Anakin's Journey In This Film Were *THE TRIALS* And He Failed!

It has suddenly dawned on me after seeing AOTC for the fourth time that what Anakin was going through from the time he hooked back up with Padme were "THE TRIALS" that the Jedi keep referring to but we have never saw. There were bits in the film that kind of befuddled me because of how the dialogue was placed. It mostly had to do with stuff Mace was saying. When Obi Wan, Yoda, and Mace are walking down the corridor, they are talking about Anakin taking on this assignment and how arrogant the Jedi have become, mostly referring to Anakin. Then Mace comes out of nowhere with a comment that had nothing to do with the conversation they were having.
"Remember, if your apprentice is the chosen one, he is the only one who can bring balance back to the force." The line didn't fit into the conversation.
Until Now....
What they were really discussing was Anakin's trials. He was embarking on them and didn't even know it. He assumed Obi Wan was holding him back and that the trials were something that he would be informed about. My take on this is the "trials" are something that all Jedi must go through but are never told what and when they are and once they've gone through it, don't discuss with their padawans, other than they will one day go through the "trials". So a padawan has no idea when or how this will occur. But if he is a true Jedi, when it happens, he will pass whatever obstacles are thrown his way.
Key line: "You're using her as bait."
Obi Wan tells Anakin this, but we will find out that the Jedi used Padme as bait for Anakin. They knew he was soft around her and this would be his test. And he failed at every turn.
When Mace asked Obi wan where Anakin was at the end of the movie, Obi wan non chalantly said, "He's escorting Senator Amidala back to Naboo." Mace just nodded as if he already understood. I was like, "If Obi Wan knows Anakin is soft around this girl, why is he letting Anakin escort her back home? Why didn't he go along?" Because Mace, Obi Wan and Yoda were already in the know of what was really going on. GL just didn't make this obvious to the audience. And when we cut to Anakin marrying Padme on Naboo, this shows his greatest failure and he doesn't even know it! He has failed the "trials" and this will get him booted out of the Order once and for all and it will also confirm what Mace and Yoda told Qui Gonn in TPM. He should not have been trained.
Is He really the chosen one?
We'll have to wait until Ep. 3 to make that decision.
There were other key pieces of dialogue that we should remember for future reference.
Dooku: "Brave of you, boy. I thought you would have learned your lesson."
Anakin: "I am a slow learner."

Anakin is truly the slowest of learners because it takes him six films to finally get it and figure it out!

The Council pinned their hopes on Anakin being the chosen one and saving the Republic and bringing balance back to the force. Just as Obi Wan and Yoda did with Luke later on.

In the battle with Dooku, this showed another major failure on Anakin's part as he did not listen to Obi Wan and ended up with his arm whacked off. Imagine what Yoda must've been thinking when he walked in there and saw this supposed chosen one laid out with his arm cut off. At that point I believe Yoda came to the conclusion that Anakin was not the chosen one. This will set up all the cards for Anakin's downfall because once he finds out that this whole thing was a test, he'll think the Jedi manipulated him and played on his intelligence and that they're basically full of it and then he'll turn to Palpatine for help and then ultimately turn to the dark side. Yoda will reprimand him so hard he won't be able to take it. But if you were Yoda and someone told you he was the chosen one, wouldn't you put him through the hardest trial possible? Testing him against a woman has got to be the hardest trial ever!(just kidding)

 

Dude that is a great thought, I never would have thought something like that, but it makes perfect sense. Everyone always wonders why the jedi would send someone as unexperienced as Anakin to protect Padme, but if that mission was part of the trials it makes sense. Great idea man.

 

Each Jedi must be tested where he is most vulnerable. Anakin was most vulnerable emotionally. So, yes, Padme as Anakin's test would make sense.

 

Excellent post!

In TPM, right after Obi-Wan insists he's ready for the trials, he is sent with everyone back to Naboo to 'draw out the queen's attacker' and 'unravel the mystery of the sith.'

In keeping with the logic of this post, Obi-Wan's trials involved protecting the queen and then confronting and defeating a sith lord.

Perhaps defeating a sith lord, extinct for over a millenium, is why Yoda 'holds him in such high esteem.'

 

Whether going to Naboo was intended to be or not(I don't think it was intended to be Obi-Wan's trials), they became his de facto trials. Whereas I think Anakin's being sent off with Padme alone was definitely intended, if not to be his TRIALS, then at least to be a serious test leading up to them.

