Was it intentional?

A thread about Vader's age at the time of his death got me thinking about character ages, and I realized that Anakin is 23 in RotS, and Luke is also 23 in RotJ. Is it just a coincidence that they both faced the events that would decide their destinies at the same age, or did Lucas design the timeline to work out this way? In either case, I think it makes the parallel between father and son even more powerful. When we see Luke in RotJ, we're seeing almost exactly what Anakin could have been at that age if he hadn't fallen, and vice versa in RotS.

 

I would say that it was intentional, but that really isnt that hard.

 

The parallels are indeed intentional.

I would suggest for you to read Joseph Ccampbell's "A Hero with a Thousand Faces"-I think that is the correct title. In it, it basically describes the 'Hero Cycle', a series of stages that heroes typically go through in myths, legends, stories, etc. Anakin's and Luke's go through (almost) every single stage.

Luke's mirroring of his father's struggles is supposed to show to the audience how Luke succeeds where Anakin fails or stalls; however, the culmination of Luke's 'Hero Cycle' incites Anakin's return to his 'Hero Cycle' and its subsequent completion. It is very interesting stuff.


Ciou-See the Sig

 

When we see Luke in RotJ, we're seeing almost exactly what Anakin could have been at that age if he hadn't fallen, and vice versa in RotS.


Very interesting!

 

It's not that big of a parallel. Luke didn't have a wife during his ordeal and the combined stress of keeping their secret and trying to do what he thought was best for her.

 

True, he didn't have a wife, however he did have friends whose best interest he had at heart, plus trying to keep the secret of his twin sister.

Granted, it isn't as big a secret as a wife, nor kept for as long, but the parallel is still there.

 

It might be an interesting parallel if in RotS, Palpatine gets the information on Padme in a similar way than Vader got it from Luke.