke (with help from Han, and Obi-Wan’s spirit) destroys the Deathstar using the force. (Luke and Leia are the “new hope”).


“There is something else behind all this, there’s no logic in the Federation’s move here. My feelings tell me they will destroy you.” /// “They’re gonna kill her!”


“You’re a slave?”
“I’m a person, and my name is Anakin!”
/// “Aren’t you a little short for a Stormtrooper?” ... “I’m Luke Skywalker, I’m here to rescue you!”


“Are you an angel? ... They’re the most beautiful creatures in the universe.” /// “Who is she? She’s beautiful!”
Padme and Anakin come together passionately as a couple but are ultimately torn apart /// Leia and Luke are split at birth (to protect them from the past), then come together strongly as siblings.


Padme: “Dark hair, dreamy eyes...” Anakin: “Alright I get the picture!”
/// Luke: “What do you think of her Han?” Han: “I’m trying not to.” Luke: “Good.” Han(Teasing): "Still... she’s got a lot of spirit. I dunno, do you think a princess and a guy like me...” Luke: “No!”




Padme: “Many things will change when we reach the capital, but my caring for you will remain.”
Anakin: “I care for you too, only I...” “...miss your mother.”
/// Leia: ”Your friend is quite the mercenary. I wonder if he even cares about anything... or anyone.”
Luke: “I care!”

Han splits with reward yet returns just in the nick of time, redeeming himself as not just out for number one.
/// Anakin joins Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan and the Jedi Order (plus the Republic – “The Republic doesn’t exist out here.”) but ultimately betrays them all out of greed. He ends up loyal to the Republic (the Empire) only by title, not staying true to it’s core democratic principles.


Padme leads the opposition to a Republic army. The war is a sham. / Leia is quite militant and sees the Rebellion’s civil war as vital (and it is).
Leia: “I thought you had decided to stay?” /// Padme: “I haven't worked for a year to defeat the "Military Creation Act" not to be here when its fate is decided.”

















Anakin: “As the leader of the opposition it will be very difficult to get Senator Amidala to leave the Capital.” /// Leia: “What are you still doing here? You have your clearance to leave.” Han: “Don’t worry, I’ll leave, but first I gotta get you to your ship!”
Anakin and Padme travel disguised as refugees, this is largely where they fall in love. /// Han and Leia are on the run (“refugees”) from the Empire, this is mostly where they fall in love.


Typho: “I’d be more worried about her doing something than him.” ... “He gave you strict orders to protect me, and I’m going to rescue Obi-Wan. If you wanna protect me you’ll just have to come along.” /// Luke leaves Dagobah Jedi training to save Luke and Han, but ends up being rescued by Leia instead.






Padme: “What if the democracy we thought we were serving no longer exists, and the Republic has become the very evil we’re fighting to destroy?”
Anakin: “I don’t believe that. And you’re sounding like a Separatist!”
Padme: “This war represents a failure to listen. Now you’re closer to the Chancellor than anyone, please ask him to stop the fighting and let diplomacy resume!”

Leia: “I’m a member of the Imperial Senate on a diplomatic mission to Alderaan...”
Vader: “You are part of the Rebel Alliance and a traitor. Take her away!”
Both mother and daughter are part of the Rebellion, bookending the saga as the voices of reason, Padme fighting mostly through peaceful protest, and Leia a highly active leader of the Rebel Alliance.
Padme and Anakin tragically help doom the galaxy, then the next generation helps bring freedom back. Padme and Leia (both Senators) can be seen as symbols of freedom where Palpatine and Vader represent oppression.





Padme = Air and water = Life

Attempting to mesh with Naboo and have serenity



Vader = fire = taker of life





Foreshadowing in dress



“The thought of being without you... I can’t breathe.” Padme dies moments after Vader's first mechanised breath.




Leia flips it on it's head and uses her chains to conquer her oppressor
















Jedi potential

Anakin recognises Jedi weapon.
“You’re a Jedi Knight aren’t you?” “What makes you think that?” “I saw your laser sword, only Jedi carry that kind of weapon.” “Perhaps I killed a Jedi and took it from him?” “I don’t think so... nobody can kill a Jedi!” “I wish that were so.”
( - Foreshadowing Anakin’s future... Qui-Gon’s death before getting to properly train him, and Anakin involved in the Jedi purge,
- Anakin’s idealistic view of Jedi,
- and referencing Jedi immortality taught to Obi-Wan and Yoda by Qui-Gon).