 

Thanks for the great responses guys! I appreciate it. This post sat up for three days with no responses and I thought it was gonna get lost. I know I'm onto something here and I hope we can get some great discussion out of it. Another thought I want to interject here is GL could be using the term "trials" to represent the trials and tribulations we all must go through in our early lives. Think about it, when are the most crucial choices in our lives made that can effect us for the rest of our lives? In our 20's. How old is Anakin when he is introduced in this film 19. how old is Obi Wan in TPM? early 20's. How old is Luke in ANH? 19. See the pattern? I know I caught hell in my 20's and made some choices that were crucial and will follow me for the rest of my days. And at 32, I have picked up enough knowledge and wisdom from those years to guide me through the rest of my life. Yes, I'm still learning, but I think I got the basics of life down pat. And I believe this is what GL is showing us here. Another thing to look at is Anakin going to save his mother. Obi Wan told him to stay on Naboo and guard Padme, but he goes off trying to save his mother on Tatooine. This scenario parellels the sequence in ESB when Luke runs off trying to save Han and Leia to no avail. Luke paid the price for not listening to Yoda. And the outcome of his friends was still the same. Just like the outcome of Anakin's mother was still the same. It was something he had no control over. Even if he is a Jedi. And now he must walk around with extreme grief in him that had he listened to Obi Wan, wouldn't be in him and the dark dreams he was having of his mother would have eventually passed in time. Just like Obi Wan told him.
What you don't know can't hurt you and this holds true for both Anakin and Luke. Luke could have still went after Vader with vengeance and still destroyed him and the emperor without the knowledge of him being his father. But that was the magic and power of Luke Skywalker. He took something that could have easily been negative and made a great positive out of it. He decided, "I'm going to save him. He's my dad!" He took all that negative emotion and channeled it into a power well beyond anything the Emperor could have anticipated. Anther eerie thought just popped into my head. What if Anakin's mother were apart of the trials? What if what we saw wasn't what we REALLY saw? I know that sounds farfetched but anything is possible at this point. If the Jedi had something indirectly to do with that, that would definitely send him over the edge. I do believe that was somehow connected to his test. Call me crazy, but someone deliberatly had that set up knowing Anakin would go to her. He couldn't resist.
That scene on the balcony of Padme's apt. with Obi wan and Anakin holds more weight in it's dialogue
than I think we know also:

Obi Wan: You look tired.
Anakin: I don't sleep well anymore.
Obi Wan: Is it because of your mother?
Anakin: I don't know why I keep dreaming about her.
Obi Wan: Dreams pass in time.
Anakin: I'd rather be dreaming of Padme.
Being around her again is...intoxicating.
Obi Wan: Be mindful of your thoughts, Anakin.
You have made a committment to the Jedi order. A commitment that is not easily broken.

Now that I think of it,when we're introduced to Anakin and Obi Wan on the elevator, if you look at how it's played out, this could have been where the trials began.

Sorry for the long post guys, the ideas just keep flowing.

 

then why was he allowed to escort padme back to her planet?

 

Great post!

It is good to see new and original ideas still being posted, other than 'Dooku=Dagobah or Sidious=Sifodyas'.

I agree with your thoughts, but I believe Anakin will still be promoted to a rank of Jedi Knight in Episode III.

Obi-Wan in ANH says, 'Yes, I was once a Jedi Knight, the same as your father'. Now this could be Obi-Wan's simple method of not explaining to Luke what really happened to his father, but in most likelihood Anakin will be a Knight when he makes his complete fall to the Dark Side.

Is it possible, (if he keeps his marriage a secret) that he did PASS the trials by protecting Padme? After all, he served his purpose on Naboo, Tatootine, and Geonosis?

THE

 

True...

 

dude you are so right, in a way.

i mean he disobeyed, but in the end he did fight dooku and have some accomplishments.

but he pretty much ***t the bed overall. i'll bet the council is pretty much feeling a bit anxious after reviewing his performance overall though.

This is of course opposed to how we saw Obi's reaction to his 'trials' huh?

