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Lost Appendages: Character Notes

Discussion in 'Star Wars Saga In-Depth' started by Darth-Seldon, Mar 16, 2005.

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  1. Darth-Seldon

    Darth-Seldon Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    May 17, 2003
    Lost Appendages: Character Notes

    One thing that is clear from the movies is that there are a lot of lost appendages. Whether it be a leg, an arm or a hand, something is always being lost. In my opinion there are four cases in the saga of lost appendages which act as character notes and also show an interesting pattern.

    Before the events of Attack of the Clones, while on a rescue mission for Shimi, Cleigg Lars loses his leg while in battle with the Tusken Raiders (AOTC novelization.) Cleigg refuses to get a robotic leg. His reasoning, is basically that he would become a bit more machine and a little less human. While he doesn?t have a problem with 3P0, he also doesn?t want to be considered kin in any way, shape or form. It is an interesting thought, that in a galaxy of advanced technology, someone set in there ways would refuse it. It makes sense and that sort of thing happens in our world all the time. Lars is a man of traditional beliefs and isn?t really willing to lose what he perceives to be humanity. The leg was lost in a noble cause, trying to save his wife from death and torture.

    In the same film, Anakin Skywalker of course loses his arm in a lightsaber duel with the mysterious Count Dooku. There is no dilemma, no discussion, there is no question, Anakin builds himself a robotic replacement. Skywalker doesn?t even bother to cover it with human skin (a technology easily available.) His primary concern is function, how it works. Skywalker?s main focus is also power, if it works than that is all that is really necessary. Losing the arm was a result of his own arrogance, by jumping into the fight instead of fighting Dooku with Kenobi?s help.

    The most famous of all is when Luke loses his hand in the metallic caverns of Bespin. The boy was cornered in, and was helpless. In some ways losing his hand was his own fault for it was he who rushed into the situation ill-prepared. However there was also a noble cause for he was attempting to rescue his friends from danger. Luke doesn?t question the need for a robotic replacement, it is obvious that he will need one. Contrary to his father however, he gets a replacement that looks human. It is covered in skin and can actually feel pain. When Anakin lost his hand, he lost part of his feeling, Luke may have lost his hand but never lost the feeling of having a hand, it was all replaced. They both lost the same thing, but to Luke there was a more perfect replacement.

    The final important appendage to be lost was the robotic hand of Darth Vader. Upon chopping it off and allowing it to fall into oblivion, Luke realizes how close their paths were and ultimately that he didn?t want to end up that way. The fathers loss, taught the son an all too valuable lesson.

    There are obvious differences in how these appendages were lost, whether it have been for a noble cause, caused by the person?s own arrogance or a combination of the both. It reveals apart of their personality and their values. To they value form over function, or archaic principles over function. In my opinion they are interesting parallels.

    -Seldon
     
  2. ShrunkenJedi

    ShrunkenJedi Jedi Knight star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 26, 2003
    Yes, I agree :D

    An interesting point about Cliegg Lars... but I think the most important part of the paralell between the robotic Anakin hand and the robotic Luke hand is what it teaches not just Luke, but Anakin/Vader himself at the end of the ROTJ duel.

    You see, I'm convinced that Anakin must also see the path that Luke is following. His black outfit, his robotic hand, his brazenness in fighting for what he beleives far beyond the point of sanity or logic. He sees how close Luke is to himself at that age, and how the Emperor is trying to turn him to the Dark Side. Only this, the ability to put himself in Luke's own place and Luke in his place, allows Vader/Anakin to do what must be done. When the Emperor starts frying Luke, he sees not only his son, but a large part of himself that he thought lost there... the Anakin that should have been. Then he knows exactly how evil Palpatine is, and he can break free of the clouding of the Dark Side, and do what needed to be done...
     
  3. Darth-Seldon

    Darth-Seldon Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    May 17, 2003
    That is interesting that you brought that up. Upon seeing Attack of the Clones, I developed some similar thoughts, in regard to the Sith lighting. We saw how Anakin was tortured by it in Episode II, so he knows the pain Luke feels when the Emperor does it to him. They shared the same pain and that common bond ties them together in the end.

    -Seldon
     
  4. Jedi_Master_Jogum

    Jedi_Master_Jogum Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    Nov 11, 2004
    That is interesting that you brought that up. Upon seeing Attack of the Clones, I developed some similar thoughts, in regard to the Sith lighting. We saw how Anakin was tortured by it in Episode II, so he knows the pain Luke feels when the Emperor does it to him. They shared the same pain and that common bond ties them together in the end.

    Of course...excellent point! He remembers that pain he felt and it altered his perception of the situation. It must have brought back memories of Padme and Obi and Yoda. Fond memories of when he was once a Jedi.
     
  5. emilsson

    emilsson Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Oct 5, 1998
    Good points but perhaps Anakin also recalls the pain of losing Shmi. In AOTC Anakin says he wants to stop people from dying after having failed to rescue Shmi. At the end of ROTJ he sees his own son dying and I think the pain from failing to save his mother influences his decision to throw the emperor down that shaft.
     
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