Did Anakin Make the Right Choice?

Yes, Vader is 'teh' ultimate symbol of evil from the OT, but after the RotS i wondering if Anakin was just following his heart.

"We make our own choices, but not in circumstances of our own making."

For the jedi order, Sidious had to die immediately. Sidious acted the same way about the Jedi Order. There was no room to budge between them, they were clinging to their ideals. Some say the jedi order were arrogant and needed to trust their feelings more. Some say Sidious was bringing order to the galaxy.

Obviously, Anakin's fear/weakness played a part. He yells, "I need him!!!" after he argues, "It's not the jedi way."

Is it possible that Anakin was just following his heart, walking the line between the darkside and lightside, and made the right choice by attacking Mace Windu (and later Sidious)?

Or did Anakin simply make a mistake by attacking Mace Windu and right a wrong by taking out Sidious in RotJ?

It seems like Anakin would have died (or had to hide out in exile) in RotS if he did not turn to the darkside -- because of Order 66. Maybe because of the circumstance, Anakin made the right decision? Once Sidious had emergency senate powers, he could of issued order 66 anytime he wanted and he can worry about the political mess after.

Considering the position Anakin was in (whether he fully realized it or not), is it crazy to argue that Anakin did what he had to do -- to save the galaxy later on?

edit: oh yea, i just blindly put this on, so i hope it's a semi~okay topic. i mean i didnt even search once!

 

I wonder how successful Order 66 would have been if Anakin hadn't turned. I know Anakin was somewhat loyal to Sidious, but he did turn him in to the Council. If Yoda, Obi-wan, and Anakin all went up against Sidious together, I don't think Sidious would have stood much of a chance.

 

Personally, I think that if Palpatine activated Order 66 without Anakin on his side, Anakin would've ended up siding with the Jedi and taken him out.

 

If Anakin would have sided with the Jedi instead of Palpatine and the Sith Order 66 would have never taken place.

and

Anakin would have killed Palpatine instead of attacking Mace , the War would have ended with the death of the Chancellor and the Jedi would have kept peace throughout the galaxy.

 

true, but all sidious had to do, immediately after he got emergency powers, was to spread the jedi out a little further and issue orer 66. the jedi would have to fight through thousands of troops just to reach sidious.

i dont know, by the time RotS begins, i always thought sidious was firmly in power. the jedi needed to worry about surviving, not taking out sidious.

edit: from Alpha-Red
Personally, I think that if Palpatine activated Order 66 without Anakin on his side, Anakin would've ended up siding with the Jedi and taken him out.

this seems right. maybe somehow anakin could have defied the odds and gotten to sidious, i never thought about that before, he seems weaker then yoda and mace in RotS.

 

where is this quote from?

 

I think anakin followed his heart. And that's the thing that makes Darth Vader such a cool character. For example: watch the vader- emperor sequence from esb one more time and you will have such a different feeling about what vader must be thinking while speaking with the emperor.

"One chance to set things right!"

 

It's tough to tell. Anakin had already killed one unarmed Prisoner that was a Sith Lord (Dooku). Now we have pissed off Mace, an unarmed Sith Lord, and a confused Anakin. Anakin does recognize correctly this time that it is NOT the jedi way to kill an "Unarmed" Prisoner. If he let's Mace kill Palpatine then and there, we have two Jedi guilty of something that isn't the Jedi way. After this, The Jedi planned to take temporary control over the Galaxy. The Chosen one and the one that killed the Sith Lord in power (Mace Windu) were pretty vocal about their political beliefs. They each would have had a murder on their heads, dark thoughts, and the chance for permanant power over the Senate. Perhaps in time Mace and/or Anakin would have declared themselves in control of the Republic and ended up as Dictators. Many of the other Jedi wouldn't approve, a schism could occur and we would see Mace and/or Anakin fighting their former brothers and possibly claiming the mantle of Sith Lord.

A multitude of things could have happened, and I don't see this as being too far of a stretch. Mace in particular was ready to take over the Senate. I think that the Republic was in so deep at this point that it needed a complete overhaul, making Anakin's decision "Correct" in a way. His decision wasn't really driven by these thoughts though, as the real reason was that Anakin "Needed" Darth Sidious. He wasn't doing it for the good of the Jedi and Republic or to eradicate the corruption and the Sith. He was doing it so he could learn new powers. So maybe his action was the one that was needed, but the choice he KNEW he was making had nothing to do with the correct choice. The only way I can answer "Did Anakin Make the Right Choice" is from a certain point of view. "Yes" if you mean it was what he had to do to save the galaxy eventually, "No" if killing Mace was so that he may save Padme (The conciously made decision).

Carnage

 

and we would never have heard of it, because there would have had no Star Wars.