“I had a dream I was a Jedi. I came back here and freed all the slaves. Have you come to free us?” (Luke turns out to take Qui-Gon’s role - “freeing slaves” by helping Anakin eventually bring about the end of the Empire and ending Anakin’s own enslavement to Sidious. Qui-Gon (“father”) frees Anakin and starts his Jedi path, Luke (son) returns him to it).

Luke: “What is it?” Obi-Wan: “You’re father’s lightsaber. This is the weapon of a Jedi Knight.”
Luke is raised in a time where the Jedi are basically extinct and their image has been tarnished. He doesn’t know what a Jedi or lightsaber is, where Anakin in TPM seems to have idolised the Jedi for some time.
“A young Jedi named Darth Vader, who was a pupil of mine until he turned to evil, helped the Empire hunt down and destroy the Jedi.”

Anakin’s saber comes full circle in ROTS, ANH, ESB and TFA.



“He deserves better than a slave’s life.”
“The force is unusually strong with him, that much is certain. Who was the father?”
“There was no father.”
/// “Luke’s just not a farmer Owen. He has too much of his father in him.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.”


“You know I did feel something, I could almost see the remote.”
“You’ve taken your first step into a larger world.”
/// “Rey... these are your first steps.”
Rey, like Luke, has self-imposed imprisonment waiting for her family to “return” to Jakku.
Anakin/Vader is eventually encased, and where Luke and Rey can free themselves, Vader is literally trapped in himself until Luke breaks his bondage.


Qui-Gon hides Anakin’s potential light (as the chosen one) from Anakin – “Checking your blood for infections” when really checking Midichlorian count. /// Obi-Wan hides Luke’s potential dark (as Vader’s son) from Luke – “He betrayed and murdered your father.”


Anakin and Luke have progressing views on their “fathers”.
Anakin believes he has no father (except the force). Qui-Gon becomes a father-figure to him, as does Obi-Wan after Qui-Gon’s death. Finally Sidious replaces everyone (and is implied to maybe even have created him).
Luke idolises his father, who he thinks was a spice freighter, then is told is a dead Jedi hero, and finally discovers is Darth Vader.
Both Skywalker men end up with a Sith father-figure, and risk following in their “father’s” dark side footsteps, but Luke resists temptation. Anakin facing his Sith father-figure is a test he fails, Luke facing his Sith father in ROTJ makes him a Jedi.
There is a similar but inverse Sith test in Vader facing Obi-Wan in ROTS (and killing him in ANH) and Kylo facing and killing his father Han.


Obi-Wan comments to Qui-Gon (who is showing greater interest in Anakin than Obi-Wan) “What if this plan fails? We could be stuck here a very long time.” (sceptical of Anakin). And “Why do I feel like we’ve picked up another pathetic lifeform?”
By ROTS Anakin and Obi-Wan trust each other impeccably. “He won’t let me down. He never has.”
When Anakin turns and the twins are born, Obi-Wan and Yoda form a plan involving Obi-Wan being “stuck on Tattooine a very long time”; faithfully watching over Luke.
Similar to Anakin, Luke being trained is imperative. “This little one is not worth the effort.” is actually an ironic lie on Obi-Wan’s part as he knows Luke’s importance, even if Luke actually needs protecting for the time being.


Obi-Wan: “Is he not to destroy the Sith and bring balance to the force?”
...
Yoda: “A prophecy that misread could have been.”

Obi-Wan: “That boy is our last hope.”
Yoda: “No, there is another.”


Yoda: “Strong enough to fight this Lord Sidious, you are not.”
Vader: “You can destroy the Emperor. He has foreseen it. It is your destiny.”
Both Anakin and Luke reach their predicted destiny simultaneously with Anakin’s redemption at the climax of ROTJ.

 

Destiny

“This path has been placed before you, the choice is yours alone.” (to become a Jedi)

“You’re going down a path I can’t follow!” (becoming a Sith and aspiring to be ruler of the galaxy)

"He’s got to follow his own path, no one can choose it for him.” (whether or not to join Rebellion)





Anakin: “But I want to go, it’s what I’ve always dreamed of!”
...
“It was well-trained in the Jedi arts. My guess is it was after the Queen.”
“What are we gonna do about it?”
“We shall be patient.”
/// “It’s not that I like the Empire, I hate it, but there is nothing I can do about it right now.”
...
“She’s the one in the message, we gotta help her!”

