Shhhhh! Don't tell anyone!

http://dave.itsgames.com/gt.jpg Waning Drill Sorry Go-Mer-Tonic, but I totally disagree. If George tries to cover up the fact Anakin Skywalker becomes Darth Vader, the whole prequel trilogy will feel incredibly empty.Why? we will still see the hero's journey, but unlike the classic trilogy, Anakin will end up losing to his hatred and feeling of superiority. A LOT of people will feel like their intelligence has been insulted.I know they will. Just like it was with TPM. Lucas knows this too because he guessed that some people would dislike Ep1 more people would dislike Ep2 and even more people will dislike Ep3. He said because the story by it's very nature is going to be anti climactic, because we will know Anakin is Vader. There is no way he can pull it off (a pointless stunt anyway), and if he somehow does from a very technical point of view, he's not fooling anybody! We all know!Right, we do know because we skipped ahead to the last page of the mystery! There is nothing he can do to surprise us about Anakin's fall. But I beleive his number one priority is the story itself, not the people who are already spoiled. To keep the integrity of the narrative, he has to keep these secrets. Trying to pull something that cheap would take away from the movie's (or story's, as you like to call it) impact on the viewers.It would intensify it for the first time veiwers (lucky dogs). Scripty made a wonderful point of all the things we see in TPM that are explained in ANH. To be blunt, I thought your defense against these questions was rather weak, because there really is no defense. He's right. The Force, for example, is explained in ANH and ESB. In TPM, it is merely mentioned in passing by Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan.That is all that is needed. People will follow along. None of it is too hard to grasp. The "new generation" is already here. The "small majority that would be spoiled" is pretty much the entire population of the world. I'd bet nearly every small child that saw TPM before the CT (and was interested) has seen the classic movies by now. The "secret" is out. No point in trying to cover it up, many people wouldn't like it anyway. I know I wouldn't.George knows that. There isn't going to be some wall of fire which wipes out adults and leaves only children alive who are guided by a quote from GL to watch the SW movies in chronological order, so the identity of Darth Vader is kept hidden until TESB. The time is NOW.To you the time is now, to Lucas, he is more concerned with this story outliving him for hundreds of years, and it will. He doesn't need anymore cash flow, he is doing this for his own artistic needs. You're holding GL in, well, too high a regard.You don't give him enough credit. I sincerely doubt he has some 30 year storytelling plan in mind. If he tries to hide Anakin's fall from us (a vain attempt), many would certaintly lose respect for him.They already have. An they undoubtedly will. Maybe you wouldn't, but try to think of other people. The story, SW in this case, is for the people. Not itself.That is what a selfish veiwer would assume. The first three films have already been made, you cannot change history. So don't even try.Who is changing history? Not me, and not Lucas. There will undoubtedly be some killer surprises aside form the Skywalker family bits to tide us unfortunate souls over. Think about it like this. You are able to watch the classic trilogy over and over and you already know all of it's surprises right? Does knowing those surprises hurt your enjoyment? Of course not. So what would be so horrible about keeping the integrity and flow of the story in tact?

 

I can't believe it!

I rarely (if EVER) agree with Go-Mer, but I gotta say that "I'm right there with ya boss" on this one.

Lucas can not and will not abandon all the revelations of the OT. Why make the PT if you're gonna blow all the surprises of the chapters that immediately follow it? Not gonna happen.

I see the ending something like this:

Anakin has aided Sidious and his Sith apprentice, Darth Vader, and betrayed the Jedi Knights. Now Anakin is ready to become a Sith and is on the brink of no return. The Dark Side beckons. Since there can only be two Sith, Anakin challenges Vader to a duel to the death at the edge of the molten pit. They battle and Anakin defeats Vader, nearly killing him. Obi-wan shows up as Ani is about to deliver the death blow and intervenes. In the terror of seeing his friend making the final turn to the Dark Side, OB1 stops him. Anakin turns on OB1 and they battle in the most fantastic freakin' saber duel you've ever seen. Anakin has OB1 dead to rights (he is, after all, the most powerful Jedi EVER) when Vader attacks him from behind. The two end up plummeting into the molten pit in some grandiose final kick-@$$ stunt. OB1 thinks they are both dead, takes Anakin's saber, bids his final farewell and leaves.