 

Just kidding, of course.

Anyway, the fact that the choice(s) of Anakin ultimately led to the end of Palpatine doesn't make it right, especially this particular choice. To achieve this goal (and as it has been mentionned, it wasn't Anakin's goal at all at that time, of course), a lot of ways, much less painful, could have been taken.

 

It was the will of the force...

The force created Anakin to bring balance, the things Anakin did (good and bad) had to happen for balance to be restored.

So, yes he made the right choice in doing some bad things.

 

From Anakin's Point of View he was turning to the Dark Side to save Padme, so to him, he made the right choice

To the audience, he betrayed everything he claimed he stood for and thus made the wrong choice

Its the whole "Point of View"

 

I think morally, he did the right thing. No matter what his philosophical views, Sidious was still Chancellor, he was still a civilian and he was still innocent until proven guilty. Of course, the trial would have been a joke just as Mace said, but it was still the right thing to do. Besides, do you think the Senate is going to care that thier leader is a Sith Lord. He's been doing good things for the republic hasnt he? Mace WAS trying to assasinate (sp?) Palpatine. Mace lied. He wanted the glory of saving the republic, the ROTS novel states it. His one attachment was his love for the Republic. He did not trust Anakin and I read somewhere that he was actually jealous of Anakin. He wanted to kill Sidious chosen one or not. Mace was assassinating Sidious when he said that he was going to arrest him. So contrary to popular belief, Anakin did do the right thing by chopping off the Korun Master's hand. However, he should have demanded that WINDU stand trial for assasination. CHances Mace would not have tried to mind trick the Senate because of his Jedi Morals.

 

I couldn't disagree with you more.

No matter what his legal status, he was still a Sith Lord, a traitor to the Republic, a murderer, and a liar. He was guilty, whether a jury would recognize that as sufficiently proven or not.

For crying out loud, Sidious is the SEPRATIST MASTERMIND! He STARTED the Clone Wars for the sole purpose of returning the galaxy to the rule of the Sith. He is responsible for the deaths of MILLIONS of people throughout the galaxy, for tearing the Republic in half, for subverting the Constitution of the Republic, and for exterminating the Repubic's guardians, the Jedi Knights. Yeah, GREAT things he's been doing for the Republic.

Yes. He was. And good for him. It's called tyrannicide, and it is morally acceptable if certain conditions (clearly tyrannical, no lesser means possible, replacement government ready, and chance of success) are met (which they all were in this situation). Mace was doing the right thing.

Read the novel more closely next time. Mace REALIZED that his love for the Republic was an attatchment, and he LET IT GO. He set aside all personal feelings that might affect his judgement in order to evaluate the situation at hand objectively.

This is the moment that defines Mace Windu. Because Mace, too, has an attatchment. Mace Windu loves the Republic. And because of that love now, here, in this instant, Anakin Skywalker has nine words for him that shred his heart, burn its pieces, and feed him its smoking ashes. Palpatine is Sidious. The Chancellor is the Sith Lord. But because he is Mace Windu, he takes this blow without a change of expression. Because he is Mace Windu, within a second the man of sand is stone once more: pure Jedi Master, weighing coldly the risk of facing the last Dark Lord of the Sith without the chosen one....against the risk of facing the last Dark Lord of the Sith with a chosen one eaten alive by fear. And because he is Mace Windu, the choice is no choice at all. And it is the true measure of Mace Windu that, even now, he is still telling the truth when he says, "[I will do] Only as much as I have to."

No, he didn't trust Anakin. Because Anakin hadn't earned that trust. He was being disobedient and immature and acting rashly and undisciplined. And no, Mace wasn't jealous of Anakin. That's just what Anakin THOUGHT Mace was feeling towards him.

Mace CHANGED HIS MIND after Sidious resisted arrest twice and pulled out the force lighting. He realized that the situation was not what he had expected it to be, and changed his plan as necessary. He wasn't lying about his initial intentions.

So now you're that saying Mace was a very moral person? After all you just said attacking his decisions to move against Sidious? Make up your mind, please. Either you think that Mace was a moral person, or you don't. I, for one, do.

 

I have to agree. They went in to arrest the Chancellor. He resisted arrest by killing 3 people (jedi). He was subdued and tried again to resist arrest by killing a 4th. No matter who you are...if G.W. Bush was to be arrested for something like speeding and he chose to kill the officer(s) arresting him, he would be guilty of further crimes. It's not like "HE's THE PRESIDENT! YOU CANT ARREST HIM!" If he brought out a gun and started shooting, president or not, he's getting taken down. You just can't kill peace officers.

In the GW Bush scenario, if he was speeding and evading arrest, the cops may approach with guns out just as the Jedi did with the lightsabres.

Carnage

 

Depending on your point of view, yes and no.

