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CT What would have happened to Anakin/ Darth Vader if he survived his final encounter with Palpatine?

Discussion in 'Classic Trilogy' started by Mach, Mar 22, 2014.

  1. DARTHLINK

    DARTHLINK Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 24, 2005
    Vader is probably the only person from the Empire with the knowledge that could win them the war much, much quicker. They'd have to be insane to tell him to GTFO. Imagine this in real-world sense. It's 1942, WWII is rolling, and somewhere in a secret Allied base, none other than Himmler himself appears to tell them that he's a changed man, and he's got information that can help them beat Hitler. The Allies would, logically, not trust him or invite him over for tea, but still, he could be of use to them.

    Now, granted, and understandably, the Rebels aren't going to treat Vader with much kindness, considering all the horrible things Vader had done in the last two decades. They would keep an eye on him, treat him as a valuable prisoner of war. I could even see a few rebels mouthing off to Vader, trying to goad him into lashing out with anger. Anakin? That wouldn't be the name they'd call him. To call him Anakin would be to forgive him.

    They would also keep an eye on Luke, giving him stern warnings that if he can't keep Vader under control, they will have no choice but to try and execute him for war crimes. They would likely have told him that the only reason they're even listening to him is because he had done them a great service during his time in the Alliance.

    It would have taken years for Vader to earn their trust, I don't believe they would be willing to accept that Vader is suddenly good. Wasn't there a EU novel where Anakin's ghost appeared to Leia, and she basically said, "Five minutes of being a hero doesn't erase all the horrors you've committed." That would be their mindset. It doesn't matter that Vader spent five minutes saving one of their own, he still has to pay for his crimes.
     
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  2. Iron_lord

    Iron_lord Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Sep 2, 2012
    Yup- The Truce At Bakura.

    The Essential Guide to Warfare has an interesting letter from Ackbar to his niece- on the issue of accepting war criminals into the Alliance - giving them a chance to atone for what they've done.
     
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  3. DARTHLINK

    DARTHLINK Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 24, 2005
    So Ackbar might have been willing to give Vader a chance. Would it be a stretch to imagine him calling Vader 'Anakin'?
     
  4. Iron_lord

    Iron_lord Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Sep 2, 2012
    It might. Still - he's probably the "higher up" most likely to promote a pragmatic approach in this case.
     
  5. IBYM

    IBYM Jedi Knight star 1

    Registered:
    Feb 17, 2014
    I think Luke would have protected him to the end, not sure about, Leia perhaps she may have come around eventually. I think the Rebels wouldn't take kindly to Vader joining with them, they'd probably use what information he has and then set him up with a condo on Corelia.
     
  6. ObiAlKenobi

    ObiAlKenobi Jedi Knight star 3

    Registered:
    Mar 10, 2012
    Like a Nazi war criminal, he would have been tried, found guilty and executed. He took part in the murdering of billions of lives (Alderran), not to mention the killings he personally managed. I do not think anyone would welcome him with open arms.

    At the very least, he would be imprisoned for life.
     
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  7. Iron_lord

    Iron_lord Chosen One star 10

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    Sep 2, 2012
    Juno Eclipse participated in the devastation of Callos (TFU backstory) and Crix Madine participated in the devastation of Dentaal (via bioweapons) - and ended up being accepted later.

    They weren't exactly welcomed with open arms - they needed people vouching for them - and to earn the Rebellion's trust - but they did so.

    On the other hand, the Rebellion did execute the highest-ranking officer they managed to capture at Endor, for war crimes - Grand Admiral Teshik.

    Of course, all of this is EU - we don't know exactly how forgiving Lucas intended the Rebellion to be.
     
  8. Yanksfan

    Yanksfan Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Nov 3, 2000

    I don't know, I really don't see Leia ever forgiving him. I mean, this is the man who tortured her (possibly twice--it's not clear what happened on Cloud City), stood by while her home planet was destroyed (making him pretty much an accessory), and froze Han in carbonite. She arguably has a much bigger beef with him than Luke.

    Not to mention, Luke's eagerness to forgive him always struck me as coming from someone who was kind of desperate for a loving father figure, while Leia already had that with her adoptive family. I don't know, I think she would go to her grave cursing his name (that's why the EU having her name her son after him NEVER made sense to me).
     
  9. Iron_lord

    Iron_lord Chosen One star 10

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    Sep 2, 2012
    I think her attitude begins to change in Tatooine Ghost - when she finds out what started him on his path to the Dark Side - him discovering what had happened to his mother.
     
  10. darth-sinister

    darth-sinister Manager Emeritus star 10 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jun 28, 2001
    Considering Luke made to the sanctuary moon without being shot down, I don't think he had trouble radioing Admiral Ackbar and telling him that the Imperial shuttle heading for Endor is him.

    Luke forgiving his father for his crimes has nothing to do with desperation and everything to do with the Jedi philosophy of unconditional love and compassion. Luke stopped harboring ill will towards Vader once he was told the truth about who he was, from Yoda and Obi-wan. Once he learned to let go of his anger, Luke found himself on the road to forgiveness and compassion. That's why he went to confront him and tried to redeem him. Holding on to such anger is the antithesis of the Jedi Code. The Jedi Order had lost sight of that which is why Yoda gave up on Dooku and Obi-wan gave up on Anakin.