Anakin is perhaps awakened earlier than Luke. I find it curious that Anakin was actively working on a scanner to locate his anti-escape chip, whereas Luke just haphazardly comes across Leia’s message in R2, taking a more passive approach to his destiny at first.




Anakin: “I want to do it!” Qui-Gon: “Then pack your things, we haven’t much time.”
“What about mom... is she free too?”
...
“Son my place is here, my future is here.” – There will always be something beckoning Anakin to Tattooine until Shmi dies. Vader will never return to the surface of Tattooine because of this.
Luke: “I want to come with you to Alderaan. There’s nothing for me here now.” / inverts Anakin: “I will come back and free you mom, I promise.”

Once more; losing Shmi begins Anakin’s walling off from the light, whereas Luke losing Owen and Beru lets him begin to fulfill his greater personal destiny and become a Jedi.
Vader: “That name no longer has any meaning for me!” (like the names Tattooine, Naboo, Shmi and Padme)

At the end of TPM and ANH the Sith show an interest in the Skywalkers.
Palpatine: “And you, young Skywalker! We will watch your career with great interest!” (Anakin in ROTS – “He has watched out for me ever since I arrived here.”)
/// “The force is strong with this one.” (ESB crawl says Vader is obsessed with finding young Skywalker.)

AOTC Palpatine is grooming Anakin. /// Vader is attempting to turn Luke in ESB.
(Dooku isn’t fully aware of Skywalker in AOTC yet, because Palpatine is lying to him about their plans for Anakin.)



“The force is strong” seems to be used relevant to failure on Anakin’s part, but for success in Luke.

- “The force is strong with him.”
“He is to be trained then?”
“No. He will not be trained.”

- Dooku: “The force is with us Master Sidious.” On Anakin’s defeat, as war begins.

- Palpatine: “The force is stroong with you!” as Anakin pledges to Sidious.

- Vader: “The force is strong with this one!” as Luke is about to destroy the Deathstar.

- Luke: “The force is strong in my family. My father has it, I have it... My sister has it.”



"Anakin: No one can kill a Jedi: Qui-Gon: “I wish that were so.”



Obi-Wan: “Oh he’s not dead. Not yet.”


Feigned fear at possible death:

Glee at Anakin extending his unnatural life:

Anger trying to kill Luke before actual death:


Luke: "But you'll die!" Anakin: “Nothing can stop that now.”





Yoda/Palpatine lesson on death.

Humble abode / classy opera.



Sidious: “He could even keep the ones he cared about... from dying.”
/// Luke: “Master Yoda, you can’t die!”
Yoda: “Strong am I with the force. But not that strong.”

Palpatine: “The dark side of the force is a pathway to many abilities, some consider to be unnatural.”
///
Yoda: “Twilight is upon me, and soon night must fall. That is the way of things. The way of the force.”



Vader clinging to life, his hate sustains him:



/// Luke's selfless sacrifice, he lets go:

Would rather leap to possible death than turn:

Rejection of promise of more power:




Vader: “I HATE you!” /// Luke: “I feel the good within you, let go of your hate!”

Sidious: “He could even influence the midichlorians to create life.” /// Yoda: "Your father he is."

Sidious plays on Anakin’s burden and his closeness to Palpatine. /// Yoda: “Unfortunate that you rushed to face him! That not ready for the burden were you.”


ROTS – Sidious (novelisation; moment he stops the lightning to ensnare Anakin): “I’m too weak in the end. Yes, too old and weak.”
/// ROTJ – Yoda: “Sick have I become. Old and weak.”

Sidious: “The attack on my life has left me scarred and deformed.” /// Yoda: “When 900 years old you reach, look as good you will not!”



(Later) “Is Anakin alright?”

(Later) “Where is Padme? Is she safe? Is she alright?”

Obi-Wan (To Artoo) “Oh don’t worry, he’ll be alright!”


Kind of ironic now when Ben says “You’re lucky to be all in one piece!”