(this won't be in the movie): Years later when OB1 hears that Darth Vader is running amuck again, he assumes it's the real Vader, but he also wonders if it just might be Anakin Skywalker.

In ANH, he doesn't know for sure who it is but he certainly isn't going to make assumptions and tell Luke that it is his dad.

This ending saves all of the surprises of the OT, and shows Anakin's tragic fall pretty darn well if you ask me.

If Lucas can pull this off he's a genius.

As far as Ben saying that Vader was a pupil of his, that can be covered extremely easily with a couple of sentences of dialogue. Maybe 5 years after TPM OB1 did some training with Vader and other padewans at the training facilities. Who knows? The options for an explanation are limitless.

I also agree with scripty's take on how TPM was a poor setup for introducing the SW galaxy... but that's a whole other topic GMT and I have, are, and will continue to argue over.

[This message has been edited by Quaff-Down Gin (edited 01-26-2000).]

 

http://dave.itsgames.com/gt.jpg I knew we had some things in common!

Intersting variation.

Others should start theorizing, eventually we will nail it word for word....

[This message has been edited by Go-Mer-Tonic (edited 01-26-2000).]

 

http://sirstevesguide.com/images/darthmaulani.gif
Nail it word for word? You're gonna end up banging your head up against a wall until Episode 3 comes out and some questions are answered. And 2005's a long time to be banging your head against anything. You came up with what you think is a good scenario for Anakin's turn and you want people to go along with you on this? Fine, but I do believe that a great body of your thread constitutes as Fan Fiction.

What's the use of trying to figure something out when you don't have all the facts, such as what event(s) will turn Anakin to the dark side?

 

I didn't say that was the way it would happen. I said that it would happen something like that.

Point being, it's not hard at all to come up with a scenario that maintains the integrity and "surprises" of the OT. I came up with a solution in five minutes, and it's not only not "out there", but it would be a great ending.

It's called speculation and that's why we're in the EII&III forum. I thought you had figured that one out.

[This message has been edited by Quaff-Down Gin (edited 01-26-2000).]

 

Well Quaff-Down after reading your post I believe I have changed my mind.

While your idea is plausible it still has some holes. There has to be some way for the identity of Vader to be only obvious to Yoda and Obi-Wan. But I think Lucas knows what he is going to do with this. He may surprise us all, and now I think there is a way to keep the secret intact.

 

http://dave.itsgames.com/gt.jpg Any average audience member can pick up on it.

1) They see these Jedi have these almost supernatural powers.

2) Qui-Gon explains the bit about how midiclhorians give them access to the force.

You don't need ANH to deduce that the force gives them their powers.

ANH will just reinforce what the veiwer already knows.

I am sure that they will explain the force a bit more in the next two episodes.

You have to realize this series is told through Anakin's perspective mostly, and the audience will learn of the force as Anakin does.

 

dude,Go-Mer-Tonic, i like what you are saying man. i like the idea about not letting anakin being seen as darth vader, because it would ruin it for our children who watch it from 1-6, not 4-6/1-3. it would be very cool to see, taht, most of us, well all of us, will know, but who cares, seriously, if we know, then it would be that much better to see how the fact of anakin being darth vader is hidden. THAT IDEA IS AWESOM!!!!!!! that is all for now
gotek

 

http://dave.itsgames.com/gt.jpg You realize I didn't really think we would nail it word for word.

I just think if many people give their ideas as to how they could hide these secrets, then we can pick and choose which ones make the most sense, or at least sounds the coolest.

Then we can compare it to what Lucas does, and either brag about guessing it right, or never talk about getting it wrong.

Either way, we win.