    As Iron_lord pointed out, Leia began to let go of her anger towards Vader in "Tatooine Ghost" and by the time of "Planet Of Twilight", she had to face her Jedi trial which was the anger she harbored towards her family legacy. In "Dark Empire II", she stated that she named her son Anakin to redeem her father's name. Which Anakin Solo ultimately did with his selfless acts during the Vong War, including his sacrifice in the Senate Rotunda.
     
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  11. IBYM

    IBYM Jedi Knight star 1

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    Feb 17, 2014
    Some very good points there, I'm sure I've read somewhere she did eventually forgive him after finding out about his past a slave etc. I could be wrong.

    If she did eventually become a Jedi I'd like to think she did forgive him.
     
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  12. darth-sinister

    darth-sinister Manager Emeritus star 10 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Jun 28, 2001
    "Tatooine Ghost" begins with her knowing that he was a slave, from Luke. But it is only after learning about what he was as a boy, from Shmi's journal, that she changes her mind about having kids. It then goes from there. Leia is given the title of Jedi by Luke in "Ambush At Corellia", but it isn't until her training in "The Swarm War" Trilogy, that she truly becomes a Jedi as she puts that ahead of everything else.
     
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  13. I Are The Internets

    I Are The Internets Shelf of Shame Host star 9 VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Nov 20, 2012
    Vader among the Ewoks would be a hilarious sight.
     
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  14. Mr. K

    Mr. K Moderator Emeritus star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Oct 23, 1999
    If there was trouble, having a Vader corpse would be a boon.
     
  15. Iron_lord

    Iron_lord Chosen One star 10

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    Sep 2, 2012
    Actually, he died on Myrkr, not Coruscant. But the basic idea is sound - he died on a mission - in a way that made it possible for the rest of his team to complete it.
     
  16. Cushing's Admirer

    Cushing's Admirer Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Jun 8, 2006
    I think due to human nature most everyone would demand Vader's execution. Morally, I believe it would be wrong to do so with him a 'lightside' Anakin again. I firmly do believe in redemption and forgiveness and scaling does not matter. As it's done RotJ is a redemption tale and even if Anakin had survived if it were me, I'd maintain that.
     
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  17. Iron_lord

    Iron_lord Chosen One star 10

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    Sep 2, 2012
    I could see those Rebels who have done vile things in the service of the Empire before repenting and joining the Rebellion (Crix Madine springs to mind) being the most willing to support the same offer being made to Vader.
     
  18. Obi-yoda

    Obi-yoda Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    Mar 10, 2014
    Not sure... most likely either
    a) He would serve penance, then serve the cause
    b) He would be executed
    c) Everyone would consider his killing of Palpatine enough redemption, and he would serve the cause
    • i) Under watch
    • ii) Without watch
    Between all the other war criminal rebels, all things considered, I'm leaning towards A or C (i).

    [​IMG]
     
  19. Yanksfan

    Yanksfan Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Nov 3, 2000
    EDIT: Actually, darth-sinister you should hear this, too.

    Yeah, I know what the EU interpretation of her feelings toward him were, but I never really bought it. It didn't ring true for me (and I pretty much hate EU explanations for things half the time, I like to speculate based on the films). And again, okay, maybe she might "come to terms" with her heritage eventually, but I still say naming her child after him was just too extreme. I really, really, had a problem with that. Luke might do that, but Leia? Come on! And Han being cool with that? Again: come on! :p
     
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  20. TaradosGon

    TaradosGon Manager Emeritus star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Feb 28, 2003
    The OT is pretty black/white with its good and evil. So I don't really picture the Rebels parading Vader through the streets and spitting on him, or anything like that. I think they would apprehend him, he would stand trial, and if he doesn't get executed, I figure he'd be spending the rest of his life in a jail cell.

    But there's also the possibility that he would "go down with the ship," that I think could be more likely. That just because he survives his encounter with Palpatine does not mean he's going to get on the shuttle with Luke. The scene could play out much the same as it did (only with him on his feet) as he takes his helmet off, looks at Luke, tells Luke to leave him, and then awaits his fate as he drops his helmet, which pretty much represented the prison that Anakin had been locked away in for 23 years.
     
  21. thecurseofchris

    thecurseofchris Jedi Knight star 1

    Registered:
    Oct 12, 2013
    I'm not too knowledgeable on the actual Vader suit, and what is needed to keep Anakin alive, but I kind-of wonder if they could've built a new, less-menacing looking suit for him.
     
  22. DRush76

    DRush76 Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 25, 2008
    I don't know what would have happened. I believe only George Lucas can answer that question.
     
  23. Force Smuggler

    Force Smuggler Force Ghost star 7

    Registered:
    Sep 2, 2012
    Then guess. Get wild with it!
     
  24. darth-sinister

    darth-sinister Manager Emeritus star 10 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Jun 28, 2001

    Oh, yeah, I was confusing him with Ganner Rhysode. It's been a while since I read "Star By Star".


    That's the point of forgiveness. If all you ever do is harbor resentment towards someone, then it will eat you alive and you'll never be able to move on. That's what letting go is all about.
     
  25. Beezer

    Beezer Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 5, 2013
    They would have ditched the armor/suit and kept it secret that this old guy hanging around so much providing miscellaneous advice and wisdom was once Darth Vader.
     
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