Was Anakin's life of a Jedi REALLY better than his life as a slave...?

Actualy I havent even touched the RotS book, believe it or not, its just something that came into mind and stayed for some time for me.

 

If Ani had remained on Tatooine, a 'slave' he may've been for a while, but for how long could Watto feasibly keep him enslaved? Anakin - even at 9 years old - was the best Podracer dug in the outer rim, maybe the galaxy, and he was only ever gonna get even better. I envision him buying his own freedom through racing (and Shmis too of course)then maybe going into business with Watto, and ultimately going on to acheive Podracer stardom as it were. Maybe on the face of it this would seem to be the more preferable fate.

I'm not sure that leaving the Order is so easily done.
As Obi-Wan says to him in AoTC - "You have made a commitment to the Jedi Order Anakin, a commitment that is not easily broken"
Ani had a serious load of pressure responsibilities and ties, off the top of my head theres at least these few:
1) To the Jedi Order in the normal binding sense as a Padawan/Jedi
2) As the 'Chosen One' he was singled out and continually reminded of the Prophesy, of his responsibilty to bring balance to the force
3) To the Republic
4) To Palpatine, who of course gave him a multitude of errands and tasks that massaged his ego and made him feel 'important'
5) To Obi-Wan as a friend and also as his Master - who had risked the ire of the Council when he accepted Qui-Gons dieing wish to train the boy in the first place

IMO With hindsight I think Ani would've preffered to stay on Tatooine, and do the one thing that in TPM he says he loves doing - Podracing.

 

this is assuming of course that Watto doesn't decide to sell him to a less benevolent slave owner, I mean that is the problem with being a slave isn't it..
..it's easy to see him buying his freedom from a small time gabler/junk dealer like watto,

but then, I don't know how voluntary Shmi's 'marriage' to the rather deformed looking shell of a human being that was Cliegg Lars, actually was..

*on a side note, am I the only one who notices that Owen Lars is way too old to be Shmi's child, making him not Anakin's half-brother, but rather his step-brother

 

But I would disagree with this. If Qui-Gon had never "discovered" Anakin I think his life would have been pretty pitiful. You know how Luke would stand on Tatooine and gaze out at that sunset, longing for something more? Envision a LIFETIME of this for Anakin, staring out there, wanting adventure, purpose, anything, and knowing as a slave that he would NEVER leave, his life would never change, and he would never be in control of his own destiny. Now Luke was far less ambitious than Anakin and if HE longed for more, well then Anakin would go truly crazy, wouldn't he?

Well, who knows, perhaps the Chosen One was destined for misery one way or the other, no matter which path he took.

I think in hindsight obviously Anakin would probably change many things...but I don't think leaving slavery on Tatooine would be one of them.

Oh, and yes it is true Obi-Wan says it is a committment not easily broken, but not "impossible" to break either. Again, if Anakin had wanted to, he could have IMO.

 

He got better clothes

 

I think Anakin's life was much better as a Jedi. As a Jedi he was free. Before being freed being a Jedi was all that he'd dreamed about.

But as a Jedi there were strict rules and codes for conduct that he had to abide by. He could have been the greatest Jedi of all time had he remained patient and had more faith in the Living Force.

 

hear is two cent worth more for the penny jar.
jedi aren't allowed to form attachments; true as far as it goes. the one thing that the earlier jedi where trying to prevent is losing someone because of two words "hostage bait". annikin proves that in AotC. the first plunge down the path of the darkside was his nightmares about shmi.

ahh yes padme: if annikin had gone to obi-wan any time before AotC or even during he could have gotten a special dispencesation from the council. one of ani's favorite Masters had a family and grand children.

midi-clorians: was anyone as confused about those little buggers as i was. now we learn that the force does have a sense of humor, but does that include creating offspring because it wants to? shmi just said she didn't know who the childs father was. no where does it ever state that she was a virgin.

slavery vs the jedi: yes it could be said that he was better off as a slave especially under watto. all things come at there time though. if he was as strong in the force as everyone says he was he would have been found eventually. would you prefer qui-gon jin or darth siddious?

the chosen one: ohh yes him being told he was the one chosen to balance the force did warp his perception of things. in a way though he did balance the force. now just because it was the same way darth revan did 4000 years ago by destroying them the jedi tend to rise from the ashes of their own destruction. that and da** they were way to uptight.

thax for listen ing to another ramble from some one who has way to much time

 

Then would you agree that some slaves were better off as slaves before the Secession war than after? No.

Freedom is better than any life as a slave. His life as a Jedi is what he chose to do. Beeing a Jedi is what he wanted to become. He is living the life he wanted. He had to make sacrifices, but that comes with the territory.

 

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1)If Anakin/Vader wasn't attached to Luke, then he would never had sacrificed himself trying to save him because he feared death so much and 2) he became attached to Padme and his mom because he wasn't allowed to see either of them.[/quote]

in tales from jabbas palace you find out that mara jade has consided darth vader a traitor since he found luke because she knew he(vader) could never kill him. that was also why her final command from the empreor was 'kill luke skywalker' which she does in "the last comand". or at least luuke skywalker, good enough.