 

Every time I think I've figured out a way it could be done, something from the OT contradicts it:

My first thought: JEJ has said that GL told him he'd have five minutes voice time in Episode III, so it looks like we'll be seeing the black suit. But, IMO, the only way it could be done is if we don't see the black suit. If we saw Anakin fall to his apparent death in the lava, and then saw Obi-Wan possibly taking a new apprentice at the end of III, it would leave the door open that this new apprentice could become Vader, but then we learn in ESB that Vader is actually Anakin. Then the first time we'd see Vader would be on the Blockade Runner, which could be a powerful moment.

However: Obi-Wan tells Luke that Vader killed Anakin.

So, this new apprentice would need to be the one dueling with Anakin and therefore send him to his apparent death in the lava.

But it needs to be Obi-Wan and Anakin in this duel, storywise. It's really the foundation of the entire series, this climatic duel.

IMO, it can't be done. The moment that Obi-Wan tells Luke "He betrayed and murdered your father," becomes clear that Obi-Wan is not telling the truth, because we know that if anyone killed Anakin (in the physical sense), it was Obi-Wan. Watching these films starting with ANH, it preserves the surprise because you don't know that Ben's not being 100% honest, but watching them beginning with TPM, you'll know that Ben's up to something, that he's not being honest, and the audience will immediately begin to question his every statement.

 

http://dave.itsgames.com/gt.jpg dehrian: Sorry about taking my sweet time with your other post. Wait, let me see if I've got this right. And I'm not being facetious here, I'm totally serious.
The whole point of the prequels is to show Anakin falling to the dark side. Regardless of whether or not we see Anakin take on the black armor, I think we can all agree on that.Correct. Now, Go-Mer, seriously now, let's look at what we have from the OT and compare and contrast:

1a. Obi-Wan tells Luke that Vader was one of his former pupils, who was seduced by the dark side of the Force.]Anakin way become a Full fledged Jedi in the second episode, then for the third epsode Obi-Wan will have a new Padawan, who ends up being a sith lord. 1b. We'll know from the prequels that Anakin was a former pupil who was seduced by the dark side of the Force.Right, but he will appear to be killed at the end of episode 3. 2. Obi-Wan also conveniently fails to mention that he trained Anakin, information he does not supply until after Luke learns that Anakin was his father.So, the audience will think he is dead. 3a. We'll likely see Anakin plummeting into a volcano or some such; the only manner in which he'd be able to survive from such an event would be... a life-support suit.Same with the sith lord they were fighting. The idea being that Sidious is pulling his own out of the molten pit will be the assumption of the audience. 3b. Vader wears a life-support suit.So we will think this is Obi-Wan's final aprentice, not Anakin. I'm sorry, but I really don't think that there are too many people who would actually be surprised.Right cause we already know how it ends. If there are people who are suprised, their reaction, if anything, would likely be one of betrayal.You are probably right. There will be people who get upset, just like there were people "upset" by TPM. The best thing GL could do as a story-teller would be to not hide it.That would be the easy, gratuitous way out. It would then simply play out as dramatic irony, which is where you, the audience, know something a character does not; in this case, you know what Luke doesn't, that Vader is Anakin, his father, and the interest is in watching Luke react.Yeah that's cool and all, but it is much cooler when you find out with him. Every time I think I've figured out a way it could be done, something from the OT contradicts it:
My first thought: JEJ has said that GL told him he'd have five minutes voice time in Episode III, so it looks like we'll be seeing the black suit.Right, he will end up voicing Darth Vader in the suit at the very end. We will still think the black suit houses the final sith lord, not Anakin. But, IMO, the only way it could be done is if we don't see the black suit. If we saw Anakin fall to his apparent death in the lava, and then saw Obi-Wan possibly taking a new apprentice at the end of III, it would leave the door open that this new apprentice could become Vader, but then we learn in ESB that Vader is actually Anakin.No, Obi-Wan would have an aprentice at the beginning of the third episode. Then the first time we'd see Vader would be on the Blockade Runner, which could be a powerful moment.I have a feeling we will see Vader in the end. The unknowing would just assume it is the other Sith Lord, not Anakin. However: Obi-Wan tells Luke that Vader killed Anakin.And we will think he is lying to protect how Luke sees him. We will understand because we as the audience will know he had no choice, but the lie will still put Obi-Wan in a manipulative and dishonest light. So, this new apprentice would need to be the one dueling with Anakin and therefore send him to his apparent death in the lava.No, it is very important that Ben "kills" Anakin. This is needed to augment the revelation in Empire. The audience will think Vader is going to say he saw Obi-Wan kill Lukes Father, then of course he says he is Lukes father. Those lucky future people! But it needs to be Obi-Wan and Anakin in this duel, storywise. It's really the foundation of the entire series, this climatic duel.Exactly. IMO