 

HevyDevy

It's exactly this type of double/triple/whateverle posting that I approve of and encourage

Holy ****, FANTASTIC analysis

When we get to 2019, I eagerly and hopefully await adding Rey and/or Kylo Ren to this sort of thing

 

3PO and R2

Threepio’s physical states may mirror Anakin’s development:

“Master Anakin, you are my maker and I wish you well. However I would prefer it if I were a little more completed.” (A farewell, 3PO uncovered paralleling Anakin’s vulnerability, and at this stage incomplete as a character much like Anakin)

/// “Oh! The maker! Master Anakin. I knew you’d come back some day, I knew it!” (Reunited mid-trilogy, worn silver coverings possibly paralleling Anakin having faced some hardship)

/// 3P0 belongs to Padme in ROTS (Threepio and Anakin never interact perhaps indicative of the distance between Anakin and his childhood self, shiny gold coverings = Anakin at his prime)

/// “Thank the maker. This oil bath is going to feel so good.” (Introduction to maker’s son, worn gold coverings, no memory of PT. Has "been through many battles".)


Threepio: “Yes sir.”
Luke: “Call me Luke.”
Threepio: “Yes, sir Luke.”
Luke: “Haha, no just Luke.”
Threepio: “Oh.”


The droids sometimes narrate the films.

TPM:
Leaving 3PO – “I’ll make sure mom doesn’t sell you or anything.” “Sell me?!?” “Bye!” “Oh my!”

Anakin: “Come on Artoo!” ... “Artoo get us off this auto-pilot, it’s going to get us both killed!”

AOTC:
The droids come together symbolically when Anakin and Padme wed.


Anakin and Padme gift each other the droids between AOTC and ROTS – R2 to Anakin, and C3P0 to Padme. R2 comes on missions with Anakin, and C3P0 helps Padme around the house.

A flip also occurs in some dialogue, such as –
(TPM) Padme: “Thankyou R2-D2.” /// (AOTC) Padme: “Thankyou Artoo.” /// (ROTS) C3P0: “Is there anything I might do? Padme: “No thankyou, Threepio...” C3P0: “I feel so helpless.” (narrating mood of era).


ROTS -

Obi-Wan (ROTS): “Great R2!” /// Luke (ANH): “We're alright. You did great!” (to 3P0).


Anakin: “Ah-uh... none of those loose-wire jokes!”
Artoo adeptly takes out the super-battledroids despite Obi-Wan's cynicism.


C3P0: “Let us leave this dreadful place.” (narration describing “hell”).


ANH -

The Rebellion brings the droids from Leia to Luke by fate.

Obi-Wan (lying): “(The droids) are up for sale if you want them.”


ROTJ -

Luke (lying): “I present to you a gift; these two droids.” “What? Artoo, you’re playing the wrong message!” (links to TPM - "sell me?")
3P0: “What could have come over Master Luke? He never expressed any disappointment with my work.”

3P0: “And you said it was pretty here.” (Narration of the mood of the era).



Artoo witnesses segments of Anakin’s fall.




He notices something is not right with Anakin (his companion before the turn), after Vader pledges to Sidious.

Anakin coldly dismisses him on arrival at Mustafar.


After Obi-Wan defeats Vader, Artoo seems to instinctively follow Obi-Wan and 3P0 onto Padme’s ship. Like he has forgotten the old Anakin completely, they abandon each other.


Coincidentally, but perhaps considered by Lucas when making the PT, Vader shoots R2 when he is manning Luke’s X-Wing in ANH. I see ANH as the episode where the good in Anakin is most “dead”, so this is appropriate I guess.



/// Inversely, Luke and Leia keep the droids throughout the whole trilogy, they are part of the family. 3P0 is on the run with Han and Leia in ESB, and R2 journeys with Luke. The droids’ perspective helps narrate a larger part of the saga.









Luke uses them as part of his plan to rescue Han in ROTJ, always intending to take them back afterwards.


Artoo’s devotion to his mission in ANH is now a nod to fans of the entire saga. He knows more than he lets on.




Technology


- Vader, a slave to technology (the suit), still values the dark side and the force over all else. The Deathstar is just a symbol – “Don’t be too proud of this technological terror you’ve constructed. The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the force.”
The Empire “don’t consider a small one-man fighter a threat.” - but “Size matters not.”

- Luke destroys the DS without his targeting-computer.

- “Your weapons... you will not need them.” Says it all.