 

Thanks High Emperor,
That's just the thing, though. He was never supposed to go to Tatooine or Geonosis. Him going to these places trying to play the hero had no effect on the situation's outcome. In fact, he kinda made the situations worse. Now, I give him credit, he actually didn't want to go to Geonosis. That was Padme's idea. But he didn't try to stop her either. Now, when she cut him off on Naboo and checked him for interjecting in her converstaion with Sio Bibble, he was all in a tissy. But by the time of hearing of Obi wan's predicament, he just gave up and did what she told him to do. Which was probably not the smartest decision. He didn't even save her from the conveyor belt. Artoo did! So, it's just a domino effect of one bad decision leading to another and another. The only reason Padme gave in to her feelings in the arena was because she thought they were going to die. Now they're married and we all know what that's going to eventually lead to. Anakin needed more backbone with Padme. But that's why I believe this was his ultimate test and because he couldn't keep his feelings for her in check, he failed at every turn. Let's look at the pattern of events that lead to the marriage:

He takes Padme to Naboo (good)

Anakin is all about getting close to her instead of doing his job.(bad)

She kisses him and then pulls back. He is now sucked in to near obsession.(bad)

He must go to Tatooine to find his mother. she doesn't dispute.(bad)

He finds her and kills her captors with a vengeance.(bad)

Padme decides to go to Geonosis.Anakin goes along instead of doing his job.(bad)

Padme is almost killed and both are captured in droid factory.(bad)

Padme, in desperation, gives in to her feelings and tells Anakin she loves him as they are hauled off to execution.
Remember the line: "I think our lives are about to be destroyed anyway." (bad)

Anakin and Padme have no effect on saving Obi Wan or themselves as they are eventually saved by Yoda and the clones. (bad)

Anakin wants to play hero again and go after Padme when she is thrown from the ship. Only because his master is present, he is convinced to stay put. She's alright and didn't need his help anyway.(good)

This leads to Anakin and Obi Wan doing battle with Dooku. If Anakin hadn't been there, he probably would've waited for Yoda and been able to beat him. Anakin ends up losing an arm. (bad)

Now that they've committed their love to each other, Padme and Anakin decide to secretly get married anyway. (really bad)

The bad decisions heavily outweigh the good ones.

One bad decision leads to another and another and in the end, Anakin had no effect on any of these events except his doomed relationship with Padme. Had he just done his job, he would've been okay.

I read a quote the other day on these baords relating to Anakin and it's so true:

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions."

Anakin's heart was in the right place but his decisions were just not practical. This is why padawan's are taken at such a young age. Anakin had too much emotional baggage that he couldn't get rid of. And the most tragic part of it all is it really was not his fault, this is just life. I really feel bad for the guy.

 

That would be sweet if the trials were Anakin's adventures throughout AOTC. People always ask what the Jedi trials involve and why GL never showed any of it in the movies. But if this theory holds true, we've been seeing the trials all along and never even knew it.

 

Interesting thought, but it seems somewhat underhanded to me.

Padme isn't a trial, she's a person. And Anakin's life is not a trial, it's a life. I would find it rather disturbing for the Jedi Council to be intentionally playing with Ani's emotional life like that. Their relationship is not a game, and it's certainly nothing for the Council to "test" Anakin over.

If that's the case, no wonder he turned to the dark side.

 

i don't think it was a game when obi had his trials either.

it was just an unfortunate circumstance that he was thrown into, and he succeeded, followed the rules and moved on.

Anakin was given a mission, he failed a lot and succeeded in only a little manner of speaking, and that was his trial.

now where does he go from there? more training? they can't fire him, or there is a rogue jedi on the loose.

 

No, let me amend what I said - I would find it incredibly disturbing if the Council was playing with Ani's emotional life like that.

And I'm not sure how Anakin failed his trials.

"You must protect the Senator at all costs. That is your number one priority."

Senator = protected

 

That's exactly the feeling I got when I read the book. Before the movie came out. I read it and I thought those are his trials.

I think that's the real reason that Obi-Wan told Yoda and Mace "He's not ready for this assingment."

I look at "assingment" meaning trials. But it could be just me and a few others.

 

Guys I just have to say that this is a breath of fresh air being such an original topic. I must agree with you about the trials and Anakin. I guess just as much as Vader was Luke's trial in RoTJ.

 

Again, agreed that this is an excellent topic.

I still would like to know what people think regarding Obi's possible trials on Naboo in TPM. All this happened immediately after Qui-Gon declared him ready to take the trials.

Anyone?