 

Right, he will end up voicing Darth Vader in the suit at the very end. We will still think the black suit houses the final sith lord, not Anakin.

But there's an inherint problem with this. If Sidious spends the next two films seducing Anakin only to lose him to the lava in Episode III, where will this new guy have come from spontaneously after Anakin "dies"? Why would the audience assume that it is anyone other than Anakin inside the suit? Why have the character wear the suit at all unless it's to hide someone's indentity, or to keep him alive, both of which would apply to Anakin?

 

http://dave.itsgames.com/gt.jpg Okay, I am going to repost my current best theory, point by point (cause it is changing here and there).


Episode II Anakin is Obi-Wan's Padawan. Sidious has new Apprentice, we shall call him: "Darth Scooby". Movie progresses with the "Clone Wars" beginning, during which Anakin romantically chases Amidala around, with the possible triangle involvement from Kenobi. Oh Man, this just hit me. Run with me.

Anakin and Amidala become romantically entangled. Kenobi tries to keep Anakin grounded as he starts becomming obsessed with power (being called the chosen one and all, he begins to think of himself as a higher being). This will push Amidala into the arms of Kenobi, which will be one one of the things Anakin finds out at the end of the film.


Episode III Anakin has passed the trials, and Kenobi takes on a new Padawan, let's call him Go-Mer-Tonic. Anakin becomes self indulgant to the point where he is starting to think of the Jedi Council as a bunch of fools.

Go-Mer-Tonic ends up being the next Sith Lord, which brings Anakin and Kenobi side by side as the clone wars culminate, as Palpatine assumes his power over the galaxy. They will end up in a saber duel with "Darth Go-Mer"

During the fight, Anakin is about to deliver the final blow (add as much pre-swordplay as you want on your own ), when "Darth Gomer" mentions that Kenobi did (or did not) do something that directly caused his mother's Amidala's (or both) death. He will turn to Kenobi, who can only look to the floor in aknowledgement.

Anakin will go into a rage, forcing "Darth Gomer" over the edge of the melting pit.

----ssssssssssssssssssss----

Scene cuts to closeup of Anakin, as he turns to face Kenobi. (Ouch! if looks could kill)

Kenobi says that he had no choice but to do (or not do) whatever he did that caused Anakin's Mother Amidala's (or both) death(s).

Anakin lunges closer, tiring of Kenobi's "convienient points of veiw". (Insert amazing earth shattering light saber coreography) They battle for a bit then Obi-Wan ends up sidesteping Anakin's final lunge, and Anakin falls into the molten pit (not in any way like Jar-Jar would, but in a much much cooler fasion).

Obi-Wan Kenobi manages to grab his arm at the last second, and he tries to pull Anakin back to him. Anakin, (still blind with rage) continues to try and Kill Kenobi, even if it means they go together ("I go, you go." That's the reverse of that Backdraft quote).

Kenobi, realizing he has no choice, and with great pain, dispathes him into the pit.

He is trying to run away from the scene, when he turns around to see Palpatine/Sidious levitating what we (as the first time audience) would think is "Darth Gomer".

The scene cuts to a close up zooming shot of his face as he winces in horror. The scene will cut to Ben's POV while he hears Sidious/Palptine mumbling about being able to save him.

We as first time veiwers (= FTV) will think Ben is reacting to the idea of the other guy returning to fight for Sidious. As second time veiwers (= STV) We will realize that he is shocked because he knows it is Anakin.

