ST The Legacy of Darth Vader / Skywalker family secret?

dunno never watched that one.

 

"I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror"

Yeah. THAT bad.

 

Do yourself a favor, don't watch it... never find out. Keep a naive innocence about the idea.

 

Just because one movie from 1990 unsuccessfully executed on a plot point doesn't mean it should be avoided by all other films for the rest of time.

It'd seem strange to me if Vader/Anakin's legacy isn't somehow hovering over the ST. I feel like we sometimes lose sight of the notion that these nine films together are one saga, one story. I just don't see how you can spend the first third telling the story of Anakin's fall, the second third telling the story of his redemption, and then having the legacy/memory/mystique of that character abandoned in the last third.

 

You mean beyond the legacy of any grandkids he might have, especially if they're exceptionally strong in the force? Or his son fixing his mistakes by rebuilding the Jedi Order and his daughter helping to rebuild the Republic? I think those plot points alone fill the Vader/Anakin legacy plot point checklist requirment.

Why do we need to focus on them being his kid as a big secret? Its been 30+ years and his kids did more than just about anyone else to undo his legacy. They earned a get out of jail free card for being daddies kids. An internal struggle due to Vader is one thing, an external due to people hating on them do to daddy is quite another since they long ago proved they are not little evil clones of him, they are their own persons who have choosen higher paths. The biggest external conflict Id like based on this idea is just internal Jedi Order politics worried that a dynasty might be forming so any grandkids are just going to have to proove they deserve to become Jedi Masters by ep IX.

 

Speaking of Vader, did any other character in movie history take 4 people to play him without any shifting in time during the movie?
in ROTJ Vader/Anakin was portrayed by Sebastian Shaw, David Prowse, James Earl Jones, and Hayden Christensen.

 

James Bond says hello (6 actors and counting)

 

I meant in 1 movie. Batman would give James bond a run if we're talking about all the movies of one character.

 

Umm... don't know, would have to research a single movies highest number of actors playing a single character. But technically Bond beats batman or Vader since 6 actors played him in a single continuity (7 in total since the latest bond is in a new continuity) which beats the 4 film actors to play Vader as a series total not a single movie total which is why I listed James Bond , while say Batman was multiple continuities (can think of 7 movie batmans plus his kid flashbacks, so more actors but only usually 2 per continuity max). However both would lose to historical figures or mythological figures, like Lincoln, Jesus, Zeus, satan, Nepolean, etc... which have upwards of hundreds actors playing them in film in some cases...

 

Vader as a series would be 5. Are you forgetting poor little Jake.

 

You forgot Bob Anderson, who was the master swordsman who did all Darth's fighting scenes.

 

Well put. If Luke and Leia's existance were known, wouldn't it have been reasonable to assume that Palpatine would put out a contract to find them? If Vader would do that for Luke, it seems the Emperor would do the same.

 

OBI-WAN: "The Emperor knew as did I, that if Anakin were to have any offspring, they would be a threat to him."

So I'd say that Obi-wan had a good idea of what Palpatine would have done.

 

Don't forget Bob Anderson

 

Either way, Vader's legacy does not need to be a driving plot point. In Russian history, every other czar was a maniac....and in between, were reformers. IF the Skywalkers are leaders in the galaxy, their position as reformers could be explained by a throwaway sentence.

The more I think about it, the more likely I think Luke becomes a hermit. He rejected the notion of ruling the galaxy alongside his father - yes, because Vader was evil - but I'd guess it taught Luke a lesson about corruption via power. So people might not care if he is Vader's son, because he will not play a role in galaxy affairs.

 

Luke as a hermit. I don't know why that idea pops up so often. It doesn't fit his character at all.

Luke will have his hands full with rebuilding the Jedi order and sending Jedi out to solve problems. That's enough challenge for two lives. He doesn't need to be involved in politics because why would he? Luke is no politician and doesn't understand a thing about politics. And he doesn't need to. The time of a political Jedi order is probably over.

Good thing there's basically zero chance that Abrams would go with a Luke hermit, the most boring and emo option possible.

Yoda hid in a swamp because the Empire, not because it's a Jedi thing to do.

 

I know Vader's identity was known in the EU, but did they ever tell us exactly when and how the galaxy at large found out? Not that I think that's how it will happen now, I'm just curious how it was handled. All I remember was that it must have been revealed sometime before 11 years after RoTJ.

And I would like Luke and Leia to learn about their mother at some point. I do remember that happening in the EU. The prequels aren't my absolute favorite, but I also don't want JJ and co to pretend they didn't exist.

 

They could do a storyline where the identity of Vader was not revealed and in the PT it does. People could turn on the Jedi again?

Personally not a route i would like to see the movie go down but it is a possibility for a vader esk storyline.

 

A very interesting topic, think of the descendants of our own tyrants - like Hitler's or someone more present day - they likely just want to be left alone and deal with guilt. Many change their names. I know German's themselves deal with guilt as a culture even though we dont hold anything against them. We perhaps look back on the ones who were disceived and wish to learn form them. Even perhaps Skywalker is a bit of an outcast from society who view him suspiciously and distrust.

 

this has been my thought. that luke is in isolation of his own choice.

 

A German friend told me the cultural sentiment equates to US' relationship to slavery. Made sense, as he put it.

I suppose Luke need not be a hermit, per se, but he doesn't have to operate publicly and/or on behalf of the government. The Jedi will NOT be part of the government. The order will be private.

 

What if you found out that president of the untied states grand father was a nazi war criminal and on top of that the president is also in the same weird religious cult as the grandfather, but he claims it's the good version of the cult.

This would probably apply more to Leia then Luke.

 

I think this could be an interesting plot point. I think it will be general knowledge in the New Republic that luke and leia are bro and sis. However, I'm not so sure they will let it out that they are the son and daughter of Vader. I think it if was known it could damage luke's reputation. Although that could be an interesting plot device for luke to struggle with. Maybe showing some stubborn aliens who dont' trust luke and he has to prove he's overcome his father's failings. I've read some EU, but does anyone recall any specific EU examples about the galaxy knowing luke's relationship to vader?

 

that is definitely an interesting subject. I'd love to know more about the EU on this...as for Ep. VII i think i would like the universe to know. it gives an extra dynamic to his character and anyone hwo dislikes him can have this mindless prejudice of vader still and hate luke for it. could work interestingly - especially with naive young characters.

 

A more interesting question i want to know the answer too, Would they know that Darth Vader was in fact Anakin Skywalker?

They could say that Anakin was killed by Vader during the great jedi purge.