"I'm a Jedi, I know I'm better than this"

When Anakin says, "I'm a Jedi, I know I'm better than this" does this show that he is feeling a bit helpless against the dark side. He says it in such a way as if to imply a lack of understanding of the nature of his anger, like he is feeling guilty or even violated by something that he has no knowledge of. Here is my question...Is Anakin that dense that he does not realize that the darkside was creeping in on him. I just imagine that Sidious was alone meditating in a sound proof room using every bit of the force to instigate Anakin to be evil.

 

Having trained as a Jedi for ten years, Anakin should know a lot about the dangers of the dark side. I mean, he has probably been educated on the subject by Obi-Wan.
He knows that he's not supposed to give in to anger. He knows that he's not supposed to hate. That's why in this scene, it's so hard for him to say that he did feel those emotions.
Anakin knows that he has done something very inappropriate and I think it scares the hell out of him.



Star Wars is one
/LM

 

In addition to what Lars_Muul said, keep in mind that he's reeling from the shock of the extent of his actions. Surely, Anakin, as passionate as he is, has felt anger before, but anyone would be terrified of themselves if their rage drove them to kill even innocent children. This is not something he can ever erase. Their blood is going to stain his hands forever. It's his way of expressing the mixture of confusion, fear, and guilt mixed in with the underlying sense of vindictive justice he feels.

 

Jedi aren't supposed to act on their emotions. Anakin did, and he was berating himself for his training not being sufficient yet.

 

He knew what he did was not only gross and mean, but very unlike a Jedi. He knows that Jedi are not suppose to give in to anger, but at the very moment his mother died in his arms, he felt anger and then acted on it.

The fact that he exclaims that he's better than this, kind of shows he really isn't. It all goes hand in hand with him debating with Obi-Wan in front of Captain Typho and Padme and even gripping to Senator Amidala about how Obi-Wan is wrong to be training him at the pace he's being trained. It goes hand in hand with him arguing with Obi-Wan before they confront Dooku, and even not listening to Obi-Wan when he instructed Anakin to fight Dooku as a team.

How can you be insubordinate and head strong, and still be a good Jedi? I my estimation Anakin is not even average. Not as a padawan anyway.

 

To add to what Muul and Serenity already said...

That line, after Anakin collapses from the burden of it all, is the reason we don't write him off as "Vader" from then on. He commits a horrible act and he knows it. He cries over it.

But that line has a duel meaning. In his confusion he reverts back to his rote identity- that of a Jedi. He doesn't say he knows he's a better person but a better Jedi. This lack of self identity is crucial. He's desperately trying to hold onto some kind of control over his own personal life. Killing the Tuskens was a way of keeping himself from drowning in the feeling that he couldn't save his mother. It was not about the Jedi, it was about him. Later, he remembers that these two aspects of himself should be one and the same. He knows he should not let personal attachments affect him like this. But knowing that is obviously different from feeling it.

 

Welp, considering Lucas vision and his style of diolog, I would think the lines were meant similar to the sentiments of "Gosh darnit" "Gee willikers" and "By golly wolly". "I know im better than this" means I shouldnt have done that.

 

I've said it twice before: He's trying so hard to be a Jedi, but he just can't help being human.



Star Wars is one
/LM

 

He knows he shouldn't give into anger at all--he's supposed to be above that... But he isn't. He shouldn't get angry, he should let go of any anger, and remain calm, just a normal part of being a Jedi, and he's aware of this... But I guess he can't control the fact that he's angry. It's kind of like, when you do something wrong, and you know it's wrong... But you do it anyway because you just feel like it.

 

I mean maybe im wrong but whats so bad that he killed those tuskens. Regardless of his motive he helped the entire planet of tatooine. I mean killing 50-60 murderers and thieves... I dont get you guys if he told in that town were they landed whet he did they would probably celebrate him as a hero. They were not really contributing to society.

 

It?s important that he says that he is better than his actions suggest, rather than saying his actions were wrong. All through AOTC Lucas shows Anakin constantly comparing himself to others ? he still has a slave-style mindset based on hierarchy. We see him turning conversations with Obi-Wan into a contest, and when he praises Obi-Wan he does it by comparing him to others: ?he is as wise as master Yoda and as powerful as master Windu? . Then he goes on to say how much more skilled he is over Obi-Wan. He has grouped the Tuskens into a lower form of life, and thus justifies what he has done by suggesting that they deserve no better, that they are a lower species than him.

As RebelScum77 says, he is in the midst of an identity crisis: his training tells him what he did was wrong, yet he is obviously not convinced that is the case. While his natural powers grow, promising to make him the most powerful of the Jedi, he is also becoming the antithesis of what a Jedi should be. He is totally conflicted.