- Han: “Look, good against remotes is one thing... good against the living, that’s something else.”

Luke fights the living with his saber as he becomes more powerful. And in the PT the Jedi are wiped out when the living Clone soldiers turn on them, proving more deadly than Separatist droids.

- The droid armies in the PT are rendered obsolete when the Empire takes over.

And the Deathstar is destroyed by a farmboy, and the less technology equipped (than the Empire) Rebellion. The Empire is toppled in ROTJ by the camaraderie of the Rebellion, an alliance with local primitives, and a son and father’s mutual love.



Promises

Jedi promises in SW seem to be proven fulfilled, whereas Sith (and Anakin as he slides) don’t tend to validate their promises.

TPM -
Qui-Gon: “Anakin will be a Jedi, I promise you.”
Obi-Wan: “You will be a Jedi, I promise you.”
Anakin: “ I will come back and free you mom, I promise.”

AOTC -
Anakin: “I wasn’t strong enough. But I promise, I won’t fail again.”
ROTS
Palpatine (script): “I assure you the appointment of regional governors will in no way interfere with the duties of the Senate.” (proven a lie by the Senate being dissolved in ANH). ... “When the war is over I promise a complete return to democracy!”
...
Anakin: “Wait here until I return. Things will be different, I promise!”


ESB -
Yoda: “Strong is Vader. Mind what you have learned. Save you it can.”
Luke: “I will. And I will return. I promise.”




Prophecy

Anakin’s discovery by Qui-Gon (and Palpatine at the end of TPM) coincides with the re-emergence of the Sith. He, Maul and Palpatine are arguably the “phantom menace”. The actions of Palpatine and Anakin will ultimately bring about the oppression of the entire galaxy.
/// When Luke has come of age he is led to Obi-Wan by fate, through R2. His and his friends’ actions lead to the galaxy’s freedom.

The Sith are thought to be extinct by the Jedi Council, but weren’t completely wiped out. /// The Jedi were thought extinct by the Empire but weren’t completely gone.

The Jedi’s chosen one ultimately wipes out the Jedi Order and brings about the Sith’s stranglehold on the galaxy. He is destined to bring balance but at first puts the force much further out of balance. /// The ex-chosen-one prized Sith apprentice ultimately wipes out the Sith. Luke as the Jedi’s only hope defeats the Sith in an unexpected way; converging his own successful transition to Jedi Knight with his father’s return as a Jedi. Anakin returns after originally diverting from his chosen purpose. Both arcs are simultaneously resolved when Luke fulfills his destiny more straightforwardly than his father fulfills his own.

Also, as the Jedi’s strength wanes in the PT, Sidious and Vader rise. As Luke’s strength increases in the OT, The Sith lose their hold on the galaxy. The PT progresses to murkiness, the OT progresses to clarity.

 

Thanks man.

I'm not as schooled on the ST, but it would be interesting.

 

Thank you for tagging me, HevyDevy, so much interesting findings (as usual ) and so much to comment here!
For now, I'll mention few remarks, just thoughts that came to me when I saw this.

First, I too think those references between Luke and Anakin are intentional in the movies, it is pretty obvious. And I agree with you that in many crucial moments Luke succeeds to do want his father couldn't. Of course, it not always intentional by his part, it just happens. But when I see your visual comparisons, I think that there are few important differences that actually 'define' the fate of the father and the son.
In short, Luke succeeds because of his father. Pure and simple. With one exception of course, in ANH when Han saves him, but Vader still doesn't know that this is his son. In TESB he spares his life, moreover he convinces the Emperor that is better to make him be on the side of the Empire and not destroy him and in the last duel is Vader who decide to lure him, not to fight him with all his rage. Because come on, at least in that moment we know that Vader is the strongest and the more skilled duelist. Of course, Vader saves himself because of Luke but I think this is pretty obvious and was commented a million times before. So Anakin didn’t have such powerful ally during his journey, I mean as a Jedi. He had Padme, of course, but she was somehow out of his Jedi life. If she was alive he had some chance to come back because of her love... but... Well, Luke was the lucky one. Yes, he looses his family (uncle and aunt) but he finds his sister and of course, his father.
Second, their relations with Obi Wan. It is completely different. When Anakin is learning to be a Jedi, Obi Wan is learning to be a master ( I was thinking to made a thread about it, it could be interesting). With Luke Obi know what to do and how to do it. Obi Wan tried to control Anakin (AOTC) and it was unsuccessful but only mentored Luke and it was successful. On the other side, when Obi Wan is absent, both of them had many troubles. So the attitude of their mentor and his presence/absence is crucial for their success/failing.
Third, something that refers to Anakin more, than to Luke, but I think it is interesting to discuss. There were two women in Luke's life: his aunt and his sister. The first one raised him but died because of him and the second life changed his life completely. I couldn't say only for better, as he entered in the war against the Empire, but still, she was the key. In Anakin's life is a bit different. Yes, he has his exceptional mother that raised him with such love, but when she died he almost felt i the darkness. Padme saved him but when she died he died also (metaphorically speaking). So the women are those who brought the light in Anakin's life. (and the males, all the opposite, they lead him to despair and destruction, no matter that in Obi Wan's case wasn't intentional, I mean the duel in Mustafar). And after this, some dare to accuse Lucas in misogyny and so on. Tell me about it, as Watto said. Anyway, in the end is Padme's son who brings him to the light again.