Then they will show Vader's suit being constructed, and we will hear him spreak with JEJ's voice.

The film will end with the defeated heros, As Darth Vader helps Sidious/Palpatine and the Empire hunt down the Jedi. (I am not guessing if he wants to help them or not)

Okay, this is my shakey theory, who wants to make thier own?

 

Not bad, but it's actually the exact opposite of what Ben said in ANH, that Vader murdered Anakin. By your idea, Anakin actually murdered Vader.

But there's still no reason, from your analysis, as to why we would assume that Vader was this other apprentice and not Anakin. GL would have to go out of his way to intentionally mislead us, which, as I've said before, would only anger people in the end for being manipulated.

I'm still not accepting the idea that GL will even try to keep Vader's identity a secret. If he was, he probably wouldn't use graphics on the Insider's Guide CD-ROM that shows Vader's mask being superimposed over Lloyd's face.

[This message has been edited by dehrian (edited 01-27-2000).]

 

So, both Anakin and Darth Gomer go into the melting pit.

One person is floated out by Palpatine.

I honestly don't understand why the audience (FTV or otherwise) is supposed to automatically assume that it's Darth Gomer pulled out of the pit. Why isn't just a fifty-fifty proposition?

[This message has been edited by ami-padme (edited 01-27-2000).]

 

http://dave.itsgames.com/gt.jpg I think they will set it up to make "Darth Gomer" the obvious choice for Palpatine.

How will they do that?

I don't know, I'm making this up as a go along...

 

http://dave.itsgames.com/gt.jpg dehrian: Not bad, but it's actually the exact opposite of what Ben said in ANH, that Vader murdered Anakin. By your idea, Anakin actually murdered Vader.Right, so we will still think Ben is lying, but we will think he is lying about being reposnsible for his death. But there's still no reason, from your analysis, as to why we would assume that Vader was this other apprentice and not Anakin.All they have to do is have Obi-Wan's Padawan turn to the dark side, and become a Sith Lord. Then, after the fight, it will seem as though Palpatine is saving his Sith Lord, when he is really saving Anakin. GL would have to go out of his way to intentionally mislead us, which, as I've said before, would only anger people in the end for being manipulated.I really don't think that would bother him. I'm still not accepting the idea that GL will even try to keep Vader's identity a secret.That's cool. If he was, he probably wouldn't use graphics on the Insider's Guide CD-ROM that shows Vader's mask being superimposed over Lloyd's face.It is the "insider's guide" isn't it? I would expect FTV's would see the films first. All of the stuff we can check out now are spoilers that we already know about as you all keep pointing out. The people who would check out the Insider's Guide already know.

[This message has been edited by Go-Mer-Tonic (edited 01-27-2000).]

 

http://dave.itsgames.com/gt.jpg That was incredible!

I knew people could come up with good alternate methods of keeping it a secret.

I think we are on to something here.

 

But that doesn't work either. GL said that Anakin goes to the darkside because of greed, and refusal to take responsibility for his own actions. How does getting fried by lightning as a cliffhanger equal that?

Also, you're left with the fact that Vader does not look/sound/act/or even have the same name as the previous Sith Lord, so you know that this guy was not the previous bad guy.

 

Wow, only yesterday there were 26 replies, not it is doubled!

Anyway, GMT, you wanted theories, here is mine which i posted earlier in this thread.

---------------------------------------------------
I even thought of a theory that in episode III an Sith apprentice 'kills' (throws him in the pit?) Anakin.
We, the audience, do not know the name of that apprentice. Coming out of that big duel, the Sith apprentice will be so heavily injured that somehow we are made to believe that he has to be put in a life saving suit.....