 

JediNdaCity, I like you comments on Anakin's trials being in AOTC. I believe that the trials that most Jedi go through are basically a bunch of tests (saber skill, quizes, as well as the infamous testing by Yoda where he asks "how feel you?"). However, as has been stated, it is also a specific form of testing for each Jedi. Anakin did fail the "trials" but it won't be known to the Council until it is to late.

 

Well...Obi-Wan's trial was probably going to be delayed due to the increasing tension between the senate and the Jedi. Someone was trying to assasinate the queen...and the senate was looking to the Jedi for answers...to which they had none.

Yoda sounded a little ticked off when Kenobi declared himself ready. So his trial was going to be on the back burner for the time being...

Suddenly...his master is slain...and he is nose to nose with a sith warrior. Not only did he defeat the sith warrior...but he passed what would be his final exam.

Like someone stated...it was a de facto trial. The council realized that they couldn't give Obi-Wan a test that could match battling a believed to be extinct foe, and defeating him.

So, since Kenobi proved that he had what it took to be a full Knight....the council bestowed upon him that rank.

Sort of like, applying for a job at a restaurant...and while you are being interviewed, a disaster happens in the kitchen and you run back there and fix it. The manager would be pleased that you knew exactly what to do without being told, and you would probably be hired.

 

I don't think Naboo was "officially" intended to be Obi-Wan's trials. After all, he went with Qui-Gon. It's really not much different than any other jedi mission.

But when Qui-Gon bites it, Obi-Wan takes out the Sith murderer and obviously shows that he can handle himself on his own. So he is made a jedi knight.

Edit: damn I'm slow.

 

JediNDaCity Wonderful idea. I agree with you totally - applause!

I agree with others here that Naboo was not meant to be Obi-Wan's trials, but became so, when Qui-Gon died. Obi-Wan, ever the follower of the Unifying Force, had to calm down his anger and grief, and in a split second, call on the LIVING force to jump over Darth M and skewer him. When the Council learnt this, they realized that no trial that they devised, would come even close to this.

AOTC is part of Anakin's trials, whether formal or not. At the beginning of AOTC, Anakin is shown to be very powerful in the physical uses of the Force and believes he is ready. However, his actions throughout the film - his behavior with Padme, his repeated disregard of his Master's instructions, his immense rage at the Tuskens, his marriage at the end - all show that his journey as a Jedi has hit major roadblocks. He has failed practically at everything after being separated form Obi-Wan and being on his own. He is shown, at the end of AOTC, to be very far from ready to pass his trials and become a Knight. I belive he does not become a Knight till the end of ROTJ.

 

I don't know. Anakin went through trials as well as tribulations. I've always said that his biggest problem that he was way ahead of himself, too sure of himself. He thought himself to be just as good as the Jedi on the Council. Arrogance was his downfall. He lacked patience, composure, as well as self control. He wasn't mindful of his feelings. I believe his trials started the moment he seemed on edge inside the elevator with Obi-Wan before he sees Padme.

I haven't seen her in ten years.

So what! Big deal!

Then he argues with Obi-Wan right in front of her, defying the Council's instructions just because he's trying to make a manly impression on her. Obi-Wan had a right to be him in his place.

One thing though. We don't know for certain that Anakin Skywalker will not ever become a Jedi Knight. He may reach the level of Knight in the next episode since Obi-Wan told Luke that his father was a Jedi Knight.

 

One thing though. We don't know for certain that Anakin Skywalker will not ever become a Jedi Knight. He may reach the level of Knight in the next episode since Obi-Wan told Luke that his father was a Jedi Knight.

The TPM opening scrawl says that the Supreme Chancellor had sent two Jedi Knights when clearly Obi-Wan was a Padawan. In ESB, the dialog between Obi-Wan, Yoda and Luke clearly suggests that the Emperor had seduced Anakin before his training was complete, when he was "vulnerable". This leads me to think that Anakin does not become a Knight in EIII. perhaps Obi-Wan did not want to say to Luke, "I was once a Jedi Knight and your father was a Padawan", not wanting to explain the workings of an order that no longer existed.

 

My quick two cents...

I always thought the trials showed that a jedi was able to overcome attachment of some sort or another. In general Anakin failed...but...

There was the time when Padme fell out of the transport, and Anakin eventually left her behind. That was probably the closest he came to actually passing.

But cool thread.