Edit: About the technology: man vs machine is essential contrast in the Saga. It emerges in the last moments in Anakin's life but also can be seen in in the whole Saga: the Republic looks full of natural life and beings, and the Empire is all dead induastrial machinery.

 

About the training, there is one very important point: it is not only Luke achievement, the difference is 1. The world has changed and 2. the Jedi masters had changed (well, maybe I shoud make this thread of Anakin-Obi Wan relationship, that is very interesting and complex).

First, in Luke's time there is no Jedi Order. But Anakin was part of it. That's mean a lot of rules, restrictions and obligations that Luke just doesn't have to respect. He goes and come back to Yoda when he has the possibility to do it. It was unthinkable for Ani to do that. Also, the problem of learning to leave ad let go. No one dared to teach Luke to that. Obi Wan gave him advice to 'bury' his feelings but that is completely different. And exactly this problem of leave and let go caused so much pain and misery in Anakin's life. First, he couldn't free his mother, he couldn't visit her and when he broke the rules to save her, it was too late. Luke first decided to help Ha, then go back to his training, Anakin never had such chance. Then again, the marriage: the same problem for Anakin. It looks like the Jedi didn't learn their lessons in that aspect, because Obi Wan wasn't bothered to say the true about Lea. Let's accept for the moment that he has his issues to lie about Vader but ignoring the true about Lea when Luke was so close to her? Both siblings felt that they are close one to another, so this could ed in something terrible if Luke wasn't so interested to know the true about his family. (ok, maybe this is just bad writing, but anyway, is irritating). I think this is the point when Lucas decided to show the old Jedi so emotionally reserved and distant: it seems like they couldn’t handle with feelings at all, except maybe, loyalty. Luke should teach them that the redemption does matter and the love is the most important.

The same issue came with their age: is not that they are too old for obtaining skills but to learn those paths to live ad let go. Maybe Luke was too old , i.e. too skeptical when he had such difficulties with taking the ship out of water, but I think the main obstacle to Anakin was his attachment to his mother. So, the Jedi masters in OT learn much from their failures in PT: they accept Luke such as he is and they gave him the chance to be a Jedi without being part of the Order. Poor Anakin never had such opportunity and it would changed his life in a very good direction.

 

Good thoughts.

One point I would dispute; while I agree in the ROTJ fight both duelists are holding back at first, I think when Luke taps his anger at the end he actually surpasses Vader. Luke becomes too much for him even with Vader fighting at full-strength. Hence The Emperor's glee in thinking he has won and Luke is his.

I agree that Luke is blessed by better circumstance.
Cool that you agree Obi-Wan's tutelage of father and son does seem to intentionally contrast. He is much more passive with Luke, trusting more in the will of the force than he did with Anakin. His efforts with Anakin are noble, but perhaps more dogmatic.

Interesting points about the female influences on Anakin and Luke. I will talk a little more on that in my next two posts. But yes, they are presented often as the sound voice of reason for other characters.

Agreed. I think they put more faith in Luke that he can find the right path. The contrast in the trilogies in interesting, each group of characters is very much a product of their eras as you said.

 

It's also the most obvious reason why the two trilogies look so different visually.

HevyDevy Fantastic work! The mirroring is probably my favorite type of analysis of the saga.