In stead, Anakin is saved by Sidous, who needs him, and the unknown Sith apprentice died of his injuries..but this is not shown in the movie.
-----------------------------------------------------

 

http://dave.itsgames.com/gt.jpg dehrian: But that doesn't work either. GL said that Anakin goes to the darkside because of greed, and refusal to take responsibility for his own actions. How does getting fried by lightning as a cliffhanger equal that?He will turn to the dark side becuase of greed and refusal to take responsibilities for his own actions. He just ends up looking like he died because of it. Also, you're left with the fact that Vader does not look/sound/act/or even have the same name as the previous Sith Lord, so you know that this guy was not the previous bad guy.And he will not look/sound like the previous sith lord, but who is to say he has a dofferent name? They don't have to tell us his name. And how do you know they act differently?

Darth Vader will not look or sound like Anakin either.

 

I think G-M-T (and almost everyone else) are missing my point why this is not a good scenario. I mean that with the greatest respect: it's just that I haven't made it clear why I think it won't work.

It's not that it's impossible to keep the secret of Vader's identity until ESB, from either a technical standpoint or a cultural one; it is that it is undesirable to do so from the point of view of telling a good story.

Think about it. It is the choice between having a grand sweeping tale of Greek tragedy proportions, or keeping a cheap dramatic trick.

If I was the author, I'd go for the grand tragedy, thankyou very much.

The 'revelation of Vader's identity' in ESB is NOT the crux of the saga. It is not even a significant part of the saga. The ONLY reason that revelation existed in the first place was because Lucas made ANH not knowing he could tell the WHOLE story. Therefore Vader in ANH was just a bad guy, and his idea of having him as Luke's 'dark father' was not integral to the story, and wasn't explored. Lucas had to reveal that somehow in the sequal, hence the Bespin sequence (originally, Luke was going to confront Vader in the first film).
IF Lucas knew he was going to make the whole arc when he did ANH, Vader's identity would have been more heavily hinted in ANH, if not revealed outright.

Keeping that secret is not only pointless (given that everyone down to the Amish know he's Luke's dad) but detrimental to the story arc.

Why?

We MUST know who Vader is at the end of Ep3. If you hide Anakin/Vader's identity, you lose everything that is the crux of the story.
Lucas is trying to show Anakin's failure, and reveal the full impact of that to the audience. We must identify with Anakin, love him, and feel devastated by his fall. You cannot achieve that if you mask that crucial moment of his turn. It becomes an anti-climax. The audience believing he is dead is a weak dramatic pay-off, imho. That is not how you write such a story.

The Star Wars saga is not a Patrick-Duffy-in-the-shower or Hitchcockian/Agatha Christie trick-or-treat. The point of the story is NOT to keep that neato surprise of ESB. The point is to show the life and times of Anakin Skywalker, deity-hero. We must emotionally connect with this character, and Lucas knows this. He's not into parlour games, which is, I'm afraid, what this idea amounts-to. This is how you write a TV series like X-Files, not a Mythological Tale designed to replace archetypal legends for the modern era.

Showing Anakin's full fate, and thereby totally altering the meaning of the existing stories, is more compelling and challenging for a writer than just riffing on the secret identity thing. That's why Lucas won't do what G-M-T is suggesting.

Also, there's no resolution in G-M-T's scenario. Dramatically, the third act MUST have resolution, and Anakin being believed dead is not a good resolution. There will be nothing for G-M-T's proposed culturally isolated audience (who haven't seen the OT and don't know the way the plot goes) to have any hope for: no reason to go watch ANH. The hero is dead, the enemy has won, all the good guys got pasted. There's no dramatic thread to lead forward to the next episodes. By extension of G-M-T's own logic, this won't work, because the audience that doesn't know who Vader is will not have the impetus to watch the next episodes wondering what's going to happen. They're just gonna be bummed-out, man, because the hero was killed horribly. It's all over.

Lucas says: When you actually get the whole story, and you're able to see them in context, and then understand what Vader's side of the story is - which you haven't heard yet - it makes it a much more interesting drama. It's the force of temptation. You know, it's a man struggling with temptation. And he loses.
Understand what Vader's side of the story is. We have to know who 'Darth Vader' is at the end of Ep3 in order for this to work.
Lucas is very hot on showing character's motivations, he talks about it often, and if we don't know Vader's identity, we don't understand his motivations fo

 

After reading the entire post twice(!) i can only say: WOW!