Yes, he remained loyal to his friends and the Republic. And that ultimately let to his turn.

No, because his choices resulted in the mistreatment, suffering, and death of numerous people in the future (but how was he to know that?).

I think it all boils down to the fact that the government became tainted, and simply, bad. The sepratists, seen originally as the enemy, became good. It was a confusing time, and Anakin was confused, too.

 

Yes. He was. And good for him. It's called tyrannicide, and it is morally acceptable if certain conditions (clearly tyrannical, no lesser means possible, replacement government ready, and chance of success) are met (which they all were in this situation). Mace was doing the right thing.

Read the novel more closely next time. Mace REALIZED that his love for the Republic was an attatchment, and he LET IT GO. He set aside all personal feelings that might affect his judgement in order to evaluate the situation at hand objectively.
This is the moment that defines Mace Windu. Because Mace, too, has an attatchment. Mace Windu loves the Republic. And because of that love now, here, in this instant, Anakin Skywalker has nine words for him that shred his heart, burn its pieces, and feed him its smoking ashes. Palpatine is Sidious. The Chancellor is the Sith Lord. But because he is Mace Windu, he takes this blow without a change of expression. Because he is Mace Windu, within a second the man of sand is stone once more: pure Jedi Master, weighing coldly the risk of facing the last Dark Lord of the Sith without the chosen one....against the risk of facing the last Dark Lord of the Sith with a chosen one eaten alive by fear. And because he is Mace Windu, the choice is no choice at all. And it is the true measure of Mace Windu that, even now, he is still telling the truth when he says, "[I will do] Only as much as I have to."

No, he didn't trust Anakin. Because Anakin hadn't earned that trust. He was being disobedient and immature and acting rashly and undisciplined. And no, Mace wasn't jealous of Anakin. That's just what Anakin THOUGHT Mace was feeling towards him.

Mace CHANGED HIS MIND after Sidious resisted arrest twice and pulled out the force lighting. He realized that the situation was not what he had expected it to be, and changed his plan as necessary. He wasn't lying about his initial intentions.


Great post MasterJedi747!!!

I think the only truly right and wise decision Anakin made in the movie was when he stood up to Sidious and said that "his (OB1's) fate will be the same as our's." He spends the rest of the movie giving in to his passions and Sidious' seduction.

 

I think Anakin "said" the right thing that Sidious must face trial (regardless how futile that might be) rather than "doing" the right thing.

The reason I say that is Anakin stated that it was not the Jedi way to kill (arguably) an unarmed individual and Mace was going for it. Mace was one of the most respected Jedi ever and for him to kill someone "helpless" (as the Senate would assume) would in my opinion, destroyed ANY chance of the Jedi EVER getting balance back. Yoda meanwhile, "did" the right thing by quiting while he was ahead. The Jedi really needed to hide out for perhaps another time.

It was the patience and true compassion in the end that made Anakin see his fault. Luke showed it, allowing Anakin to save his son, by killing the Emperor who was about to kill an unarmed individual.

 

I have to disagree

Anakin just saw Palpatine shoot lightning out of his hands, which is a pretty clear sign that he's a Sith Lord. They also had an eye witness account of him killing 3 Jedi Masters and if they didn't believe that they could examine the bodies to see that they had been killed by a lightsaber, which Mace wouldn't have done and thus the Chancellor must have given that he's been shown to be Force Sensitive. There's also the fact that Palpatine literally told Anakin that he was the Sith Lord, negating any belief in Anakin's mind that Palpatine was a mere civillian.

The Senators that have any moral fiber, such as Bail Organa, Mon Mothma, Padme, Garm Bel Iblis, and the others that signed the Petition of two thousand will care and the other senators may very well care given that knowledge of the Sith's existence seems to be public knowledge given Padme's knowing about them. The history of the Sith attempting to destroy the Republic would have to send up red flags to many of the Senators, especially given the fact that the leader of the Sepratist movement was also a Sith Lord.

Mace didn't go there with the intention to assassinate, he knew that it would probably come to tyrannicide but he was going to arrest the Chancellor, assuming he was actually just an old politician who wanted power, however when he knew that he was a Sith Lord, Mace correctly came to the realization that it was kill or be killed. Palpatine was also starting to turn it into an Empire, something that both the Jedi Order and the Petition of 2000 were trying to stop.

Mace very likely did want to kill Sidious, as he was a Sith Lord who was subverting the democracy that Mace correctly knew needed to be in place in order to preserve cilvilization. Anakin betrayed his morals and became a Dark Sider by injustly stopping the death of Sidious. Mace shouldn't have stood trial because unlike Anakin and Palpatine, Mace was acting correctly in morality and for the best of the Republic.

Also, great post masterjedi747

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