At first i agreed with GMT, good arguments and it sounds like a solid theory.
But, the last post of Chyren made me read the entire post for the second time.
And i have to say, i agree with chyren.
It IS the story of Anakin/Vader. By knowing who Vader really is, the OT will mean much more then it is now.

There is nothing i can say that would make this post more interesting, but i had a thougth.
This thread originates from the element of surprise in ESB.
If knowing how Vader really is, Anaking the fallen apprentice of Obi-Wan, picture the duel between Vader and Obi-Wan in ANH when Vader kills Obi-Wan.

If you know it is Anakin, and when Episode III is finished we will know if Obi-Wan knows, this dule will have a total new meaning!!

[This message has been edited by Tauntaun (edited 01-27-2000).]

 

The more I read, the more I think we're going to have to know the outcome of the series all through episodes II and III. But I'm alright with that. There is a take on Anakin's fall that can add some nobility to Obi-Wan's lie in New Hope without making him shifty. I don't care how they do it as long as the fall is EMOTIONALLY satisfying. When Anakin falls into a molten pit or whatever (if that's what they still plan on doing) I want it to be such a completely painful moment to Obi-Wan that he is just devestated. This means that Lucas can pull no punches in the ending to III. It will have to be COMPLETELY dark. Maybe this is going too far, but maybe Anakin turns before the end of the trilogy, Amidala tries to reach him and Anakin kills her himself because he's so evil: without remorse or grief. This will make our impression of Darth Vader even darker in the beginning of A New Hope. It will also lend an air of compassion to Obi-Wan; He's not telling Luke the truth in New Hope because he wants to spare Luke from the knowledge of the completely evil thing his father has become and not because Obi-Wan was ashamed of his mistake or too cowardly to admit it.

 

PMFJI,

First off, I have to say I side with Chyren on this one. Theres too much sidestepping and avoiding issues that will have to be done to make the `secret` stay a secret and still make 2 more good films.

That said, if Vader as we know him is introduced in Episode 3, but it isnt made clear that he is Anakin, I think it could work- its never explicitly pointed out that Palpatine and Sidious were the same person. It will still be an important revelation to the characters but not to the audience. (Mostly...)

As a parallel- think of Robert the Bruce in Braveheart, standing alongside the English with the big helmet on.

Then imagine what might have happened if Mel Gibson had cut off his arm in the battle or something. Or thrown him into a volcano.

Just a thought...

Anyway, more than anything, Lucas has to think very carefully about the original trilogy before making the prequel story. It should work out so that watching ANH after the prequels, the stage is set.
We should know what Obi Wan is talking about when he introduces Luke to the Force, Jedi, and his fathers real story. We should also know what is going on when Vader and Obi Wan meet up again- "You should not have come back," "Last time you were the teacher, now I am the master" etc. etc.

We should know why C3P0 and R2D2 have come from a Princess from Alderaan.

We should know why Ben "Obi Wan" Kenobi is a hermit on Tatooine.

We should know why Obi Wan seems so bothered by the `dark times` of the Empire.

Now, if right at the beginning of Episode 4, Obi Wans brief resume of the prequels makes no sense to the viewer, then it would sort of destroy the whole point of making a prequel trilogy.

The most important (and relevant) part is the conversations between Obi Wan and Luke about Vader.
"He betrayed and murdered your father" is the truth from a certain point of view. Think of Darth Vader as the devil on Anakins shoulder, or the nasty one of the voices from the midichlorians he hears...
He's not telling Luke the truth in New Hope because he wants to spare Luke from the knowledge of the completely evil thing his father has become and not because Obi-Wan was ashamed of his mistake or too cowardly to admit it.
This is pretty much how I see it already- having just told Luke that his father was a Jedi knight, and a hero of the Clone Wars, someone who Luke wants to go out and follow...

imagine...
Luke: I want to learn about the Force, and become a Jedi, like my father.
Obi Wan: No you dont. Trust me.